Prisoner: Chapter 4

  'The sun shines too brightly, the birds are chirping up a storm and the river, oh God! Why does it have to be so loud? And those clouds, will they carry my message to the Raja like they carried the yaksha's in Meghadutam all the way across the country to his wife in Mount Kailash? Then why do they float about and mock me thus?' Payal sighed as she rested her chin against the window sill. The brightness of the day only brought to life the deep, heavy darkness in her heart.
  She looked down into the field. 'What now?', she thought. 'Why are those boys setting up a target there? Can't they find another field to practice archery in? No, no! I want to sulk and cry and moan today, in peace.'
  She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the cold window sill to block out every last ray of light. 'Good grief! Here they come, to ruin my day.'
  She opened her eyes to see a file of young men each carrying an ornately carved bow walking into the field. They talked and laughed amongst themselves, princes and peasants alike, such was the rule of this kingdom.
  The old archer, Druv, called out to them to fall into position. Payal groaned, 'Druv...Raja himself was trainer by him. This will be a long morning.' She sulked and sighed, rubbing her tired face against her arm.
  "Prithvijit, why don't you come up and set an example for the others?', boomed Druv.
  'Prithvijit! Huh? Who might that be?', Payal looked down and her breath caught in her throat.
  A young man walked towards the target, his feet hardly touching the ground. Soft black curls framed his face and fell on his smooth forehead; his bare chest and shoulders radiated a cool, soothing glow. The rough dhoti, encircling his sculpted waist, could not conceal his muscular thighs which rippled as he walked towards Druv. Payal wanted to look away but she couldn't.
  Druv handed him an arrow. He put it to his bow and pulled it taught. Payal gasped as the muscles on his arms and shoulders rippled in the sunlight. He turned his body slowly and locked his gaze on the target. She felt the tension in his bowstrings resonating in every muscle in her body. She held her breath as her heart thumped deafeningly. With a loud twang he let loose the arrow. Payal ducked below the window involuntarily as she heard it whiz through the air.
  Suddenly, the whole field erupted with cheers. She looked down to see the arrow pierced deep into the middle of the target, quivering slightly. She felt a deep excitement welling up inside her. He was beaming at his friends with a triumphant smile.
  Lost in the excitement, Payal didn't realize that she was in full view. For a split second, he turned his head up towards her. His soft brown eyes locked with her's and he smiled. She felt as if her whole body was on fire, she quickly dropped her gaze and smiled back, unable to bear the intensity of his eyes. She moved away quickly from the window; suddenly aware of her smudged kohl, her unkempt hair and her tarnished jewelery. She took a moment to steady herself and looked out again but he was gone. 

Prisioner: Chapter 3

  "The King's whore", they had shouted from every window on the day she left her father's house for King Suvajit's palace. She could hear their piercing laughter long after the chariot had wheeled away along the dust roads of the village. Today, she heard it again from the Queen.

  "Look Ma", she said, "the King's whore."

  "Rani!", scolded the Queen Mother, shaking her grey curls in warning. "How dare you speak to Payal like that, in my presence!"

  "Payal? Is that your name now? I always imagined harlots to be nameless beings. Tell me demoness, have you brought Rani Ma under your spell too?"
  Payal's gaze remained on the heavily bejeweled Queen; unwavering, unblinking, betraying no emotions.

  "They say you are an Apsara, a heavenly being. They lie! You are a demon from the deepest depths of burning hell!", she shouted, her jewelry clanking noisily as she trembled with rage. "You will bring this kingdom to its knees."

  "I am warning you Rani, don't try my patience too far. Don't forget, I am in charge while the King is away.", said Rani Ma, her eyes burning with rage like hot coals.

  "Ma, stop this nonsense. You let a creature like this come into your royal presence? She sent our King to war, Ma", tears welled up in her angry eyes. 

  "Suvajit will fight for his people Rani, that is his duty, his dharma. You will never understand that, you shallow creature. Payal simply guided him down the path of his destiny. You don't have the gall to do that."

