Guest quarters... Aidabad
'All the guests?'
'Most of them have eaten...'
'And... what about y...' the man paused. Colossal surges of pain were swallowing up portions of his sentences, forcing him to cough out the words with great difficulty 'y... you, baisa... have you ea...ten?'
'Yes...' she nodded, her morose glimpses hesitantly studying the small silver bottle of drops sitting in her palm, a bottle that contained a potent drug - a narcotic.
A few days back, she was giving him 5 drops to help battle the pain. Which had gone up to 10. Then, 15. But, with the man's condition steadily deteriorating, even that amount didn't seem enough to numb the pain now. Must she add 20? But, what about the side effects of a dose so high? 'Not too little... not too much...' was what her Guru advised. And it was what she generally followed too. But this situation was an exceptional one.
'Arrrgh... a... and the priests, baisa...' he wheezed 'did they come? Did they bless us?'
'Yes...' she nodded, eventually adding 5 more drops of drug into the syrupy drink. After having listened to his last question, hearing how his lungs were fighting for breath between every single word, she needed to debate no more. Mohan banna was in just far too much agony to worry about side effects now.
'Give him this drink... he'll fall asleep...' she whispered to the aide, who immediately did as told.
'H... have th...ey they alll left?' he asked, once he'd forced down his throat the mouthful of medication.
'Yes Mohan banna...' Heera replied, shutting close the medicine chest to put it away 'the guests thoroughly enjoyed the feast... offered us their blessings... most of them would've left by now...'
'Y... you must leave too, b...baisa... from here...'
The Lady looked up, and directly into his tired eyes - a soft grimace rippling through her calm features when she understood the disturbing message he was trying to convey.
'Yes, we must begin packing up...' Gauri chipped in, making use of the awkward lull to speak her mind on the subject, relieved that it had been brought up at all 'and as soon as banna's health stabilises, we must leave from here... especially since people have found out... that we belong to Parnagarh...'
Heera cast a subtle stare at Gauri.
Gauri subtly stared back at her baisa.
Obviously, they both could read the other's mind.
Regardless, the chief-maid wasn't stepping down - for, she had nothing to hide. This town Aidabad, and its people, were making her uncomfortable and she made no secret of the fact that she felt so.
Yes, this temporary halt had been inevitable. Yes, they were obliged to Khan Sahib and his men for providing them shelter. And no doubt, she felt very grateful for his intervention this morning.
Why, she might have even joined the ladies in openly expressing her admiration for the Sahib. But since she knew that Heera valued her ideas and sought her approval more than anyone else's, Gauri chose to keep all words of admiration to herself.
Especially after what she'd witnessed in the haveli that morning.
Others might have missed it, but her experienced glances had noticed all of it - the uncanny exchanges between Heera and Khan Sahib, how their eyes had interacted, and how their attitudes had mellowed thereafter. Something was brewing. Something unwanted. And with her dear Heera now beginning to keep opinions and secrets to herself, Gauri was immensely worried about the implications of these kind of interactions. If the slightest whiff of a scandal came out in the open, it would end in disaster - Harka Bai would be shunned from all of society.
Therefore, convenient or not, it was better they left Aidabad without any further delay.
'What do you say, Heera?' Gauri prompted again.
'Gauri... actually, those were my thoughts too...' Heera responded, diplomatic as ever, possibly to smooth over any signs of conflict between the friends. After all, the chief-maid was right - the earlier they reached Bansi, the more convenient, more economical and safer for their entire group. But at the same time, Gauri was also making haste - travelling with someone so ill, would only increase their troubles on the way.
'Three days' she announced, after a moment 'I'll instruct Ratan kakasa to send another scroll to Bansi straightaway, explaining the troubles we are facing... it'd take Chitranjan kakasa three days to send us some help... or at least, a reply... but, even if help doesn't arrive from Bansi three days from now, we'd have to make a move...'
'Baisa...' Mohan stopped her, tears trickling down his bloated face. The man had observed the gloom hazing her features over the past couple of days - the baisa might not say it, but he'd guessed that his end was near 'Don't wait for th...three days... I... I agree with Gauri... leave now... p...please do not worry about me!'
'Mohan banna...' Gauri interrupted, before he could utter any further 'That is NOT what I meant...'
