Embrace the Snow

REASON

"Why?" Nila asked, in a trembling voice, "Why did you kidnap me? I did nothing to you, Lord Mihirana" 

"Just Mihira, please" Mihira said with a disarming smile

He was smiling, Nila blinked in surprise. He was a ferocious warrior who was said to make blood rain in battlefields. Wherever his foot touched, the earth was dyed red, the rivers became red with blood. 

Nila waited for him to answer her question. "You did a lot for me a long time ago" he said, warmly, "I owe you a debt" 

"So you kidnapped me?! Because you owed me a debt?!" Nila asked, incredulously. She thought in her head, don't people usually return a favour with another favour? Was he a madman?

Mihira burst into raucous laughter, "Let me explain"

"Please enlighten me" Nila couldn't stop the sarcasm from seeping into her tone.

"Hey, watch it!" said one of Mihira's men, sharply, but Mihira held up a hand and the man shut up at once. 

"I am not sure if you remember but this was seven years ago..." he began, softly.

Nila frowned, seven years ago? She had been eleven, seven years ago. She turned eighteen this year. 

She jogged her memory and stared at the man again, wait! I know him! Nila recalled. 

                                                                         Seven Years Ago:

Nila headed to the market to buy fresh vegetables. She was going to join the Palace next month to become the handmaiden of the Princess. Her great grandmother to her mother, all the generations of women had been the handmaidens of the Princesses. 

Nila's mother had married a potter, the Princess had allowed Nila's mother to retire to start her own family. Her mother diligently trained Nila to take her place as the Princess' maid. 

One day, while Nila was walking around, she could hear a cry for help. Nila rushed without a second thought into the alley. She saw a boy of around fourteen years being beaten up a bunch of boys. . 

Nila hurled rocks at the bullies while screaming "Help!" at the top of her lungs for help. This scared away the bullies. She rushed towards the boy and helped him to his feet. The minute they stood face to face, Nila understood the boys' cruel behaviour. 

She could easily guess from the facial features that he was a Hun. The distinctive monolidded eyes, pink cheeks and high cheekbones, a sign of the Huns' Central Asian heritage was obvious. 

Nila was aware that the Huns were a Central Asian tribe who entered Bharatvarsh through the Khyber Pass in the Hindu Kush Mountains. It was a well-known fact that the Huns had tried to conquer Bharatvarsh during the era of late Emperor Skanda Gupta. She knew that Skanda Gupta crushed the Huns and no Hun dared to invade again during his reign. Everyone knew how after the death of Skanda Gupta, the Huns occupied Eran, Gandhar, Kashmir and Kausambi. She knew from public knowledge that Huns were once divided into many groups, hence, they were easier to defeat. Now, under present Hun Chief Toramana - the White Huns, the Alchon Huns, the Kidarites and the Nezak Huns joined hands to become one large tribe.  

The present Gupta King, was the great great grandson of Skanda Gupta, Narasimha Gupta Baladitya. He was having a hard time, keeping Toramana and his tribe at bay. Her great grandmother told her that during her time, Huns were a distant entity. Now, Hun people and Half-Hun people were found everywhere and were often victims of public anger. 

Despite her dread of the Huns, she felt pity for this boy, who did nothing to her people. She sneaked him into her house when her parents were out to watch a street play. Nila tended patiently to his injuries and fed him food. Nila could clearly see that the boy had starved for days. He wolfed down the food offered without taking a sip of water. The boy choked on his food and Nila soothed him, by giving him water and patting his back. The boy wiped his mouth and profusely thanked Nila. 

Nila felt embarrassed by the gratitude in his eyes, "It's nothing, I just did what I had to do"

"You saved my life" he pointed at the finger marks on his throat, "You thought they were bullying me. No, they were trying to kill me. One of them seized my throat to choke the life out of me. The others held me down, each person held an arm or leg so that I could not fight back. They used vulgar language insulting me and insulting my mother. Before you came there, they...." he paused, "They kicked me repeatedly in..." he hesitated again, his cheeks turning red, "In my groin" he stammered, blushing.

Nila gave him a look of pity, "Don't mind those dirty bastards." she patted his shoulder encouragingly, "You did nothing to deserve this. I believe in you. I believe that one day you will be a great man"

"Thank you" the boy stammered, "May I know your name?" he asked.

"Sure" Nila grinned, "It's Nilambari. Nila for short and you are?"

The boy smiled, "Nila! I will always remember this name." he looked at her straight in the eye, "Nila, I cannot give my name yet. One day, I will come back, not as a frightened boy but a man. Then and only then, I will give you my name" 

 Nila felt chills down her spine, there was such conviction in the boy's face and words. Did I make a mistake by saving him? she wondered for a few moments. Nila scolded herself for thinking pessimistically, what is wrong with me?! How can I regret saving someone's life?

"Alright" said Nila, "Go! Hurry, before my parents come back" 

The boy nodded in gratitude and quietly left. 

                                                                                  Present Day: 

Mihira's deep voice cut into her thoughts, "Now, do you remember?" he asked.

Nila's eyes flew up to meet Mihira's, "Yes, I remember" she replied. Nila thought to herself, he was fourteen then, he must be twenty one now. 

Nila wondered, how different he looks now. He looks fierce as a snow leopard. Nothing like that frightened and cornered boy. 

"Why kidnap me though?" she asked. 

"Or what, waltz into your house and ask for your hand in marriage?" he scoffed, "Your parents and villagers would have chased me out with stones" 

Nila sighed, he was right, her parents would never agree to their marriage, "Even so, you have no right to take me against my will" she said, angrily. 

"A war is incoming..." he said, "If I didn't, you could have been caught in its aftermath"