Love Is Our true Destiny: A Rikara FF

Chapter nine

Nahaar Thakur was adjusting his hookah pipe. 

He reflected that hookah was probably the only vice he had. He didn't consider lust for flesh and money as a sin. Those, he believed, were his birthrights as a Thakur. His brother enjoyed them, and so did he, unlike their honorable and incorruptible father. 

The only difference between the two brothers was that, Kali bhaiyaa liked to flaunt his exploits, while he, Nahaar, didn't. 

He didn't pretend to be great, but he kept up the act of a somewhat more controlled Thakur, lest he earn disrepute and disaffection of the zila, like his elder brother. 

He didn't think it was a good idea for people of his zila to know about his underground activities, so as long as they believed he was an ordinary Thakur, like those of other villages, it was good for him.

He knew how the people in the village of Bareilly secretly rejoiced the death of Kali bhaiyaa. He also knew that though they might complain about the harshness of the current Thakurain, secretly they admired her discipline, and the slow prosperity it brought to the village. 

The Thakurain. 

Nahaar wasn't the emotional sort, his brother's untimely death didn't grieve him greatly. He wasn't craving for his brother's wealth either, he had enough of his own. He knew that his elder brother's excesses had greatly depleted the estate's fortune. 

He hoped that what was left, he would utilize it for his underground activities. Vikram was not even nineteen, he could have easily usurped the remaining wealth for himself, as Vikram's trustee. 

But that woman, she usurped the estate instead. 

Even that, Nahaar didn't mind much. As much as minded, being deprived of that beauty. 

Nahaar always admired his elder brother's taste. That dainty woman, with flawless porcelain skin and large, doe shaped eyes, was the jewel of the town. No wonder his elder brother went to great lengths to acquire her. Nahaar wouldn't have. Who wants to forcibly marry a priest's daughter, and bring sin upon themselves? 

But she was his brother's widow when he met her, and Nahaar wanted his elder brother's leftovers. If his brother got to enjoy before dying, that is.

There was heavy suspicion that the girl murdered his brother. But looking at her size, people doubted that. Then again people doubted her abilities, but she proved them wrong, and became the village's matriarch. 

In one swift blow, she protected herself as well as took what belonged to the Thakurs. 

Nahaar wasn't interested in the property anymore, but he wanted that girl. He had lusted for her since the last two years. 

And now, when Vikram was so close to turning twenty one, finally he got his chance. 

"Hmm, so you saw them dragging him out?" asked Nahaar.

"Yes, yes, Thakur saab. I did. He was injured, whipped, I heard some guard say, as they passed by me" said the servant-cum-informant eagerly. 

"Hmm, that's interesting. You may go now" said Nahaar Thakur, and nodded to his other servant to give the informant some currency notes. 

"Do you think his information is of any use, Sarkar?" asked Nahaar's closest aide and second-in-command. 

"Put it this way, Sujaan Singh, there is something brewing there. That man enters the village one day, throws himself in their mess, and gets away with it? Remember the assembly of the Panchayats? The Thakurain pretended indifference to his existence, and yet managed to save his skin, and even let him stay in her zila. I heard he's made quite a few friends there, teaching their kids. Oh, he's a fool alright, but these kind of emotional fools are like clay in our hands. He reminds me of my dearly departed father. He was like that, righteous, honest, and how Kali bhaiyaa and I fooled him day in, and day out" laughed Nahaar Singh.