'G... Gauri... I do not see th p...point in p...putting everyone else at...at risk for my s...sake...'
'No banna, we are not leaving you behind!'
'Th... then giv me p... poison...' his incoherent words were slurring even more - possibly because of the drug 'I... I will gladly d...die... but I... I cannot bear to s...see wh...what a burden I... I've become onnn everyone...' he moved his fingers towards his ulcerated leg, his hands quivering like they'd been possessed by a fit of seizures 'baisa, th...this pain isss unbearable... p...please givvve me s...something th...that will end th s...suffering forever!'
'Mohan banna!' Heera raised her voice, in an effort to handle the situation differently - since no one was going to gain anything from such negative discussions 'I did not expect this from you, banna... your family has always served the Parnagarh haveli as chief of security... do you think your father or your grandfather would be proud of your words now? You have not been relieved from duty yet... so, I expect you to set an example to the other guards here... and that means, you will not give up!' she paused 'Besides, I have my own selfish reasons for wanting you to come along with us... I trust no one else with the security arrangements for our group...'
She stopped.
The drug had taken effect.
An eerie silence befell the members of that chamber, as they saw the poor man being unwittingly drawn into another slumber - his haggard body a painful reminder of how the once imposing chief-guard had been reduced to a state so pitiful.
Heera briefly glimpsed away, striving to get a grip on her emotions. Her voice had been firm so long, but only she knew what a tough battle it'd been to fight back those whelming tears. She'd been quite stern with someone so ill, but it was those stern words that would stoke the fire within this proud Rajput man - something Mohan needed to be able to fight the pain for another day or two. She had just lost her sister - she was not going to give up on another person who was as good as family.
'Bajrang...' she then murmured to the guard standing behind her 'please try and locate a renowned Vaid from a town nearby... an able surgeon...'
'W... what? A surgeon?' Bajrang's face gradually ashened, realising that such an order could only mean one thing 'Is banna...' he stammered, struggling to keep his voice low and his emotions steady 'Is he... going to lose...going to lose the use of... they... going to amputate his leg?'
Downcast; Heera responded with a slow nod, wishing she could have answered otherwise. But as a last resort, and possibly the only alternative to sure death, she chose the man's 'life' over his dysfunctional leg 'Tell no one else about this...' she reminded 'or it'll drag everyone's morale down again...'
Following a short spell of silence, Bajrang embraced the reality with a dutiful bow, like the pragmatic soldier that he was 'Yes baisa...'
A royal camp... in the wildnerness...
His tired glances drifted across his camp - groups of soldiers, who lay wearily under the life-giving shade of tall trees, seeking respite from the blistering rays of the midday sun. The royal party of Bansi had only left Manswar a day ago, and there was still a very long way to go. But the journey ahead, or the harsh travel conditions was the least of the king's concerns. What troubled him, was the fact that a 'third' group of his soldiers had returned - with no news of his daughter's whereabouts.
'Thirteen days...' he leaned back on the cushions of his makeshift divan, while the maids took the cue and began fanning the monarch with peacock-feather fans 'Thirteen days... and I still haven't been able to locate you... but, YOU know how to reach Bansi... you should have at least sent your kakisa a message... don't you realise how worried we'd be?' he dabbed his cheek with a muslin cloth - unsure if it was sweat or tears that he was dabbing off 'I have good news for you, and for Parnagarh... your wedding has been fixed with Kunwar Mahendar... Rajasa and Ranisa have given their blessings too... but, where ARE you, bitiya? Why haven't my soldiers found you? Are you in some sort of trouble? Are you in hiding? Have you disguised yourself like a commoner, amongst common folk? Or are you hiding amongst strangers? My heart tells me that you're fine... but a father's worry, is a father's worry!'
That night, the king would send another group of soldiers - a fresh search party - to comb through the surrounding regions, in hope of locating his beloved god-child.
Guest quarters... Aidabad...
'Why jiji?' the demoralised young Lady asked again.
