Dear Friends,
I am back'.waise mai gayi kab thi!! As usual Cherry my friend was after me as soon as I finished my last one, now which was it''hmmmm'.'A Little Space' but I wanted to take leave for two reasons, my house is getting painted, hence my Desktop virtually dismantled'.and next weekend I am off for another holiday for about a week. Lekin Cherry kaha sunti hai'.likho likho likho'.likhe toh keya likhe''I was lying on my bed and watching Jodha Akbar with I had downloaded over the weekend, many people had told me that it is a nice movie but I somehow could not imagine Hritik Roshan as Akbar after seeing Prithiraj Kapoor in Anarkali, anyway koi kaam nehi tha, so I watched Jodha Akbar and Hritik was mindblowing, I fell in love with him'.now what'..my hindi is bad as you all know, Urdu negligible, Pharsi'.well I am stumped, then how do I write a period drama'.aare language ko maro goli, I will stick to my ok English and my usual Hindi'.rest I leave to your imagination'. In this story you will of course find influences of Jodha Akbar and another favourite movie of mine, Anna and The King......
My Previous FF:
A Little Space : https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1103113
A New Beginning: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1083796
The Christmas Cake : https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1082945
A Tear in the Wind: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1069888
SS : The Everlasting Love : https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1065677
Kasamh Se https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/929115/ff-kasamh-se-ch-51-end-pg-116-updtd-on-25-9
The Captured Heart: /forum/kasamh-se/1026470/ff-the-captured-heart-ch-18-pg-45-last-chapter
Chhoti si mulakat : https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=999441
A New Dawn : https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=974981
The Phone Call : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/910155/ff-the-phone-call-epilogue-pg-52 Dil Ki Suno : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/874713/ff-dil-ki-suno-epilogue-pg-53 Eternal Soulmates: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/869198/ff-eternal-soulmates-ch-5-pg-7-end The Flowers of Spring, https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=853938&T PN=1
Ek Kashish: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/830952/ff-ek-kashish-ch-20-and-epilogue-pg-58 The Crushed Innocence :https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=800150& TPN=1#13464286
The Destiny: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=779329&T P
Ankho hi Ankho me: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=738121&T PN
Woh Raat : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/731347/ff-woh-raat-chapter-6-pg-10-last-ch
Anokha Rista (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/712391/anokha-rishta-chapter-18-and-epilog-pg42).
Chhoti si aasha https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/672677/ff-chhoti-si-aasha-ch29-and-epi-pg-76:
Kuch Achhe Kuch Bure (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/641995/kuch-achhe-kuch-bure-ch-24-and-epilog-pg71); Thori si bewafai (https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=615869) Kuch Rahen Anjaani Si (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/573991/ff-kuch-rahein-anjaani-si-ch-36-pg111): Contract Heir: https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=536274&T PN. Return of Bani Walia, https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/515481/return-of-bani-walia-note-on-pg-31: :Business Tycoon Jai Walia marries a Mt Abu Girl(https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/486636/business-tycoonjw-marriesfinal-prt-pg64). Mai Apke bina nehi reh sakti hu (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/457994/mai-apke-bina-nehi-reh-updt-pg-11-pt-ix)& Finding Bani (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/469208/finding-bani-ff-part-viii-page-8).
The Emperor & the Girl
The battle was over, many dead, the Raja has accepted defeat, he stood watching a familiar scene below, so many men dead, so many innocent families losing their earning members for the sake of independence or ego of the Ruler, does it serve any purpose, why fight to boost your own ego and ruin many lives in the process. But he has a dream, a dream of a united country, where there will be no inner fights, everybody living peacefully under one rule, his dream is coming true and he knew he has to pay a big price for it'.dragging his sword he walked in slow steps to his camp'.as he entered his luxurious camp, his personal valet came forward taking his sword from him, he opened his helmet, two more servants got quickly engaged taking off his armours. Once free from it, he sat down on the stool as he was being rubbed and sponged, making faces on being applied anticeptic on his cuts, they hurt more than the actual sword inflection'.he raised his eyes to see the doctor already waiting for the servant to finish, as the servant finished, he moved back conveying his respects, the doctor came forward, the man raised his arm for him to feel his pulse'..
