Escapade

Rajkumari Priyambada ran through the dark forest. The rain and mud made it difficult for her to wade through as her drape wrapped around her legs, was soaked and muddy, hugging her body, making it difficult for her to run faster. Desperate to get through without getting caught, Priyambada lifted her clothes to her knees and ran as fast as she could. She could feel her breath and heartbeat over everything, but had to go on. Her knees were weak, and her injured head still throbbed. She thanked her stars for paying attention in self-defence classes. A fire in the tent gave the enemy no option but to vacate it and douse its flames. That occupied them enough. Now all she had to do was find her mother and go across the border to her maternal uncle’s kingdom. Once she reached there, she would be safe. Perhaps mother and brother are already there. Her thoughts ran as fast as she did. She didn’t know how she would find her mother, but she was not ready to surrender without a fight.

Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev Varman inhaled sharply, watching the soldiers douse the fire that engulfed the tent using buckets of water from the riverbank. The princess’s allies Devdoot and Urvi stood bound in chains.
“How did she find something to light a fire with?” His voice boomed through the night. “Who helped her?” He took his dagger out of his waistband and held it to a shivering Devdoot’s neck. He seemed a little too thin to be the bodyguard of the princess, but it seemed like he was trusted enough with it. And Ishaan Dev found his body language quite feminine for his liking. The young man had his eyes lowered and his head bowed. Ishaan Dev checked his temper. He already regretted sparing the infant prince. The wails of a mother begging for the life of a four-year-old in her arms disturbed him. She was ready to trade her state and her daughter for the life of her infant son. She oddly reminded him of the women he had left behind back home, his mother and sister. He didn’t go near the acquired prize, but he could see she was barely of age. He had agreed to take the risk of letting the Wind clan's infant prince survive, under his terms. He was perhaps not as ready for war as he thought he was. He was not ready to kill a four-year-old as a potential threat.

If he didn’t try to find her, there was a good chance she would be eaten by some animals that night, and if she survived, she would never find her way to her mother. He had made sure of that. Was she even a threat? Ishaan Dev grunted. He knew his conscience wouldn’t let him be.

“Bring me my horse.” He instructed, picking up his sword. “Let’s find her before she gets preyed on by the wolves.” Urvi looked up at his words as he mounted the sturdy white stallion, Vidyut, and rode off into the darkness.

Priyambada was alerted by the sound of approaching hooves as she sought an ambush in the ruins of an ancient temple in the darkness of the night. Her only escape. She had run inside and hid behind the black-stoned Phallus. She knew the architecture around was quite familiar to those in the fort. Did that mean the enemy was still within the borders of Neelambargarh? She folded her hands to the Lord. He knew how to keep her safe. He had always protected her. She closed her eyes and sobbed.

“Save me, O Lord!” She whispered. “Save Neelambargarh from these evil people!”

Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev pulled the reins of his horse as he came by the ancient temple. Something seemed to draw him towards it as he alighted and walked up the broken moss-covered steps of the temple, to only be met by a large hooded snake. The sound of the sword swinging behind her made Priyambada gasp in alarm as Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev cut the approaching snake into two; “God have mercy.” He spoke under his breath, realising he was standing before the one who wrapped the snake around his neck. The next thing his eyes fell on was the shadowy figure behind it. The sight of Ishaan Dev had filled Priyambada with chills to her bones as she couldn’t feel her legs anymore to escape. She was trapped with the black-stoned Phallus between her and her impending doom, Ishaan Dev. On whose side the Almighty was, Priyambada wondered.

She looked more fragile than he remembered when he had first set eyes on her in the tunnel. She was still unconscious as he was told when she was brought to the camp. He hadn’t shown any inkling of interest in his prize. The enemy was killed, the kingdom was soon to be his, and everything else came in addition to that. Even this pain of a responsibility he had taken up in one weak moment, seeing a pleading mother’s tears. He cursed himself for that. His father didn’t approve, but neither did he stop the prince. Perhaps Rajadhiraja Trikal Dev was aware that his son would eventually learn from such mistakes. Now, Ishaan Dev wished his father had stopped him. This was his doing. He looked into the blank but fearless eyes looking back at him. Her body could look as fragile as an injured prey, but her eyes were fierce.

“How dare you escape?” He jolted her with his heavy voice as he crossed over and picked her up, grabbing her upper arm forcibly. It hurt her. He knew it did. He just couldn’t care less. His eyes had primitive hunger in them. Of revenge, anger and the unfinished lust he had to give up on for… this? He expected her to fear him. Surrender to his might. Ishaan Dev was taken aback as she struggled to free her hand. Her other hand reached for the trident that stood beside the stone statue. Anticipating her move, Ishaan Dev landed her on the ground with a resonating slap.