   "You bitch!", she screamed. "Look what you have done. You know magic don't you? Now bring the King back or I will wring you neck right here!"

  She fell upon Payal with hands extended like claws, her teeth barred and a look of fury in her eyes.
  "That's it! Guards!"
  Two dark, muscular guards appeared within seconds of Rani Ma's call. They wrenched the Queen away from the gasping Payal.
  "How dare you? Leave me, I command you!", yelled Rani, trying desperately to attack her again. Her eyes were red and her voice had assumed an inhuman pitch.
  "I warned you Rani", said Rani Ma, calmly. "Guards, take her to her apartments".
  "Listen to me, you cheap little harlot, see this Mahal? Each room houses a rejected queen. Atleast, the King married me and gave me a title, the title of the chief Rani. Do you think you stand a chance against that? One day he will reject you and find a new and more exciting companion. Mark my words, your 'divinity' will slip and on that glorious day, I will drive a sword into your demon heart!" Rani laughed an evil high pitched laugh which was terrible enough to freeze the blood flowing through anyone's veins.
  "Payal, are you alright child?", Rani Ma came and sat beside her, taking her hand in her own.
  "Yes Ma", answered Payal, still rubbing her bruised neck.
  "I am so sorry, tantrums like this are quite the order of the day in this Mahal. The Ranis don't have the poise that befits their title. But, you are brave, my child. You have the resolve that befits royalty. No wonder Suvajit loves you above all."
  "Ma, I am so afraid," Payal's eyes moistened.
  "Fear not my dear. Have faith in destiny, it will take it's own course. I know my son. He will fight alongside his people, knowing that you are waiting for him. You see, he feels too deeply for a King."
  "I know Ma, that is what I fear. I have faith in the Gods but I lose sleep thinking how he suffers the horrors of war."
  "He has found love, my dear. My prayers have been answered. He will come back, a stronger person because he knows that you are his strength."

Prisoner: Chapter 2

  Everything stood perfectly still. There was no wind to ruffle the treetops or make the lamp flame dance. Payal was only sleeping in brief spells. The damp airlessness of the night was making it difficult to breath. Fleeting dreams haunted her during the half asleep-half wakeful state, where she hovered. Her bedclothes, wet with sweat, stuck to her mercilessly as she tossed and turned. "Raja, don't go", she whispered. "Nobody wins a war. I beg you, don't go".
  Damini sat at the foot of the bed and shook her head hopelessly. The nightmares had stopped temporarily, only to be revived by the arrival of the King's letter. "Didi", she called gently as she cried out in her sleep. "Didi, wake up." Payal was yanked free from her dream as she awoke with a start, a look of madness in her eyes which was now quite familiar to Damini.
  "Where is it? Where is it?", she screamed, her voice entwined with insanity.
  Damini was ready with the letter. Payal clutched it to her heart and cried desperately. When the tears ceased, she opened the letter to read it for the hundredth time.

Payal, my love,
                       Gods have surely forsaken this  place. If this isn't hell, what is? The stench of death and rot lies thick in the air, threatening to choke me. All I hear are the deafening clash of weapons and the bone-chilling cries of the dying. My friends and family now lie dead in battle with nobody to perform their last rights, maimed beyond recognition. Often, I have had to plunge my knife into a man's heart in order to put him out of misery. I am responsible for countless deaths. Victory may be ours in the end but the immeasurable loss we have suffered cannot be compensated for. Our bards sing of honour and heroism at war but I tell you now, my love, there is nothing to be proud of here. These sins I commit will haunt me beyond this life. 
                       I too die a new death everyday. I cannot help but admit that I miss you more than I can ever express. When I close my eyes and think of you, I swear I can hear your sweet laughter, the soothing tinkle of you anklet. I can even smell the flowers in your hair. Often I have this vision of you wearing a blood red ghagra and walking through the devastation in the battle field. You bend down and bless each body, sending him to the afterlife. I run to you as fast as I can, you look at me with those kohl laden doe eyes and disappear. The only thing that keeps me sane and helps me to inspire my soldiers everyday is the thought of you waiting for me to return. 
                        Please forgive me, dear Payal, for the pain that I am causing you. I will make up for it in any way that you wish. I fear for your safety even within the palace walls because you are more precious and more beautiful than any jewel in the royal treasury. I only thank God for granting me your undying love. I escape death only to return to your warm arms. My heart is with you, keep it safe.


