Happy reading ❤️
• The Unwanted Vow •
Agnijeet's thunderous voice cut through the court, ringing off the tall pillars with absolute authority.
"Vivah ki taiyari kijiye, Kul Guru. Hum abhi is ladki se vivah karenge. Phir Mewar ko ya is poori sabha ko koi prashn nahi hona chahiye ki yeh ladki kis adhikar se yahan reh rahi hai."
(Prepare for the wedding, Kul Guru. I shall marry this girl right now. Then Mewar or this entire assembly will have no right to ask under what capacity she stays here.)
The entire court froze in speechless shock. Ministers stood with their mouths half-open, Sangram's smug smirk completely vanished, and Durgpal took a stunned step backward, paralyzed by the sheer absurdity of the decree.
Yashodhara Devi stood utterly dumbfounded. A wave of panic broke through her calm. She hurried down the steps of the royal enclosure, stepping in front of her son.
She grabbed Agnijeet by his shoulder, her voice shaking with disbelief.
"Agnijeet! Yeh kya keh rahe hai aap? Aap is ladki ke baare mein kuch nahi jaante! Iska parinaam kya hoga, ye socha bhi hai? Is kapat karne wali ladki ko wapis bhej dijiye, ya phir ise anya bandiyon ki tarah tahkhaane mein band kar dijiye! Vivah karna koi upaay nahi hai!"
(Agnijeet! What are you saying? You know nothing about this girl! Have you even considered what the consequences of this will be? Return this treacherous girl back, or lock her down in the dungeons like other prisoners! Marriage is no solution!)
Dilshana stood rooted to the spot beneath her veil, her heart slamming violently against her ribs.
Agnijeet looked down at his mother. His face remained as stoic as carved rock, unbothered by the storm raging around him. He lowered his head, bowing slightly. "Maa Saheb... nirnay ho chuka hai."
(Maa Saheb... the decision has been made.)
Agnijit turned, looking back to the priest. His tone dropped to a sharp command.
"Aapke paas samay atyant kam hai."
(You have extremely little time.)
The old Kul Guru swallowed hard, his voice wavering with hesitation.
"Kintu Senapati... aaj toh Amavasya hai!"
(But Commander... today is the New Moon night!)
Agnijeet dismissed the ominous day without a second thought.
"Shighr kijiye! Raj sabha ke madhya mein hi agni prajvalit kijiye!"
(Make haste, Kul Guru! Kindle the fire right here in the middle of the assembly hall!)
Dilshana was trembling in sheer horror. She couldn't stay silent anymore. She took two frantic steps forward toward Yashodhara Devi, her hands raised in a pleading gesture.
"Is zulm ko rokiye!" Dilshana begged, her voice shaking. "Hum is shakhs se hargiz shadi nahi karenge! Yeh nahi ho sakta! Hume qaidkhane mein daal dijiye, humari jaan le lijiye, lekin hume is zabardasti ke rishte mein mat baandhiye!"
(Stop this atrocity! I will never marry this man! This cannot happen! Throw me into the dungeons, take my life, but do not bind me into this forced union!)
Agnijeet moved like a shadow.
His rough hand clamped around her rope-bound wrist. He yanked her back.
Attendants rushed forward, hurriedly placing a brass vessel in the center of the marble floor, stacking dry sandalwood logs, and pouring ghee. A crackling flame erupted in the heart of the court.
Agnijeet's focus shifted to the altar, Dilshana twisted her wrist with frantic strength and bolted toward the pillars at the side of the hall.
She didn't make it far. Agnijeet moved like a shadow. In three strides, he caught up to her and grabbed her hand.
Dilshana lunged sideways and wrapped her fingers onto the carved edge of a pillar. She locked her grip.
The entire assembly held its breath. Durgpal sat paralyzed on his throne, his jaw tight. Kalavati glared at Dilshana with eyes dripping with pure venom.
Yashodhara Devi stood frozen in deep agony, while Kesar, watched the scene unfold with anxious eyes, her hands clasped tightly over her chest.
No one dared to step in.
"Aisa kyun kar rahe hain aap humare saath?!" Dilshana wept beneath her veil. "Aakhir kya bigaada hai humne aapka?!"
