CHAPTER-7 [UPDATE]
While mind still occupied with the ordeals of life, Pari kept on eating the fruit. The rich red coloured apple she had plucked. These were delicious and had enough fibre to fill the petite girls' stomach.
She refused the food offered by THEM not only to insult the man, but because she did not trust anyone, anymore. And she had realised more often than not, HUMANS HELP WITH SELFISH GOALS. Be it her husband, or Raja. She frustratingly threw the non eatable part on the ground. It tossed over the floor and ended up on someone's feet.
HIM AGAIN!
'Seems like you love to ruin my feet' he smirked and started walking inside the cave, but no answer came.
He kept on looking at her with normalcy but her eyes. OMG, were burning with rage and an emotion - probably betrayal, who knows...
His hazel eye, dark with Kohl could possess any girl. His well-built enough to make anyone fall for him. Wasn't he a local, a tribe perhaps? Then, how he has such a toned chest? Did he go around jumping in the river, swimming, saving girls and EWWW! Pari stopped her thought abruptly when she heard Shikhar.
'The door is fixed Dost!' Hearing no response, Shikhar entered in and kept his hand on Raja's shoulder affectionately.
'Come buddy, everyone wants to see u. They are not happy with what you have done Raja!'
Again no response came, but he turned around and nodded at Shikhar and decided to walk out. Having reached to the end of the cave, he turned over to glance at the lady, who was busy making faces and braiding three strands of the dry grass. A half simple smile crept on his lips, while he answered Shikhar's long ignored question 'I saved her for this' he pointed at her slowly but having understood this was not enough for Shikhar to comprehend, he continued 'She is just like HER Shikhar. Then, how can i hurt her? How? I...i can't do this' he stammered near the end with half guilt and half of an unknown emotion.
Shikhar sighed as he saw his strong lion like buddy sink like a cat into the wall of the cave.
'Okay Raja. But you have to face them. I will understand this but what about HER father' shikhar added cautiously, not to overburden Raja.
'Hmm' that was all Raja could speak after the long pause.
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Into the woods: The roun of Raja
The best friends walked in silence through the woods. The spooky trees and the whole place was looking very dangerous. But for these two, it was their own, they knew each leave...each flower and each snowflake. Being in the middle of summers, it was not cold though but surely snow like a mist of magic covered the valley.
Finally they reached to the meadows, where it seemed the World had came crashing down. So much chaos. But everything settled down as Raja entered with his local boots making typical noise. Dressed in traditional blue coloured tightly fitting kurta (A traditional article of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India,Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, consisting of a loose, collarless, long-sleeved,knee-length shirt worn by both men and women), orange coloured trousers. The turban was not present, well actually to be precise he wore the cloth around his waist. Obviously everyone was here for an important issue but how could young girls concentrate on some other matter, when the God of Himalayas had come down. Yes, indeed his name was Raja, probably derived from GIRI-RAJA: THE MOUNTAIN GOD. His virile chest, deep flat stomach tightened with the cloth enhanced the overall charisma like the Ganga flowing down a stone,only to remove the dust.
The crowd did not seem to stop having a look at Raja while his eyes were lowered for the first time of guilt, not respect. The only sound was the stream squashing throw the small way between the stony meadows into the river. One could not say, a swarm of people were there.
'So, to be straight! Why did you save that girl' came the question after the long not so intended pause from an old man.
'I...i...do not know' Raja stammered.
'You punched Manav for no reason? If SHE had not fallen for you, SHE WOULD HAVE MARRIED MANAV. HE STILL HAS POWERS THAT YOU DO NOT. Remember that and
I have tolerated you for HER. I can never accept you as my son-in-law. It was my dumb daughter...' The man stopped realising he had gone too far in front of the crowd.
'Pa...pa...' Raja spoke, only to be quietened by the old man again.
'We have had...enough Raja...probably if she had not loved you...she would have been alive' the man bite his lips in pain.
'Raghuvir Sahaaab' Raja roared starling all. 'Enough is enough. SHE IS...' A drop of lonely tear trickled down his white cheeks as he changed the verb 'was my wife' He spoke softly and continued 'I SAVED THE WOMEN BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER FATHER TO FEEL THE PAIN YOU ARE SUFFERING. I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER WOMEN TO GO THROUGH THE HELL SHE HAD GONE. I SAVED HER FOR HUMANITY!'
'Which Humanity? When that man raped my only daughter, that HUMANITY?' The teary eyed father asked.
'THEY DID THAT, SO IT DOES NOT MEAN...WE WOULD DO THE SAME THING! IF YOUR DAUGHTER WAS HERE THIS MOMENT, SHE WOULD HAVE AGREED WITH ME' Raja answered
'She agreed to everything you do. Even when you said u only respected her because she was chief's daughter. She agreed. When you told her, you do not believe in love. She agreed. When you said you would take her to the GIRI RAJA temple up the hill safely. She agreed.
Well like Manav said, i think you have FALLEN FOR HER BODY' Raghuvir raged on Raja.