“Now I see why enemies shouldn’t be treated with respect. You don’t deserve any.” His voice did very little as her jaws tightened. She removed the locks of hair falling over her face and looked up at him. “Accept your defeat like a true royal and surrender to your fate!”

“Then treat me like you should. A piece of meat. To have the pleasure of taking and killing.” She stood up with a little stumble to face him. “Or perhaps killing first, before having?” Ishaan Dev inhaled at the sheer audacity of the girl. How old was she? His mother always said only the bravest and boldest gave a fight till the end. Which one was she?

“What happened? Kill me already. It is better than living every day around all of you.” Her voice was challenging. Ishaan Dev’s eyes lit up. Was he admiring her? Rajkumari Priyambada could not tell. The man looked in his early twenties, rugged and fair. His hair fell to his shoulders in waves, and there was a mark on his chin, perhaps a permanent mark left from the blade of a sword in the past. He wore stubble, very unlike men his age, who preferred a moustache. Ishaan Dev stepped forward, closing the gap between them, trying to intimidate her. But Priyambada stood her ground, unnerved. His lips curved just a little. Was he smiling? Amused? Taunting? Priyambada frowned.

“Oh, trust me, had I wanted, you would have been dealt with this very moment. I don’t spare betrayals.” The sound of more hooves approaching made Priyambada feel weaker on her knees. Her body was giving up on her. She knew there was no escape from this torture any time soon as Ishaan Dev stepped back and the guards surrounded her.

"But killing you will be like sparing you. I would prefer to imprison you so that you remember the lesson of messing with me every day you breathe and survive." She struggled in the arms of the two soldiers who now caught hold of her as her hawk eyes watched the prince mount his horse and leave, gesturing at the soldiers to follow him back to the camp, without sparing a single glance at her.

Sibling's Day

Shakti always had a very strict sibling equation with Pratap. Though they were only two years apart, the siblings had very different tastes and preferences. For Shakti, Pratap's disciplined and well-planned life looked like he was missing out on a lot of things. He sometimes didn't even approve of how impulsive Pratap was when he was emotional. Shakti, on the other hand, prioritised experiences over plans. He never found a need to feel deeply for anything the way Pratap did, and over the years, mostly in Pratap's absence from the family, he had managed to find a way with his parents. But he didn't really have any other elder sibling figure. All his cousins' sisters were close to him and younger. But with Ajabdeh, he had developed this very strong connection over the past few weeks. As a child, Shakti's playmate in the house used to be Sajja, while his father worked, his mother ran NGOs, and Pratap was always found with his head in a book. Ajabdeh was up for an...

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Four

Aniruddha tapped his black loafers on the Italian marble floor of the entrance as he eyed his watch. It was almost half past five. He checked himself in the full-size mirror beside the coat hanger, looking fresh as he shaved and bathed, set his hair, chose a white summer blazer over his black shirt and trousers and abandoned the idea of a tie. He cleaned his glasses with the handkerchief, contemplating whether he should knock at Asha’s door, telling Bondita to hurry. He wondered what the women were doing there for such a long time. He could hear them giggling and gossiping as he walked past the room. He wondered what huge deal a party was that a woman needed another to help her dress up. He took out his phone and wondered if he should call her downstairs instead to avoid the awkwardness of knocking on the door. It was then that Aniruddha heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up in a reflex. He would give her a piece of his mind for wasting precious moments, especially when they...

AAYA TERE DAR PAR DEEWANA

Pratap was outside the gates of Meera Girls College in Udaipur by the next afternoon, unsure of whether to go in and ask for her. He spotted a few girls walking out, and one of them kept staring at him suspiciously before approaching him. He stood in his spot, still awkward as she asked, “Aren’t you that ASI guy that Roshni met?” “I… what?” Pratap narrowed his eyes “I am sorry, I don’t remember you.” “I am Mahek.” The girl waved her hand and smiled, “I was with her at Chawand.” “Oh, I see.” Pratap sighed. “I found some information that might help her …err… project.” He stopped at Mahek’s suspicious frown. “So I thought…” “You came all the way here to give her some information about her project?” Pratap cursed himself inwardly. Indeed, that sounded lame when she repeated it. “Why didn’t you call her?” “I…” He cleared his throat “I lost her number, so… I was hoping that she would be interested in an on-field internship…” “Oh, wait, I will give you her number. But she isn’t here, and I do...

