Teaser for Chapter 3
Because whatever Mohan banna had said to assure them, they knew that a man travelling in a dangerous forest at nightfall, all by himself, had to be either insane or the most feared man in these regions. And somehow, most had guessed, it had to be the latter.
Time ticked by.
Seated within her palanquin, she could discern the distinct beat of hooves amidst the many notes of bated breath and chirping crickets surrounding her.
A few more moments elapsed.
The echoes grew louder. And louder.
Then, her breath paused.
She heard their whispers - the profile of the solitary traveller had finally come into view. The loud gallop decelerated into a gentle trot till it slowed to a halt beside her palanquin.
Through the curtains, she couldn't see much - other than the very blurry outline of a horse and the feet of its rider. However, what she did manage to guess - from a vague sighting of his riding shoe - was its style. This traveller was a Mughal. And an avid rider too.
'Good evening, Sahib...' Ratan kaka spoke up to cease the odd spell, though his nervousness did make his words sound more Marwari than Urdu 'Do you know these areas well?'
After what seemed like a very long interval, she heard him speak
'Yes...'
His reply was curt and his tone rang deeper than any voice she'd heard. In fact, she thought, if his personality was as dominant as his voice was, there was little doubt that this stranger was the only reason, everyone had fled!
Chapter 3 below
CHAPTER 3
6 days ago...
Having offered Ma Jagdamba her prayers, Durga strolled out of the holy shrine.
Retracing her steps through opulent hallways and past stately rooms - now pitch black with most of their lamps doused, and absolutely quiet with everyone asleep - she briefly stopped beneath a large set of twin paintings.
Her eyes studied the impressive replicas of the two sisters that proudly hung from one of the mansion's main walls - paintings created by a gifted artist as a token of gratitude, when Heera had tirelessly strived day-and-night to revive his sick son from near death, a year ago.
'You're proud of us, aren't you maasa... bapusa?' she asked her parents, like she did every night - before she let her gazes trail from the terrace towards her favourite scenery on the floor below -
The magnificent inner courtyard. The 'aangan', the heart and soul of the Parnagarh Haveli.
Courtyards in most rich homes would boast of fountains, Tulsi planters and fancy statues, but this mansion had a quirky herb garden instead. A garden dotted with countless rows of rare shrubs and herbs. A herbarium that had taken her skilled sister infinite hours of research, endless guidance from Vaid kakasa and many seasons of hard work. An aangan that now possessed some of the most unique and potent medicinal herbs in the country.
Little surprise then that all that effort had resulted in granting numerous people the gift of good health. So much so that sick visitors from other towns had started coming over to the village, in search of treatment and well-being.
'A Heera indeed' Durga smiled to herself as she fondly recalled what their old tutor had said of his star pupil 'Anything she touches, blossoms... and anyone she treats, heals!'
CLASHHH!
It was the jarring echo of metal from the kitchen downstairs - not an unusual sound in this household!
'Nayan...' she called for the guard who generally oversaw the courtyard 'Ask Maharaj kakasa to go rest... he's tired...'
'Yes baisa... worry not... I'll look into it!' he assured, running off to do as bid
Durga smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. A forty eight hour journey from the horse-fair followed by an exhaustive day's work, meant her limbs were groaning about the lack of rest and her mind throbbing from the day's stresses. Yet, if she managed to smile at the end of it - it was because she was surrounded by the company of people who loved her thus.
Once at her room, the heiress sailed across the marble floors till she reached the jali window frames at the other end.
Perching her elbows against its sill, she drank the dusky sights in. Sights of endless greenery - starting from the mansion's rear gardens, to the hillock beyond, and the fertile valleys down below, where many idyllic villages flourished.
Apart from a horrible plague outbreak twelve years ago - a tragedy that'd claimed the lives of half the village, including those of their mother and stepmother - the valleys had always been a haven of peace. That is, until now.
'Mining the valleys would destroy everything we've worked hard for... the fields, the plantations, the water, the homes, the hospital, the peace... EVERYTHING! I'll never let that happen so long as I live!'
'WOOF WOOF'
Her reverie once again dragged to reality by the loud barks of her restless dogs, Durga hurled a mock-glare at the pack hovering underneath her first floor window 'You're well fed, aren't you? Go rest you noisy little pets... I've told you... your playmate will be back in two days... I'm too tired to run around now!'