(Why are you doing this to us?! What wrong have I ever done to you?!)
The words left her lips, but the moment they echoed, her tongue froze in her throat. The brutal memory of the battlefield flashed behind her eyes, the calculated treachery.
She knew exactly what had been done.
Swallowing the lump, she pressed on, her voice rising in a plea.
"Yeh dushmani nibhane ka kaun sa tareeka hai?! Agar badla hi lena hai, toh humein qatl kar dijiye! Lekin yeh zabardasti mat kijiye!"
(What kind of way is this to execute enmity?! If you want revenge, then execute me! But for do not force this upon me!)
Agnijeet simply tightened his grip on her bound wrists, whispering in low voice.
"Tumhare paas koi vikalp nahi hai."
(You have no other choice.)
At that moment, Kalavati rushed forward as she looked between Dilshana and Agnijeet, her voice hushed.
"Ye kya kar rahe hai aap? Agar aapka dil aa gaya hai is par, toh rakh lijiye ise kuchh din apne paas. Is tarah vivah karke aap ise is raj pariwar mein sthaan nahi de sakte."
(What are doing? If your heart has fallen for her, then keep her with you for a few days. You cannot give her a place in this royal family by marrying just anyone like this.)
Agnijeet shifted his penetrating gaze to Kalavati. "Raj parivar me sthaan?"
(A place in Royal family?)
The question hit Kalavati like a slap. Her cheeks burned with humiliation.
But Kalavati's words struck Dilshana with a different kind of horror. She froze, her heart bursting out of her chest.
Agnijeet felt the change instantly.
He had been holding her rope-bound wrist firmly in one hand while she clung desperately to the pillar with the other.
Now, her resistance weakened.
Her fingers slipped away from the carved stone.
Yashodhara Devi could no longer remain silent. She stepped forward.
"Ruk jaaiye, Agnijeet! Yeh kya adharm kar rahe hai aap? Vivah ek pavitra sambandh hai. Kisi stree par yeh thopana uchit nahi hai. Jab tak is kanya ki sahamati na ho, yeh fere nahi honge!"
(Stop, Agnijeet! What unrighteousness is this? Marriage is a sacred bond. Such force upon a woman is not right. Until this girl gives her consent, these circumambulations will not take place!)
Agnijeet did not release Dilshana's wrist. He looked at Yashodhara Devi.
"Iski ichchha se ho raha hai yeh vivah."
(This marriage is happening with her consent.)
Yashodhara Devi furrowed before she slowly turned her gaze to the veiled girl. "Kya aap apni ichha se yeh vivah kar rahi hai?"
(Are you entering this marriage of your own free will?)
Dilshana stood frozen beneath her veil. Slowly, she lowered her head and gave a silent nod of assent.
The assembly gasped. Everyone stood utterly stunned by her unexpected surrender.
Yashodhara stood frozen in middle of the hall. She couldn't understand what had happened in few minutes to turn Dilshana's defiance into her acceptance.
Agnijeet dragged her to the center of the court, before the roaring altar.
The grand court was suffocatingly silent, broken only by the crackling of burning wood and the chants of the Kul Guru.
The afternoon of Amavasya pressed against the tall open arches outside.
Dilshana stopped before the fire.
Her head moved slowly from side to side as she made one weak attempt to free her bound hand from his grip. The effort lasted only a moment before her strength failed her completely, her fingers falling limp as a tear slipped silently beneath her veil.
Agnijeet looked down at her. He simply tightened his hold and drew her forward until they stood beside the low wooden platform arranged before the fire.
"Baitho."
(Sit.)
Dilshana remained standing. Agnijeet waited, but there was something far more intimidating in that stillness than anger could ever have been, because he looked entirely certain that she would eventually obey.
When she finally lowered herself onto the wooden platform, Agnijeet sat beside her, his broad shoulders nearly filling the space while she remained rigid beneath her veil, her bound hands resting helplessly in her lap.
The fire soared, casting shadows of the tall Commander and the small, veiled war bride across the court pillars.
