NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~Thread 11 - Chapter 16 - UPD 22nd SEP

CHAPTER 16

Don't ask the Lord to take away death,

Ask Him instead, to take away your fear of death.

For death is a must in everyone's life,

But fear is not.

Don't ask the Lord to carry your burdens for you,

Ask Him instead, to give you the strength to carry them.

For burdens are a must in everyone's life,

But weakness is not.

How timely, and how effective had it been, repeating those lines in the undisrupted sanctuary that Mother Nature had on offer. It'd worked like a charm, pacifying the mental unease that'd weighed her down since morning - a feeling of unease brought about by the looming uncertainty surrounding Mohan banna's amputation scheduled to take place soon.

'A wise decision...' she insisted 'having stepped out... to pay the local temple a visit, for some peace of mind.'

The visit had borne fruit indeed, for she had found what she'd come seeking.

The temple by itself, was only a small dilapidated stone structure, tucked away in a remote leafy corner of Aidabad. The morning Arti had possibly just finished, seeing how the main doors were already shut. However, the locale was calm and peaceful - just what she needed. So once she'd bowed to the shrines, the young lady had taken a comfortable spot at the stone steps, to begin her meditation.

Closing her eyes, she pondered on the words from a philosophical book she'd read earlier, letting the advice replay in her mind over and over. She liked the positive changes it brought within. So, she meditated for a while longer. And longer. And longer. Thus, an hour had gone by, before she came to her senses.

At that point, no doubt, her mind was at a much better place - but it was past noon. The two maids and Bajrang, who'd accompanied her, were still devotedly standing guard, despite being plagued by hunger and thirst.

Feeling sorry for them, Heera overturned their vehement protests and sent the trio away so they could have their lunch. She wouldn't be able to continue meditating while her folk were left hungry, and they wouldn't eat in their mistress' presence - especially since Heera was fasting today.

Therefore, as they left to have a quick meal under the shade of a Peepal tree a few yards away, Heera continued to meditate upon the temple steps

'Don't ask the Lord to take away sickness,

Ask Him instead, to give you...'

SNAP!

Her eyes opened when she thought she heard a twig SNAP, in the far distance. So she waited, wondering if she would hear anything more. Nothing was audible for a bit.

Until, there it was again - the slightest echo of a SNAP!

Followed, by a dull rustling of leaves.

Alerted, Heera sat up. The sounds were so faint that she'd had to stifle her breathing to catch them. So faint that no one else would've suspected anything. But she knew - something, or someone was out there.

'An animal, probably?' she looked around, about to caution Bajrang. But the very next instant, as though to confirm her suspicions, she heard another RUSTLE. Then another. It was now clear that the hush sounds recurred with every passing moment. By the fourth RUSTLE, she guessed what it had to be - the soft scrunching of dried leaves under the flat stomp of a horse's hooves! 'A rider?'

'Bajr...' She was about to yell out - but all of a sudden, her words stalled, almost instinctively. Through the clearing, the image of the rider had emerged.

Her fists that'd curled up in alarm, slowly unfurled. The layer of panic that'd sheathed her features, lifted off.

The image was hazy. The rider was on the other side of the thicket, travelling through a rustic by-lane. But however unclear the silhouette, that distinctly masculine frame could not be mistaken for anyone else's - the impressive attitude that stood out even in such a dense setting, the shoulders that sat proud above a robust physique. Yes, it was undeniably HIM.

'Khan Sahib? But...'

Her sentence was left abruptly hanging when Heera had come to realise that the rider had paused. He'd spotted her. After which, the man seemed to glance about, surveying the surroundings.

And as if all that wasn't surprising enough, the next moment, he quietly dismounted his horse, and walked through the clearing - till he surfaced from the wooded overgrowth to appear right in front of her.

'What's Khan Sahib doing here?' Heera pondered - unaware that she was holding her breath, as his dark eyes became clearer 'What work might he have here? Now?'

'Sahiba' his brusque voice was as low as the tread of his feet, his glances still busy inspecting the area 'You're alone... here?'

Heera had to hold back the gentle smile that was hovering around her lips - 'You're alone here?' was an unexpected opening question, since she'd become used to his strictly formal greetings. Nevertheless, tilting her head to the left, she indicated towards the Peepal tree - on the other side of which, her people were eating 'My guard's there...'

'Fine' Akbar understood - though her answer didn't have him convinced. Yes, her guard might be in the vicinity. And yes, she was disguised simply, to avoid attention. But all that wouldn't deter the tribals and wild animals that such woods were notorious for - and the list of potential enemies didn't even end there.

