Chapter 10:Rejuvenation
My eyes blinked open when I felt someone shaking me. The bright morning light hit my eyes when I strained to see the person calling me. I expected it to be Madhu; but awareness and tension rode on my nerves when I saw Bittu's troubled face instead.
I jumped up on my feet, my muscles were drowsy. "What the hell are you doing here?" My voice was still groggy from sleep. I looked around and what I had expected was neatly nourished to me, "Where's she?" I demanded as I reached for my sword. To my utmost fear, it was not there.
"Listen to me first." Bittu held up both his hands in front of him, as if he was afraid I would break his face with one punch. Well, I certainly can.
He continued, "Father sent us here."
"Whose father?"
Bittu grunted, "The Church's. He wants to have a talk with you."
My head was not yet clear properly, "I asked...where is Madhu?"
"Would you listen?" He was frustrated, "Father wants to have a talk with you. He is considering the matter. The law will be altered. Mukund and I came here with two more guards and when we reached here, we saw she was shivering with high fever. We immediately sent her with Mukund for treatment. Just two seconds before did she leave. Now you have to come with me."
I chuckled, "You think I'm gonna buy that, Sir?"
"You cannot buy that, kid." He said matter-of-factly, "It's the truth. So you must accept it."
I thought for one second. I couldn't remember Madhu ever told me that she could even cure diseases.
I looked at Bittu. He had the wound that I had given him on the previous day. It turned out to be a mere scar with the skin swollen around. He had another guard with him.
I nodded just for show, "Okay. Give back my sword. And then we can go."
He frowned, "I don't have it."
I sighed, "I believe you and will go with you. Isn't that enough? Now give me back my weapon, it's none of your property."
"But I can't give what I haven't."
Before I could ask myself to control I was already grabbing the little man by the collar. There was shock and then madness in his eyes.
I said through clenched teeth, "You either listen to me or get your quirky little ass broken!"
The other warrior grabbed my shoulder and peeled me off Bittu, "He is not lying." He said in a calm voice, "It wasn't here when we came. Maybe Mukund took it away with him."
I glared at him, "What on earth would he do with it?"
The warrior fluttered his hand in the air, "That's not our business. We came here to take you lovebirds." I did not miss the sarcasm on the last word. He held my arm, "Let's go."
I walked out of the shed with them. There was not really any other option. I could run, yeah. But where would I go running? Alright, I would have gone to the Church by myself. And was that not the place these two men were taking me to?
I exaggeratedly freed my hand from the light grip of the warrior and turned to untie my horse.
"We already have a carriage." Bittu suggested.
I laughed, amused, "I'm not a king." Before completely taking the piece of leather out of the grill I gave one overly polite look at them, "And do you think it's really human to leave a speechless animal to die here alone?" I turned away again and retraced the loops Madhu had given before she had tied the knot, said, "I cannot afford that." When the harness was out I turned to face them again and patted the animal, a sly smile tugged at my lips, "He really helped me a lot. Us, rather."
Bittu feigned a smile while the other one pretended that he had paid no heed. That made my smile broaden, "Let's go, Sir."
I and the other warrior mounted on our respective horses while Bittu climbed into the carriage. I knocked on the window and he glanced, startled.
I said, "I would really feel obliged if you first take me to Madhu. And then to wherever you're intending to kill me."
Bittu shook his head ruefully, probably at the last line, "We are going to the Church. Madhu is getting nursed at the nursing home beside it."
"That's cool, then. But I don't know how to ride slowly."
"You won't need to."
We crossed the place where I did the drama yesterday. Thinking about it all over again, I felt irritated. When was this all going to end?
If I believed Bittu, then the end was fortunately near. But the fact was I did not trust these people a bit. I worried about her. And wished there was someone here whom I could trust.
As we reached and entered Shelter Forest, my thoughts interrupted when the warrior on the horse suddenly speeded up and overtook me. He wanted to stay ahead and he trotted just in front of me. I did not let the feeling of the bad omen show on my face but when I turned behind, I saw the carriage driver was driving ridiculously. He was making his horse tread so close to mine that the tail and the head of the two respective animals almost touched.
I looked to the front again and inhaled deeply. This was a usual trick the warriors used when they had to deceive an enemy to some place. When they are riding, they walk in such a manner that the enemy neither can run away ahead nor have the needed space to turn behind or sideways. And if the enemy by chance realizes and stops lightly so that the front guard moves a bit ahead leaving him the space in front, the guard at the back says some kind of a codeword and the front guard too, stops. Leaving the enemy sandwiched still.
"Can you move faster?" I called out to the warrior in front of me. Just a trial. A check out.
He stopped so abruptly that my horse almost collided with his. Just behind me, the carriage stopped too.
"What-" I was cut off when the warrior in front of me turned his torso and aimed his drawn sword at my throat.
He looked me in the eye, "Get. Down."
"You know you're gonna pay for that." I hissed before I dismounted and found Bittu was already standing beside my horse, smiling with self-pride.
