FF entry no 6

A thief, A princess, and A magic sword

PART1: to every love story there is a back ground:

Aaryyan was sitting on the bank of the stream, people of the kingdom often referred as the mighty river.

"Pooh! Should have seen some of the rivers I crossed!" thought Aaryyan. Well he was bitter, very bitter and he had every reason to feel so.

His cheek was still burning from the tight slap he just got from the "Raajkumari Bhairavi" and the kicks, that pumpkin Droma gave him. But before going into details lets get to know them first.

Aaryyan, a vagabond, just came a few days earlier in this land of Subarna desh. He knew nothing about this place, its men and the people.

Bhairavi was the daughter of the king here. Motherless child as she was, she was petted and pampered by her father too much. She is totally arrogant, spoilt from childhood. Now she was of age. She was beautiful. Just this word cannot describe her stunning beauty. It radiates from her like sunrays radiate from sun. And she knew it very well. So she wore it as a mask of pride. Her haughter had added more to her beauty, people looked at her in awe. She was strong, able, well taught in the warfare and politics by her doting father. She has played with the heart of many princes.

Speculations ran that maybe prince Droma, from neighborhood Chirind may win a place at her feet. What no one, even Bhairavi knew was Droma was a mean cunning and cruel man and he wanted to usurp Subarna and Bhairavi by any means.

Mayashree was her most devoted companion and best friend; she can be represented as her conscience. She fearlessly spoke the truth and loved Bhairavi more than her life.

And Aaryyan: he had a drunkard father who loved to beat him up everyday. He ran away from home at the age of 8. He did not even remember his father much. Ever since it had been an endless journey of fun and adventure: a circus company, bands of entertainer, small bands of thieves, circus again. Due to his agile body and natural inclination, he was getting very good at escape acts and could sprint like a deer. He could pass through virtually impossible thin slits. Thieves loved him for that. They loved him, his daring acts, his agile able body, his skill and wanted him to stay forever. But Aaryyan always moved on, from one place to another.

After much roaming, he had falling into the hands of a master thief, Bhootnath. This man had retired after he was betrayed by his own right hand man; now he is left with a blind eye and he still limps on his right feet.

An insignificant event brought him to Aaryyan. It was nothing, Aaryyan tried to steal his purse from him. The y met, they saw and each realized what he has got. Bhootnath got a deserving pupil and Aaryyan a wonderful and worthy tutor.

Aaryyan had skills, he had done many daring escapades but what Bhootnath saw in him, he himself would have never realized. Bhootnath saw an uncut diamond. Unlike thieves Aaryyan had a heart, unlike many men he had a cool mind, he could retain his calm, even in toughest streaks and he had ready wit. Bhootnath took him under his wings, taught him for 7 years, everything he knew. At the end of 7 years, he permitted Aaryyan to leave his house and to find his own way in the world.

Aaryyan embraced him and then set out his journey in the world, now as a man, a very handsome man with exceptionally beautiful eyes.

Aaryyan roamed from cities, to villages, to towns, to jungles to lakes. He faced hostility, he faced hospitality. He made the rich poorer, the poor able to live for some months. At the end of four years, he came to Subarna desh. Rumors say Subarna is the land of gold, hence the name. Here even a peasant has more gold than many well – to- do families else where.

The king, Pratap Singh, was a man with a golden heart. He loved all his subjects as his children.

The crowning glory is off course the beautiful princess Bhairavi. Up till now his life was that of a care free adventurer. It changed only when few months back he had caught a glimpse of Princess Bhairavi.

Aaryyan's heart missed a beat the moment he saw Bhairavi. Then onwards he knew he must make her his wife or his life will be a desert. Never mind that she was a princess and he a petty thief. He knew that Bhairavi was his and his only. Now he had a chance of proving himself to her and to win her hand.

The king had just announced that Bhairavi has come of age and will meet suitors. Anyone who can perform certain tasks to find the magic sword will be her husband. Now, for centuries, people have fought over the sword. But no one succeeded in retrieving it from its cave. This gem will surrender itself only to its true, noble owner. He, who owns it, will get the sword and the horse.

Subarna was full of visitors at that moment: suitors, business men, ordinary people who wanted to enjoy in golden city.

Part2: Back to river side

Aaryyan was sitting by the riverside, munching and thinking, when two haughty teenager boys turned up and called at him:"Hey you! Get lost! The princess will come for her evening walk!"

But Aaryyan was not to give up. Keeping up with his own dignity he replied," This river side is as much the princess as for anyone. Why should I?"

But this was not to go with those boys. They sounded: Either you move or we will kick you out.

A: try it, why don't you.

