Sahithi's Adventures

Caught?

22-10-1724; 10.30 am.

The girl walked swiftly and nimbly over the rough, weather-beaten path as if she didn’t have any care in the world. She was even humming a song as if she were going for an evening walk. She didn’t glance back even once to see if anyone was following her. She held her pallu with her left hand as she walked, preventing it from fluttering in the gentle breeze and getting caught by thorns. She seemed to know the path like the back of her palm, for she navigated through the shrubs and bushes with the practised ease of someone who used the path daily.

“Where in the duke’s name is she going?” William whispered to himself as he tailed the girl, getting scratched by the thick foliage, his uniform being turned to rags. The girl, on the other hand, moved ahead as if strolling around a park, not even a scratch on her body. “Is she even human?” another thought popped into his mind, making his eyes go wide in apprehension. “What if she is a ghost? But why would a ghost appear in the day?” he slapped himself mentally for the stupidity of his thoughts. “Ghosts are nocturnal creatures.”

“Who told you?” he spun around to face the girl in half-saree, looking at him with an amused expression on her face. His face fell in disappointment as the girl was not Sahithi. He didn’t even bother replying as he turned his head and gazed at the horizon, completely uninterested in the beautiful damsel standing in front of him, her expression turning sour at his lack of interest. She poked him in his chest, whether to test him or to wake him from his stupor, it is not known, but her face flushed with anger as he continued to stare somewhere beyond her. She turned her head back to see what interested him so much, but was disappointed to find nothing but the dense forest they had been walking through.

“Is he really a man? Why is he so uninterested in a beautiful woman?” her hand slid from his chest down to his tummy, yet he remained standing like a statue without even blinking, as if the body did not belong to him. “Is he alive?” she thought as she passed a finger near his nose, feeling hot breath. “Yes, he’s alive. But what is his problem?” she kept her hand on her chin as she thought of ways to bring some sort of reaction from him. She slid his hand further, over his trousers, between his legs, catching his member, squeezing gently. That brought a yelp of pain and he glowered at her.

“What is your problem?” she asked. “Why do you look as if you have lost everything?”

“You too would look the same if you knew you were going to die tonight,” he replied.

“Why, are you going to die?”

“Why else would I look so gloomy?”

“You look like a soldier.” She stared him in the eye. “I thought soldiers were not afraid of death.”

“I am not afraid of dying in battle. But I hate to die a prisoner, without honour.”

“I see. Did anyone sentence you to death for running away?”

“I did not run away.”

“Did you kill anyone?”

“No.”

“Then, why in the lord’s name are you moping?” the girl, who looked like an English woman judging by the complexion of her skin, demanded, placing her hands on her waist.

“I have to find the missing girl or my superior officer will have my head.”

“Who is she?”

“A dancing girl.”

“Then why are you searching for her in the forest?”

“.........”

“All right, come with me. We happened to come across a small pool of fresh water that is used for swimming.”

“Who are ‘we’?”

“Me and my Indian maids, of course!”

“Let’s go.”

She led the way again, walking briskly, followed by a hopeful William, who appeared to be anything but hopeful. She led him through winding paths completely unaware of the bewildered look on his face. “Do you come here often?”

“Why?”

“You walk as if you were born here.”

“Yes, I come here every day to cool off.” She stopped and pointed to a pool of water where fifteen women were having fun, splashing water over each other and laughing. A twenty-year-old girl was standing guard over a basket full of clothes.

“Are they naked?” he asked, looking at the women in the pool blissfully unaware of his presence.

“Want to find out?” she asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. He looked alarmed at the prospect.

“I didn’t mean that way.”

“But I took it that way!” she chuckled at his obvious discomfort. “Neelu!” the girl near the basket turned, looking unsure at the strange male who had appeared all of a sudden, uninvited. “This gentleman is looking for a lost girl. Call the rest of the maids, will you?”

“But ma’am...”

“Call them quickly and let’s get it over quick.”

“But ma’am....”

“No buts. Call them out.”

“They can’t come, ma’am.”

“What?”

“Their clothes are in this basket, ma’am. How can they come out of the pool without their clothes?”