It was obvious the Sahiba hadn't taken enough measures to safeguard herself now. Why? Was life at Aidabad, lulling her into a false sense of security?

'What's wrong, Khan Sahib?' she enquired softly, on observing his troubled demeanour

'Your people...' the young man pointed in their direction, before turning to her with a dismissive shrug 'they don't even know I've come...'

Akbar said nothing further. But then he didn't have to. The unrest in his silence spoke the rest of it for him anyway - the fact that she was sitting here, by herself, didn't put him entirely at ease.

'The fact that I'm sitting here, by myself, bothers you...'

The gentle smile that'd been restrained for so long, broke free - so, he HAD halted solely so to check upon her. But, why? She always travelled with company, like she had now - Bajrang was sitting out there, a mere call away. It was bright noon - not the middle of the night. This was a quiet temple, a meditation shrine, a place where people visited to seek solitude and peace - she couldn't bring the entire retinue along. Anyhow, the location was not that desolate either - after all, the road to Aidabad was visible ahead.

Then, why did her safety concern HIM so much?

Of course, Heera felt inclined to ask the no-nonsense Khan Sahib that very query - she was both, interested and inquisitive to find out what was going on in that mind of his.

But she chose not to ask him that query. Maybe it was mischief, or maybe something else - but, in a small corner of her heart, she had her own theories, a woman's intuition to explain why the Sahib must have stopped by. And she opted to keep those theories to herself, thus letting the light moment be 'light'.

'No' the young lady whispered her reply 'it was at MY insistence that they sat over there, to eat... but, they'll be back any moment now...' she shrugged 'Generally, Bajrang is very good at hearing intruders... at sensing anything odd...'

Her cordial tone discreetly shifted into something more sceptical 'I wouldn't blame him for not having heard you now... dare I say this, but you're a remarkably stealthy man, Khan Sahib!'

'Remarkably stealthy?'

His brows drew into a sly frown, as Akbar tried to figure out if the Sahiba had just paid him a compliment or cast an allegation by labelling him 'stealthy'. However, he couldn't make up his mind - and this, despite him being an expert at analysing people.

Nevertheless, it was time to get going. If she was safe, if she felt safe, why lurk around? Why overthink the matter of her safety and arouse any suspicion?

Then again...

Akbar's wary glimpses skimmed the wilderness that lay behind the temple and beyond - a place that was occasionally frequented by the very tribes that'd attacked them before.

'Ai Khuda' he exhaled, his mind in two places. The Sahiba might think he was overreacting, but how would she know what he knew through his profession - that the safest men were the least sorry?

A moment later, he settled upon the most reasonable decision he could think of 'I'll wait by my horse... till her guard re-joins her'

'Till my guard re-joins me... you're going to wait by your horse... aren't you?'

Heera had somehow guessed it from his actions, even if he hadn't mentioned it aloud. Noticing the way he rolled his restless fingers within his fist, her gazes studied his tall persona 'What's on your mind, Khan Sahib? And what's making you...'

She hesitated, unsure if she must complete the rest 'what's making you ...so protective of me... Khan Sahib?'

Instantly, a small flutter stirred within the core of her chest, proving that she'd been right in hesitating to complete that statement. It was only a small flutter, but stronger than any such emotion she might have felt in the past. Strong enough to overpower any scepticism that might've been lurking in her mind.

Suddenly, his muffled roar came out of nowhere 'DON'T move... Sahiba...'

Startled out of her thoughts, Heera remained as still as possible, making a sweeping survey of the steps below, and then, the steps beside - wondering what could've upset him so. Was it a snake?

But her search yielded nothing. Moreover, she couldn't sense the 'hiss' or the 'slithering' of a reptile anywhere nearby. Perhaps, a poisonous centipede then? They were commonly found in such groves too. She visually inspected the many folds of her skirt, for any sign of the nasty worm, careful not to move her fingers or limbs while doing so. But, nothing there either.

'What is it?' an edgy murmur eventually slipped from her lips 'And where?'

Akbar, however, didn't respond. He wasn't even watching the young lady - one wrong action, one misstep and this might end horribly.

The young man had been on his way to the horse as planned, when he'd noticed it from the corner of his eye. Perched on the stone railing right behind her, with its venomous tail ready to strike, was the infamous red scorpion. Fortunate for the Sahiba that he'd caught it in time, or she would've been writhing in excruciating pain for days to come.

