CHAPTER 10:
The screeching heat of the dessert sun was directly coming through the broken part of the roof ruining the idle morning of the young emperor. Slowly he got up and sat up resting his back against the wall of the cottage. Idly his eyes moved around the little scope of this hut, while his mind was yet to get out of the spell of the last night. The last night seemed as impossible as a dream... only a pitcher containing fresh water near his hand, a clay-pot beside that covered with a clay plate containing two rotis, the set of a new outfit kept beside, and the new bandage on the wound of his feet are the evidence that last night was real!
THE LAST NIGHT IN THE HUT...
She did not move her glare from his face even for a moment while serving him the foods she brought for him. Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk... sharp, cautious and deep... as if she was trying to read his every secret from his eyes. His eyes also did not move a little bit; in the dim light of the candle and the moonlight coming from the roof he observed her enigmatic eyes from close. Her eyes are like wild doe... perfectly drawn with one stroke of the brush of some renowned artist... pupils are crystal hazel, framed in long, black lashes, the colour of liquid gold amber... With the flame of the candle light the eyes were glowing too just like a gemstone radiates light in front of flame! He gazed and gazed, while his gaze could not hide its mesmerisation.
After some moment she talked. "You must be hungry. Have some food first." She pointed to the plate of food beside. The sight of food suddenly charmed up the suppressed hunger from inside and he remembered he has been hungry from the morning itself! "I really have no words to thank you." He smiled decently.
The lady was still staring at him... as if she is observing his each and every gesture. He got cautious. He should not commit even silliest of the silly mistakes to create even a bit of doubt in her mind. Folding the hands of his attire, he put a piece of bread in his mouth keeping in mind that he is now a commoner- a Hindu young hungry man. The food was too much simple, only thick breads made of bajra and chilly pickle, but it seemed the most delicious food of the world in this hungry moment!
"So far I remember, you were carrying a sword with you." Suddenly the lady spoke out. "And also you had a horse with you... a horse of a high pedigree, of a very good quality..." And then she triggered a question to him. "Where are your sword and your horse?"
"My horse has been stolen." He answered without shaking his voice a bit. "And my sword was on the back of the horse."
"You lost such a great horse?" She exclaimed with surprise. "How?"
"On the way may be... perhaps when I was searching for some food and water nearby leaving that alone!" He stated very casually. "I didn't know that the thieves of Amer are so much active, otherwise I would have been much cautious."
"Your horse was stolen when you were searching for food and drink?" She picked up one brow with doubt. "Okay, I believed. Then? What did you do after that?"
He concentrated in the pickle for a second to arrange his story in his mind. Then with a very normal voice he started to present his story... "Actually I had not much money with me. The little money that I was carrying had gone along with the horse and I got stuck here. So I..." He paused for a moment to breath and simultaneously rearranged the story again... "I took the work of part-time labourer in a merchant's caravan coming towards the fort, with the hope that I will get the daily meal at least! I entered inside the fort with the caravan only..."
"Why did you leave the merchant's caravan?" Another question was readily triggered to him. But he was ready for the next attack. "I lost them in the pandemonium when the fire broke out in market place yesterday night."
"So this is how you got found in this abandoned temple?" She commented folding her knees to her chest. Pulling her veil that had uncovered her face while talking, she smiled delicately. "The story sounds good and believable too but... a bit hasty and hurried."
"I told what happened to me. Whether you believe it or not it's up to you. I am grateful to you for what you did for me, but..." Even his casual style of talking could not hide the inborn authority in the voice. "It's not necessary that you will believe what I say."
The lady smiled. She was keenly observing the lines of expression playing on his face. In the soft innocence of a just-youth in face, an uncanny shade of experience and authority has got mingled perfectly. His outfit and normal gestures are totally mismatched with the bright and shining eyes, showing off the fact that he can never be like 5 other common people of the world. With the extraordinarily bright and glowing eyes, which has a spell of creating an aura around him, the young man also has a rigid and sharp chin built with magisterial firmness, the voice worth of captivating the whole attention and respect of the person to whom he is talking. "It's not necessary for me to believe you young man, but it's necessary for you to make me believe!" She uttered.
He smiled and told nothing. She again asked- "Why did you come to Amer?"
"To check whether I would get a better workplace here or not!" He answered.
