Chapter 8

Two years later

Present day

Padma stood before the full-length mirror she had acquired from her mother’s room last year. It was her twenty-first birthday and also the day of her coronation. She adjusted the saree pleats of the specially ordered ‘paithani’ Her long lustrous mane was rolled into an elegant bun touching her neck and the corner locks were joined at the top of her head to form a loop. Floral chains of the ‘mogra’ specially ordered from Karnataka adorned her crowning glory, also spreading their fragrant hues all over her body and soul.

The maids stood watching the dresser arrange her pleats as she finally tucked in her saree. The saree itself was woven in silk and golden ‘zari’ highlighting its traditional border and a grand Pallu. This mesmerizing piece was in midnight black shade with an elegant designer blouse in scarlet red to add a classy appeal to it. The raised motifs adorning the blouse’s arms were custom made for today’s ceremony, studded with rubies and golden embroidery. The shape of the adjoining saree part moving towards the palloo was fixed so that her fair hourglass waist was accentuated.

She had worn her mother’s Kundan set. The neck piece had huge leafy round and oval shape golden metal with flower pattern tinted in cream, red and green colour while the opposite face had pure kundan. The necklace had dangling grey pearls. At the centre was a dense triangular pendant with a hollow in it. The hollow probably nestled a stone…

Aarti had commented how the missing stone was an eyesore but the Padma had wanted something that belonged to her mother on this special day. The triangular pendant resting a little above her nape line lay next to her turquoise pendent that she refused to part with even for this day.

The adjustable back golden nylon threads of the necklace embedded a dangle of pearls and acrylic red-green stones.

The chandelier-shaped dangling earrings also had the same pattern as the necklace.

The bangles she wore were handcrafted to match her necklace and earrings. The only difference being each of them had a couple of classic black onyx gemstones to match with her saree.

Her make-up was very light with a dab of rouge and blush while her fishtail eye-liner design brought out the shape of her eyes. The bright vermillion of her lips was radiant and bold, a sharp contrast to her soft heart.

As everyone left the room, letting her stand alone, she slipped her feet in the specially ordered heeled ‘mojri’ with delicate embroidery with dancing peacocks and radiant flowers all over.

She stood staring at her fascimilie in the mirror blinking back tears as she missed her mother the most. She still had time before Aarti would come in to escort her to the coronation hall. She could hear the beats of the assorted drum essemblage and the traditional trumpets being blown. Her heart paced in anticipation of what was coming up…

Today evening was her coronation and she would be officially the legal heir to the province, after her father.

The last three years flashed past her eyes.

She remembered that night of the puja, when she had been escorted back safely to the palace. She had thought her father wouldn’t speak to her as usual but to her surprise he called her to his chamber the very next evening.

She remembered taking the painful walk down the East wing towards her parents’ study. She had never been there after her mother had passed except to collect some of her mother’s paraphernalia.

That evening after dinner, she knocked on the wooden brass door and the king hollered her in.

She walked in with trembling legs partly because of what had transpired the earlier evening and partly because of her memories in the wing… she could feel her mother’s presence and missed her even more. Blinking back tears, she stood before her father with a huge mahogany table between them. Her father was seated on the massive revolving office chair specially ordered by her mother. The study set was different from all other pieces in the room but her father never refused his wife anything…

He indicated Padma to sit, and she tried not to show her fear as she took a seat on one of the two soft cushioned chairs.

Her father stared at her and she realised he had aged beyond his years and more so in the last two. She wished she could comfort him and be of help but knew the archaic royal blood running in her father’s veins wouldn’t let him do that.

The King sighed. “Padma, my child… I am sorry that you had to face it all.”

She quickly glanced up. Was her father apologising?

“I understand baba… It’s not your fault…”

Her father raised his palm indicating her to stop.

“Hear me out, child. I am not only apologising for yesterday… its… it’s for your fate for having born into this household….” Padma watched stunned as he continued. “…If not for being a part of this family and heir, you would have led a better life and had all the freedom your heart desired. I know you aren’t happy with the engagement announcement but child, besides being your father, I am first and foremost the King who has a lot at stake if things go wrong…. There are things you don’t know and at this juncture I can’t reveal anything….”

The king’s hand was up still and it was then Padma saw his middle finger missing its ring… the untanned ring area was prominent. She always remembered seeing the handmade ring on sterling silver with greenstone. It was a gift from the Turkish ambassador when he had visited them years ago.

“…Baba… your ring?” she pointed towards his finger.

The king was taken aback at the subject change and watched his hand. He then looked up at Padma.

“Just remember child, you cannot trust anyone around you. But the bearer of this ring will be authorized and endorsed by me… at a personal level. So, you can trust the person blindly.”

What was her father talking about?

The king must have sensed her restlessness. He stood and walked around the table and touched her head. He then moved towards the large window and stared at the blackness ahead.

“Padma, my dear, your mother and I always wanted the best for you. We wanted to give you a life free from the bindings of the royal rules, but your safety is of utmost importance. And no matter what, I won’t compromise on that. What happened yesterday wasn’t a mistake, and I don’t want to hide anything from you. We were attacked despite everything and we lost three of our guards. So, in the wake of things heating up, I have made some decisions….” He turned towards her. “… From now on you will NOT venture out of the palace grounds without permission… you will go out only when things die down and when I feel it will be safe enough…and …there will be no more discussion on this.”

The king resumed his reading from the multiple files and folders on the table and it was a clue for her to leave.

Padma walked back in a daze, unsure of what the future held in store for her. The palace walls were suffocating, and that night she cried herself to sleep… desperately wanting the comfort of those strong hands.

She barely saw her father after that night. As expected, she was not allowed to venture out again. So instead, she plunged into her studies and began her quest to gather knowledge on finances and administrative issues pertaining to the palace with Keshav’s help.

She also found that the police suspected Majumdar to be involved in the attempt on her entourage in the temple but without evidence, he was let off. She had no updates about the man later…

Aarti started her graduate studies as a day scholar in the plains and rarely appeared. Keshav helped Padma gain access to social media using an alias. Though she didn’t chat with anyone, she was in tandem with whatever her classmates were upto. Keshav turned to be her best friend and now that they had sorted their relationship boundaries, they were comfortable with each other. He took her once in a while to a nearby plantation on his motorbike, and a security entourage followed them from a distance. It was close to the palace and on the hills, so it was relatively safe. She looked forward to those outings as she could enjoy barrier-free sunshine. She got the needed ‘me time’ as Keshav left her alone for a couple of hours.

The two years of the pandemic were very bad as far as the revenue was concerned. Despite Keshav’s Herculean efforts, the revenue had dropped drastically and they were forced to release some staff. The King had arranged for their employment with his acquaintances in other provinces so they didn’t suffer. But overall, it was bleak.

In the last few months, however, things looked up with good crop in their fields and Keshav hoped agricultural yield would sustain them for a year till things got back on track.

Padma smiled as she continued to stare at her form in the mirror. There was a secret no one knew, not even Keshav. Her clandestine escapes into the wild, behind the forest. She had learned to ride a bike with Aarti a couple of years ago and had arranged for one, which she hid in a cove-like structure painstakingly made over a period of time using dried foliage. She kept adding more dried branches to it and no one suspected a bike to be hidden there. She often rode late into the nights at least once a week. She hated hiding it from Keshav but she couldn’t help it. It was blissful during the nights as there was rarely anyone on the road. She felt the thrill like never before.

She often visited the fort where her mother was found murdered, but her fear got the better of her and she couldn’t cross the perimeters marked shut by the law enforcement tapes. Her father had insisted on the closure of the place strictly, and there was nothing she could do.

However, the sense of being watched irked her and at the same time gave her a sense of security as well. In these two years that she had escaped the palace clutches late into the night while the world slept, her trips had been uneventful. She had tried to visit the hospital her mother had started, but it was difficult to seek information without revealing her identity. Her father’s dikkat also proved to be her path’s impediments.

