NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~Thread 8~ Chapter 13 - UPD 20th Aug - Page 137

Originally posted by: karkuzhali

Presume you are asking Badi periyamma.

I have not seen any dormouse in Chennai but there are thevangus. From the info given in the Wiki , I guessed that our thevangu looked similar to that. Dormouse seems to sleep throughout the night undisturbedly.

Shyamala's posts always give us food for thought.

Badi periyamma.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

Periyamma... I've replied to the 2nd half too... and attached the first parts... so it'd make for an easier read...😳 (blue is the 2nd half)

Lashykanna, I have not the least doubt about it now: you are a little witch. Just look at what you have done here! You take the oddest set of ingredients, to wit:

-One badly injured horse,

-one distracted young man who is frantic with worry about, no, not the heroine, but the aforesaid horse,

- one visually challenged young lady who is a healer but not a vet,

- one messy setting of a stable, full of hay and assorted saddles and bridles, and smelling of horse manure, I am sure,

t'would be called an anti-fairytale setting...

Yes manure was there too... but didn't want to get into too much detail of the unpleasantness (as it is we have the wooden cane, the rough terrain, the L word😆 people, the blood on her hands, mud on her skirt) ... Paavam Heera... undoubtedly she would have to have a bath after all of this before the feast😆! (Which would have been customary anyway)

- a bunch of terminally curious stable boys and assorted administrative staff gawking away at the veiled heroine for all they are worth (I thought of taking a stout slipper to you for that L word, but I am postponing that for lack of time right now. But it is only postponed, not cancelled!😉)

Oh no... not again! 😆

The magic: You shake these oddities together in a bowl with an expert hand, and lo and behold, what comes frothing to the silvery surface of the mixture, gleaming intermittently with all the colours of the rainbow?

MAGIC. That is what. And the upper case is deliberate.

I have rarely seen or read such an exquisite romantic scene concocted out of such unpromising stuff. I loved it from start to finish, and nary a slip up could I find!

Oh my... I didn't expect this... blew my breath away... to read that you found this scene so good... and since I heard this from a couple of other readers too, I am ecstatic!🤗

So, while I am doing the Lashy dance at these encouraging words, it does make me afraid of how I'm going to match up to this now

There is magic when Akbar, close to panic at the sight of his limp and bleeding companion, Bahadur, and thus chafing at the bit to rush off and drag the Hakim to his stables by brute force if need be, is nonetheless halted in his tracks by the sight of Heera, scaling the stretches of greenery, resembling the radiant sun rising from the fields, her elegance undiminished even during an awkwardly-inconvenient adventure such as this.

Since the comparison with Apollo's orb is something that arises in Akbar's mind, the very incongruity of such a thought in one so habitually shut away inside himself is such as to light up the hidden corners of his inner being, as if with a torch.

What is revealed there is reinforced by the fact that His boots remained grounded on the spot - a small part of him not allowing his feet to take off just yet. Not once he'd gotten a clearer picture of her.

It is to be noted that he decides to stay back not because he thinks that this visit of Heera's has anything to do with his beloved Bahadur, for he has no notion of that as yet. It is, purely and simply, a kneejerk reflex, a silent tribute to, and acknowledgement of the hold that this Sahiba already has on the usually withdrawn Khan Sahib.

Romance, emotions, sentiments are up to the readers - entirely... a writer can write, express and present - but its up to the readers to take from it what they can, and how they will

I loved loved loved reading your take on it... ABSOLUTELY!

And on that same excited vein, I want to share how I visualised this scene...

Akbar's brusque dash-off was halted in its path by watching her self-dependance and positivity, watching her manage with a cane and a ghagra...

It is similar to how he amended his stance during their first meeting... when he saw her trying to climb the rope ladder in the canal... all by herself..

The key words I visualised here at first was 'Empathy and awe'

There is magic when he - no, not when he changes his mind and decides to let her examine Bahadur after all, despite his understandable reservations in the beginning. That is mostly because he is desperate about his beloved horse, and is almost sure that by the time the Hakim comes the next morning, Bahadur might well be beyond recall. Perhaps it is also a little because the calm dignity with which she announces her withdrawal from the scene impresses him, but only a little.

The magic is there when he calls her by her name for the first time. Why does he do that? I doubt if he knows that himself, for the ways of the heart are often mysterious, even to its owner.

The key-word here was 'respect'

She'd come all the way, for HIS sake... leaving behind important responsibilities.. she was confident enough of her abilities, but had no ill will when he turned her down...