Akbar slowly uncoiled the scarf from his face and took if off his head, his knifelike glares fixed upon the target. He then wrapped the cloth around his fist as quietly as possible, preparing to strike a blow. With thick overgrowth blocking every other access, the young man took one steady stride after another, headed for the only available approach - the steps she sat on.

And throughout, Heera could do nothing but wait, trapped in her spot - unnerved by the thought of the deadly creature behind her, unnerved by the sight of him advancing towards her. Every ounce of will was what it took to keep up a facade of normalcy, while her erratic beats quickened, and quickened.

Despite all of it, she did manage to preserve some form of composure, till the heavy veil began slipping backwards. Obviously, her first instinct was to preserve modesty, and her hands were about to move up to its borders to try and pull the veil down 'M... maybe I should... move aside... slightly...' she suggested - seeing how the situation was getting terribly awkward.

'DON'T...' he ordered. Of course, he didn't want to go into the alarming details and tell her that the scorpion had now crawled down the railing - only to rehome itself on the tip of her veil, behind her. Instead, he repeated his order through clenched teeth, so she got the point 'DON'T move... if you value your health!'

'Oh alright...' Heera drew in a sharp breath, astonished by the forcefulness in his tone, as she replaced her palm on her lap.

Naturally then, the liberated veil withdrew from her face, slid down her hair, and gently dropped backwards, below her shoulders, leaving her face and features exposed, while she helplessly watched on like a marble statue. But what could she do? Fidgeting about would only make her look silly - especially after such an assertive warning from him! 'DON'T move... if you value your health'

It was the first time in her life that someone other than jiji had told her what NOT to do. After all, as an heiress, she was only used to giving orders, not receiving them.

However, strangely enough, once the momentary shock had worn-off, the young lady recognised she wasn't too offended by the outburst. The circumstances had understandably called for it. If anything, to have another person take charge of a situation - a man, who knew what he was doing - felt like a welcome change!

As for the troubling issue of their growing physical proximity - well, Khan Sahib was being his usual dignified self, his attitude unaffected and business-like.

So the only sensible choice was to continue to try and act poised by sitting still - and let him tackle the problem as swiftly as possible.

Unaffected? Business-like? How wrong was she!

Only HIS inner self was aware of how many fights he'd waged to maintain an aura of indifference - and how tough each of those fights had been.

For; even when she was not in sight, this Sahiba had lately made it a habit, to haunt his thoughts - both, asleep and awake. One could only imagine his state, when she sat so close to him, in flesh and form. So close that he could nearly smell the rose on her skin and touch the silk of her hair.

No wonder then that it felt like he'd conquered the biggest hurdle in this unfamiliar adventure when he'd fought hard to bring his emotions under check.

Only to be tested by fate again - a cruel test to see how far he'd conquered temptation, when her veil had slid off. It was as though the Lord had just unveiled his most precious, most exquisite creation, just to see if this young man would overlook his morals and manners, and cast a glance at her.

The fighter that he was, Akbar had somehow conquered this hurdle too. Till he heard the silent sounds of her smile - the kind of smile that finally broke his resolve and drew his attention to her.

'Very dangerous... and cunning too?' she murmured 'the enemy that's behind me? I only ask because it seems to be taking you a good while to deal with it, Khan Sahib...'

Yes, it was a sly quip. But Heera didn't know what else to do to keep her mind occupied. If she didn't, she was certain HE would soon be able to hear her beats that were now pulsing so hard, they drowned every other sound around her. On most other occasions, she had a convenient excuse that would keep her thoughts diverted - the fact that she couldn't see him so clearly. But now, since that excuse wouldn't work, there was nothing to stop her from observing the angular facets of his features or his intriguing dark eyes. There was nothing to stop her being drawn towards the magnetism of his face - a face that somehow appeared more rugged, more handsome then when she'd met him first. True, she'd only ever met a few men in her life, but she was certain nature could not have gifted many others with such charisma 'You haven't answered me yet, Khan Sahib...' she asked the man who'd returned her quip with nothing but a steady glance 'about the enemy that's behind me...'

Wary, Akbar's glances shuffled between his target, and her face, as he took a moment to read her. Was she baiting him, or taunting him with those queries? Did she plan to amuse herself at his expense again? Whatever the reason was, he wouldn't back down this time

'You've no idea of what's behind you, Sahiba...' he whispered back a retort - but mild enough, so it wouldn't wipe the appealing smile off her lips 'trust me when I say the enemy is as dangerous and cunning as can be...'

