HBAS Chat corner - Page 65

Originally posted by: Testmytest

Kal and Selvi what a surprise it is for us!! Had no idea about your MD. I am jealous of all of you who had MD with one of the HBAS family members. You, Selvi, Aunty, Vathsy, Sandy...Not fair at all 😒

You both had lunch together, exchanged gifts, talked about HBAS and the members...so sweet and top of that another MD in December??

Originally posted by: Testmytest

Tanya sorry to hear the news, and sorry to say this but maybe it was for the better. It is extremely painful to watch someone who is really sick and painful for the person going through it. May his soul rest in piece, our prayers are for you and the family dear. 🤗

Thats what helps in reducing the pain, the thing is doctors operated and dint considered his age they asked his sons to arrange money as they want to inject him and every injection costs 1.5 lakhs, money was never a concern as what matter is that your loved one's stay healthy and fit and those 3 injections declined his health when we contacted another doctor he said those injections were so strong and his body was not able to handle that. Thats exactly what happened with my nanu too.😭

And yes I agree, come up with another story, we will definitely read it! Not everybody can pen down a story!

Okay will try for you guys and yess baisas there is a good news my brother's wedding is fixed and its on 6th feb2019🥳

Of course our Author Sahiba is an exception!!

😳 her writing skills are beyond my reach

Originally posted by: Testmytest

I want to add this Lashy,

'Watching you in pain, tears me from within... I would give the Goddess everything I have... to keep you from harm!'

'Oh Khan Sahib... ' I love you so much... but you already know that, don't you'

Both will sacrifice for each other if the situation arises, this is true love of soul mates!!

Have you written any story di would like to read as penned these lines so beautifully😳

'Khamma Ghani sa...' She offered the woman a formal Marwari salute.

A long spell of silence followed - an unnerving spell for all present - during which Heera observed the Ranisa for the first time. It was only now that she got to observe her from such close quarters. And she had to agree with all the tales she'd heard - that there could be no woman who defined the term 'authoritarian', as aptly as this Maharani did!

'The veil...' Ranisa uttered, making no attempt to ease into an informal conversation first 'surely there's no need for it, in here... I would like to see the face of my son's bride properly, please!'

The maids stepped forth at once and gently lifted up the silk by its borders, letting the cloth slide behind her hair.

'My my...' Various sounds of approval erupted amongst different sections of the crowd.

The queen, however, exhibited nothing more than a mild frown 'Not bad...'

Not bad? Heera wasn't naive, and despite the troubled state her mind was in, she could guess that the queen was more impressed by her beauty than she was letting on. Nevertheless, nothing to celebrate about - seeing how she wasn't trying to impress the Manswaris now 'Thank you Ranisa...'

Suddenly; the Maharani snapped her fingers, taking everyone by surprise 'Please leave us alone...'

So the maids dispersed, and most of the relatives too, leaving behind only a few important people in that gathering - giving the young lady the feeling that what was to come might not be pleasant.

'Your eyes... they're pretty... but they're...' the Maharani paused, not completing the rest of the sentence for the sake of civility 'I only hope the disability would not pass on something unpleasant to my son's children... to the royal heirs of our kingdom!'

'Ranisa... with your permission let me clarify' she decided to dispel the myth since it was her honour at stake here. Besides, she'd already guessed that the superstitious questions would come - only she hadn't expected them to come so soon 'I had an accident, when riding my horse as a child... that's how I lost part of my vision... it is not a disease...'

The stiff lines on the queen's temple slowly eased out. Not only was this girl more beautiful than her sister, she seemed more docile and yet wiser too. Maybe this arrangement would not be as bad as she originally feared 'Ranisa...' she addressed the hostess 'I would like to rest now... we've had a long and tiring journey... but later on... today... maybe our royal priests could sit together... and decide upon an auspicious hour to formalise the relationship between both families!'

'That would be lovely...' kaki exclaimed - after which, a drone of murmurs rose in the backdrop - murmurs that steadily culminated into a cacophony of happy cheers.

Heera managed a formal smile too, to play her part as a member of the celebratory ambience. But her mind was racing. Racing with hundreds of thoughts, worries, and questions. This was all happening too fast. She had to meet Kunwar Mahendar as early as possible, so she could let him know her views about this 'arrangement'. And it had to be done before things went too far. After all, there was just no other foreseeably quicker way to put this wedding on hold.

Next Day in the Royal gardens..

'Ouch'

Gently dropping the plush rose into the flower basket, she inspected the tip of her throbbing finger. A moist blob of red emerged, swelling in size, till it overflowed down the sides of her finger dripping down as tiny droplets of blood.

'These wounds never truly heal, Sahiba... which is why the pain never disappears completely...'

'You must be cautious around such nasty thorns...' came a genteel voice from behind 'you've wounded yourself... here... please take this...' Mahendar held out a silk kerchief for her 'is it painful?

On finally coming face-to-face with jijasa, her emotions welled up, in remembrance of jiji. However, his gentlemanly features remained a comforting ocean of calmness. Chitranjan kakasa had mentioned that he'd seemed devastated by the tragedy when they met last. So watching his profile so composed now, was a cause for some relief 'Greetings Kunwarsa...'