When her commands had no effect even a few moments thereon, the young lady decided to bribe them out of their obsession by picking up a handful of peanuts from a bowl on a side table 'Go get them...' she said aloud, throwing a few nuts into the gardens beneath 'You love them, don't you?'
On the contrary, the act only seemed to aggravate them more. If anything, their barks were spiralling into eerie howls and frothy growls. Growing flustered by the unpleasant development, she summoned the guards stationed below 'Bhola... Paramvir... go check if a wild animal has strayed in... if not, please tie up the dogs... they are causing a ruckus!'
She awaited an affirmative reply.
None came.
'Bhola... Paramvir...' she scanned the dim expanses of the rear gardens and later on, the meadows. She couldn't spot anything or anyone. Not even a shadow 'They were here until a while ago... where have they disappeared?'
She called a few more names.
But none of the guards supposed to be present, responded.
'BHOLAAA...' she yelled, but stopped midway. The dogs had turned shockingly feral - as though they'd been possessed by a spirit of some sort - and charged off in a direction towards the side of the estate, beyond her field of vision. She knew not what the animals were running after, but she knew something wasn't right.
Wasting not an instant more, she carefully withdrew from the window.
With every inch of her nape prickling from rising panic, she followed the first rule of defence by keeping her back fixed to the wall. Observing her surroundings like a hawk, she surveyed the entranceways dotted around the chamber, while her hands unburdened her feet and wrists of their jewellery.
Eventually, Durga crept towards a sword holder and drew the sleek weapon away from its sheath before sneaking out of the doorway.
On the constant lookout for any signs of movements, she proceeded through the empty hallways that led towards the landing. Standing at the top of a long flight of curved stairs, the lone lady tried to make sense of the grey sights below
'Is the Haveli dimmer than usual or have all lamps been doused deliberately?'
'Jan...' she tried summoning the maids from their quarters, but realised her tongue had become drier than the sands of the Thar 'Ugh!' Swallowing a lump, she began yelling for all the guards and maids, one after another - hoping to grab the attention of any of the residents. But the only answer she got was a ghostly silence.
'Settle down' she ordered the heart that was now pummelling against her ribs and leaned over the banisters. It was then that she noticed something at the bottom - near the very last stair. Yanking a lamp out of its holder, she held the flame closeby for a clearer view - intensely praying that what she'd seen was not what she feared it was.
But, it was!
Trails of blood flowed from the bottom stair, down the courtyard and beyond that too
Durga took a horrified step back 'Nayan!'
Even if her spirit was fiercely trying to bolster her up, her fingers had given way to tremors, dropping the lamp on a table nearby. It took a short spell for anything sensible to form in her head, what with the utter chaos of mortifying thoughts rendering her temporarily paralysed.
'How was the security breached so quickly? How did it happen so stealthily? All the men... h... could they all be killed? N... no...please... the women too? Even Maharaj kakasa? Ma Jagdamba... please no...' the despair was suffocating, the grief debilitating 'How did I hear nothing?' Then, it struck her - the clanging from the kitchens, the deafening barks - they were all signs. But signs that she'd overlooked 'Oh God...' she gripped her chest when she recognised that even the barking had stopped 'They didn't even spare the dogs!'
Waves of inexplicable rage began hammering away at the overwhelming terror that'd engulfed her petite being for so long. Fighting back the tears that had sprung up instinctively, Durga forced herself to recover from her stupor. She could not afford to weigh her spirit down by conjuring up images of her dead dogs and her dead people. She could not spare more than a short prayer for those noble souls who'd possibly sacrificed themselves for her under that very roof. She had to make a bold decision - a selfish move - of prioritizing her own safety first, since hundreds of other lives depended on it.
Promptly kicking her body into action, Durga made a mental note of all the personal weapons she owned, while dashing towards her bed chamber to plan an escape 'If none of my guards have been spared' she surmised numbly 'It means... there are many of them lurking downstairs... possibly surrounding the building too... how do I call for help? Whom do I call?' she tapped her cold wet cheeks hard, hoping to get the blood flowing and the mind thinking - a ploy that actually worked, because the very next moment, her listless gazes lit up in hope 'The stable boys! Maybe they have been spared!'
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, she saw something from the corner of her eye. Someone behind her had moved. A curtain not far behind had shifted, giving way to an emerging shadowy figure. Since it was too late to charge into her chamber and lock herself in, she spun around, ready to face the unknown - but not before blowing out the lamp beside her. After all, she would be able to handle the darkness in her own house better than any intruder could.