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In the battlefield, two figures went around the bodies, looking for life, nursing wounds, closing eyes of the dead, and assuring the wounded they will be taken care of'.some of them were unable to speak, pleading for mercy and relief with their eyes'.the figures worked in silence, they were speaking with their eyes, hurrying through the bodies, there was enough time left for sunset but bodies were many'.they loaded the live ones in the cart, with the help of two more helpers'as the cart got full, the men left with them, another cart came'.nothing much was left today, once they were through, they gave another glance, their ears alert incase they could hear another groaning sound, incase they have missed someone''after sometime, they elderly person climbed onto the cart and left with the wounded while the younger took the horse and rode off'.
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Dressed in fresh clothes, he walked out of his camp, the place was beautiful, green and picturesque, unlike the place he comes from, where the terrain is rough and not so green. It was late winter, the sun still not so strong but the daylight increasing, being in the east, it grew dark earlier, tonight he will negotiate, tomorrow or day after he will de-camp, his army wants to go back home, they have been out for last 3 months, it will take another month to reach home'.he understands the longing'.on the way he had to fight with many armies, many small kingdoms which refused to bow down as accept him as the supreme ruler, but on the way back it will be much easier, now his men will welcome him and offer his comfort'.he is used to the luxuries of palaces as he is used to the hardships of battlefields, they have little meaning to him, they do not excite him, except for the small mercies of life, the beauty of simple things as he walked out of the camp area he could feel his bodyguards following him, now what, he thought, there were hardly any enemy left and those alive are not in a position to move, he stopped, without turning his head fully he made a sound of disapproval, his bodyguards hesitated, he waited for few seconds before walking again, they did not follow him, he felt light, even though knowing they will do so after he goes at a certain distance but he does not want them to breath down his neck all the time, he climbed down the mountain and walked towards the woods, he could see various flocks of birds and deers & other similar animals, unaffected by the battle beyond , he walked through the green grass and entered the wood, trees were tall, the sunlight dim, he took out his sword, just in case, loving the sounds of birds, calling their mates to return home maybe, the place felt like heaven, untouched by human he walked and suddenly found himself in front of a waterbody'..it was a large pond or lake, he stood watching it, the sun shone on its waters, sparkling like diamonds, various birds on its banks, he leaned on to a tree to watch the view, to soak into the beauty of the nature, the tranquility was overwhelming. Suddenly a soft noise drew his attention, he looked down at the water, he could not see anything but could make out the ripples, something was swimming under it, murky colour of the water prevented him to see same but he could make out the ripples, a crocodile? Does it live in a pond? He went behind the tree for safety sake but kept an eye, within few seconds, a figure leaped out of it, a human form that too, he blinked, it took him few seconds to register that the form was female, clad in white, the wet clothes showed her lithesome figure, she leaped towards a hanging brunch, bringing down a white cloth, which she quickly wrapped around her upper body and gave a shrill whistle simultaneously, startling him, his eyes grew big by her next action, he has grown in battlefields, living in nature for days but this is something he did not ever see, hearing the whistle, a horse came out opposite the side he was standing, the girl, ran cutting the water in long strides and catching the long roots of the banyan tree next to the lake she swung herself on to the horse's back neatly. Soon she rode past him, with her long hair flying …..though he could not see her features properly as part of her hair covered them, he was mesmerized by her body's grace and agility, he felt aroused, his nerves becoming sensitive, for a man of his stature beauty of a woman was not new but today he felt he has seen another side of woman's beauty…..
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The palace was semi dark, it was mourning the dead already. When they went into the battlefield they knew that they were against a big and skilled army but they have defended their small kingdom over centuries and they did not want to give it up without a fight…the hill surrounding the kingdom gave natural fortification and defended themselves before the enemy could enter…so when the moghul army came it was a debate whether to surrender without fight or defend the country as their forefathers have defended it, defend shall we announced the nobles, now most of them were no longer alive, instead the ladies accepted the bodies of their dead husbands and sons, the air smelt of burnt bodies and the only sound heard was women crying, today after three days the evening air was still, people have become too numb to react….the horse carrying the figure entered the palace, as she jumped down, nobody came to hold the horse, the girl realized that quickly and then led it quietly to the stable, few handlers were busy attending to the injured animals, she went and tied hers in the allotted area, brought water and food and fed it, gave a light massage and went towards the chambers…..the room was dimly lit, she could make out the figures sitting in silences…….
Rajkumariji aap andhere me…..
