Shedding ROYAL Blood

▪︎3▪︎Say It Again

Agra Forest

▪︎Sultan Omar Khan▪︎

"I wish it's something bigger. Not a rabbit or something." Abubakar whispered as we hid behind the opposite tree, our bows firmly held, arrows stretched and waiting for the animal behind the bush to move again.

To my luck, a sudden thud was heard from beside Abubakar and he changed his mind. "I'll go after that one." He said tiptoeing away.

I stood there focused, all my attention on the movement and the tip of the arrow. I stood frozen for a few moments when it twitched and I released the arrow.

I rushed to see what I have hit. I pushed the bushes away and my eyes widened in horror.

To my shock, not an animal's but a young girl's yelp came from the other side. I was dumbfounded as I witnessed a beautiful woman, lying there covered in blood. The arrow had pierced her arm and she must've fainted of shock or pain.

"Abu! Get here fast." I called, opening my waist cloth and tying it around her wound to stop bleeding.

"Ya Allah what have you done?" He asked in shock. "Sultan, first we have to make her conscious or her condition would worsen."

"Abu you go with our men to find a Hakeem (Herbal Doctor). Till then, I'll take care of her."

"As you say. You sure we all should leave?"

"Yes. I don't want her to open her eyes, see five men surrounding her and freak out." I said picking up her unconscious form in my arms and walking there.

"When you find a Hakim, send him to me. I'll be there." I said pointing at a cottage in front of us. It has been empty for as many times as I have visited.

"Jo Hukum Sultan (As you Order)." He said and left with the other Generals. How could I be so careless? I looked at her pale figure and felt guilty. She must be from some other Kingdom. Her clothing, attire said it all. The bindi (red dot on the forehead) is a traditional make up among non Muslims here.

I heard a slight sigh as she slowly opened her eyes. She tried to get up in an instant but I held her back. "Stop. You're not well. Keep laying until the Hakim arrives. He'll bring proper medicine then you can go."

She was clearly panicked at seeing a stranger, in a strange place talking with so much concern to her.

"I... I want to go now." She stuttered. "I'm fine."

I said calmly, "look I know it's not okay for you to trust anyone just like that but I am not anyone. I am…" just then I stopped. I shouldn't be telling her. "I'm sorry for shooting you-"

"You shot me?" She asked unbelievably. "What do all the nobles like you think of yourself? A common subject's life doesn't matter to you?"

'Yeah definitely shouldn't tell her.'

"I'm not a noble. I... live here and sorry. It was a mistake."

"A mistake? What were you trying to do? Kill an innocent animal?"

Okay. That clearly wasn't a mistake. "Killing an animal early morning? This is the ugliest way to start your day." She snapped and I couldn't help smiling. I kind of liked it. Nobody has talked to me like that in a while.

I waited for her to finish blabbering and said, "here. Drink some water." I said handing over a bowl of water. She silently gulped it down. "Okay whatever happened... but you didn't leave me there bleeding. Thank you for that. What's your name?"

Umm... "Hussain."

"Amrit." She said.

"Amrit." I repeated.

"Thank you... Hussain."

"I think you should rest... Amrit. Hakim Saab will arrive with medicine soon." As I said that, we heard a knock on the door.

"It must be him." I walked to the door and there stood an aged man, with a fully white beard and a packet in hand. As he saw me, he respectfully bowed down, "Sult-"

"Stop! I'm a common man -Hussain right now. Call me that." I ordered and he stiffly nodded. He couldn't dare ask the details.

He came in, treated her injury, applied a paste and covered it with cotton bandages. "Child, Don't move it too much for the day. It'll be better by tomorrow. And give a visit to me in the evening to see the progress." He said calmly and left.

I walked to her and asked, "So, what were you doing here early morning?"

"I was going to Agra with a whole group of farmers but somehow because of darkness in the night I got separated from them."

"Agra? For the Honor Bride ceremony?" Bitterness flooded through me with those words. She is like all other women, shallow, greedy.

"No. I was with the farmers to sell the crop. What ceremony are you talking about?"

"You... you don't know? How? I mean women from all over the Kingdom come here for it." It kind of hurt my ego.

She shook her head. "No, I have heard it for the first time. So tell me what is it about?" She asked.

I sighed. I didn't want to remind myself about all this but it's okay. "Okay if you want to know..." and maybe after that she would change her mind and join the ceremony. Wait! What? Did I say I want her to join the ceremony? I want her to be... I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts and finished after providing all the details.

After I finished, I expected to see excitement in her features but there was shock. And then, she said the exact same words that I've been longing to hear since a long time. "It's so wrong. That's degrading women to their worst. I pity those women." Those were her exact words. I was dying to hear them from somebody. She made me feel... normal, like I am not alone in this world, like I am not wrong.

"Say it again." I asked not caring what she would think.

"What?"

"Please say it again. Is that what you think?"

"You want me to badmouth about your customs in your face?"

"Actually I feel the same way really."

"Honestly Hussain. The truth is these Royals don't consider people like you and me human beings. They think of themselves as some supernatural beings. Like we are an inferior race that would spoil them." She said staring to space like reminiscing something. "Marriages should be based on love, consent and mutual respect."

