Harshvardhan threw another glance at the empty seat beside him. The Princess had been gone for some time now. Where was she, he wondered. Did she not like the performance, to walk out of the hall like this? He needed to find out, for he was missing her presence even though she couldn't have been gone for that long.
He rose quietly, noticing that the others were still engrossed in the mesmerizing movements of the dance, and strode out of the hall. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to find Lalita following him.
"She said that she was only going for a breath of fresh air. I, too was wondering what is taking her so long, my lord."
"Come, let us look for her. She must be out in the courtyard. That bench below the Champak tree is her favorite spot," Harshvardhan nodded.
The guards too had been alerted and now they came running to accompany the prince. Leading the way, Harshvardhan called out for her but received no reply. The maze of passageways was in semi-darkness, the sconces burning low.
"Bring a taper," he shouted, and a servant ran to fetch a burning torch. In its light, the group proceeded, making their way toward the courtyard. As they neared the courtyard, a faint smell greeted his nose. The sickly sweet smell disturbed him, for he could not place it. A few paces away, the scene which greeted his eyes, made the blood roar in his ears, and his heart to sink to his feet.
Pieces of colorful bangles were littered in the passageway. With trembling fingers, Harshvardhan bent down and picked up a small piece of cloth that appeared to have been torn from the veil his princess had been wearing. It did not take him long to deduce that something calamitous had taken place.
The revelry was brought to an abrupt stop and the guards were all assembled. A quick and thorough search of the palace revealed that Princess Priyadarshini was nowhere in its precincts. Clearly, she had been abducted and carried away from the palace.
*****
"Who could have done such a dastardly act? Whoever it is, has challenged our honor. They must pay for it dearly." King Yashvardhan scratched his beard in confusion, a fresh wave of anger coursing through him.
"I cannot think of anyone who would hate her so much as to do such a thing, Father." His voice trembling with fury, Harshvardhan could hardly sit still. He was itching to pick up his sword and go after the abductors, but first, he had to find out just who had carried out the daring deed.
"Are we just going to sit and conjecture on it? Who knows what trials must have befallen her in the meantime," Queen Devnandini suppressed a sob to remark, her face clearly showing her distress.
Harshvardhan squeezed her hand in comfort. "My men are out in all directions. As soon as I get a word on her whereabouts, I shall ride out with a group of warriors." With that, he walked out, too keyed up and impatient to sit still for long. A feeling of helplessness was assailing him. Out in the veranda, he stood gazing out into the distance, the torturous thought flitting through his mind that even at that very moment, his beloved must be facing untold dangers.
His reverie was broken by a hand on his arm. He turned to find a pair of deep blue eyes looking at him, the emotions flitting through them, difficult to decipher.
"What are you doing here, Neelanjana?" he bit out, not in the mood to interact with anyone.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, putting her arms around his waist. "I know that you are distraught at the events of last night, my lord. I too have been worried sick, but what can one hope to achieve by fretting over it? For all we know, the abductors could have done anything to her, sold her into slavery, or worse, god forbid. It would be wiser to accept the inevitable that our princess is lost to us."
"Shut up, you foolish woman! Keep your insincere words of comfort to yourself. I shall never give up on her. Those who have carried out this villainy will rue the day they were born."
Not expecting such an outburst from him, Neelanjana was taken aback. She had anticipated a few anguished words from the dejected husband who had lost his wife, moreover, one who was almost a new bride, but Harshvardhan's brusque words made her scowl. Putting a false smile on her lips, she backed away.
"I know you are upset, my lord, but I shall be there for you anytime you wish to seek some comfort." With that, she thought it better to depart, before his anger got out of hand.
*****
Neelanjana clasped her hands together, to control the wave of rage flowing through her. The blasted woman was powerful even in her absence. The prince was really besotted with her. She had come with such high hopes that he would seek comfort in her willing arms, but he was pining for his wife like a lovelorn fool. She would do better to find greener pastures before her position was snatched away. She should have said yes to Hassan's proposal and to hell with the consequences. She doubted that the Prince would have been able to find her, once she had traveled far enough away from the borders of his kingdom. Would he have cared enough to look?