Clutching the handle of her sword, she waited for the ogre to attack - her own furious breath and beats alternating with the footsteps of his shoes
'Who are you?' Durga grit her teeth, as he cornered her against the wall
'Oh my... you are more beautiful than the stories describe...' the ugly man bored into her, while keeping an eye on the sword she was holding so tightly 'I'm certain my Sahib would like you for himself...'
'I'm sure he would...' she spewed 'But, WHO is your Sahib?'
'Don't be so impatient... he'll come up to meet you soon...' the man caressed her face with the tip of his blade 'Heard of the 'Khalil'? I'm fortunate to be one of his men...'
Khalil? The phantom? A murderer who masqueraded as a soldier? A man so infamous for being ruthless that even the Shehzade was intimidated by him? Everyone had heard about the 'Khalil' - but no one who'd seen him had lived to tell the tale!
Her heart sank a few notches lower
'Thank you for the information...' she said, and in a quick-thinking spurt, sliced his neck with the knife she'd been hiding in her cummerbund
'Saaahhhiii' the man fell - but, even before he'd completed his last word, the lady had sprinted into her bedroom and bolted both doorways from the inside.
Once at her window, she gauged how deep the plunge was - the marble steps underneath would undoubtedly break her ankle and render her immobile. She needed a harness to soften her fall. With no time to lose, she seized a warhorn from a dresser and a few veils from a trunk, before hastening back.
'BOOoM'
The loud alarm resonating from the top window of the mansion found its intended mark. The boys at the stable were finally alerted to the danger looming over their heiress' life.
By this point, the doorways to her chamber were rattling like a storm had hit them, the fiends outside pouncing upon it with all their might. However, she continued working her ashen fingers by tying the veils together into a long rope, wiping beads of sweat as she did so 'The Farmaan' she remembered briefly - but breathed a sigh of relief later, the lone sigh of relief she'd breathed in the last half hour 'It will be safe...'
And then, just as it seemed the door was going to give way, two stable boys came running to her window.
'Baisa... what's happened?'
'Narang... we are under attack... take a horse, gallop to the village and get help!'
'Harish...' she turned to the other one 'Ride towards Jagdamba temple... and give this message to Heera...' struggling not to weep, she recited what she'd thoughtfully rehearsed - a favourite childhood poem of theirs -
Jiji ran around the Haveli, with her eyes opened wide
Every trick uncanny, she may have tried
Every nook and cranny, she may have spied
But never did she find me, because I know how to hide!
And in the very next breath, 'RUUUNNN' she screamed, so both boys would snap into action
As she tightened the last knot, her eyes followed the first stable boy, who'd successfully leapt to the stables and untied a horse 'Thank you, ma' she prayed.
However, no sooner than he began riding away, a dagger came flying in his direction - and hit its target.
The stable boy slumped on his horse, dead
'No...' she hyperventilated, with a fresh surge of tears 'Show me some respite Bhavani Ma... for all the prayers I've offered you...'
Her hands frantically continued fastening the makeshift rope to a ledge, while her wet glances traced the actions of the second stable boy, terrified for his fate. He'd managed to grab a second horse and jump atop it, but as feared, two daggers were hurled at him straightaway. However, something else happened within a blink - something she hadn't foreseen. The horse had whinnied and violently jerked aside - like it'd sensed the weapons coming its way - thus saving its rider's life!
The horse was the 'Marwari' racer she'd won at the auction, two days ago 'Wise decision' a haunting smile escaped amidst her tears.
On that hopeful note, she perched upon the window will, ready to make a probable escape - when the doors to her chamber flew open. The desperate young lady took her chances and jumped anyhow, but it was a futile effort. Her rope was immediately pulled back, hauling her into the chamber once again, to face ten armed men. Men after her life. Men so tall and formidable - that she stopped wondering how so many of her guards had perished without much of a fight.
Yet, Durga bai decided that she wouldn't cower in fright.
What followed thenceforth was the greatest display of bravado, from a woman, that the intruders had ever seen. Cautiously backing herself against a narrow corner, so only one man would be able to attack her at a time, she faced the advancing murderers with the might of her will and the agility of her hand. It was thus that she brought an early death upon three men and maimed two more, showing the brutes how far they'd undermined her courage.