Having failed to dismiss from her troubled mind the gloomy scenes and conversations of the sick room that she'd just left behind, she turned to the only soul she habitually turned to, for guidance 'I've cured several poison bites so far... then why am I not able to heal Mohan banna now?' her thumb swiftly wiped the droplet misting her eye before one of the maids would notice 'And what about the messenger who'd left for Bansi... where has he disappeared? Has he been hurt? I hope the scrolls I've been sending out to the other Rajput kingdoms reach their destinations safely... tell me they will, jiji!' she inhaled deeply, to stop herself from breaking down into sniffles 'No good news anywhere... misery at every turn... how long am I supposed to act calm and confident? For once, why couldn't there be an encouraging turn of events... show me a positive sign, jiji... something... somewhere...'
'Baisa...'
'What is it now?' she sighed at the unexpected intrusion - if this was another problem Gokul had brought her to tackle, the timing couldn't possibly be worse. She turned around, tempted to offload her exasperations upon the young guard - but the sensible young lady that she was, Heera managed to curb her reactions in time 'Yes, Gokul?'
'Baisa... I just wanted to inform you...'
'Yes...'
'Khan Sahib arrived... a short while ago...'
'Oh!' Her limp fingers instinctively stiffened around the borders of her veil 'Khan Sahib arrived a short while ago?'
'Yes baisa... for the luncheon... in fact he must have finished his meal, by now...'
'So he DID come?' Her worry lines gradually lightened - a sign that the befuddled thoughts in her mind had begun levelling out. Heera wouldn't disagree - the news had left her a little surprised.
'Baisa...' Gokul paused, unable to determine what to make of his baisa's ongoing silence 'we didn't inform you earlier because the situation with Mohan banna had turned serious... but, don't worry... Daya banna was there, to supervise the arrangements... and Maharaj kakasa personally served him the food.'
'Thank you Gokul...' she nodded - before temporarily setting aside all other duties and proceeding towards the reception rooms, to take on the short role of a hostess.
The feast...
The guest quarters of this old haveli boasted two well-proportioned reception rooms - an informal reception room at the rear, and a larger formal lounge at front. In order to cater to the occasion today, the slightly smaller rear reception, had been rearranged to accommodate all the womenfolk. And the larger one, had been set up so it would host all the men.
Of course, with the time now being three hours past noon, the chambers were nearly empty - except, for a small flurry of activity, at a far end of the formal lounge.
Having created a bustle as soon as she entered, Heera joined her ladies, who were witnessing the events from behind a stretch of suspended privacy screens.
'Welcome baisa...' they politely ushered their mistress in 'Hope Mohan banna is doing better...'
'Well... he was in pain... but, he is resting now...' she nodded, keeping the rest of the nasty reality to herself.
'Thank the Lord!' There was an instant murmur of relief amongst the small group. 'Anyway baisa... you needn't worry about the luncheon here...'
'Yes baisa... it went very smoothly...'
'Khan Sahib enjoyed the meal...'
'There... he's sitting there...' the ladies parted, making some space so she'd be able to have a better view.
'Can you see him, baisa?'
But before Heera could reply, the enthusiastic maids had drowned her words - they apparently had more titbits that they couldn't wait to share
'Kadhi... achaar... kichdi... ghewar...'
'Dal... gatte sabzi... rice... Marwari mirchi...'
'He ate it all...'
'He liked most of it...'
'But baisa, what he loved the most, were Maharaj kakasa's laddus... he must have eaten at least 4 of them...'
'And the khoba roti too... kakasa made fresh khoba rotis, especially for Khan Sahib...'
'Hush! You silly ladies...' shushed another group of maids playfully 'you'll end up casting an evil eye on his plate...'
'It's not manners to speak that way...'
'I agree... he is a well-built young man... he must have been hungry...'
'Moreover, this is a household without women in it... he mustn't have tasted the kind of feast he tasted today...'
Heera had said nothing - she'd realised that it was entertaining enough to watch them in silence, as they continually spoke over one another, to give her a detailed account of the feast.
Nevertheless, having managed to keep a straight face all along, she stepped ahead, intrigued to find out what the fuss was all about.
At first, the scenes of dining on the other side of the screens, were a hazy blur. But once her eyes had adapted to the new surroundings, Heera found herself struck by a second wave of surprise.
Encircled by the pleasant company of his men. Attended to, by maids and guards. Accommodated quite comfortably amongst bolsters and cushions of red velvet. Presented with a rich array of Marwari food. And served by the renowned Maharaj himself.
