Well, the weather had taken a turn for the better and it was not as unbearable as it was earlier. In fact, Mother Nature had apparently started feeling a bit merciful towards them, whistling the occasional gust of early evening wind their side. And then, there was the medication that'd taken effect too, probably making it all less unpleasant than it actually was.
Besides, she owed some of this growing sense-of-ease to Bahadur. Being the smart horse that it was, it'd possibly perceived her inexperience - for, it was trotting very gently indeed. Not to mention, its master was keeping pace alongside, on foot, with its reins in hand.
Anyhow, the ride so far had turned out pleasant-enough - more manageable than she'd expected it would be.
She'd climbed on horses a number of times in the past. However, on this occasion, it was a struggle - even WITH a step-stool. The fact that her eyesight was compromised and that Bahadur was slightly taller did not help. But most importantly, Heera blamed fate. Because 'fate' had this cruel way of playing games with her, whenever he was around watching. Which meant, she almost knew disaster was going to strike in one form or the other.
And that was exactly what happened!
As she tried scaling the saddle, she came sliding down once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Till the owner of the horse eventually decided to take matters into his own hands.
Approaching her spot he stood right at her back, enclosing her frame from behind, like a rigid wall, so she wouldn't slip again. And then, with his left arm stretched out, he held the stirrups firmly in place, so she'd have more support to make the climb.
Beyond that, neither did he guide her physically. Nor did he say a word.
After half an Hour..
'Where are we going?' Her glimpses fell upon the silhouettes of the barns and stables that they'd just left behind, as they took a detour 'Where is he taking me? And when are we going to arrive at this place?'
Heera had noticed what looked like a neat store room behind the stables, constructed of the same material and style. However, on closer examination - especially of what resembled a solid locked door at its entrance - she had to wonder if it was not all it seemed.
Wasn't the building almost too well-built if its purpose was merely to store a few bales of hay? In fact, did this kind of well-concealed well-secured building serve any real purpose in a stable yard?
'What if...' it soon dawned upon her 'what if THAT's a den? A haunt? What if...'
She debated on it for a bit, but it didn't take her long to be convinced, since there was nothing to disprove the theory. 'It's a hideout'
Well, he obviously needed an obscure place to carry out his darker activities, far from the bustle of the haveli grounds. And this building was pretty isolated.
'No wonder...' sighed Heera 'that no one's noticed anything unusual!'
It wasn't meant only for business or to keep the miners away like Khan Sahib had let her believe for the past 2 weeks. That the 'Ustaad' could be using it too, to serve other purposes - darker purposes - for confidential meetings, to stash intelligent secrets and maybe to plot murders against the Shehzaade's enemies too!
It wasn't that she was unaware of what the 'Ustaad' did for a living. And a spy obviously had to lead his double life somewhere.
Still, when the realisation came, it was upsetting.
The next half an hour...
'Where is this? We're trekking towards the valleys lying at the North East?' her wary eyes sneaked a half-glance of the back of his head, before reverting to the emerging vista in front 'But, what is he planning to show me there?'
Having sipped on the nth sip of water from the water bag, Heera closed its lid and put it down, clearing her throat as she did so - watching if the movements would get him to turn around. And thus maybe say something. Anything!
But of course, all she got in return was silence. 'As expected'
And for how much longer was he planning to continue this way? How could he maintain this relentless pace? In such heat? With no breaks?
The grandeur and style in his walk could fool anyone into thinking he was a man spoilt with riches. But this man was the product of a tough life, wasn't he? He had to be, if he could keep up this rigorous exercise without so much as breaking into a sweat. 'Hmmm...' she mulled, sneaking in another glance his way. No wonder his physique came across as something that reminded her of the famed iron shields from folklores and fables - almost too resilient to be true.
Then again, how did he manage to stay so fit? When did he find the time to exercise?
'Oh Heera...' she resorted to the trusted company of the water bag once more. Her thoughts were wandering aimlessly astray again.
Another half an hour later...
This was it! She was going to speak up - even if it meant caving in. Even if it meant conceding defeat in this unannounced muted battle of egos that appeared to be going on between them.