However; as was the course of most battles, Durga sustained many an injury herself. Her limbs couldn't match the immortality of her spirit, her strength steadily diminished with every blinking moment.
Yet, Durga bai didn't cower in fright.
Not even when the leader of the pack, the beastly 'Khalil', paced onward and forced her to look him in the eye. Not when his size dwarfed her profile. Or his roars deafened her ears. Not even when she knew her end was near.
Durga bai fought to the very end - till a time came when she lost all her weapons and vigour, fighting him. Till she was left with no choice and no defences thereafter
'Hand me the Farmaan...' he growled
'I will NOT give you the Farmaan, even if you take my life!' the breathless warrior challenged him as she lay bleeding on the floor, the faces of her loved ones flashing before her eyes
'What if I take your dignity and modesty instead?'
And from the amount of venom in his scowl, she knew those were not empty threats. So, after many bouts of tortuous self-debate, she made the choice most women would make - she decided to give up the Farmaan.
But that did not seem to satisfy her enemy. He wanted more!
And the very thought of what he wanted - the very notion of what horrors lay ahead, debilitated her morale. Now too weak and too wounded to protect herself, she wished she had a blade to end her life just then. But since she didn't, Durga bai, the once proud heiress, was forced to relinquish her ego and beg. She begged and pleaded - not for her life, but for her modesty to be spared.
All in vain. His scowl didn't thaw one bit. He had a reputation for being a 'savage' and he apparently wanted to live up to it -
For, he took away the Farmaan,
Then, took away her modesty,
And finally, took away her life too.
Before leaving the chamber, he cast a final glimpse at her still form, unaware of what a wonderful and promising young life he'd wasted thus!
By the time the villagers had arrived with their sticks and sickles, the only person found alive, was the head cook, Maharaj kaka, whose life was spared so he could give the younger sibling a message -
'This is what's meant to happen to BOTH daughters of Jagat Prasad Singh, for daring to stand against the prince!'
A spine-chilling message indeed, which'd forced a bereaved Harka out of her own home to undertake a long and perilous journey thenceforth - the outcome of which, no one knew!
Present day...
In the wilderness...
'Argggh!' he screamed hoarse 'Th... this...'
'Shhh Daya!' Mohan grit his teeth, confronting his subordinate's grimaces with a discreet glare 'We don't want to cause the ladies panic... keep your voice hush!'
As ordered, the man stifled his grunts while reaching across to pull out the offending weapon embedded into the back of his leg 'This hurts' he yelled internally, as he extracted a crude thorny blow-dart, of some sort 'I have been hit!'
'So have I...' Mohan retorted like a true man-in-charge, not sparing his sipahi as much as a blink 'But, we can't afford to let our enemy know that ... or we'll be giving ourselves away...' he reverted to the rest of his regiment, his voice still an agitated whisper 'Now be attentive... I'll tell you when to take aim...'
So they waited for their chief-guard to give the signal, crouching like panthers with their fingers burrowed into the soil beneath - soil cluttered with broken branches, and jagged rocks - an inconvenience they bore with little complain. In a forest so remote, they had no shelter except the natural cover provided by a few low lying branches. In a night so black, their visions had nothing to be guided by, except the sparse light of a crescent moon. Therefore, the best survival strategy against a set of attackers, who seemed to have sprung up from nowhere, was 'stealth'. Especially since their enemies seemed to know the territory better.
Just then, a few dry twigs behind them snapped - the soft sound echoing loudly through the dead air
'Here is the water you asked for, banna...' having nearly crawled up to where the men were stationed, Gauri had to catch up on her breath before she could hand over the water bag
'Thank you... now, stay low... keep the ladies away... tell them nothing...' Mohan replied in a few coded words
'Bandits?' she asked quietly
'No...' he glanced at the simple darts that'd struck them 'Tribes... or petty thieves...'
'Oh...' putting on a brave face, Gauri prepared to do as told - but as she was about to leave, something caught her attention 'How badly are you hurt, banna? Should I wake Heera and let her know?'
'No... it's merely a nasty thorn prick... the uneasiness will pass!' he gestured, echoing the thoughts of Daya banna and the remaining sipahis. After all, they were true Rajput soldiers - perfectly capable of withstanding pain for the sake of their baisa's well-being 'Don't wake her... these past few hours have been the only time baisa has rested in days...'