The young man who was at the centre of it all, looked a far cry from the 'lone stranger' she'd met a week ago. Instead, he looked every bit like the head of a large household, like the lofty 'Sahib' of this haveli.
Of course, he was still his typically reserved self - unruffled by the attention, laughter and mirth. However, today, he didn't seem averse to all that ruckus either - at least, not as averse as she assumed he'd be. It was as though Khan Sahib didn't mind - at least for a short while - the change in lifestyle and routine.
Why, even his attire indicated the same. Having abandoned his rustic cotton tunics, the young man had chosen to don a more appropriately formal Persian-styled attire of fine red silk, embroidered with threadwork of beige and gold. His sharp features had somehow forgone their severity too, trading it for expressions that were more peaceful. Expressions that made him appear charming. And refined. And gentlemanly.
'Harka!' hurriedly reminding herself that she'd been staring for longer than she should have, she averted her gazes, in case the maids assumed something wrong.
But those longer-than-should-have stares hadn't gone entirely unnoticed.
Despite the distractions, and the screens, and his apparent preoccupation with the feast, this 'charming gentleman' was well aware of how closely those gazes had been observing him - and for how long too. So, he decided to return the favour.
Once he'd washed his hands in a bowl of rose water and patted them dry with a muslin, he stood up, marking the end of that sumptuous meal.
Then, tying his hands behind his back like a true aristocrat, he directed his glances straight at her. Through the screens and the veils, he beheld her graciously, ensnaring the Lady's attention once again.
It was for a rare moment, but he didn't flinch or blink. Neither was he concerned by the people watching him.
Maybe it was the continued gratitude he felt towards her for having saved Bahadur's life that prompted him to do it. Or maybe it was immense respect for the rare kind of Lady that she was. Either way, he had to admit that it was her unselfish invitation, that'd ultimately persuaded him to give up his pledge for one meal, put on a formal attire and arrive here. A decision he did not regret.
Therefore, before returning to his desolate existence; he wanted to look her in the eye, and thank her once, for bringing a few rays of sunshine into his dim world. For giving him this opportunity to taste a selflessly satisfying meal. And for giving him a glimpse of how a real home felt.
Raising his right hand, Akbar tilted forth and brought the palm up to his forehead as an official 'Thank you', leaving Chacha jaan, Ibrahim, Sayyid and Azeez literally astounded with this gesture. This man, who was no fan of courtly formalities, had offered this Sahiba an 'Adab'!
But Akbar had done it, because it was the symbolic Mughal gesture offered to those who were either high-ranking, or respectable - and Harka Sahiba was both.
As soon as Heera realised what it was that the Sahib was doing, a soft gasp replaced the half smile that'd been adorning her lips. Her stoic features that'd never known of any such emotions, felt their first rush of heat - leaving her fair cheeks a few shades closer to the colour of her glossy lips.
She sensed that the official 'Thank you' must have been quite a brazen move for him - and not brazen in a negative way. So, the 'woman' in her admired it.
And just as she was coming to terms with the unexpected 'adab', she believed she spotted something else quite astonishing - something that'd stopped her thoughts in their tracks. She believed she'd spotted the smallest hint of a smile on his face, as he brought his palm up!
'But, a smile? From Khan Sahib?' her sense of logic was quick to dismiss the notion 'Unlikely...'
Sadly, this was a question that would remain a mystery - for, she could neither see clearly, nor ask anyone else about it. And of the few instances in life that she regretted suffering from poor sight, this was one.
Nevertheless, Heera subsequently reciprocated, with the traditional Rajasthani salute that conveyed her honest answer 'You're welcome'
Later, that night...
Swatting away a couple of pesky insects that were hovering around his face, the chubby old man took cautious steps through masses of hay and waste, towards the animal. Supporting the sides of his painful hips with his palms, he slowly arched forward. But as he was about to make a thorough examination of its wound, the odd shadows cast by the flickering light began dancing again.
'Be steady...' he barked at his aide.
'Y... yes...' the attendant whimpered and brought the lamp closer, his hand groaning from the strain of being forced to stay still in an awkward position for long.
It was well past sunset - the light was sparse. The site was humid and smelly. And the place teeming with insects. By no means was this an ideal hour to be examining horses in a stable yard.
However, it had to be done, and it had to be done now - the Hakim did not want to risk annoying Khan Sahib any further.