'May I ask, Khan Sahib...' she cleared her throat, louder than before 'how much further is this place... that you're taking me to?'
If the young lady had seen his face right then, she would've watched the corner of his mouth twitch into a repressed smile.
Two hours! For a curious young lady like herself, it must have taken a tremendous amount of willpower to keep that question bottled in for two hours!
Turning aside ever-so-lightly, Akbar helped himself to a quick peek of her expressions, before carrying ahead as he had been for so long. 'Tired?'
'Tired?' What else would she be? Sitting in a heavy silk skirt on a trotting horse for two hours. Riding in muggy heat with a dulled-down headache. Passing through sceneries she could hardly see. And with nothing but a hundred questions to keep her occupied. She was bored AND tired!
'No... not really...' she played it down 'but I needed a rough idea of when I might get back home... so I could plan the rest of my day...'
And the repressed smile returned to curve the corner of his mouth again. 'But Sahiba... I was under the impression that you were prepared to do this till nightfall!'
'Oh...' Using her claims against her, was he? She'd anticipated it though.
'But, I'm not convinced this trek is going to take us THAT long... definitely not till nightfall'
His pace slackened, bringing Bahadur to a slow halt too. 'Why do you say that?'
'Because Khan Sahib... I'm travelling with a man, who loves to be surrounded by his work - morning, noon and night!' Heera gradually raised an eyebrow with a mark of confidence 'Such a man... staying away from his businesses? His offices? His men? His stables? For half a day? Merely to show me something?' she paused 'I don't quite see that happening!'
Akbar looked down at the grass. And then stared straight ahead at the green horizon. He had to hand it to her - she'd judged him well, hadn't she? He did try to think of a comeback in his defence. But what could he say when her predictions were spot on?
'We are almost there...'
'Almost there?' God! That was certainly welcome news two hours later!
Though amused by the tinges of relief in her voice, he said nothing.
Once they'd arrived at the intended spot, Akbar tugged on the collar, guiding Bahadur towards a flat rock nearby.
With the reins securely restrained in his palm, he stepped in front of the horse. 'Hold very still...' he candidly bore into its eyes, before adding with a frown 'whatever happens'
A moment later, Bahadur responded with a lazy snort as if to say 'I know... I know!'
'There's a rock there, Sahiba... if you need to...' Akbar walked around to see if she needed a hand.
But by the time he'd done so, she was already standing on the slab, straightening the shrivelled folds of her skirt. 'I'm fine... thank you...' she nodded, noting how the young man had worriedly come forth to check on her 'climbing was the tough part...' she quipped under her breath 'apparently, I am quite the expert at sliding down though!'
'Quite the expert at sliding down though' Akbar was so tempted to break out into a grin at her charming sense of humour. But, he decided against it, since he would indirectly be laughing at her handicap too and that would not be very kind.
Rather, he got on with what it was he wanted to show her.
After spreading a bag of nuts on the rock, for the horse to munch on, he guided the Sahiba towards a flat strip of land. 'Have you been here before, Sahiba?'
'Here?' She turned and looked up, shielding her forehead from the sun as her eyes tried to make sense of the surroundings in all the three facing directions.
'The villages...' She could soon make out the shapes of houses and fields in the valleys down below, to the right, despite the fact that it was mostly blurry patches of varying greens and browns. The slopes directly above where they stood, would eventually lead to the stables and haveli. And to the left lay the woods.
'Yes... I've been here... in the past... with jiji... once or twice' she shrugged 'never really had the need to visit these parts...'
Nevertheless, the question still lingered - why had he brought her here?
Taking his spot beside her, Akbar stood silent for a while, drinking-in the same vista that she was. 'Begum Sahiba... there is a problem affecting those villages down there... a problem, in my opinion, that poses a greater threat than the miners did...'
'Water...' They both muttered in unison.
'Now... I admit...' he grimly crossed his wrists behind him 'the problem has worsened since my men have brought in their families and settled down here... and...' he signalled at the hilltop facing them 'I also agree that the stables require an immense deal of water everyday... it's been a strain on you and your people... an inconvenience to me and my business...'