"Why do you say so? Not all the Royals are like that."

"Really then why this whole ceremony huh? As a woman, I don't want to be an option for somebody which he can choose or reject as he pleases. There is no dignity in standing with thousands of women and waiting for some man to put their eyes on you."

"It is not some man. It is the Sultan– the most eligible and desirable man; who can provide you with all the luxuries of life."

"Sure he can. And one thing such a relationship cannot provide is honour. Hence the name, Honor Bride or actually... namesake Bride."

"Are you telling me that you would reject a chance like that?"

"Without a doubt. I'd rather be an honorable maid than a disgraced queen."

And she has my heart.

I asked her to rest but she didn't. Of course. Which woman would be able to sleep with an unknown man sitting beside her? I assured her to put a little trust in me. I don't know if she agreed to that or the herbs had started showing their effect but she leaned back dizzy and fell asleep in a few moments.

'Are you real?' I asked myself again and again looking at her. How can someone think like that? She is so... different. Just the type of woman I wanted to meet once in my life. To assure me that I am not crazy. I am not weird.

I sat in a faraway corner of the hut and kept staring at her sleeping form. She looked... beautiful. Her forehead held a slight crease, maybe because of the pain I caused her.

She slept till evening and I had to wake her up to remind her of the visit to the Hakim.

"Listen..." I said softly. She just sighed and changed her position. Heavy sleeper.

"Amrit. Wake up!" I said a little loudly and her eyes shot open.

At first, She looked around with wide eyes and everything slowly cleared in her mind. "I'm sorry. Did I sleep too much?"

"Kind of. Now let's go to the Hakim Saab and get your injury some attention."

"With you?" She asked reluctantly.

I could totally understand her hesitation. She was alone, with no one to trust in an unknown Kingdom. But that is exactly why I couldn't have the courage to leave her alone. "Hussain, whatever you have done for me is enough. I am grateful. But I don't think-"

"I understand. But your safety is my responsibility. I'll take you to Hakim Saab and then drop you to your home. Where, by the way?"

"My Uncle lives here. In the Kingdom. Somewhere around the Palace."

"Okay. Allow me to walk you there. Can you trust me that much?"

She nodded.

***

I have never felt this comfort with anyone in a long time. Like this walk should never end. Like this path should extend to eternity. While leaving Hakim Saab's place, I bought a lamp, took the rope of my horse and began walking with her.

"I love your horse. It's beautiful." She said with a smile.

"I hear that a lot. You want to ride?"

"Oh great. Now you want me to set another example of shamelessness by riding on a horse with an unknown man."

"Stop calling me that! I'm not unknown. You know me–Hussain." I said irritated.

"I know but that is no good reason to stay alone in a hut for the whole day and walk around at this hour of the night." She said in a low voice.

"Amrit… What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of people questioning my morality."

"No they won't. I just asked you to ride because you're weak. I had no other intentions."

She lightly caressed the horse's neck with love. My lucky horse. "It's beautiful but white ones are a bit weaker breed... or so I have heard." She said.

"Yes you've heard it right. So... what brings you to your uncle?"

She shrugged. "Can't a niece meet her uncle just like that? It was a long time plan, but I couldn't go alone so... waited till a farmer's group came here for trade. And look at my bad luck... I got separated from them."

I just nodded. I couldn't understand much of a common man's plight. Of course I would never face a silly problem like that.

"By the way, what do you do to give a message to the Sultan?"

I was taken aback. "You... want to convey a message to the Sultan?" I asked puzzled.

"Yes just tell me how you do it."

"Well, Three days every week, Diwan-e-aam is held. You can go there and place your problem directly in front of the Sultan. But why?"

"I have to ask him to declare hunting illegal." She said carefree like it was the easiest thing to do.

I was boggled. "Why?"

She angrily looked at me and said, "So that people like you don't go around killing innocent animals for pleasure. Sultan should be the one to think about this. If this forest is in Agra, it's his responsibility. The animals inside are his subjects too. Or he doesn't care. It is only a matter of expanding boundaries for him."

I should be angry. But I am not. Is she really so pure, So innocent? I wanted to keep talking, to keep listening to her but I wasn't fortunate enough today. "Hussain, This is my uncle's hut." She announced. "It means a lot Hussain. You want to come inside?"

"No. I'll be leaving. Just call your uncle for a minute."

She looked confused but did as asked. An aged but healthy looking man came outside and rudely asked, "Yes. What do you want?"

"I am a humble servant of the Mughal Sultanate. Have come to deliver a message."

The man's face paled. "Wh... what? What is it?" He stuttered.

"The Sultan is interested in the girl. He wants her to attend the Honor Bride ceremony that is to be held."

"Sh... she can't come there."

"That wasn't a request. Is that the message you want me to convey to your Sultan? Cause he doesn't tolerate disrespect." He better agree.

She should come there. She should stand there. In the front row. And the horse should go to her.

His next words broke all my hopes and dreams. "You don't understand. My niece is a SLAVE-GIRL. She has a master who has purchased her and owns her. And she has already sworn her loyalty to him. And betraying him would be a punishable offence."

•••••••••●•••••••••●•••••••••●•••••••••