Pavalanageri, Shoolin
The crowd at the bottom of the hill was clearing up. Fleets of his army were in constant move into the sea in the warships he had gotten from Shoolin in exchange of golds, slaves and a promised treasure. Ranganathan was finally seeing his long-time plan coming to life, he could feel it in his bones. He wouldn't lie to himself if he wasn't confident.
When he heard of Nakshathra's disappearance, Ranganathan questioned his goal. He doubted his effort, it's worth and the aftermath. Somewhere within him, a sense of responsibility flashed—concern for his niece he had never met before swamped him. But it only lasted for a couple of days until he received a message from Alli.
He learnt that Nakshathra had returned and left for Durja to meet Alli and that, she was going there to find a way to negotiate and get her people back. "This is the right time," he told Shijay. A perfect time to send his armies to Kavish and siege the country when they have all their attention on the princess who left to Durja.
Shijay patted Ranganathan's back, a satisfactory smile played on his lips. "You sure, you don't want me to go with you?" he asked.
Ranganathan nodded in reply. "You have helped me enough. It's my battle, let me take charge. I am grateful for everything you have done." They hiked down the hill and headed to their awaiting chariot. As they made, their way down, Ranganathan stopped his friend. "Maharaja, I have one request."
"What's that?"
"If I get caught or die fighting, please take care of Chitramala."
"Why are you even think of that? Don't you have confidence in my soldiers?"
"I do but it's something about gut feeling you know. It keeps telling me otherwise. I don't know but my thoughts are drawing towards my niece, a sense of duty as a father figure. I don't know what I am blabbering but ...." Ranganathan bit his lower lip, putting an end to whatever his brain was wrecking up.
Shijay looked at him with compassion. "Despite all that the family have done to you, you are still drawn to think about them. You are something else, Ranga." Shijay racked his fingers through his hair, the smile faded slowly. "But if anything happens to you, I may not just sit and watch. You are my friend and I'll do what I need to do. End of discussion. Let's go."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Mahina, Durja
It was a shower of purple petals gently swaying up and down, dancing in the rhythm of the mild breeze before spinning to a rest on the warm earth. Its beauty once vivid among the greens on the tree now adorned the dry soil where the last vestige of its purple charm laid to be endeared by those with heart as soft as the petals.
Nakshathra sat beneath the large Dhumra Droni tree. Her feet buried in a layer of fallen petals while her eyes stuck on the bed of petals resting under the shade of its home. Her mind wandered back for the numerous times to what the hut owner in the hill had suggested. Was that the only help she can get to reach her people? And what kind of help can she ask? Her finger drummed vigorously on the rock she was on before she slammed her hand on it, growling in frustration.
If only they were as strong as Durja in terms of military strength, Kavish would have retrieved all of it abducted people. In fact, they might have avoided the entire loss. She wouldn't need to contemplate on the kind of sacrifice she has to make. Nakshathra swallowed the lump in her throat, throwing her head back, her eyes catching the different shades of the petals falling.
"Your highness, if I may..." A voice whispered.
Ashutosh stood three feet away from her, waiting for her respond. She followed his hand gestured and nodded. "Yes, of course," she replied as she watched the middled aged man sat on a rock near her.
"It's a tough place to be, isn't it, Your Highness?" He asked after a moment of silence. "To be the sole decision maker," he added.
A sad smile stretched on her round tired face. "It is especially when sacrifices need to be made." She entwined her fingers together in a tight clasp. "Whether to give myself up as someone's wife or as someone to knock around in return of my people." Far from the busy roads, her eyes fell on an employer pushing his weak worker to the ground. The worker took in all the hit without a word nor anyone around intervened. Perhaps it would make no difference to him.
Silence followed.
"There isn't much difference in both if I look into closely. The only difference is, for the former I might go to the other side in full glory with celebration not knowing what really awaits me while the latter I go in agonising silence knowing fully what I'll be receiving. Eventually, the kind of freedom I had sought for in my country will no longer be mine..." She looked away, wiping off a tear. "But my one choice will give freedom to thousands of others. Right now, the question is how am I going to do it?"
Nakshathra found herself sharing her inner plight to someone she had just met and she felt better. She did not get any reaction like trying to stop her from committing into any of it nor attempting to find some other way but simply listening.
"Your Highness, if you ask me, I will say whatever choice you to take, we, the people who have been abducted will feel bad," Ashutosh said. "And honestly, it will only last for a short while because all we wanted was for someone responsible to rescue us out of the hell hole."
