Lol, updating finally, my impatient people 😆❤️ So flattered with all your comments! Makes me damn eager to finish up a chapter and post it quickly. Keep em coming!!
Also, I have used certain hindi words and terms. If someone has a doubt, let me know. I will put up a glossary below.
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CHAPTER FIVE
I once had a thousand desires, but in my one desire to know you, all else melted away.
- Rumi
"You are wet."
"I know."
"Get out of the clothes."
"Step out of the hut."
"It's raining."
"So it is."
"You will force the owner out of his own dwelling?"
"Atithi devo bhava."
"You forced your way in! You are not a guest, you are a mujrim!"
"I am not a criminal! The door was almost open! I just.. pushed it a little."
"You are a mulish wench, aren't you?"
Jodha did not deign to respond. She merely waited, glancing pointedly towards the door. The man cursed under his breath. She grinned as he banged it on the way out. There was a certain pleasure in getting under his skin. He incensed her so! It would serve him right to douse himself in the downpour again for dragging her out with him in the first place! She couldn't believe he had coerced her into agreeing to his demands that way! It had to be unlawful somewhere.
'Oh, you could haul him to the royal court. Shahenshah Moinuddin would take absolute delight in beheading you once he realizes your worth. I am certain you could confer on all matters of political interest with him on the way to the gallows.'
'Your counsel warms my heart, like always,' Jodha grouched to the persistent voice in her head, looking around for her forgotten bundle of clothes.
'Too bad it doesn't do much for your feeble mind.'
'Indeed. For a feeble mind, you are very perceptive about yourself.'
Silence.
Elated at having scored a point with her snarky self, Jodha limped towards the bundle of lehenga that had fallen on the floor. There was no sign of the dagger and sword. That man must have taken them! Jodha gritted her teeth in annoyance. She had to take her dagger from him, atleast. She felt vulnerable without it. Mercifully, he hadn't found the gun. She still had a measure of protection hidden safely.
Swiftly, she removed her sodden clothing, shivering in the cold air. She knotted the blouse and pulled on the skirt of her lehenga, thankful for its dryness. It had felt appalling having to wear the clothes of a dead wicked boy. She ought to burn those clothes the first chance she got. She wanted no reminder of the ugliness of the nature of men. Dumping them in the corner uncaringly, Jodha set to work unravelling her hair from the complicated tangle she had made of them to keep them out of sight.
A sharp knock made her start. "If you are not done till I count to five, I am coming right in and to hell with your modesty, woman! I am not going to drown myself to please you."
"Good to discern you like the taste of your own medicament," she called out, shaking her hair.
The door banged open, revealing a very drenched and a very infuriated man. He walked over to her and lifted a finger near her face. "Next time, you are changing here and I will turn my back. You can stew on whether I will keep it turned and whether I am picturing your delectable body in my mind, but I am staying right here! Do you understand?"
"Plainly," she spoke stiffly, her eyes glittering golden fire. "And you can stew on whether you will get a dagger in your back everytime you show me how odious you can be!"
He lowered the finger, laughing softly. "Which dagger, little cat? Do you mean the one that is with me?" Anticipating her next retort, he held up his hand. "And you are not getting it back."
"Oh, you..!" Jodha nearly choked on her rage, turning away and throwing her hair back violently. His high handedness made her mad enough to scream! A muffled curse made her turn around.
"You did that willfully!" he ground out, rubbing his face.
She tried to keep a straight face, but a giggle burst out. Her hair had smacked him hard when she could not. He looked at her in affront, standing in a puddle of water from his recent rain excursion. The entire sight made her burst into full fledged laughter. She clutched her stomach helplessly, her eyes swimming with tears.
"Cease," he ordered her, staring in bafflement as she swayed on her feet. His expression made it hard to stop.
She tottered dangerously on her hurt ankle, precariously maintaining her balance. His hand shot out unconsciously, gearing to catch her if she fell. Loud laughter still burst out of her in waves. She could not seem to stop. Everything was so hilarious! Her entire life was so hilarious!
"Cease, Jodha!" He was looking at her in alarm now, stepping closer. Droplets hit her bare feet from his drenched self. He was almost toe to toe with her.
"It is.. so funny! You..so funny," she gasped out, wiping the tears.
She saw him move, clutch her shoulders. He shook her gently. "Kitten, you have to stop. You are scaring me."
He? Scared of petite her? When he could crush her with his hands like clay? Oh, the vagaries of human temperament! There was no end to the mirth her Kanha was infusing her existence with!
'Be over with the laughter, harebrained,' her inner voice spoke in a tone contrary to the caustic words. Even it sounded nervous about her. She laughed harder. The shrew never had a sense of humour to begin with.
The man was begging her to stop now, his fingers digging into her shoulders painfully. His eyes were troubled, causing her chest to painfully constrict for reasons unknown. "Jodha.. Please, kitten.. Cease this madness.."
She giggled.
"ENOUGH!" he shouted, his voice booming around the hut and outside. It startled her into stillness.
He pulled her to him suddenly, throwing her off balance. She banged into him, clutching his broad shoulders involuntarily. Wetness seeped into her clothing again, countered by the heat of his body searing hers. Clapping a hand over her mouth, he gripped the back of her neck hard. His visage was terrifying, his dark gaze swimming with turbulence.
Jodha choked on her laughter, startled out of the haze she had lost herself in. His hand on her neck made her regain her control, like a cat becoming docile on being caught at the nape. The combination of dampness and heat against her body shocked her into awareness. Horrified, she stared at him, her amber eyes huge and wounded. What had happened to her?