"You were heading towards Amer, but you had no identity proof with you?" She picked up her brows. "Or that too had got stolen with your horse? Or may be," she cast her glance directly inside his pupils. "Your plan itself was to trespass into the fort from first, and the story of horse-stealing, job in caravan is made up after that?"
The eyeballs of the man shook for a moment in the dim light of the hut it seemed, but after that when he spoke out his voice was full of amusement. "Are you interrogating me, lady?"
"I have full right to do that, young man!" She said in a mild but profound tone. "Don't forget that you are in our territory, under our supervision!"
He stared at her in a strange yet magnetic glare without saying anything. Looking directly at his eyes at last she concluded. "You are a trespasser which is a criminal offence as per the rules of Amer. So, don't take it so easily. "
"I am surprised Lady!" He smirked now. "As per my offence, and the rules of Amer suggests, I was to be interrogated by some stout, uniformed, heartless soldiers in the jail of Amer by now instead of a charming lady feeding me and tending my wounds!" His glare became intense- "Why such a favour on me, a poor vagabond?"
"Because our princess wants it!" her answer was ready in her lips.
"Strange!" He exclaimed.
"Stranger things happen every day young man." She waved the topic. "Now I expect you to tell me the truth!"
"I will." He exclaimed. "What do you want to know about me?"
"Who are you?" The beautiful woman asked in a same monotone.
"What do you want to hear?" He smiled. "I had introduced myself the first day we met."
"I want a proper introduction. Not rounded answers like I am a human being or warriors have no introduction other than warrior!" She smiled back.
"Chandrajeet Rathore!" He pronounced. "I am a warrior and a hired soldier as well. I fight for any team who hires me. I have no aim, no destination... I float along with time and stop in the bank where the flow of time takes me. I have really no identity apart from being a warrior!"
"From where are you? Your birthplace?" She asked.
Silence stuck the darkness of the hut for a moment. Then smilingly he uttered- "Umarkot."
"Chandrajeet Rathore, a Hindu Rajput warrior by birth?" She asked to confirm.
"Do you have any doubt?" He smiled broadly.
In response she smirked with a deep meaning inside. "You talk in core Rajasthani dialect, same as mine. But..." her voice had touched with a serious amusement. "Your accent is not exactly perfect as a traditional Rathore. Your rural dialect and accent has a mild and gentle touch of sophistication; the same style they use to have in pure Urdu or Farshi. And more than that," she smiled. "In excitement you use Urdu words. The first day we met at lake, you referred me as Aurat'... an Urdu word!"
She has a great sense of observation! He could not help to appreciate her in mind. In face he was looking very cool, least bothered with her analysis. "My childhood has been spent floating from one place to another surrounded by Mughal warriors, lady, I got a very little time to make friends of my own clan. And now too I live near the capital of Mughals. This might have affected my pronunciation somehow."
She kept silent for a moment. There is not a single trace of lie in his youthful face. "Your childhood spent with Mughals?" She asked.
"Yes." He told. "My father used to work as a foot-soldier under Emperor Humayun's army that time. And we used to live in the slums of army camp allocated for the families of the frontal force. That time Emperor Humayun had no throne, and the battles had become a part of Hindustan's daily life, so all my childhood my father has spent fighting in battlefield."
"Your father used to work for the Mughal Emperor?" She asked surprisingly.
"You must be knowing that the king of Umarkot helped Humayun Shah badly in his miserable days; the king sent a troop of infantry to Shah Humayun's help in which my father used to belong. I was very small that time, I have lived in Umarkot for a very little time till the day my father permanently got posted."
"Father used to work in Mughal force, and now son is fetching work in Amer? Isn't it sounding fishy?" She sharpened her eyes.
"My father died when I was merely 12-13, almost unaware to the politics of the real world; so I got no scope to secure my place at my father's position after his demise. My father was a mere soldier of infantry, so it was very expected that none will care to offer his son a permanent job in the army in his father's place to secure his livelihood!" He concluded. "Being a warrior by birth, I could not give up my passion-my sword. So whenever I hear there is any need of soldiers in any army, I set off with my sword. If I come back alive, they give me money and I get the expense of pulling my family and household!"
"You fight against death only for money and not for any principle?"