Birds flew, carts rolled pass, people went about their work like nothing happened. The worker who has hit by his employer was left on his own to pull himself back on his feet. He was sad, broken and humiliated all at once. What she saw was a live preview of what Ashutosh had said, Nakshathra nodded her head agreeing to his admission.
"It does hurt a little but thank you for your sincerity. That's how humans are, aren't they? I would do the same—feel bad and forget."
From the corner of her eyes, she knew Ashutosh was observing her. Did he see her as a pitiful thing or simply a key to freedom? She knew not and she didn't wish to dwell in her possible future state. Nakshathra had a lot on her plate but mostly she was disorientated. The more she reflected on their empty discovery from Indrud to Mahina, the more her mind inclined to the lady's advice. As she dwelled in the thought, she was interrupted.
"I was in their captivity for seven years before I got a chance to find a way out for myself. Life in there isn't bad but worst." Ashutosh opened up for the first time on his experience as a captive in Alli's prison. "There will be no water, no food, no proper place to sleep nor we were excused to relieve ourselves. We had to do everything in the same place."
Nakshathra held herself from scrunching her face, not because it sounded disgusting but not to make him feel worse than he was back then. Guilty. She felt guilty for not acting sooner, she wasn't doing it now either but simply sitting under the shade, out in the open. Maybe she never really knew what will the life of the captives be after being abducted. Was I naïve or simply ignorant?
"Every time she comes to the prison, someone or the other would challenge her, confidently yells at her that we will be saved. The king, the princes, the princess will come for us and every time one says it, their either lose their tongue or life," he added. Ashutosh had no emotion on his face as he shared her the details. Perhaps he had seen so much to be shaken by a mere share of information.
But to her the news was like a huge blow as she stared at him with big wide eyes, tears blurring her vision, Nakshathra bunched her saree with her trembling hands. She was at loss of words. Innocents die because of her family and for the faith they had on them. What did they do to deserve a punishment as such? Who does Alli think she is?
"Your Highness, I never meant to nit-pick you but for you to fight you need strong forces with you. I don't know who is the lady behind the mask, she sure has some kind of military power. You need to have equal strength too but it will be too much to bring armies marching from Kavish to here. You will need local support and I suggest a talk with the crown prince will help. The entire Durja army listens to him."
There it came again, crown prince. Nakshathra took a deep breath; she had no more reasons to contemplate. Her people are suffering every minute and she was wasting it by her unending process of thinking, if she has to get the Yuvaraja's help then so be it.
If an alliance was what she needs to bring her people back to their families, she will do it.
"Do you think you can set up a meeting with the crown prince?" She asked, her mind cleared with resolute to put an end.
Ashutosh smiled and nodded, "Yes, I can but we need to wait for a few days. Once the prince is out, I'll find a way to get him to meet you." He rose to his feet, bowed and left as quietly as he came.
She watched at his retreating back with a question, did he come here to comfort her or to convince her to meet the prince?
Or is there a hidden agenda?
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Mahina, Durja
Nakshathra's idea to meet Durja's Yuvaraja was to convince him somehow to mobilize his army to search the entire country for the illegally captured prisoners from Kavish but the message she received anonymously shook her ground. Not only did it shake her ground but had her wail out loud until Arunya who has in the next-door room rush to her side.
Arunya found her and the room in the most dishevelled stated, the bed was pushed, the sheets were scattered far from where it supposed to be, the furniture were toppled and Nakshathra laid at a corner of the room as if she herself was thrown to the side.
"What's wrong with you? Are you alright?" Arunya's voice trembled as her hands looked for any wounds on Nakshathra's body and wiped the tears off her face.
"I am not," she said, eyes locked to at nothing in particular. "Leave me alone and tell Ashutosh to see me tomorrow morning." Nakshathra pushed Arunya away, tears in her eyes continued to spill as she turned her back.
Lightning illuminated the dark cloudy sky for an instance before leaving the city in dark again. Her own hopes seemed like lightning to her, it came to be something she looked forward for and then left her with single ultimate choice she never wanted. Despite her will, Nakshathra knew what she had to do now. The message in her hand gave her the answer of what she really needed to do to get her people back.
*-*-*-*-*-*
Ramani watched the princess of Kavish be wretched by the message she had pushed through the door's gap. Unknowingly, a sad yet sly smile stretched across her face as if she had reached a milestone. How satisfying was it to see a lady born in silver spoon be in such a miserable state because of a tiny note? How satisfying was it to see a lady who feels sad on a comfortable bed for those rotting in mess?