His Wife

" Where is the Kesar, Rama? And the Kalash?" Ajabdeh looked visibly displeased at the ladies who ran around. " They are at the fort gates, and nothing is ready yet!" She exclaimed. She was clad in a red lehenga and the jewellery she had inherited as the first Kunwarani of the crown prince. Little Amar ran down the hallway towards his mother. " Maasa Maasa... who is coming with Daajiraj?" His innocent question made her heart sink. " Bhanwar Ji." Sajja Bai called out to him. " Come here, I will tell you." Amar rushed to his Majhli Dadisa., " Ajabdeh." She turned at Jaivanta Bai's call. "They are here." " M... My Aarti thali..." Ajabde looked lost like never before. Jaivanta Bai held her stone-cold hands, making her stop. She patted her head and gave her a hug. The hug gave her the comfort she was looking for as her racing heart calmed down. Jaivanta Bai left her alone with her thaal. " Maa sa!" ...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Five

Aniruddha stared at the clock on his chamber wall for the third time and verified its working condition by checking it with his watch. He had asked Bondita to come to his chambers at six. It was almost six-ten and there was no sign of her. The peon he had sent to call her in had also left. He wondered if she had gone home earlier than usual. But then would she not have informed him? He eyed the partnership deed he had prepared to be signed, going through the terms one last time before he decided to go downstairs and see where she was for himself. As soon as Aniruddha got up, taking the coat from behind his chair to go, gathering the paperwork of the deed, a knock resonated on the door as he straightened his glasses and found his most professional voice to ask her to come in. Bondita looked a little breathless as though she had run up the stairs and apologised in a hurry, “Sorry, sorry… Meghna had some issues with her computer.” “There is a tech guy for that.” He narrowed his brows slig...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Three

Trilochon and Kalindi were having tea in the morning in their living room when Binoy walked downstairs in his Pajama Panjabi, pipe in hand and found them. Watching him unusually in his home attire, Trilochon frowned. “Are you sick? I thought you had already left.” Binoy sat down on the single chaise chair beside the couch as Kalindi poured some tea for him. “ I told you, Dada, I am here to retire.” He said, putting his pipe in his pocket. “Today, Som is going alone. We will see how that goes.” Their conversation was interrupted by Asha coming into the house in a white and red saree, with a red sindoor Teep on her forehead. She had a basket with her, and Koeli was accompanying her as she offered them the sweets she had taken as Prasad. “Since it’s his first day at the new position, we went to the temple together.” Asha narrated to Kalindi. “He left for work from there.” “Do you not have school today?” Kalindi enquired as Asha shook her head. She smiled, eyeing Trilochon, who narra...

The Adventure of PI Ved: The Case in London

There is something funny about the phrase “as dead as a doornail.” Why? Because I am dead and I don’t look like a nail of any sort. I lie on my living room carpet, hands stretched out, the knife stuck to my back...such a backstabber. I hated them all my life! And what is the purpose of killing me? It is not like I would have lived much longer, I was eighty-five, for God’s sake! I lay here, the blood turning thick as I stared at the painting on the wall. It is such a hideous painting. I bought it for so much money, I was duped. I am waiting for the morning when my caregiver arrives to discover me on the floor. But I feel they are still around, looking for something. Searching every room. It is around 7 AM that she rings the bell. She bangs the door. She yells out, “Mr Smith!” Oh no, she is going back. Come back here, you fool! The criminal must still be upstairs. I hear them come down the wooden staircase and exit from the back door. Now the useless caregiver lady is back. Oh, she ...

Purnota: Epilogue

“Hello?” Saudamini’s voice was heard on the other end of the telephone as Aniruddha breathed in. “Mini, this is Aniruddha.” “Oh, Ani, how are you? How is Bondita?” Her voice changed from doubtful to excited. Aniruddha was standing by the couch in the living room with a phone book on the coffee table and a sheet of paper with a guest list in his hand. The mention of Bondita made him involuntarily eye the visible corridor to the dining area, where he could hear her voice, instructing Koeli. Ever since the marriage, she seemed to have taken up the job of ordering everyone around the house like a true landlord, and even he was not spared from her occasional orders. That is exactly how he had landed on the couch with a phone book. “Umm… she is good. Everyone’s good. I’m calling because…” “Oh, do tell her I truly apologise for not attending the wedding. I know she was disappointed with me and thought it was some payback for her not attending mine.” An amused smile formed on Aniruddha’s lips ...

Embracing Truths

Rana Udai Singh had sent his Senapati Kunwar Partap back to Chittorgarh because Dungarpur had summoned them to the battlefield. How did a friendly visit culminate in a war? Rumours spread faster than wildfires in Mewar. Rana Udai Singh was attending a Mehfil where he liked one of the King’s best dancers. He wanted to take her back to Chittorgarh, and the king, who took pride in art, refused to part with his best dancer. Udai Singh, at the height of intoxication, abused the king, insulted his dynasty and almost forced the dancer girl to follow him, leading to an altercation. What he expected now was for Kunwar Partap to lead an army to Dungarpur, wage a war and force the king to apologise. Kunwar Partap was appalled by what he heard from the soldier. Could the Rana not understand that he could not make any more enemies? He asked his troops to prepare to leave and informed Raoji. Ajbante Kanwar ran down the corridor to her chambers as fast as she could. She did not care if anyone saw her...

RAABTA

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