Jogini : A fight for honour

Chp 12:- Hamsa Nava

"Answer my questions." Demanded Kumar Amrendra.

"Why?" Asked a frustrated Naagvalli.
"What is it that you want to know?"

"Everything that you are hiding." He said sternly.

Kumar Amrendra's straight forward reply made Naagvalli glare at him. She turned around to leave but he held her arm and pulled her close to him.

"Tell me the truth." His eyes were fixed into hers and her breathing hitched, while his was calm as ever.

"Leave me." She said softly, reluctantly pulling her gaze from his eyes.

Leaving her arm he folded his arm's against his chest and asked,
"Why did you want to kill us?"

"Raja Nagbhairava asked me to do so." She was straight to the point.

"Then why did you kill him instead of us?" He demanded.

If I fret when I reply he'll know I'm lying ..... She thought .... What reason should I give ...? Think Avanti think ....

She turned to face Kumar Amrendra and said
"Raja Nagbhairava does not deserve to live."

"Who are you to decide if he would live or die? You are not Amma Gauri to do so."

"But when Amma Gauri's love and patience has reached its pinnacle then even she won't hesitate to kill." She replied.

"Reason?" He demanded.

"For many years I resisted Raja Nagbhairava's advances, I had to kill him or else I would lose my respect."She replied. Then asked "Could you answer my question?"

"Ask."

"Why are you taking me back to Maheshmati?"

"To honour you." He replied with a shrug.

She burst out laughing and smirked"Honour!"

"What's funny?" Frowned Kumar Rudhra Deva.

Naagvalli managed to settle her laughter and smirked "What honour and respect do court dancer's have?"

Tears welled up her eyes as she spoke,"They are only treated as whores. Exploited, raped and made mistresses in king's palace."

Kumar Amrendra's eyes teared up as she continued... "Even if they are not raped or whatever but they are still considered as ganika's (prostitute's) who woo men into bedding them..." Naagvalli sniffed a little and spat out saying "And you, your talking about honour?"

Kumar Amrendra took Naagvalli's hand in his and swore saying, "Naagvalli, I promise you that no one will raise their eye's nor criticise you by the work you do."

Naagvalli managed a faint smile and whispered a bearly heard,"Dhanyavadalu (thank you)."

"But I have one question," Began Kumar Rudhra Deva.

"Yes?"

"Why did you pierce your dagger in my anna's throat?"

Naagvalli looked apologitically at Kumar Amrendra and said "Ksheminchu (sorry)."

"It's alright." He smiled and said "Your name definitely cannot be Naagvalli. What is your name?"

On hearing the question Naagvalli's eye's widened ....