OSR SAMYUKTA PART 29
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Aryanagar, the palace; The revenue chamber
Annoyed by the prolonged drone of palatial chairs being shuffled about within the chamber; the irate prince peers at the engrossed revenue ministers, murmuring to each other about the recent uneasy discussions that morning. The royal pair impatiently wait, as the seemingly indolent stream of nobles proceed towards the exit of the impressive guarded hall and begin to tardily trickle out of the adjacent assembly towers. No sooner than they discover that they are encircled by absolute silence; the duo dismiss the soldiers girdling them in order to be able to exchange their views in private.
Once again ensuring that they were indeed to themselves, the rabid Agni fumes to his distrait father in a low tone "Many of these revenue ministers used to be on our side; if for no other reason, at least out of fear…but now, they are all behaving straightforward; maintaining their accounts and guarding the treasury in all honesty... all this has only begun ever since the advent of Dharam's and Veer's influence in the government..." he pauses "I am confident that Dharam and Veer are planning many more schemes like the one that I had visited the day before yesterday... we might be able to evade implication from one such scheme, but how could we escape time and again pitaji" on receiving no response from his stern father, Agni continues vehemently "Are you listening pitaji? I still have not forgotten Veer's insult to me, in front of all those lowly Shramiks..."
Letting out a heavy breath; Jaivardhan ultimately closes his eyes, as he replies in revulsion "Yes... yes Agni we have borne a lot because of these brothers off late…barely escaped from being labelled as traitors...lost a massive amount of money as a result of the war and still unable to make up any of it...incurred Gadhwar's disgruntlement... witnessed Dharam's nomination as the crown prince and endured Veer's stubborn decisions about security and arsenal. With these brothers' tours and schemes probing into people's welfare; the amount of illegitimate tax coming in has also reduced... we need as much money as we can, if we have to again mobilize all our plans…"
Nodding his head agitatedly in conformation with his father's troubling recollections; Agni adjoins after ruminating for a short while "Pitaji; I received a long scroll from Chatarpur yesterday. Harsh wants us to prove our loyalty to him by destroying any chance of a wedding between Dharam and Rajkumari Siya. Heartbroken on hearing of the latest developments and the upcoming festivities next week, he has even offered to send money if needed." discerning his father's smirk, he continues on an arrogant note "I replied letting him know that we would never allow Dharam to sit on the throne beside his new bride anyway..."
Inattentive to the remarkable irradiance or the absolute stillness surrounding him; the preoccupied solitary prince hurriedly paces through the myriad of extensive galleries leading to the substantial towers of the assembly. Scrupulously straightening the creases on his marginally crumpled sleeves; the discontent Dharam murmurs in resentment "I am already late for my meeting with pitaji at the assembly hall and now I have to search for Veer too...I hope he has not already left for his duties at the arsenal repository... both ma and bua are going to chide me for having failed to remind him about the tailor's visit today... why do I always land in a quandary because of this evasive prince..."
Warily glimpsing around the empty revenue chamber; Jaivardhan does not strive to hide the hint of sudden excitement on his face, as he moves close to Agni to suggest in a low tone "Agni, did you not want to repay Veer with interest for having offended you? As matters are, we need the treasury money to pay the prince of Gadhwar and all his powerful allies, if we have to resume our buried relationships and gain their favour in helping us defeat the current regime…these sudden surge of straightforward nobles are definitely not going to co-operate with us, even if we bribe them…" he pauses by breaking out into a terrifying sardonic grin "What if we actually start stealing the money from the treasury... and make it seem like someone else is doing it…"
Startled by what his guileful father was endeavouring to imply; the shocked Agni reconfirms his father's statements "Pitaji, do you mean embroil Veer in an act of thievery?" instantly unconvinced by the idea, Agni refutes the proposition in his characteristic haughty manner "No…this would never work out...much as that prince is stubborn and independent, everyone knows about his integrity and honesty too... anyway, what would Veer be stealing all that money from the treasury for..."
Aware of how displeased his father would be with his delay; the worried prince quickens his treads, while simultaneously displaying fleeting nods to acknowledge the respectful bows offered by stationary soldiers positioned throughout the verandas. Perusing over his numerous official unfinished duties to be completed by the end of the day; the diligent Dharam whines softly "Why do tailors need so much time to take measurements ... and ma is being excessively finical about my garb for the upcoming betrothal..."
