Escapade

Rajkumari Priyambada ran through the dark forest. The rain and mud made it difficult for her to wade through as her skirt draped 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 her 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 Rajadhiraj 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.

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

It had been a month since Bondita had started working in the firm. With Somnath’s wedding date being set for winter, many things were keeping Trilochon and Kalindi busy as they took charge of the smooth running of things leading up to the wedding. They needed to shop for everyone, buy gifts and choose jewellery and sarees for the bride. Despite his attempts, Trilochon found Binoy reluctant to participate in his son’s wedding arrangements. Somnath took him and Kalindi to places they wanted to go, especially Kolkata for shopping, and Trilochon made arrangements to make sure that the first wedding of the generation was grand enough. Bondita tried to help as much as she could as she noticed Aniruddha being oddly aloof from the entire thing. She assumed it was due to Trilochon’s reactions to his lack of interest in marriage. Trilochon kept pestering her to enquire into his reasons while she kept stalling him with excuses. Bondita also failed to know more about Kalindi and Trilochon’s past, ...

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...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Purnota: Chapter Seventeen

Bondita opened the curtains of her room at The Park to find the view of Stephen Court and the street below going towards the Maidan. She eyed the double bed and placed her things on one side while lying down on the empty side. The soft bed made her yawn as she sat up, staring at the clock. She needed to change for a quick dinner. They had an early matter at the High Court, and the client’s car was supposed to pick them up around 9 AM. As she changed into a full-sleeve black top and jeans, removed her earrings and adjusted her smudged Kajal, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Aniruddha standing in a pair of jeans and a grey polo-necked T-shirt, his hair brushed back, as he cleaned his thin-rimmed glasses with the edge of his T-shirt. “Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, putting the glasses back on. As she nodded, she grabbed her handbag. They walked into The Bridge, and Bondita was a little conscious of her environment. Many foreign guests, businessmen and even s...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty One

The morning after the Chief Minister of the state attended the reception party, Binoy wrapped the newspaper that had just arrived at their threshold, eyeing the picture of him and Trilochon with the chief minister smiling proudly, made a mental note of framing it for his office in Siliguri and stepped out to see the car waiting for him in the entrance to take him to the station. He glanced over his shoulder at the house, still asleep and watched Bihari put his luggage in the back seat. Bihari had been with the Roy Chowdhury House since he was a teenager. He eyed Binoy as he lit his pipe and straightened his jacket when Bihari approached him. “Boro Saheb, should I inform Kotta Moshai once?” Binoy eyed Bihari with a disapproving glance. “If I wanted to tell him, I would have done so myself, Bihari. Where is the driver?” He checked his watch. Bihari sighed as he ran to check on the driver. Bondita stopped on the gravelled path leading from the entrance to the main gate as she watched...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Two

The winter morning was pleasant, especially when the sunshine hit the dewy grass on the lawn, and Bihari set down the porcelain cups for Trilochon and Kalindi to start their day. Kalindi had just taken up some orders to knit sweaters and mittens for some of the neighbourhood kids as she wrapped the thick brown shawl tightly around herself, on the chilly morning as she sat down on the lawn chair with her needles, pin and colourful balls of wool, as she knit a pair of mittens while waiting for Trilochon to join her. Bondita hurried out of their place and stopped at the sight of her sitting alone, unsurely. “Do you need something?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly from the wool and asked as she shook her head. “I was hoping to talk to Jyatha Moshai…” She shivered a little as Kalindi scolded her to find a sweater first. She rushed indoors as Kalindi spotted Trilochon in a thermal t-shirt, a pair of pants and a shawl walking towards her with the cane in hand. He stopped as he watched her kni...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty

Trilochon’s only desire for Som’s wedding was for it to be so grand that the entire Chandannagar remembered it for the longest time. He had also invited the leaders of the opposition, ministers and even the CM, and if rumours were to be believed, he would accept the invitation. That meant trying to impress him for a ticket to the next Lok Sabha elections. He knew the only way to do so was also to showcase Som as a prodigy. Their family name was enough to earn votes for the party in the area. “Perhaps you could tell him about Somnath Babu’s involvement in some of the projects here. Like the slum area where water was flooding the pathways…” Poritosh had suggested. “But it was done by…” Bapi Da had stopped as Trilochon shook his head, “How does it matter who did it? What matters is that we say Som did it.” They agreed. “Jyatha Moshai.” Bondita walked into his room, not expecting the elderly men from the Party office to be there. “ Bolo, Maa. ” “The Gaye Holud is here.” She smiled. “How a...

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

A week was all it took for Bondita to get used to work and the new routine. She would wake up early and hurry through her chores, helping Kalindi prepare a tiffin of either Chirer Polao or bread jam and then proceeding to the Roy Chowdhury house. She would arrange the day’s paperwork before Aniruddha arrived at the study room. Occasionally, she would hear him call out to Koeli for breakfast and pack her things, knowing he was almost ready to leave. He would walk into the chamber, check his list, and they would go to work. She would follow him from courtroom to courtroom. She would be sitting in the audience and learning. She would follow him to conferences and client meetings and take notes. They would discuss complicated cases. She would share the tiffin she brought from home. He would at first take a reluctant bite, then eat more than her. She often gave him her share of food discreetly. They usually stayed back after everyone was gone and ordered food for dinner. Some days, he woul...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Three

“So the question is, do the slum dwellers get their dues to relocate, or do they protest on the road, grabbing media attention? If one of them mentions the sewage project where all this started, we can’t guarantee not dragging certain names then. It will be beyond our control.” Bondita breathed in as she eyed everyone at the table. The conference hall of ARC & Associates had an oval table with a whiteboard, projector and podium and sitting around the table were a stenographer, Bondita’s secondary attorney, Debashish Ghosal, the contractor and his attorney Biswas, the representative of the NGO with the Union leader of the slum, Trilochon, Somnath and Aniruddha. The people of the NGO appreciated her strategy with a nod. Ghoshal looked perplexed as his lawyer whispered something in his ear. Somnath did not look up from the table as Aniruddha passed a note to Trilochon in writing. “Now the decision is yours.” Bondita continued. “We are keen on out-of-court settlement if our basic ...

Purnota: Chapter Nineteen

“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight. “Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up. “What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face. “Let me sleep, Daini !” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder. “Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn. “Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused. “Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting...

RAABTA

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