Kalavati's eyes burned like hot embers as she watched the altar, while Yashodhara Devi silently closed her eyes in prayer, dreading the storm this union would bring.
Dilshana's breathing was shallow behind her veil. Every mantra chanted by the priest sounded like a death sentence being pronounced over her life.
She tried to pull her hands away, but his grip was an iron shackle, inescapable and absolute.
Only a few days ago, she had stood upon a battlefield where the same man had collapsed beneath the effect of the poison she had used against him, and she had believed that moment would become her victory.
Instead, he had risen from that defeat, slaughtered his way through the fortress, found her hiding within its walls, and carried her across the border like the spoils of a war he had sworn to finish.
Now the same man sat beside her before a sacred fire, preparing to turn that defeat into a marriage.
The priest looked up hesitantly at the formidable Commander. "Senapati... Kanyadaan ki vidhi hetu kanya ke koi Sanrakshak..."
(Commander... for the ritual of Kanyadaan, the bride's guardian is required...)
Agnijeet did not let him finish. He simply shifted his gaze onto the old priest.
"Aage ki vidhi kijiye."
(Proceed with the remaining rituals.)
The priest swallowed hard, the message reaching him loud and clear. The Warlord of Mewar was not asking for a bride.. he was claiming his captive.
The priest pointed toward Dilshana's bound wrists. "Paani-grahan hetu vadhu ke haath.."
(For the ritual of accepting the hand, the bride's hands..)
Agnijeet took a knife and cut the coarse ropes binding Dilshana's wrists. The severed cords fell uselessly into her lap. But before Dilshana could even pull her bruised hands away, Agnijeet's calloused hand replaced the hemp rope with an iron grip of his own.
As he help their joined hand out, the priest poured holy water over their joined hands. The cool water washed over their skin, but Dilshana felt only the suffocating heat of Agnijeet's palm holding her. Her delicate fingers trembled within his hand, the water trickling through her shaking fingers like wasted tears.
She squeezed her eyes shut beneath her veil, every second of his forced touch feeling like a branding iron upon her soul.
The priest whispered, barely daring to raise his eyes. "Saptapadi ke liye uthiye."
(Rise for the seven steps.)
Agnijeet stood up, pulling Dilshana with him. She stumbled, her knees giving out, but he held her upright. The pheras began under the stunned gaze of the kingdom.
Step by agonizing step, Agnijeet walked around the roiling flames, dragging his reluctant bride behind him.
Dilshana's heels dragged on the floor.
Her knees trembled, while Agnijeet walked with the effortless strength of a man who had spent his life carrying weapons, wounded soldiers, and the weight of kingdoms upon his shoulders.
With every circle completed, she felt the invisible chains tightening around her neck. One circle for the land, one for the throne, one for the blood spilled, and one for the absolute claim he was laying upon her existence.
Her veil moved softly with each reluctant step, while his hardened features looked almost brutally out of place in the sacred ceremony.
After the fourth circle, the priest gestured toward the altar.
"Vadhu ko aage kijiye, Senapati."
(Place the bride in front, Commander.)
Agnijeet moved behind Dilshana, still gripping her wrist as the Kul Guru's voice continued to echo through the court. She remained completely still, her tear-damp lashes lowered beneath the veil.
Agnijeet leaned toward her, his voice reaching only her ear.
"Tumhe aage chalna hai."
(You will have to walk ahead.)
Dilshana did not move.
His voice dropped even further, carrying a chilling calmness against her ear.
"Tumhe uthaakar phere poore karne mein koi aapatti nahi hogi hume."
(I will have no objection to carrying you through the remaining rounds.)
The threat was delivered without anger, as though he were stating the simplest solution to an inconvenience.
Then, almost instinctively, her feet began to move again, while he followed behind her to complete the remaining three rounds. She was propelled forward around the flames, her feet moving like a wooden doll under his total control.
Her tears dripped silently, leaving small dark spots on her veil as she was forced around the fire seven complete times.
As the final circle ended, the priest looked at the empty brass tray where the bride's sacred ornaments should have been placed. He cleared his throat nervously. "Senapati... Vadhu ke gale mein Mangalsutra dharan karwayiye..."