It was that attitude of hers that gained her his respect

and 'Harka Sahiba' was the offshoot of that respect

It is there when he instinctively grasps why Heera does not respond to his almost brusque 'You may go ahead... and examine Bahadur...'. Grasps that for all her humanistic impulse to tend to an injured animal, she will not compromise on her self-respect. And so his peremptory tone automatically comes down a notch, or maybe several notches!, to : 'Sahiba... please, take a look at Bahadur...' That such an imperious autocrat is ready to bend before a slip of a girl is proof enough that something very unusual is afoot.

Again respect... only a select few he gives this amount of respect to - Chacha jaan, we know... Ibrahim (remember how he retained Gafhoor to keep the man's respect and then in the previous chapter, he didn't openly disrespect Ibrahim by announcing 'See you were wrong', which he might have done to anyone else...)

And now Heera joins that lil bandwagon too...

It is there in the instinctive protectiveness with which he effectively clears the stables of all his staff, so that Heera can be completely private as she goes about her mission of mercy.

And now we come to the real tour de force of this segment. I was in stitches as I saw (metaphorically speaking, of course, but truth to tell, by now I can practically see all yourdramatis personae in action, as if a film was being screened for my inner eye ) Heera run rings around the determinedly aloof Akbar, and tease him so openly and delightfully.

'Could you possibly sing him a song, then Khan Sahib?' her tone sounded sincere 'To try and lull it into a slumber... so I might start the treatment?'

What an unexpectedly mischievous imp she is, is our Heera! I would never have thought her capable of pulling the Khan Sahib's leg so lightly and unhesitatingly. And what does this say about the comfort level that she, raised in such a cocooned environment of all of her young life, now has with this stranger whom she has known for barely more than a week? This is magic too.

Thank you Periyamma... ☺️ she's always been quite a mischievous imp! I'd say a spirited comedienne with class... and had her circumstances been different, we would have witnessed far more of this...

For now... I can recall

How she's always taken the maids' banter in good spirit (even the more *wink wink* sorta conversations about AMK)... or how she diplomatically smoothed over that issue with seller of that Marwari racer, with flattery... or how she hides her feelings from her best friend with a hint of mischief in her eyes... or how she was sportively amused with a stranger who'd assumed that SHE was physically harassing him in the night (without actually being offended about it)...

For now, these instances came to mind...

'Absolutely not... ' the flustered young man was about to protest - so engrossed had he been in the exhausting exercise that he'd initially failed to see her suggestion for what it was - a joke.

Till she broke out into a soft fit of giggles.

Akbar looked up with a piercing stare, to defy the lady who was amusing herself at his expense. But the confrontation that followed, was not the kind of confrontation he'd set out to achieve.

Because it was a trap - and he'd fallen right into it.

He has, has he not? And this despite taking so many precautions. The young man hadn't stared in her direction all along - mainly out of respect, but also to dodge those enticing gazes of hers - which'd kept him immune to her charms.

In what follows, Lashykanna, you have outdone yourself, for there is such pure romanticism in this web of our Heera's weaving- that too all subconsciously - that when it traps and envelops the wary Akbar , mera to dil baghbagh ho gaya.

Oh my... Periyamma.. I am truly touched... enthralled...☺️

Till he met the marvel that were her smiles. Heard the music that were her giggles. And witnessed the bewitchingly feminine manner with which she bit down upon her tender lips...Never had he caught her smiling before - or he would have known to steer clear of this trap.

He is in the suds, good and proper, is our Khan Sahib, whether he realises it yet or not. Up to his ears. Bas paani sar ke upar tak jaana baaki hai!

>>> ☺️

Yes, you, and he, try to pad it up and to rationalize it: it wasn't only that her smiles were intoxicating, her positivity was contagious too. But my pet, magic defies rationality and logic. It simply is, just as love simply happens. It is the acknowledgement of the love, the surrender of the self to the magic, that takes time. It will be the same here, and not just on Akbar's side.

Oh my... the underlined!

These beautiful lines stood out during my second read...

Empathy, awe & respect are the key ingredients for HIM

Admiration, intrigue & diversion are HER key ingredients

But you're right in that 'Magic' is the fire that lets those ingredients cook!

And how quickly or slowly they let that fire simmer, is the acknowledgement of the love, the surrender of the self to the magic

I loved it when Heera is touched to the core by the extent of Akbar's love for Bahadur.

When she flinches at the sight of the bruises on his wrist, acquired when he smashes his hand on the table to silence the tormentors of her helpless maids, and her heartbeat quickens in not just gratitude but empathy. And perhaps something more?