Greetings...' he wished her back.'I heard you wanted to meet me here...'

A short pause later, Heera nodded 'Yes... I apologise if this caused you inconvenience... and I know this is not the norm... but I wanted to talk to you about something...'

'This was no inconvenience whatsoever... but before that...' he spoke haltingly 'how have you been? We were all immensely worried when we heard nothing from you!'

'I sent you messages... letters of condolences... information... sent one of my personal messengers as well... didn't you receive anything?'

'No...' his tone turned even more sombre 'you have suffered a lot, haven't you?'

Yes she had. And she still was.

'There are mornings I wake up, still unsure if it is all just a horrible dream!'

'I'd warned her not to go... I'd offered to send my men along... if only she'd listened... then... she would be here with us... today...' the Kunwar paused, the skin on his neck tightening, as though he was choking up in sorrow.

'Kunwarsa, you've suffered no less...' Heera wiped the tear brimming at the fringes of her lashes, wondering if she must give him a little privacy so he could mourn in silence.

However, a few moments later, Mahendar had cleared his throat, and returned to relative normalcy. 'Anyhow we are just puppets in the hands of fate... have to follow what destiny decides for us!'

'Oh...' she swallowed a painful lump in her throat, watching how he'd managed to compose himself with such ease. Maybe it was because he was a man that he was so much better at holding back his grief. Maybe it was easier for men to come to terms with such tragedies.

Nevertheless, her own emotions refused to be so disciplined. The droplets of water refused to stop brimming, how many ever times she wiped them dry. Eventually, they burst their banks, forming their own soft pathways down her face. So, for the sake of decency, she averted his glances till she could regroup herself. 'I haven't stopped getting nightmares...' she gazed at the rose bush in front 'especially of the horrible hour, when I'd cradled her bleeding body in my arms...'

Briefly dragged back to the appalling final moments of her sister's life, she continued sharing her anguish over the ordeal - whilst he watched on, in silence.

In a short while though, the sounds of her words began fading away into white noise.

As he tuned out, Mahendar decided to spend his time doing something else - possibly, something more interesting. So, unbeknown to her, his gazes began venturing towards those partly-hidden features concealed behind a sheer veil. Feasting his eyes upon their freshness. She was a rare kind of beauty indeed. Probably the rarest kind. Virginal. Ethereal. Unblemished. Untouched. Purer than the unborn petals of a flower bud, for no other man had even laid eyes upon them.

He had been aware that she was stunning. However, since a part of him had been besotted by the persona of the older heiress, he had never cared to observe the younger sister. But now that he was beholding her from such close quarters, he had to agree - she possessed a unique power to entrance her observers. Remarkable! Moreover, at present, there was an alluring element about her innocence and sadness too. Almost erotic. Especially the manner in which those tears touched her cheeks, and then her lips, before sliding down her neck. If only it were his fingers in place of those tears. 'Not many days to go for that though...'

'Kunwarsa?' Heera's thoughts had screeched to an abrupt halt. She couldn't see from the corner of her eye, so she would never know for sure. But if she relied on her instincts, she would have to say that the prince had been staring at her. Probably gazing at her in ways that he mustn't.

Made uneasy by the very notion, she wiped her cheeks dry and pulled the borders of her veil across the face - deciding to give the man a gentle reminder of how she viewed the kind of 'relationship' they shared, in case he was getting carried away.

'Jijasa...' Heera said, instead of addressing him by the title 'Kunwarsa' 'did you hear what I've been trying to tell you?'

Her subtle shift in attitude did not go unnoticed.

'Yes... I did...' Mahendar nodded with authority, the white noise instantly unravelling into clearer phrases again 'Go on...'

'Then... I hope you would empathise with my sentiments, jijasa...' her manner was kind, but her stance firm 'I hope you would understand that I am not prepared to go through with this arrangement... with this marriage!'

'What?' he nearly exclaimed - her startling confession like an ugly slap on his aristocratic pride. His mind replayed her words for the second time, and then the third - lest he had inferred her words wrongly. But with every instance that he recalled her rejection I am not prepared to go through with this arrangement the blow to his ego came on harder. 'I am sorry, what...' he asked again, in disbelief 'what did you just say?'

'Jijasa... I am not ready for this marriage...' she pleaded with her eyes 'these developments must have caused you a lot of trouble and I apologise for all of it... I shall apologise to your parents for the difficulties this has caused them too...' she glimpsed down at the fingers that she was toying with 'unfortunately, all these decisions were taken in my absence... had I the slightest idea that kakasa would put forth such a proposal, I would have been able to advise him against it...'

As she voiced her thoughts, Mahendar was left grinding his teeth in silence, plagued by visions of his carefully-built plans crumbling down, piece by piece, into dust. It was happening all over again, wasn't it?

'NO!' he told himself the very next instant. He would not let it end this way. He would not give up so easily - especially not after all those painstaking efforts he'd taken so far! Forcefully shutting away the frustrating visions, he came back with a calculatedly-gentle retort 'But why do you say that you are not ready for this marriage?'