"At least now the royal family will understand the pain we have all been through all these years," she huffed. Ramani rushed back to her room with lighter heart. Part of her quest to retrieve her father was done, now she will need to wait for things to unfold.
-*-*-*-*-*-
The humongous crowd gathered around the prince as he came out for his weekly visit. When Ashutosh enquired about the sudden growth in the number, they said the crown prince and the young prince will be seen together in public for the first time ever. Each one in the crowd moved as if they were all invisibly being pulled in one direction—to the palace gate. Although it didn't seem special to him, he simply played along smiling and cheering with the fellow people gathered there.
A long wait later, the crowd at the front most cheered with showers of flower petals most of it were the Dhumra Droni. They were screaming, waving and hailing at the princes trotting through the crowds with bright smile and warm hand gestures. Ashutosh stepped out of the crowd and followed the princes' path as they moved out of the city, all the while contemplating on the crown prince's ability to help them.
I know, I might be pushing my princess into a hell hole but there isn't much choices left. The prince I heard was a good man, a kind and righteous one. He has to be the only one who can help us and protect my princess from harm's way. He will, won't he? I am certain he will, I have heard a lot of good things about the prince.
The fugitive followed the princes until there were no more people gathered to see them. He trotted behind the princes and their guards at a distance until they stopped at a local market. Much to his surprise, the market was not as he expected. It was busy with people, the princes and the guards slipped into the market in a less distinctive manner. Abandoning their royal attire, the princes had switched into the dress of a commoners and have merged into the crowd. However, Ashutosh fixed his gaze of the prince as he carefully weaved through the busy market.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
A missionary bird fluttered into her chambers carrying a message. Alli jogged to the bird and read the note. A message from Ramani.
They will be meeting at Angs Bridge after ninth bell.
"Hmmm....," she hummed and sent off the bird back to where it came from as she leaned against the window sill. A corner of her mouth quirked up, Alli recalled an incident as she brought the note to a lamp, burning it to ashes.
The pain the princess inflicted her in that forest was still vivid in her mind. The strong and determined young lady was indeed a perfect opponent to play, dissuaded yet she pulled herself into focus. A lady with wavering focus within her reach. Alli stretched her hand out at the window in the direction where Arana Square stood and closed her hand into fist as if imagining to catch her target. Her brain racked for a way to start her long awaited plan.
As thunder rumbled and strokes of lightning flashed here and there, the sky turned gloomy. Alli's eyes sparked with devious look as she watched the continuous lightning show. "Of course!" She cackled as she clapped her hand. "I could use them. Yes, that's it." Alli laughed.
The louder she laughed the more villainous she sounded.
-*-*-*-*-*
The sky darkened close to the colour of the sea; it was a warning for a heavy downpour. It had been threatening since morning and the rain was yet to come. He had finished his duty addressing his guards for the night, left a note to Prithvi of his secret meeting and he marched out of the palace in the dress of a commoner.
Under the Angs bridge, he stood by the pier with a single small torch. He carefully made the torch stood with the help of the rocks keeping it away from people's view. There in the dark, cold, quiet and dried-up river, he sat with curiosity as to who the lady from the other side wished to meet him.
Is it her? His mind wandered to the only lady he knew from the other end of Lambodara. It could be someone else too but why in secret?
As he dwelled in the thought, short footfall approached, lighter and slower. Whoever making their way to the bridge was trying to be careful not to attract unwanted attention. Dhruva turned at the direction of the footfall. The footfall belonged to a lady, lantern in a hand while another tried to shield herself from the heavy drizzle that had begun.
Even in the little light from the lantern, obstructed by the sharp lines of the rain, he knew who was coming. His hand involuntarily held his fast-beating heart against his chest. He had not prepared for the day, not prepared to meet her. What was she doing in Durja? What would he tell her when she sees him? Will she be upset to find out about him? Does she already know who he was? He stood rooted to the ground, with anticipation of what to come next as she, Nakshathra stood before him half drenched in rain with puzzled looked.
"Dhruva?" His name left her lips in almost a whisper but he caught her disappointment lace through the way it sounded.
She stared at him as if she was dreaming.
For weeks his day begin with Prithvi and had always ended the day it with her image in his mind. Today, she stood before him, clad in a simply saree, hair bounded as always. And she looked unlike he had ever seen her... drained and exhausted. As if she had walked from Kavish to Durja, she was completely worn out.
His initial thought of her being aware of his identity was never there, he had know from the instant flared eyes and parted lips, she was as surprised to see him.
Will he get a chance to explain? Will she understand why he hid his identity?
*-*--*--*