Serendipity

The day I fell in love was also the day I died. It began as a whispering in the air. The day had been beautiful and the sky was like a dome of plasma-blue. The clouds had looked like airy anvils drifting under the gleaming disc of sun. We had put our tent up just before the Reaper’s moon of autumn appeared over the trees. The moon seemed to turn the leaves into a flaming patchwork of colours: scorching-yellows, lava-reds and burning-browns. It added an alien glamour to a perfect scene. We heard a greedy thrush, a snail tapping on rock; as he finished his supper before fluttering into the owl-light of the forest. The mournful cry of a lonely fox echoed through the vault-still silence of the trees. A huffing wind rose up then, stirring the flaps of our tent. A tinkling sound came to our ears as the first pearls of rain dropped onto the leaves. The sound was like the glassy clinking of a champagne flute, lilting and clear. A sheet of rain passed over us and the sound intensified. The noise on the tent was like ripened nuts make when they hit the ground. It wasn’t the soft, sodden, swollen drops of spring we were hearing; it was like ball-bearings were hitting the canvas roof with force. The thermometer plunged as we huddled together and shivered in the tent. For a brief moment, we thought that we might be doomed adventurers, destined to get swept away in a mighty flood. We needn’t have worried. The curtain of rain passed over by the time dawn arrived. An explosion of birdsong erupted from the dripping trees and it was if the rain had never been. Chapter {1} I will never forget this day, 14th of March 1914, when I was shipping to Germany for work. The ship was rusty, old and without lifeboats. None of the 2000 people on board were certain whether we could reach Germany at all. The four days on the ship were hell. The sea was extremely treacherous with its large waves. The weather was terrible with rain and mist. I was extremely sea sick and longed for the land. When the ship came to Hamburg we were watched by the people. The Emperor had instructed the police that all the people who came from another country must work in the mine. So I began to work in Essen. In the dark and cold coal mine I met a warm happy boy named Allen. As we bonded I got to know that Allen to had come from England. I was waiting for the right moment. Chapter {2} “Sissy dear would you please hurry up! The carriage is waiting”, said mother. “I am the only princess of Prussia and the only daughter of the most powerful man in all of Germany! The carriage is to wait till I get dressed mother dear!” I replied. Getting ready for outings was never my kind of thing. Wearing a pair of boots and a coat is so much better than a suffocating corset. Daddy wanted me to go to the mines today to meet the people working there. He said that this would make the people like him better, as his only daughter would be meeting the miners. Well, the people have not been too pleased with him. Everything about the war and him meddling with the German foreign policies has made people hate him. That is the only reason I had agreed into wearing this corset! The carriage ride was long and my back got sore of sitting. The day was clear and the blue sky was dotting pearl white clouds. “It’s a fine day to ride” I thought. As we approached the mine the ground grew dustier and there was dust everywhere. I could see that there were over a 70 soldiers surrounding the mine on horseback with guns loaded with fresh black powder imported from unknown places. As I got off I saw over a 200 faces staring right at me with bright smiles like the day. These people worked so hard for our nation, they should be honoured like soldiers! Each face had a new story. Daddy had always told me that I could read people and understand them by only looking at faces. Fathers, brothers, husbands, friends, they all were here. I felt conscious. Chapter (3) She was timid yet fierce to look at. She was delicate yet strong. As she came towards the miners I could see that she was studying each one. The spark in her eyes, the elegance in her stride and yet she looked nothing like any of the other women I had ever met. She had a bouncy personality and a sugary voice, which I adored. She loved people but not the attention people gave her. As she approached me I got self-conscious and felt sweat trickling down my sleeves. "Hello, good morning. So good to meet you! “She said and moved towards Allen on my left. As the troop was preparing for the princess to leave in her carriage I knew what had to be done. As everybody got busy chatting and scattered around I noticed a short young soldier standing behind me. A few friendly words and I got him to come with me inside the mine. As he walked ahead of me chatting about his boring soldier life I grabbed the opportunity and gave him a blow on his head with my elbow and he fell down. Well, the obvious was done and I was dressed in dirty green uniform the next minute. A brown horse was awaiting and as I sat on him, the sergeant gave me orders to be beside the princess’s carriage. Chapter (4) It felt nice, meeting those men. Each one of them was amazing in their own way. I was shown around the mine and I met all the men working there. Suddenly, the smell of leather and spiced liqueur came to my