NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~ THREAD 2 - CHAPTERS 3 & 4 - Page 20

Originally posted by: .AkDhian.

Mitali..I've not watched that show,but read about her on Abhay's blog.

Don't know whether its the same person they have shown in Maha Rana Pratap.

Originally posted by: .AkDhian.

Lashy di..thanks for the lovely reply 😃

Pls read about Rani Durgavati when time permits..it was fascinating and inspiring as well.

I'm not a Tamilian di..whistle podu is famous na..so I use it often.I'm a Telugu girl 😊

Originally posted by: Shinning_Stuti

I read the chapter last night, but wasn't able to comment right then as you really made me speechless... I really needed sometime to engulf and accept the hard stroke of incidents that you vividly described in your story! Lashy Di, from where have you got this magical talent of compelling the readers to be mingled with the flow of your story and the life of the characters?⭐️👏

I can't say the chapter is awesome or beautiful or any singular adjectives like this... it was beyond of those goody adjectives. It was terrific, terrible, painful, blood-boiling and heart-rendering! The whole first part- the encounter between Durga and Khalil was breathtaking and scary as well! Dangerous it was!

I am again falling in love with your unique style of story-telling, just like I had fallen in NJAPA days... The slow proceeding towards the real incident, the detailing of Durga's normal daily works- her lazy, happy strolling through the down-memory lane, remembering her parents, remembering her dear sister who always makes her proud while seeing the 'aangan', and suddenly the first stroke of the danger followed by one by one hard strokes...the whole portion was hell thrilling and cinematic! And obviously your wonderful writing makes those too much realistic! It was feeling like I was watching all the scenes to be enacted in front of me, how a single courageous girl is fighting against such a blasphemous enemy- all alone!!

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...👏👏👏 a masterstroke this one is!

Khalil! The beast! The numb, nude symbol of terror and violence...You have crafted him viciously![And some of us was guessing him as the hero 🤣 🤣 ] The fight between him and Durga was unequal, unfair, and despite knowing the consequence of the whole incident- Yet, Durga bai didn't cower in fright 👏 Hats off to Durga!

At the same time, it was a very nasty and painful reality as well as a blood-boiling one that you showed mercilessly, when Khalil bargained the price of the FARMAAN with the honour of her womanhood.. it was heart-wrenching! In spite of being much efficient than a man, only as Durga is a woman, she has to go through such a humiliating state...at the end of her battle, the enemy takes her nothing but a piece of flesh and blood...when an enemy defeats her, he does not only crashes her ego and pride, but also smashes her entity as a woman... It was heart-wrenching and the hard reality too!😭

For, he took away the Farmaan,

Then, took away her modesty,

And finally, took away her life too.

Three little sentences, and all ends in a second! You know di, these three lines are those which did not let me to sleep very easily yesterday night! How a spark of fire like Durga can be extinguished by a monster like Khalil so easily- so harshly and so cruelly!

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!

Very true! He is unaware, and neither he has any need to know! He is a robot of his master!

The thoughts of Durga before this horrible incident tells us how happily and simply they used to live their life- with very little scope of extravagance and a lot of responsibilities for a little territory, for those people whom they love from heart... Was the adamant wish and arrogance of the prince really more important that the life of a girl like Durga and the happiness of so many peoples? 😭

The conversation of Heera and her jiji in her dreams was tear-jerking, and also had the beam of practicality. We can see the overview of Heera's journey from now...She will successfully abide by her Jiji's last message I know, and will make her Jiji proud again, just like how she does every time!👍🏼 And I am awed by your handling the flow of emotions in such a tough situation so delicately! 👏

The last part of the chapter was full of suspense and thrill! Will not elaborate much now on this as I am yet to get out of the thoughts of first part- the bravery of Durga... Only I am exalted, elated and excited to see that, perhaps the 'stranger' for whom we all were looking for, has taken an entry.😳

I will be eagerly waiting for the next chapter, to know about him...😉

Originally posted by: sweet_diksha

Lashy...first of all congrats for a new thread👍🏼...seems the magic of NJAPA continues here too...there first 2/3 threads , there r multiple chapters...and later 2 chapters in one thread..and here it seems 2 chapters and 1 thread complete...so I think later on it will be one chapter one thread...and this is just amazing ...to be true, An Author's success and pride for such amazing work...👏👏👏
Thank you so much Diksha... thanks a lot... I don't know about the recreating NJAPA.. but I do hope I can make something interesting this time... 🤗

so back to chapter 3...last time I said Durga's character was really one heroic...but her death was something totally cross to her name... Durga...her death too should be heroic one...her enemy killed her, accepted...she died a brave death... but he molested her and then killed her😡... and a brave princess suffered that humiliation waiting for her death in hands of that monster, 😡...sorry, but not acceptable...doesn't match with her character at all...when the princess saw Khalil in front of her, , she would have stabbed herself, if believed to her characterization in previous chapters...but losing her dignity , in that era, for a princess like Durga, is something not really expected...