Irked by the echoes of Agni's unguarded loud snubs within the rich walls of the vacant revenue hall; the cautious Jaivardhan redresses him sternly "Hush Agni! Hear me out... the eyes see what it wants to... we only need to twist the facts slightly. Why not use Veer's very honesty against him. Is not Veer an emotional fool, who acts on impulse? He even flouts the laws fearlessly, if he does not accede to them. Additionally; he has independent access to the treasury just like you and Dharam do..." he pauses with an air of superiority, as he support his claims "Dhananjeya's men had reported that Veer was becoming increasingly popular amongst commoners and villagers, for lending them a helping hand on his rounds; whenever possible. It would not take much effort to make it appear like he was probably being bold enough to freely utilize the treasury's money to aid the commoners, as and when he pleased! None shall know the reality of where the money was actually disappearing to..."
Gradually detecting how the fresh ray of hope in the form of his father's encouraging plans seemed to fulfil all their necessities with relatively simplistic effort; the woeful scowls on Agni's face transform to optimistic frowns, as he deliberates excitedly "Yes... yes why not... freely withdrawing treasury money to help others for food or clothes is as much of an offence as stealing the money itself! Shera has become comparatively quiet now; but, do you remember her observations a while back? She had mentioned her doubts that it was likely that Veer was protecting a Shramik family who knew about the revolts. Hence; if we come to prove even one of these offences, Veer would actually be labelled a criminal, especially since he is part of the justice and defence system now..."
Eventually won over by the ingenuity of the wretched notion; the gladdened Agni fails to conceal the thrill in his hollers, as he exclaims the apparent culmination of their plots loudly "This shall completely destroy Veer no doubt, and in turn shatter Dharam too... as these two ever-dependant brothers cannot function without the other!"
Coincidentally passing by the passageway outside the revenue hall at that juncture; the older prince unexpectedly catches the purport of the last few discomforting claims.
Realizing the undertone of what he overheard; the appalled Dharam quietly analyzes the utterances of his arch rival "Wasn't that Agni? What did he just say? Destroy Veer and thus me? Oh Lord! What are the deplorable minds of this father son duo up to again?"
Silently pausing for a long while in ardent hope that either one would proceed to reveal further aspects of their obnoxious schemes, Dharam becomes anxious on being unable to perceive even hints of their strategies.
Increasingly concerned about the welfare of his brother; the unsettled royal mentally fumes "How I wish I could slay these two with my bare hands...contriving devious plots against Veer! If only I had arrived slightly earlier..." Helplessly left with no other alternative but to continue to remain eternally vigilant against the vicious pair's actions, the enraged Dharam forewarns himself "I have to warn Veer...and stay alert myself...all the while too..."
Niphaud - The palace, The Queen's chamber
Decked in impeccable regal attire that masked the extent of her perturbance; the queen nervously glances around her disorderly chamber, before meting out another mandate to a passing attendant. Following their particular delegated responsibilities; different groups of fastidious women are involved in ensuring that auspicious items, lordly gifts, the royals' perpetual personal belongings and stately jewellery are neatly packed into the respective encrusted alloyed trunks. As the remaining whelmed bevies of maids scurry around the clutter in the spacious room to complete their numerous duties; their annoyance at the queen's endless orders and chides, is masked by their eager anticipation of the princess' impending occasion.
Astonished by how lively chaos had overtaken the festive aura in every other corner of the vast palace; the small undisturbed group of young girls seldom peep at the bustling panorama, choosing to stay huddled on their opulent chaise. Availing the advantage of their seclusion; the charming group occupy themselves with trivial chat and gossip, as the bare arms of the ravishing princess are embellished with exquisite patterns of henna by two adept old ladies.
Shuddering occasionally at the ticklish touch of tender feathers that were being used to draw the patterns on her palms; the dreamy Siya recalls the ethereal noon, as she timidly answers her friends' relentless queries "Well I leaned on his shoulder... and... and... he looked at me...he continued to gaze into my eyes and me into his...this was when all of you came in..." pausing to observe the teasing sceptical frowns of her friends' faces, the abashed princess questions with feeble authority "Why don't you girls trust me?"
Giggling at Daksha's tired smiles; the chirpy Nanda expresses the basis behind their mistrust "The reason we don't trust you, is because the scene that we managed to stumble upon seemed to have slightly more romantic prospects to it... that's all..."
Briefly pausing as a maid approaches their gathering to expose Siya's partially damp tresses to the aroma of benign herbal vapours; the princess blushes profoundly, as she is forced to persist with her whispers "Actually... Rajkumar Dharam... he... he... came close ... close to me... and he... held my face... he..." realizing how the three ladies serving her were struggling to hide their grins, the bashful Siya abruptly stops "No, I can't Nanda!"