Heera lifted her eyes to study him. She could sense a subtle difference in his tone. Was it disappointment? Was it confusion? She couldn't make out yet. 'Because jijasa...' she paused 'I am not in the right frame of mind for a wedding now...'

'Don't take this the wrong way...' the Kunwar explained, feeling the growing strain of keeping up this show of decency and chivalry 'I don't want this wedding either... but I am going through with it, because I'd given your sister my word... I'd promised her that I would take care of Parnagarh, and take care of you!'

Yes. Heera could make out what it was - it was frustration! His entire speech would have sounded noble - had the tinges of annoyance not slowly crept in by the end of it. 'Why the frustration though?' the mystified young lady was forced to ponder - particularly when considering the timing of it all. Was he just stressed, or could it be something else? 'So, you're doing all this for the sake of a promise you'd given jiji?'

'Of course! Why else do you think?'

'Then you must remember that you'd given her TWO promises, jijasa! And if you remember the first, you surely wouldn't haven't forgotten the second promise... would you?'

'I'm bound forever by two precious aspects of my life that a marriage cannot change...one, Parnagarh... two and more importantly, my sister...'

'I wish that my lands and my people continue to remain under our joint charge'

'And when my sister weds, it would be to a man of her choice, much like I am following my own preferences..

* * * *

The Formal Reception Chamber..

Having received an urgent message sometime back, she was on her way to meet with the Kunwar of Manswar - a meeting that she wasn't sure what to make of.

Earlier that day, she'd been quietly confident that the prince would empathise with her wishes - he'd always come across as a selfless young man, a noble well-wisher of the family. However, after having met him in the rose garden, she wasn't so sure. She'd left the place sensing strange vibes from him, and with more questions looming in her head than ever before.

In the hours since then, those questions had given rise to all sorts of unsettling doubts about the prince of Manswar - which beyond a point, seemed so far-fetched and implausible that she had begun second-guessing her own instincts. 'What am I doing?' she asked herself thereafter, wondering if the bitter events in her life lately had turned her into a cynic 'Jiji trusted him... and loved him so much... she wouldn't have misread him! No... I must have misunderstood him... '

Thus, temporarily setting aside those convoluted thoughts, she'd set off with a clearer mind, hoping to start afresh. If nothing else, she HAD to do so in the hope that they might be able to work something out. The Kunwarsa was still the only person she could turn to, if she wanted things to go a certain way. And this evening, the young lady needed his support more than ever - seeing how she'd just learnt a short while ago, that the families were about to formalise their relationship the next morning.

On arriving at the chamber, Heera was ushered in, and she soon realised the prince wasn't alone. His two companions - the Senapati and his cousin - stood beside him, engrossed in chatter of some sort.

An awkward lull followed, with everyone waiting for someone to speak up.

Till the kunwarsa took matters into his own hands

'Please wait outside...' he suddenly announced 'I mean everyone!' he added, obviously referring to the Parnagarhis.

Heera was surprised. Even if it was a formal area, it felt odd to be left alone in a room with him. That too, past sunset. But she chose to relent for now.

Heera was surprised. Even if it was a formal area, it felt odd to be left alone in a room with him. That too, past sunset. But she chose to relent for now.

'Please wait outside' she turned to her people 'All of you, please...' she had to emphasise, when Bajrang and Daya did not move from their spots.

Once the duo were alone, Kunwarsa approached the young lady, a good bit of princely conceit sharpening his attitude 'When we met at the garden, matters got slightly out-of-hand... I put it down to shock, because everything is happening so swiftly... so...' he drew in a deep breath 'before we move on to other things tomorrow, we should clear the air... I would like to give you another chance to explain yourself'

'What?' her brows knit into a frown as she heard him out. Move on to other things tomorrow? Explain herself? What did he mean? She had explained everything quite clearly earlier, and expressed her regrets very politely too. Was that explanation not kind enough? Nevertheless, she ignored the grumbles of her ego and decided to apologise for her decisions again 'Jijasa... I am sorry if I've hurt your sentiments... I am sorry for the trouble this has caused you and your family... but please understand... I do not want this wedding...'

Mahendar practically winced, as every word she uttered pricked him bitterly. He had called for this meeting, expecting she would've come to her senses and take back her words - not to hear her repeat the same speech all over again! 'I'll tell you this...' wrestling with his mounting temper, he attempted to compose himself - so the situation wouldn't get any worse than it already was 'after the marriage... I will give you time, to return to normalcy... you will never be forced to do something you're not comfortable doing... that's a promise!'

'A promise?' He wasn't listening to her, was he? Instead, he was trying hard to make this wedding happen! Heera had come here, prepared to give him the benefit of doubt. But the questions that she'd set aside for the sake of diplomacy, came flooding back - forcing her to put up those guarded barriers again. 'Jijasa...'

'Harka...' Mellowing down even further, he advanced towards her.

'I am happy to wait for your sake, after the wedding... till you are ready to accept me as your husband...'