Her nights that were often filled with the usual nightmares were now replaced by the calming black orbs. She read a lot of romance novels stealthily brought into the palace and to her surprise Keshav encouraged her to read all she wanted and do whatever she wished to. He went out of his way to arrange stuff she needed. Whether for her occasional painting interests or embroidery. It was sad that she didn’t feel for him the way she was to feel even after three years of her supposed engagement.

Was she destined to marry him? What about the feelings like those heart flutters or being buoyant in mid-air,  like those mentioned in the books? She didn’t know these even existed in real life till she had experienced it with the mystery man who had saved her twice… the man was a ghost and she was half in love with the enigma. Would she ever see him again?

She was expected to marry whenever she had to ascend the throne officially. Fortunately, her father was living and there was no hurry. But someday, she had to take over, and the royal laws’ amendment to remove the marriage clause was still not in place. She hoped it would happen soon now that regular functioning had resumed.

Aarti entered the room along with a group of Padma’s special attendants and they escorted her to the hall brimming with people. The palace was decorated like there was no tomorrow.

As she descended the round carpeted stairs towards the coronation hall, Padma recognized some of the faces. There were ministers from the state cabinet, sitting MLAs, the sarpanch from the villages in their province, and also the neighboring regions. Everyone assembled roared as they welcomed her amidst the cacophony of the myriad instruments playing juxtaposed by chants in the glory of Maa Bhavani and also ‘Long Live the King’, ‘Long live the Princess’…

Padma looked around, even as she was showered with marigolds and rose petals and saw the crowd swelling, the hall bursting at its seams. Did the King invite so many people? Was the security in place? She felt like a sitting duck….

Shaking her head to drive away untoward thoughts, she walked towards the specially designed dais with a ‘throne’. The golden throne studded by precious stones belonging to the Maratha regime was displayed only on special occasions.

She sat on the velvety cushion flanked by Aarti and her attendants; she felt that sense of being watched yet again. She felt the goosebumps rise on her arms. Was the person watching her all these years present in the hall now? Why didn’t he show himself?

The royal family priest chanted the holy ‘mantras,’ and she saw an attendant holding the golden plate on which was placed a Diamond-studded Tiara. Was this the one Keshav had mentioned all those years ago? The one she had to protect? The dazzling beauty of the tiara blinded her and the world went still as if she was having a private conversation with the head adornment.

Right then she felt movement in the corner of her eye and before she could react and turn she felt a piercing pain in her left shoulder as she was jerked behind. She touched her shoulders which had turned numb with pain and her palm drew back with a wet redness… Blood… she was bleeding.

She didn’t know if there were screams all over, but a heavy hand dragged her away, and she was hoisted up on someone’s strong shoulders… familiar shoulders with that overly familiar vanilla essence.

That was the last thought amidst the excruciating agony and the world went blank…

©priyagole

Chapter 7

The following week Padma was visiting the Maa Bhavani temple in the plains. It was a special invitation to her father for the ‘Mahapuja’. But the king asked her to visit with her ‘beau’ Keshav.

Padma was awkward, especially since Aarti was barely visiting her and she couldn’t reveal her arrangement with Keshav to anyone. She hated that she was all set to lose two of her closest friends.

Since the puja was at night, a special security entourage was put together. Padma had texted Aarti about the visit and she hoped her friend would make it tonight. She missed her…

Padma couldn’t forget the man who had saved her a week ago and wanted to talk to someone about her feelings. Usually, Aarti would be all ears and give her advice on what she could do. But tonight, she felt lonelier than ever…

The dark orbs mesmerised her

Clouded her waking Chimeras

The fathomless pool of melancholy

Life showering distressful volley

Dressed in the traditional Navvari (9 yards saree) she walked next to Keshav. They approached the bottom of the 35-step stone stairway built during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The stairs made from stones were steep, and today they were covered by a thick red carpet to welcome the princess.

Padma looked up at the visible temple’s dome with an orange flag proudly flying atop in its royal splendour. The crescent moon smiled down upon her, and she shut her lids, breathing in the fresh mystical night air. Instantly the narrowed dark orbs gleamed in her mind’s eye, and she shuddered as she opened her lids.

The temple was the lone structure on the top of the hillock surrounded by a dense growth of wild trees and bushes spread around the boundary walls. A part of the security moved and checked for any danger signs. On their clearance, she began her ascent along with Keshav, holding the ‘puja thaal’. The silver plate held a coconut, a betel leaf with a round betel nut and a floral garland. The marigold fragrance reminded her of when her mother would string a garland for their in-house temple.

Little Padma would sit nearby as the select help and her mother and grandmother who would be visiting them during occasions, dished out baskets of floral bliss. The help would speak about different topics and her mother would advise them on various queries, be it a simple marital squabble or health concerns.

A drop of water fell on her jerking her out of her reverie. Padma blinked and came back to the present. It looked like it would rain soon, just like her life the weather was unpredictable.

The climb was tedious with her saree. She had worn light pearl jewellery vetoing the palace tradition of donning heavy gold jewellery and the only precious piece on her was the ‘nath’, the nosering an heirloom from her mother. The queen had always worn it for any religious or royal event.

A large mother of pearl in the centre surrounded by rubies flanked with golden leaves sought the design by leading jewellery designers. Her maternal grandmother handed down the intricate pattern to her mother, and now Padma wore it. She was expected to wait until her marriage but the piece felt as if her mother was with her. Padma blinked back tears as she missed her mother… The crescent-shaped red bindi completed her traditional look.

The temple was lit up and Padma was enthralled by the ambience. It was a welcome break for her given her turmoil these days. Padma presided over the puja as Keshav accompanied her, keeping her distance as she went about the rituals. He was dressed in dapper clothes that made him look like a thorough politician. Padma’s heart went out for her friend who was probably struggling in every way just like her but was doing his best for the palace and the province.

The beautiful eyes of the idol spellbound her. Her mother often described the idol to her. As a child, she wasn’t taken along because of security concerns. And today her wish to see the Goddess was fulfilled… if only her mother were here.

During the ‘Aarti’ Padma stared at the mesmerizing eyes of the idol as if the stone sculpture was having a conversation with her. Padma was in a daze as the cacophony of the temple bells and the hymns engulfed her. The visual blizzard of the oil lamps all over, and along the perimeter of the temple, the staccato of the decorative electric lights, all but consumed her.

She was on auto-pilot as they walked outside and strode along the heavily guarded perimeter. Keshav was a little behind her with the security guards spread like a halo. Padma felt claustrophobic and wanted nothing more than to escape the little gathering.

A group of villagers was waiting for a glimpse of their future queen, and she couldn’t disappoint them. It would help her father’s cause as well. The support of the tiny villages in their province meant a lot for them.

At the backside of the temple, as she continued to walk barefoot, there was silence, the jingling of her anklet the only piercing sound accompanying the nocturnal discordance by the creatures of the dark… how she wished to see them. Her love for nature she had inherited from her mother now threatened to strangulate her. She wanted to go… just for a while. But cutting loose was next to impossible.

She looked towards the wall and her eyes fell on a little opening. The rains must have damaged the wall and the cemented part looked fresh. As she thought of a plan, the lights went off, surrounding them with darkness. Only a couple of oil lamps glistened dutifully as the security guards on that side scampered towards her. She heard them and saw their silhouettes.

Then, as if there was some celestial interference, it looked like a tuft of breeze stormed upon them, blowing the lamps off and plunging them into total darkness.

As she grappled with keeping a footing on the ground with the ongoing chaos, she heard some clicks and felt a thud next to her. That was followed by another thud, this time accompanied by a groan.

“What the hell is going on? Padma…?” Keshav yelled somewhere behind her. Fear of the unknown surfaced, and she was reminded of that night on her birthday.