(Commander... adorn the bride's neck with the sacred thread...)
A hush fell over the assembly. In a marriage forced within minutes, there was no preparation.
Agnijeet looked at the altar for a fraction of a second before he raised his left hand. He pulled a carved signet ring from his finger. It was the ancient, royal crest ring of the Rathores of Mewar, a symbol of power and bloodline.
He gave the ring to Kul Guru. "Isse baandhiye."
(Bind this.)
The priest quickly threaded a sacred red cotton string through the royal signet ring and handed it back to Agnijeet.
Agnijeet took the makeshift ornament.
He reached behind her neck. His rough fingers brushed against the sensitive skin at the base of her hairline. She flinched voilenty. He tied the knot tightly behind her nape, letting the ring drop against her chest.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the ring on her chest, and then shifted to the thick fabric of her dark veil hiding her face.
The priest offered the small wooden bowl of vermilion to Agnijeet.
"Ab vadhu ki maang bhariye."
(Now fill the bride's parting.)
Agnijeet took the wooden vessel. Dilshana held her breath, expecting him to finally tear away her veil, to expose her face to the court, and the glare of his family. She braced herself for the final humiliation.
Instead, Agnijeet did not lift the fabric.
He pressed the sacred sindoor directly onto the top of her head, over her odhni.
The crimson dust stained the red cloth precisely over her parting, sealing her fate and claiming her completely before the whole assembly.
Dilshana gasped beneath the cloth, her breath shuddering as the weight of the symbolic red stain settled onto her head, binding her forever to the nightmare of Mewar.
All he had ever seen were those haunting green eyes. And somehow, that had been enough for Agnijeet Rathore to make her his.
After sealing the marriage, Agnijeet turned around, holding Dilshana's wrists, and walked toward his mother.
He stood tall and silent in front of Yashodhara Devi. Her wet eyes drifted down to Dilshana's hands.
Before anyone could blink, Yashodhara Devi stepped forward and struck Agnijeet squarely across the face.
A violent slap echoed through the massive pillars of the Raj Sabha.
Agnijeet didn't flinch. Still holding Dilshana's wrist in one hand, he bent down, grabbed his mother's hand with his other hand, and firmly placed it upon his own head.
He forced her blessing, bowing deeply at her feet alongside the veiled girl.
"Aashirwad dijiye, Maa Saheb."
(Give your blessing, Maa Saheb.)
Standing back up, Agnijeet turned his terrifying gaze toward the stunned court. Durgpal, Kalavati, and every minister stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.
Agnijeet's cold voice boomed across the hall. "Mewar ki is Raj Sabha mein hume vivah ki badhai dene vala koi nahi hai?"
(Is there no one in this Royal Court of Mewar to congratulate me on our marriage?)
A suffocating silence hung over the court. No one dared to speak. Agnijeet took a step forward, his eyes narrowing into a deadly slits as he issued a brutal warning that bound the entire kingdom.
"Hum seemao par ja rahe hain, kintu hamari drishti hmesha hamare niji kaksh par hi rahegi. Yadi kisi ne us kaksh ki or aankh uthakar dekhne ki bhi dusahas kiya, toh uski aankhein nikaal li jayengi."
(I am departing for the borders, but my gaze will forever remain fixed upon my private chamber. If anyone dares to even raise their eyes toward that chamber, their eyes will be gouged out.)
He didn't utter Dilshana's name even once, yet he built an impenetrable wall around her existence.
Agnijeet turned on his heel and strode out of the assembly.
Kesar quickly stepped forward. She took Dilshana by the arm, guiding her behind Agnijeet.
Dilshana followed silently, her wrists bearing faint red marks from the ropes and the fresh vermilion visible over the fabric covering her head. Kumud and a few handmaidens quietly fell into step behind them, maintaining a respectful distance.
Out side the court, Agnijeet came to a halt. Vijaydev rushed down the corridor, breathing heavily. He had just arrived from the outer gates after hearing the shocking news, standing rooted to the spot, completely dumbfounded by what had transpired in the court.
Agnijeet turned to face Kesar, Kumud, and the attendants.
