Part 13
"Kesh, I know he's a snake, but we can't actually use him as a snake in the game." Aarti stared at Prashant, furrowed her brows in a moment of thought, and then squared her shoulders in decision, "But…remember those acid chambers in the con-heels? I think that would work as the perfect spot of venom."
Quiet murmurs of excitement began to fill the stillness that had taken over the campsite, followed by terrified yelps by Prashant at the news. He glared at Aarti as Kesha shushed his outpourings by gesturing at the shoes pointedly.
A surge of unexpected laughter escaped Aarti's lips as Lady Kesha nodded approvingly. "I knew you weren't all that good," she called across the flames.
"Let's just say you may or may not have rubbed off on me; and Kesh, thank you for propelling us out of that awful situation with your…errrm…rather dangerous technology. You deserve the CONobel Award for that invention."
"Nursemaid, stop being so sentimental. I got stuck in mud and you were just lucky enough to be around for the revenge. Now let's enjoy the lovely game. Everybody! Let's gather up at the tree! It's time to play Acid…I mean, Snakes and Ladders!"
"Alright ladies, I think this is beginning to sound a little too perilous to be harmless fun." Cas-sonSky muttered hesitantly. He wasn't sure that between the game, the shoe, and Lady Kesha what was more dangerous.
"Oh, c'mon Cas-boy, stop being such a wimp. We'll turn the nozzles down on the con-heels to the lowest degree. If you're lucky, you'll all escape with a mark as small as a pin's head."
"I don't think that's very reassuring for anyone Lady Kesha."
With a slight smile at Lady Kesha, Aarti walked away from the campfire.
Her eyes stared out into the gloom toward the direction where Aaryanburg once stood, adjusting slowly after the brightness of the fire. Although it would have been impossible to view the kingdom from here, just staring at the thousands of miles that stood between the ruins of the old kingdom and her position was enough to ground her. In that moment, she missed the tender smile that would curl at the corner of her father's mouth as they stood looking out at the kingdom from the top turret of her room. The last few weeks before the ball, and the night before had brought all of her past to her again, and those final moments at the ball had cinched shut her decision for the future.
"Aarti."
"My lo…I mean, Yash."
"Don't you think it's time we continued our discussion from the final moments of the ball?"
Her heart took on a rickety pace similar to that of the runaway carriage's earlier trip. It rolled, tumbled, and skipped as her mind raced to the last few seconds. The minutes before Pareshan-T had made his "ill-timely" reappearance.
"Y..ye..yes, my Lord?"
"Now whyever does my spitfire maiden sound so afraid? I was only about to talk about replaying our first kiss." There was a glint in Yash's eyes that brought a blush on Aarti's cheeks.
"I..wait..what?"
"Don't you think we should talk about our relationship?" He smiled, taking a strand of her hair between his fingers and rubbing them with such tenderness that Aarti's heart did a flip.
"What relationship?"
"You know; the one in which I appear, you see me, and make a dash for the nearest exit in the opposite direction."
"When you say it like that my Lo…Yash, it doesn't sound like much of a relationship."
"Well, there was some improvement, Aarti."
"There…erm…was?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Ah, what exactly?"
"Well, I seem to remember a rather exuberant someone running toward me earlier today."
She was suddenly glad that they had stepped away from the light of the fire, and out of sight from others, for she was quite sure that the expression on her face was not particularly bashful, nor innocent. Aarti bit her lip to stifle the small bout of laughter that threatened to tumble out as she remembered Lord Yash's interesting babble after the reuniting run.
"If you're going to tease me about my dash toward you, then I could start talking about those rather interesting phrases you uttered earlier today."
A startled cough was the only response to her statement.
"So what did you really want to talk about my Lo…Yash?"
"Why Aarti?"
"Why I kept fleeing?"
"Yes. I understand what you've written in your diary." He cupped her cheeks moving his thumbs lovingly over them. "I read it Aarti. I know all my princess, and I understand so many things clearly now." Aarti stared at him with a watery smile.
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Aarti was first to break away from the eye lock, as voices of the others playing the game filtered through, "So you did find the diary? My little prince must have given it to you! How is he? I know I've been asking you all day, but every time some knight, servant, horse, or his screams kept interrupting. Uff! Now I know how Lady Kesha felt when she was trying to speak with him around earlier. And how are the girls? Did Payal roll off the bed again? I just don't know how she does it on such a large bed, and yet never manages to kick Palak off."
"Aarti."
"And what about Sanju? She must have been so upset….."
"Aarti."
"And His Majesty King Cas must have a blown a gasket at having the first ball in years interrupted so scandalously. Yash, I….am so…."