She saw his gaze soften as reason returned in her eyes. The pressure of the hand on her mouth became tentative. "Are you well?" he asked quietly, his expression grave.
She nodded, making her lips move against his palm. Her legs were shaking. A dull ache was starting in her head.
He released her slowly. His hand fell away from her mouth, his eyes locked to hers. His fingers brushed the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. They tangled in her hair, bringing a long strand to rest over her shoulder. He glanced at it, rubbing the lock between his fingers. "So soft.."
She snatched it, turning away from him. It was too much, all that she felt. After years of living in a controlled atmosphere, freedom itself felt suffocating. Like she was snatching something not quite hers.. Like she would pay for it tenfold. Jodha stared blindly at the plain wall. She was slowly losing her mind. She could feel it building, a barrage of feelings she had never been allowed to feel. It caught her unawares at odd moments and she lost every ounce of control she possessed. It had started when she had first thought to taste freedom, to reach for it and grasp it tightly. It was like too much life flowed into her at once and she was ill equipped to cope. She had scared herself that day. She had scared herself today. She wasn't sure what it meant for her in the long run, but she knew she had to fight it. Her life had a higher purpose. Lives had been lost getting her here. For them, she would fight till her last breath.. and perhaps, beyond.
"You know what I thought when I first saw you?" The man's voice snapped her out of her melancholy thoughts. She turned and glared at him, barely able to make him out in the darkness. The rain showed no sign of letting up and it was absurdly dark for afternoon.
"That you could think?" She saw him bristle at that, feeling ludicrously pleased at nettling him again. Jodha wondered if this was a sign of her approaching madness or whether she just liked trysting with danger. Maybe there wasn't much of a difference between the two.
"I swear, woman, you do try my patience," he grumbled, running his hand through his hair in vexation. "I should just toss you out and be done with this nuisance."
It was her turn to bristle now. "I would love to see you try."
His movements stilled, his gaze turning oddly speculative. She really didn't like the gleam in his eyes. "You would?"
Warning bells went off in her head at his tone. What was she doing? Antagonizing the very person who held the key to her safety! She had been ready to grovel to stay in this hut. And here she was - sniping every chance she got and challenging him to throw her out. It must be another symptom of mental illness.
'Or you are just naturally gifted at foolishness,' the aggravating voice sniggered. She ignored it.
Swallowing her annoyance, Jodha smiled winningly at her immediate antagonist. "Of course I won't. I am merely tired and saying things I don't mean. I have prepared a meal for you. Why don't you dry yourself and eat?"
He could not have looked more shocked had she suddenly sprouted wings and flown around the room. He stared at her flabbergasted. "Are you trying to kill me with sweetness now?"
She kept the smile plastered on her face. "Why would you say so? I merely wish to make you comfortable."
An odd twinkle lit up his eyes at her choice of words. He smirked, his brows lifting in pure challenge. "I will be very comfortable having a willing wench in my arms tonight."
Her breath caught in her throat. She stepped back, flushing warmly under his scrutiny. Immediately annoyed with herself for giving him the satisfaction, she informed him reprovingly, "Sire, you do take a lot of liberties."
He chuckled at that, his eyes crinkling in a sinfully delicious way. "I am not a Sire', kitten. I am merely an officer of the forest. We don't need to stand on ceremony."
Jodha felt unduly surprised, finding herself unable to reconcile his bearing to that of a common van adhikari. His very stance radiated a noble lineage. His speech was cultured and modulated. A keen intelligence shone in his eyes. She had put him to be a mansabdar at the very least. Could she be so wrong in her assessment?
In Rajputana, forest officers were men from the villages hired at a measly wage. The forests weren't as dense as those found in parts of Agra, and the coffers of the Kings weren't as full as those of the Empire. Employing substandard labour for the wilderness to save coin was the norm there. Maybe the Shahenshah wasn't as remiss in his duties as her father..
"This hut is for the forest officer then? The rations are all yours?" she inquired in disbelief. Did he have such a monstrous appetite then or did he not plan to venture out of the forest for months?
"It is for the use of the Shahenshah's men. Many travel through the area on official business. It is safer than taking the roads," he informed her curtly, rubbing a finger over his lips thoughtfully. She willed herself not to look there, keeping her eyes trained on his. "And yes, this dwelling is for the forest afsar."
He was watching her face carefully. Too carefully, she thought. She brought her hands in front of her, clasping them together nervously. "Err, if it isn't too much trouble, would it be acceptable then.. if I stay here for a couple of days? It is raining, and this is a forest. I have travelled far. I can cook, clean and even pay -"
He shot her an amused look, halting her monologue. "In the course of a few hours, you have become a hissy kitten, a proud lioness, a laughing hyena and now, a coy maiden. I think I will keep you here just to see what you amuse me as next."
"A venomous snake? I am sure you would find that highly amusing," she retorted, forgetting her resolution to act demure. The man was enough to try the patience of a saint!
His mirth vanished, a glacial expression replacing the merriment. A sense of foreboding replaced her earlier annoyance. "You might as well be, wench. You certainly keep the company of the deadliest snakes around."
Jodha wondered how a man could seem so approachable one moment and so terrifying the next. She had hoped for more time to compose her answers. She had hoped he would have forgotten, dismissed her as a harmless damsel. She had hoped she had gained his tolerance, if not his empathy for her predicament.
Fat chance.
"Get off that leg, woman. You will answer my questions, and I will not be made to feel sorry for your injury."
A bell tolled somewhere in her mind, fueled by her headache.
Her reprieve was over.
To be continued..
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