nostrils. I knew this smell but did not know where I had smelt it. As usual the ride was boring and surrounded by soldiers on horseback. I could not even see the outside scenery. On reaching the palace I saw daddy waiting at the entrance. “There is my little girl! How was it darling?” he said. I hugged him and ran inside and raced up to my room. My brothers were as usual waiting for me at their usual spot- ‘behind my room door’. Being the only sister of 6 elder brothers it was natural for me to get excess pampering. I had as a result learnt everything a boy would learn in Germany. Horse riding, sword fighting, handling money, learning science etcetera. I sat in my room after dinner looking at the night sky that looked as if a thousand of fireflies were gazing at me. I sat there thinking about my day with all those unique men and their unique lives. Chapter (5) The job had to start from this hour. There was no time to loose. I had to get the job done and head back home as soon as possible. The soldiers had a separate area assigned to stay. I volunteered to go for the night duty even though I had not slept in a week and needed sleep. The night’s darkness engulfed everyone and everything. There was no moon in the sky and there was a deafening silence around the castle. The palace was quiet and I had to be careful. Soldiers lurking in the shadows, there was protection everywhere. One small mistake and I would get caught and my head would be separate from my body. I was given a map of the palace beforehand and hence I knew the exact room I had to go to. Sir, had said that this was the room where I would get all answers. As I opened the door and got inside I hoped that no one would see me enter. The room was dark but smelled of lavender and vanilla. Why would such an important room smell like that? There was a silhouette I could see. As I got closer, gun in hand I figured out where I had landed. Princess Victoria Louise or Sissy as she is called was on sleeping on the bed. She had a sculpted figure which was twine-thin. Her waist was tapered and she had a burnished complexion. A pair of arched eyebrows looked down on sweeping eyelashes. Her delicate ears framed a button nose. It was a pleasure to see her flowing, moon shadow-black hair. Her enticing, beauty captured my heart and her puffy, heart shaped lips. This had never happened to me. I never got distracted on a mission. But this young girl had sweat trickle down my sleeves for the first time. I sat there staring at her and not caring for anything else. It was as if I was in love with her. Was i? Chapter (6) I woke up to the same smell. Leather and spiced liqueur. This was incongruous. As I opened my eyes I saw a face that was the pure explanation of handsome. He had a Mohican cut and scythe-shaped eyebrows. His Roman nose and half-dome cheekbones sat above an oaken jaw. His wrestler’s shoulders were part of his burly physique. He sat like a tiger and his nomad-blue eyes twinkled. They were Saturn round and were a-flush with triumph. He wore a soldier’s uniform and his spicy aroma was appealing. He looked dangerous in every way possible but at the same time looked straight at my eyes with care and awe. “Who are you?” I asked. “I could have your head served to me on a gold plate within the next 2 minutes. Don’t even try to touch me or else I shall snap your arm into two.” “Well you don’t have to do that my love. You want to know who am I ? I am Tim.” “Not that name, your real name Sir”. “Well you are quite smart princess, just as everyone says. I’m Rahul. And I hope you and I can trust each other”. Chapter (7) I had never disclosed my real name to anyone before. Not even to my best friends in London. But this woman in front of me had me captured in her beauty. I had no idea why she had not shouted or called out for help and I was sitting in front of her like an i***t. “Trust is a funny thing Sir. And why would I trust a man like you who has entered the princesses’ room without permission and is sitting beside her bed?” she said. “I don’t know my princess. But it seems like you are not afraid!” I had no idea why was I saying these things to her but I could feel my heart taking control over me. “I believe that we have met before princess. At the mine.” “Of course I’m not frightened. But, The mine?” “The only man you spoke to while shaking hands. Now do you remember?” She smiled and looked at me with her mischievous eyes. I tried to get my mind in control of my actions, but her sitting in front of me smiling made me fall even more in love with her. I couldn’t tell her the truth. I just couldn’t. “It was you on the horse beside my carriage, I recognised the smell. Well, Rahul what are you here for?” Being a professional liar I gave her another story. I was convinced that I was in love with her, but I could not tell her my secret. I had to earn her trust but not break it. Chapter (8) This man was different. He was exactly how I had imagined my “Prinz charmant”. He was not prince or king, he was ordinary and I loved that about him. He was from India he said. He had come to Germany for work and when he heard about the life of a soldier he wanted to join the force. He was fascinated. He said that he was an orphan and Germany had always made him think of the better. So much like daddy. He met me at the mine and wanted to meet me again and hence came to the palace. He was exactly the person I would fall in love with. And I did eventually.                