Slapping her forehead to display her dissatisfaction at the coy girl's incomplete version; Daksha grumbles aloud "He...he... he! You began recounting your tale when we returned from the temple, a fortnight ago! If you continue narrating your story at this pace, we would be forced to reside at Aryanagar to listen to the remainder of your recitals."
Shortly chuckling at the amusing interchanges; Nanda regains her composure, as she advices the reckless Daksha "Oh plump maiden, I plead you...stop trembling the unfortunate chaise incessantly... the delicate patterns on Siya's hands are all going awry!" she pauses "Besides; any chance that you get, you want to reside at Aryanagar..."
Unwilling to relinquish her addictive fantasies; the confident girl admonishes her seemingly pessimistic friends "Yes I shall reside at Aryanagar...you both still seem to be in doubt... the priest was definitely describing me in the temple that day... I think that I do possess beauty, daunt and sharp wit ...and oh yes...I am no princess either..."
Sighing gently; the loving princess tries to amend her friend's unrealistic disposition "But... you belong to royalty Daksha..."
Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly; the resolute Daksha reveals her impractical solution "I shall transform to a commoner from this very moment... don't you think I would do something as meagre as foregoing my royal upbringing, in order to be joined with the man of my dreams forever?"
Their attention abruptly distracted by a swift loud announcement from the distant entrance of the chamber, followed by a sudden increase in the discordance of the voices surrounding them; the diverted girls discontinue their endearing conversations. Gradually beholding the welcome presence of the Niphaudi monarch in the midst of the hushed crowd; the delighted princess smiles at the sight of her dazed father. While Janardhan persists with intently absorbing the festive commotion around him; his displeased queen stares at the king, dissatisfied by his eventual delayed advent. Ensuing a brief period of strained stillness; the assemblage is shortly dissolved, as Gauri announces her desire of spending a few private moments with the king and her daughter, in her imposing personal chamber.
With the slow courteous departure of trains of busy maids, attendants and Siya's friends, leaving her in the intimate company of her small family; the unhappy Gauri conveys her trifling grievances to the puzzled king "Maharaj you gracefully promised the Aryanagar monarchs that we could go ahead with the proposed date, and have remained busy with official matters ever since... little do you understand all the preparations that such a massive function entails..." she continues to justify the cause of her dilemmas "Only now did I realize that we are running short of a few articles... this is precisely what I feared... arriving at the end of the fortnight; we are leaving for Aryanagar tomorrow and most of the arrangements have not been completed..."
Apprehending his wife's expected concerns; the serene king assays to pacify her, but stops on incidentally noticing how the smiles on his attractive daughter's face, still seated on her chaise, had now given way to mystified frowns. As the king indicates his observations to his queen, the moved parents appraise how their discussions were marring Siya's ecstasy. Silently deciding to forego their issues for a brief while, for spending affectionate moments with their daughter instead; the king and queen slowly approach their enchanting girl. Seating themselves on either side of the princess, the proud king and queen regard how Siya's amplified radiance owing to her newfound happiness, only seemed to heighten her matchless beauty.
Admiring the beautiful henna adorning Siya's hands and feet; Gauri holds the girl's chin, as she discloses her remorse "How unfortunate that I have spent the past two weeks attending to numerous tasks... not once did I let you know how beautiful you have begun to look..."
Not knowing how to react to the overt display of motherly pride; Siya giggles and leans on to her mother, while the touched Gauri continues on a mild note "Tomorrow; you shall be formally promised to Rajkumar Dharam... just like how you had wished for... they are a very nice family Siya...I am confident that you shall be very happy there..."
Patting the elated Siya's head; Janardhan supports his wife's statements, by providing the ignorant duo with the delightful tidings "I received a message from Aryavardhan... it seems that Rajkumar Dharam has been ordained as the crown prince now... he is Yuvraj Dharam..."
As the jubilant mother and daughter rejoice enthusiastically on learning of the marvellous developments; the pleased father watches on with elevated spirits, before dreamily reliving the glorious memories of his daughter's carefree childhood "I find it difficult to imagine that my little child who used to run around as a small girl in the palace... play in my arms... will soon be getting married... living in Aryanagar... and one day possibly acceding the throne of Aryanagar, as queen..."
Heeding the adorable yet painful recollections that she had deliberately repressed from cropping up off late; the sentimental princess begins to feel choked at the sudden reminder that the time to leave her home and family was slowly arriving "Proceed to live in Aryanagar? But I do not want to miss Niphaud...the welcome scenes of sunrise and sunset from the windows of my chamber…the familiar faces in my home... watching the new flowers bloom in my palace garden every season... the beautiful sights of my kingdom...the most comforting presence of my parents... the amicable everyday gossip with my friends... why does a girl have to go through such grief at the most anticipated moments in her life..."