"Aavashyak bhojan aur jal us kaksh tak pahunchta rahega. Par us kaksh ke bheetar kisi ko bhi koi vartalap ya sakhiyo ka sambandh banane ke liye jane ki aagya nahi hai."
(Bhabhi Sa, Kumud... Necessary food and water will reach that chamber. However, no one is permitted to enter that room to strike up conversations or build friendships.)
He laid out her isolation clearly, she would be provided for, but completely cut off from interaction.
He briefly bent to touch Kesar's feet. When he straightened, his eyes met Dilshana's veiled figure for a fleeting moment before looking into head guard's eyes.
The head guard bowed his head as he understood the command.
Agnijeet marched toward the palace courtyard. Vijaydev bolted after him, his face contorted in disbelief and frantic worry. "Yeh kya kar diya aapne?! Ratangarh se lakar seedhe rajmahal ke bheetar... aur vivah?!"
(What have you done?! Bringing her straight from Ratangadh into the palace... and marriage?!)
Agnijeet did not slow his stride.
"Jo kiya hai, uchit kiya hai. Hum seemao par ja rahe hain. Woh adhura kaam is baar purna karna atyant aavashyak hai."
(What has been done is correct. I am leaving for the borders. Completing that unfinished task is of utmost importance now.)
He stopped near his warhorse. His voice dropped to a commanding whisper, entrusting the entire safety of his chamber to his friend.
"Humari anupasthiti mein us kaksh aur uski suraksha ka uttardayitva tumhara hai."
(In my absence, every responsibility for that chamber and its security belongs to you.)
Vijaydev looked into Agnijeet's resolute eyes and gave a firm nod.
Kesar, Kumud, and the other palace handmaidens escorted Dilshana to Agnijeet's private chamber. The guards following them distance.
As soon as the wooden doors clicked shut behind them, an intense stillness blanketed the vast room.
Kesar stood near the entrance, looking at the veiled girl. Anger and profound confusion warred on her face. She tried to maintain her demeanor, but the chaos of what had just transpired boiled over.
"Kya kar liya tumne apne saath? Kaun ho tum? Kesar asked, her voice tight with suppressed anger. "Mewar ke saath chhal karke use vijay se door kar diya... aur ab is qile mein aakar Senapati se vivah karke baith gayi ho! Apna naam tak batane ko raazi nahi ho... toh aakhir tum ho kaun?"
(What have you done to yourself? Who are you? You cheated Mewar and pulled it away from victory... and now you have come inside this fort and married the Commander! You are not even willing to reveal your name... so who on earth are you?)
Slowly, Dilshana lifted the veil and pulled it back, exposing her pale face. Her green eyes glistened with unspoken agony. She looked into Kesar's eyes and lied in a fragile voice.
"Naaz... Naaz naam hai humara."
(Naaz... Naaz is my name.)
Kesar's eyebrows knitted together as she absorbed the name. She took a step forward, her tone demanding.
"And? What else?"
Dilshana swallowed the lump in her throat, her lips pressing into a tight line as she lowered her gaze.
"Nothing else. My name is Naaz."
Suddenly, the stern voice of a guard echoed from outside.
"Kaksh ke bheetar adhik samay rukna varjit hai!"
(Staying inside the chamber for long is forbidden!)
Kesar's jaw tightened. She cast one last look at the girl who called herself Naaz, then turned on her heel.
Kesar, Kumud, and the handmaidens retreated from the room, pulling the doors shut. The iron lock clicked into place from the outside with a chilling finality.
Dilshana stood frozen in the center.
She turned her head slowly as she began to explore her new prison.
There was nothing opulent or lavishly royal about this chamber. It did not resemble the gilded quarters of royals, but rather reflected the stern personality of a hard-nosed military commander.
The room was massive, defined by high stone ceilings and Mewari archways, yet decorated with extreme simplicity.
In one corner stood a large wooden canopy bed, sturdy and draped in dark fabrics. A plain seating area with a wooden table in front of the bed.
A small dusty mirror was tucked away in a shadowy nook. It was so neglected and forgotten it seemed Agnijeet had never once looked into it.
Dilshana walked further into the quiet room. To her left, an archway led into a dedicated dressing area.
