The Bandana Lovers

Our Chariot to New Life

( dreams, inner thoughts and flashback will be in bold italics)

Vegas, stop it , I said stop this nonsense. God , do you want to hurt yourself?" Saksit shouted at Vegas when he was scratching every pillar and breaking every glass that came his way on the terrace. He was fuming, his breath was heavy and nostrils were flaring. He would have definitely harmed someone or even himself if Saksit and Kim didn't control him."

"Stop it Vegas. Calm down. We are here, talk to us."

"Do I even have the right to talk?"
"Vegas , is it that bad to get married?"
"Yes it is, for me "

"Then why did you say yes to marriage? Kim asked. "I am sure father gave you other options."

"Do you want to know those other options?" Vegas questioned

"You have committed a big mistake Vegas." Rama showed his disappointment.

"Father, it was a genuine mistake. We didn't even see each other. I never intended..."

"Enough, there is no point in continuing to discuss the same thing. Just tell me, will you marry Pete or not."

"I am sorry father but i can't marry Pete and for that matter anyone."

Rama exhaled a breath held for long.

"So listen, take Kim along with you to the building where our soldiers are resting. Take a few of our most trustworthy ones. Tell them to collect the strongest quality wood and make a fully covered moving cage with only a small ventilation for air passage. Make sure you and Kim supervise it properly. It should be completed by tonight."

"A cage on wheels? But why?"
"To take Pete to Alcazar"
"But why would Pete go to Alcazar when we won't get married?"

"Sometimes I really feel that your mother leaving us left a great vacuum in our life. If she was here , she would have taught you all this. Vegas it's time for you to understand these norms and rules made by our ancestors for an ethical functional society."

He took a deep breath and turned his face away from Vegas

"When a person gets stamped and is rejected by the one who did it, then he is considered as a trash which has been used and thrown away. His value remains just like that of a useless object that has no place and is kept in the pile of waste items of the house. Pete is just like that now? He will no longer be accepted by any respected family. And no one will give his daughter or son to Dominica for Pete."

"What?" Vegas was confused.
"Father, I have never seen you speak like that before. Please stop."

"It's the truth and now you have to face it. If you don't marry Pete he loses all the respected positions in the society. He won't be considered as royal. He won't belong to Dominica and hence would not be allowed to live here. Even in Alcazar, we can't keep him in our house or in the city, otherwise some day people will know that he is rejected by you. That will bring a lot of rage towards us. That's why choose your most trusted soldiers for this task. Who would die but won't open their mouth."

"I still don't understand why we are taking him along if he can't live in the city. What will he do, where will he live?"

"Outskirts. Because now that is his position"

"Father, are you saying you are going to send Pete to a...to a bro....brothel?"

"Unfortunately yes"
"And he will sell himself every night to those monsters?"
"Those monsters are our soldiers who fight for us. And they become monsters because we have deprived them of family life. They fulfill their needs and respectfully pay the men or women they spend the night with."