"I fight to fulfil the basic principle of a human being." He smiled. "...to live! Now the vast Mughal army has no need of me, but I need earning... so..." he cleverly put a point. "Got to know Mughal army is very close to Amer now; and also the neighbours are not acting much friendly to her. So thought that, the troop of Amer may need an efficient swordfighter, Rajput by birth... so set off towards your land! And you were asking for identity proof? Tell me, what identity would I give to the guards of border? Would they ever permit me to enter into the fort if I told them that my paternal home is in Delhi?"
She still did not move her eyes from his eyes. Her eyes did not come out of the shadow of scepticism fully yet. How much truth is this young man telling? What is the way of verify his statements? Meanwhile he asked something to her.
"Is the interrogation complete? Or the next session of the interrogation will be held inside the prison of Amer?" There was a mild sting of taunt in his decent throwing of words which made her smile.
"If you were to be sent in prison at last, would our princess ever take the risk to keep you here? Here none is going to find you, and even if he does, he cannot implicate you with the charge of trespassing."
"That's what I want to know!" He murmured. "Why such a favour on me, that too by the princess of the state? What if I turn up to be an enemy spy?"
"Our princess does not make mistake when it comes to judge a man. Her instinct says that you can be anything but a spy." She commented kind of proudly. "And don't think yourself free here; you are captivated under her eyes, and you will not be able to escape until you get her permission!"
"Understood! Your princess is truly genius it seems!" He said in a dreamy voice. "But you? What is your relation with all these? What is your relation with the princess of Amer?"
The lady smiled mysteriously with this question. Then she answered- "I work for the princess."
"An attendant of the princess? Only? That's can't be the whole truth!" he uttered dreamily.
"There are many places where the princess cannot appear herself due to the royal restrictions. I go there on her behalf..." She smiled with the same mystery in eyes.
He looked confused with her words. Keeping those aside he said- "I told you almost everything about me, now I expect you to give me your introduction too, lady... We are communicating for such a long time but I don't know anything about you other than your name!"
"I am Purnima. Purnima Bai, a daughter of the sand of this dessert of Rajputana." She smiled. "I have no identity other than this."
"Now who is giving rounded answer?" He chuckled and his white teeth shone from the frame of lips. His hearty smile creates another enchanting aura around him, different from the previous one. With the blend of this charm of smile and magnet of majestic personality, he redefines enigma himself! She stared at his eyes hiding the mesmerisation as much as she could, and he blinked. "O valiant woman, only this introduction cannot define you."
She giggled like a happy swan, and it seemed a rain of pearls suddenly showered from her smile. "It's hard to define me with some mere stock of words Chandrajeet Rathore, so don't try to find my definition!"
He stared at her with fascination for some more time while she looked around the whole hut with careful eyes. The moonlight had directly fallen on her head from the hole of the roof- Purnima, a perfect name for her!
"It's too late. I should leave now." After some time Purnima told. His meal was finished long ago, and he was to quench his thirst from the water she brought. "I have brought this pitcher for you. Water is the most precious thing in our land and you will not get fresh water to drink nearby. Hope you will manage your whole day with this much water. I will come tomorrow again." She informed. "And here is two more bread and pickle for tomorrow. I know it's hard to spend a whole day only with two roti, but you have to manage with this only. Well you can fetch some dry fruits from outside though if you feel better tomorrow, but be cautious that none gets to see you... Here are some clothes, as your dress has almost torn and burnt in some places and..." she smiled before she got to leave the hut. "See you tomorrow, at the same time..."
"Say me one thing..." he asked with the same fascination in eyes, "Don't you fear?"
"Fear?" She laughed. "Fear of what? Of darkness, of animals or human being? Darkness does not fear me... darkness is the mirror of the subconscious mind, why would I fear from my own? Real humans won't attack me unless they loses their humanity and becomes an animal, and for animals I have this..." she showed the sharp weapon hanging in her waist.
"I know you are capable of handling animals and humans..." he smiled. "But won't you fear of society?"
"I don't bother about the society who does not respect me. Sometimes the call of heart is much greater than the bounds of society." She told in a firm voice.
"So there is no existence of fear in your heart? You are fearless in true sense!" He muttered. She cast an instance glance at his face. "A human can never exist without fear young man; of course I fear... I fear from lie, from ungratefulness, from faithlessness! It's impossible to fix the wound when the trust is broken, I am afraid of that wound, that vacancy of trust!"
