NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~THREAD 26~CHAPTER 31 (2 parts) 7 APR - Page 69

Originally posted by: Kalgi22

I agree my Bullet Queen..😭 Double bonanza from Bullet Queen.. Yay ...⭐️ too good reading my darling.🤗

Originally posted by: Bindu.

^^ *Sigh* Thanks Manu!🤗

What avi?

Originally posted by: lashy

Heera's Brain Versus Heera's Heart!😆

Poor girl... I can so relate to her !

Originally posted by: --cute.manasi--

That akdha in ur dp .

Originally posted by: Kuki715

What a chapter,Lashy di!!!⭐️ I am back to my grinning self after all the nail biting and weeping chapters 😃 .

Part 1

It was such a welcome change from their previous encounter...he wasn't exhausted ,she was in her best frame of mind and they were discussing things the way they should.Its very rare that Khan Sahib admires her beauty and physical form but,when he does its...❤️ .Guess there's no way Akbar can make Heera understand 🤔...what to... do she too has got her set of valid points.

So causally he said about seizing and burning her scrolls that made her so annoyed.And has Akbar already made plans to avenge Durga's death??!!😲

Obviously the best part was Khan Sahib's cooking' 😳.It would have taken me forever to understand his point,thanks to Heera it didn't 😆 .It was probably the first time in any historical novel /serial/movie that a woman was admiring a man's culinary skills and not even for a second it looked out of place .How do you write such amazing stuff,di

Heera got his point but chose not to believe.

I thought they would take about marriage too in this meeting but then it happened in most unexpected way😆

Part 2

I am feeling really bad for Khan Sahib.He has done so much for Heera and her people.And when his life is in more danger than before ,He is only scared for Heera's safety😭 .And her curse 😭 .I read you said somewhere Heera would the angel to undo it. Wish that happens soon because she knows what it feels to be loved, cherished,pampered...but, he has never felt any of it . When he'll get all this from her ,can only imagine how beautiful that would be❤️ .

The marriage proposal.Those dominating and intimidating glares...who would have thought ,Khan shahib,once a secretive,lonely ,indifferent ,no nonsense,brusque would go to such lengths as to force her into marrying him just to keep her safe.

Heera is no less.All this while after the betrayal ,she didn't want to see or think about him,but while travelling ,amidst her horses and guards walking ,she easily recognized Bahadur's hoofbeats...I was quite amused..😆

I am so eager to see Chachajaan and Bindiya's happy faces in Parnagarh😃 and not to forget Gauri's😉

Slapping his palm against the trunk of tree that she was standing beside, Akbar let his features hover beside hers, his skin brushing past the sheer veil that kept them apart.

'Marry me, then...'

^^^*dead*

Just one think I wanted to ask...like Khan Sahib ,is Azeez too bestowed with such culinary skills!!!

Originally posted by: Kuki715

Bindu di's suda suda review😳...loved it di🤗

Originally posted by: divyavm

Writer-e-khaas.

I am puzzled. Puzzled by what scene you had second thoughts about and were about to smash your precious computer. (In the future, just make sure you send me the back up of your entire outline story before doing anything to your computer ;) ) Why I am puzzled is - every scene fell into place perfectly - so what could possibly have been amiss? And, I was so excited by the two part bonanza as well. If you had left me with Harka's chilling glares leaving the tent, I may have smashed my phone :)

I begin my take by tracing Akbar's own journey to get Harka on his side. This take is imagined in Akbar's words.

1. First I tried reason.

The farmaan. The answers to your complicated questions. Defense for the Akbar you had seen in Aidabad- a man of simple life. The importance of both loyalty to my Huzoor and and you. How I saved your scrolls from being discovered.

Alas, it fell on deaf ears. You knew me not, nor heard my words.

2. Then I tried the honesty of my eyes.

If not the hearing of your ears, maybe your eyes would recognize the truth in my eyes. Your eyesight seemed to have recovered similar to your elegance. You began to see the glimpses of the Akbar of old without the armour and shield of hate. Yet, you could not believe me.

And who said your eyes were weak? Later it would be the glare of your eyes that near killed me.

3. Then I tried to cook to impress.

What you heard, what you saw didn't make a difference, but perhaps the aroma around you? The aroma of the cinnamon. The special technique to seep in the flavor of smoke. The knack with the wood and the knife. The efficiency with the plate. The heating of the food interrupting the heat of our discussion.

At least, you were distracted by what I was doing and could not ignore it. Alas, that was also not enough. My calluses again came to your mind (now due to the sting of the red chillies), but not enough to overcome your calloused heart and mind. A genuine effort became a false show. An enemy I remained.

4. Then I tried to be your enemy.

Who was I to you? The Ustaad: selfish, power hungry, vile. Then might as well become that, if it would save you.

My honest eyes became chilling. My persisitent reasoning morphed into a slyness - trapping you in order to save your own people. So enemy I became- threatening the safety of your people, to save you.

In the end, you were to announce our wedding yourself to the people. With the wedding, your life would be safe forever- with or without me.

5. Then finally we were on the same page.

And as enemies, we were finally coming closer together. You saw a ray of a hope in how you didn't have to convert. Maybe we found common ground in keeping the "Ustaad" in me a secret.

And hopefully this is a sign of the common ground to come in the future, whether intentionally or unintentionally. (This may be Divya's wishful thinking!)

----

After this first take, as always, a double part gets a double take. A few other moments I liked:

(1) Akbar's mind voice, showing him how much he cared for Harka and everything she said. Particularly, this line stood out for me.

"All he knew was that this was a welcome difference from the haggard young lady he'd met a day earlier! A difference so beautiful that he had to order his heart to stay still and his eyes to look away."

Later, I also liked how he wanted her to call him Akbar so they would be equals. Small detailing that went a big way in showing what Harka meant to him.

(2) The beautiful words that begins part 2- foreshadowing how Akbar will accept the challenges at hand and will bear them. The only consolation: they will not last forever.

How do you find these little details that makes the journey even more poignant?

(3) The change of scene with the bazaar- away from the tent, the jungle, the confrontations. It was a nice scenary shift. I also liked how it was a transition scene of how his men were transitioning to their new lives in Parnagarh just as we, as readers, were transitioning to Part 3.

(4) Akbar's musings about how sad he was and how hurt he was by how poorly Harka thought of him. Something about his mind voice struck a chord- albiet a sad one. Again, the words that beginning of part 2 , rang true as the only consolition:

"Don't worry about what happens at night,
For the affairs of the world aren't meant to last."

5. Lastly, something very striking about Harka cursing Akbar that one day he will be alone and helpless for what he wants. Hopefully, for Harka's sake, that never happens. Equally poignant was how Akbar reflected how it was already true. Hopefully, Lashy dear, for our sakes, you won't make it come true again.

So, with that, Lashy Sahiba, my double take comes to a conclusion.

As always writer-e-khaas, I loved the chapter- balancing what their dialogues said with what their mind voices reflected was very well done. I look forward to part 3 of this journey. 12 day countdown begins today ...

Originally posted by: karkuzhali

Patti is not busy..There was a major breakdown of power in our street and a couple of two others, from 8.00 p.m. yesterday till 7.00 p.m today. No fan, no cold water , no wi-fi, no TV etc..That's why I was lost!

Sachu patti

Periyamma/aunty.

Originally posted by: Bindu.

What a beautiful review,darling!🤗👏 Even I loved Heera recognizing Bahadur's presence!

@bold: So true!😭😭