The cumulation of sensory overload from the evening closed in upon her, and her heart raced. She rarely got anxiety attacks these days though they were rampant for a few months after her mother had passed. But now she was losing the reins…

And what were those sounds? She heard a couple of thuds and screams more. Were they attacked… wait… were they gunshots? Yes, they were. She sat on her hunches even as she got hit by a couple of running bodies and she fell. She thought she would be trampled to death… but suddenly someone held her arm and pulled her up.

Her voice caught in her throat as she couldn’t make out anything but it was a strong silhouette of a man probably covered in complete black. The man hoisted her on his shoulder as if she barely weighed anything and ran towards the wall. She heard the crashing of the wall part, newly repaired and soon he was running through the trees.

The haphazard growths of bushes pricked her flailing arms but what held her attention above everything else was that tinge of the vanilla deodorant. Oh God… was it him again?

He kept moving, and she could no longer hear the chaos in the solitude of the dense growth.

Somewhere deep in the outgrowth, he put her down and she stared at him trying to figure out his face in the misty redolent darkness. He pointed towards her hip. She looked down and gasped, her saree pallu had fallen, exposing her blouse-covered bust. She was top-heavy, and her chest heaved as mixed feelings of embarrassment and desire shot through her body. She was stunned and glued to the ground, unable to move. Before she could react further, he bent down and lifted the pallu, placing it around her shoulder, and covered her upper body.

Holding her pallu end close to her as if her life depended on it, she shivered. Suddenly it grew darker and the petrichor earth drew her attention. It was about to rain…

It didn’t just rain; it poured… and she was drenched to the core. He dragged her towards a huge tree and turned her so that her back touched the tree trunk and he stood facing her, his arms above her head as it covered her. He was a tall man, and though it reduced the impact of the downpour, she still was drenched.

She looked up, trying to read his face, rather than the eyes visible through the slits in that thing he had worn over his face. She raised her hand to touch him, not knowing what she was doing.

He grasped her wrist and shook his head. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and in that brief staccato, she saw his eyes… the same black orbs that had her under their spell. And at that moment, they bored into her. The thunder rattled around her loudly and suddenly, she felt the energy drain out of her. She hugged him tightly.

She felt him still under her arms and, after a few seconds, felt his heavy arm on her back as he patted her. Was he trying to console her?

She inhaled his fragrance mixed with the rain and felt safe in his strong presence. It felt like she knew him for ages.

Slowly he moved her back and the rain had reduced to a drizzle.

“Do…do I know you?” She asked him, her voice filled with tremors due to fear and cold.

He didn’t reply.

“They were gunshots, weren’t they?” She asked again.

She felt him nod.

“You were there last week… in that club too…?”

Again, no answer. But she wasn’t someone to give up.

“Just… who are you? You have saved my life twice already… I would be dead if not for you…”

Just then she felt him stiffen and turn around as if hiding her behind him. It was then she heard the footsteps too.

“Princess? Are you there?” She heard Keshav call out. The footsteps were more, indicating he had come to look out for her.

Suddenly her savior moved away from her and disappeared…

She was united with Keshav and safely escorted back to the palace through some hidden route she hadn’t known existed before. No one spoke to her about what had transpired… she was escorted to her room.

Later as she slept, the enigma in dark overalls hovered in her mind.

Who was he? Why was he there… everywhere?

©priyagole

Chapter 6

Padma’s smile dropped. She stared at the floor trying to figure out what to say.

“How…? I mean…I was right here…” Padma tried to fib.

“Stop that, Padma. Do you even know what you have done? First, our engagement was announced, and you ran away as if your room was on fire. Then when I came to look out for you just an hour later, you were gone…” he rubbed his face removing his glasses, and for a brief moment, she saw her childhood friend hidden behind that mask he had put up.

“Keshav, I ….”

“…This is not done Padma…” he abruptly spoke. “…it was humiliating. I… I came to this room later, but something told me you weren’t here….”

“Keshav…”

“…I am not finished Padma. I couldn’t sleep all night. Today morning I took a walk this side to check on you and saw you sleeping on that bench. Do you know how scared I was? What if the palace staff had seen you like that? I was about to come to you when Aarti reached there. What were you doing there Padma? And I got a glimpse of that dress you were wearing… what is going on?”

Padma stood and walked towards her window and stared at the fountain. She hoped the cumulative turmoil in her heart would find some solace in the soft gurgle that reached her ears once in a while.

She felt Keshav walk behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she stiffened. She tried to move, but his hold got stronger.

He turned her to face him and held her shoulders lightly.

“Padma, you aren’t happy with this alliance, are you?” Keshav asked softly, his eyes boring into her soul.

Guilt overwhelmed her.

“I am so sorry, Keshav. I didn’t know … I mean… my baba, it was so unfair for us. He shouldn’t have sprung an engagement in that manner.”

“Don’t blame nanasaheb, Padma. Besides being a father, he is also the King. He has certain duties towards this province and he has been working very hard all these years. He has only faced hurdles like that MLA, Majumdar. The son of a bitch has been gathering forces within the government circles to put a permanent end to your father’s rule….”

She gasped as Keshav continued. “… yes. Though monarchy doesn’t exist, your father has a legacy to keep. YOUR legacy, Padma, and that includes this palace and its contents. Nanasaheb has never bowed before the government and has fought tooth and nail against policies detrimental to the people. If the government finds loopholes in our functioning or the majority of our population votes against us, then we may lose this palace and everything else to heritage protection. It will no longer belong to you….” He walked around her towards the window. “…Padma, aaisaheb gave up her life fighting for what is right. She lived all her life for the benefit of the population, mainly women and young girls. When she passed, nanasaheb was completely broken, yet he has held up so far…”

He walked back to a stunned Padma. “…look Padma, I am forever indebted to nanasaheb for funding my education and being a great friend to my father. He has always helped my family through thick and thin. So I am here now with all my qualifications to ensure this palace and all your estates run smoothly from the financial point of view, and trust me, it’s very bleak now. This palace needs very expensive upkeep and given the current treasury status, this won’t last for more than a year. So I have to step up my game Padma. I have to involve myself in estate affairs, and I can’t take charge unless I am related to the royal family. So Padma…”

He stopped and sighed again, looking at her sombrely.

“Keshav…” Padma said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “… I knew things weren’t so good but didn’t know the gravity of the situation. But marrying for this purpose doesn’t sound right for both of us.” She looked away, blinking back tears. Her heart felt a strange void.

“Padma, I need 2-3 years to streamline stuff. After that, I shall form a company that your father will officially outsource the palace upkeep in partnership. He has already drawn the papers and needs the approval of the royal trustees. But this will all take time, and meanwhile, our alliance will help this to proceed.”

“What do you mean Keshav? We will be…”

“…Yes, Padma, we will be engaged in name only. So keep up this farce for the next few years. Complete your studies till then. Let me get things on track… we can then officially break up.”

“But Keshav, what if the royal trustees refuse to pass the decision in favour of the partnership?” Padma asked

“I hope my work will do the talking and convince them…. For instance, I have convinced nanasaheb to rent out the tiny cottages in the outer perimeter of this enormous estate. I have also suggested the visitors will get a free guided tour of the palace. This would add to the income. Then I have got on board a couple of horticulturists who will guide us on the beneficial plantations around the enormous estates and other land belonging to your father.…” Keshav beamed

Padma blinked back tears.

“Keshav, I feel bad about this… I think I am just taking advantage of you.”

“Don’t worry Padma, you know I have adored you for ages. You will always be my good friend irrespective of the outcome of all this. Just promise me one thing.”

“What is it?” Padma asked, sniffling tears away.

“Promise me that you will protect the special crown…it’s beyond all jewels.”

“What crown are you talking about? Even aai didn’t use one. I don’t even know if she had one.”

Keshav sighed.