'Sahab' Raja burned like a heap of firewood. Red in rage, he walked near to him and continued... 'YOU WANT REVENGE FOR YOUR DAUGHTER? FINE! I WILL GET REVENGE. BUT IN MY WAY. NOT LIKE THIS' He spoke all those words in a go without a pause and turned to see Manav in half sly smile. Raja knew this man too well. He was the one who had poisoned Raghuvir's mind.
'Okay then i want to see the man of JUSTICE. Who used to go around the mountain giving justice to all...against me... The man for whom my daughter fell' Raghuvir ordered only to find Raja touching his feet and walking away.
Raja had barely walked a foot distant from the crowd when a man,huffing and puffing came running towards them. Raja noticed the man's forehead glistened with sweat despite the pleasant atmosphere that means he carried a bad news.
As he neared to them, Raja could make out this was one of the man who guarded the cave.
'Raja-Saheb...' He spoke with difficulty and held his knees with his hands as it was not easy to cross those long trails of woods from the cave in short time.
'First calm yourself. Here, drink some water' Raja tried to hand over a jute bottle from a saggy pouch on a horse, only to be rejected.
'Saheb...' The man refused and continued 'Its not the time to drink water or have a discussion...' He continued to breath heavily to cool down the abnormal heart rate. After attaining peace, he spoke in urgency 'THE GIRL RAN AWAY'
Raja's fingers automatically lost senses and the bottle fell down spilling the contents. The crowd gasped at the news and before anybody could taunt, Raja leapt upon the white horse and rod off in fury.
He wildly jerked the beast to ride it as fastest he could.
'Which way' came his question as he realised the guard and Shikhar were following him.
'Saheb, she escaped from the secret passage of the cave'
'What!!!?' Raja almost exclaimed. 'how did she get to know about that?'
'Its Gori ma saheb... She let her know about the passage'
Raja steadily fixed his glances upon Shikhar for answers due to the fact that Gori ma was none other than Shikhar's wife and Raja's notorious sister. But what was this? This was beyond his limits.
Raja raised her as a free bird. Even after both being orphaned at young age, Raja willingly did little jobs to help his sister study but she ended up falling for his friend who was illiterate. Like its said, love never sees anything, it is blind. But one could not deny that Shikhar had made her more adamant. She gets whatever she wants from both the man and that's probably why they have reached this stage.
'Gori' Raja roared as he shifted his glances to the almost neared cave from guilty Shikhar.
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Outside the cave
'Clean the whole area... There should be no sign of her here.' Gori ordered as she pushed the maids to clean the cave despite their no and questions.
'GORI!!!' Raja shouted at his young sister 'what do you think you are doing? Are you nuts? You not only let her escape, but also let her know the secret passage only 5 of us knew? What is this your love for me? Or your adamancy.' Raja shook her by holding her shoulders.
'Raja...please...cal..' Shikhar tried his best to stop his short tempered friend as he could tears in Gori's eyes which was going to hurt for Raja.
'Sobs' Gori released those arrows directly piercing Raja's heart. He hated when women cried, and this was his sister and she is crying because of him? Such a shame.
'Sorry Gori. Please don't cry. And tell us the way she went and also why you did it.' Raja was calm and composed now but once Gori began shooting her weapon, it was not going to end without him hugging her. So without wasting a second...he pushed his little sister in his arm only to find Shikhar coming into the bear hug.
Raja wiped off her last tear with a sorry face.
'She went that way' She added while pinpointing to right of the passage. This was late but still she could have hardly crossed those borders of dense forest. Raja indicated two men to follow the trails who obeyed and vanished into the secret way.
Raja mounted on the horse only to find his little sister grabbing his hand.
'No Bhaiya. This was not my naughty way to trouble you. I have very reasonable answer' Gori started but was interrupted by horses thumping somewhere.
'Later Gori' Raja dismissed and unmounted his horse and vanished into the passage.
'But Shikhar...this is important. Shikhar!!!!aaan! Nobody listens to me!' She stomped her foot in fury as she found Shikhar ignored her for his friend.
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At The end of secret tunnel
The tunnel was not long one. It was made just for quick escapes in case of natural disaster but who knew it would prove helpful to his own enemy. Thanks to his little stupid sister. He groaned mentally as they neared the thumping and sneering.
'These are the horses on which our men went!!!' Raja quickly announced to Shikhar.
'They are in danger, we must go' They pulled the horse for sniffing to the danger place. The scared souls took long to be controlled by Shikhar whereas Raja took only minute second to calm the horse, he touched its nose while chanting 'easy boy easy' and dashed away ignoring Shikhar's call.
'Wait!! This is dangerous Raja. Wait!' Only to be heard by the howling wind, the dense forest and the upcoming rainclouds.
Raja was prefect with everything,the mountains, the horses...friends...except for emotions. He hardly showed any until the death of his wife.
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PS: 1889 words! Longest of all i have uploaded Hope its just Okay😕
Edited by Aishwarya_ASHnI - 9 years ago