Pura shaher andhere me hai sakhi, mai kiyu nehi……
The girl sighed, went about lighting the candles, seeing her, the maids came forward and started lighting them….
The girl went and sat in front of the princess, Saraswati me janti hu lekin hum kaise rajye de dete bina yudh ke….
Isme mushkil keya tha Bani, Shahensha ko toh abh sikarna toh parega hi toh pehle kiyu nehi….
Yuhi ghutne tek du, abh toh unko yeh maloom chal giya humlog swabhimani hai, hume woh jo kahenge hum yuhi nehi karenge…..
Bani Bani Bani tum toh abhi bhi wohi ratt lagaye baithe ho…..nateeja toh ek hi hai, tabh bhi sikarna parta, abh bhi parega….bus itna log mar gaye …
Lekin Saraswati….
Bani kuch hi der me pitaji jayenge vaidji ke saath samjhauta karne…..
Rajaji ke saath, lekin mere pitaji kiyu, unko raaj paath kaha samaj me ata hai….vaid sashtra ke sivay unko kuch aur nehi ata….
Ha lekin aur kaun jayega, jo bacha hai, gambhir halath mai hai……..
The girl called Bani became thoughtful. Samjhauta ke liye shayad kuch bacha nehi…she said to herself….
Yes, that is what I was telling you my friend hence it would have been better if we accepted the Shahensha has the supreme leader before…..atleast many lives would have been saved…
The maid had brought a fresh set for Bani to change her semi wet clothes, Bani got busy
Saraswati looked at the girl, her friend, her sakhi with whom she has grown up like a sister……though Bani given a chance never behaved like a girl, instead she chose to be actively involved in physical sports meant for men. Their country was relatively progressed, men / women got equal respects and Rajaji seeing his court doctor's daughter really good at such things, encourage her to learn the same alongwith his sons…..Bani was equally close to Saraswati's brothers as she was close to Saraswati….many believed that Rajaji will ask for Bani's hand for one of his three sons…..it was also well known the crown prince Pushkar nurtured a feeling for Bani, but the king had sent him to explore the land beyond their kingdom to see the way of lives before he takes over. He has been gone for one month and is not expected to return before next two is over….maybe because of the same he was spared from this brutal war….
I know Bani you will tell me that my father followed what is subjects wanted. Since he is always listening to them he is such a popular king but at times I feel there is a need to see things beyond your subjects…..Shahensha Akbar ko dekho, woh sunte jaroor hai, lekin karte jo uchit hai, jo hith mai hai…..
Bani sat still as the maid combed her long hair, Saraswati and she inspite of being friends differed in many aspects, Saraswati was always reading heavy heavy scriptures and books…..Bani never understood how can a king be wrong when he is doing what his subjects want…..
The name Shahensha Akbar was now one of the most hated names for her now….in the battlefield while helping the injured she had seen him from far….cocooned by his guards and commanding the army…..samne nehi aya, peechhe se var toh humbhi kar sakte hai…thought Bani…..
Dekh Bani, Shahensha yudh ki maidan me utre yehi kafi hai, tumbhi jante ho yeh yudh ke liye unko utarne ka koi jaroorat nehi tha, our army is hardly any size compared to his…..
Yes maybe Rajkumariji but then we gave them a good fight, today he had to come himself to control his massive army, agar Pushkar idhar hota toh hamara jai nishchit tha….
Saraswati smiled, Bani was getting angry, Dekho Bani lets not fight, the truth is we have lost the war, thank god Pushkar was not here, atleast his life is spared…..now my father will go to the camp, see if he is ready, incase he is inform him that I have no objection if the Shahensha wants to marry me for as political alliance….I will be happy if the lives of my two brothers and others are spared in the process…..
Are you crazy Saraswati, Bani jumped up, he has already 25/30 wives, he does not need you and knowing Rajaji's reputation I think his word is enough, I am sure Jallaluddin Mohammad Akbar is aware about the king he captured. …..
Well Bani I did not ask for your opinion, I will debate about it later but yes I do not have objection to the alliance is all I want you to convey to my father now…..
Saraswati do you know what you are saying, you will be one of many and not his the wife, not to say about the other women, you might to get to see him maybe once a year hardly as he will be busy with his other wives or fighting a battle somewhere…..
BANIIIII…..Saraswati called out her name indicating her patience is running low…..
Ji Rajkumariji….she bowed and went out towards the king's chamber……
Mr And Mrs Parshuram