'Dangerous AND cunning? Interesting match it'll be then...' her frowns assumed a deceptively questioning look 'well... I do hope I'm not wrong in assuming that you're an expert at this... in assuming that you like playing such deadly games?'

'No you're not wrong...' Akbar replied with the faintest of smirks. So the Sahiba WAS baiting him - maybe as a means to divert herself. Or maybe because, she was getting curious about him. Either way, quite refreshing small talk this was turning out to be. And he was aware of how to deflect her inquiry - by giving her a taste of her own medicine - a bittersweet medicine 'I do like playing deadly games, Sahiba... but, I do hope I'm not wrong in assuming that my games have you intrigued... that you're beginning to like playing them too!'

'Intrigued?' Heera managed to stifle a surprised sigh, but she wasn't as successful at stalling the heat from spreading to her cheeks and her neck. How was she to respond to that allegation? A 'Yes, I'm intrigued', and she would lose. A 'No, I'm not intrigued', her lies would be caught - and she would still lose. He turned out to be a better sport at this game than she'd thought - and like an amateur, she'd ended up caught in her own web.

So, she stepped down gracefully - if she said nothing, at least he couldn't corner her further, could he?

She was right. He couldn't corner her further. And while the Sahiba thought she was paying the price of her own brazenness, Akbar thought differently - she wasn't the only 'loser' in this banter. He had lost the moment he'd allowed himself be lured into her mind games and now, he was paying the price of his devilry too. By losing himself. By falling into temptation - at the sight of her partially-lowered eyelids. At the sight of her demure grins. At the sight of her fair skin dipped in red. At the sight of her femininity.

Even if he might have ever been tempted in life before, he could always bring such urges under control. But for the first time, he felt like there was nothing he could do to stop the phenomenon as he experienced the sort of emotions that overpowered his morals. The sort of urges that warmed his blood and raced his pulse, leaving his lungs short of air. The sort of emotions that led him to observe a woman's quivering lips, and her flushed skin, as she blushed.

They'd barely ever spoken much, or even met, but this Lady had touched him in ways no one else had - emotionally, and physically. Worse, he was getting sucked in deeper and deeper, with every passing occasion that he knowingly or unknowingly let himself get close.

Anyhow, he would have to somehow cast aside these unforeseen feelings and deal with the emotional aftermath later - for now, there was the unresolved issue of that abhorrent creature looming over them.

And unfortunately, the scorpion that'd crawled off her veil, was now only inches away from her back.

So, not wanting to alert the aggressive creature, Akbar moved near the Lady's ears 'Sahiba...'

'W...what!' caught completely off-guard by the unfamiliar sensation of his warm breath brushing against the gold of her earrings, her parched voice echoed 'W... what are you...'

'Sahiba...' he spoke over her 'when I say move, just jump forward immediately... DON'T look back... alright?'

It almost took her a moment to regroup herself, and grasp what he was trying to do 'Yes... alright...'

'MOVE!' he yelled

Regrettably though, owing to her partial vision, it took Heera a moment longer to spring down the steps than it should have, thus compelling the young man to do something he'd hoped he didn't have to do. In a flash, Akbar stretched his arm forth to block her from the attack - since blocking was quicker than bringing a fist down upon a moving creature from an awkward spot.

Alas! The very next instant, the scorpion's lethal tail had found its mark - on an exposed part of his hand.

'Arrrgh...' biting down to battle the excruciating pain of the sting, he nudged her away from the steps, before launching a brutal blow on the creature with his protected fist.

By the time Heera could understand what'd happened, her people had come rushing there, their faces stricken with terror

'Baisa... we heard some noises... what happened?'

'Khan Sahib? What are you doing here?'

'A scorpion...' she tried explaining, replacing the veil on her head 'I...'

'Then, why didn't you call us, baisa...'

'Why didn't you shout out for help...'

'This is why I refused to leave your side...' Bajrang reminded her, unable to hide how displeased he was by the turn of events 'this is why I...'

'Bajrang, calm down... I hadn't known of it myself... it was Khan Sahib who'd spotted it before it was too late...' noting the irony of her words, Heera turned to him, her eyes awash with fresh signs of panic 'But... you're hurt, aren't you? Lord... please tell me it wasn't the red scorpion... its venom is potent!'

Akbar said nothing, though his continued silence gave away the truth.

'Oh God no... ' she implored 'I have a few medicines that ... that I can... I can take a look, if...'

