Randhir was a youth on the cusp of manhood, painfully aware of how his urges had almost overcome his restraint the previous night when Rewa had wordlessly offered him a taste of paradise. The pull of the flesh was a constant companion tempting him to seek gratification when it was so easily available. Because he had always been mindful of the risk of disease he had avoided involvement of any kind but the lack of fulfillment was quite frustrating. And it did not help that this other attractive girl was becoming infatuated with him, making her intentions obvious through her actions. The sight of another woman trying to seduce him had driven her to the point of desperation causing her to throw caution to wind as she tried to assert her claim on him. Luckily only Samsher had guessed the reason for her trepidation so far besides him.

A while ago as she snapped at him for acting patronising she had broken the unwritten rule by dropping her ghoonghat while she subjected him to her ranting. He noticed that she was beautiful, her clear, pale complexion was flushed with red due to her emotional outburst. Her doe-eyes were lined carefully with dark collyrium, heavy jhumkas drooped down her earlobes to kiss her long, swan-like neck and her perky breasts seemed to beckon him when her chest heaved as she  struggled to breathe. The glint of her silver waist chain that girdled her flat belly looked so inviting he had a good mind to push her onto the grassy turf and unleash his masculinity on her giving the drama queen what she had been virtually asking for. He found himself longing to touch her, to taste her, to seal her angry rosebud mouth with his own eager lips.

Besides his mother she was the first woman to have dared to yell at him. Her tirade had amused rather than affected him, he knew she was struggling to express her feelings for him. But he was also concerned about her impulsive, manic behaviour involving the snake making him feel uncomfortable knowing that she had put her safety in peril to seek his attention. On the other hand she was cunning enough to pamper his horse with treats trying to find a way to the riders's heart through his steed. It was ironic that he had been chosen to be her custodian when she was so willing to submit herself to him. If he was not careful people would begin to notice the sexual tension between them and that would surely invite trouble. 

If her father got wind of the matter he would lock her away out of his sight. As it is Samsher kept winking at him and giving him knowing looks whenever the girl passed by swaying her hips, her anklets unmistakably announcing her presence. He decided to continue to ignore her overtures restricting his fantasy of her to when he would next sacrifice his seed to the gods of his lonely nights when no one else was around, but wishing he had her under him. Looking after her during the journey was his job, after he had seen them across to Marwar safely he may not meet her again. Besides, it was not the warrior's way to breach the trust of his employer, he was accountable to her father for the security of her virtue. A Rajput lived by his honor and valor, the code of conduct forbade covetousness. An unwed girl was her father's property just as a married woman was that of her husband, this was the custom of that time. Whom she chose to epouse was inconsequential.

As the convoy began its march for the day Randhir was tensed when they passed through a dangerous patch, infamous for its bandits and thugs. Thugs often joined a caravan and befriended its travellers in a few days to gain their confidence; encouraging them to share meals with them. The food they offered as a final meal would be drugged; sending the victims in a stupor. The Phansigars would then quickly strangle them with a noose and rob them, leaving no witnesses behind. The thugs were a well-knit criminal under-class who killed people irrespective of their gender and age remorselessly in the name of the Goddess Kali before they slipped away unnoticed. The terais or grasslands and the ravines of rivers like the Chambal were haunts of armed dacaits. All criminals had a network of informers who provided intelligence about the possible routes taken by rich convoys and would descend upon them when they were least expected to. 

Randhir had issued strict warning to the women's carriage to keep themselves well-concealed for their own safety. A pretty young girl like Sanyukta would be a prize catch for the dacaits who would either abduct her before they gang-raped her and kept her in carnal servitude or would sell her to procurers who trafficked women to the flesh trade, supplying to the Kothas of Awadh and Bengal where tawaifs or courtesans entertained men with their performing arts and their bodies. He told her in no uncertain terms that he would have her bound and gagged if she so much as tried to peep out of the curtain, announcing her presence to any potential hostiles watching them. The girl has sulked all the way until they had stopped for their mid-day meal at a secure spot but had complied with his diktat quietly not wishing to invite his ire. 

Sanyukta's mouth watered as she spotted a tamarind tree laden with fruit at the camp site. Not wanting to be seen as forward she appealed to Keshav, her young ten year old cousin to pluck some for her. Keshav found it easier to enlist Randhir's help as it was smarter to get to the low-hanging fruit perched on horseback rather than by hurling stones at the pods. Randhir knew who had asked for the favour without approaching him directly. He hitched the boy up on his shoulders while still perched on Pawan so he could harvest his haul effortlessly. Soon they got busy eating lunch and while the oxen and the horses rested before resuming the journey the men relaxed while the women wound up the make-shift kitchen. 

As he stretched his legs under a tree he spotted her reclining in a laid-up oxcart out of sight from prying eyes. His eyes quickly surveyed around to see if anyone else had the same view as him, once assured that he was the lone witness he went back to watching what she was doing. She was not aware of his presence, her veil had slipped off her shoulders and he could see her eating the tangy and sweet tamarind with gusto, bringing a smile to his lips. This was until he spotted her lying down and enjoying a whole ripe pod, closing her mouth over it and sucking on noisily, running her moist tongue over the length of the succulent flesh. His breath quickened and the snake in his pants began raising its hood at the innocuous but highly suggestive skit being enacted for his private audience. As much as he tried to force himself to look away his eyes were riveted right back toward the sight, he was glad no one else has seen what he just did, thinking that this girl was going to be the death of him some day.