Her face was veiled. But his glimpses fell upon her fair palms and the sight of how one of her fingers were running patterns over her knuckles. Was it a sign of nervousness? If it was, it somehow gave him sadistic pleasure to see her intimidated. He wanted to seize those palms and coddle them in his clasp. But alas, he had to restrain himself from doing so 'so, tell me... are you still so sure that you do not want a wedding with someone who is being so noble towards you? Why?'

Astonished by his advances, Heera took a calculated step back 'Jijasa' she darted him a displeased glare 'but why would you want a wedding with someone who is not prepared to accept these nobles gestures from you?'

'What?' With her rebuttal being delivered so graciously, Mahendar was left wondering if it was indeed a rebuttal, or if she was toying with him 'Can't you see... I'm doing this for the people of Parnagarh... and for you...to keep YOU safe!'

'Just stay safe, Sahiba!'

Drawing in a deep breath as she dismissed the tell-tale words that'd returned to haunt her, the young lady forged ahead.

'You must remember these claims, jijasa...' Heera spoke up 'I gave my word to Durga and I will protect her sister for as long as is necessary, but not in THIS way!' she paused, waiting for him to realise that she had just repeated his own words 'This is what you'd told Chitranjan kakasa, hadn't you? You'd assured him you didn't need a wedding to protect Parnagarh, I'm curious to know what has changed in the past 10 days, jijasa?'

'W... what?' his breathing grew ragged as he struggled to come up with an answer 'Yes... I had said so then... but now that I think about it... your life is in danger... constant danger... and... what better way for us to make sure no harm comes to you than to make you the princess of Manswar...'

Her gentle eyes narrowed, as Heera read him like a hawk. In fact, she'd been reading him all along - and much to her growing horror, had watched how he masked his simmering anger by a diluted show of concern and empathy. With such effortless ease, did his voice and expressions change! The man was a stellar actor. No wonder jiji had misread him.

What's worse, he had come up with another reason to ensure this marriage went ahead - making it quite clear what he wanted from this deal. Was he always this two-faced or was the greed for Parnagarh blinding his goodness?

'You've been chosen to become the Kunwarisa of Manswar...' he pressed on, taking her ongoing silence as a good sign 'there can be no greater honour than that!'

'Forgive me for saying so jijasa... but for me, the greatest pride lies in my being the baisa of Parnagarh... no other honour can surpass that!'

'How dare you...' Mahendar snarled.

Yes, he was fed up. Fed up of putting up a show. Fed up of putting up with the two sisters - especially with this partially-blind exiled one! So, he let her see him for who he was 'Is there someone else in your mind then?'

'Someone else?' Her heart lurched into a frenzied beat saying 'Yes'

'No...' she lied and quite convincingly, in fact.

'Fine Harka Bai!' he waved his palm dismissively 'You are smart... you have it all figured out, don't you? Then, you don't need me doing your sly work for you... you can explain yourself to our families...' He flaunted a sarcastic grin as he put her up to a challenge he was confident she would back away from 'the priests are formalising the wedding tomorrow... try stopping that... try turning down the Maharana and Maharani of Manswar in a hall full of dignitaries and guests... try disobeying your kakasa kakisa... and let's see what happens!' he came near her ear, to deliver his final blow in the form of a soft whisper 'Good night... hope you sleep well...'

The prince subsequently stormed off from the chamber, leaving her stranded with nothing but her own emotions to fend for herself - leaving her in a place from which she had no escape!

'Ma Bhavani...' Heera inhaled all the air her lungs could take as soon as he left, clutching onto the nearest support so she wouldn't fall to her knees. Now that she was alone, her emotions burst their banks. She was angry at the way he was bullying her. Resentful that she could do nothing about it. Distressed about a marriage that she did not want. And felt helpless at the fact that she didn't know how to stop it.

Yet, it was not these emotions that were rattling her the hardest.

It was the betrayal. The horrendous betrayal from a man that they'd considered their 'own'. A man, to whom jiji had devotedly given herself. And to think that all of it was just a sham - that he had been faking love for the sake of Parnagarh.

'Why Ma... why?' Heera drowned in an ocean of grief, desperately holding onto the only saving grace amidst this ugliness to stay afloat - that jiji was not alive to witness this betrayal. That her sweet sister had escaped the clutches of this evil man in time.

This Kunwarsa was precisely the kind of selfish aristocrat that the sisters had wanted to save 'the wealth of Parnagarh' from - and hereafter, it lay upon Heera's lone shoulders to ensure such a thing did not happen.

But, how was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to go against a man who'd tricked his way into the hearts of her people? How was she supposed to raise her voice against him at this stage, when only a few might believe her? 'Ma Bhavani help me!'

Originally posted by: Testmytest

I want to add this Lashy,

'Watching you in pain, tears me from within... I would give the Goddess everything I have... to keep you from harm!'

'Oh Khan Sahib... ' I love you so much... but you already know that, don't you'

Both will sacrifice for each other if the situation arises, this is true love of soul mates!!

Originally posted by: Tatianabhardwaj

Originally posted by: karkuzhali

HIDING BEHIND

A

STRANGER

A Historical Romance by Lashy.