Unaware of the turmoil Siya was already undergoing; the sensitive queen exposes her heartfelt thoughts lovingly "True Maharaj... she shall then have so many tasks to supervise... so many people to converse with... but, I shall be left all alone here..." after a brief pause, the fond mother declares her adoring complaints to the heavyhearted girl resentfully "Once you are gone, who shall listen to my ceaseless frustrations Siya? Come every festival and occasion, who shall I tailor new dresses for? Will I get the chance to look at your face, first thing in the morning, ever again?"
Suddenly noticing the tears streaming from the eyes of his daughter; Janaradhan abruptly interrupts his wife "Gauri stop now... you are making the child cry... she was enjoying herself for so long..."
Experiencing guilt; the tearful mother immediately dries her tears and then wipes the droplets from Siya's cheeks, before hugging her daughter comfortingly.
Patting the weeping princess in a bid to mitigate the emotional ambience; the pragmatic father mentions mockingly "The Yuvraj seems to be such a caring person... he might take us to task, if he came to know that we were responsible for reducing his princess to tears... it is all right Gauri, we old parents will soon be showering all our affection on our grandchildren instead...your can choose fine gifts and dresses for them, while I patiently wait for their enjoyable visits and stay at Niphaud..."
Amidst her sobs; the princess unwittingly breaks out into a disapproving smile at her father for jesting even such profoundly sensitive instants, before the three royals proceed for a short period, to relish their limited remaining moments of togetherness.
Aryanagar; Outskirts of the village of Sawai - The scrap yard
Supplementing the existent natural hues of the sunny morning; the colourful scenes of the expansive cluttered metal scrap yard, loftily parade indefinite lines of assorted booths and stalls that house sellers catering to masses of local populace. Merchandising metals of various proportions, forms, colours and stages; swamped vendors attend to their fervent rush of routine clients, primarily constituting of weapon merchants accompanied by their skilled force of blacksmiths. Following the completion of their transactions; the plethora of buyers ranging from the tardily indifferent to the distressingly aggravated, carry their behemoth baskets and invade every available stretch in the narrow passageways. In the process of trying to avail accessible space; mutual shoving and arguments of the travellers' only add to the already deafening cacophony of loud bartering and clangs of raw metal being hauled about.
Flanked by a protective circumference of Aryanagar soldiers keeping any inconsiderate travellers away from his magnificent being; the young prince makes his way through the suffocating lanes and finally stations himself in front of a particularly busy stall.
As the immensely occupied comely old vendor gauges the advent of regal presence in front, he directs his attention to the prince who begins yelling his query, in an effort to be heard above the surrounding noise "Thank you for your attention ... I was informed by the merchants that just sold the royal arsenal their latest batch of weapons that a particular influential seller here was dealing with adulterated raw material..."
Unable to finish his inquiry due to an unforeseen distraction in the form of frustrated shouts, submerging even the existent glaring tumult around; the surprised Veer looks up to note that the disturbance was emanating from an adjacent shopkeeper. Noticing the provoked seller dealing with the faintly familiar duo of a middle aged man and his younger aide standing beside; the dutiful royal shortly pauses to ensure that their dispute was only regular business dealing.
Frowning at the seemingly incredulous nature of the ongoing tiff; the busy prince turns back to continue with his interrogation of the obliging vendor "The name I was informed of, was Ramgir... the people here mention that you own one of the oldest stalls here... would you be aware of any seller here, called Ramgir?"
Just as the frail man responds to the prince's doubt by nodding his head in the negative; the row in the stall to their right intensifies, causing the entire royal entourage to temporarily channel their concentration on the ongoing strange proceedings.
Gradually discerning that the wayward pair of clientele were causing their overwhelmed dealer needless misery with their negligible grievances; Veer becomes increasingly chafed by their unfair actions.
Watching the unfolding events; the old seller stoops forward in order to murmur his views to the observing young royal "Rajkumar... I know those men... they are persistent troublemakers... ignore them..."
Eventually deciding to withdraw from their gripping paltry pastime; the pair realize that their altercation was being eyed by the formidable retinue of the Aryanagar sentinel, led by the youngest prince himself.
Intimidated by Veer's admonishing glares; the unhappy man whispers to the youth standing beside him, before beginning to retrace his steps "Seems like we are no longer permitted to even conduct normal trade in peace here any longer... let us continue on our way Tasha..."
