Love you forever

Chapter sixteen./ if only we could be

" True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes."
– Unknown

Your love lends me wings
I fly, free as never before.
Yet your love bind me so
I cannot stay far from you
It is not enough me saying
I love you! For words,
mean too little and so less
I wish I could open my chest
and show you my heart
It beats only for you
There is no truer emotion
than my love for  you.....
So I simply keep saying
I love you.....
I love you......
I love you.....

That night.
Picking up the thin blanket, she covered herself. Her eyes flirting over the bare walls of her room. Watching the shadows cast by the lone Diya. She kept tossing and turning, sleep far far from her eyes. It was a cool night, so they had not lit a fire, the Diya was burning softly in the hearth. The closed room could get really dark at times. but she had to keep pretending to sleep since she could hear Baba and kaka outside. When will they sleep when will I be able to go out she knew in her heart that Rudra would be waiting outside. Not that he had said anything.....
"Why don't you go through the window. It is still early Baba will not go to bed so soon. Also it is your last night with us baba will be worrying about you." Sangini's voice broke into her revery.
She turned to look at Sangini. She had thought that Sangini was asleep. Why didn't she think of the window?
"My eyes are closed, I don't know anything. oh! stop right there, I know that look and Gaura! and I know what you are thinking...( a smug smiling on her face. She sat down an all knowing smile wide on her face now, but her eyes were lit up devilishly) let me tell you, why the thought didn't come to your mind and it came to mine ( her nose high up in the air.) Your problem is you are a princess, you think like one and you always behave like one, you always go through the front door. Where as I always go through the back door. Everyone treats me like a child. Sangini don't do this! Sangini don't go there! That's the only way I get to do anything. Now get up Gaura, just go,.... go be with Rudra. This is your last night with him. Don't waste it on doubts. You have your whole life for that. Enjoy these last few precious moments. Tomorrow you can get down to reality. I will not let anyone know that you are not there. Go!! Hurry I am sure Rudra is waiting for you outside, don't make him wait, go be with him." Giving Sangini a hug, she went quietly and opened the window. When had Sangini matured so much? Slowly she climbed over the windowsill and jumped down.
"Throw a pebble when you are back. I will help you climb in." Sangini waved from the window as she turned and ran, to the stream. Sure enough he was standing in the very spot that he had been in the other night. Oh!! It all seemed so far far away.
"Rudra!! " she called out softly. He turned as she approached. He held out his arms. She ran in to them. If this was her last night with him then she would live each and every moment as if they were her last. She wanted to store every momery, so she would have something to live with.
"I am sorry!" She whispered softly. They were walking toward the island. The same island where they had spent last night in each other's arms.