(Abridged)

PART II. The Tempest.

Chapter 2.

The Betrayal

Bansi..

Silver-tusked elephants carrying opulent howdahs. Impressive palanquins. Velvet flags. Stately horses. Trumpets and drums. Mahouts and soldiers. Cooks and maids. Musicians and dancers. The glitter of gold was dazzling, the fanfare drowning everything else in the vicinity.

There was no doubt that the razzle-dazzle of the royal procession of Manswar had left an impact on all bystanders- all except for one.

Standing by a high-rise arched jali window on the Eastern side of the palace and flanked by a bevy of delighted maids, Heera watched the blurry chaos of colours and noise -

She stood like a marble statue, adorned to perfection so that she could be presented in front of the royal women of Manswar - to be unveiled, observed and judged by their keen glances.

The finest brushstrokes of kohl outlined her doe-shaped eyes, a thin layer of tinted bees-wax glossing her lips pink. Bright red of the freshly painted alta accentuated the pearl of her skin, the ruby ornaments complementing the silks she wore.

'But I cannot do this kakasa... he was the man jiji loved... this feels wrong... it is a betrayal to jiji's memories...'

'I am not in the right frame of mind for this... please try and understand kakisa...'

'At least give me time... I beg you...'

She had tried everything she could, made every point she could make. But all her requests had fallen on deaf ears, all her efforts thwarted.

The only hope she now had, was jijasa himself. Like her, he had little interest in this wedding too - after all, he had agreed to it only because kakasa had emotionally coerced him into it. If not, he had been willing to support Paranagarh even without any such arrangement, hadn't he? So he would understand her, and as a gentleman, he would respect her wishes, wouldn't he?

'Yes, jijasa would!'

It was not long before she was led towards the large receiving chamber, and brought in the presence of the royal women of Manswar

The young lady glimpsed up, focussing on the scenes ahead, to realise that the most prominent figure of the gathering, the Maharani herself, was walking towards her.

'Khamma Ghani sa...' She offered the woman a formal Marwari salute.

A pause later, her response came 'Ghani khamma...'

A long spell of silence followed - an unnerving spell for all present - during which Heera observed the Ranisa for the first time. It was only now that she got to observe her from such close quarters. And she had to agree with all the tales she'd heard - that there could be no woman who defined the term 'authoritarian', as aptly as this Maharani did!

'The veil...' Ranisa uttered, making no attempt to ease into an informal conversation first 'surely there's no need for it, in here... I would like to see the face of my son's bride properly, please!'

The maids stepped forth at once and gently lifted up the silk by its borders, letting the cloth slide behind her hair.

'My my...' Various sounds of approval erupted amongst different sections of the crowd.

The queen, however, exhibited nothing more than a mild frown 'Not bad...'

Not bad? Heera wasn't naive, and despite the troubled state her mind was in, she could guess that the queen was more impressed by her beauty than she was letting on. Nevertheless, nothing to celebrate about - seeing how she wasn't trying to impress the Manswaris now 'Thank you Ranisa...'

Suddenly; the Maharani snapped her fingers, taking everyone by surprise 'Please leave us alone...'

So the maids dispersed, and most of the relatives too, leaving behind only a few important people in that gathering - giving the young lady the feeling that what was to come might not be pleasant.

'Your eyes... they're pretty... but they're...' the Maharani paused, not completing the rest of the sentence for the sake of civility 'I only hope the disability would not pass on something unpleasant to my son's children... to the royal heirs of our kingdom!'

'Ranisa... with your permission let me clarify' she decided to dispel the myth since it was her honour at stake here. Besides, she'd already guessed that the superstitious questions would come - only she hadn't expected them to come so soon 'I had an accident, when riding my horse as a child... that's how I lost part of my vision... it is not a disease...'

The stiff lines on the queen's temple slowly eased out. Not only was this girl more beautiful than her sister, she seemed more docile and yet wiser too. Maybe this arrangement would not be as bad as she originally feared 'Ranisa...' she addressed the hostess 'I would like to rest now... we've had a long and tiring journey... but later on... today... maybe our royal priests could sit together... and decide upon an auspicious hour to formalise the relationship between both families!'

'That would be lovely...' kaki exclaimed - after which, a drone of murmurs rose in the backdrop - murmurs that steadily culminated into a cacophony of happy cheers.

Heera managed a formal smile too, to play her part as a member of the celebratory ambience. But her mind was racing. Racing with hundreds of thoughts, worries, and questions. This was all happening too fast. She had to meet Kunwar Mahendar as early as possible, so she could let him know her views about this 'arrangement'. And it had to be done before things went too far. After all, there was just no other foreseeably quicker way to put this wedding on hold.

Next Day in the Royal gardens..

'Ouch'

Gently dropping the plush rose into the flower basket, she inspected the tip of her throbbing finger. A moist blob of red emerged, swelling in size, till it overflowed down the sides of her finger dripping down as tiny droplets of blood.

'These wounds never truly heal, Sahiba... which is why the pain never disappears completely...'

