Abhyankara...

The hope which I had was now turning into a thin stream. Where did I lose my love ? Where am I going to search ? After what i heard from Vihari my hopes were totally shattered. I was so lost as if in the deep forest where there was no marg (ways) seen. I am in between nothing. Sighing, I rubbed my face and stood from my room and walked out. Everything which i wanted to have i had but it is not giving me something i have been seeking for the past two months.

SHANTHI (peace).

The shanthi which I had with my priye is nowhere found in this big rocked palace. This is not giving me a sense of home i had in the sanded hut. Tears were freely falling when i just thought of my priye. Where is she ? Is she safe ? Is she in pain ? Is she al...ali..ve ?

Closing my eyes i sighed heavily. "The patrol came back..." came a voice. Dhushyanth...or should i say my priye's Rama anna. I turned to see him who was not in any way near to a better shape as mine. But his eyes were burning with an unknown passion which was not there for past few weeks.

I walked to him and he was not a man in front of me. He was mahadev who is having his rudra thandav in his head to find his long lost sister. "Did you find something ?" i asked in a desperate tone. He held my hand and gave a squeeze. With a single nod he uttered a word "Kalagraham" (jail). My eyes lit up. "What there ??" i asked him while walking or should say running towards the kalagraham. "The one who destroyed the village is been captured." I stopped in dead track. "The entire kalias ??" i asked in an unbelievable tone. I couldn't believe my ears. Those are jackals are really hard to find. They would stay in a place where no one can understand how could a living being live or how to find them. It was because of that we were having trouble in finding these people. But he is dead serious to find her and he searched her for weeks but ultimately found the first source to find her.

The more i walked towards the place the more their screams were heard. It for some reason made my burning heart to cool. It was as if Vaidharbhi is singing neelambari to me to sleep in shanthi. Many were begging for the sena to stop them from torturing. It would have been the same way many , many innocent women's begging for them to stop. Did they stop when those women begged for ? I think not then they will not get what they seek.

I walked towards one chamber where one person was not fighting back or showing any emotions but was as if waiting for someone to give him mukthi(ultimate solace) from his everlasting sufferings. I walked towards him. He saw me and stood on his legs and kneeled on his knees as a respect.

"Maharaj..." came his voice shaking the entire kalagraham. I nodded my head and saw him who stood up but still his head low. "Speak..." came my command.

"It was the idea of our prabhu who wants to get new faces for his pleasure and sell them. As a servant we have to do it but it was not as if some of us wanted to do it. We were slaves for him, a dass. He ordered us to get hold of women and children if they are girls , if they are boys and can withstand the pain then the male children are taken as dass by him. He will make them beg in the streets, make them steal things if they can or sell them as slaves to many. It has been happening for so long. When he steps into any place he would make sure that the place turns into ashes and that's what he did to the last village.

We used to visit the place as a merchant during the market and I know you used to come with a small innocent girl maharaj." he said, mentioning my priye. Within the next moment I was in front of him and held his now blood drenched anga vastram and roared at him "where is she ??" I asked. My heart is burning in a fire which can be calmed down by the only person who has set this up.

He held my hand with his now drenched blooded hand. "when i saw her in the cage. I felt i have to save her. I failed when my premikey(love) was taken away from me but this girl had a life infront of her. I was not heartless to snatch that. So i asked an elderly person who was alone in the outer village of our pradesh (country) to come and buy her so that she will be safe. Somehow someone will find her. But when i went to find them they were not there. I don't know where they are but she is safe until she is with the old person named, giridharan." he said now panting hard.

She is safe....

Safe...

Alive...

Somewhere but there are hopes. 

I held his hand with hopes and saw him with my now blurry vision. "Is... is she alive ?" i asked in now trembling voice. He gave me a smile and placed his trembling hand on my cheeks. "She is. And i can say waiting for you to take her home. To you. But...." he sighed which was like a big blow to my trembling heart. "where do you search her maharaj ? she is not in the place i left her." he mumbled. 

"I will take care of that..." came a booming voice of Dhushyanth from behind. I smiled at him. I was so grateful to have him as my brother. He always stands as a pillar in my life. I turned to him who is now breathing heavily. I rushed to him and held him by his shoulder. He was breaking from inside. "Maharaj... please find that little girl. She has life... please... if she lives then my atma will get it's shanthi (peace)." he said with a blurred vision. I nodded my head and gave him my words. "Ofcourse you will see her when she comes here. For that you need to get treated." i said yelling calling someone to call the ayurvathi (doctors). He held my hand and begged "kill me please. Kill me. I am sinned. I want to go to my premikey. I have to fall on her feet to get her forgiveness for my sins. Only she can give me that. Please kill me." he begged. I couldn't come to a point of what i have to do. 

