Kanyaka [Sequel to Durga] | ✓

2. Her Dream

Durga opened the door of their house. Trotting behind her, Rudra came in with a small bag. Both tumbled on the sofa and closed their eyes. She sighed. "I loved this trip. Travelling to Chikka Tirupati, discovering that old temple dedicated to Veera Chennamma, performing the rituals by ourselves; the experience was so different."

He smiled. They ate simple dinner consisting of dal and rice. Retiring to their room, she drew the curtains and switched off her mobile. It was her regular habit to do so unlike Rudra. He fell into deep sleep. Though she was tired, she didn't sleep immediately. Lying on her back with her hands on the side, she imagined a white light around her. Why was she imagining these things, she had no idea. According to her, it was like a protective light that helped to keep away all the negative energy. She felt protected; her concentration increased. Very soon she noticed the change in colour of the light- it had become yellow. Slowly, she imagined a pathway. A muddy pathway that lead to the entrance that was closed by two huge wooden doors. These wooden doors had metal spikes along the whole length except for a small portion.

Durga started walking towards it, slowly. On either side of the path, there was huge stretch of barren land. She walked until she reached that entrance. It seemed a long distance to her. She noticed that there was a small door where there were no metal spikes. She pushed that door and entered the land.

Upon entering it, she saw yellow colour was filled everywhere. Steadily, the 'yellow' became another door. She opened it and found herself fiercely whispered, "I will murder the royal family of Sahasyabhumi for forcing us into the rajdasi business."

"By Lord Venkateshwara, hold your tongue. If someone hears this, we will be hanged," a lady in her early thirties warned. Dressed in white Bharatanatyam saree with golden border, she wore her gold bangles and took a final look in a highly polished metal. "Come Kanyaka, the king and his sabha are waiting for us."

Curiosity got better of her as she looked in that mirror. She found that she was tall. Her earlier petite body was replaced by pear shaped body. Her dress, it was very different. She was dressed in traditional brown coloured Bharatanatyam saree with golden border albeit it exposed considerable amount of her flat stomach and shapely waist.

They proceeded towards the temple built within the palace. The corridors were painted in hues of blue, green and white. There were pillars on either side of the corridor. Kanyaka followed the woman with fuming rage. They reached the room and folded their hands into a namaste. Idol of Lord Venkateshwara, another name of Lord Vishnu stood in front of them; it was decked with gold ornaments studded with precious stones and garlands. A yellow silk cloth was tied as the dhoti and a red angavastram was draped around the right shoulder and arm. The king, his brother, his son and few important courtiers were in the same room.

She muttered under the breath, "I have been married to you. Yet these royals want to claim my body to satisfy their sexual needs. Give me strength to endure the pain and humiliation."

They danced in front of the him, sang songs in his praise but Kanyaka was the best. No sooner did they stopped dancing than one of the courtiers walked towards the other woman. She whispered, "Amma, seriously, this potbelly wants a rajdasi to please himself? You could have done at least chosen the prime minister."

"Why can't you keep quiet?" Netravati hissed.

Kanyaka found an arm snaking towards her waist. Without evening looking at the person, she greeted, "Kumara Raghuveera! I was waiting for you."

The man gave a crooked smile. "Enough of these pleasantries. Just do your work and take your money."

She suppressed her seething anger. They walked towards his room. He pushed her onto the bed and swiftly removed his jewellery. She too removed hers; she needed a strong reason to kill him. She was about to remove her saree when he whispered removing his dhoti, "For a slut, you danced and sang pretty well."

Her body seethed in anger and she knew that he had kept his dagger on the side table next to the bed. "I am not a slut. It seems you are drunk You don't know what you're speaking."

"You're a slut. A slut who has been given the title called rajdasi."

Kanyaka had never felt this humiliated in her life. She reached for the dagger and slashed Raghuveera's throat. He fell on the floor clutching his neck. "For ten years I have gone through sexual, physical and mental harassment because of you and your dead wife. Had she been alive, you wouldn't have raped me. Or probably you would have. You are such a characterless person."

She was about to put her bangles when she heard a loud thud. She saw an intruder just next to do the huge window. Without further thinking, she jumped from the bed and took the sword that was on another table. From past ten years she had tried to kill him but he was a famed and skilled warrior. Even in his deepest sleep he would defend every attack. His easy death did surprise her but each person has their weakness.

The intruder held his sword and took a deep breath. From his stance, Kanyaka could make out that he was an unskilled warrior. He would be an easy kill. She raised her sword above her shoulder and ran towards him. When she was just a few inches away from him, she bent down and made two deep cuts on his shanks. He tumbled down and groaned in pain; she had successfully confused him. She held the sword in both her hands, raised it above her head and in one swift motion pierced it through his abdomen slicing through all his vital organs, stomach, liver, pancreas and kidney.

She placed the sword in Raghuveera's right palm and laughed. "You have died the way a Kshatriya would have wanted to. Kumara Raghuveera died killing an intruder. The intruder also put a tough fight but was able to slash his neck. Where was I?"

She tore a piece of cloth from his angavastram and started formulating a plan. "Since Kumara had called me a slut, I spat on him. He tied my mouth with this cloth," saying this she tied it to her mouth. She ran from the room to alert the soldiers.

Durga woke up from her slumber, trying to calm herself.