As the pair swing around and swiftly leave the scene by shuffling through the crowds in the opposite direction, Veer asks the now relieved seller in the adjacent shop "Do they frequently visit this place and cause trouble? Shall I arrest them? That shall ensure that the father and son do not trouble anyone here, henceforth..."
Instantly returning to his assignments; the afflicted seller smiles respectfully at the prince's concern and nods his head negatively, as he replies in modest fashion "Welcome to the Sawai scrap yard, Your Highness... if you regularly visit places like ours, people shall spontaneously start behaving in appropriate manner... and please do not waste your efforts and time with such meandering folk... even if they are a squandering lot, their daughter is an honest dealer..."
Listening to the import of the cordial answer; the group of soldiers break out into amused frowns, while the disapproving Veer casually smirks and censures the situation on a frank note "Daughter? Pitiful are the times when the men of Aryanagar start solely depending on the toils of their womenfolk to run their households..."
Not wanting to fritter away any further time on the incident; the party of the soldiers led by the cardinal figure of their royal, walk away from the cramped path to pursue with their enquiries. Splitting up into smaller entities to hasten their progress with seeking the necessary information; the units spend a substantial part of the morning veering through numerous crowded alleys and inquiring with large numbers of sellers in the enormous area. While still duteously engaged in the task; the guarded prince enters yet another confining passage in between rows of scrap vendors and accidentally casts a momentary glance through the swarms of people, a few parallel lanes away. Rediscovering the now acquainted troublesome duo absorbed in a different bargain proceeding, Veer becomes shocked to see the pair flanked by the presence of a third figure standing beside them. Slowly perceiving the unmistakable persona of the stunning girl cloaked in pink, who seemed thoroughly consumed in her affairs; the stupefied prince begins to reflect on all the variant relevant incidents from the recent past "We are a tribe of nomadic blacksmiths" "All my tribe members... Tasha, Baba, Bade Baba... have arrived at Aryanagar and settled too" "Even if they are a squandering lot, their daughter is an honest dealer..."
While trying to decipher Shera's shrouded reality; Veer unwittingly begins to ponder on their preceding meetings, his entrancement fuelled by the presence of the unaware girl. Though surprised by how he always managed to detect her endearing presence even amongst huge throngs of people; the prince quickly disregards the occurrences to be coincidences due to her outstanding personality. Shortly jolted out of his muse by two curt barterers beside him; Veer suddenly feels annoyed with himself at permitting distraction and willingly succumbs to the draw of his hectic schedule, by advancing on his own way through stifling flocks of people.
Hardly three narrow stretches away; the attractive girl assiduously tries to quicken the unnecessary lag in her otherwise simple task, unmindful of awed glances from occasional onlookers, who were inspired by the unusual sight of a sterling beauty in their midst.
With her anticipation for the remainder of her rare day of leisure being increasingly dampened; Shera gently prods her laggard father "No baba...please heed my advice...that material is of very poor quality... we cannot afford to make cheap samples... the weapons need to be highly potent if we want to win the contract..."
Heedless of her repeated pleas; the miserly father shakes his head and discredits her sternly "Spending all that money to buy scrap...why are you so confident that the Aryanagar soldiers will indeed come to take our samples? Who told you so? "
Placing her hand on her hips pretentiously; the irked petite utters an overbearing response "Well baba... I just know... call it a girl's intuition..."
As the two men start sniggering at her evidently unjustified confidence; the now vexed girl sighs deeply, as she seethes to herself "None of my work is getting done... I should have known better than to permit you two to tag along with me, once again...if chachi was here instead, I would have completed my work long ago..."
Immediately removing four coins from the ruffles of her closely guarded pouch; Shera escalates the dominance in the grimness of her tone, as she voices hersuggestion "Here ... this money would suffice a return tanga trip to Aryanagar and even fetch something extra, in case you need so... I shall collect the materials, and return by the noon tanga..." she continues firmly "By myself..."
Sensing instantaneous delight at the invaluable prospect of few spare coins; the avaricious Baba wastes no time in grabbing his share of the money and swerves around surrounding masses, after muttering a short superficial parting wish to his daughter. Noticing Shera's subtle melancholy at the hurried departure of her inconsiderate father; the sly Tasha pacifies his despise at being dictated to by the girl and arrogantly takes his dole, before disappearing through the hordes of commoners.
Fathoming the insensitivity of the pair; Shera calms her brief gloom by comprehending her eventual success at having purchased peace and moves over to more familiar stalls, to examine and barter for the metal scraps, through the remainder of the morning.
