H I M
The one he'd die for, wanted to kill him the same,
But death would be a guest he'd welcome, if she promised to sit by his grave.
................................................
H E R
If there was a list of all the sins she was t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Sanyukta felt like someone was following her.
Her feet hurried their steps, the mashal in her hands flaring slightly with the increased pace. The hallway was empty, except for the two gaurds that stood at the door that led to the dungeon. Sanyukta hid her lean form behind the pillar, eyes watching the gaurds from afar. The footsteps behind her had turned faint, almost fading. Before Sanyukta could ponder upon who they belonged to, a drumbeat was heard. The drum rang nine times before the noise faded, demarking the time.
The gaurds left their spots, moving in the opposite direction before two other gaurds claimed the spots.
Ten minutes. Sanyukta etched it to her memory. It took them ten minutes to change their spots.
She let her feet take her the other way, her hand holding her chiffon cloak around her tightly. She was halfway to her room when she heard the footsteps again. Her mind raced with worry as she increased her pace, using her cloak to hide her face. She was relieved she had removed her anklets beforehand, lest she found herself in a situation such as this.
The footsteps neared her, pace matching hers. Sanyukta contemplated her options, that she realised were limited. She could run away but she might get caught or she could find a place to hide.
Her gaze landed on the door at the edge of the hallway that was left slightly ajar. She hastily went inside, her lean frame pressed against the closed door. Her breath shallowed, chest heaving as she calmed herself down. The footsteps resonated through the empty walls, coming to a halt right across the door.
"What happened, General?" Someone else had joined in. A soldier perhaps.
"I saw someone come this way. I followed the figure before it disappeared." The voice was unfamiliar to Sanyukta, rugged and rough. Like that of a warrior.
"We will begin our search right now."
"No need for it. Perhaps I mistook a gaurd for someone else. Go back to your spot." The foot steps faded, lingering just a bit longer near the door. Sanyukta heaved a breath of relief when she realised she was not caught.
Her mind wandered back to the soldier. He had addressed the man following her as 'General.' She remembered Dhara saying the General of Simhavat was out of town. Was he back, then?
Her chain of thoughts was broken by a breeze of wind that removed the cloak from her face. She looked around to find herself surrounded by books and scrolls everywhere. She walked inside, her steps quiet as a whisper as her fingers grazed the shelves harbouring a treasure of scriptures and tales. It seemed like she was in the Palace library.
Sanyukta thanked her Kanhaji for sending her to the right place even by coincidence. She wandered through the space, eyes chanelling every section to her memory. The right shelf for history of Simhavat Empire. The middle section for the time before their reign. The left section for records of fiction and prophesies based on the Simhavats.