Yes... something more... 😉

When the two of them bid farewell with a formal thanks on his part, but with things unspoken that perhaps both of them can sense.

That, my poppet, is a whole lot of magic going around for just an hour spent in a stable tending to an injured horse, is it not?

One hour of magic... how sweet!

Even earlier, when Heera listens, with obvious pleasure, to the flighty Bindiya singing the Khan Sahib's praises for having stood up for her and Gauri against the Kotwal and his ruffians, it is significant that she is happy not only because her maids were thus saved from acute humiliation, but also, and even more so because Akbar had not, after all, fallen in her estimation of him. This too is very revealing, for one cares in this fashion only for those who matter, those whom one thinks of as special, those who have somehow, and however fleetingly, become important for one's emotional well being, indeed one's very existence.

How beautifully you've put it... 👏 Yes, Heera was quite disappointed earlier for those very reasons... and quite relieved now for those same reasons too...

In this context, Gauri's reluctance to acknowledge what the Khan Sahib had done for her, even though she was bthe one more at risk during the fracas, is both obvious and disturbing for Heera, whose assessment of the reason for Gauri's behaviour is spot on.

They both understand each other so well, don't they?

I would hazard a guess that Gauri will be a negative element, and a road block if she can manage it, in the blooming of the Akbar-Heera love story. Which might be understandable, but would nonetheless be a great pity, and a great strain on Heera's already over-stressed heart.

I am very intrigued to ask, why you used to term great pity... (unless it's the after-effects of the 'magic' and you want to see no drama in their budding tale...😳😉)

because I read earlier that you liked Gauri... 🤔

The misery: What a Dickensian touch you have brought to the travails of the 12 year old Akbar, Lashykanna! My heart bled for the poor, ill-treated, miserable, eternally hungry orphan, who has to go thru hell in the very house that was once his father's mansion. It is tough to even imagine the degree of deliberate cruelty which could treat a child in this sadistic fashion.

Yes indeed...

And I loved your use of the word 'Dickensian'

while writing it, it didn't strike me... but now... when you say it, a stark similarity...

but all your guesses about/around this part of the story, are spot on..

I suppose there was some sudden calamity that left him stranded amidst such vile folk, who worked him nearly to death with blows and whippings, but never bothered to feed him. I was strongly reminded of all thousands of wretched waifs who were similarly subjected to slavery in all but name in the dark, satanic mills of the English industrial revolution. And the grown up men and women who are similarly driven to suicidal misery today in the Foxconn factories in China that turn out i-phones by the million. Such hells are still very much with us.

This was very informative👏... the English Industrial revolution yes I knew about... but no so much about the Foxconn factories

I only wonder at the inner strength and the resilience that finally enabled the very young Akbar to climb out of this slough of despond and make his own way in life. There must have been some good soul who helped him, for a teenager could hardly have managed to get out of that hellhole, and then achieve as much as he has done by now, all on his own. You will undoubtedly fill us in on all this as we move along, and you know that I am never impatient. The really good things in life cannot be rushed!

I LOVED this paragraph for so many reasons..

but the overall gist of it is what Shruthi (Kuki) said... that you've understood the characters very well... 🤗 Periyamma...you not only know why they did what they did.. but almost know what they are going to do.. 😛😛

The most touching, and revealing part of this segment is the reason why Akbar, now grown up, totally self-made, and very successful, still does not want to eat anything except the very mediocre food cooked by Chacha Jaan, the man who was, during those awful years, his sole refuge and his sole support, both physical and emotional.

This one snippet tells us more about Akbar's character than a whole volume about his life could have. For him, gratitude is the ultimate virtue, and a sense of belonging with another human being, while very hard to achieve, is, once achieved , for ever.

Yes... like one says... you really treasure what you do not have.. or what you once had and lost... hence, the way he 'treasures' chacha jaan is more than just a dear servant... Chacha jaan is family - a parent to him now... and from parent comes home, food and emotional security...

In due course, he will develop exactly the same kind of bond - of gratitude, of caring , of loyalty, and of love as well - with Heera. That too will be for ever.

>>> awww

OK, Lashykanna, the duties of a hostess call, but I shall post this unfinished piece on your thread No. 8 right away. Tonight - it is 4:23 pm now - I shall update it by adding the sections on Chapters 11 & 12, to this same post, in the same place. I do not know how this one reads, I hope it will pass muster.

Hope your fingers feel better today than yesterday...

🤗 warmest hugs and regards Periyamma...