The boys rushed to him………

After like few seconds Aaryyan was happily munching his Tiffin again. Rushed in a third boy, albeit a boy in slightly higher rank.

"How dare you?" he cried. And he tried to kick Aaryyan.

The boy quickly raised his hands, but Aaryyan was not to be fooled. He caught both hands of him and punched him hard. The turban of the boy fell as the boy landed on the ground and Aaryyan watched with horror mixed disbelief and joy as a fuming Bhairavi appeared from the boy's attire. Standing on her feet she slapped him hard. Before Aaryyan could make sense of anything, several soldiers were by the princess's side. She looked up to him, their eyes met, and something happened. Aaryyan was bewildered and so was Bhairavi.

The princess commanded-"Take this human form of monkey".

Droma had in the meantime butted in: princess! Are you hurt? Let me help you princess.

Suppressing a strong inclination to slap Droma too, Bhairavi:

"No! No! Nothing happened, I am just fine.

She left abruptly.

Droma:" What kind of an idiot you are? And form which village do you hail-Gaonwar?"

A replied:" From the village where your forefathers worked as slaves".

Immediately Droma jumped on him and a fight took place. A got startled from a sharp expression. The princess had turned back and was looking with amazement. A forgot the world. Droma was waiting for such an opportunity. In no time, he and his men got the better of A and kicked, punched, slapped him to their heart's content .Then they left a . B had already left. …………..

A was nursing his wounds. His face was burning with the slap and the insult but he forgot everything when the thought of a face overtook on all his thoughts-the beautiful face of B. So beautiful, yet so tough! And so elegant was the behaviour that A could not take his mind from her to the physical problems which should have bothered him.

In the palace:

Mayashree did not leave the opportunity of teasing the princess when she found her lost in her thoughts.

"May I know the name of that lucky one whom you got to charm with your eyes and who had eventually stolen you from yourself?"

"What the hell are you talking of?" snappedBhairavi.

But yet, she could not be treacherous to her own self. Deep down in her heart, that innocent face, yet the strong hands, those piercing eyes which seemed to see her inner self in one glance seemed to cast a spell like never before. Droma was her suitor, or at least he tried to match her strong self. But Droma lacked something which till date B could never understand. After all, the site of Droma did not bring smile to her face like an instance. It was rather appalling sometimes. B even secretly wished that he would leave him alone when he would start all of certain to talk about his own deeds which never seemed to be really true. But today! Well, today was different. Bhairavi had at last seen someone who can master him, who at least did not seem to boast about himself all the time. B, for once in her life time, felt sorry for her deed. Never before had someone questioned her work, but today she seemed to regret the fact that she had slapped that unknown and wished with all her mind that she get a chance to meet him and ask for apology.

Part3: The conspiracy

Meanwhile, A made up his mind. The beauty of B was more than he could think, but those burning sensation seemed to arouse his chivalry. No, no, no more-he said to him. One cannot satisfy himself with beauty only or rather for him, he cannot sit idle, thinking of something which now seemed far-fetched. He stood up and prepared to leave to pursue those magical things. Off went A, with his sword in one hand, his mind filled with pain, desire and courage to look up

. As Aaryyan passed on, a sight suddenly caught him. Familiar face was seen in the neighbourhood. A prepared himself. Not this time, every time you cannot win on me, muttered A. The figure of Droma was approaching. But he was not alone. He seemed to carry a figure. A stared in disbelief-it was the king! So that was what he was up to-felt A. A quickly hid himself behind a tree. As Droma passed by, he stealthily followed Droma.

As both of them went on, Aaryyan heard D speaking to someone:

Tomorrow, in the morning, inform the princess about her father's disappearance and bring her over here. As she would come, capture her, and torture the old hag in front of her, then she would understand what Droma is capable of. The she would be forced to consent to this marriage.

The words seemed to put a burning sensation in Aaryyan-The princess is in danger! No, with him present, how can he let this happen? But he kept himself calm. As Droma left the place, keeping the king in charge of someone, in a place which seemed a little better than a cave, Aaryyan silently came out. He slowly walked up to the cave, looking with earnest eyes whether someone was following. Slowly he reached there, but oh! No one was there! Only the king, under the spell of some drug was lying in a muddled way.

Was it a plot? Aaryyan thought to himself.

But little time was left with him. So without further thinking, he steeped in. no sooner did he enter the cave, that someone jumped on him.

"You! Want some more thrashing or what?

Part4: Aaryyan forced to compromise

The voice of D puzzled Aaryyan. Then who just left?

But there was no time to think. D was already preparing to bring a strong blow. But before he could reach for it, A jumped up in the air and kicked him in his face. Before he could even take a breath, Aaryyan forced D to land on the floor, with his face badly hurt. But Droma still tried to fight back.

