HBAS Chat corner - Page 119

Originally posted by: karkuzhali

Part III The Floods

Chapter 26.

Ustaad's Four Rules ..

>>>

Four rules... I love the way you've worded it!

'Ready to talk yet?'

And all the truth that was spilled! Gosh!

'Wh... who... are you? Wh... why are you doing this to me? Who do you work for?'

'Well...' the young man continued to flaunt his tryst with the blade 'By any chance... have you ever heard of the Ustaad?'

'The Ustaad... you work for him? For that beast? For that monster?'

😆 😎

The Ustaad glanced up at his silently-amused group - just long enough to reveal a humour in his glances that was darker than the colour of his pupils.

😉

'Yes...' he jested

'You work for that monstrous mentor who bathes in the blood of children and women? A man who doesn't sleep at night, unless his armies have crushed many innocent Hindu lives merely to fulfill his Huzoor's dreams?'

'My... my...' the Ustaad added an impassive shrug for greater effect 'you seem to know an awful lot about him'

😆

'What have you done to my son? Let me go to him... the Gods will never forgive you... WHY... WHY are you doing this? WHY?'

'Because a thousand lives depend on it!' The Ustaad let slip an apparently detached sigh 'Because our Sahib wants to keep tabs on all that Khalil has been up to'

And now it's those thousand lives hanging at the edges of their seats wondering what'd happen!

The Haveli's gardens..

Awww

A smile ruffled its way through the gathering. Followed by a bout of loud cheers. And claps too.

However, outshining the gleam of those loud celebrations on this pleasant evening was the quiet sunny smile of the baisa of Parnagarh. An unsurpassable smile. A mother's smile.

I remember how many brows this gave rise to, then!😆

A truly proud and pain-free Mohan banna, for the first time since his amputation.

>>>👍🏼 And this is what's helped Khan Sahib now too

'Salaam...' Akbar then went on to offer his Begum a long Taslim, the length of his palm concealing a looming smile as he did so. 'Salaam Begum Sahiba...'

'Salaam Khan Sahib... welcome back.'

'Would you care to ride with me?'

'Wh... what?'

There was stark silence.

But all Heera did was smile a fond smile in response. 'When?'

😉

'Now?'

'To where?'

'To the woods and back?'

❤️

'I apologise for the silly behaviour of my maids back there... honestly speaking, they adore you'

'I know they do'

'I like it, Khan Sahib, you know... when you smile'

'I know'

❤️

Snuggling onto him again, she tightened her grip around the thick of his arms that were tethered around her on both sides like bolsters - a posture that he hadn't once changed since the ride had started.

❤️

He made being grey seem quite easy. For her gentler heart, it was anything but!

❤️

'Like the rest of the businessmen and merchants who were vying for Parnagarh's iron ores, Kunwar Mahendar wanted it too... and hatched a plan to woo your sister to be able to gain authority over the lands... when the Farmaan became public knowledge, Kunwar Mahendar tried asking Durga Sahiba to hand it to him. But it didn't work. And when he heard that our Huzoor sent Khalil out to seize it forcefully, he became fretful that his efforts would go to waste. So, he decided to send a message... to Khalil... suggesting a friendship of convenience that would supposedly benefit them both. They met at the borders of Gujarat. The Kunwar handed over the Haveli's floorplans and security as promised. But Khalil didn't keep up his end of the bargain and...'

'allegedly, Kunwar Mahendar was guilty about what happened to your sister. But not guilty enough to stop him from chasing his goals...which is why he jumped at the opportunity to wed you, when your Kakasa suggested the proposal'

'So, after humiliating me... after trampling all over my sister's raped and discarded body...' she whimpered 'he went back to meet Khalil, did he?'

'I suspect he wanted to find out my true identity. And he is desperately trying to bring me down... as revenge for keeping you, Parnagarh AND an easy path to power, away from him'

'Will this ever stop, Khan Sahib?' Heera slumped forth, her face buried, her body shaking vulnerably in his embrace like a child orphaned all over again, bawling louder than she'd bawled at the sight of her sister's death. 'Will we ever live worry-free?'

'Ai Khuda... give her strength'

Awww 😭