A Tale Of Love (On Hold)

INTRUDER

MAHARAJ AYUDHIK

Eyes of my military council was fixed on the paper on the middle of table. Their faces showed shock. "The person had to be a excellent spy with ability to cloak itself." Our spymaster said. "The writing is familiar to that of used in Hind Kush." Sumraj added his analysis. "The problem is this person will be standing beside us and we won't even know it." Virat said in frustration. I gave a look to Hidden Ace standing in the shadows of the room. Shocked and terrified will be understatements of our present situation. "Who can be the one to plan such a elobrate planning of ambush on us ?" Vinay ji questioned.

"There are many people at present. Example Garudev. Virendra promised him Princess Chitra but we of course didn't agreed to him." Gayatri ji kept her views. "But a prick like him won't have guts to go against us in direct war maybe that's why he resorted to underlying methods." Someone added starting a array of people who held the potential to harm us. Megha, Nevarkar family, the members of Rajput clans, Hind Kush and even Alwar was added to list of suspects. "Silence." I said once the sounds in the room became to much. "This will continue after court tommorow " I said dismissing them before the topic on our hand can conclude.

It's not someone who want Suryagadh. They want me or more specifically the old me. Vijay Kumar. The alias I used during my time in exile. I was impulsive and made many enemies which cost me lives of my loved ones. But no one know about my real identity. Which I had deliberately hidden to protect Alekhya. I just came back to protect her from traitors and whisk her away with me in the wilderness. But the plan completely failed when she choosen to stay and fight Virendra and I got intangled in the politics of kingdoms. I laughed at the irony of the situations. The fates sure have a way to make us feel ridiculous of our choices.

EIGHT YEARS BACK
DEVGIRI

"One." I shouted out clearly despite the burning pain in my back. "Two" Another shout escaped my mouth. It was second day of Bhumi Maa's death or more correctly the first dawn after her death. Her body was just taken away for cremation her remains are not even burnt or cooled down properly but that Chameleon whore of Maharaj had already started showing her true colours. I had long prepared for this day when Bhumi Maa will leave me and Alekhya alone but still this whip with three metal tips hurt like a bitch. "Three." I cried out telling them I am not broken yet. Megha is standing beside that whore Chanchala emotionless.

I looked into her charcoal eyes to find even a single hint of remorse, guilt or even a single ounce of emotion. But they are blank. Like a canvas filled with utter darkness. Any colour inside them are meant to be lost forever. She is not the Megha I used to know. The Megha which used to treat the injured birds and small squirrels in the gardens while I spied on the unknown half sister of mine. She is forbidden to us. We can never approach her in presence of her mother's lapdogs but it didn't bother our bond. Over the time we learned to talk to her using those charcoal eyes of her which now shown only shown utter darkness. Lost was the joyness and glidy glint. She is an entire different person.

"Shhh...." A hiss escaped my mouth as some rascal poured salt and water over my wounds. Atleast the soilders still have some shame left over that they didn't dare to pour hot water over my mangled and unrecognisable back. "You can't kill me yet. You will need me in future." I rasped out fearing she will kill me and Alekhya will be alone to defend herself. She scowled at me. Her face showed frustration that she can't kill me yet. She still have some use for me. Debating whether ask Maharaj to let me rot in a unknown place in the fort and kill when time comes taking a chance that I might overrun her or else throw me out of the kingdom away from Alekhya and risk leaving me alone. She have two options now both at my disadvantage.

"Let him rot here for tonight." She briskly ordered her lap dogs as they left me chained to the pillars of her inner courtyard where no one had the permission to enter not even that rascal Maharaj of mine. I am glad that they left me alone finnally. The whip was metal tipped and new. It hurt like hell now. I never shown them any kind of resistance when they dragged me here as soon as humanly possible after my verdict of exile was announced. I doubt even anyone knows about it. Some time later that night the clouds began to rain joining my melancholy. Bhumi Maa's ashes will still be hot and ember mixing with rain water. They washed away the grief along with the blood which just barely stopped flowing.