A Sneak Peak into the Life of a Queen: Raga FF, Ch 19: Pg 49, 19/01/16 - Page 29

Originally posted by: my_angel...

AWSUM

LOVED IT

BRM CAUGHT HA HA HA👏

CONTINUE SOON

Bestest update.
Loved it a lot.
Yay...
Finally,BRM,kokkkila and Kunwarji's truth come outside.
Everyone thrown out.
RaGa moments were too much lovely.
Loved it.
Continue sooonish...
Do update soon.

Originally posted by: Drashtilove

amazing update finally BRM truth came out although some enemies r still there raga moment r lovely

Beautiful story.. Read all the chapters in one go... Please continue soon

Lovely story... Please keep writing more often.
This progression of love is much nicer and meaningful than the real story.
I like how you i corporated the talks about freedom fights in your writing- much needed based on the time period the story is set in.
I hope they finally consumate in your story... Its much anticipated, but yeah kya Raniji is allergic?
I hope this does not spoil the plan or long anticipation of readers and Ranaji :)

very interesting story

really good work

Chapter Nineteen

Ranaji began reading the novel, "On the first Monday of the month of April, 1625, the market town of Meung, in which the author of ROMANCE OF THE ROSE was born, appeared to be in as perfect a state of revolution..."

Gayatri murmured, "Interesting beginning...Ranaji is it a war novel?"

Ranaji corrected, "Not exactly a war novel. A historical romance dealing with political intrigue, to be more precise. I too have not read the novel earlier, so I don't have much idea about the plot or characters."

Gayatri laughed and cheekily remarked, "Then it must be the story of the Amerkot palace with only the names changed..."

Ranaji agreed, "Intrigue is more or less part of any story dealing with royal characters. We live and thrive on it. Without it, I would guess our life would become mundane and boring...let me continue now...A young man--we can sketch his portrait at a dash. Imagine to yourself a Don Quixote of eighteen..."

Ranaji read, "They walked arm in arm, occupying the whole width of the street..."

Gayatri quipped, "It's really heartwarming to see enemies becoming friends in one instant. It shows us that nothing is impossible. You only have to have the will to fight your battles either physically, mentally or through your quick wit and you can win over even your enemies like D'Artagnan did in this novel."

Ranaji agreed, "Very true...". He kept on reading, "...Yes, and France is about to pay for her king's refusal with a war. I am not allowed to see you, madame, but you shall every day hear of me. What object, think you, have this expedition to Re and this league with the Protestants of La Rochelle which I am projecting? The pleasure of seeing you. I have no hope of penetrating, sword in hand, to Paris, I know that well. But this war may bring round a peace; this peace will require a negotiator; that negotiator will be me. They will not dare to refuse me then; and I will return to Paris, and will see you again, and will be happy for an instant. Thousands of men, it is true, will have to pay for my happiness with their lives; but what is that to me, provided I see you again! All this is perhaps folly--perhaps insanity; but tell me what woman has a lover more truly in love; what queen a servant more ardent?"

"My Lord, my Lord, you invoke in your defense things which accuse you more strongly. All these proofs of love which you would give me are almost crimes."

"Because you do not love me, madame! If you loved me, you would view all this otherwise. If you loved me, oh, if you loved me, that would be too great happiness, and I should run mad. Ah, Madame de Chevreuse was less cruel than you... "Madame de Chevreuse was not queen," murmured Anne of Austria, overcome, in spite of herself, by the expression of so profound a passion.

"You would love me, then, if you were not queen! Madame, say that you would love me then!..."

"Oh, my Lord! You have ill understood, wrongly interpreted; I did not mean to say--"

Gayatri was listening to everything spellbound. She asked Ranaji, "Ranaji is the queen right or wrong according to you? She is loyal to King Louis but what can she do if she has such a persistent admirer like Buckingham who can go to any lengths for her. Will the king understand her situation or will he blame her only?"

Ranaji replied, "I will ask you a question in return to your question. Was Ahalya, Rishi Gautama's wife who was cursed to be a stone for mistaking Indra to be her own husband, right or wrong? Does she deserve to be cursed or understood?"

Gayatri had no hesitation, "Mata Ahalya was never wrong that's why Lord Ram himself redeemed her from her curse."

Ranaji replied, "It's just a difference of perspective. What was a sin according to Gautama was an unintentional mistake which did not deserve to be punished according to Lord Ram."

Gayatri asked, "I'm asking just like that...Suppose someday, I was in Mata Ahalya's position, would you think like Gautama or Lord Ram?"

In that fraction of a second, Ranaji was reminded of the crazy look he had seen in Frazer's eyes for Gayatri before he replied, "I really can't tell..."

Gayatri said, "But I know that you will be like Lord Ram and not like Gautama if ever such a situation arose."

Their Shikara was floating now very close to the other shore. Just then, their thoughts were interrupted by a low growling sound. Ranaji being a soldier, reacted very quickly and pulled Gayatri aside from her position in the bed and reached out for his pistols. A huge leopard leapt out as if from nowhere and continued staring cruelly and emitted low and grunting roars in between at both of them.

Ranaji fired a quick shot before the leopard leapt from there pushing away the pistol from Ranaji's hand. Indravadan's shot had hit the leopard on his leg. He was wounded and bleeding profusely. As they say, a wounded animal is even more lethal because the motive revenge gets added to the motive of hunger. It roared in terrible pain and anger at Ranaji and Gayatri.

Before it could attack them again, Ranaji caught hold of Gayatri and jumped into the lake. They were very close to the shore now. Their weapon was now gone. So all their hopes of help lay ashore. Soldiers had been stationed at both ends of the shore by the Raaja Saab for their security. But to their dismay, they found only the mangled remains of soldiers. It looked like the leopard had run amuck here before it attacked them in the Shikara.

The leopard, though wounded, was fastly closing the distance between them. There was not time to think. Ranaji caught hold Gayatri's hands and began running towards the nearby forest.

In the meantime, Raaja Saab who was listening to the pleas of the villagers regarding the atrocities of the leopard was interrupted by a terribly panicked soldier who was almost out of breath. He just gasped, "The man-eating leopard has attacked our outpost on the other shore of the lake. It was too difficult to make out anything clearly in the darkness but it looks like it has attacked the shikara in which our royal guests were there. But luckily they escaped. The last we saw was Ranaji and Rani Gayatri running towards the forest with the leopard in hot pursuit..."

The Raaja Saab angrily barked out orders, "Set out immediately with a party of the best hunters and horses into the forest and hunt this animal down. I will personally supervise this hunt."

PS: Sorry to all my friends whom I kept waiting without updating. I was not able to come to India Forums itself for the past two months due to personal issues. Now all that is sorted out. Will update regularly from now on.

first of all sorry for such a late comment..
n thanks for d update..
m really happy dat u r back to d forum n we will get rregular updates
i hv really liked dis story a lot
n now again a wonderful chap.
update soon