Her hurried steps taking her away from the palace, she found another thought cross her mind. What if Hassan changed his mind and did not turn up at the end of the year with his proposal? What would she do then? Her heart shriveled to imagine that in such a case, she would have lost her position in the royal court as well as the man she cared for. Suddenly, being Hassan's wife seemed a much more inviting proposition than trying to hang on to her precarious position in the royal court. Maybe, she herself should start on a journey to his homeland. She was sure that once there, she would somehow find him. With that thought uppermost in her mind, she walked with firm steps into her mansion.
*****
Dawn found Priyadarshini far into the depths of the jungle, the cart traveling on an uneven track strewn with exposed roots and clumps of grass. With every jolt of the cart, she could feel the unevenness of the road jar her bones. Groaning with agony, she prayed for the way to end, but a thought nagged at the back of her mind. What would happen to her once she reached her destination? Would she be held captive or would she be put to death?
"Hurr...." the coachman called out to the bullocks to stop. With a screech of the wheels, the cart came to a stop in the middle of a clearing. The coachman climbed down from his perch and came to the back where the princess was tied. Soon two men joined him, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
"Let us carry her into the shack. The master is waiting there," one of the men spoke to the coachman, untying the rope on her feet. Her hands still tied, she was pushed towards a shack standing in the middle of the clearing. The dilapidated structure stood with its wooden walls and the door which drunkenly leaned on its hinges.
Priyadarshini stepped towards it with great reluctance, her heart pounding with dread at what she would find there. The men nudged her forward and she stumbled more than once. The door opened to reveal an unkempt room, with a cot against one wall and a bucket of water in a corner. An obnoxious odor assailed her nostrils, being the result of a thick layer of dust and grime lying on every surface. As she surveyed the room, a grimace of distaste on her face, her eyes fell on the man who was sitting with his back against the wall, looking at her with a devious expression.
As he rose from his perch, she guessed his identity from his features which resembled her father-in-law, King Yashvardhan. 'So, this is Rajyavardhan, my uncle by marriage,' she realized with a feeling of dread spreading through her being which made her legs go weak. Before she could say something, he came to stand in front of her.
"Welcome, dear daughter-in-law. You have made me wait long," he said with a devilish grin on his face. A face marked by handsome features, an aquiline nose, bright eyes, and a demeanor that would have been impressive but for the perpetual sheen of dissatisfaction and avarice which characterized his face.
"Stay away, Uncle!" she exclaimed in alarm, taking a step backward. "Why have you brought me here? What have I ever done to you?"
He gave a scowling look her way. "You, my dear daughter-in-law, have foiled my well-laid out plan. You have had the temerity to come in the way of my ambitions, my life's desire."
"Ho...how?" she croaked, beads of sweat pooling on her forehead even in the chill of the morning hour.
"Bah! Don't you remember how you had stabbed poor Sumer Singh in Reshamgarh when he had been just a hair's breadth away from sending that nephew of mine to meet his maker? At that moment, I had sworn to myself that I would avenge the death of my plans, and my dreams, and to do that I had to start with you. Your death will bring me untold pleasure, my dear." he said, rubbing his hands in glee.
Priyadarshini could only stare at him dumbfounded. So, all this time, Sumer had been hand in glove with the enemy of Jaigarh and had tried to kill the Prince just to gain benefits from this unprincipled scoundrel. She felt revulsion well up in her heart for these shameless men, who were utterly lacking in scruples or loyalty. Here she was, in front of one of them, and it was debatable whether she would be alive to see the next sunrise. She wasn't fearful for herself, but the thought of her as yet unborn child to be sacrificed at the altar of his greed, made her shiver with trepidation.
Taking all her courage into her hand, she addressed him. "Have a care, Uncle. I am with child, and I think even you would think twice before putting a pregnant woman to death."
He guffawed with laughter, a demonic sound that was enough to put the fear of death into her heart. He was a madman. His unfulfilled aspirations had unhinged him.
"All the more reason, woman, to end your life and the bloodline of my brother." With that, he walked out, slamming the door shut after him, leaving her alone to await a terrible fate.
Outside the shack, Rajyavardhan clapped his hands, gesturing all his men to gather in the clearing. Some twenty-odd men rushed to the spot, their swords hanging by their sides. They were a motley crew, some with scars running on their faces, and even a one-eyed one among them. It was debatable if they were soldiers, or mercenaries summoned to do his bidding for a price.
"Be ready, my friends. On the full moon on the morrow, we sacrifice her to the gods. Till then, be on guard, that not even a breeze may enter that shack."