Aryanagar; Outskirts of the village of Sawai – Outside the scrap yard
Having laboured her way through the crowded spaces of the comprehensive scrap yard; the slender girl steadily balances the large woven basket atop her, while simultaneously hauling an apparently hefty jute sack, along the sparsely occupied streets. Assiduously progressing towards the site of the tanga station; the young blacksmith eventually marks the locale to be deserted and sighs dejectedly at the annoying failure of all her desperate efforts to reach on time. Possessing heavy load requiring transportation; the lone girl is faced with no option other than patiently waiting a considerable while under the fiery brilliance of the noon sun, till the next tanga bound for Aryanagar arrived. Quickly resigning herself to the uncongenial facts; the practical girl shields her face from the intense heat, while hoping to entertain herself during the wait, by watching the sporadic fleeting of loaded bullock carts and horse-driven tangas through the dusty roads.
Inadvertently distracted by a hushed commotion a short distance away; the surprised girl observes the elaborately armoured assemblage of royal sentinel forcibly restraining a rebellious stranger, under the supervision of their pre-eminent royal. Her attention now turned to the more occupying proceedings; Shera silently watches the dashing Veer through the shelter of her pink veil, as he gruffly withdraws his embellished sleeves and glares menacingly at the obvious offender, in a bid to subdue him. Entertained by how the royal's temper invariably preceded his handsome bearing; whatever the circumstance encompassed, the petite begins giggling to herself. While increasingly humoured by all prior incidents that supported her stance, she slowly realizes that his rage was generally associated with the protected loyalty he possessed towards his undertakings, bringing back his last words to her "If the officials are impressed with your samples, I could try and get your tribe a permanent contract ...I cannot promise, but shall definitely endeavour to do so..." ebbing into silent smiles at the amusing prince's complex nature; her merry temperament gradually subdues when she is forced to recollect Agni's dreaded words about her supposed role in the fate of Veer's life "You have not discovered a single thing yet... not a single shred of information...you inferior Shramik..." "Frame Veer and the family for all of these." Revolving on how such unpleasant thoughts were afflicting her often off late; Shera again feels dragged into the same thwarting cycle of conscience "The only genuine men that you know, you are now plotting against... Ananya, why are you putting up with this vicious deed..."
Preoccupied for a long while; the muddled girl fails to realize that the transpiring scene had terminated and that the prince was now majestically walking up to his steed to depart from the area.
Engrossed in dictating his final biddings to his guards; Veer accidentally notices Shera waiting at the desolate area and elusively diverted from his chore, finds himself trying to interpret, if the mystifying girl was scrutinizing his deeds or gazing into oblivion. The preciseness of his firm instructions gradually tapering into flashes of vague hurried statements; Veer unintentionally hastens the concluding procedures and rapidly dispatches his soldiers, along with the subjugated prisoner back to Aryanagar. As the entourage bring their tasks to a closure and swiftly mount their conveyances to ride away with the captive, the bustle shakes the absorbed Shera out of her thoughts, who quickly perceives the situation and recomposes herself, to flash Veer a charming smile.
Resolutely surveying the luring girl's smile for less than a moment; the unfaltering Veer leads his horse by its reigns towards her, conscious to appear neither hesitant, nor moved. While amicably beholding the prince advancing in her direction through the grim lane; the observant girl incidentally catches sight of a frail man, at a far corner of the forlorn route. Gradually comprehending that something behind him had managed to seize the attention of the enticing girl; Veer swings around to notice an old adult with crinkled eyes squatting on the sultry ground, being repeatedly circled by an affectionate dog. Moved by the plight of the helpless blind lone man leaning on to the only available support of a bamboo stick; the young royal instantly arrests his strides and humbly retraces his steps towards the seemingly infirmed man.
Generously digging his hand into his velvet pouch; the concerned Veer bends forward with a few gold coins, as he gently offers the man his modest services "Are you all right baba? Here... I have something to give you..."
Suddenly alerted by the fact that he was being addressed to; the asleep old adult opens his eyes and gapes apprehensively at the startled prince, as he clumsily stumbles in his efforts to stand up and simultaneously shoo the stray dog away.
Shortly grasping what had occurred; the offended man feels frightened to express himself for few disconcerting moments, until he finally musters his courage to speak up "Your Highness... I apologise... but, I am no blind beggar…I was only waiting for my brother to arrive from the scrap yard..."
No sooner than the anxious old commoner speedily enlightens the young royal; he sprints back towards the busy grounds of the scrap yard, leaving the chagrined prince all alone.