'But, how can I rest, when I'm guilty of disregarding your last words jiji? I didn't stay back... I took care of nothing!' so tightly was she clasping her sister's feet by then that she couldn't even feel her own fingers any more - yet, her hands wouldn't let go 'You sacrificed your life trying to defend the Farmaan from those looters... from that monster Khalil, who was depraved enough to rape you before taking your life. And I am fleeing Parnagarh without even having waited for your ashes to cool... without even giving you the kind of farewell, a warrior deserves!'
Durga understood, as always, and stroked her little sister's hair with all the love she had 'It is because I don't want my sacrifice to go in vain, that you must leave... your life is in danger, Heera... we've both worked hard to save the livelihoods of 400 families for so long... risking your life now... dying at the hands of those murderers... would simply be a waste of our efforts! Hide first, seek help next... you forget that your mind is a weapon stronger than my sword... besides, this is what bapusa wants too! Remember the message I sent you... Never did she find me, because I know how to hide...'
'Jiji...' the heiress opened her eyes, the words and face still fresh in her mind. And the very next spell, a flicker that'd been briefly heartening her spirit, faded. The lingering heaviness reminded her that the visions were merely a dream - that her life was still a nightmare. There was no jiji. Never will be. Just ashes in an urn that she was holding onto tightly.
Having said that, Heera couldn't deny that the brief trance had been in an odd way, calming. Hearing her sister's voice and watching her face - even if only in a dream - was reassuring.
'How long have I been asleep?'
The young lady finally sat up and straightened her crumpled cotton attire, bolstering her exhausted limbs against the velvety cushions of the palanquin as she did so. For the past 6 nights, she hadn't slept. Days and evenings had been spent agonising over her loss. Nights and midnights with waxing and waning bouts of tears. However after six days, her body refused to endure the torment any longer. The acrid burn of salt in her eyes and the heaviness in her head had dragged her down into a long interval of slumber. For how long, she knew not. But, she had slept.
As the sounds and surroundings became more lucid, she perceived the hush bustle and the hazy shadows of her campsite through the curtained opening. Sounds and shadows of the people who'd carted her off from Parnagarh against her wishes. Yet, people who'd tirelessly walked by her palanquin for the past 5 days
'We beg you... save yourself choti baisa... if something happens to you, we will be orphaned!'' she recalled their pleas and cries as she lay grief-stricken beside her sister's still body 'Those murderers warned they'd be back for you... and you're the only person standing in the way of their ambitions!'
'With Kunwarsa away in Gujarat, you have no protectors... please stay with Maharaj Chitranjan till the situation here becomes safe! Rajasa would find you a powerful husband, who would end this uncertainty and protect our future!'
'You may not be a fighter like your jiji... but, you're a survivor choti baisa!'
'Arrrgh... aaaooow'
Her recollections had been brought to a pause by the sounds of a groan - a muted groan of pain. Heera hastily peeped out, uttering the first coherent words she'd uttered in days 'What's going on? Is someone hurt?'
'Shhh...' having abandoned her hideaway, Gauri rushed to kneel by her side, relieved that her mistress was now awake 'Stay inside... we seem to be under some form of assault...'
'What!' it took her a brief while to break away from her pitiful state and make sense of the news she'd just received 'Assault?' once she grasped the graveness of their situation, her pupils widened in alarm and a profound hollow formed in the pits of her stomach, though she did manage to stop the signs of anxiety from showing on her face 'Since when? And who's hurt?'
'A short while ago, few tribes spotted our campsite... they've attacked twice and managed to injure Mohan banna and Daya banna...'
The heiress pulled the veil over her head, ready to step out 'Take me to the guards now, Gauri... I must look into this...'
'I cannot let you leave...' the chief-maid blocked the palanquin's exit
Startled; Heera darted her closest companion a questioning frown 'We are under attack... my men are hurt... you had a responsibility to wake me earlier, not stop me now...'
Gauri strayed not an inch from her spot. No doubt, she was immensely relieved to see the first signs of life in one who'd been nothing but a corpse for the past week, but she could not let her mistress spring into action yet. Not when it was unsafe to do so 'Those thugs are still lying in wait... so, I have orders to ensure you stay within your carriage...'
Heera was tempted to put her foot down, not too pleased by how her decisions were being challenged thus - but then thought better of it soon after. At this point, traipsing in the wilderness, unprepared, could jeopardize whatever plans the chief-guard had already made, and place lives at risk 'All right...' she subsequently relented with a resigned sigh 'I'll wait here... but, brief me on the situation...'
