Kapali: The return of Mahavir

Chapter 6: The Worst of Nightmares

(Intense chapter, Readers discretion advised, not for weakhearts)

It was a new moon night. Tara was restless, she wants to go back but she can't because of the tight security in the palace. She decided to stay with Saurya for the night. A servant called Sukanya for some important work. As Tara and unconscious Saurya was alone Pratap entered the room and closed the door.
"Keya baat hai Raja babu??"
"Humain apse kuch abasak baat karni thi.."
"Ji kahiye..." Tara's guts weren't feeling well.
"Dhruv bhi bohat din se kehte the... aur humne bhi dekha hai... apke sath Ranisa ki sirf sakal nehi balki bohat adate bhi milte hai..."
"Arthat? Hum samjhe nehi..." Tara started to sweat in fright
"Arthat yeh ki apki yardash chali geyi hai... parantu bohat kuch reh geya hai... aapko yaad nehi ki aap humari Ranisa hai.. parantu humain gyat hai..." Pratap started to proceed towards her, Tara stepped back but got pinned with the wall behind.
"Aap keya kar rahe hai Maharaj....." Tara unknowingly spoke in her original voice which made Pratap more sure. Tara gasped realising the blunder she made just now. Pratap thinks her memory is gone so he wants to.... no... no.. no..
Tara tried to flee away by pushing Pratap but she couldn't succeed, Pratap pulled her by her hand. Tara struggled to get freed. He hold her by her shoulders and tried to touch her cheeks. She struggled and pushed him hard. To make her incompitent Pratap pulled and tore the sleeves of Tara's choli from her shoulder making deep nail scratches. Tara's heart stopped beating. She tried to guard her esteem covering it with her hands. Her feets trembled. She looked at Saurya and saw him shivering, but she couldn't help him because she's unable to help herself. Tara, getting no way out, pulled the tablecloth making the vase fall and scatter broken. She covered herself with the tablecloth and took the fruit knife. But Pratap wasn't a person to be afraid of it. Tara saw Saurya is still shivering, he needs medical attention, and she needs to divert attention.
"Saurya?!" Tara screamed. Pratap's attention went towards the kid and he too saw him shivering. He went to the kid, Tara trusted the demon with the kid and fled. Pratap got up to call the Ved when he realised that Tara has fled. Before calling the ved he informed the guards to lock the doors. Tara was well aware of his strategies so she took the backyard and fled crossing the window towards the deep forbidden jungle. Tara ran with her barefoot through the jungle. Suddenly she felt something and halted. Chills ran down her stomach. Her ears could feel it. A roar, a subtle roar, of a..... lioness. Tara looked around with fright. Her head started to dizz, her brain couldn't take it anymore. She tried her best to hold on her consciousness and gained strength the figure out  the direction from where the roar was comming. It was a subtle roar, the lioness perhaps is resting and not out for hunt. But if she's resting that means she's not alone, there must be a den of the big cat nearby. Tara started sweating. She ran towards the opposite direction but found no way out. She wondered here and there and then suddenly something clicked on her mind. She went up a tree and tried to look over the canopy. As she looked around she saw a light, but who is there? Is it her friend or enemy?! She can't trust anyone now. She looked on the other side and saw the path going downhill. She squeezed her eyes, the place downhill looks familiar. It's the place, perhaps the back side of Veerpur, the secret path through which Bhaiji's spies travel. Tara got down the tree and ran downhill. Her feet was horribly wounded and was trembling. She couldn't keep balance and fell down hurting her ankle. Suddenly, she saw some men comming towards her, they held the lantern by her face.
"Rajkumari ji?!" One of them exclaimed. It's the army of Vallavgarh, who are acting as spies in Devgarh. The men gave support to trembling Tara, though she was pushing them out but still they helped her and took her to Kapali's s place.
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At Kapali's place,
"Humko byas sach janna hai Mahavir ji..." said Bhabosa, "Vindini to aisi na thi... unke sath koi atyachar na hua Devgarh mai..."
Dhruv and Swaraswati exchanged stares raising their eyebrows. What an hypocrisy?!
"Sach aaplogo ko pata abassya chalega Durgavati ji... parantu abhi nehi... sach itna karwa hai ki apki umar use seh nehi payega... aur jab tak aap yaha hai apki swasth humara dayitya hai..." said Mahavir
"Hum biswas nehi karte humare Pratap banna kuch galat kar sakte..."
"Aapke biswas pe hum biswas na karte... hum byas humare apno pe biswas karte... paraye pe nehi... parantu aisa pratit hota hai ki apke yaha to apke apno ne hi apko andhere mai rakha... aisa andhera jise wohlog mita to nehi sakte... per woh andhera unhe nigal jarur sakte..." Mahavir spoke in a deep whispering tone.