Lord Yash pinched her lips together lightly, and then proceeded to stare in wonder as she continued to talk…and talk…and talk…well, mumble incoherently to be precise. Finally, unable to get a single word in, he pulled back his fingers and replaced them with his lips. She forgot the train of her ramblings for a moment and gave herself up to the swirl of emotions and sensations moving through her body. A groan she recognized as her own, escaped her lips when he broke away.
"Finally, Aarti."
"I…."
"No. Not at all. No 'I', 'why,' or 'bye'. Let's talk about our original conversation. I want to hear from your own mouth; why were you always running away from me?"
"Well, my Lord, have you forgotten that someone was always being a bit angry, and snappy, and pointing big dark eyes at me, and…"
"I get the point, but that's not what I am asking…and you know that. Was it all because of that Pareshan-T Dubai? That spawn of the devil?"
"Paresha-aunty-doob eye? Who is that? Do you have another…."
"Aarti, hello! Your demon…errrm…husband cum soon to be ex-husband. Kapish…got it?"
"Oh! Pareshan-T. Yash. I was afraid. I didn't want to hope, especially knowing how you felt about Duchess Arpita. I mean it's no secret that you were so in love with her you even saw her after her death." She looked at him wide eyed and mouthed a silent "Wow."
"The point Aarti…you deviate."
"That's just the point Yash. You loved her so much….and here I was, a mere nursemaid…a hired help…a palace help. Moreover, I was known as a widow….a fact I believed until I received that letter from Maya. Before the letter ripped my life apart, my biggest fear was that the kingdom would not accept a widow in the life of a possible heir to the throne. When I read that letter though, I realized that I'd been a royal moron to built castles in the air with you and the girls and my Ansh in it….I had no right to, because he was back, and my son and I would have had to return to that hell, and I wouldn't even have any memories to take with me, and I..." She stopped with a sob.
He pulled her into a reassuring hug. She looked up at him, taking in the stark profile against the blue-black night sky, and sighed into his neck.
"You know that we have to stay away from each other for now, right? By the laws of the land, I'm still married."
"But…"
"Yash, you've lived approximately four years as the biggest sanyasi-like male in the entire of Conland. Note…in CONland. And as awful as that bat-rat is, I am not an adulteress."
"Good Lord. In that case, I guess I shall have to put my secret legal abilities to work again." Yash stepped back and began pacing.
Aarti crossed her arms against her chest, "Yash, a couple of clarifications. One: what legal abilities? Two: again, what legal abilities?"
"Let's just say that Father will not be a very happy king when his beloved middle son returns home by the light of the morrow, and…."
"And?"
"And reminds him of an itsy-bitsy clause that appears at the right-hand corner of the folio of the addendum to the Apprehension of Criminals Act, Section 46, Volume 2 Page 20,525 of the statutes of the CONland Scindia Constitution." Yash stopped pacing and tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Err…Yash, me thinks the air of this land has got to you….You are talking strange. Also, there's a Slyness in your tone. Pray, I detect a twist in the tale in that itsy-bitsy clause. What does the clause say?"
He turned to her and grinned triumphantly, "It says that a man convicted of treason loses all rights, including marital ones, and has to free his wife of all legal and moral bindings of matrimony. In other words, she is free of the existing marriage and free to get married again."
"Really Yash? You mean there is hope for us?"
He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a lopsided smile, "More than hope Aarti…it's a surety….It…Wait a minute…"
"What is it, Yash?...More legal mumbo-jumbo?"
"No, my sweet lady…I suddenly remembered that that clause was written personally by His Highness himself. It's in his handwriting. Now why would he do that?..." He thought for a moment and then shook his head, "Anyways, that clause will give you a way out of this unwanted bondage. And then I shall be free to court you." He locked his arms around her and held her by her waist and then bent down to graze her collar bone with his lips, moving up her neck ever so slowly, to her jaw line, and finally to her lips.
Aarti broke the kiss and stepped back, a little breathless and trying to be the practical one, "But Yash, would the kingdom accept a divorcee? I mean my status changes from a widow to a divorcee, which is worse…not the best of credentials for the consort of the future king of Conland."
"Balderdash! I'll find a way around that little hurdle as well. Don't you worry your pretty little head my love." He pulled her to him again. But for some reason the nagging worry refused to leave Aarti as she rested her head on his chest.
They stiffened as they heard a low rumbling sound turn to a loud gurgle before turning into a mild shriek, even as Sky's shout came, "Hold on Lady Kesha! Let's just make sure first whether he is lying."
Yash and Aarti ran back to see Sky holding back Kesha by the ribbon of her skirt as she menacingly dangled her shoe heel over a petrified Prashant, who stared at it red-eyed.
"Kesha, for God's sake stop scaring the man all the time." Aarti went to her and laid a hand on her arm, trying to calm her.