And a few essential details from Gauri was all it took for Heera to evaluate their circumstances -
'How seriously are Mohan banna and Daya banna, hurt?'
'Not very seriously, I think... but they have been complaining of severe thirst... and we've already used up most of our drinking water...'
'Severe thirst?' she clenched her fingers tightly, her pale skin blanching a few shades paler, her face unable to hide the signs of anxiety any more. An ugly reality had hit her hard 'Those blow-darts have been laced with a kind of poison that...' with little time to waste, she tried to regroup herself and think ahead 'Does Ratan kaka know where the nearest town is?'
'He has been trying to locate it on the map but...'
'But?'
'Huh?'
Their conversation had been interrupted by a stir - following a few confused shouts from the guards.
'What's happening?'
'I don't know Heera...'
For whatever reason, the attack had come to an abrupt halt - and so had everything else.
Dhani swiftly left her spot and crept up to join the duo, pointing to where the assailants had been hiding for so long 'Something seems to be going on, over there...' in the depths of night, all that could be made out were the hurried sounds of many feet shuffling and scuffling about
'Are the thugs actually running away?' Heera asked, still in disbelief an instant later
The maids stared at each other and stared ahead again, baffled by the unexpected turn of events 'Apparently, yes...'
'The thieves have scampered off...'
Yet, no one from the camp was seen celebrating right away. Rather, a creepy lull befell the group as the bizarre phenomenon that'd just unfolded, became clearer. The attackers had not retreated in defeat. They'd fled for their lives. In terror. It was as though they'd sensed something ominous lurking nearby. As though they'd heard something dangerous approaching them - and as though they knew they were no match for it whatsoever.
Suddenly, the ongoing pause took on a new chilling form.
A faint echo reverberated in the remote darkness. A rhythmic echo. The unmistakable sound of hooves trampling upon parched leaves and twigs.
Another wave of panic swept over the maids' faces.
'Could it be bandits?'
The men instinctively tightened the grips around their swords
'Or... Mughal soldiers?'
'Please be calm...' Heera hastily shushed them from the confines of her palanquin, so she could count the number of hooves hitting the ground. Sometime thereon, her head shook pensively 'No! You need not worry... it's only 1 horse... a solitary traveller...' she addressed her people with renewed hope 'In fact... Ratan kakasa... he might know something about the area... and the location of the nearest town!'
'Could be baisa...' Mohan banna limped ahead, making light of his injuries 'But, he could be dangerous too! Those vicious tribes wouldn't have fled like a pack of rats because they heard some lone man approaching... still... it's better to be careful! Guards...' he beckoned his men 'Form a line in front... the rest of you take cover behind us!' his pitch lowered to a more respectful murmur 'Harka baisa please remain seated in your carriage...'
The suggestion received a steady wave of affirmation and everyone wasted no time doing as told, waiting in anxious silence for the stranger to make his presence known. Meanwhile; unbeknown to each other, most muttered a quick prayer for the safety of their group too. Because whatever Mohan banna had said to assure them, they knew that a man travelling in a dangerous forest at nightfall, all by himself, had to be either insane or the most feared man in these regions. And somehow, most had guessed, it had to be the latter.
Time ticked by.
Seated within her palanquin, she could discern the distinct beat of hooves amidst the many notes of bated breath and chirping crickets surrounding her.
A few more moments elapsed.
The echoes grew louder. And louder.
Then, her breath paused.
She heard their whispers - the profile of the solitary traveller had finally come into view. The loud gallop decelerated into a gentle trot till it slowed to a halt beside her palanquin.
Through the curtains, she couldn't see much - other than the very blurry outline of a horse and the feet of its rider. However, what she did manage to guess - from a vague sighting of his riding shoe - was its style. This traveller was a Mughal. And an avid rider too.
'Good evening, Sahib...' Ratan kaka spoke up to cease the odd spell, though his nervousness did make his words sound more Marwari than Urdu 'Do you know these areas well?'
After what seemed like a very long interval, she heard the stranger speak
'Yes...'
His reply was curt and his tone rang deeper than any voice she'd heard. In fact, she thought, if his personality was as dominant as his voice, there was little doubt that this man was the only reason, everyone had fled!
(Glossary of terms included in post below)
Edited by lashy - 9 years ago
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