Queen Behind Leather Mask

Chapter 2 - Dark woods and jaggery on top.

" You survived like what you thought would kill you. Now straighten your crown and move forward like queen you are. "

                               ******

I'm passing through a dark woods, only the buzzing sound and footsteps of my white horse bahadur are heard. I wore a old red turban on my head of my elder brother  Yuvraaj Harnaaz Singh, and I'm his only younger sister Yuvraaj Kumari Mehtaab.

And chirping of mithu... who is sitting on my left shoulder.

No one knew that I'm heading toward Lahore, because as like before I just said that I'm going to my Nanke ghar
(mother's paternal home) Gujranwala.

It's already a dusk when I saw Some smoke rising in sky far away at some distance. Means I got the shelter to spend my night.

I pull the strings of horse toward me and move in the direction of smoke. Since morning I'm riding this horse __
I'm tired now.. my back is aching badly. And this fast runner bahadur also got tired from a long journey.

As I reached near the source of smoke it turned it came from a small hut outside the village.

I got down from bahadur and tied his rope to a one of eucalyptus tree which are standing in a row near a Hut.

And than I tied the sack full of black grams around the mouth of bahadur to feed.

I walked towards the Hut where it's outside a small loafing shed is build in which around ten fifteen goats were tied.

I walked further and knock the old torn wooden gate of Hut.Then old torn out door opened slowly with a crack sound at end.

After a while small height lady with a little bend in her back came out . She's looking much older than a old ladies which I saw in my palace and my granny.

Her eyes were greyish with a hint of sparkle in them look towards me with a hope. Her eyes were filled with fear when she opened the door but feel relaxed maybe after looking at my appearance . Maybe she feared from burglars.

I'm seemed harmless to her..

I seemed to be Young thin man with the turban on head without any beard and moustache wearing a men's light red kurta pajama with a large sword hanged on my waist for self protection from thieves, robbers _Looking like I just crossed the adolescent age of my life.

Above all _mithu was sitting on my left shoulder.

She succuried her brows together like she asked me _who I am ?

I try to came out with a most rugged voice of man. Which in end came out like my actual voice of girl.

"Satsriakal Mata "

She greet me back with a simple nod and smile on her face.

" Ki gal puttar ??"
(What happened child??)

Maybe she didn't acknowledge my actual being..

Good !!

"I'm just a passerby can I take shelter for a night... Because it's already dusk now "

I replies again with a rugged voice.

She again nodded her head.

Maybe she's quite most of the time.

...and opened the door wide to me come inside_ It again closed with a cracked noise at end.

Her hut is a small enough for single person. There is a one cot lying at left side where is a small window and earthen lamp was glowing___ and at other side mud stove placed on whose top small vessel was placed in which water is boiling.