Brinda

Durga

A burst of darkness came coursing through, and King Adigun watched Ambika Devi slowly begin to slip from his grasp. He parted his lips to call out to her, but the words would not come and he continued to struggle.

Slowly and surely, the dark clouds began to clear off his sight and thought it; he could make out distorted images. The images took form and he found himself staring into a brown colored roof and a veiled figure donning what looked like the same type of ghoonghat his queen donned. It brought a smile to his face and a cheer to his heart as well.

Reaching out his hand and barely able to lift it, he muttered, "Ambika Devi".

The woman chuckled, shook her head while her face remained hidden, before muttering, "I wish I was the Queen, but I am sorry. Looks like you finally gain consciousness".

King Adigun hurriedly sat up while the woman with the strange voice held her hands out towards him. He looked around and saw he was placed on a thin bed with what looked like rubbles all over. His shirt was gone and his disguise was missing as well. He was bare chested and naked in his upper torso for her to see without a doubt. The turban on his head remained though but he could not see how she wouldn't see past it if she pressed further.

More disturbing was the fact he had been having a dream about the Queen.

Feigning a fake accent, he mumbled, "Who are you!? What are you doing to me and where is my servan... my friend... where is my friend?"

He could not trust that they were out of the woods just yet. Nothing in his line of sight indicated that Suraj was anywhere near him and it looked to temper his storm while the woman continued to wave her arms in protest. She stepped away, granting him full view of her lanky frame and her rather slender fingers.

"Bhai Saav, I found you and your brother fallen into my room and through my roof", she tried to explain. "I promise I mean no harm, Bhai Saab".

She had just called him "brother", and the tone with which she spoke was non-threatening and if not, pretty much apologetic. The King felt terrible for his actions and immediately sought to apologize. He clamped his hands together and bowed his head before looking back at the woman with a calmer expression on his face.

"I am sorry we broke through your roof", he apologized. "I cannot really recall what happened before I woke, but have you seen my partner?"

She pointed towards the door where a crude looking bed with Suraj laid. "He should be fine once he comes out of it too. My name is Durga by the way".

"Durga", King Adigun memorized the name as best as he could and then nodded.

Hearing someone else call him brother brought a sense of gladness to his heart and he could not help but show it with a wild smile. Yet, his head rang dearly and he slowly recalled everything that had led to him blacking out.

"Bhar Saab, what is wrong? Do you have a headache!?" Durga came running over, going on her knees and holding out a cloth with which she tried to help him with the pain.

A loud growl alerted King Adigun to Suraj's consciousness returning.

"Don't you dare touch the King! What do you think you're doing!" he yelled from where he was, placing a hand atop his head and squinting while he crawled his way over.

Durga looked from King Adigun to Suraj and retorted, "I don't know how badly you two were struck in the head, but there is no way in hell that either of you is King Adigun!"

"He speaks nonsense"< King Adigun said from where he sat. "We used to work in the castle but we had to leave when the ne King arrived. We just could not stand him like the rest of the people".