'You must be cautious around such nasty thorns...' came a genteel voice from behind 'you've wounded yourself... here... please take this...' Mahendar held out a silk kerchief for her 'is it painful?

On finally coming face-to-face with jijasa, her emotions welled up, in remembrance of jiji. However, his gentlemanly features remained a comforting ocean of calmness. Chitranjan kakasa had mentioned that he'd seemed devastated by the tragedy when they met last. So watching his profile so composed now, was a cause for some relief 'Greetings Kunwarsa...'

Greetings...' he wished her back.'I heard you wanted to meet me here...'

A short pause later, Heera nodded 'Yes... I apologise if this caused you inconvenience... and I know this is not the norm... but I wanted to talk to you about something...'

'This was no inconvenience whatsoever... but before that...' he spoke haltingly 'how have you been? We were all immensely worried when we heard nothing from you!'

'I sent you messages... letters of condolences... information... sent one of my personal messengers as well... didn't you receive anything?'

'No...' his tone turned even more sombre 'you have suffered a lot, haven't you?'

Yes she had. And she still was.

'There are mornings I wake up, still unsure if it is all just a horrible dream!'

'I'd warned her not to go... I'd offered to send my men along... if only she'd listened... then... she would be here with us... today...' the Kunwar paused, the skin on his neck tightening, as though he was choking up in sorrow.

'Kunwarsa, you've suffered no less...' Heera wiped the tear brimming at the fringes of her lashes, wondering if she must give him a little privacy so he could mourn in silence.

However, a few moments later, Mahendar had cleared his throat, and returned to relative normalcy. 'Anyhow we are just puppets in the hands of fate... have to follow what destiny decides for us!'

'Oh...' she swallowed a painful lump in her throat, watching how he'd managed to compose himself with such ease. Maybe it was because he was a man that he was so much better at holding back his grief. Maybe it was easier for men to come to terms with such tragedies.

Nevertheless, her own emotions refused to be so disciplined. The droplets of water refused to stop brimming, how many ever times she wiped them dry. Eventually, they burst their banks, forming their own soft pathways down her face. So, for the sake of decency, she averted his glances till she could regroup herself. 'I haven't stopped getting nightmares...' she gazed at the rose bush in front 'especially of the horrible hour, when I'd cradled her bleeding body in my arms...'

Briefly dragged back to the appalling final moments of her sister's life, she continued sharing her anguish over the ordeal - whilst he watched on, in silence.

In a short while though, the sounds of her words began fading away into white noise.

As he tuned out, Mahendar decided to spend his time doing something else - possibly, something more interesting. So, unbeknown to her, his gazes began venturing towards those partly-hidden features concealed behind a sheer veil. Feasting his eyes upon their freshness. She was a rare kind of beauty indeed. Probably the rarest kind. Virginal. Ethereal. Unblemished. Untouched. Purer than the unborn petals of a flower bud, for no other man had even laid eyes upon them.

He had been aware that she was stunning. However, since a part of him had been besotted by the persona of the older heiress, he had never cared to observe the younger sister. But now that he was beholding her from such close quarters, he had to agree - she possessed a unique power to entrance her observers. Remarkable! Moreover, at present, there was an alluring element about her innocence and sadness too. Almost erotic. Especially the manner in which those tears touched her cheeks, and then her lips, before sliding down her neck. If only it were his fingers in place of those tears. 'Not many days to go for that though...'

'Kunwarsa?' Heera's thoughts had screeched to an abrupt halt. She couldn't see from the corner of her eye, so she would never know for sure. But if she relied on her instincts, she would have to say that the prince had been staring at her. Probably gazing at her in ways that he mustn't.

Made uneasy by the very notion, she wiped her cheeks dry and pulled the borders of her veil across the face - deciding to give the man a gentle reminder of how she viewed the kind of 'relationship' they shared, in case he was getting carried away.

'Jijasa...' Heera said, instead of addressing him by the title 'Kunwarsa' 'did you hear what I've been trying to tell you?'

Her subtle shift in attitude did not go unnoticed.

'Yes... I did...' Mahendar nodded with authority, the white noise instantly unravelling into clearer phrases again 'Go on...'

'Then... I hope you would empathise with my sentiments, jijasa...' her manner was kind, but her stance firm 'I hope you would understand that I am not prepared to go through with this arrangement... with this marriage!'

'What?' he nearly exclaimed - her startling confession like an ugly slap on his aristocratic pride. His mind replayed her words for the second time, and then the third - lest he had inferred her words wrongly. But with every instance that he recalled her rejection I am not prepared to go through with this arrangement the blow to his ego came on harder. 'I am sorry, what...' he asked again, in disbelief 'what did you just say?'

'Jijasa... I am not ready for this marriage...' she pleaded with her eyes 'these developments must have caused you a lot of trouble and I apologise for all of it... I shall apologise to your parents for the difficulties this has caused them too...' she glimpsed down at the fingers that she was toying with 'unfortunately, all these decisions were taken in my absence... had I the slightest idea that kakasa would put forth such a proposal, I would have been able to advise him against it...'