He gazed on through the door of the hut still she got mingled in the moonlight outside...
While pouring water on his mouth from the container, he had lost himself in the thoughts of the last night. Purnima... full moon night... the river of moonlight... pure, charming and mesmerizing as well... her eyes, her smiles, her voice, her attitude... everything is touched with such an intoxicating enigma... as if she is a riddle to be unsolved forever, and that increases the spontaneous addiction of losing own in her thoughts... How someone can be as perfect just as her name!
But for a short time only he got the scope to be lost in dream. A very low sound from outside broke his silence and his attention readily concentrated on that sound. Very mild it is, too low to be heard by normal person. But the sound is coming closer... undoubtedly they are the sound of footsteps, sloth and reluctant... Somebody is coming...
Jalal's chin became rigid while his hand spontaneously went to the knife of waistband... the only weapon of his in this enemy land.
"Purnima Bitiyaaa..."
"Ayiii Daadi..."
Moving away the twigs of hair that had fallen on forehead, Purnima, alias Jodha hurried to make the medicated paste. The works of the newly made rescue camp is going on swiftly. Most of the people have been accommodated in this temporary camp; they are given food and useful medicines to heal their wounds. The fright and shock of the sudden disaster has gone away along with time, now these poor men are trying to get back in their normal life with the support of the kind-hearted princess of Amer. Of course this has been possible only due to the hard-work and dedication of the bunch of volunteers working hard to bring back their smile again, and obviously the main credit goes to the head of those volunteers, whose divine beauty, hearty smile and skill of winning peoples heart has changed the environment of the camp in such a little time. Purnima Bai, the head volunteer has become someone's Purnima Bitiya', someone's Purnima Behen' and Purnima Jiji' for all the kids of the camp in between this few moments. If only they could know that the Princess of Amer, whom they almost worship as Goddess and this bubbly next-door girl Purnima are the same persons!
"Send this paste to Leela and tell her to apply this one to the severely wounded people... has the grains arrived which had been ordered from the central market?" She asked a maid standing beside while handing her the bowl of paste. She nodded her head. "Good. You and Padma take care of cookery, I am coming." Waving her hand to the maid to order her to leave, she turned to Daadi', the old woman surrounded by a lot of grandchildren who was calling her. "Say Daadi." She asked with a charming smile. "Are you feeling comfortable now?"
"I am alright dear, but this Dhanno is hungry from yesterday and also has not got the Petha and laddu you distributed just now." The old woman showed a little girl of merely 5 years old with pale and shy face. "She is ashamed to ask you for food so I..."
"What Dhanno, you are feeling shy in front of your Jiji?" Jodha took the little thin and weightless girl in her arms. "You did not get your share of Petha, so you should tell me na? Wait, give me a minute. Radhaaa..." she called out one volunteer. "Give this little girl laddu and some petha please..." Then she turned to daadi, smiling. "The grocery has reached Daadi, we will prepare food for all very soon. None will be hungry." She patted the cheek of Dhanno who was smiling delightfully getting the sweets in hand.
"Kunwari Jodha is Goddess!" The old woman closed her eyes in gratitude. "May God bless her to be the empress of the whole world!" Her whole-hearted wish made Jodha chuckle in amusement, though she did not notice. "Cooking has been started? So should I go to help you all?"She proposed with enthusiasm.
"No no Daadi, there's a lot of people to handle the kitchen." Jodha said. "Better you stay here and manage these kids." She smiled.
"Okay." The woman nodded and again got engaged with the stories... "Then he entered inside the burning hut. The flame of the raged fire had grabbed the whole place, and the black evil smoke covered the whole sky, sucking all the air to breath. But even the devastating fire could not stop his pace; he entered into my hut, came beside the beam behind which I was hiding to save myself from fire, and stretched his right hand to me... in a bold and awful voice, as if the deity of fire, he told- come out... I will save you!'"
Jodha's speed reduced itself, as she stood steel to hear the story from the old woman's mouth... In her deepest of heart she could imagine him- the glowing face shining in the brightness of fire, the resplendent eyes sparking with flame, those strong, muscular arms wet in sweat, the flame of fire around him- framing his physique with a candescent, gleaming frame... his confident gestures, the unmatchable spell of awe that he creates around him, which shines more brightly than the fire... and the magnetic gravity in voice, compels to bow down in respect... deity of moon or the deity of fire... who is he?
