Chapter: 9
The night came. Spreading her dark stroll over the wailing of the homeless slum dwellers, wrapping the streets of the fort with her inky darkness, she at last overpowered the affluent light of prosperity of the royal palace. The sleep came in the ride of darkness, touched its magic-wand on everyone's head. The darkness never differentiates between rich and poor, wealthy and homeless, happy faces and wailing cry... it wiped out the differences between the burnt slums and the well-secured mansions by merging those inside the cover of sleep, and hence the peace returned. The hungry children of the slums, who were crying from morning and their mother beating them for hiding the frustration of not putting a single grain of food in their mouth, had got tired and slept; their mothers had slept also wrapping them in the lap to protect them under the open sky; and the adult men were still trying to gather their necessary belongings from the pile of ashes in the moonlight, with the hope of putting some foods in their family's mouth next morning, as the news of the medical camp has spread to them. The old peoples were sitting around a fire mum, thinking about their fortune; and also blessing the princess from the deepest of heart. The locality of wealthy people was peacefully sleeping with content... The royal palace, which was glowing like a luminous belt of galaxy in the night sky, had also been touched by the magic-wand of night; all the dwellers of the palace were sleeping peacefully in their room, except one. Light was still coming out from the window of the elder princess's room... our princess Jodha was preparing to set for her usual adventures in night!
"I have arranged the foods and medicines. Also have taken the set of cloth as you ordered..." Moti Bai slowly entered the room with measured. "But at least tell me why do you need these? Kunwari Saaa!"
"What?" Jodha turned her face back from dressing table and looked at Moti with smile. "You are screaming as if you have seen any ghost?"
Indeed! She was stunned and spellbound as well to see Jodha... as if she has seen any supernatural thing! Why won't she! Her mistress, friend, who is the owner of heavenly beauty, is looking supernaturally elegant and beautiful tonight! Elegant and extremely gorgeous in the simple rural lehenga-choli- combination of red and black colour with traditional print of Rajputana on the cheap quality cloth, unbelievably classy in the crudely finished silver ornaments used by the tribes and core-rural villagers... her tight braid under the veil has crafted an enigmatic aura which could imprison a man's heart inside it's every twists, and her eyes, those deep swirls of greenish brown that had coloured her pupils, the coat of deep kohl around those long ebony eyelashes had become more smoky and intoxicating, as piercing as a deadly arrow to preach a man's heart directly... Moti's heart shook in an uncanny fear. Where is she going in midnight disguising in this look!
"Kunwari Sa you..." she gulped. "You in... this dress..."
"Why, am I looking that bad in common dress?" she cast a naughty smile while wearing glass-bangles. The red glass bangles in her fair arms were shining more than golden bracelets do. She smiled in a normal glee of maiden looking at her arms. Moti was impatient.
"But... why this much make-over... where will you go?"
"Abhisaar!" [Secret meeting!] She whispered and winked. "Can't I go to meet my love in dark? Like you?" She started humming in her beautiful melodious voice... "Bahu manorathe sanjhu abhisaare pahelu suneel vesh; Kajala nayane salaje bayane, kusume sajanu kesh... Sakhi hum, Mohana abhisaare jau... bolo hum etata sukha kaha pau?..."
"What?" Though in the eyes of Moti her dressings were worth to go for meeting with sweetheart, still she could not believe. "Kunwari Saa..."
"What?" Jodha patted her back. "Moti Bai, it seems that you are prepared? So let's go?"
"Kunwari saa!" Moti pouted in anger.
"Aree" she started laughing. "I am following you only my friend, and will come back with you... don't worry! It's just... " She placed the bindi in right place. "Just a disguise... a different disguise..."
"I mean you are not in a man's disguise..."
"Because... because today... I am in the disguise of woman... disguise of woman... " She uttered, her lips had touched with a mysterious smile. "Mysterious man, how will you react seeing me in this disguise?"
"Man? Which man?" Moti Bai got excited! "Don't say me that you are planning to go to that temple-man..."
"Moti Bai..." the giggling princess touched her cheeks. "Save some of your excitement for Vijay Singh too. He is waiting for you."
"I know you will not follow me Kunwari Sa!" Moti was worried for her whimsical friend. "Promise me that you will not indulge yourself in danger!"
Jodha smiled tenderly. "Danger is my passion Moti." She whispered. "But I promise you, I will come back in palace with you much much before the dawn!"
"But Kunwari saa!" Moti desperately tried the last chance. "What are you doing is not... not right! You are still a spinster Kunwari saa, rumours take no time to spread..."