The young lady said nothing in response. She wanted to see where this was going to go.
'And I must say... it's very magnanimous of you to have dealt with the villagers' complaints and problems so subtly... never blaming my business or my men for the scarcity...' he heaved a deep breath 'thank you...'
'That's alright...'
Had there been a mirror in front, Heera would've noticed an emerging twinkle in her eye. And no, not only because of the complements or the unexpected 'thank you' from him - though that was nice to hear too.
But because she'd guessed the man had a plan to solve the 'water' issue. And going by his previous track records it ought to be a plan that would work admirably well!
'What do you have in mind, Khan Sahib?'
'Building a canal similar to the one at Aidabad...' Akbar glimpsed sideways to gauge if she'd bought into the idea 'it will help us all, don't you think?'
'A canal? Here?'
It was an idea that'd struck her too - when she'd come across the canal at Aidabad. But she'd always assumed it wouldn't be feasible here because of the sloping landscape. However, if such a canal could indeed be built, there would be nothing like it! 'Ma Bhavani!' What a welcome development it'd be! And how many lives it'd change!
While her mind was busy dealing with the overwhelming possibilities, her fingers were busy dealing with a couple of stray curls as the early-evening breeze picked up pace. And then, against the agitated backdrop of those unruly locks swirling over her cheeks, a slow smile finally emerged through, a reflection of calmness 'Do you really think it would be possible, Khan Sahib?' she smiled again, blissfully unaware of what an enthralling sight that made for her beholder 'I... I mean... the landscape here is vastly different from Aidabad...'
He tore his gazes away from the allure of her features 'If I have my estimation right, it should be possible... not now... not immediately...' he shook his head 'the whole work would take several months... but it should help avoid any such problems in future...'
'Khan Sahib... that would come as a blessing for the people!' her voice rang rich with tinges of sweet disbelief 'Please do explain more...'
So he did.
Akbar began talking her through the details, demonstrating his ideas by pointing at the sloping trails and specific areas through which the canal could be dug - till his glances fell upon her. Her eyelids were squeezed into a painfully-forced frown - more forced than anything he'd ever seen on her brows. The Sahiba was exerting her vision considerably, in order to see what he had to show.
'Your eyes...' he brought the demonstrations to an abrupt halt 'they...'
'Y... yes...' she sighed 'it's one of the bad days today...'
'Is there some other way we can do this? Where you wouldn't have to strain your eyes so much?'
Heera could already sense from his tone that he would NOT continue otherwise. And she really did not want to leave this discussion hanging midway at such an interesting juncture. 'There are sticks lying about, right?'
'Plenty...'
'Can you use them to draw your blueprint on the ground, Khan Sahib? I can read the drawing... the map... with my fingers too... I'll be able to understand your ideas without straining my eyes...'
'Alright...' his stares briefly gleamed with fascination 'come along then...'
Sometime later...
It was like nothing he'd ever witnessed before - ten dainty fingers running over every ridge, pattern, circle and line drawn on the Earth, a pair of soft lips simultaneously moving in silence. She was busy mulling to herself - using her intuition, her knowledge of the area and his words to understand his big plans for the town - while he sat by, watching her, waiting for her to finish.
No doubt, the strenuous day might've taken a small toll on her attire - the once-pristine silk veil had forsaken its original position atop her head and slithered down to her shoulders, parts of her orange skirt had turned muddy from kneeling on the ground, and the loose bun that was hanging to one side had almost come undone.
But the twinkle in her eye was still glimmering bright , reflecting her absolute delight at these developments.
And it was this spectacle that reminded him why he was irrevocably attracted to this partially-blind young lady from the very day his dark eyes had set sight on her.
'I understand now...' she dusted her palms 'and I can see it working'
Heera did not tell him outright that she was 'impressed'. But she did not take great pains to hide the fact either. Rather, drawing her knees close together, she gingerly wrapped her hands around her legs, assuming a more comfortable pose. 'Such grand plans indeed, Khan Sahib... but I do have a doubt... this grand plan could've been explained back at the room too, on a sheet of paper... why the two hour trek?'