“Padma, aaisaheb was a simple woman and never the one to go after opulence or any show-off. There is a special crown made entirely of diamonds passed on from generations. It was last handed over to aaisaheb by her mother-in-law after marriage. The crown has a special significance. It has the blessings of Maa Bhavani. The bearer of the crown has many rights which if fallen into the wrong hands can bring about destruction…. I thought you knew about all this.”

Padma wondered how much her parents had protected her. Even Keshav knew so much more than her.

“Keshav, I have no idea about where the crown is. But I will check with baba soon.”

Keshav nodded. “Good. It should be with you on your coronation day on your 21^st birthday.”

Padma shivered and hugged herself at the very thought of what awaited her in 3 years. She knew nothing and had to up her mettle.

After Keshav left, she stared at the fountain. She clutched the turquoise pendant feeling her mother close by.

‘Aai, what should I do? Please give me some hint… where is that crown? Why didn’t baba display it along with other pieces if it were here? Why did I never see it in the jewellery room? Why was I never told about it?’ she spoke into the air.

As she went to bed that night staring at the speckled moon gleaming brightly, she touched her lips. Who was that man? How did he appear out of nowhere…?

She last saw those beautiful black orbs eager to play hide and seek with her as sleep claimed her…

Silver-streaked hues smiled upon them

Spreading a canopy of amorous solace

He dragged her off absolute cataclysm

The veiled buzz of flutters set to surface.

©priyagole

Chapter 5

Padma had only heard and been warned about sexual abuse… Was that her fate tonight?

Her heart was now pacing like there was no tomorrow. Fear of the unknown gnawed at her insides as she felt the intense thudding of her heart.

The giant stranger placed the phone aside and pulled down the sleeves of her dress his nails leaving painful scratches and she knew they would be visible on her pale skin sooner than later. Her seamless strapless bra was revealed, and he further pulled the dress downward exposing her matching undies.

Humiliation engulfed her as she felt violated already. But she felt powerless to push him away. She realized she couldn’t utter a word, let alone scream and her limbs were still as she trembled in fear and cold.

As he was about to tear off the last scraps of her modesty, the door slammed open, and someone barged in. She didn’t know what had just happened, but the giant was removed from above her body. She heard some grunts and bangs and suddenly she was warm again… her dress was back on her body, and a coat covered her. Her chills reduced instantly.

She felt strong arms lift her as if she weighed nothing. It felt familiar, but she didn’t know what she thought or felt, given her haze. Then, finally, she felt him carry her out in the open, and she saw the night sky spread above like a black sheet sprinkled with diamond-like stars. The evening breeze provided the needed balm to soothe her trembling soul.

She felt him open a car door and bend towards the backseat. Right then her sharp nose, despite the ordeal she had been through, caught on a whiff of that scent. The one she had felt back in the groves outside the palace.

Padma tried to look at him as he placed her on the seat… was her mind playing tricks with her? She thought she saw those same black eyes, the endearing eyes from her dreams blurring on and off. How could it be? Was she drunk? But she had never consumed alcohol in her life.

She didn’t know what took over; it was probably the adrenaline. She tightened her grip around his neck and pulled him down towards her. He resisted a bit, but she thought he just gave in. He came closer, and she felt his warm breath on her face. His rough stubble touched her as she lifted her chin, brushing his lips with hers.

Her heart raced… she just had her first kiss…

It was merely a peck, but the softness of her lips against his semi-soft ones caused her heart to flutter. This time there was no inner voice that told her to move away. She had never felt alive before this moment though her brain was fogged. She probably wanted to forget the ordeal she had just been through.

Was he the sliver of sunshine after the dark clouds that had just, hovered, above her head? She sighed, and her lips parted. She hoped his tongue would take over just as she had read in the romance novels smuggled into the palace. But to her utmost disappointment, the man moved away, his slight tinge of the vanilla a whiff of which she had from close quarters, suddenly disappeared. He didn’t say a word.

He just pulled the seat belt across her, and even though he tried to avoid it, his arm grazed her chest. Her heart paced up again, but it was due to the surge of attraction for this specimen, which was just a blur. She felt him still a bit and stiffen as well. Why was this giving her a sense of déjà vu? Did this happen before as well?

He shut the door and moved to the driver’s seat. Then, starting the car, he drove away from the club. She didn’t know where she was headed, nor did she think of her safety which moments earlier had burdened her thoughts.

The gentle rocking of the car as it cruised along some smooth road coddled her to sleep. She tried to stay awake for the sole reason of knowing this enigma who saved her virtue and probably her life. At that moment, she didn’t worry about what lay in store for her back in the palace. However, the more she tried to keep her lids open, to glare at the mop of hair visible above the driver seat…. gosh, the man was tall, her eyelids grew heavier, and soon she slipped into oblivion.

Someone sprinkled water on her face; the cold graze stunning her out of her slumber. But instead of her soft bed, she was on something hard.

“Padma… wake up… quick….” Aarti’s whispers close to her ears irritated her. “… you scared me. Where did you disappear…?”

Wait, what was going on? Padma’s head pounded like crazy. Where was she? Still in the party? No… wait. The chill breeze hit her bare legs, and she sat up immediately, the move sending a jolt of agony racing through her dizzy head.

She held her head to stop everything from spinning. It was then everything came back. The giant man walking towards her, dragging her away, and then the other guy saving her. So how did she land up in the palace? correction… the palace lawns.

Strange were the ways of the world. Padma had been found precisely in the exact location, on the same iron bench close to her side of the palace two years ago. At this rate she felt she would go crazy. She had no memory of what transpired two years ago, and last night was a haze. But her gut instinct told her there was something common between the two.

She realized Aarti was talking to her in hushed tones, looking wearily around. Padma followed Aarti’s gaze and realized it was very early in the morning, and usually, no one came to this side of the palace that soon. There was a canopy of branches overhead, which saved them for the moment. She had to get back to her room and out of these clothes before anyone found them.

Aarti helped her as they stumbled their clumsy way into the palace, towards Padma’s quarters.

Later as they freshened up and had the breakfast brought to her room by unsuspecting maids, Padma finally spoke.

“Aarti, what happened last evening..?”

“Padma, I was about to ask you the same. One moment I saw you standing with the fruit punch looking at me dance, and the next moment you were gone. I thought you must have gone to the washroom, but when you didn’t turn up even after 10 minutes, I went looking for you. Imagine my fright when I didn’t see you anywhere…” Aarti held her hands. “… where did you go, and how did you land up here…?”

Padma tried to recall whatever her hazy mind could and gave a gist of everything to Aarti, who looked stunned. But, of course, she omitted details about her saviour or that she was fiercely attracted to the guy. Likewise, she didn’t tell Aarti about the similarities between the incidents from last night and two years ago. No use stressing out the poor girl, especially when Padma didn’t remember anything.

“Aarti, I don’t know what went wrong, but I think there was something amiss with my drink.” Padma voiced her doubt.

“But we had the drink together Padma, and I was fine.”

“But how did you come back and find me here?”

“Padma, I rushed back to tell Nanasaheb. I panicked when we couldn’t find you. Fortunately, I found you on that bench. Whoever that man was, we should be thankful; he saved you. Imagine what would happen otherwise…”

Padma nodded, and just then, the attendant arrived, announcing Keshav’s arrival. Padma felt Aarti stiffen and hated her father that moment for creating a wedge between friends.

Keshav strode into her room and halted in his tracks the moment he saw Aarti. Aarti inturn excused herself and walked out of the room.

Padma smiled at Keshav, trying to ease the tension and invited him over to the couch. Then, she belled for tea to be brought.

“Keshav, I um….” She didn’t know how to begin the conversation. Especially when Keshav intently stared at her.

She realized Keshav had grown into a handsome young man, and considering his lean muscled physique; she was sure he worked out. His fancy rimmed glasses perched on his straight nose gave his boyish face a charm of its own. He wasn’t clean-shaven, and his day old stubble was something she should have found attractive. However, it didn’t induce the same feeling she had felt last night with that stranger. On the contrary, it further strengthened her resolve that she and Keshav weren’t meant to be together.