He said, "You thought you would deceive me and get away with that? Never. People like you who do not respect the Church and its laws do not have a right to live."
I smiled when the warrior walked to me on his feet, weapon still aimed, "I knew you would turn out to be an ego-feeder. Again."
He raised an eyebrow, "But shouldn't you listen? I told you the truth almost. Mukund and his guard took Madhu to the Church. No, she doesn't have any fever. I told him that we would follow. Father had asked us to hurry. And as soon as they stepped into their carriage, well...you know the rest. But one thing was really touching; she was so damn stubborn to leave without you. " He wrinkled his nose as if in regret.
I glared at him, "You are still lying. Where is Madhu?"
Bittu shook his head ruefully, "A dying man mustn't be lied to. And you're going to die an illegal death." He stepped towards me, "Tell me, kid. What act was there in your drama that made Father change his mind? I mean, it's amazing. Magical. That how a deadly stunt of a blindly-in-love young warrior changed the law-abiding Father's mind! Today morning when he announced that he found logic' in your words and wanted you two to know that, I was dumbfounded! Like...seriously! But I knew men like you shouldn't live. From what I have heard from him," He pointed with his chin to the warrior still holding me with his sword tip, "You had said that you were no more a warrior now. But a wizard. And a wizard knows excellent magic to mislead. And thus, like a witch, he must die too. His soul too, locked up with the witch's in Hell." He smiled mockingly.
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, right. So, basically you want to kill me""
"And show it was an accident." He added.
"...okay...because your ego is throbbing behind that wound on your forehead, you have decided to hide your own faults. Great."
His face turned to a scowl, "We would say you were trying to run. And when we tried to stop you, you, like a psycho, wanted to harm us with your sword and while defending ourselves that same sword by your own hand harmed you. Badly."
"Jeez. I can script a way better story than that." I said.
"Really? By the way, your weapon is under the seat inside the carriage. And, what story would you script?"
"I would say the truth, actually. They wanted to kill me. While defending myself, I cut one's left arm," I patted on Bittu's left shoulder and then turned my vicious gaze down at the warrior's feet before climbing it up to his face, "And crushed the other's right foot."
There was sudden silence, before Bittu ordered, "Kill him."
As soon as the warrior pulled back his hand to gain momentum for the attack, in one quick move I ducked down his arm and grabbed his wrist. Baffled by my sudden action, he tried to wriggle free of my grip when I felt a hard stab on my nape and backed away, leaving the warrior's hand.
Bittu had drawn out his own weapon. No sooner did I turn around reflexively to see the source of the attack than I was caught off-guard, grabbed by my shoulders and pinned to the ground. The warrior had a good hold on my arms. Bittu's vindictive face hovered above me as he raised his arm to pull the final slash.
In a viciously sweet voice, he said, "Say goodbye."
My eyes flashed over his shoulder and what I saw curved a wary smile on my lips. Borrowing his tone, I replied, "Goodbye, Sir."
As soon as Madhu's hand swiftly made the movement, Bittu let out a loud scream that hurt my ears. The warrior holding me, taken aback, gasped and jumped to his feet. With my free arms, I pushed my attempted-killer away as he toppled to the ground, desperately trying to touch the newly begotten wound on his back.
When I was on my feet, two guards caught Bittu and pulled him up by the arms.
Mukund's voice came from nowhere, "Take that away!" Another two caught the other warrior.
Before I could react, Madhu was already hanging around my neck, tightly.
I saw she had used Mukund's dagger to stop Bittu, who was now being thrown into a legally marked carriage with his helper and driven to the church.
"How the hell did you get here?" I asked the two of them, Madhu was still in my arms.
Mukund stepped forward, he was beaming, "When we reached the forest, Madhu told me that she had read our minds when she saw us approaching""
"For safety reasons." Madhu mumbled into my shoulder. I smiled and touched her hair.
Mukund continued, "Err...yeah. And she had heard that Bittu was intending to kill you during your journey. In the forest. I did not believe her at first."
Madhu shifted uncomfortably in my arms, "Your friend is very stupid."
I laughed, "Did you ever doubt that?"
"Whatever." Mukund interrupted, "So we hid and waited on her constant shouting and urging. And we have the other warriors also as witnesses. We caught them red-handed."
I said with sudden frustration, "What about Father?"
"Oh well, well, well! That's really well! Your stunt and act yesterday did wonders!"
With a heavy sigh, I let out all the tension into the misty air of the forest.
Mukund went on, "Now come on you two! We gotta go!"
I gently pushed back Madhu to look deep into her eyes, "Yes, let's finish this as soon as possible."
Mukund groaned unnecessarily, "Oh, man! You have not eaten anything since yesterday! Don't know how you are standing. Can't imagine myself in your position. Look at yourself in the mirror! Let's go now, please! You guys have enough time for romance!"
I stole a short glance at Mukund before turning my gaze back to her tired eyes.
I said, "It's now or never."
Mukund grunted and turned his back to us when I crushed my lips against Madhu's, melting myself into her, feeling the kiss for the first time without any tension. Just darkly sweet love.
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