'That wouldn't have had the same impact, Begum Sahiba'
With only a pleasant nod in response, Heera continued gazing down at her lap.
Just as she'd thought!
A typical discussion, over a mere sketch, on a sheet of paper, inside a mundane room? How could that possibly equal sitting here, envisioning the long canal that would one day flow through - using three valleys as the backdrop, twigs for a paint-brush, damp earth for a drawing board and nature's own greens and browns for dashes of colour?
'But how did this idea strike you? Was it when you'd come riding here? You seem to be quite familiar with this area...'
'Yes... I rode by here once...' Akbar slowly exhaled, as he decided to make a confession on the spur of the moment, not quite sure of how she was would react to it 'I like riding out... at night... alone... to unwind'
'Oh...'
Riding out? At night? Alone? To unwind? As a pastime?
Hunting at night was a common game amongst men, but THIS was new. What pleasure could he possibly derive, from riding alone at night? 'Thrill?'
She let her mind paint a portrait to get a better idea - galloping through a sea of darkness with cool breeze lapping against skin, while avoiding dangerous pits and hurdles. And all of this with nothing but the sounds of rhythmic hooves, cracking twigs and nightly howls for company. How exotic!
It was a kind of pastime she could never afford to indulge in, but it was something she would love to hear more about. And since it had to be experienced to be truly understood, she decided to ask the adventurer himself.
'How does it feel, Khan Sahib...' she asked softly 'to ride alone at night?'
Akbar glimpsed up, mildly taken aback.
His mates knew he went riding at night, but no one had ever asked him this question. Not even Chacha jaan. Maybe because they assumed it was too personal to him? Which is why he definitely hadn't expected HER to come up with such a question.
Then again, he'd never expected she would enjoy a banter with Samarth Singh, or let go of the unpleasantness from earlier to welcome his ideas with an open mind either.
He couldn't tell if the Sahiba's heart had begun thawing, but he could tell that she was interested in knowing this side to him. And he loved it - despite the fact that he was never too comfortable talking about himself.
'Riding alone at night...' he mulled upon a suitable answer to give 'most would call it lonely... dangerous... frightening... but, I would call it peaceful... and calming... I started doing it years ago... and I haven't stopped since'
There was a long dip in his voice - a mellow dip. And it told her that he'd probably entered a world of his own. In fact, his entire profile was a picture of poignancy right then. She could make out that he was fiddling with his fingers, as he sat on the ground with his right knee up, elbows resting casually on his legs.
Never before had she seen such a poignant side to this otherwise restrained young man. And somehow, it was beginning to tug at more than a few strings of her heart. 'Khan Sahib...'
'I prefer the solitude...' he looked up mid-sentence only to catch her observing him with an unbroken stare.
There was a pause.
He forgot what he was meant to be saying.
She forgot what she was meant to be asking.
Till he handled the awkwardness by coming up with something 'You seem quite intrigued by the pastime... why Begum Sahiba? Have you ever wondered about trying it out yourself?'
'What!' she gasped, jolted from the reverie 'Me? Riding at night? When I can barely manage on a horse at daytime?'
The very notion was amusing, when a couple of hours ago, even climbing onto Bahadur had been such a struggle. She wouldn't dare to imagine how much worse her antics on a horse would be at night!
'I can envision myself holding on to Bahadur for life... my eyes petrified...' a playful snigger escaped her lips 'why, even YOU would have your hands full, working out how to handle it all, Khan Sahib! And...' her eyes widened in alarm 'those anxious lone travellers... travelling at night... imagine their faces if they chanced upon the two of us while passing by...'
Her vivid mind wasted no time conjuring up their expressions in her mind's eye.
The end result was that the entire scenario wasn't merely funny anymore - it was hilarious!
'Oh no...' she could feel it coming on once more - the uncontrollable laughter. And every instance she tried to bring it under control, the images of her petrified face, of the Sahib's frustrated frowns and of the travellers' shocked expressions sent her into a bout of giggles worse than the one before.