As she voiced her thoughts, Mahendar was left grinding his teeth in silence, plagued by visions of his carefully-built plans crumbling down, piece by piece, into dust. It was happening all over again, wasn't it?

'NO!' he told himself the very next instant. He would not let it end this way. He would not give up so easily - especially not after all those painstaking efforts he'd taken so far! Forcefully shutting away the frustrating visions, he came back with a calculatedly-gentle retort 'But why do you say that you are not ready for this marriage?'

Heera lifted her eyes to study him. She could sense a subtle difference in his tone. Was it disappointment? Was it confusion? She couldn't make out yet. 'Because jijasa...' she paused 'I am not in the right frame of mind for a wedding now...'

'Don't take this the wrong way...' the Kunwar explained, feeling the growing strain of keeping up this show of decency and chivalry 'I don't want this wedding either... but I am going through with it, because I'd given your sister my word... I'd promised her that I would take care of Parnagarh, and take care of you!'

Yes. Heera could make out what it was - it was frustration! His entire speech would have sounded noble - had the tinges of annoyance not slowly crept in by the end of it. 'Why the frustration though?' the mystified young lady was forced to ponder - particularly when considering the timing of it all. Was he just stressed, or could it be something else? 'So, you're doing all this for the sake of a promise you'd given jiji?'

'Of course! Why else do you think?'

'Then you must remember that you'd given her TWO promises, jijasa! And if you remember the first, you surely wouldn't haven't forgotten the second promise... would you?'

'I'm bound forever by two precious aspects of my life that a marriage cannot change...one, Parnagarh... two and more importantly, my sister...'

'I wish that my lands and my people continue to remain under our joint charge'

'And when my sister weds, it would be to a man of her choice, much like I am following my own preferences..

* * * *

The Formal Reception Chamber..

Having received an urgent message sometime back, she was on her way to meet with the Kunwar of Manswar - a meeting that she wasn't sure what to make of.

Earlier that day, she'd been quietly confident that the prince would empathise with her wishes - he'd always come across as a selfless young man, a noble well-wisher of the family. However, after having met him in the rose garden, she wasn't so sure. She'd left the place sensing strange vibes from him, and with more questions looming in her head than ever before.

In the hours since then, those questions had given rise to all sorts of unsettling doubts about the prince of Manswar - which beyond a point, seemed so far-fetched and implausible that she had begun second-guessing her own instincts. 'What am I doing?' she asked herself thereafter, wondering if the bitter events in her life lately had turned her into a cynic 'Jiji trusted him... and loved him so much... she wouldn't have misread him! No... I must have misunderstood him... '

Thus, temporarily setting aside those convoluted thoughts, she'd set off with a clearer mind, hoping to start afresh. If nothing else, she HAD to do so in the hope that they might be able to work something out. The Kunwarsa was still the only person she could turn to, if she wanted things to go a certain way. And this evening, the young lady needed his support more than ever - seeing how she'd just learnt a short while ago, that the families were about to formalise their relationship the next morning.

On arriving at the chamber, Heera was ushered in, and she soon realised the prince wasn't alone. His two companions - the Senapati and his cousin - stood beside him, engrossed in chatter of some sort.

An awkward lull followed, with everyone waiting for someone to speak up.

Till the kunwarsa took matters into his own hands

'Please wait outside...' he suddenly announced 'I mean everyone!' he added, obviously referring to the Parnagarhis.

Heera was surprised. Even if it was a formal area, it felt odd to be left alone in a room with him. That too, past sunset. But she chose to relent for now.

Heera was surprised. Even if it was a formal area, it felt odd to be left alone in a room with him. That too, past sunset. But she chose to relent for now.

'Please wait outside' she turned to her people 'All of you, please...' she had to emphasise, when Bajrang and Daya did not move from their spots.

Once the duo were alone, Kunwarsa approached the young lady, a good bit of princely conceit sharpening his attitude 'When we met at the garden, matters got slightly out-of-hand... I put it down to shock, because everything is happening so swiftly... so...' he drew in a deep breath 'before we move on to other things tomorrow, we should clear the air... I would like to give you another chance to explain yourself'

'What?' her brows knit into a frown as she heard him out. Move on to other things tomorrow? Explain herself? What did he mean? She had explained everything quite clearly earlier, and expressed her regrets very politely too. Was that explanation not kind enough? Nevertheless, she ignored the grumbles of her ego and decided to apologise for her decisions again 'Jijasa... I am sorry if I've hurt your sentiments... I am sorry for the trouble this has caused you and your family... but please understand... I do not want this wedding...'

Mahendar practically winced, as every word she uttered pricked him bitterly. He had called for this meeting, expecting she would've come to her senses and take back her words - not to hear her repeat the same speech all over again! 'I'll tell you this...' wrestling with his mounting temper, he attempted to compose himself - so the situation wouldn't get any worse than it already was 'after the marriage... I will give you time, to return to normalcy... you will never be forced to do something you're not comfortable doing... that's a promise!'