She stepped into the adjoining bath area. Here, large marble pool was filled with clean water. A few wooden bowls held crushed herbs.
At the far end of the main chamber, archways opened up to a private back garden. Dilshana walked toward the open air. She stepped out onto the grass.
The garden was completely enclosed by towering walls. Guards marched along the outer parapets above. It was an open-air cage.
Dilshana closed her eyes as the sheer reality of her absolute isolation closed in on her.
• The Reward •
The air in the dense forest was suffocatingly thick with the scent of damp earth and crushed pine needles.
The hooves of four horses beat a rhythmic thud on the soft soil. At the head of the small group rode Agnijeet. Clad in dark cotton attire devoid of any royal armor, he blended seamlessly into the ink-black evening.
His broad shoulders remained relaxed, but his dark eyes scanned the twisted branches like a predator navigating its home territory.
They rode deeper into the virgin woods until the trees grew incredibly dense. Ahead, stood the entrance to the hidden stone dungeon.
Three men hung bound to the thick trunks of ancient banyan trees, in a small clearing outside the structure.
Their uniforms of Ratangadh soldier were torn to shreds, covered in dirt, while dark lines of blood trickled from the corners of their swollen mouths. Agnijeet's loyal soldiers stood in the shadows around them, holding torches that cast light.
Agnijeet dismounted effortlessly. An attendant hurried forward, placing a wooden chair in the middle of the clearing, directly facing the bound men.
Agnijeet sat back, resting his arms on the armrests, lacing his thick fingers together. He looked at the three trembling figures before him, his face chillingly calm in the firelight.
"I gave the three of you a task," Agnijeet began, his voice a gravelly rasp that cut through the nocturnal sounds of the forest. "Is this how you return my trust?"
The middle soldier, his chest heaving with desperate gasps of air, lifted his head. Tears mixed with the dirt on his cheeks as he practically screamed in desperation. "Forgive us! Please forgive us! We tried everything we could, but...
No one knows anything there."
Agnijeet leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, his gaze locking onto the speaker with terrifying weight.
"Tried?" Agnijit murmured, the quietness of his tone far more lethal than any roar. "But you return empty-handed, you are of no use to me."
"Give us one more chance!" the soldier on the left pleaded wildly, thrashing against the thick ropes that dug deep into his wrists. "We will go back! We will bring you every single detail! Everything will be laid right at your feet! For God's sake, give us just one more chance!"
Agnijeet remained completely still, watching their frantic begging as if listening to the rustling of fallen leaves.
Then, the shadows at the edge of the clearing began to warp.
An oppressive stillness settled over the forest. The horses tethered nearby stirred uneasily, snorting softly as their ears pinned back in absolute terror.
A massive leopard emerged out from the darkness between two trees. Its golden coat was patterned with black rosettes that seemed to absorb the firelight. It moved without making a single sound, its shoulders rolling gracefully under its supple skin with every fluid step. Its emerald eyes glowed with lethally in the darkness.
The bound soldiers froze, their eyes widening in paralyzing horror.
The leopard did not look at the tied men. It moved directly toward Agnijeet, the leopard padded across the grass until it reached the wooden chair. It settled down right beside Agnijeet's left leg, wrapping its long tail around his foot.
Agnijeet reached down, ruffling the fur atop the leopard's powerful head. He stroked the big cat slowly, running his fingers down to its nape. The leopard closed its eyes slightly, letting out a vibrating purr that echoed like a distant thunder.
"You see..." Agnijeet spoke softly, his eyes fixed on the weeping soldiers as he continued its slow movement over the leopard's neck. "He has no patience for empty promises."
The soldiers squeezed their eyes shut, soundless sobs wracking their blood-soaked frames.
Agnijeet stopped his hand, his fingers resting firmly on the leopard's broad skull. He looked down into the it's glowing eyes. "Are you hungry? Did you hunt today?"
The leopard lifted its head, opening its jaws to let out a low growl that rattled the chests of every man present.
Agnijeet slowly lifted his hand and gestured loosely toward the three men tied to the trees.
"Take your reward."