Thoroughly entertained by the unexpected turn of events; Shera takes a while to recover from her sporadic bursts of adorable chuckles, while the irked Veer glares at the girl's amused disposition and chides her, on ultimately reaching her location "Now do you know what I mean when I say that I always get into strange situations with you…"
Disinclined to cause the young royal any further grief; the stunning girl strives to regain her composure in a few moments, as she elucidates "Accept my apologies Rajkumar... however; all I was doing, was momentarily glancing at him..."
Essaying to retrieve their poise after the comical account; the awkward pair quickly flash each other formal grins during the few succeeding silent moments.
Abruptly realizing the discomforting fact that the alluring girl would recognize herself as the reason behind his temporary halt; the vain prince feels averse to appearing meek and instantly proceeds to inform the hapless girl of his compelling agenda "I was actually on my way...I... I have other matters to look to... I just thought...you seemed lost, so I paused to enquire... are you waiting here by yourself..." indicating towards the empty tanga station; the prince wipes his tired brow, as he continues to ask "Would you have to wait long for the next tanga?"
Conceiving the awkwardness behind his regard; Shera grins at the uneasy Veer and then relieves him in refined manner, by cordially refusing his offer of concern "It is all right Rajkumar, I am not lost ...I do not have to get back to my shop today ...I am in no hurry..." gauging his puzzled frowns, the lively girl explains further "I have been up many nights training my aide Radha... and working through the days helping Pari chachi with didi's wedding arrangements..." she pauses pragmatically "You may have to get back to Aryanagar... I shall wait for the evening tanga... please proceed Rajkumar..."
While briefly acknowledging the girl's assurance of her ability to be able to carry on independently; the prince recalls the earlier episode that morning and eventually decides to overcome his indecisiveness in order to allay the curiosity plaguing him, so far "I... I... have been meaning to ask... I... think... by chance, I met... this morning... a man...your..."
Straightaway observing that the prince did not bear an ideal impression of her father; the cognizant Shera giggles at the cautious manner in his approach, before casually confirming his doubts "Yes... Rajkumar Veer... that is my father...he did give me his own version of what transpired ..." she pauses haltingly "I hope there is no issue..."
Though ignorant of her ingrained dilemmas; the shrewd Veer senses that the generally impish girl seemed slightly reticent that day and nods his head to ease her fears "No... no I don't think so..." he pauses for a short while "All right... I shall be on my way..."
With only little time to spare and hoping to make a quick visit to the orphanage nearby, prior to his return home; the royal flashes the girl a quick parting smile and then begins to steer the steed in a course opposite to the direction needed to be taken for Aryanagar.
Intuiting that the girl was subtly confused by his actions; the confident Veer looks ahead and justifies himself aloud, while carefully disguising the reality of where he was headed to "I am not returning to Aryanagar now... I have to go some place else first..."
Just as Veer is about to mount his gallant animal; the duo manage to spot a tanga arrive at an abrupt stop, a short distance along the glum street. Gradually detecting an attractive young lady supporting the load of a few baskets descend the tanga; the heedful Shera becomes surprised to unravel the unforeseen presence of her close acquaintance in that area.
Fathoming that her receding friend had failed to notice them; the excited girl glimpses at the immobilising heavy load beside her and quickly ensures no one else was around, before hollering out to her, across the street "Sakshi didi... Sakshi didi..."
Alarmed to discover her name being shouted in the desolate streets of Sawai; Sakshi fleetingly turns around and becomes shocked to descry the outlines of her young companion standing beside her regal brother, on the opposite side of the road.
Amazed by the coincidence; the unaware Shera barely waits for Sakshi to cross the street, before barraging her friend with affable questions "Sakshi didi... what are you doing at Sawai? You never mentioned that you had work at Sawai..."
Watching Sakshi's warm smiles at her and then at the lordly prince; Shera anticipates an astonished reaction from Veer at the chance occurrence too, but becomes taken aback on noticing only a quiet exchange of gentle smiles between the duo instead.
Hardly taking a few moments to discern that neither Veer nor Sakshi were profoundly surprised to spot the presence of the other in Sawai; the witty girl's past suspicions of the cause for their association, begin to be strengthened "Have they both been here before? I was right...Rajkumar Veer is closely liaised with Sakshi didi's family...they both are...are hiding something! Is he protecting them for some reason...is the hideout for revolutionaries somewhere around...no, it cannot be...neither of them seem capable ot such deeds..." continuing for a long while to reflect on her dubious thoughts;more terrifying echoes race past her mind "I expect you to come up with at least some incriminating information soon...if not, I shall personally ensure that you are thrown back to those very men who wanted to have a piece of you." "Ananya, you have to do this..to keep the children alive."