God! Not again! What must he think of her? This was so unladylike. And this was quite unlike her too.
It was the opium.
It HAD to be the opium.
She bit the insides of her lips harder than ever before, hoping the pain would get her to stop giggling 'I should have just stayed in my chamber and rested... at least, I wouldn't be making such a fool of myself in front of him now...'
Akbar had been watching her, wearing a light frown throughout. Was she truly enjoying his company to this extent? Or was it something else? Whatever it was, he didn't want her biting her lips to bring the wild fit to an end for the sake of propriety. Firstly, there could be no one more ladylike than the one sitting beside him. After all, she was the rare kind of woman capable of laughing at her own shortcomings. What could be nobler, more ladylike than that?
Besides, there was another reason he wished this would not end.
Because another side to him had just surfaced - a not-so-gentlemanly side that he didn't know existed within. The young man was deriving secret pleasure from the fact that he was lone audience to the Sahiba's unusual antics, where she had chosen to let her hair down today - both, symbolically and literally. Whether she was unaware of it, or whether she didn't care, the limp knot had finally come loose, letting her tresses flow freely, outlining her curves. And they stopped right by her waist, dangling demurely, as if toying with his sense of self-control.
A deep pang of desire to hold her was born in his chest just then. A desire that intensified further. And further. Till the young man was forced to look aside for a moment, away from the bewitching physical sights and sounds of her free-spirited form.
'Lord...' He quietly drew in a sharp draught of air, to temper the urges.
But his heart was being unruly today, his body unrulier, pushing for more. 'Darn this...'
'Khan Sahib...' she called out to the silent man, her voice unwittingly assuming a sultry manner as she jested with him 'I admit... I am better than you at quite a few things... but... but horse riding? At night? I'd be wise not to try it... day... or night! I'll leave that one for you!'
Another awkward pause followed.
She recognised she'd gotten carried away.
He recognised he'd gotten carried away.
'I... I think...' Suddenly noting that the back of her throat had parched from all that laughter, she patted her hand on the ground beside her, searching for the water bag 'I think we must get going Khan Sahib...'
A faint spasm had made an ugly return to her forehead, reminding her that the effects of the medication would soon wear off. Better they got home before the spasms spiralled into another debilitating headache. 'Ah... there...'
She picked up the leather bag, but it felt light. She opened its nozzle to take a sip. It was empty. So, she closed the lid back on. 'Shall we make a move?'
'Yes...' the young man sighed, the timbre of his voice deep 'we must get going... but...' his glimpses hovered over to the shiny strap on the left of his cummerbund 'you don't have to remain thirsty along the way...'
Unfastening his hip flask, he twirled open the lid with a thumb before leaning across to hand it over to her 'Go on... have some...'
Heera briefly glanced at the outline of the bottle. Then, at the face of its owner. And back at the bottle.
'Thank you...' she accepted the offer hesitantly.
It was a style of bottle she'd never used before. So, she brought the flask close, sliding her palm over the top edge to familiarise herself with its shape. 'Here it is...' her fingers stopped at the rounded spout.
'No! NO Sahiba...' his loud shouts rang aloud the very next moment 'stop...'
But it was a moment too late - for her head was already angled back, the flask tilted all the way over to her face.
Only, she'd mistaken the handle-loop for the spout.
Water went rushing into her nose instead of her mouth, and down through the wrong tract. The next instant, Heera was in sheer agony. She wasn't actually drowning, but it felt almost as bad, as her airways gasped and choked for air. Worse, with every gasp, the pool of water spluttered up from her nose into places that it mustn't, burning the linings of her nostrils like acid. For a few beats, she couldn't hear, think or speak anything while salty tears sprouted up behind her eyelids, squeezing their way through her eyes. They were tears from the acute discomfort, and a tear or two from self-pity too. What a fool she'd been - a blind fool who couldn't make out a spout from a handle loop!
'Sahiba...' having immediately rushed to her side, his palms reached for her arms and grabbed them hard, to keep her upright. 'Sahiba...' he called out to her as she continued choking 'Can you hear me? Are you alright?'
[Journey Continues..]
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