Chapter 17
A slim man of slightly above average height, with dark brown hair and soft greyish green mixed with brown eyes, Thakur Alok Singh was an elegant sight as he walked across the foyer of his palatial mansion to greet Arnav.
€œHello Maharaja Saheb. Welcome to my home!€
€œHello Thakur Saheb.€
€˜Please come this way Maharaja Saheb.€ Alok ushered Arnav to an elegant drawing room. €œWill you have tea, coffee or something else?€
€œCoffee will be fine Thakur Saheb. It€™s too early for spirits yet!€
With a laugh, Alok dispatched a servant for coffee while he and Arnav discussed horses. Arnav had in mind to put 3 of his Marwari mares in stud with Alok€™s beautiful Marwari stallion, Malik in the hopes of getting 3 pure bred Marwari horses. Whether they were colts or fillies, they would be priceless as it was. The men discussed a suitable stud fee amount over coffee. With business concluded, Alok invited Arnav outside to see his horses and to have a look at Malik. Arnav agreed and they went to the stables.
Alok€™s range of horses was superb indeed. In addition to the usual Marwari breed that was the special breed of Rajasthan, he owned many thoroughbreds and Arabians as well. He didn€™t just breed horses; he also trained them for races. Alok€™s stables were famous for producing winners. Arnav took the opportunity to look around and was pleased with the high class environment available for horses. His mares would receive the best care indeed! The beautiful and showy Malik was trotted out for his inspection and taking the reins in his hand, Arnav looked him over carefully. Being of a chestnut colour with four showy socks and a star on his forehead, Malik was a prime example of his breed. He had the close, nearly touching ears that were a hallmark of his breed. He pranced around and it was easy to see that he was high spirited and Arnav was pleased with his decision
Having admired the horses, Arnav looked around for Alok and saw him standing with a slight, slim, easily recognisable man. Alok€™s stud farm manager was also his chief trainer. In the world of horse breeding and racing, Shashi Gupta was just as famous and sought after as Thakur Alok himself. Many investors approached Alok for his stud farm reputation and Shashi Gupta had the largest hand in making that reputation. It was said that he and Alok had met when they were young men in Shashi€™s hometown of Lucknow. Alok offered him a position and the highly talented but poor Shashi accepted and had been in Rajasthan since then. Many people offered Shashi many incentives but it was said that Alok and Shashi were friends as well so Shashi remained with Alok.
Arnav walked over and both men turned to him. Shashi Gupta offered him a polite nod as he greeted him:
€œNamaste Maharaja Saheb.€
€œNamaste Guptaji.€
€œShashi, Maharaja Saheb€™s mares arrive tomorrow. Have the €€€€.€
€œYes of course. The arrangements have been made. Rest assured Maharaja Saheb, they will be well treated.€
€œI know that Guptaji. Your€™s and Thakur Saheb€™s reputations are well known indeed.€
The men were busy in idle chitchat and Arnav was looking around when his eyes fell on something and he stared. In a separate enclosure of his own was a black stallion. He was pure black and on closer inspection Arnav realized that the fellow was a pure thoroughbred. He was a magnificent creature indeed with long, sleek body lines, powerful hindquarters, a shiny coat and a full mane as he ran from one end to the other. But attention worthy that the horse was, it was something else that caught Arnav€™s attention; that beautiful coat was marred with whip marks. Arnav frowned at this. The obviously expensive horse had been whipped and almost instantly Arnav€™s mouth tightened. He abhorred cruelty towards animals and he turned around to question Alok but the Thakur beat him to it.
€œI bought that horse last week Maharaja Saheb. He belonged to a wealthy man who was idiotic enough to gift him to his spoilt son. That young fool couldn€™t control him and felt the easiest way to exercise his mastery would be to whip Charan. The result was that Charan threw him and he broke a leg but by then it was too late. Charan has developed a marked antagonism towards all humans and doesn€™t allow anyone to ride him.€
€œWell, it€™s good to know that fool broke his leg but tell me, why you bought him if no one can ride him.€
€œI felt sorry for him, you see. I have many ventures that yield profit so I didn€™t need to really buy another profit turning horse. But Charan; I can give him a good home and a place to recover until he allows someone to ride him. Even if he doesn€™t, he can still remain here.€
By then Shashi had left them and Arnav and Alok walked around the stable grounds towards the racing enclosure where race horses were trained. No sooner had they reached there that a stable boy hurried over with a message for Alok. While Alok attended to the message, Arnav walked around and slowly back to the stables. Charan€™s enclosure was on the way back and as Arnav watched the beautiful horse, he saw something strange:
Alok had just told him that Charan didn€™t tolerate humans but as far as Arnav could see, there was a young fellow standing near Charan€™s enclosure while the horse was standing still, staring at the intruder. Remembering Alok€™s words, Arnav walked there slowly, thinking that someone who was unaware of the horse€™s history had ventured close. In the meantime, Charan walked closer to his young visitor. To his surprise, as Arnav watched, Charan drew near and took an apple from the young boy€™s hand.
€œThat€™s Shashi€™s nephew Aniket. Surprisingly Charan seems to like him.€
Alok€™s soft voice from behind interrupted Arnav€™s worry and he turned around to acknowledge the other man.
€œThe boy has arrived shortly from Shimla. He has been rather ill and only sometimes ventures outside and then only to see Charan.€
Arnav nodded in response as he watched. Aniket was a small fellow. He had short black hair that showed a strong tendency to curl. He was dressed in a pair of loose fitting cream colored breeches tucked in brown boots and a loose white long-sleeved shirt with an undershirt of the same white which was just visible. As Arnav watched Aniket placed his hands on Charan€™s neck, stroking it along the satiny length. Arnav watched the way his hands ran over Charan€™s neck. He had beautiful hands, he noted. Aniket€™s hands were small and delicate while the fingers were slender and tapered with clean and short nails. Arnav watched as the troubled animal allowed this child to stroke him.
After a few minutes, Aniket patted the horse and walked away from the enclosure. Alok€™s words about the boy being sick came back as Arnav noted the slow way Aniket walked and that too with a marked limp, Arnav noted.
€œAniket, kaise hai aap?€ Alok called out.
In response the boy stopped and without looking up, he turned slightly towards them and folded his hands in Namaste. He remained there for a few moments, head down until Alok called softly,
€œGo on and rest child.€
The child nodded and slowly walked away. Since Arnav was behind Alok, he only saw a glimpse of the boy€™s face is side profile but it was enough to see that the child was fair and fairly good looking.
€œAniket cannot speak,€ Alok told Arnav who shook his head at this news.
Arnav marvelled at nature where a damaged animal allowed no one else but a frail, sickly and mute boy to touch him. Maybe the hurt in the animal responded to the sickness and obvious gentleness in the child.
Later on, with his business concluded, Arnav couldn€™t stop thinking about Charan and Aniket on the way back to Devgarh Palace. The sight of Aniket€™s small hands stroking Charan€™s neck touched a chord in him; it filled him with a strange restlessness.
Back in his palace, he was disheartened to learn that there was no news of Khushi€™s tribe at all. Briefly he wondered what he would do if Khushi was married by now. No matter, he decided. He still owed her and her mother an apology and that was all that mattered. It was much later that he realized that while at Thakur Alok€™s place, Khushi€™s thoughts which were never far had not come at all!
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Hi ...can someone tell me why all apostrophe's have been replaced with double question marks...pls help me guys...so i can correct and repost this update later
Edited by angelzaib - 12 years ago
Cricket
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
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