'Don't worry about me...' he scoffed 'I've grown immune to such poisons and venoms...'

Internalising the unbearable agony caused by the first toxic droplets coursing through his veins, Akbar casually removed the wrapped scarf from his fist 'Just stay safe, Sahiba!'

Sometime later...

'Don't worry about me... I've grown immune to such poisons and venoms... just stay safe, Sahiba!'

Those three lines had told her more about the man than anything her own guards had uncovered, than anything her own maids had found out about him in the past 10 days, leaving her with mixed feelings - both, good and unsettling.

In fact, reflecting back on it all, 'mixed' is how she would describe her emotions following the encounter. It was as though the Heera who'd visited the temple that morning was different from the Heera who stood here, a short while later.

So much so that she was about to step into the sick room to lend support to Mohan banna during the tortuous procedure - but a small part of her was still delving on all the spoken and unspoken words that'd been exchanged between them.

Which wasn't necessarily bad - since it kept her mind occupied with things other than the horrifying happenings around her. But not necessarily good either - since it was getting quite distracting.

He'd distracted her from her woes before too - but never to this extent. Taking her to the realisation that his presence was becoming an elixir of sorts - temporarily relieving her from all her miseries, however terrible they might be. And Heera couldn't decide if this was a good thing or a bad thing!

Those three strong words 'just stay safe'

With such sincerity had he uttered them that the words had left her wrapped in their warmth. And yet, there was a vehemence in his attitude - like it was a warning! Was he just being protective, or did he know a greater deal about her than he let on?

And then, there was the unabated worry regarding his health. Sadly, there was no immediate way to enquire about his wellbeing - but Heera was concerned. Concerned if he'd had the wound examined by a Vaid. Concerned that he mustn't travel till his health had stabilised. Khan Sahib might have brushed off the mishap, but she'd treated enough scorpion bites to know that the pain was extreme.

Which brought her to the mystery of how he could walk away from such life-threatening calamities, again and again, like nothing had happened?

What did he mean when he said he'd grown immune to poisons? How could a businessman - however, well-travelled -grow immune to poison? How could he be so unafraid, that he almost seemed invincible? Was he a seasoned warrior in another lifetime?

Doubts that'd been settled by earlier enquiries, returned to haunt her. She even tried reflecting back upon their meeting, to recall his eyes and expressions for answers. But most of what she could remember was how she'd been struggling hard not to lose herself in their depths. All she could recollect were the smiles and the giggles, the friendly banter - how she'd grown so comfortable in his presence.

'Alright' Heera eventually relented with a worried sigh, admitting that she had acted out of character. She'd crossed a line, by letting herself get so comfortable, by getting carried away in a manner that didn't befit her rank or position. That too, with someone who was still a relative stranger. It was out-of-character. But, the situation was unusual and her mind wasn't in the right place - no point beating herself up about it any longer, was there?

'Shouldn't happen again. Wouldn't happen again' she vowed with a resigned frown, before disappearing into the sick chamber - to attend to the responsibilities that beckoned.

That night... at the safehouse...

'Darn creature!'

Slapping another layer of medicinal paste on the site of swelling, he wrapped a fresh cloth around his arm, using his teeth to pull the bandage into a knot. As a man who'd spent a good amount of his days lying low, hiding in wildernesses, such encounters with scorpions and snakes weren't uncommon. But this species had turned out to be a particularly nasty one. Wiping the sweat dripping off of his neck and hair, he rested his temple across the edge of the table. 'Another 72 hours of this suffering' he panted, holding his ribs, the insides of which were pounding recklessly - all of it a side-effect of the venom 'but at least, she was spared from this!'

'Very dangerous... and cunning too... the enemy that's behind me? I only ask because it seems to be taking you a good while to deal with it, Khan Saib...' her voice supposedly asked for the nth time, nudging him for an answer

'Yes' Akbar ultimately muttered 'your enemies are dangerous, cunning and many, Sahiba... and I would shield you from them all, if I could!'

True, he would shield her - if only to preserve the addicting sight that was her smiles and music that were her giggles. If only to safeguard the hazel of her eyes and the uniqueness that lay in their spirit. But, could he really shield her forever? From every enemy?

As his head swirled and his skin trembled from the effects of the toxins, the saner part of his mind clung on to their rare interactions from that morning, and to the unforgettable images of her femininity. The kind of femininity that'd given him his first tryst with passion. Why, even thinking back on her now, had him fired-up. Even in that Godforsaken state of his, it was beginning to dawn upon this young man that he did not have the means to battle her spell. And after having spent a lot of his energy on this personal war over the last 10 days - the only remaining option was to 'admit' the bitter reality. That way, he would at least have an answer, before closing this chapter of his life.

