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Apaar
I turned towards the halting voice and found the weary face of Bhuwan. He was wielding a sword which was stained in red color and his red kurta was also reflecting the same hue.
Do I have to fight with him too? I asked my consciousness and it told me to wait for his explanation.
"Kya hua Bhuwan ji? Aap ise kyun bachana chahte hain? (What happened? Why do you want to save him?)" I trapped my enemy's neck between the rock and my foot.
"Sahib ise maf kar dijiye, ye mhara damad hai (forgive him, he is my son in law)" I looked at the old man and then slowly removed my foot from his neck.
"Re chhora, tu aththe Kai ayo? (Hey boy, why did you come here)" he grabbed his son in law collar and made him stand on his feet.
"Bapu sa, mhare ko lagya k ye shehri mhare gaon walan ne Mar raha se (father in law, I thought that this city dweller is beating my villagers)" he touched Bhuwan's feet immediately before replying.
"Je sahib ne thari lugai ki laaj bachayi aur tu (this man has saved your wife's virtue and you)" I cut him off and moved towards the foot of hill.
"Sahib mhare ko maaf kar do (please forgive me)" the young man followed me and folded his hands in gratitude.
I patted his shoulder and took hurried steps towards the spot where I have left Gauri. She was looking pale and the other girl who was running in front of her when goons were chasing them was covering her face to shade it from sunlight.
I didn't ask anything to anyone. I just picked her up in bridal style and moved towards Jeep. I took out the water bottle and sprinkle some water but she didn't wake up. I patted her cheeks gently but she was still unconscious.
"Bhuwan ji, yahan hospital kahan hai (where is hospital here)" I asked him or ordered him or shouted at him, I don't know because I knew only one thing that Gauri is not responding. God, my Gauri is not responding!!!
"Sahib" he croaked under my angry gaze.
"Kya (what)" I literally shouted at him. My heart was beating faster and heat was running in my veins.
"Sahib, hospital chalis kilometer door hai yahan se. (Hospital is forty kilometer away from here)" the girl replied meekly.
"Bapu sa, vaid ji ne bulau? (Father, should I call the local healer)" the young man asked Bhuwan and I roared.
"Ab kya tumhe invitation chahiye uske liye (do you need an invitation for that)" he flinched and instantly called for the healer.
A boy immediately ran down the hill and said something.
"Sahib, vaid ji shehar gaye hain. Apko banjaro ki basti Jana padega. Ab mangli hi Bai sa ko thik kar sake hai (healer has gone for the city. You have to go nomads town. Now only mangli can heal her)" he stammered while giving the information.
"Bhuwan ji, rasta bataiye (tell me the way)" I hopped onto the driving seat. Bhuwan took the front passenger seat while the girl has settled herself beside Gauri. She put her head in her lap.
"Chhora, ya sabne thikane laga de (boy, remove all of them)" Bhuwan ordered the young boy and he nodded in understanding. I looked at the bloody corpses at the ground for the first time. Oh that's why they didn't come back, great!!
The young boy has touched his feet again and I started the engine.
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The sky has become grey all of a sudden, sun hid behinds the clouds and people got relief but nobody knows that how long this relief would stay. A minute or for few more minutes. The sun will again shine in its full glory and started burning everything. But this relief has lasted longer, longer than the nomads has witnessed in last four decades.
"Ma, Ma, thane dekhya, manne lagye aaj megh barsenge (Mother, mother, have you seen that? I think today clouds will rain)" A teenage girl wearing silver jewelries ran towards her mother while carefully lifting her long skirt.
The mirror work on her the border of her veil was not scintillating like it used to under the sunlight but her dusky face was shining like a hundred watt bulb. After all she will going to witness first rain of her life. She has only heard the stories from her mother that when the rain drop fell on the earth, it gives an amazing fragrance and when it fell on your body you feel a tingling sensation, a magical feeling. She will have this feeling today and this thought has made her happier.
"Na, lado!! Mhare ko na lage. Jo nirdayi itne barso me na barse wo aaj kyun barsenge. Ye chhaliya hain lado, ye sirf dusro ka jee dukhana jane hain. (No, darling!! I don't think so. Why these merciless fellows will rain today when they have not rained in all these years. These are cheaters darling, they only know how to hurt a heart.)" Disappointment was visible in the pair of black beads which was reflecting the sky in a miniature form.
The middle aged mother looked at the sad face of her daughter. Why she did that? Why she has broken her hope?
"Shankari, o shankari!! toofan ane walo hai. Ja Mangli ne andar lai ja, main baki sabko khabar kar k awo hu (Shankari, storm is coming, take mangli inside. I am coming after informing others)" Shankari has pulled her daughter near to her and complied her husband's order.
But she was rooted to her spot because the sudden vein pain has made her fall on her knee. Her daughter Mangli immediately helped her in stretching her leg so that the blood flow can become normal. The hot air has started bringing sand with it.
"Tu andar ja chhori, jaldi (Go inside girl, quickly)" she shouted at her daughter because she has seen the storm coming in their direction.
Her daughter pleaded to let her stay with her but she refused. 'Maybe this is the last day of my life. I have seen my life but she still has to live many moments.' She thought and fake glared angrily at her daughter.
"Abhi k abhi andar ja chhori (Go inside right now girl)" She shouted at her daughter for the first time in life. Tears welled up in her beautifully kohl lined eyes but she didn't budge from her place.
"Chali ja lado, samajh le ye mhari akhiri iksha say (go darling, consider it as my last wish)" she folded her hands in front of her daughter and Mangli grabbed her folded hands.
"Na ma, Khatuji Maharaj mhare se itne na rooth sake hai. Wo hamari raksha karenge. Tu roye mat ma (No mother, lord krishna can not be angry with us. He will save us, you don't cry please)" Mangli let her mother rest her head on her shoulder.
"Ma, je kai hai (Mother what's that)" Shankari looked in the direction of Mangli's index finger. Two men and a girl were running in their direction. One man was carrying something in his arm, what is it? A girl maybe!! The other man is looking familiar, who is he?? She narrowed her vision to focus on the man in red kurta. He is some local man, wearing a turban but he is different.
What is different?
Juttiya (indian shoes) Nah!!
Pajama, Nah!!
kurta Nah!!
Shahi Talwar aur kamarband (Royal sword and belt), May be!!
She squinted her eyes some more.
Mustache Nah!!
Turabn, Nah!!
Something on turban, maybe!!
YES!! The small gold pin with an extremely rare yellow spinel in its center which has been rewarded for their loyalty.
Oh god, he is the royal guard assigned to the royal guardian of treasure!! A shiver ran down her spine. Royal guard always accompany their master means Princess is here. But who is she?
This girl who is running looks much younger and local. She can't be the royal blood. But the girl in crimson saree no doubt looks like a princess.
"Mangli, Ja thare bapu ne bhag k bula. Wa se kahiyo Bhawani k charan pade hai (Hurry up, run call your father. Tell him that the deity's footprint has appeared on our land)" The young girl frowned in confusion but seriousness on her mother's face has made her run in urgency.
"Khamma ghani Sikander sa, Khamma ghani Bhuvan sa (Greetings to great Alexander, greetings to sir Bhuvan)" She painfully pulled herself from the ground and folded her hands in namaste and bowed elegantly to the men.