“Does it really matter, Neelu? Just call them out, so he can check if his missing girl is there and he will go away. Simple.”

“Ma’am, how can you ask a woman to come out naked in front of a complete stranger? That too a male?”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be so coy. Call them out quickly.”

“I can’t ma’am. Nor will they come out without being dressed. Their reputation is at stake.”

“You won’t tell this to anyone, will you?” she asked, turning towards William, who shook his head no. “See? He has given his word. Your reputation is safe. Now call them out.” She ordered.

“How could you do this to us? We are from honourable families.”

“Rubbish! Don’t make me laugh!” she sneered in disdain. “What presumptions!” she turned towards the pool. “ANNE!” A white woman answered her call.

“YES, DEAR?”

“SEND THE MAIDS OUT, WILL YOU?”

“SURE!” the woman looked at the 12 women who folded their palms, pleading with their eyes not to send them out. “Either you go out or I shall request Lord Robert to parade you naked all over the town.” The women shuddered at the threat. “Perhaps, you like that better?” one by one the twelve natives stepped out of the water trying to cover their modesty as much as they possibly could with their hands, which was made almost impossible by the fact that they had to step out and stand aside, the movement of their legs giving glimpses of their body.

“Hands behind your heads!” another order from behind them brought a deep shade of red to their cheeks as they complied, hanging their heads in shame.

“Add your clothes to the basket and join them, Neelu.” The girl looked confused.

“Ma’am?” she asked, unsure of what she had heard.

“Perhaps you would like your clothes removed in the market square?” she glared at the girl with such an evil grin that the girl started stripping, folding the clothes neatly and putting them in the basket, all the while trying her best to cover herself with one hand. She placed her left hand over her p****y and the right hand over her bosom walking awkwardly towards the others. “Stop.” She stopped, her head bowed low. “Hands behind your head like the others.” Neelu reluctantly placed her hands behind her head; she was facing her fellow compatriots who were the victims of a prejudiced woman making her fully aware of what it meant to serve a colonial master. “Join them.” Neelu resumed walking, taking her time to reach the line of naked women but she couldn’t delay the inevitable. “Turn around”. She turned slowly, adding her assets to those already on display. “Shall we?” she asked William, who nodded and led the way, trying to hide his surprise at being able to see thirteen females without any clothes on their bodies.

He realised Sahithi was not among the girls, but if he was going to die, he might have some fun before meeting his doom. He went to each woman, giving them an appraising look, memorising every single detail – from top to bottom – he drank in the curves, the rising peaks and the deep abyss that was the ultimate goal of a man where he would happily get lost. He was also impressed by the variety on offer; no two women had the same shapes. Everything about them was different, just as there were differences in faces.

“Such a variety!” he remarked, bringing a smile on his guide.

“Yes, care to explain yourself, young man?”

“With pleasure, ma’am! But, I am afraid my language may not be suitable for your ears.”

“No issues. Try and make it as palatable as you can.” He bowed to her before starting his analysis as if he was addressing a class of students studying female anatomy.

“The first thing that struck me as remarkable,” he said with his right hand on his chin. “is the shape of their b*****s. Some are big, some are small; others are stiff while some have already sagged. Some have n*****s small as berries while some are big as melons.” He looked at the lady with a thoughtful gaze. “I wonder if they will show the same reaction when they make love with a man.”

“That is something not in our hands, unless we arrange for a test display!” both of them were speaking as if the women in question didn’t exist; as if they didn’t have emotions or were too stupid to understand what they were talking about. The inherent superiority complex was too painful and humiliating for the victims.

“Why do you think they will have different reactions?”

“Take, for example,” he continued. “their p*****s. Each one is different. So, logically, they should have different reactions. Unfortunately, I am in a hurry and need to go. Thank you very much for the favour. I am indebted to you forever.”

“You are welcome. Are you sure you don’t want to take one of them?” he gave a sigh of frustration.

“I am afraid not, ma’am. But, if I survive today, I will have all the time in the world to take every one of them to my bed.” He saluted crisply and left, walking briskly into the unknown forest, his gloomy thoughts occupying his mind once again.