|| - Theatricals - ||

"There's no hiding place in sky, earth or sea from sins you have committed..."
- Lord Buddha
________

Her cheek stung with the force Afreen had used on it. Kashi bit on her cheek and dropped her gaze momentarily to contain the film of tears gathering over her vision. That moment had been enough for Satyavan to act. Before Kashi could intervene, he had already drawn his sword on Afreen and had her backed against the wall with the blade against her throat. To her credit Afreen looked straight into his eyes, her gaze still burning with fury and her face flushed with anger. In her absolute rage she looked like a flash of thunder. Only, it was not enough to unnerve Satyavan.

"How dare you!" He growled his expression monstrous. "How dare you touch her?"

Afreen huffed, uncaring of the blade held against her and shot back.

"How dare she switch the goblets? How dare she harm my prince?"

Ever since being dragged back into Afreen's chambers by the fuming owner herself, finally things started to make sense to Kashi. She blinked once, surprise dulling the initial pain she felt as she hurriedly move closer to the two and laid a hand on Satyavan's shoulder.

"Not now Satya," Her tone was calm and commanding at the same time that Satya dropped his weapon at once. Looking at Afreen, Kashi said the next few words. "I did not change the goblets, you know me Afreen, I do not care for anyone who has links with McLane."

Afrean's breath were still rugged, as she gave her once of the most detesting glares she could manage to, still looking as graceful and poised as ever.

"But you warned him of the poison in his cup, do you deny that Kashi Bai?" Her tone was sarcastic, as if almost challenging her to prove that statement wrong. Kashi shook her head.

"No, I don't deny it."

Afreen's eyes flashed dangerously.

"That means you do want that McLane boy alive. I'm sure even my dear commander would like to hear your reason for that..." She casted a dark look at Satyavan who had now fallen silent and was watching them with a ominous scowl. Kashi sighed and looked at both of them in the eye before she spoke.

"Because if the choice is between Khan and McLane, I will not ever for any reason, chose Khan over anyone else."

"What do you mean, Rajkumari?" Satyavan spoke finally. His forehead creased, as he tried to comprehend the meaning of what she had just uttered. Kashi was not looking at him but at Afreen. She too had shed some of her initial fury and looked calm enough to listen to Kashi's explanation.

" Offering that drink was Mirza's ploy to give the poisoned cup to McLane right?" She asked, making herself comfortable as she sat on Afreen's bed. "What if I tell you, it worked?"

"I'll tell you, you're not making any sense," snapped Afreen.

"Afreen," Kashi said stiffly. "McLane did not drink from the goblet given to him, but Mirza drank from the goblet he took. Think - just think for a moment that no one switched anything, but Mirza himself did. Do you see what I mean?"

Afreen was silent for a long moment and then when Satyavan opened his mouth she held out her hand to silence him and spoke.

"You meant to say, McLane's goblet was already poisoned?"

"Mirza took it in return of the cup he poisoned himself and drank it, while McLane did not drink the poison he was handed?" Satyavan too added an explanation edgewise, giving a dark look to Afreen for not letting him speak before.

Kashi nodded.

"Who do you think could manage to poison Nawab Khan's two guests at once?"

"Who else, but Nawab Khan himself!" Afreen cried, hitting her fist on the mattress she sat on. "So Khan wants McLane dead? Why?"

"He has too much to gain from a alliance with Lord McLane, why would he poison his son?" Satyavan frowned.

"That we can't find out if the McLane boy is dead." Kashi concluded as she stood up. Her two companions's traced her movements with admiration shining through their gazes. "And doesn't the saying go; an enemy's enemy is a friend?"

"But what could a foreign lord's son has in common with a Mughal warlord? What kind of a connection could they possibly share?"

Kashi gave Afreen a thoughtful look, as she considered her question. It was true in a sense and she had been wondering along the same lines since Mirza collapsed at the mehfil.

"You're forgetting that the son of the foreign lord is no foreigner himself," she said slowly. "Perhaps he is a ghost from Nawab sahib's past."

**

"What is the meaning of this?" David McLane sounded extremely calm. But looking at the way his grey eyes simmered with suppressed anger, Andrew inwardly shuddered imagining what might be the outcome of this argument.

It all begun once they were escorted to their chambers and four muscular guards from Nawab's personal army stationed themselves at the entrance. Gobind flinched, but casting a glance at Andrew's worried face decided to face the angry young man himself.

"It is for your security while you stay here, Mr. McLane," he explained innocently. "With the events in the evening, Nawab thinks extra precautions are a very good idea."

"Andrew," David said slowly. "Remind me why we are here again?"

"Umm," said Andrew, knowing David needed no reminder of his true mission. "To tour Chandranagara and paint the - umm - scenery?"

"And you mean to tell me Gobind that I am barred from leaving these grounds. What am I supposed to draw - these guards? No offence good sir!" He added the last part hastily giving a meek look at the guard who turned around at the sound of his raised voice. As soon as the man turned his back on them, Andrew fought to hide a smile at how naturally helpless David could portray himself.

"You're free to go wherever you want to sir," Gobind tried to explain once more. "It's just not in the night and not without the guards.

"That is to say I am to roam the city with them obscuring my view and crushing any bouts of inspiration I might have?"