Your faithful servant,
Raja Suvajit

Prisoner: Chapter 1

 "Where is the runner who brought this letter, Damini?", Payal asked..

 "He is in the bhojanshala, Didi."

 "Fetch him right away."

 The fifteen year old handmaiden scurried off in a swish of her ghagra. Payal sighed as she watched her leave. Damini had grown considerably since she had rescued her from imminent death in the hands of the soldiers who had brought her to the palace in chains for some petty crime. Her heart had gone out to the little girl with the tear-streaked face. "Didi", she had whispered into her ears. Her heart had melted and she never bothered to change it into "my lady" even after she was employed as her handmaiden. She named her 'Damini', lightning because she always arrived at lightning speed when called. 

  Payal clutched the letter to her heart. The royal seal glistened in the bright sunlight that entered her apartment through the stain glass window. 

  "I beg you on bent knees, run away with me tonight. We will go far away, across the border and never look back," said the King. His voice was hoarse with pain, he held her hand in a bone-crushing grip.

  "Why?", laughed Payal. "What is wrong with right here?"

  "No, no my love. If we don't leave tonight, tomorrow morning I must leave you and God only knows if I will ever return to your arms", he cried, tightening his grip on her hand and making her wince.

  Her eyes bored into his, looking for an explanation. "War", he whispered with trembling lips. 

  A single word brought her entire world crashing down. She attempted to reply but her voice chocked in. Every inch of her wanted to scream.

  "Stop me, I beseech you. You know that a single word from your lips can make me move mountains," a single tear rolled down his smooth cheeks while his eyes seemed to scream in agony. 

  "You are the King, you belong to the people. From the moment you sat on the throne, my love, you forfeited the right to think about yourself", she whispered, trying to steady her voice inspite of the tears that welled in her eyes.

  "Don't, I beg you. Don't do this. Will you see these hands, which hold you, bloodied in battle?", wept the King.

  The words struck like a million arrows to her heart. She held his hands open on her lap and said, "If it is your destiny, it will come to pass. The people of this kingdom love you beyond measure. You are good and just. They will be heartbroken if you abandon them. Follow your destiny, my love for we all must, no matter how painful."

  "Payal, you heartless angel, I cannot see tears in your eyes. I will burn down the entire kingdom, the entire world if you are in pain."

  "See these tears then and go to war. Burn and wreck your enemy beyond measure. Avenge my pain and protect your people, she cried choking on her last words. 

  In the morning she ran, teary eyed down the road. Finally she fell to the ground weeping, engulfed by the dust stirred up by the King's horse. Even in her overwhelming grief, she could hear the unmistakable sound of laughter coming from the queens' apartments. 

  The memories seemed to rekindle the familiar ache that had given way to a strange numb nothingness over the past few days. She looked down at the thick roll of parchment and slowly began to open it. 

  