"Moti!" Jodha uttered in a deeper voice, this time with a touch of seriousness, expressing that she will not like this discussion to be continued. Moti stopped at once, only her dissatisfaction held in her slight frown. Jodha noticed that, and touched her cheek. "Healing a wounded man is not a sin Moti. He is the guest of our soil, and I am the daughter of this land. I have given him shelter, I have to ensure his comfort also. " She paused to breath. "Rumours are only to spread Moti; but they can never show me what is right and what sin is. I have own sense of judging right and wrong; and I have my heart to stop me when I will conduct any kind of sin! Now let's move. Otherwise we will get late."
Two young girls stepped outside the palace from the secret door and started walking through the lazy street with the moonlight as their guide. Jodha's steps were firm and confident as well, but her eyes were shaking in the pulse of dilemma. Moti's words were ringing in her eyes... "What you are doing is not right!"... She stopped walking suddenly. If her father's and her clan's pride have to pay due to her impulsive act, then? For once she thought to go back in palace, to ignore her heart's call and flow in the tide of society for betterment... But she felt simultaneously that she cannot! Because her heart has heard a call... a call from her destiny; her destiny is calling her, is pulling her towards the broken hut beside the feeble temple...
The gentle breeze, the soothing atmosphere, the cold water, the moonlight... the heaven itself had come down beside the artificial lake near the fort-gate. Two young man and woman were sitting on the bank, silent, content, drowning in each other. The stroll that Vijay bought from the fair that day had covered Moti Bai's hairs and shoulders, her lips covered with a shy smile, cheeks in reddish blush; Vijay Singh's eyes were full of keen eagerness, hangover of overflowing love... With a shy dilemma Vijay at last got the courage to touch Moti's palm. She readily took the hand back and placed it on her lap, her eyes lowered in pure blush of a spinster. Vijay picked up her chin keenly; she still was too shy to meet his eyes.
"Are you still angry with me?" The young lover asked. In answer she nodded her head to and fro, smiled sweetly. "Then why not are you looking at me?" he questioned.
Moti looked up, glanced at his eyes, whispering "When are you going to take me forever with you? I cannot live without you anymore."
Vijay Singh's heart was contented in an uncanny pride and glee. Still he managed to keep his voice as it was, murmuring "Until I make a palace for my queen of heart!"
"Your heart is my palace, not a pile of bricks and iron rods!" Moti herself touched his hand. "Bring me to your clay hut; I will make that little hut paradise for both of us... Don't you believe me this much?"
"Moti!" Vijay uttered in overflowing emotion, could not say more. Moti Bai is not only the chief attendant and friend of the princess, but also the orphan kid of one of the most important army officer of Amer. The wealthy officers send their daughters to serve and accompany the princess to raise their status and teach them royal etiquette, and for that reason Moti has been brought up with Jodha Bai from a very young age. Moti's father died in a battle when she was merely 7 years old, her mother had left before, and from that day Moti is unofficially adopted by the queen of Amer, being the shadow of the elder princess she herself is not less in any aspect. Vijay Singh is not even worth of her little finger in status, he had never ever dreamt to get Moti Bai, still it happened... He is the most fortunate man of the world to get Moti's heart preserved for him forever!
"What are you thinking?" she smiled with amusement this time.
"I fear a lot Moti... if I cannot make you happy!" Vijay looked at her eyes. "I fear to drag you in uncertainty from your secured shelter!" he sighed. "I have nothing to give you!"
"And I don't want anything... until I have you..."
"But if I... I leave you forever?" Vijay's lips quivered. "I am a mere soldier... my life is also uncertain... If I die..." he could not complete as Moti's hand involuntarily had touched his lips...
"You are showing the threat of death to a Rajputani, Vijay Singh?" she laughed. "We send our loves to embrace death by handing the blessed sword in their hand... And we know to accompany our love with smile in lips when they set off for ultimate journey in the ride of pyre! Don't try to frighten me. Who loves, cannot fear!"
They kept on staring at their eyes for a long time, with all the love they had, then Vijay Singh came back into real world...
"It's too late Moti, we should go now. If someone catches us together..."
"But where is Kunwari Sa?" Moti Bai looked around worriedly. "She told me that she will come soon! Is she in danger?"
"Where has she gone?" Vijay asked in tensed voice.
"I don't know but..." Moti paused. "I doubt... she has really gone to meet that man whom we found in temple!"
"What???" Vijay almost screamed. "Why? I should go..."
"No...no please!" Moti clutched his hand. "I know she will return in time. I have faith on her strength and decision!"
"I... I am to protect her!" Vijay stated in confusion.
"I know. But let's wait for some more time..." Moti suggested.
"She is doing too much! Why the hell she went to meet that stranger?" Vijay uttered angrily.