Firstly Diksha, she is not a princess...😳 which means she doesn't have a fortress or a huge sena or anything... she doesn't have relatives who will be revenging her death... she is an orphan... living in a mansion... so the men don't have to worry about the repercussions of their actions at all!

Secondly, it was a stealth attack... so she was not as prepared as one could be - she had no time to hide/escape etc...

Thirdly, she was alone against nearly 10 men

Fourth, as soon as she sees Khalil, why would she kill herself? Then, she would be like the rest of the women who committed Sati even before they could be captured by the enemy. She was a warrior, so she wanted to die fighting... and she fought him thinking she would die in battle...in fact, she challenges him to take her life, expecting that is what would happen - prepared for that to happen... she only begs when he knows he has other plans... she wouldn't have expected such an end herself...

Btw, she didn't give up or give in😊... unfortunately while fighting, she lost her weapons to her enemies... which happens even to brave men on the battle... and without any weapon on her, how could she take her own life? 'lost her weapons and vigour fighting him'

Moreover, by the end of the battle she was wounded, lying on the ground... with no power to defend herself or even try and run (which is why she saw flashes of her loved ones in front of her eyes) 'Too weak and too wounded to fight...' (going on her knees is more figurative than actually her kneeling down - maybe I could have elaborated more but since this scene made for a disturbing read, I kept it quite short)

And this obviously happened more than one would have thought... isn't this one of the reasons why the purdah system became popular at around the time of the invasions... (which never spread to the South, btw) For example, wasn't Adham Khan known for spreading such terror wherever he went, and Akbar was quite miffed with his atrocities - who knows how many houses/women he and his men ruined thus!

Anyway...abt Khalil, then he reminds of Bairam Khan...remember first few episodes of JA... how BK was training Jalal to get rid of any dignity and go for everything, may be a land, a state or a woman married or unmarried...no ethics at all ...just a greed and every instinct of an animal...so one thing for sure, this can not be a stranger ...coz some day he will be thrown away in some unknown world for never to be found out again...

Wait I didn't understand 🤔 Are you saying the man is a stranger or not a stranger?

as for Heera (I like this name than Harka)...so she will be the one who will change "The Jallad" into a honourable man...just loved the way, u have made Durga think abt Heera...that description is something , that can make anybody fall for this Gem... but of course except Jallad for some time atleast... but like we know, he too will be victim to her being a real "Heera"...now waiting to see the younger princess blossoming under expert thinking of an author like u...😉😛

and now the stranger...why I feel, it's a shehezada only...If Agra is Heera's destination , and Jallad is her destiny , then the stranger has to be "The Jallad Shehezada"...what will be his name??? being the era of Aurangzeb, will he be Akbar, or Jalal or ????😉

Why do you think Agra is her destination btw... she is headed for Bansi... her guardian kakasa's house... and if the hero is a prince... how could he be referred to as the stranger 😉 besides, read the prologue it says a man who was powerful but hated riches and preferred the simple life.. now, Prince doesn't sound like that... does he? he's power-thirsty!

but why I feel the farmaan is still intact?? though u have written, Khalil got the farmaan, still Durga giving away everything, doesn't really click... she lost her dignity, her life, but I think Khalil knows that still she defeated him, coz the farmaan he got is not the original one but a fake, and this he understood only after killing her...else why would he leave the threat for younger princess if he got the real farmaan which he can destroy and claim no proof?? what threat a young princess can be for anybody without the real farmaan??? so that means yes, Durga did tricked Khalil by giving him a fake farmaan...her death is painful but she proved to be a true warrior/ruler and a sister/guardian of her younger sibling , who saved the future of the state and Heera at the cost of her dignity and life..👏👏👏

I must say very good thinking here Diksha👏.. I'll tell you wait and watch the story ahead... 😉
So enjoyed reading your review and all the other reviews here... bringing me back to NJAPA days