RADHANAYA

PART 1

"Never knew Vidyut Agnivanshi is such a coward tying up a weapon less man , why don't you give a sword in my hand , let's have a actually fight " The tied men laughed with sarcasm looking at his enemy's who had tied him down from the past two days

"I am as much eager to fight you Arjun Rathore but unlike you I'm very much obedient of my father "
Vidyut glanced at him and then looked at his armed mens signalling them

"Give him a good treatment " he looked back at Arjun before walking out of the dark room not before warning his workers

'Be aware don't let the shackles losen up  he's no less than a wild animal  " he said refering to Arjun Rathore

The men started hitting Arjun  with full force , rods and whips but not a single scream left him he stood their enduring their hits that's when his eyes landed on the women who was looking at everything though the small window , he saw her flitching with every hit , he saw the emotions of sympathy in her black eyes and  that's the thing he hates the most "sympathy", he looked away from her direction , enduring all the hits silently and surprisingly after an hour they  stopped leaving him alone with his hands still hanging on the poles
Soon he heard the voice of anklets slowly reaching him , he looked at the owner and to his suprise the  the same women was entering the room silently with a bowl of maybe ointment in her hands
Arjun looked at her curious and suprised
She stood infront of him and looked at  his body which was dripping with blood
Using her own dhupatta she slowly wiped his body  with her shaky hands

"Who are you " Arjun asked her
"Radhanaya Agnivanshi"
She softly said applying the turmeric paste on his shoulders making him winch in sweet pain
But  he wasn't just a injured man he was the grandson of their enemy who was  held  imprisonment by her father and brother but here she  was  still  helping him

"You are commenting a sin " came his deep voice filled with sarcasm but she ignored it focusing of her work
"Your wounds will heal before tomorrow morning"
She said and turned around to exit the small room

"Tomorrow I'll be out of this jail and will be crowned as the king of jodhpur tell your father and trust me  the first thing I'll do is tell your father who healed me , I'm already dying to see that betrayal in his eyes"
His raspy word's made her heart beat at an anonymous speed
She clenched her fists tightly
"Escaping with broken legs and tied hands seems funny to me also never knew The Rathore's were this ungrateful" she replied and moved out of the prisoners chamber hiding herself from every constable present there

Later In her chamber

"What have you done Radhanaya , who asked you to apply medicine on his wounds "! Her sister lavanya yelled at her
"I saw them hitting him without any mercy lavanya i just helped him without even thinking about the outcome i just did it but he isn't someone who did bad to us or to our kindom it's his family why do generations have to suffer "

Her sister looked at her with a caring gaze
"That's how it works Radhanaya no matter who commits the crime the revenge and war continues from generation to generation don't even think of doing something like this ever again .Betraying your own family isn't something to be proud off" her sister said and walked away

Radhanaya looked at the blood coated dhupatta in her hands tears filled her eyes she betrayed her family , she held her breath before stuffing the dhupatta into one of the old boxes

The next morning there was a unusual silence in the  palace , every kitchen worker, the attendees, the gardeners stood infront of the their king with their heads down

" No one ! Out of 500 attendees no one knows who helped the Arjun Rathore to escape!" The king Rajan Agnivanshi yelled with his old yet powerful voice, everyone present there started muttering among themselves but the kings focus was on the piece of paper in his hand

" She was such a sweetheart to help me , thank her"

" Bring every maid here and slash them untill someone admits " The king  roared looking at his son Vidyut Agnivanshi with anger

Radhanaya snapped her head at this statement of her father she moved to stepforward only to be stopped by her sister
"Don't Radhanaya let it happen,  some hours and all of it will stop don't ruin the situation "
Shaking her head as a no she removed her sisters wrist, she can't let others suffer and her own brother get shamed because of what she did

"I helped him di , it was me i won't let all of them take the concicuences for my deeds "
With that she boldly moved towards her father
"Don't be a fool Radhanaya listen for once '

"I helped him baba " the crowd gasped at the sudden piece of  information everyone looked at their princess with betrayal , the King felt his eyes softening thinking his daughter is lying to save the maids but the reality was something else , he caressed her head before speaking
"I know you can't see people suffering but i need to find the real culprit princess go and sit -

"I'm not helping anyone dad i was the one who dressed the man's wounds yesterday , i sneaked into his chamber"  Radhanaya  confessed with her teary eyes and looked up at her father who eyes went blank
The look of concern was now replacement with anger and betrayal
"Like mother like daughter" That's the only sentence that left his mouth and it was filled with disgust and anger
the palace suddenly went silent no more yelling and mutters could be heard ,  Radhanaya felt her feets glued to the ground never has she imagined hearing these words from her father who loved her more than himself
"Baba" she finally let her tears out asking her father to take his words back
"Dhokha dena to khoon me h tumhare"
( Translation - cheating is in your blood )

She closed her eyes shaking her head
" I never knew he would run away baba i just applied an ointment on his wounds baba , nothing else I'm not a cheater or a betrayer"

" Do we put ointment on our enemy's Radhanaya Agnivanshi!  we don't! Knowing very well about the hatred the two kingdoms share  don't you remember years ago they burnt  our village's house's were  burnt into  ashes our people were burnt alive and when we finally got the chance to give it all back your stupidity ruined everything! " Her father's yelled at her

" It was the fight between our grandfather's why are we continuing to g- Radhanaya tried to say but

"Take her and lock her in the prison chambers" came her brothers hurtfilled voice she looked at him in shock and then at her father shaking her head as no but her father's word's shocked her

"Yes Take her " he simply said

She lowered her eyes in humiliation and shame as the two attendees started dragging her away,she looked at her father and brother wanting for them to stop these attendees for dragging her

Suddenly a attendee rushed inside
"King! The Rathores are here to meet you no weapons found"

That's when she saw him walking inside their palace hall , she felt his eyes on her while she was being dragged
She lowered her eyes in humiliation and shame

To be continued