“Keshav…”

“Padma…”

They both spoke together. Padma gestured to him to continue as she was yet to frame her words.

Keshav, however, didn’t smile… his facial expressions like a chiselled stone.

“Padma, where did you go last night?”

©priyagole

Chapter 4

There isn’t freedom

Till there’s no free will

The lure of freedom

Makes chained restraints keel

Her mother’s words rang into her ears as she panted her way to her room. Her saree caught in her heels twice, almost tripping her. But Aarti had been there to support her as always. The latter had, however, been silent throughout.

The poor girl must have been shocked to hear about the impending royal engagement. Padma wanted to console Aarti, saying she wasn’t interested in marrying Keshav and would talk to her father later when things cooled a bit. Her father was also stressed by the MLA’s unforeseen visit that evening, and she didn’t want to burden him before the guests.

But at that moment, both Aarti and she got busy changing into their casuals. Padma had warned Aarti to wear black, and finally, they covered their respective beds with pillows and blankets to give a sense of someone sleeping. They then tiptoed their way to the west side exit.

They made it to the groves uneventfully. The added bag containing their party ensembles made movement complicated in the darkness, very often the bag getting entangled in the low boughs of trees, but somehow, they managed. Unfortunately, Aarti was still silent and Padma didn’t know how to convince her and put her at ease.

Aarti drew her mobile phone, and for once, Padma was envious of the girl’s freedom. Her phone calls back in the palace were monitored, and that knowledge brought down her guilt about tonight. As Aarti placed a call to her friend about helping them when they arrived at the venue, Padma felt she was being watched.

She turned around, but there was only blackness with a minimal rustling of leaves in the night breeze. But, wait… was there some subtle scent in the air? Padma had a strong olfactory sense and raised her nose to figure out the fragrance. But it disappeared as quickly as it breezed its way into her nostrils.

She turned towards Aarti, who completed the call, but the feeling of unease didn’t dissipate. Did her father have any inkling about her escapade that night? She shuddered at the thought but realized that if it were true, the King wouldn’t have sat still. She wouldn’t be here in the depths of the woods but instead, locked in her room.

Fortunately, there was no rain that night, and they trekked their way down the hill slope with only Aarti’s phone torch occasionally for illumination.

As promised Aarti had arranged for a motorbike parked in the wild buses with two helmets. Padma wasn’t sure, but Aarti turned out to be a pro, and as they strapped the helmets, she started the bike and drove down the hill, the road a blurring black strip, moving towards the dark plains.

As they neared the town, Padma was mesmerized by a different kind of atmosphere, filled with lights, and from her line of vision, they resembled the sequins on her evening saree. She had rarely been here that too, only during the daytime, and her visits were restricted and heavily guarded.

They rode for about half an hour. There was barely any traffic except for a few bikers and a couple of cars. No one seemed to be bothered about the two young girls on the bike. However, the strange sense of someone watching them never left Padma. It felt eerie, but Padma didn’t want to let it bother this rare opportunity. She didn’t know when she would get to escape… till the hole in that wall wasn’t discovered….

A while later, they arrived at the nightclub nestled in the dense flora on the city’s outskirts to a waiting group. None of them knew Padma’s identity. Aarti had a tough time arranging for fake IDs for both of them. Padma for hiding her true identity and Aarti for her underage. They quickly went to a changing room along with the waiting group and changed into their party wear. Aarti helped her with the make-up and Padma was unrecognizable in the smoky eyes and bright nude wet shine lipstick, the brownish dazzle highlighting her non-existent pout.

Soon they were grooving to the latest Bollywood hits on the dimly lit dance floor. Padma didn’t feel claustrophobic despite the crowd swelling.

She felt liberated. She felt free… for once in her 18 years, she was living life as per her free will. No rules and regulations, no security entourage choking her, and no judgments about the royal family etiquette since no one here knew her. She felt like she was in a different world.

The music changed to soft tunes, and she took a water break with Aarti.

“Want a fruit punch, Padm… I mean Ria?” Aarti corrected immediately.

“Yes, sure Mona…” Padma giggled as she addressed Aarti with her pseudo-name.

As she sipped the punch, the cold drink passing through her food pipe calmed her soul. Aarti went back to dance while she waited to finish her drink. A couple of guys approached her for a dance, but she politely refused them. They weren’t bad looking at all, but strangely, she wasn’t interested…

A minute later, as she finished the drink, she decided not to dance as her new heels were biting into her feet. She bent down to loosen the strap of her footwear when she felt someone watching her… yet again. Instantly she stood to her total height and looked around. The world spun as the drink she just had threatened to rise in her food pipe.

The dim lights weren’t helping, but she thought she saw someone move behind a pillar a little ahead of the bar. She turned around and saw Aarti dancing with her friends and decided to check on the person. It wouldn’t do any harm, would it? No one knew her here.

Just then, someone strutted before her.

The giant of a man reeked of alcohol, and she was immediately put off. But wait… he seemed familiar. That crooked nose… where had she seen it? Was he the one following them?

He chuckled unsteadily.

“So, the high and mighty princess is here amongst us lesser mortals?”

Padma was stunned. Who was he and how on earth did he know her?

It was time to leave before anyone else got a whiff of her true identity. She turned around but couldn’t see Aarti anywhere. The strobe lights now began to play havoc with her senses. Why was she suddenly seeing double?

She felt she was swaying. Her head grew heavier by the second as if someone was continuously loading something on it. Nausea rose yet again. Finally, the man came closer and held her hand. She didn’t want to go with him but found herself being dragged along. His hands dug painfully into her biceps, and she knew she would have bruises to show. Panicking, she wondered what was happening. Where was Aarti? Was she alright?

Her father would be outraged for sure…

She didn’t have a mobile phone on her. She found herself walking along with the man, stumbling with him, and they went towards the pillar. Why was she unable to resist? He dragged her to a room behind that. Was he watching her all the time? The door shutting with a loud bang as he pushed her in sent a tormenting headache shooting up her skull, and she grasped her head. The lightbulbs around her seemed four in number, and they were dancing.

The lights were switched off, plunging the room into the darkness with just a stream of light tiptoeing through the window. Padma saw a double bed… no it was a single bed… what was going on?

Her body wasn’t under her control anymore.

She felt the zipper of her dress being lowered, and a pair of hands groped her derriere while a wet pair of lips nipped her neck. The man’s pungent odour made her gag. She didn’t like it at all. It didn’t feel like what she had read in books, and she wasn’t ready for this. No… this wasn’t right… nothing was right. She only wanted to leave. This was a nightmare.

The man pushed her on the bed, and she bounced on the mattress. The world was reeling around her… NO … no this shouldn’t happen… NO… who was this man? He knew her. He pushed her further as she sank into the mattress, and she felt powerless to move as if she was paralyzed. She wanted to scream, but her voice was lodged in her throat. He held her hands above her head even as tears slipped down the corners of her eyes.

Then, he suddenly released her hands, and her blurring swimming vision saw him hold something above her. Oh God was that… a phone? Was he clicking her picture?

She was doomed…

©priyagole

Chapter 3

Padma walked back quickly to the palace, knowing there would be a search party out for her if she delayed any further. Her beautiful memory was now pushed back to a mind’s corner like she always did. She barely remembered the boy anymore. However, those pitch-black eyes seated on the brown face returned to torment her once in a while.

These days though her heart fluttered whenever she thought of them.

Shaking her head, she passed through the hole in the wall back into the dandelion bush and was glad for the bright morning sun that had dried up traces of her immediate rendezvous.

Standing on the pavement, she looked at the now camouflaged wall. She knew what she had to do tonight. She had the invite in her inbox. Though her email was monitored, no one knew she had another account she operated secretly with Aarti’s help.