'Hold the lamp here... close by...' the Hakim directed, before running his stubby fingers along the train of Bahadur's stitches once. Then, twice. And again, thrice 'Hmmm' he mulled thereon, making no effort to hide his displeasure 'You say a woman did this, Khan Sahib?'
'Yes...' Akbar replied with a wary frown, as he casually crossed his arms upon his chest and leaned beside a branch nearby 'it was a 'lady', who did the sutures...' he reiterated, trying hard not to recall the scenes from earlier - since that would inevitably lead to comparisons between the Sahiba's warm charisma and this Hakim's fussy approach. Comparisons, which would not spell good news for an old man with whom Akbar was already quite irked.
'A local Hakim?' the old healer pressed on, in an attempt to pry more information out of the owner
He shrugged 'Something like that...'
'I knew it!' a proud smile immediately broadened his already wide features 'This old Hakim Sahiba's lied to you, Khan Sahib... she hasn't treated many animals before... I tell you...'
'Oh, really?' the young man played along.
'Yes... the stitches she's used are much too fine and polished for an animal... unnecessary... an absolute waste of time... what did she think she was doing... embroidery? And the herbal paste... or whatever it is she's used... it's not really helpful!'
Akbar barely reacted to that feedback. He was familiar with the man's nature - all that nit-picking was basically jealousy-driven. So he decided to by-pass the babble and cut straight to the point 'Will Bahadur be fine?'
'Oh yes... Bahadur will be fine...'
'Thank you... that's all I needed to know!'
It was then that the Hakim realised that he'd ended up giving this 'unknown Lady' credit. So, he altered his reply in a jiffy 'I... I mean... Bahadur should be fine, since I've given it a new set of medicines...'
But his words did not have their desired effect - in fact, the Sahib seemed to be on the verge of leaving. So, in the hope of making up for his absence, the Hakim thought of impressing the man by reminding him of the kind of working relationship they shared 'Khan Sahib... I assure you that in future, I'll be here on time... that way, you'd never have to resort to amateur lady healers hereafter... but we've worked together for years... and after employing a quack healer now, I'm certain you'll staunchly believe in the saying that a good Hakim is irreplaceable!'
He flashed a sheepish grin, expecting that with those claims, he would remain in the Sahib's good books.
How wrong was he!
Having heard the old man out, Akbar paced forth, bringing his boots to a halt right right in front of the Hakim.
He stood squarely opposite - in a way, compelling the healer to crane his neck up to see his infuriated eyes 'Should have left the matter alone, when luck was still on your side...' he scoffed, bringing the man's arrogance down some notches 'My men came seeking you, during an emergency... and you turned them away because you were too busy making money in another town... so, remember... this... IS... your... last... chance!' he'd deliberately spelt the words slowly, to ensure the Hakim got the message - that THIS particular Sahib was not so forgiving towards people who took advantage of him.
'No doubt...' he flicked his palm dismissively, an instant later 'you are a good vet... you've cured and cared for my horses... that's why, my staff put up with your attitude... that's why, I give you good business and pay you excellent money for every visit... but once more you let something like this happen, I WILL show you how 'replaceable' you are!' dropping his tone to a murmur, he gave the vengeful warning a fitting end 'Besides, once word spreads that you have lost Akbar Khan's business... trust me... not many others would want to work with you anymore... you understand what I'm saying, right?'
'Y... yes of course... I understand, Khan Sahib...'
Two hours later...
'Ai Khuda... what a long day it's been!'
A steady breath escaped his lips, as he stood still - as still as the darkness around him. Till an odd gust of wind barged in through the large window to his left, and brought with it a distant sound of a chirping cricket.
Resting his forearms upon the dresser thereafter, he viewed the contents of a large brass bowl - chilled water infused with scents of sandalwood-musk. However, instead of taking his tunic off, splashing his face with a few handfuls, and be done with the routine nightly ritual, he glanced up. At the mirror hanging in front.
The sceptic that he was, Akbar studied the reflection in it like a painter would study an unfinished painting.
The reflection showed the face of a young man, who often sought as his loyal bedtime companion, the black shadows of midnight - since this young man had learnt the hard way that 'sleep' would cheat him often, leaving him abandoned on many-a-night.