Prisoner: Prologue

  The Sabha Hall was empty except for two lone figures. Laughter, tinkle of jewellery and swish of clothes filled the air and bounced off the intricately carved columns that held up the ornate ceiling. Two figures were busy at play.
  Payal was running from column to column and Raja Suvajit was unsuccessfully following suit. Nevertheless, he continued to chase her. After all, every man in the kingdom was trying to capture her and imprison her in his heart.
 "Please have mercy, I cannot possibly run anymore", gasped the Raja.
  Payal peeped from behind a column, just a few feet away, and disappeared again in a whoosh of clothing and a tinkle of bells. Just one look at her mesmerizing kohl laden eyes and mischievous half smile made him pick up pace. He followed the musical sound of her laughter and found himself standing before the throne of his ancestors.
  She sat playfully on the throne, her bare feet swinging a few inches above the ground. The Raja stared in wonder. He had often heard passionate and exciting stories of Apsaras who lived in heaven. Gods, kings, men would all be fighting each other, abandoning kingdoms, throwing away their lives just to be in their arms. Suvajit often wondered whether she was as an Apsara. Surely a human couldn't be so captivating. He was a Raja and yet he felt so slight, so insignificant before her. 
  "Didn't manage to catch me, eh?",  Payal whispered.
  "I wonder if anyone can", replied Suvajit as he bounded up the steps and picked her up in his arms.
  Payal was unable to think as his hot breath fell on her face. She gazed at him in silence.
  "My dearest," he whispered into her ears. "One day the whole world will be at our feet".
  She found her voice and replied, "You mustn't speak of such things, Raja. We have no power other than that which is given to us from above. We must wait for God's instructions and accordingly carry out our duties. Everything that is destined to happen will happen."
  "No one can ever have any power over you", laughed Suvajit.
  Payal laid a hand on his mouth and said, "You are the Raja and I..."
 This time the Raja laid a hand her mouth and said, "..and you are mine."
 She was lost for words yet again. 

Freedom

"God, please protect me, I beseech you. I am tired of this worldly existence. Call me to your side, to your services. I promise, I shall serve you as long as my soul exists. I beg you, don't place any obstacles in my path to heaven. Don't tie me down to this life, where everything is 'maya', an illusion. "

  Tears flowed down my cheeks as I offered my prayers before the silent deities. The smoke from the incense swirled around me like a protective cloud and mingled with the smell of freshly picked flowers.
  Suddenly, I felt the presence of the strange man. His eyes boring into my back. I stiffened on the prayer mat.
  "What are you looking at?", I said firmly, trying to conceal the ache in my voice.
  "Nothing, just looking at you.", he said.
  "Don't.", I said, even more firmly but he did not move.
  I rose slowly from the ground and flung my wet hair over my shoulder. I did not dare to lift my gaze from the floor and meet his eyes. I walked up to the door where he stood.
  "Let me pass", I said, still gazing at the floor.
  "Why do you want to give me freedom, so soon?", he asked.
  "I am no one to hold you back. You are free, you always were.", I said, cringing as I felt the intensity of his gaze on me.
   "But I don't want freedom.", he argued.
   This time I lifted my eyes and met his, fearlessly. "But I do.", I said before I walked away, leaving him dumbfounded.
  
 

One Night

  "Why are we here?", asked the strange man.
  "We are here to further God's work", I replied. "God created us in his own image. Love yourself, only then can you love God because God lives within you".
   His distant eyes sought the horizon, lost in thought. The sky was ablaze with millions of stars and the full moon made everything around us twinkle. The black river seemed to be strewn with innumerable pearls as if Sita had torn her necklace and cast it into the waters before being harshly carried away by Ravan. The howling wind seemed to carry with it, her desperate cries for help.
   "Do you believe in destiny?", he asked.
   "Yes, of course. This very moment is written in both our destinies."
   "Why don't you love me?", he asked as he turned to face me.
   I had no answer. I only prayed silently that the answer would come to us both.
   "Why do you suffer like this?", I asked. "Set yourself free, cut the invisible cords which connect you to me. Your soul cries for freedom".
   "Walk with me," he pleaded. "No one shall care for you as much as I shall."
   "I do not need caring for, God shall take care of me."
   "How long can you live like this? Watching people from above? One day you will have to fall to the ground, what then?"
    "That will be decided by destiny."
    He sat silently for a moment before he politely took his leave. I smiled to myself and lay down beneath the sky. The light of the stars began to blur and merge into one as my eyes closed and I drifted off to a peaceful slumber.