"I don't know... But I think she has something in her mind" Moti told, and perhaps after reading his thought, which perhaps was thinking to report the incident officially, she took his hand in her hand. "I request you! Please never even utter anything about this incident in front of anyone! Don't give any scope to dishonour our Kunwari Sa! If anyone knows about this, it will be a huge insult for her!"
"But if she gets into danger?" Vijay asked helplessly. Moti stared only, could not answer. Vijay got up. "Okay, I will keep an eye on him secretly! I will never let anyone to harm our princess!"
Moti blinked with gratitude in her eyes...
The cold, soothing zephyr mingled with the warmth of pale moonlight, along with tiredness and hunger of whole day... he had got a sound and peaceful sleep in the hard bed on the floor of cottage in an enemy land- much peaceful than his usual sleeps inside his grand restroom or royal tent. The breeze had swept all his pain and weary with its gentle touch...
But, perhaps his peaceful sleep was short-lived. His doze got a break suddenly, with the same inflaming sensation in his wounded feet... this time melded with gentle care of touch of two soft hands that nullifies the pain, gives heart-full comfort, and the feel of eternal peace. But alas, his suspicious and alarmed heart hardly accepts anything without verifying. He opened eyes cautiously, tried to figure out who is sitting near his feet in the pale moonlight coming from the broken roof... It was only a shadow, a silhouette of a tall and rigid frame with right proportion of softness in it, a woman in veil! His hand automatically groped the knife beside his head, his eyes did not move from the shadow... A woman... a young woman with tender touch... he lost, for only a moment. Then, faster than thunderbolt, furious than meteor, his rigid and stout physique sprung up from the posture with the blade of the knife touching the artery of throat and the other hand spontaneously clasping her closer with hands. "Don't move, if you want to be alive!" He whispered in a cold voice. "Who are you?"
A shocked response from the veiled woman at first, then a melodious sound of giggle broke the soft silence of night. "You have a great style of say thanks to her who tends you, valiant warrior!" She uttered, and eventually his grip loosened. The lady removed the veil from her face, took the lamp that was burning dimly aside in her hand... the hazel eyes sparked in the swirl of the dim flame of the lamp, the smile shined like moon. He looked at her pupils through the flame of light... the same eyes that had mesmerized him with the spark of valour, has come to him with the offering of care and affection tonight! He was lost...lost again...
"I thought that you would remember me, warrior." She smiled mysteriously. He was still numb, perhaps was unable to connect the jots. But the knife was still on her throat, as it was... "I told you who I am; now free me!" she had an authoritative tone in her voice...
"I still don't know who you are." He smirked.
"Kya farq parta hay!" [What will be the difference?] She smiled.
"Perhaps it makes difference..." he carefully landed his knife down, keeping it in his hand, smiled. "That night you were a bolt of sword, a spark of fire... tonight you are as soothing as pure water in your new disguise! I need to know the soul under this disguise." His voice was too low to hear. "I hate mystery, lady!"
I too hate mystery, mysterious man. So I have to explore you! Her heart whispered as she smiled to hear him. She cast her glance in his face, "But you yourself had told that you want me to be stranger? That you don't want to dim the warmth of enigma with formal exchange of names?"
"I take back my word; perhaps it's not possible now!" He sniggered. "Because it's my destiny who wants me to know you... Who are you?"
"Names can't be greater than the entity of a human." she said. "So they are least important in introduction. But since you have to address me with some name," she looked out of the broken roof; casually cast her glare to the river of moonlight outside. "Then suppose, my name is Purnima!"
"Purnima!" he repeated in mesmerised voice, his eyes staring at her eyes with strange fascination. He remembered their first meeting beside the lake, in the witness of moon and the canopy of stars; the hangover of moonlight, the passion of swords, the blazing eyes flashing in the dark... His gaze deepened, the moonlight falling on her face has given an uncanny glow in her intoxicating beauty... uncanny and divine! As if she is a fairy of moon-land... Purnima- full moon night!
"And so, may I know your name warrior? How should I address you?" She asked.
"Chandra..." He muttered like a spellbound... What else could he think of now?
"Chandra!" She repeated. The moon! She recaptured the feelings in heart that she had felt first after seeing him... The sharp features, the sculptured body on a firm frame like a marble statue... as if the God of Moon himself has come down in the earth...
"Yes Chandra. Chandrajeet!" He smiled with courtesy... and for a single moment Jalaluddin Mohammad, the emperor of the vast Hindustan, who dreams to have the whole world under his territory, lost his whole entity in the new name, the new identity...
Why can't the time stop by now?
Song courtesy: 'sakhi hum' from movie Memories In March...😳
NEXT CHAPTER'S LINK:
Chapter 10-->
Edited by Shinning_Stuti - 8 years ago
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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