There was a party in the neighboring province. A new nightclub was being launched, and though Padma didn’t drink, she wanted to let her hair down and groove to the music for once. She had convinced Aarti to accompany her and through her had purchased a low black dress and make-up as well. Aarti had been against the idea initially, but Padma had been persuasive.

She once wanted to feel ‘life’ without upping her guard all the time.

The cake cutting ceremony was to get done with by 8 PM after which Aarti and she would escape from the secret place in the garden to the groves. The vast estate ended on the hill slope that let to the lone mountain road. Aarti had arranged for a motorbike to be placed there. There was nothing a wad of cash couldn’t do; she had told Padma. The thrill of coming alive… shot down every other apprehension. Padma couldn’t wait for the evening.

The palace named ‘Devi Bhavan’ was partly built by the Marathas and the British. It eventually was handed over to the ancestors of the current King WamanRao Raje following a pact signed with the British. Today monarchy no longer existed in democratic India; however, the honorary kings performed specific duties towards their subjects. They held court and helped absolve local grievances, and also pursued philanthropy. Like many palaces in the country, Devi Bhavan was also built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, distinctive domes and turrets, and exceptional works of art from different corners of the world. The three-storey palace also had several courtyards, two durbar halls, four Hindu temples, presided by different deities, and even an inbuilt state of an art swimming pool.

However, Devi Bhavan wasn’t outsourced to corporates for upkeep or converting to a five-star hotel, unlike many other palaces. Though Padma’s mother had once come up with an idea of converting a part of the massive palace as a B and B, the King had vetoed the same. A rarity, but he had been concerned about Padma’s security. The queen had given in as well.

Today’s bash was being held in one of the durbars. The Belgian crystal chandeliers had been mounted high and polished, to be lit up in the evening. In addition, the King had arranged for an exhibit of a collection of antiques, weapons, statues, and manuscripts for the visiting guests. The second floor housed all the exhibits that weren’t touched for the last couple of years. Padma’s mother had collected more than half of them. Padma only hoped to get through the evening unscathed. The day brought in a paradox of memories….

The first floor of the palace was entirely residential. The King’s quarters lay in the east wing while Padma had moved to the west wing last year. The East wing housed too many memories of the late queen.

The room adjacent to Padma’s was empty while the next room, a spare one was used by Aarti whenever she stayed back, which was more frequent than not ever since Keshav had returned. Padma knew Aarti had feelings for Keshav, but the latter didn’t reciprocate.

That evening Aarti helped Padma drape the offwhite georgette saree. It was specially ordered for her and adorned by golden sequins. The blouse was sleeveless and low back, and she had let her luscious hair fall cascading down her back. The make-up was light with just a touch of rouge and kohl. Like her mother, Padma had a broad lower jaw and large eyes. However, unlike her mother’s natural black, Padma’s eyes were speckled with brown hues. She loved horseriding and swimming and had developed a good physique not to mention the right curves. She loved reading romance books that Aarti smuggled into the palace.

As she stared at her profile in the mirror, Padma wondered if she would ever have the kind of romance she had read. She didn’t know if she even had the right to ‘want’ it…

Padma often wondered if romantic love ever existed. But whenever she thought of it, those sobbing black orbs from a decade ago danced before her mind’s eye. She failed to understand the reason, though. She pushed those feelings away as they only caused heartburn. She didn’t know who he was or where he was… was he even alive?

The bell-ringing indicating the start of the bash brought her back to the present.

“Wow, Padma you look hot and sexy…” Whistled Aarti as she admired her.

“You look amazing yourself Aarti…”

Aarti blushed turning a shade of crimson, matching her baby pink salwar kameez.. Padma knew Aarti wanted to get closer to Keshav.

Though they all played together as kids, the dynamics had now changed, especially since Keshav had returned.

“By the way…” Padma whispered though the maids were out of earshot. “…Is the bag ready?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, it’s all arranged. Wait for my signal, and we shall make our escape.”

Padma walked ahead and moved towards the Durbar, followed by Aarti and the maid entourage.

Everyone stood applauding and Padma descending slowly along the spiral staircase looked around wide-eyed at the show of opulence that she despised. Her father walked towards her in his royal grace and taking her hand led her to the bejewelled satin-covered couch.

Once everyone settled there was a cultural program to entertain and Padma could feel all eyes on her. She hated that they made her uncomfortable. Her mother would never have agreed to this, definitely not in the name of tradition. Suddenly there was silence and Padma heard heavy footsteps.

She didn’t have to look up to see who it was. The MLA of the nearby province, Koini, Rajendra Majumdar strode in with his cortege. He was her father’s perennial nemesis, and there had been many instances of exchange of words over the development of the provinces. Both the provinces shared the breathtaking Dabhosa waterfalls and the MLA always butted heads with her father against the use of resources for tourism. He had also been against the fort restoration and had fought tooth and nail with her late mother. Padma hated the guy since her parents often stressed and argued because of him.

That evening he walked in with a massive bouquet and held them up to her. On her father’s nod, she accepted them. The MLA’s obnoxious perfume made her gag, and she wanted nothing more than to flee…

“A very happy birthday to the beautiful princess Padmavati Raje. God bless you, child, with the best of everything… You were a gift from Devi maa, and we hope you live up to the large expectations the people of your province have from you….”

He laughed over his statement and walked towards the food counter.

The large three-tier cake was wheeled in and Padma cut the cake amidst singing and clapping.

The King took the mic in his hands and stood, calling for everyone’s attention.

“With Maa Bhavani’s blessings, my daughter Padmavati is officially the crowned princess from today. At the same time, I have decided to arrange her marriage with a very eligible boy who will help her with the duties of a queen after her coronation once she turns 21. So Keshav, come up here please…”

Padma watched with her mouth hanging open, and she felt Aarti stiffen next to her as Keshav who looked equally bewildered walked in dressed in a beige-colored Shervani. Keshav looked handsome, but Padma couldn’t help that she had no feelings for him besides friendship. He stood smiling as the King continued.

“… meet Keshav Chitnis, my future son-in-law. He is a post-graduate….” The King drawled on, and everyone clapped and congratulated Padma and Keshav.

The rest of the hour was a blur, and Padma made her excuse to drag Aarti out of the Durbar.

Petrichor Earth invited her into her fold

Under the rhapsodic sanguine firmament

Her heart set on renewed voyeur

Hope is just a sunshine sliver.

©priyagole

Chapter 2

Padma freshened up and walked towards her window overlooking the most beautiful garden around the palace. The ornate fountain stared back at her. The glorious marble foundation surrounding the fountain had been specially commissioned when Padma was born. It had the hardened imprints of her palms and feet embossed on its edge.

Padma blinked back tears as emotions threatened to engulf her in their tentacles. It had been like this as everything around her reminded her of her mother.

Sighting movement in the corner of her eye, she looked towards her right to see Aarti chatting with the royal cook’s daughter, probably reprimanding her about the extra spice in the curry last night. Padma smiled and thanked her blessings.

When Padma was born, she was the inevitable heir to the province, the future queen. There was a boy, her older brother who was kidnapped as an infant and later found dead floating in a pond near the plains below. The perps were never found though there were rumours that someone who didn’t want an heir apparent had done the gruesome deed.

As a result, her parents were forever overprotective following suspected threats to her life. She wasn’t allowed to venture outside the palace walls and barely had friends. One was Aarti and the other was Keshav, Devraj Chitnis’s only son. Chitnis was in charge of the royal treasury and accounts. Back after finishing his post-graduate studies in Business Management in the UK, Keshav had been involved with the administration of the vast palace estate. The King had also inducted Keshav into the royal advisory committee.

Padma knew that the King intended to make Keshav his son-in-law to keep everything within the family. Keshav, too seemed interested in her romantically, for a long time, but she had always fended off his subtle advances. Nevertheless, Padma didn’t want to lose her childhood friend and the beautiful memories of their growing-up years.