"I also saw him Daadi," a boy of merely 6-7 years informed enthusiastically. "I was stuck inside the hut. The door had caught fire. Suddenly he appeared like a wizard and took me out of there covering me in his arms!" He got excited while describing. "Who was he Daadi?"
"He saved us too..." some children shouted in chorus. Basically there are a lot of family in this camp whose at least one member had been saved from fire by the mysterious man!
"God had sent him to save us!" The woman joined her hands in respect. Her voice drowned in love and devotion. "When I asked him who is he... whether he is an angel or Lord Rama himself, he said that-" she lost in the memory of that destructive night. "He said- Think that I am your son...' and then he took me in his arms and jumped through the fire... the hunger of fire burnt his skin, the poisonous breath was chocking him too, a inflaming beam fell on his feet suddenly... but he did not tremble a bit, he did not let the fire to give a scratch on my body... he is..." she again looked at the sky- "He was really lord Rama! He saved us and then got vanished like a divine spirit!"
The gathering continued chattering regarding the youth- the saviour of their lives and Jodha kept on staring at them with lost glare... The saviour of so many lives, the divine spirit as they believe him to be, how can be someone from enemy land?
The memories of last night haunted her.
He had a very common and believable story... but the first thing that strikes is this is the most common story any man would tell after getting caught in such situation. Then his introduction as a hired sword-man working temporarily in any team- believable as there use to have a part of this type of soldiers in every troop; but again, raises doubt- she has no way to validate those information. His accent was clear, but with a very light touch of Mughal accent... the contaminated accent of an emigrant as he demanded- possible! His usage of Urdu word sometime is also possible according to the story of his background that he told. What he told about him is very much possible and common, too much simple to verify... and that's raise the doubt only... Can a personality like him be such a common person without any uniqueness?
She remembered his eyes, his smile, his decent yet dominating way of talking... no he can never be a spy or conspirator. Who saves the life of strangers risking his own life can be anything but a spy!
Chandrajeet! What a perfect name for him. Chandra... the deity of moon... Purnima and Chandrajeet... Full moon night and the winner of the Moon...
"Kunwari Saa..." Moti whispered into her ears as she was lost in thoughts. She got back into sense. "Were you telling me something?"
"Yes. Come outside..." Moti pulled her hand.
The sacks are being kept on the ground one by one. A skinny man with big moustache is counting the sacks. Both of them came to him. The man looked at them.
"These are the all rations for this month Baisa..." He informed. "Now give me the payment."
Looking at the sacks Jodha sighed too! She looked at Moti. "Give him his payment."
"It's almost impossible to accommodate so much people's food with this much of grains Purnima..." Moti told.
"I would order some more grains next week." Jodha told the man.
"This is exiting our budget Kunwari Sa." Moti murmured in her ears after giving him the money. "What should we do Kunwari Sa?"
"I have to plan the budget again! The need is much than I assumed!" Jodha sighed huge. "I have not much of amount in hand... and Bapusa did not take any responsibility from authority so we have no right to use royal treasury! What to do!"
A team of royal labourer were already in work to clean the debris of market place. Jodha sighed looking at them. If the authority of Amer would be a bit more responsible in healing the wound of these poor dwellers instead of cleaning the heap of woods and bricks!
"I will solve this!" Jodha told at last looking at the preparation of cooking taking place at one corner of the camp. At least something is better than nothing! Moti touched her shoulder, and they were about to move back, just then...
Three-four carts went through the frontal path and stopped in front of their nose. "The grains for the rescue camp..." The driver of the frontal cart declared. They surprisingly watched the royal servants to come down and emptying the back of the carts. One after another sacks of important ingredients- from grains, vegetables to the important medical herbs got piled one on another.
"Who sent all these??" Moti Bai shouted in excitement.
"They have come from royal stock?" Jodha popped her eyes looking at the stamp on the sacks. "Who made this impossible work possible?"
"There is only a man in this Amer who can change impossible into possible Buasa..." A husky tone from a teenager voice rang behind Jodha's ears. "But alas! You do not take your this nephew in account while going in a mission!"
A great black horse had stood just behind them!
NEXT CHAPTER LINK:
">HERE
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Cricket
Bigg Boss 19
911