No, not this time-A said.

He got the best of Droma in no time. Before he could barely try to protect himself once again, Aryan was on the winner side.

"Ok, so what this game is?" asked a furious Aryan.

"Listen, don't try to come in my way, I'm not going to tolerate anything insane", replied back Droma.

"What do you mean?" shrilled Aryan. "Just before dawn, you were protecting the princess, now you capture her father for your benefit! Listen, your life is in my hand; tell me what you are up to".

Droma could smell no way to by pass Aryan. He was forced to admit that he had come to this kingdom pretending to marry Bhairavi, but actually he had come to secure the magical sword which would make him immensely powerful. But, he had to admit that his key to success is yet to be found, so he had captured the king to get all sort of information regarding the sword.

"Clever plan", thought Aryan. But he also could see no way to perform the Herculean task. But Droma could perhaps read Aryan's mind.

"So", said Droma, "let's make a clean breast of everything. You search for the sword in your own way, and I in mine. The one who wins gets the princess and half of the kingdom. But you cannot go reporting to the princess about this. If you do, my men will see to it": a wicked smile spread over Droma's face. Aryan had no boats to return. He had to agree to whatever he said, because his position was also not justified.

Part5: Bhairavi in peril ?

As the sun gradually unfolded itself, Bhairavi woke up, her mind still dwelling on the previous day. But before she could wake up in her full conscious, someone came running to her, reporting,

"oh Princes! The Maharajah had left the palace without informing anyone. No one can ever tell where he has gone. He just seemed to have vanished away."

Something jerked the princess. "What! Oh my God! How can that be possible?" cried Bhairavi. "Where were his bodyguards?" inquired Bhairavi

. "They were found outside the palace, brutally beaten to death", replied the messenger.

Bhairavi could not understand what steps to take. No one could bring solace to her mind now." If only, if only I knew what is going to come", she thought.

As the princess sat vaguely on her bed, wondering what to do next, a messenger from Droma turned in. Just as Droma dictated him the previous day, the messenger spoke with the best of his abilities, showing Bhairavi how great Droma was, how beautifully Droma had saved the king the previous day and wanted her to follow him to the place where Droma had safely put up the king. Remorse seemed to cover Bhairavi's mind.

Yesterday only, she was thinking how Droma mean can be, when he fought that unknown with so much treachery, but today, the same event seemed to Bhairavi the symbol of utmost brevity.

Little did she know what was awaiting her outside!

Anyways, she asked the messenger to wait with her guards, and then prepared to leave. But still she could not feel comfortable.

. Without thinking twice, she took with her the faithful companion which had been with her since childhood.

Meanwhile, Aryan thought how he could sabotage Droma's chance to win. He had to prove himself. The world knows him as a very clever thief, but he had something else to show.

As the chariot carrying Bhairavi and the messenger approached the cave, Bhairavi could see Droma waiting at the entrance, firmly standing under a tree to welcome her. Though she constantly tried to remind herself how gratified she should feel towards him, she could not control her mind.

"Only if someone whom I could believe just comes and tells me that everything is all right", she sighed.

The face of Aryan surfaced in her mind. In one night that innocent face seemed to give her a lot of assurance which no one else could promise her off.

Part6: mystery of magic sword!

With a burdened mind, as Bhairavi was just about to step down from the chariot, something fell on her. Before she could make sense of anything, she saw the face she was longing to see.

Immediately, as Droma saw that Aryan had stepped in the scene, he signaled his messenger, who was still in the chariot, to grab the couple, who were staring wildly at each other. As the messenger moved slowly towards its prey, Aaryyan suddenly made a move.

Before anyone could understand what was happening, Aryan succeeded in overpowering the messenger, his hand carrying the sword which Bhairavi managed to put in his hand just in time. The sword seemed to read his mind and started working just like a faithful horse. With that sword in his hand, Aryan fought back at least ten of Droma's men simultaneously, without even clearly understanding what he was doing. The only thing that ran in his mind was that he needed to save the king and the princess before any one could harm them.

Slowly, he came in front of Droma. Through the side of his eyes, he could see the princess standing like a statue, with her arms folded, as if silently praying.

"So", hissed Droma,"so, we meet again"."

Well, it doesn't come as a surprise, so as to speak," replied back Aryan.

The next few minutes witnessed a neck-to-neck battle between two equal competitors, just as a fight which continues between a tiger and a bison. But Aryan could really not understand what was happening to him. He seemed to forget all his miseries, and something put in him superhuman power with which he could easily overpower his strong contender. He was still not sure whether to kill him when a wise thought surrounded him. He beckoned Bhairavi, and forced Droma to admit that it was his entire plan to capture the king so that he could get the sword with little or no labour.