A sudden pocket of air hit her face, bringing her back to the present with a jolt. She could feel the walls closing in on her and knew she had to get out… out of the palace.

Dressing up in her black jeans and black t-shirt, tying her luscious mane into a high ponytail and rushing it into a black bandana, she quickly wore her sneakers and rushed downstairs stealthily. She looked around for guards and exited her end of the enormous palace, finding no one. She ran across the lawns staying in the shadows and hiding from the CCTV. She knew the blind spots well, having practised this drill umpteen times. She sprang into the specially grown Dandelion bush, taking care not to trample on the flowers, but her sneakers sunk into the wet earth.

Swearing under her breath, she made her way to the end of the garden, where she had slowly and steadily made a hole in the wall for the last couple of months. Every time she made a hole it would eventually get repaired and she had to start all over again.

This time she had been careful to hide her craftmanship well. This was her only secret kept from Aarti. The rain had worsened the job, and the soil was wet, making it very slippery, but Padma didn’t care. She had to get out.

She slowly stepped out, half her outfit already muddy and probably her face too. But vanity was the least of her concerns, and she was glad to get camouflaged. She sprinted across the tree groves, more than half of them planted and nurtured by her mother when she had arrived as a new bride in the palace. One of them in particular, a mango tree right at the centre of the artificial forest, was planted where they had buried Padma’s pet dog years ago. For the last two years, she wasn’t allowed to visit this area and hence she had to resort to coming in hidden.

She climbed up the tree swiftly, glad that her skills hadn’t gone rusty in the last two years. The ruffling of the heavily laden tree leaves welcomed her amidst the boxwood fragrance of their freshness. Her restless heart calmed down instantly but suddenly, there were some strange flashbacks. She had ventured into this place two years ago, that night… she had set out to look for her mother…..

The branches of the trees lumbering downward had brushed her as she had run; the heavy rain had made the ground slippery and slushy. Her birthday outfit was ruined and wet, sticking to her body, the shivering giving her a premonition of something wrong.

But why was the rest of it a blur? Padma only knew she had woken up the next day on the cold bench in the palace lawn, and the royal maids had carried her back to her room. The King and his trusted staff had been busy looking for his wife and had not noticed her missing.

Unfortunately, Padma remembered nothing beyond this grove. Her nightmares often had bleak black and white images that were somewhat pixeled and blurred. She couldn’t make out anything clearly, but just that she was scared to death.

What were they?

She settled onto one of the branches watching the vast expanse of the wet earth and the trees around her, the shining dew on their leaves smiling at her like long-lost friends. A faint memory from her childhood surfaced when she had newly learned to climb up the tree along with Keshav and Aarti and some palace helps.

As she bit into a juicy mango after rubbing the stalk free of the sap, she was thrown back to that day in her childhood when she had first learned to bite into the fruit directly. Those glorious dense black eyes high on the proud tanned face resting heavily on the tall lean body stayed with her….

She had once accompanied her mother during her rare visits outside the palace to a house in the adjoining province. There was some crying, and people had gathered, she now knew was a funeral, but she was barely eight years old then. She remembered the lone house though cozy; it lacked the richness she was used to seeing growing up.

She had slowly walked towards the adjoining garden, mesmerized by the rose shrubbery adorning the borders. In the reigning chaos, she had given her guards the slip and ventured into the area inside the garden. She saw colossal mango trees all around and continued to walk, glad to be away from the scorching sun.

Hearing muffled cries she had walked towards the direction from where she thought it originated. Instead, she saw a young boy huddled into a tree sobbing uncontrollably.

“What happened…” She asked, gently touching him and moving behind as he startled. “…Why are you crying…?”

Those shiny wet black orbs pierced her little heart as they stared at her, tears still streaming down his cheeks. She went close to him and sat next to him on the boulder, unmindful of her spotless salwar kameez getting dirt on it.

The boy didn’t answer, so she continued.

“If you tell me what happened, I shall tell my aai and baba. They will help you and… they will drive the ghosts away…”

The boy shook his head and smirked at her. But she was persistent.

“Do you want to eat mangoes?” she asked him, and he looked at her as if she had grown two horns.

“I don’t want anything. Just… go away from here.” He spoke in a voice that bordered between a high and a low pitch, something like between an adult and a child. She saw his tears begin their journey yet again.

“Do you want to be my friend? I have only two friends, Aarti and Keshav. You will have fun too… you will not cry then.” She blurted out.

The boy shook his head yet again. He was much older than her, and as he stood up, dusting his clothes, she saw he was taller as well.

“Go away from here before anyone sees you. Here take this….” He gave her a mango from a basket nearby, rubbing the sap. “…you can directly remove the top portion…like this here and chew the rest. Go…” He turned to pick the basket wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his thin cotton shirt.

“But why were you crying?” She couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“My mother died today… anything else?” He abruptly said, and her heart fell. She couldn’t imagine being without her mother, and her eyes filled.

“Come home with me…” She said tearfully, holding his thin hand. “…Be my friend. You shouldn’t be alone.”

The boy tightened his grip and sobbed aloud as she held his hand and cried with him. Finally, he dropped her back to the rose shrubbery after a while.

“Go on….” He said hoarsely. “…Everyone must be worried about you, dear princess. You have been gone for long.”

Before she could reply, he disappeared back into the thicket. It was then she realized she hadn’t even asked his name…

That she thought was a memory thread

Turned out to be a façade instead.

Was there an ounce of reality

Or just an illusion with no clarity?

©priyagole

Chapter 1

Two years later

“Padma…? Where are you…?” A high-pitched voice screeched through the walls of the ‘Raje wadi’ palace in the Jawar province. Staring tall atop the hill directly facing the enormous Western Ghats in Maharashtra, the palace was a sight to behold.

Padmavati Raje, the princess of Jawar stirred and stretched as she pulled the soft pillow over her face. Why was Aarti screaming? Didn’t she know Padma couldn’t sleep late into the night? Her sleep was abounding in nightmares… something she couldn’t tell anyone, especially her father, Wamanrao Raje, the honourary King of the province.

The nightmares seemed so vivid; she wasn’t sure if it was simply the chimaeras or something she had witnessed. They were bleak black and white blurring images. Padma chuckled softly, thinking how a Bollywood director would have a field day using her story.

“Padma… sleepy eyes, it’s 7 AM” Aarti barged inside her elaborate room and jerked the curtains open.

“Oh, Aarti, why on earth are you waking me up so early? Haven’t I said not to disturb me before 9 AM? I was studying late last night.” Padma wailed.

As Padma sat up, leaning against the bed’s backrest, Aarti held a rectangular gift-wrapped item towards her.

“Happy birthday, princess…” Aarti singsonged, swaying to the imaginary beats, and despite everything, Padma smiled.

Aarti was her father’s closest ally, Anand Bhosale’s only daughter, and childhood friend. As someone who had grown up with her, Aarti followed all the restrictions and rules levied upon Padma by default of being a princess.

Unlike the royalty in the rest of the country, Padma’s life was different. She didn’t have the freedom to move outside the palace premises, let alone abroad, for education.

As kids, Aarti had played with her running around the palace walls hiding behind the pillars as they played hide-and-seek or rushing towards the kitchen to taste the special culinary treat of the day. Aarti had regaled her with stories from school as Padma had been homeschooled since five.

Aarti had held her as she had cried when her mother had passed two years ago…

Aarti had also been there for her, staying back in this room when frightening mirages had confronted her after her mother’s untimely demise. Motherless since birth and a year younger, Aarti had been Padma’s shadow forever. But off late Aarti had started junior college in the nearby province, and her visits to the palace had reduced.

Padma missed her friend dearly.

Aarti waved a perfectly manicured hand before her, getting Padma back to the present. She yawned and opened the gift. It was a beautiful pen with her name embossed on it.