'A promise?' He wasn't listening to her, was he? Instead, he was trying hard to make this wedding happen! Heera had come here, prepared to give him the benefit of doubt. But the questions that she'd set aside for the sake of diplomacy, came flooding back - forcing her to put up those guarded barriers again. 'Jijasa...'

'Harka...' Mellowing down even further, he advanced towards her.

'I am happy to wait for your sake, after the wedding... till you are ready to accept me as your husband...'

Her face was veiled. But his glimpses fell upon her fair palms and the sight of how one of her fingers were running patterns over her knuckles. Was it a sign of nervousness? If it was, it somehow gave him sadistic pleasure to see her intimidated. He wanted to seize those palms and coddle them in his clasp. But alas, he had to restrain himself from doing so 'so, tell me... are you still so sure that you do not want a wedding with someone who is being so noble towards you? Why?'

Astonished by his advances, Heera took a calculated step back 'Jijasa' she darted him a displeased glare 'but why would you want a wedding with someone who is not prepared to accept these nobles gestures from you?'

'What?' With her rebuttal being delivered so graciously, Mahendar was left wondering if it was indeed a rebuttal, or if she was toying with him 'Can't you see... I'm doing this for the people of Parnagarh... and for you...to keep YOU safe!'

'Just stay safe, Sahiba!'

Drawing in a deep breath as she dismissed the tell-tale words that'd returned to haunt her, the young lady forged ahead.

'You must remember these claims, jijasa...' Heera spoke up 'I gave my word to Durga and I will protect her sister for as long as is necessary, but not in THIS way!' she paused, waiting for him to realise that she had just repeated his own words 'This is what you'd told Chitranjan kakasa, hadn't you? You'd assured him you didn't need a wedding to protect Parnagarh, I'm curious to know what has changed in the past 10 days, jijasa?'

'W... what?' his breathing grew ragged as he struggled to come up with an answer 'Yes... I had said so then... but now that I think about it... your life is in danger... constant danger... and... what better way for us to make sure no harm comes to you than to make you the princess of Manswar...'

Her gentle eyes narrowed, as Heera read him like a hawk. In fact, she'd been reading him all along - and much to her growing horror, had watched how he masked his simmering anger by a diluted show of concern and empathy. With such effortless ease, did his voice and expressions change! The man was a stellar actor. No wonder jiji had misread him.

What's worse, he had come up with another reason to ensure this marriage went ahead - making it quite clear what he wanted from this deal. Was he always this two-faced or was the greed for Parnagarh blinding his goodness?

'You've been chosen to become the Kunwarisa of Manswar...' he pressed on, taking her ongoing silence as a good sign 'there can be no greater honour than that!'

'Forgive me for saying so jijasa... but for me, the greatest pride lies in my being the baisa of Parnagarh... no other honour can surpass that!'

'How dare you...' Mahendar snarled.

Yes, he was fed up. Fed up of putting up a show. Fed up of putting up with the two sisters - especially with this partially-blind exiled one! So, he let her see him for who he was 'Is there someone else in your mind then?'

'Someone else?' Her heart lurched into a frenzied beat saying 'Yes'

'No...' she lied and quite convincingly, in fact.

'Fine Harka Bai!' he waved his palm dismissively 'You are smart... you have it all figured out, don't you? Then, you don't need me doing your sly work for you... you can explain yourself to our families...' He flaunted a sarcastic grin as he put her up to a challenge he was confident she would back away from 'the priests are formalising the wedding tomorrow... try stopping that... try turning down the Maharana and Maharani of Manswar in a hall full of dignitaries and guests... try disobeying your kakasa kakisa... and let's see what happens!' he came near her ear, to deliver his final blow in the form of a soft whisper 'Good night... hope you sleep well...'

The prince subsequently stormed off from the chamber, leaving her stranded with nothing but her own emotions to fend for herself - leaving her in a place from which she had no escape!

'Ma Bhavani...' Heera inhaled all the air her lungs could take as soon as he left, clutching onto the nearest support so she wouldn't fall to her knees. Now that she was alone, her emotions burst their banks. She was angry at the way he was bullying her. Resentful that she could do nothing about it. Distressed about a marriage that she did not want. And felt helpless at the fact that she didn't know how to stop it.

Yet, it was not these emotions that were rattling her the hardest.

It was the betrayal. The horrendous betrayal from a man that they'd considered their 'own'. A man, to whom jiji had devotedly given herself. And to think that all of it was just a sham - that he had been faking love for the sake of Parnagarh.

'Why Ma... why?' Heera drowned in an ocean of grief, desperately holding onto the only saving grace amidst this ugliness to stay afloat - that jiji was not alive to witness this betrayal. That her sweet sister had escaped the clutches of this evil man in time.

This Kunwarsa was precisely the kind of selfish aristocrat that the sisters had wanted to save 'the wealth of Parnagarh' from - and hereafter, it lay upon Heera's lone shoulders to ensure such a thing did not happen.

But, how was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to go against a man who'd tricked his way into the hearts of her people? How was she supposed to raise her voice against him at this stage, when only a few might believe her? 'Ma Bhavani help me!'

[Journey continues]