"So, that's why he always seemed so spooky and so talkative about his own self", said Bhairavi as she broke into an immense laughter which no one had ever witnessed her to do. "But wait, where is father?", asked the anxious princess.

Aryan ushered her inside the cave. The king had just come out of the trance which the drugs had put him in. Though he could barely understand where he was, the commotion outside had not escaped his ears. But when he saw his most beloved daughter running towards him, memories of the previous day came back. He took his daughter in his arms and Aryan witnessed the father-daughter bonding with which he could never associate himself. After several minutes, what seemed to Aryan long enough, Bhairavi told her father:

Father, he is a stranger in this part of the world. He had just saved our life and the magic sword had worked wonderfully in his hands!"

"Magic sword! My dream and so long I've been holding it, without much realizing its value!" yelled Aryan. But he could understand that his behaviour in front of the king must not be so. So with an unpracticed hand, he bowed before the king and said:" sorry for my behaviour. My name is Aaryyan and I've come here in search of the sword."

But Aryan could not help noticing that the king was staring at him hard. "Did I say anything wrong?" wondered a bewildered Aryan.

"My daughter just told me that the sword had spoken in your hands. But it can never happen until you have a king in yourself.. Tell me son, from which kingdom have you come?"

Kingdom! The site of his drunkard father came floating to his mind and for once in his life-time, Aryan felt sorry for the life he had led. "I'm sorry, but you see, I am not a prince."

"Hm! But your face seems familiar. I can swear that you look so much like my old friend- king of Sonargarh. Had you been a little older, I would have said that its him who had come over here to play a prank on me." The king's words did not stir any memory in Aryan's mind. His childhood memory is associated with only forests and not a palace. Anyways, he felt that the king should now face Droma. So taking the king's permission, he brought him in.

So long, he had observed that Bhairavi was looking at him, her eyes filled with praise for him.

As Droma entered the cave, the king's attitude changed.

"You! You should be put behind the bars and whipped till death".

Meanwhile, Aryan made arrangements to move the king and the princess to the palace. His mind still dwelled on what the king just said. Could it be possible that he was a prince, just as Bhairavi was a princess? Well, he had no answer, only time could say where he actually hailed from.

Part7: Aaryyan as a king

Droma was put behind the bars, much to Aryan's pleasure. He was still thinking about what his next move would be, sitting in the palace court room as an honoured guest, when the king stood up and announced:

" I have just found someone who, though not being a member of the royal family, had succeeded in commanding the magic sword as for his need. So, even not a prince, he deserves a kingdom more than any one else." He then called Aryan by his side. As Aryan stood by the king, the king once again said:" with all of yours' permission, I award the kingdom of Chirind to him." Aryan noticed that present in the courtyard were people dressed in a different way, whom he assumed to be representative from Chirind. They rose up and greeted Aryan as their new king. It seemed to him nothing but a dream.

His vagabond life is now coming to an end, felt Aryan. But Bhairavi, his main aim to come this country. He looked in the direction of the princess, but she was too busy with herself and her friends. They were laughing and in a mood of ecstasy. Suddenly one of them looked at him and smiled. It was none other than Mayashree. Well, Aryan was not prepared for this and he looked away. As she reported this to the clad, all the girls rolled in laughter.

The king now took the opportunity to make another announcement. "I am glad to announce that my daughter, princess Bhairavi had consented in marrying this epitome of courage-Aryan, the new king of Chirind. Let's all pray for their everlasting happiness"

Part8: Happily ever after

Later in the royal garden, Aaryyan was strolling alone, contemplating his happiness. Suddenly he came face to face with Mayashree and Bhairavi. Ever since the king made the declaration, he had not come to face Bhairavi neither, was he comfortable with her clear eyed friend Mayashree. Aaryyan blushed like a young maiden as soon as he came face to face with them.

Mayashree took this opportunity. She asked him innocently:

Oh king! What are you so afraid of? My friend is not a monster, besides from what I hear………..

Aaryyan blushed even profusely. He saw nothing for a few moments

Suddenly he heard the commanding voice, the same voice:

Mayashree! why don't you leave this monkey to me and see why father is calling us.

Mayashree left, laughing silently. Aaryyan felt relieved and then again he was uncomfortable. What should he do now? What should he say?

Bhairavi faced him. So?

Aaryyan: why do you think I am a monkey?

Bhairavi was simple: because you are one.

Aaryyan: oh well!

Bhairavi: Aaryyan look into my eyes. And tell me again that you love me

Aaryyan looked into her eyes. He kept staring and staring. And then courage flew in, her passionate eyes, her earnest looks, her assuring smile.

He slowly bent his head. Bhairavi lifted hers.

And they lived happily ever after.