The untold story of a Courtesan

Twenty-nine

The sun has risen over the city and the sound of people busy with their daily chores from the palace which is a few yards away and birds chirping all around woke her up and she yawned and looked at her son,still in the same position from last night but Bajirao was nowhere to be seen and saw a note and she picked it up and reads.

Dear Alia

I know you will be sad waking up and not seeing me but your words from last night conversation woke me up early and I left with the guards and we are going to burn down Laal Mahal once and for all!.If I find Pooja body.....I will return it to you and we can conduct a funeral at the Mahal.

love you Meri jaan
Bajirao

I placed the note back on the table and as I was about to stand up,Raj shouted"boo!!"and I jumped up from shock but composed myself quickly and breath in and out and said"what wrong with you?". I said with a upset look but realized that he just a child after all

"Sorry Ammi.....I didn't mean it!".Raj said to me with a sad face.

It instantly broke my heart seeing his face and embraced him with my arms and said"don't feel sorry.....it was just a small mistake!".

"Let go outside and see the jungle!".I said to him and smiled caressing his cheeks when Nadia woke up and look at us and we turned in her direction which I took her in my arm.

Raj jumped up in excitement and and I picked up my baby from the bed and I carried him in the one hand while holding Nadia in the other.we left the room and step out of the Mahal and saw the brown road before us which could carry on for miles and on either sides huge trees filled the surrounding with greenery and birds sitting in every branches was truly beautiful.

I sat infront of the palace and rock my son back and forth in my arms while Raj was keeping nadia in his arms and showing her the the flowers growing on the ground a few feet away from me.for a moment I couldn't stop admiring his beautiful face and he tiny white hand that grab my finger immediately and I felt like crying seeing the little bundle of joy in my arms.

We were outside for the whole morning when Raj said"Ammi look at the sky!".

I heard his voice and looked at the light smoke ascending into the sky from a far way and thought who house is burning but remember when Bajirao told Jhanvi begum that he will burn the red palace to the ground and fear swept my mind in which I held tight to a piece of my sari.

I told the children to come inside and I sat there patiently waiting for Bajirao to return but a few hours went by and I started feeling restless and stood up and pacing back and forth infront of the entrance when my baby began crying since he sense my restless and I began calming him down with a lullaby which he went quiet and I felt relief.

Then a few minutes later,the sound of hooves stampeding towards us made me look up to see Bajirao returning with his men and I ran up to him when he jumped off and ran to embraced me.

I felt so relief and said"thank God,you alive!".

"Even a few hours can drive you nuts with not me around you!".he said and laughed with his response,I pulled away and slap his arm with a upset look"stop fooling around.......what happened there?".

"Wait first we need to do the final rites!".he said and turned to his guards and one climbed of his horse and carried a body with a white cloth over it towards us and I immediately drop on my knees knowing that it's Pooja body and Bajirao held me tight and my tears began falling like rain water and lied in his arms.

The guards then started building the funeral pyre and we waited as they finished putting the wood together like a small table and placed Pooja body on top when I gave our son to Bajirao and stood up to walked to the pyre and circle around it with the oil and the pot fell and broke and then one guard passed a torch lit with fire and I took it from him and lit the funeral pyre and it was set alight and the flames spread over the pyre burning everything in it's path and we just stood there and watch as my sister body as it turned into ashes.