The lamp was burning brightly enough that the two men could see each other clearly in the porch overlooking the courtyard. They sat there quietly each in his own deep thought. The clouds had been gathering since early evening, occasionally letting out a short shower, now and then.
"You think the girls have slept off?"
"They went to bed an hour ago. Of course they must be sleeping now. Anyway we can hardly hear any movements from the room. Don't worry everything will be alright"
He joined his palms in greeting. Quietly the two men sat there deep in contemplation.
"I have called Ballu because I need his help." Suddenly Nanda Dev spoke into the deep quiet.
"I know but the Chief has already guided and ordered him, you did not need to call him here again."
"I ....I still have to speak to him. And to you too... I have something to tell you, a truth that I have long hidden Vishnu, something which I did not tell the Chief even. Which I hid from all. I cannot keep it hidden inside me anymore."
"Calm down, Nanda Dev don't worry. It is ok we can talk about it later."
"No you do not understand. What I am trying to tell you is a matter of life and death. Gaura's life depend on it."
"Nanda Dev you have my promise no one will know from me."
"Today we recieved a letter."
"Yes I know about it."
"It was a call."
"A call?"
"Yes!! Let me start from the beginning. I tell you this so you will understand the danger that Gaura faces. Gaura's life is dependant on this matter staying as secret as possible. Gaura is not my biological daughter, although I have always treated her as my own. She is Rajkumari Kaushiki Shakti Ranawat, the princess of the state Of Abhaneri."
Vishnu Dev sat there shell shocked, absorbing all that Vaidyaraj was letting out.
"When she was very young her mother the Queen of Abhaneri, Rukmani Kanwar Ranawat, realised the real potential of her only daughter, her only child the princess Kaushiki. Ranisa was different from the other queens of the palace. She had brought up the princess very differently. She saw that her daughter had the ability to be an exceptional Vaidya. I at that time was the rajvaidya.* She, the queen, was an extremely intelligent lady and she was exceptionally knowledgeable about plants. She inspite of being the queen looked after the health of all in the kings palace and me being the Rajvaidya, she knew me well. She came secretly to me one day and asked me to accept the young princess as her student. I respected the queen immensely, so I gladly accepted.
She asked me to keep the princess's identity a secret from the others. She was after all well versed in the politics of the palace. She feared for the princess. She had no son from the the king and inspite of being the first wife, she was looked down on by the king and the other  queens. To spare the princess the trails of the royal harem she would send her to me. I kept another name for her, one that only a few of us knew. Gaura!! All was going well, till three years ago when the old senapati (army chief) retired and the king gave his position, of the Senapati over to his son Bhagwant Singh. Bhagwant Singh was always ambitious but that was not his sin. He was as cruel as you could get, more dangerous than Kansa* himself. and slowly he took over the entire control of the army in his hands. That is when he slowly started showing his evil ways. He gained more power than the king himself.
A few months back he staged a coup, where he overthrew the king and killing all those who were loyal to the king, he took control of the kingdom. He put the king behind bars, and kept him there under the threat of the new born crown prince's safety. He let the princess Kaushiki live, for he wanted to marry the princess since she was the eldest royal child and through marriage to her he could rightfully claim the throne. But we came to know about his plan. Ranisa and I along with her few loyalists set an escape plan into motion. The princess managed to flee away in the nick of time, but Ranisa got caught. I took the princess and fled from there, but Bhagwant Singh sent his personal guards after us."
"Paliyana?"
Yes!! Paliyana. They were close on our heels, but we somehow managed to stay a few steps ahead of them. Then we reached Paliyana. There when the guards attacked, the princess wanted to give herself up if it meant saving all those lives, but they are cruel men who do not understand mercy. They would have killed everyone around them irrespective. That is why when I met you at Paliyana, I sought your help."
"And you all came to Pinakipura. Now you all are safe here. So what does this have to do with the letter? And where do I come in this?"
"The letter is a call for Gaura. We tried to track and rescue Ranisa but Bhagwant Singh hid her somewhere. We had to ourselves stay in hiding. But we put some of our trusted people on the lookout. Finally through the letter we got a call. Ranisa has been found. Gaura had refused to let me go with her. On oath she has made me promise I will stay here and look after Sangini. Gaura need to get to Paliyana and she cannot get there alone. She asked the chief for help and he had agreed to send Ballu with her. She does not trust anyone else and frankly neither do I. She wants to keep it a secret, no one that means no one can know. It is better for everyone, that they know as little as possible."
He was still absorbing all that Nanda Dev had just told him when there was a knock on the entry door.
Vishnu Dev immediately got up and opened the door. It was Ballu. They both went to the porch where Nanda Dev was standing. Ballu joined his palms in greeting.
"Namaste!"
They greeted him back.
"You called me Vaidyaraj?"
"Yes Ballu. I know the Chief has already told you about Gaura leaving for Paliyana and you have already agreed to escort her. But she cannot wait, ballu. She has to leave fast."
"When?" He asked surprised at the urgency.
"Tomorrow morning!" He spoke no expression on his face.
"What time?"
"At the beginning of the second prahar."
"So early! But we have not made any preparations for the journey. There is no food. It is monsoon. The.."
Don't worry, it is all done. We have made all the preparations. You will need for nothing."
"But why this urgency. All this secrecy."
"I cannot tell you that, it is Gaura's secret to tell."
"Ahhhh! I will do it irrespective, because Gaura is like my sister and I owe my life to
her."
"But you cannot tell about this to anyone. Even Rudra. Please! It is Gaura's request."
He nodded taking his leave.
"We will meet at the bridge, exactly seven hours from now."
It did not sit well with him, these words, that Vaidyaraj had just uttered. But early the Chief had called him in after everyone had left the audience hall. The Chief had told him that he was to guide Gaura to Paliyana. He could return after dropping her off there, but no one was to know about them leaving and it was a command an order. Knowing Rudra's feeling for Gaura and the Gandharva vivah* earlier this morning. He did not know what to do. He could have ignored Vaidyaraj's request but the chief's order. That he could not. He did not know what to do. Looking up into the heavens, he prayed to Mahadev to help him. To guide his path. He would do what he could for Gaura. He had to, for not only was she like his sister but he was in her debt for saving his life.