Tonight was possibly going to be no different.
Additionally, there were plenty of issues to keep him awake too. The day had been quite an erratic one - even by his standards. At first, the accident. Followed by, the theft. Then, Bahadur's surgery. The feast. Problems with the Hakim. And plenty more to list.
Yet, for whatever reason, that face-in-the-mirror was not as worn out as it should be. It appeared to possess a strange sense of serenity.
'Serenity?' he mused at his odd choice of word, as he took his hand to the top knot of the red silk tunic - the one he'd worn for the feast.
He undid the first knot. And then the second, revealing a taut chest that possibly cradled a heart somewhere in it. This was a part of him that'd felt quite empty from within for many years now. So empty that it never let him enjoy any sense of 'serenity'. And definitely, never let him find a reason to smile.
Yet somehow, today, he'd been tempted to smile. Not once, but twice.
'Could you possibly sing him a song, then Khan Sahib? To try and lull it into a slumber... so I might start the treatment?'
Was a woman's innocent smile always this intoxicating? And this contagious?
...
...
...
'Well, how would I know?' he frowned in reply to those questions soon after - after all, he'd never met an innocent woman before, and he'd never cared to observe anyone's smiles either.
Quickly tugging away the rest of the knots, Akbar flung the tunic off his shoulders. The reflection in the mirror did not look so serene now - no wonder he had a habit of avoiding mirrors. Because, the images in them would invariably show him reality - a physique bearing traces of long-lasting bruises and scars - of which sadly, only a few scars had been sustained in battle. The rest...
'What are you doing, Akbar?' his false sense of peace abruptly disturbed, the young man grit his teeth in anger and threw a handful of water on himself. The cold had to hit his face. He HAD to come to his senses now. He was part of an ugly imperfect world, it was absurd to let his thoughts wander towards 'perfection'. He threw another handful. And another. And another, till his lungs cried for a burst of air.
Catching up on his breath, he leaned over the bowl, the water droplets sliding off his body onto the wet dresser. That tough-tactic worked, for his conscience had begun taunting him, slowly rehashing incidents from all of last week!
'What have you been doing?' it seemed to ask 'Don't you realise that the ground you're treading on, is extremely risky? One step more, and you'll fall... worse, you'll pull her down with you. The Sahiba doesn't know the truth... that's why she's breaking out into fits of innocent giggles... and inviting you to a luncheon... but YOU are aware of the truth, aren't you? Then, why are you indulging her smiles...' he heaved a few more dashes of water on his face - possibly so the rough reminders would hit home harder 'At first, you returned the 4 dams because you did not want her money... fine... but why carry on with the conversations thereafter... what's this never ending fascination with her vision and skills about... why the need to communicate in Marwari... or to talk about your charity work? And the conversations don't even end there... so, what are you trying to prove, Akbar Khan? And, to WHOM?'
He stopped, since the bowl had run out of water.
Grabbing a piece of cloth, he dabbed his face dry.
But was the blame all his? Was it his fault alone? For, Allah knew he'd strived to keep away from her, every step of the way. Yet, fate or necessity had brought them face-to-face, over and over again. On all of those occasions, he'd utilised his bluntness and arrogance to spurn her. But at every stage, he'd ultimately given in - it was either her finesse or her innate beauty that would get him to do so. And now, here he was, standing in front of a mirror, asking his reflection questions, in the middle of the night.
'Ridiculous!' his conscience jolted him out of the lull 'It IS your fault... you shouldn't have allowed it get to this... because it's YOUR decision to adopt a lifestyle so dangerous, that it has no place for women in it... and, why are you bridging gaps now... that too, with THIS Sahiba, out of all ladies! What would you gain by knocking on this door now? Is it to find out if she holds the cure for this never-ending pain of yours? Even if she has the secret remedy, you'll never live to enjoy it... you'll die and get her killed too! So muster that adamant determination of yours... don't let your wall of resistance show cracks... you need to show discipline... fight temptation, now more than ever!'
'Yes... you're right!' hurling aside the towel, he grabbed a fresh cotton tunic from a trunk nearby and slipped it on 'I have to leave tomorrow morning to catch up on my work... wouldn't return to Aidabad for two days... hopefully, the Sahiba and her party would've left the haveli, before I get back!'
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