Kesha straightened, throwing the shoe down, and rubbed her hands by her sides, "It's all your fault nursemaid."
"Mine???" Aarti squeaked.
"Yes," She pouted accusingly, "Your sugary sweetness seemed to have rubbed on me. I tried to present my good side and included that fork-tongued slithering asp into the game when he asked me. He was supposed to tell the truth and he lied."
"Idiffdmnnndtt blidise," Prashant looked at Aarti pleadingly.
"Great! Now he mumbles…he was all clear toned with that lie awhile back. What the hell in damnation did he say?"
"He said he didn't lie." Aarti looked at Kesha speculatively, "What truth did he utter that got you so mad?"
"He said…he said…." Everyone watched stunned as Kesha stuttered and cast a side glance at Sir P, who had his gazed fixed on a spot between the tree and the sky as he rocked on his heels with his hands clasped at the back.
"Kesh…speak up girl," Yash said. He had never seen his sister so tongue-tied.
"He…he…well, he…" She swiped the air in frustration.
"The man said Lady Kesha had hots for Sir P…and that he was watching her looking adoringly at Sir P." Sky furnished the information when Kesha spluttered and tripped over her words. Kesha looked daggers at him and Sky scampered back a few steps.
Yash and Aarti looked amusedly at Kesha. Sir P didn't move from his position of studying the empty spot.
Prashant found a bit of courage with Aarti around, "Aarti, tell her how good I am about reading such looks. After all my devilishly handsome form has invited women to eye me variedly. Also tell her about that time when I brought those two helpless women home and they vied with each other to get my attention with their dancing eyebrows…." He was warming up to the topic and so didn't notice everyone rolling their eyes and Kesha bending down to pick up the shoe. It was his sixth sense that warned him this time…a sense that was honed by Kesha's relentless attacks through the day. He did the only thing that the sight of those heels in attack mode would make him do…he screamed full throttle, causing everyone to jump.
It was Yash this time who stopped Kesha as she lunged at Prashant. "Stop it Kesha. I need this man in one piece to get my life in order. He is our ticket out of this place as well. If you keep on making him hurl those spine-chilling screams, we shall have the soldiers on us in no time."
"Too late…they are already here." Sir P finally moved and went for his sword in a single movement, even as Yash pushed the ladies behind the tree. He took out his cummerbund and gave to Aarti and told her to use it as a veil and hide her face. He then turned toward the sound of the running hooves.
Yash turned to Sky, "Please remove your pleasant presence and carry it to our esteemed friend in the palace and convey him the visual memorandum of this unfortunate development and also convey that we shall require his unbinding assistance in making our departure from this disreputable location of the Antiquity."
Sky stared at Yash, his jaws hanging open, "Uhhh??? C…co…could you repeat that please?"
Sir P sighed and turned to his friend with a "Yash, you really need to learn to make things short" and spoke hurriedly to Sky, "He means to say is, 'Get out and go to Kinshuk and tell him we shall need his help.' Now go before the soldiers see you."
Sky slipped away in the darkness.
They turned and saw a band of soldiers come down the hill. Yash turned to Prashant, "If you say one word regarding Aarti's origins, I swear I shall empty all the chambers of Kesha's shoes on you myself." Prashant shook his head vigorously and slithered away from Yash's deadly gaze.
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Yash'and Sir P's swords were drawn but pointed down, indicating non-aggression. The man in front held a hand to his soldiers and got down from his horse.
He came and stood in front of Yash and introduced himself, "I am Sergeant Major Karan Singh of the Third Battalion of Non-Connish Guards. May I know to whom I am addressing and what are your reasons to be here?"
Sir P coughed as Yash gave him a side glance as if to say "I hear you my friend…short it will be" before looking back at the officer, "I am Lord Yash Pratap Scindia, the middle son of King Casanova of the Kingdom of Conland and this is my friend Sir P. We are traveling with two ladies, my sister Lady Kesha and Sir P's sister Lady Tilashini. Sir P has had a tragedy in his family, hence the lady is in mourning. We were on our way to Conland, but the ladies got tired, and so we camped."
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Bua-Noncona, my Lord!! On behalf of King Slyendra I extend an invitation to step into the royal palace and enjoy our hospitality."
"Thank you, officer. I am humbled by the courtesy that should be becoming of a not-so nefarious…."Yash felt rather than heard Sir P clear his throat, "I mean we gladly accept your hospitality."
"What about me? Take me to your king too. I have something to say to him."
That's when the officer noticed the tied man in the corner smirking at him…and so didn't notice the prince's face darken with anger and one of the ladies take a step back, her face gone white behind her veil.
To be continued…..
Authors:
Kittya
Indu
Hindi TV Shows
Veer Hanuman