Do i need to do this sin but ultimately free him from his pain or should i make him even more miserable. I can understand the pain of separation. Taking a deep breathe i pulled my dagger. His eyes were shining in a new found happiness. Finally as if he was waiting for this very moment. 

"Go wherever you want to and find your shanthi and forgive me for killing you." i said but he nodded his head with showing his pearly tooth smile. "You are not doing any sin maharaj. You are actually doing punniyam by killing a person like me who could not protect his premika. Please find her maharaj. She needs you so much.." 

"I will." i spoke in a determination. Lakshmi.... he mumbled and i stuck the dagger in his heart. He gargled blood from his mouth but his eyes were shining with a new found freedom. His body was on me when i struck the dagger into his heart. He slowly took a step back and saw me with a shining eyes with tears of joy ? He slummed with his back hitting on the hard stoned wall. With his hands forming a pranam is took one deep breathe until he released and never once took them inside again. A tear slipped me. His love was also snatched from him. He was longing for this and now with this i hope he lives the life he was yearning to live. 

"Where are you Vaidharbhi..." my heart screamed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. Turning i saw Dhushyanth who is looking at me with empty eyes. "Where is his prabhu" i asked in a calm voice but the fire of blood is not subdued. "Having a bath maharaj." came his rakshas voice. I chuckled. Bath you see. I nodded my head and when i stepped out i heard a scream of agony. Ahhh mohanam(a ragam used for love, beauty, happiness). There was a rakshas who wants the sufferer of his priye to suffer. 

"All hails to the prabhu of Kalias..." i spoke once i came inside this chamber. He was breathing hard. "How is the royal treatment prabhu ??" i asked him in a mocking tone. His eyes snapped at me throwing daggers. I smirked. His body was been treated with very boiled water and few shades of hot rod's marks too. These are nothing to what he has done. It is said which ever place he goes he would turn into ashes. So treating him with his power of heat. 

"Prabhu..." i mocked him by bending down to his level. He was about to get hold of me. But before that i stood up. His hands were been chained. He tried to move it but it went in vein. 

"Why are you doing this to me ??" he yelled at me which made me laugh loud. I wanted to rip him limb by limb but is that a fun ? No.. So i made sure he is alive but dead. Just the way he made many lives miserable. The way he did to my father-in-law , the way he did to Vihari, the way he did to the person i killed just now. But most importantly the way he did to my rani. Maharani.

"Add some oil you know." i spoke to the sena pathi. He smirked but nodded his head. He is way more rakshas. Chuckling i patted his back and walked away. The smile is been replaced with a painful sorrow. A void , an emptiness. As if something missing but i know the answer to that question. My rani is missing. But the main problem is where is she ?

Is she far from me ?

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Days tumbled but nothing was found. The preparations for his wedding started. When we came to know about Vaidharbhi i wanted to make sure atleast his life is been secured and it was. Sangamitra and her family had no idea that Vaidharbhi is missing. Mitra was inconsolable. Her father broke down when he came to know his elder brother is dead. After the last rights done to my father-in-law, i asked her hand for my brother. Sangamitra knew who Dhushyanth was but she waited for her father to accept it. I was planning to elope her with my brother but ultimately her father decided to accept this proposal. 

With the wedding dates nearing the preparations were in full swing but not every one had their entire soul in this wedding preparation. Mitra looked lost, Dhushyanth never comes back for days in search of her and me taking care of the kingdom was no joke. I had no one by my side. The mandri mandal (mister cabinet) will start to pester me with my wedding as well as they need a rani and a yuvraj or rani to rule this land. No one can replace my priye. It can even take hundred years but i want her, only her. I will wait for her and i know she will wait for me as well. Sighing i massaged my paining heart. It is always paining from the time i left her and now it is too much to handle. 

"The dasi for the preparation have arrived maharaj.." came a sevak's voice. I nodded my head. The thought of dasi's made me curl up in the corner to cry. She would be some where doing the chores but she should be here as my rani. 

A loan tear slipped my eyes. 

"Where are you priye...."

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Appadaa made it ra saamy. Next is Dhushyanth and Sangamitra wedding or should say Vaidharbhi entering into the palace but as dasi not as rani.

We are coming to the end of this story. The book will end in 50th chapter.

So only 11 more to come lovelies.

SO say me how it is and i know the wait will be over soon. They will meet soon and there is going to be a happily ever after but it takes time you know. In our lives it is not the next minute we will find something we were searching for. I wanted this to be realistic so i am making it as realistic as i can.

Share me your views. Next chapter i will try to update soon. My office is now open so i have to go. And that is something making me too scared. I will try to update soon.

Until next week...

Your love...

Shri...