Despite hints of dazed uncertainty concealed behind Shera's soft grins; Veer prudently chooses to remain hush about the orphanage, while the tender Sakshi lets out a deep sigh, before progressing to disclose the true reason for her arrival at Sawai "Shera if you have some time to spare, I shall take you to a place; but please do not breathe a word about it to anyone else..." she pauses "Anyway, why worry so much... you shall be coming here for the wedding in two days...so it is high time you were made aware too..."
Remaining oblivious all through of the crafty scheming eyes of Tasha minding their latest developments from a food stall, at the end of the street; the friendly gathering of the trio decide to start on their new unplanned journey, after plenty of deliberation and debate.
Sawai, The orphanage
Travelling together for a considerable time through the escalating denseness in the foliage that admirably shielded their paths from the harsh rays of the noon sun; the prince eventually becomes delighted on sensing the proximity to his destination. Having been unable to participate in the trifling chatter of the chirpy girls so long; Veer looks forward to his impending visit to the orphanage and shortly informs the girls, before speeding ahead on his horse with their heavy loads. Giggling at the sight of the frisky prince riding off; the two friends on foot ensue with their trivial prattle, while the versant Sakshi concurrently warns her friend in advance of any hurdles in the form of large pebbles, terrifying insects or protruding branches. Though thoroughly enjoying her lovely company and the expectancy of the unknown sight she was to stumble on; the thrilled Shera finds the occasional emergence of the troubling reminders of her sad reality, blemishing the otherwise beautiful moments. Repeatedly struggling to disregard the dishonest actuality of why she was accompanying the pair; the plagued girl shrouds the mixture of emotions passing her mind, as she persists with her contribution to her spirited chitchat with Sakshi.
Suddenly realizing that she was still in a state of partial trance through Sakshi's hard nudges; Shera notes her elated friend pointing to a small clearing in the thickness of the woods "Shera that is what I was trying to show you... that clearing... what happened... you seemed slightly lost... what were you thinking..."
Gradually heeding what seemed like the playful clamour of numerous children; the curious Shera breaks out into a surprised smile and rushes her pace, to catch up with her friend, now waiting at the aperture.
Finally appearing at the outset of the lush planar area; the sprightly girl casts a momentary glance at Veer's horse tethered to a tree with her heavy sack stored at the foot and then directs her awestruck glances at the other breathtaking scenes, in front. Appraising the large serene bamboo refuge hidden by woodlands with the apparent sole purpose of sheltering multitudes of abandoned children; the astonished girl scans the plethora of innocent faces, reminding her of the young ones from her tribe, in more ways than one.
Slowly perceiving the vivid scenes; she becomes struck by the unacquainted view of guileless residents blissfully untainted by malice, as they selflessly carried on tending to their lives and to those of others around them. Indiscernibly benumbed; Shera speechlessly watches how enthusiastic older children scurried around to lend a helping hand with the core of routine activities, while the fervent younger ones had amassed around the appealing presence of their prince, vying for his priceless attention.
While the occupied Sakshi beams at the familiar pleasant faces and moves ahead to inform the inmates of the hut of their arrival; the overwhelmed Veer endeavours to manage the tiny mob around him. Continuing to willingly subdue to the gimmicks of the young ones overpowering him; the young royal glimpses around to discover Shera still restrained to her position and relates her response to his similar touching experience, when he had first set eyes on the place.
Breaking out into an understanding smile; Veer tries to catch up on his breath, as he indicates to the surrounding disorderly army, while addressing the enthralling girl "Though little; they are really adept at knowing how to get their way, aren't they?" incidentally noting that what he had just uttered held relevance to the girl he was talking to too, he asks Shera mischievously "What happened...don't want to step in...you seem dazed at having met your match at last..."
Shaken from her reverie by the prince's jesting welcome; Shera returns his words with a grin that mirrored both her playfulness and her present state of tranquillity.
Having comprehended Veer's attention turned to the new arrival; the enthusiastic children suddenly mark the presence of a fresh pretty face in their midst and dart towards the silent girl, besetting her on all sides. Unmindful that Shera was unfamiliar to their surroundings; two small girls take her fingers and plead with her to join them in their games.
Finding herself battling to keep her overpowering emotions stifled; the immensely moved girl silently gazes into the eyes of the beautiful children around her, as she thinks to herself "Is this what Rajkumar Veer and Sakshi didi were they trying to hide? They are just children...like the children of my tribe... how could I betray this information to Rajkumar Agni...how could I endanger the lives of other children to save my own...even if revolutionaries did meet here; how could it be worth letting this information known to anyone, especially Rajkumar Agni!"
Ciao😳
Edited by lashy - 16 years ago
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