Embrace the Snow

KIDNAPPED

Nila sighed when the Princess told her the plan for the nth time.

"It's pointless" Nila sighed, "They won't let you out of the Palace, Your Highness. Even if you sneak out, they will discover you missing with seconds" she gently reminded the Princess.

The Princess sighed in defeat, "I know but will you go in my stead?"

"Me?" Nila said, surprised.

"Yes, you!" said the Princess, jumping to her feet, "please do this for me, Nila. Go to the Madana Utsav and tell me what sights you see when you come back, pretty please"

The Princess requested, "You must tell me everything that happens in detail. Promise?" she asked, holding up her pink finger. Nila locked her pinky finger with the Princess' and said, "I promise" 

"Now, go!" she whispered, giving Nila, simple clothes to wear. Nila was very excited, she, had wanted to step out of the palace for a long time now. As a personal handmaiden to the Princess, she was not allowed to go out. Today was her lucky day.

Nila had heard a lot about the Madana Utsav. It was the Festival of Madana, the God of Love. Madana Utsav and Holi - both festivals happened at the same time and were celebrated for two weeks. Nila couldn't wait to take part in the festivities. She giggled in excitement and the Princess waved to her. The Princess opened a secret passage in her room and Nila snuck into the dark passage with a lit torch. 

Nila emerged out of the secret passage and extinguished her torch. With a grin, she walked to the bazaar. The bazaar was full of vivid colours - red, yellow, green, blue, pink splashing around. Color powders were everywhere in the air, in puffs of iridescent clouds. 

The bazaar was filled with hundreds of stalls. One one side, the stalls sold snacks, sweets, flowers, fruits, vegetables, spices. On the other side, the stalls sold gold, gems, weapons, armour, fragrant perfumes, silks, clothes. Nila saw highly sought after imported products from foreign countries - Sri Lanka, Persia, Arabia, Ethiopia, Byzantine Empire and China. 

Nila recalled that the Princess had been her playmate since childhood. The Princess taught Nila history, music, philosophy, mathematics and geography over the years. Nila was passionate about learning. Whatever the Princess was forced to learn since girlhood, Nila learnt by listening to her teachers, sitting beside the Princess. 

The Princess, sometimes, jokingly called Nila "Ekalavya" because she was self-taught like the mythological character. However, the Princess was no Arjuna because she was never jealous of Nila's progress. None of her teachers had ever been as cruel to Nila, as Drona had been to Ekalavya. 

Nila took fistfuls of colours from the nearby stall and threw them into the air. She was so focused on hurling colours that she failed to hear the sound of horse hoofs.

Suddenly, there was a scream of panic in the crowd. Someone in the crowd screamed, "The Huns!!! The Huns!!! The Huns are here! Run!!!"

Everyone screamed and a stampede began as people began to run helter-skelter. Dread caused the blood to rush to Nila's head, she screamed and began to run. 

She could hear the sound of horse hoofs coming closer. The air was filled with colorful clouds, it was difficult to see her way. She ran headfirst into a horse. She swayed slightly before a pair of strong, muscular, male arms lifted her with ease and seated her on a horse. 

Before Nila could move a muscle, the man shouted "Hya!" dug his legs into the horse's sides. The horse reared up, Nila nearly fell down but the man wrapped his arm around her protectively. He galloped away with her and she finally found my voice, "Help! Help me! Someone! Anyone" she began to scream. She could hear him chuckling behind me. 

"What's so damn funny?" Nila asked, sharply, feeling furious.

"The fact that you think someone would come to save you! Can't you see! Each man is trying to save himself or his family only. They don't have the time to spare for a random stranger" 

Nila continued to scream but his palm closed roughly over her mouth. She continued to make screeches from the back of her throat. Another man appeared beside him and said with a raucous laugh, "She has spirit! I can see, why you like this one" 

Nila cursed them all to hell but this only earnt her more mocking laughter from them. She could feel that she was surrounded by a bunch of men on horseback. She kept fighting her captor until she felt his palm swiftly strike the back of her neck and lost her consciousness. 

She woke up and realized that she was bound tightly by ropes. A gag was stuffed into her mouth. Her saliva pooled around her mouth. She gave a screech of fury, promising herself that she would murder each of her captors. 

While she kept screeching, she saw a man appearing closer in her line of vision. She was lying, partially facedown, so she could only see his black leather boots. His boots were knee-high and she could make out the flutter of a white tunic with geometric patterns on it. 

He knelt down and turned Nila around to face him. Nila's breath was caught in her throat. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen in all her life. He was as fair as camphor, clean-shaven, with short hair that reached just below his ears. He wore a silver crown with a pearl crescent, a belted jacket, a caftan with a triangular collar folded on the right. He had an oval face with an upturned nose, square jaw and high cheekbones. His monolidded eyes were an unusual stormy grey, the colour of monsoon clouds. 

Nila remembered to breathe and the fact that she was kidnapped. She continued to fight against the ropes, cursing inwardly. He laughed softly and untied her ropes. The minute Nila was untied, she grabbed the hunting dagger he wore in his belt, "You better let me go! Or I will kill you!" Nila threatened him. 

He tilted his head, coolly, like an adult Bengal tiger considering a newborn baby rabbit, "Do you even know who I am?"

"Who are you?" Nila demanded, angrily

His voice was cool as ice, "I am Mihirana, the Chief of the Huns"

The sword fell down from her hands with a clatter, Nila couldn't stop trembling from head to toe.