Shani was waiting for her father to come and see her all the toys, very excitedly. The smile was never leaving her lips. She run towards the door to see if her father was coming or not but seeing no trace of her father she come back with a sad face.
"Shani its okay, I think he just said that but he will not come."
Her sister said she looked at her sister with her sad face, her sister looked at her smiled and said.
"Come I will play with you."
Malti said, Shani nodded her head and was about to go towards her toys when her father come there, a smile formed on her lips seeing him. She looked at her sister with a smile who was too looking at her father. He shift his gaze at his oldest daughter making her downcast her eyes due to fear.
Again turning his gaze towards Shani he said.
"Show me your toys Shandali."
Smiling she nod her head and walk towards the place where she collected her toys and started bring all the toys, she started to place them near her father. As a four years old she can't bring all them fastly cause her hands are small and her strides also. Seeing her struggling Malti decided to help her sister but her father showed his head hindering her from providing any aid to her sister. He kept noticing her actions.
After sometime she was able to bring all of her toys her forehead was adorned with the beads of sweat. But her enthusiasm was at peak. He smirked , walk forward and bend down, he first smile at her and look down at her play stuff. As usual there were dolls, some kids kitchen set and other stuff.
"Pitaji these are my all toys and dolls."
She told her father with a smile adorned on her face. But all of a sudden his eyes started to darkened looking at the toys and dolls. He clap his hands two time and a gaurd entered inside having a mashaal (flambeau) in his hand. He looked at his daughter and said giving her a small wooden log.
"Destroy all of your toys Shandali."
The floor slip from under her feet hearing her father's words. She looked at him with fear in her eyes , which had started to fade away from her heart. Her eyes brimmed with tears as these are her favourite toys, how can her father ask her to broke them.
Meanwhile Madhuri entered inside bracing herself after her husband's torture on her. She looked at the seen ahead trying to analyse everything. She walked ahead and was about to say something when her husband looked at her with his blazing eyes and said only one words with his gritted teeth.
"AWAY"
Her steps halt in its place while he turn back towards his daughter and said with his dark lacing voice.
"I ASKED YOU SOMETHING TO DO SHANDALI, DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME"
She looked at her father with tears filled eyes and said while crying.
"P-pitaji t-they are my f-favourite to-to-toys. P-please."
She said while crying and hiccuping her father looked at her getting annoyed with the constant crying he said.
"Stop crying like your mother all the time, you have to be like me Shandali."
He said no actually threatened her which make the little girl stop her hiccups and crying in the middle whereas her sister and mother looked at her with tears and empahty in their eyes.
"You will break these stupid stuff with your own hands , so break them right now!"
He said his voice giving chills down the spines of everyone present there.
Holding the stick in her hands Shandali step forwards and hit that on her toys while tears kept flowing from her eyes. She hit on them with her little hands but as she hit, a sensation as a reaction of her actions come back to her as a hit making her small palms to turn red due to the impact.
Finally all her toys were broke with her heart also. Her father hold her hand and pull her away and order the gaurd to burn her dolls and other toys. The little girl's heart clench hearing her father's words more, she is feeling like her heart is being pierced with multiple needles in the most cruel way possible.
Following the order the gaurd pour the oil and then burn all the toys of the little girl with the flambeau. She was looking at her toys with her quivering lips and teary eyes.
"Bring that inside."
He order and another gaurd come inside with a small sword in his hand.
Madhuri looked at it and then at her husband , she somewhat got the idea now about her husband's intentions but she can't do anything, she is not scared for herself but for her daughter's and their lives.
Taking the sword in his hand Shelendra Verma bend down to the level of his daughter who was still staring at the burning pyre of her toys and dolls.
"Look at me Shandali !!"
He said and then girl's reflexes works instantly making her look at her father.
"These type of things are for weak and fragile girl and your father wants you to be the most powerful, THE MOST POWERFUL."
He said to the little girl who was looking at her father as he ordered her before but whatever he said just went over her head.
"From now on not these weak girls toys but ...."
He forwarded the sword in front of her and said.
"These kind of weapons are going to be your toys."
She looked at her father and then at the sword which was small but sharp. The sword was shining with the ray of the sun falling on it. The sword was made with the wootz steel ( Damascus steel) known as the best metal for the sword.
"Forward your hands ahead Shandali."
He ordered the little girl who followed his order and forwarded her hands ahead. He put the sword in her hand and then stand up and said.
"Tomorrow you will come to the warrior's practice field. This is your beginning for a powerful fortune."
He said and then walk out from there leaving the little girl broke to the core.
She again looked at the fire which is still burning her favourite toys and dolls. Her mother come forwards and hug her close to her , making the little girl cry hiding in the arms of her mother.
"Maa m-maa m-maa m-maa aaaaaaa......aaaaaaaaa. P-pitaji he...."
Her voice started to break due to crying she was so happy that her father was going to play with her but he just come as a typhoon and as a destroyer of her happiness.
"Shhh... Shhhh my baccha calm down stop crying, see maa is here hmmm, don't cry."
The sword fall from her hands, the little girl cry in her mother's arm holding her until the sleep comes and decided to give the little girl some rest from all of this.
After she fell asleep Madhuri pick her up and laid her down on the bed. Malti comes forward and asked her mother.
"Why he did this Maa ? Why he hate us?"
Madhuri looked at her daughter she don't know what she should answer her so she just hold her hand and hug her close to herself while caressing the hair of her youngest daughter.
"Hey Iswar (god) please save my children from that monster."
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
To be continued..............
Well I don't have knowledge about swords so I just googled it.
YOU ARE READING
SHANDALI : The Symphony Of Pain And Power.
Historical Fiction"I am not the woman men dream of; I am their worst nightmare." ~ Shandali. Born into a world dominated by her father's insatiable hunger for power, Shandali's early years were overshadowed...