Gobind sighed. He had known David McLane since he was a lad of fourteen. He was the most impossible man Gobind had ever met.

"The nawab said, it is this or nothing at all," he informed gently. "Said he cannot risk the safety of the life of lord McLane's son."

"Tell him," David snapped. "That I have conditions of my own. Otherwise, my father will be very interested in hearing how one of Nawab's guests lost their lives in front of my eyes."

Gobind bowed in agreement and David, still fuming shut the door on his face. He remained facing the door for another moment, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Outside, footsteps fainted as Gobind walked away.

David turned to Andrew, one of his eyebrows arched and corners of his lips tugging upwards. Andrew doffed his hat in a mock salute and beamed at his friend.

"That went exceptionally well," he commented lightly. "Khan is behaving exactly the way we expected he would - trying to send his men trailing after us and all..."

"Now we shall behave the way he wants us to," David said, propping himself on the pillows and glazing at the complicated designs in the ceiling. There was a pause in which Andrew watched his friend, looking at the thoughtful way his eyes narrowed and he fiddled with his fingers, Adrew could not help but ask,

"What are you thinking about?"

"Do you know who that woman was? From the gathering earlier -?"

"I don't know. Why would you ask that?"

"She knew there was poison in the cup," said David distractedly. "Or was she involved too?"

"In Mirza's cup you mean?"

"No in mine." He sat up straight and looked at Andrew. "That is something you have to confirm for me, Mr. Kent. Aren't you the poison expert between the two of us?"

Andrew never asked his friend how he managed to sneak off that goblet from the court chamber without anyone's knowledge. It was something he knew David McLane was capable of. Instead of wasting his time on hearing about skills he may never achieve, Andrew set to work. It took only a few drops from a vile among his possessions and a little heat from a candle. The two young men watched the once spotless metal change color into a blemish of purplish brown. David's brows knotted, as he started to crack his fingers once more, deeply lost in thoughts. Andrew turned to his friend frowning.

"I thought you were the target." He said slowly frowning.

"Indeed I was," confirmed David. "Not just one but two were targeting me."

Without waiting to discuss further on the matter he marched to the door and threw it open. The four guards turned to look at him simultaneously, with identical looks of alarm on their faces.

"Take me to your Nawab." He told them blankly.

**

He could not sleep. Khan paced the court chamber that had sunk into the shadows of the deadly hour of the night. There was hardly any wind and his pacing had produced a sheen of perspire on his brow. He believed he felt no remorse. Why would he, when he felt no guilt? He believed of no fate, no karma or divine judgment. What was there for a man like that to fear on the four boundaries of earth? But now, he found that he feared looking into the eyes of that David McLane, and let them stir up memories of his past failures.

He almost dared to think it was some kind of an omen, appearing right at the time when he was closer than ever to achieve his goal. No matter how much he tried to shake off the feeling, Khan's eyes still looked haunted when David marched in, the goblet still clutched in his hand.

He placed it in front of him and looked into the older man's blank expression.

"Explain," he demanded.

Khan arched an eyebrow at him, challenging him with his silence. At the moment that was all he could do.

"Should I tell my father that my host is incapable of knowing there are people plotting my dismiss under his nose?" Gobind shuddered at the look in Khan's face as he translated those words. But David remained unmoved. The air was thick with tension that had nothing to do with the venom in the goblet, but everything to do with the venomous way the two men stared at each other.

Gobind wondered for a moment that Khan is going to deny any connection to the plot, it seemed easy enough for him to do the very thing. But something that flickered in the man's eye told him that was not so. He did not have to wait longer.

"It was I, who poisoned your wine," he sounded calm as he confessed. David raised his eyebrows but did not interrupt. "I had received intelligence that Mirza was going to poison his own wine and switch the goblets in a pretense of offering a drink. I had no other option but to offer him a far more lethal venom in return."

"He was going to marry your daughter!" David said finally, his expression still dark.

"Perhaps that gives you all the more reason never to doubt Nawab Khan's hospitality." He clapped the young man on his shoulder in a warm gesture. "I will not let anyone harm lord McLane's son on my watch."

"What if I had sipped the wine?"

"Then my antidote could have saved you."

David sighed a long last.

"Then I guess an apology is in order."

Khan chuckled.

"Let us move past our rather dark first impressions Mr. McLane, I believe you would accept my attempts to keep you safe whole heartedly from here on."

David nodded curtly and after a brief exchange he bid Khan a good night and left. The nawab would have returned to his brooding in the darkness had it not been for Bakshi who lingered back. He had chased after David in hope of mediating in the dispute but was reduced to a silence spectator. Now, when the two of them were left to their own company he finally found his voice.

"It was very wise on your part to protect the McLane boy, my lord." He said timidly.

Khan smirked, chuckling to himself.

"If only, I had been doing that in the first place."

"My lord - I did not -"

"I received no intelligence my dear Bakshi."

**

Khan has his mind set up huh? What do you think the reason behind his actions could be? And most importantly where would it lead Dave in his journey to whatever ends?
Tell me in the comments!

This was more like a mood setting chapter, I hope it had been interesting enough although nothing major happened. The next chapter would be posted on Thursday.

If you enjoyed the chapter please be kind enough to vote.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!