Lust Or Love?

Chapter 7

On the other hand.

Hours passed and finally the dawn broke and a slight Orange aura was spread across the sky. It was the start of a new day but the end of thousands of life.

The whole battlefield was filled with the groans of the soldiers who are left handicapped for the rest of their life. And the sound of eagle and vultures as they feasted on the dead bodies. A pungent, sickening smell was everywhere.

And with the first rays of light the slight hope of Surya died down, It was the end!

He looked around him, the fortunate alive people were very few but they have now lost the glow in their eyes which hold the power and prayer to return to their beloved ones.

They knew this is the end. Surya looked at the poor souls drenched in sweat and blood.

Why do I sacrifice their lives? When we all know what will the consequence!?

He thought and made a decision in his mind.

***

"We surrender! " he was loud enough to be heard by the opponent.

Seconds later a evil laughter came floating in the air. Which made people flinch!

The soldiers looked shocked at what their king did. He surrendered?!

"Your Highness!?" A confused and concerned army general Kumar came beside Surya.

"With all due respect your majesty, why did you do that? "

"I want to save whatever is left, kumar. " Surya sighed deeply.

"Even if it costs my life! "

He told the truth.

"It should be us to sacrifice our lives not you! " he said with a strange expression........anger?

"No Kumar I am the king! I should be there to protect people. And not the other way around." Surya touched his forehead and closed his eyes for the first time in hours.

"And what after that? My king? If you surrender like this....."

Kumar's voice trailed off as Surya heard him sigh.

"If you are thinking to abandon your kingdom my king. Then do it! But what after that? Umarkot will be in hands of that shamsuddin for ever and ever."

"And we are already aware of his tortures on common people." Kumar paused for a few seconds and looked at Surya in his eye and continued. "Your life is precious my king! Too important to be lost like this!" He exclaimed.

"If you will be alive one day or the other we could get back to the throne. The the situation could change, so with all due respect your majesty. " Kumar paused again and Surya heard a sharp intake of air.

"You should leave this place! " Kumar completed his sentence and he saw Surya's eyes getting wide in anger.

"What did you just say? You want me to run away?"

His eyebrows furrowed.

"No your Majesty-" Kumar was cut off this time.

"No don't say a word Kumar! " Surya said.

"I believe you are right! That without me there will be no future of Umarkot and just the exploitation.....but I can't leave the battlefield....I can't prove myself as a coward."

"Your majesty if you are talking about the rules of the war then let me remind you.....it was a sudden attack. Without any pre notice! "

"And the fact is that....we are fighting for our nation....for the sake of our mother land. And now if they kill you. ....all those men who sacrificed themselves and all of the rest who are ready to loose their lives for the sake of this land will be in vain. All they did will go useless! "

"And for them, for their families, for our mother land....I beg you....to leave this place! "

Surya's mind went blank as he looked at his childhood friend and companion, Kumar and for the first time he was having tears in his eyes.

His eyes helpless, concerned, fear and what not.

"Please? " he begged again. And Surya felt his cheek moistening for the tears falling from his eyes.

Suddenly there was snorting of horses which forced them to look at the east. A large army was on their way.

"They are coming! " Kumar whispered.

Suddenly Surya saw in disbelief as Kumar stretched his arms and hugged him.

"If the God gave us the chance, we will meet again! " he said and smiled.

"You should leave now. " Kumar added as he pulled away from the hug.

The army was much nearer now.

"Har har Mahadev! " soldiers chanted as they saw Surya mounting the horse. He nodded and left as Kumar took the leading.

And once again the armies clashed and the game of revenge started, to win blood!

***

Surya mounted his horse and strode fast towards the welcoming darkness of the forest.

"Don't let him leave! " came a strong voice from the muslim army.

"I want him dead or alive! "

Soon a group of men left the battlefield following Surya. And leading them was the General of Delhi's army, sher Khan.

Surya was into a dense forest, and it was already noon. When he stopped by to take in his surroundings. If his calculations are right then the way from this forest is taking him to his neighboring estate, Ajmer!

He don't know what he will do once he will reach there, while his head was still pondering that if he did the right thing to leave.

Was he really a coward? He asked himself striding past the large trees. So dense and so thick that almost no sunlight was reaching at the bottom.

Suddenly, he heard some noise behind him. He turned around and looked to find nothing!

He again started his journey when he felt a pain shot through his head. Something hard hit his skull, before he could comprehend anything, he felt another pain shot through his right hand. He glanced side ways and caught the blood oozing out of a deep cut.

The pain in his head was unbearable as he put his hand on his wound, he felt a cold liquid flowing out of his head.

Even before he could do anything a man pushed him and he fell down from his horse. His head hit hard on the ground which made him to wince in pain.

"Tsk.tsk.....too bad the young king is going to die. " a sarcastic voice boomed the ever quite forest and Surya looked at the direction.

There were a few soldiers with the uniform of opponent army. And in the middle was the army general Sher Khan.

Surya decided to make a move fast, he gripped his sword from his waist band and stood up. The soldiers were taken aback by this.

Taking it as a chance Surya pulled up his sword and attacked on Sher Khan, but then again a pain shot through his back. He tried to attack again but his hand betrayed him.

He once again fell down on the ground. Seeing his condition, Sher Khan burst into a fit of laughter. And eventually the soldiers joined in.

Surya ran his hand on his back and pulled out the blood smeared dagger out of his back and threw it away.

"That won't help young boy, the dagger was treated with poison. Soon the poison will get all over your body and you will die a pathetic death. "

Sher Khan said smugly. As the cloth bidden above his left eye flew in the air revealing a blood clotted ball. There was no eye.

"Well, I could have killed you easily in an instant.....but then you don't deserve that! " Sher Khan said and laughed at his own joke.

"I don't want you to get a easy death.......you should die in a beautiful way indeed.....just like this....slowly....with pain....with poison! You deserve that! "

And then he pointed towards his right eye or most probably a blood clotted ball.

"Remember this? " Surya saw Sher Khan seething in anger.

"You are going to pay back for what you did! "

Sher Khan said and then left on his horse. With the soldiers following behind.