A dull ache abruptly needled through his chest - an ache distinctively different from all the other physical pains he was enduring right then.

'Hundreds' he smirked at the never-ending ironies in his life through a bout of raspy cough 'Hundreds of women this warrior turned down... and the one woman that he wishes to protect, he can't...'

Akbar glanced up, at the multitude of scrolls that lay sprawled over the table - messages that Harka Sahiba had been sending out to Rajput kingdoms. Plucking out one of the letters, he flapped it open with a tired sigh 'What are you doing, Sahiba? You don't realise how ugly the politics in court can get, do you?'

Replacing the scroll on the table, he kneaded his forehead. The messages were too poignant - too moving. And any well-wisher who read them would raise in uproar against the atrocities that happened in Parnagarh. But not everyone she was sending them out to, were well-wishers - a truth the Sahiba did not know! 'Many of these are good men... but a few of them are not so noble... they will not hesitate to sell you out to my Huzoor if it gave them greater power in court!' he pressed the sides of his throbbing head 'Had these scrolls gone out as intended, you would be a dead woman now... the Shehzaade would've made sure of that!'

Shehzaade!

The very mention snapped him out of the brief lull. The Shehzaade - his master, his mentor, his guide and guardian for the past 10 years. The man who'd stood by his side, when even his own had abandoned him. The man, without whom, there would be no Ustaad Akbar Mahmoud Khan!

Whatever his dilemmas, whatever his personal battles - one thing Akbar would not want to do, was betray his master. He could not overlook his relationship of 10 years for an acquaintance of 10 days.

And that very notion had steeled his mind, when he'd gone to meet the Huzoor to inform him about the scrolls. Yet when the time had come to prove his loyalty, the words remained stuck in his throat, as though this one task had become tougher than all other challenges he'd faced in life so far.

Surprising! Since double-crossing and eliminating enemies of the Shehzaade was the very nature of his job - a job that he actually took great pride in. Why, even when he'd taken up the assignment 2 weeks ago, he was more than willing to deliver Parnagarh, if it'd make the Shehzaade happy. Then why was a conscience that'd kept quiet and let him do his duty for the past 10 years, suddenly awoken now?

Was it because he knew that this Lady was not like the rest of their rivals? She might not be on the Shehzaade's camp, but she was not an enemy either. Harka Sahiba's war was justifiably against Khalil - not against the prince or the Mughal Empire. And even if she was fighting to keep her lands, her intent was selfless - not to bring harm to the prince.

However, all this was a complex truth that the Shehzaade would not accept. Besides, after Khalil's blunder, the prince was desperately in need of a 'reason' to bring down the heiress and seize Parnagarh - precisely why the Head of his Intelligence team had been given this case. So by handing over these scrolls, he would be giving the Shehzaade, that one critical sought-after 'reason'.

And although Akbar would NEVER abandon his Huzoor, although he knew he couldn't protect the Sahiba forever - one thing he could not get himself to do, above all - was to write down HER death penalty with his own hands.

'Ai Khuda...' a guttural roar escaped his throat in frustration, as he felt like a helpless bystander - watching his sense of duty falter for the first time in his life, while his conscience went back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. 'Why? Why do you keep inflicting such anguish on me? Why have you abandoned me at such a crossroad?'

But then, when did God ever make it easy for his best men?

Half an hour later, and his spirit couldn't keep up with the debate any longer. 'I'll think about this when I feel better...' he resolved, calling it a day. Stretching his palm out, Akbar pulled at the midnight lamp to blow it out.

Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was something else - but the lamp tilted, its oil and flaming wicks falling upon the table and its contents. In less than a moment, the waxy seals from a few scrolls began melting. The flammable liquid spread like molten lava, engulfing everything in its path. And before long, the entire heap was a combustible mass.

Of course, Akbar could have leapt forward and saved a scroll or two. Instead, he slowly fell back against the backrest - and watched the bonfire that burnt every single shred of evidence incriminating the Sahiba, into nothingness. The heat was unbearable, his body was beyond fatigued, he was perspiring more than ever - but strangely enough, his features were also aglow with a sense of relief.

If this made for a worthwhile read, please do leave me a comment/like when you can, as it really does helps the writer in me to keep going!