“This is a small gift to my studious friend to remind you to pursue your lost passion… poetry.” Aarti declared chirping.

Padma’s smile fell. “No, Aarti. Ever since aai passed, I haven’t been able to get rid of this mental block. I can’t write anymore. You know how much aai enjoyed poetry…”

Padma looked at the framed portrait of her late mother, Gayatri Raje. The golden embossing on the frame brought out her mother’s beautiful black and white hues, and when the sunlight fell on the portrait, Padma felt her mother’s presence close by. Dr. Gayatri Raje had been a doctor, an obstetrician and ran a charity hospital for the province but was frequented by patients from across the state.

Padma blinked back tears. She shared her mother’s looks and love for poetry. She was currently doing her BA in English literature via distance learning and aspired to be a teacher someday.

“You should start writing again Padma… Aai saheb would want the same for you.”

“No, Aarti… I simply can’t. Thank you so much, though, for being there for me always…” Padma spoke wearily as she yawned and got off the bed.

“er… Padma, there is something I want to share….” Arti avoided looking at her.

“What is it Aarti?”

“Um… Nana saheb has thrown a party in the evening today. To celebrate your coming of age and… as per the customs, er… there will be a few prospective grooms coming with their families too.”

“What nonsense is this…?” Padma fumed. “… aai died on this day barely two years ago and I am just… just 18. What is baba thinking?” Padma stared at her favourite framed picture of her parents taken during their wedding that she kept close to her bed. Her mother was the most beautiful bride she had ever seen…

“Padma, it’s just a formality. Nana Saheb is the King, and though monarchy no longer exists in the true sense of the word, he still has certain rights and duties. You of all the people should know that…” Aarti reasoned. Sighing, she continued. “…Padma, your father loves you so much. He misses his wife too. But he has placed grief aside and plunged into his duties for the benefit of this province. So, can’t you humor him? You will be officially the crowned princess today. You only have to be present at the bash. Your saree is ready too…”

The rest of her tirade fell on deaf ears as Padma’s eyes filled again. She missed her mother every single day and especially today.

Two years ago, on her 16th birthday, her mother had died, brutally murdered along with her bodyguard cum driver in the fort that she loved so much and dreamt of restoring someday. That evening, Padma had waited for her mother to arrive before cutting the cake. Rest of it was all a blur…

Padma’s birthday had always been an event to rejoice and celebrate. Born to her parents a decade after marriage, she had been the apple of their eyes. Her mother belonged to the lineage of the Malsures, who were close to the warrior king Shivaji Maharaj. Her father was no less a warrior himself and held a modern outlook as he supported her career and social causes with equal enthusiasm.

Padma had always wanted to become a teacher and had hoped to build a residential school for girls who didn’t get the opportunity back home or had to travel miles for high school studies. Through those girls, Padma wished to live her missed school life.

But most of all, Padma didn’t aspire to become a queen. She was not interested in politics, and before her death, her mother had pledged to support her daughter. The King had grieved in his way but held up a facade of strength to ensure he carried out his duties. He barely spoke with Padma in the last couple of years.

It also included following up with the police to discover what had happened that fateful night in the fort. Who had murdered her mother, the queen, and the dear doctor of the province? Her bodyguard was one of the best then what happened and where was the rest of the security that evening? There had been no evidence that could corroborate any suspicions.

As a result, the palace security had been tightened, and Padma was forbidden to leave the palace premises without a security entourage.

Padma, however, wanted to venture out and ask around the hospital spearheaded by her late mother. She was sure her mother was up to something. She wanted to visit the fort, which was now off-limits for everyone. She felt claustrophobic within the palace walls. Even today, the feeling of hopelessness crept up her spine…

She clutched at her turquoise pendant shaped like a canine tooth… her mother’s last gift to her. Her mother had gifted it on the morning of her 16^th birthday.

“Padma, my child, this will remind you of me even when I am gone… this is my legacy. It’s all me. Remember, you are never alone. You will be carrying this weight around with you…”

Padma hadn’t understood the cryptic speech, but her mother always had been like that. She used to throw up riddles for little Padma to solve and gift her with titbits whenever she was successful. Padma wished to go back to those carefree times…

Padma now had a single goal in life. She had to find her mother’s murderer. But only if it were that easy…

Her mind a dark road of despair

Bisected by steady flashes of fear

The perennial sense of impending danger

Heart threatening to burst out of the chest chamber

©priyagole

Prologue

Five years ago

The rains lashed the terrain surrounded by the dark Western ghats of the Indian subcontinent. The lightning zipped through the pregnant clouds floundering upon the unsuspecting plains. The panoramic exquisiteness of Jawhar province, which would otherwise entice tourists, now stood before her eyes spelling doom.

Her hands were tied, and her a tape across her lips had prevented her from screaming her lungs out. Her meticulously worn crisp cotton-silk saree had become a rag slithering around her body as she tried to sit straight, soaking in the downpour. She didn’t know how long she lay here in these fort ruins. The fort stood the test of time for the great Marathas and was now in ruins. Nevertheless, she had promised herself to restore it to its past glory. After all, it was handed over to her from her forefathers and eventually would go to her precious daughter.

Thinking about her princess brought a sudden gush of tears as her heart broke into a zillion pieces. Would her daughter and husband ever know what befell her today? She turned around in the darkness, and her eyes fell on the brutally assaulted limp body of her man Friday. The staccato of the piercing lightning lit up the grotesque body, and she wailed, knowing her muffled cries would go unheard. She cried for the life snuffed out of a loyal man. She cried for being unable to meet her family for one last time… for the danger that lay in store for them… for being unable to protect them.

She looked up at the drenched but stunning form of Maa Bhavani, the presiding Goddess of this dilapidating temple within the fort. She had planned to restart the humble puja offerings to the Goddess once the restorations were done. The magnificent idol with her multiple flagellating-like arms adorned by decorated jewellery motifs, she had hoped to bring in her heirloom, a set of bright gold ornaments to grace the idol.

As she stared at the stone tiger mounted by the Goddess, she hoped her daughter would someday discover her gifts. She had anticipated something amiss and had done her best to conceal all she had gathered and left it with her daughter. She hoped someday the daughter would find it… and use it appropriately to realize her dreams. Dreams that she and her daughter had envisioned together now were shattered. The lone rusted bell hanging from the covering temple ceiling swayed violently, adding to nature’s cacophony around her.

The muffled footsteps she had heard a while ago were now loud and clear, and her blurring vision struggled to make out the forms. The huge man, their leader whom she knew only too well, strutted forward, standing wide-based before her, water dripping from his raincoat, joining the pooling water around her.

“This is the last warning to you… tell me what I want to know,” The man bellowed, his voice echoing louder within the walls of the ruined fort but still meek before nature’s fury.

“Over my dead body…” She laughed aloud.

She only saw the anger simmering in his eyes erupt as he lashed out at her… The blow on her head was the last she felt, even as the gore poured over her face blending with the water.

‘live well, my…princes,’ she whispered as everything went numb and dark and life left her.

©priyagole

Book 1 from The Bodyguard series…

Plagued with nightmares, adventurous princess Padmavati’s life takes a significant turn on her 21^st birthday, and the king appoints a personal bodyguard for his daughter.

Though Padma hates preferential treatment, she can’t prevent her heart from going berserk when she sets her eyes on the dark and handsome Shiv. Something is familiar and intriguing about her bodyguard, who is aloof and doesn’t seem interested in her.

Shiv can’t help falling for the beautiful Padmavati he was meant to guard with his life. But she is off-limits. Besides the fact that she is royalty, he has a secret to protect and … achieve his goal.

However, when danger comes calling, he has to save her at any cost, and the combustion between them is intense. They can’t help the slow-burn embers that flare up into an inferno.

Will their moments together lead them to happily ever after or the fire of their passion consume them and annihilate them?

Read the first book in ‘the bodyguard series: Special Protection Services (SPS)’