In an instant, the regal feline transformed into a blur of lethal muscle. The leopard sprang forward with terrifying speed, its massive paws hitting the ground once before it launched itself into the air, its growl tearing through the black night and echoing off the stone walls of the dungeon.
• The Question Behind the Bride •
Inside the private chambers of the Meware palace, a tense family gathering was underway.
Durgpal sat on a chair, his face drawn tight with confusion and anger. Kalavati was seated beside him, her eyes burned with bitter resentment.
Sangram paced the floor back and forth. Sitting on the side stools were the two younger princes, Shatrujit, sharp-eyed and restless, and the youngest brother, silently taking in the dark atmosphere.
Sangram abruptly stopped pacing, slamming his hand against a pillar as his voice cut through the silence.
"Pita ji! Jo aaj Raj Sabha mein hua, use hum aise hi nahi chhod sakte! Aakhir Agnijeet chahta kya hai? Yeh aakhir chal kya raha hai?"
(Father! We cannot just let what happened in the Royal Court today slide! What does the Agnijeet actually want? What is going on here?)
Shatrujit chimed in immediately, nodding in agreement.
"Bhai Sa theek keh rahe hain, Pita ji. Iske peeche zaroor koi na koi bada shatranj ka khel chal raha hai. Aise hi toh koi senapati raajdroh ki hadd par nahi pahunchta."
(Bhai Sa is right, Father. There is definitely a major chess game being played behind this. A commander doesn't just cross the treason like this for nothing.)
Durgpal let out a cold laugh and leaned forward. "Pratishodh... Jeevan mein pehli baar yuddh ke maidan mein woh buri tarah hara hai... uske ahankar ko jo chot lagi hai, yeh usi ka dard hai. Apni haar ko chupane ke liye usne yeh pagalpan kiya hai."
(Revenge...For the very first time in his life, he has suffered a humiliating defeat on the battlefield... the blow to his ego is what hurts him. To hide defeat, he has committed this madness.)
Kalavati scoffed loudly, her face twisting into a sneer.
"Pratishodh? Kaisa pratishodh? Wohi mardani hawas hai! Maidan par harne ke baad, ab uske gore sharir ke nakshe ne us senapati ka dimag bhrasht kar diya hai, aur kuch nahi!"
(Revenge? What revenge? It's just the primal lust! After losing on the battlefield, her pale skin and the contours of that body have corrupted the commander's mind, and nothing else!)
"Nahi," Sangram's voice was dropping like a lead weight into the quiet chamber. "Maine apne guptcharon se poori jaankari nikali hai... Agnijeet ne aaj tak us ladki ka chehra tak nahi dekha."
(No, I have gathered complete information through my spies... Agnijeet has not even seen that girl's face to this day.)
A silence gripped the room. Durgpal's dark smirk froze instantly, his eyes widening in complete disbelief. Kalavati's scoff died in her throat. Shatrujit and the youngest prince exchanged startled glances.
Kalavati was the first to break the stunned silence, leaning forward so fast her silk draped rustled violently against the chair.
"Yeh kaise ho sakta hai?! Chehra tak nahi dekha?! Toh phir yeh ladki aakhir hai kaun? Iska naam kya hai? Iske maa-baap kaun hain? Yeh Saltanat-e-Shahraz ki hai, yeh toh nischit hai... par iska pariwar ab tak chup kyu baitha hai? Unhone koi sandesh, koi yuddh ki dhamki kyu nahi bheji?!"
(How can this be possible?! Hasn't even seen her face?! Then who on earth is this girl? What is her name? Who are her parents? It is certain that she belongs to Saltanat-e-Hazira... but why has her family remained silent until now? Why haven't they sent any message or any threat of war?!)
Sangram turned his brooding gaze toward the high arched windows.
"Asli parshan yeh hai ki Agnijeet uske baare mein kitna jaanta hai."
(The real question is how much Agnijit knows about her.)
The thick silence returned to the private chamber, heavier and far more dangerous than before.
In the heart of the palace, a terrifying game of shadows had begun.
Agnijeet had tied his life, his pride, and his family's honor to an unseen enemy, claiming a bride whose face he had never laid eyes upon.
Write a comment ...