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rahul and sissy had quite a venturesome relationship. The emperor could not know at any cost that his beloved daughter was having an affair with a common soldier. Sissy knew that what she was doing was wrong, but she felt good doing it. She knew that she was in love and for the first time ever in her life she felt that she was more than just another princess. Rahul was curious yet calm. He made her happy in every way. Victoria went to meet Rahul mostly during the dead silence of the night in the dungeons. They shared stories, secrets and future plans. As the days went by both of them became fonder of each other and could not sleep at night without meeting during the course of the day. They were amour lovers. Rahul confessed to Victoria regarding his real motives in coming to the palace. She was pleased that he had told her the truth and that is why she loved him even more. The war continued. The allied powers were planning new ways to destroy Germany. Everybody was afraid. The snow was now polar-white. The flogging squalls of winter blew loudly. Screeching winds occasionally rose up. When they died, a tomb-like silence haunted the land. Flint-grey skies oversaw the land. The bleak skies were depressing. Winter smothered the land with its vice-like grip. Malt liqueurs, taken to warm up chilled bodies, were a poor substitute for the sun. The scent of creamy, mushroom vol-au-vents floating through the house cheered us up. It was at last Christmas. Victoria had a special gift for Rahul. It was their first Christmas together. In the little red box with a green ribbon on top, she had selected this gift carefully. She hoped that Rahul would like it. As she approached their usual meeting spot in the dungeons she smelt leather and spiced liqueur. As they kissed, Rahul took out a small wooden rose that he had carved himself. Inside the red box were cufflinks with the initials VR- Victoria and Rahul on them. All of the nobles had these silver cufflinks including her brothers. It was now the November of 1916. Two years of being in love secretly. Rahul was now guarding inside the palace. Closer to sissy. Everything was perfect until… (9) The last cold bite of fresh winter air nipped my ankle as the large oak door swung closed behind me. A warm blanket draped over me as I took one step, then another towards the kitchen, hand already in motion towards my first drink of the night, a glass of wine to ease out of the troubles of the day and into something more comfortable. The days were rough. Daddy and my brothers were rarely at home these days. I was scared. What if one of them does not return? My left foot hit the ground, and then my right, but then, I was stopped in my tracks by a large wall, I took not another step. The kitchen entry was covered by a large wall. I gasped. Nobody except my family knew about this secret place. As I touched the cold grey wall with my bare hands I opened it with haste. It hadn’t struck me as out of the ordinary that a muscular silhouette shadow of a man had occupied the stool, which I normally saw daddy sit on. In fact, it hadn’t even occurred to me that the man had made no gesture towards me since I first clambered over the threshold. My desire to wake up from this hell, to believe that nobody was in the secret room made me stand still. The man felt my presence and suddenly got up and ran past me. I stood there not knowing what to do with tears down my cheeks. As I was leaving the SECRET ROOM something caught my eye. Under the table where the experiments were done shined a small silver cufflink. I did not want to believe what my mind was telling me. Picking it up I saw what I feared. The initials VR.  I tried not to cry, tried not to feel guilty about doing us both a favour and ending it sooner rather than later. I got to my room, put on my coat and boots and jumped out of my window. I had to see Rahul and clarify. I knew where I would find him. The dungeons. Rahul turned towards me with tears in his hollow blue eyes. (10) She had to be told. “Sissy dear, I am so sorry for everything I have done. All the pain I have caused you. I am sorry that I could not be the man you wanted. I was spying for Britain. I had told you that I was not anymore but yes, I have been sending information to my bosses for the past 2 years. Your father has been planning something that is so wicked that it would destroy all the soldiers from Britain at once. I am sure you are aware of it?” “No, love I am not.” “Your father has to be stopped. I am a British spy who was born in India but I migrated here when I was 12. The Germans are planning to use chemical weapons that would result in civilian as well as enemy casualties. These are poison weapons. If your father is stopped then the allied powers would also not get inspired to make the same weapons. So, either we did it first or your father is stopped.” Suddenly we could hear the echo of marching in the quiet dungeons. Rahul and Victoria were scared and held hands tightly. Through the shadows they saw soldiers emerging being led by crown prince Wilhelm and Prince Oskar. The other brothers followed. It was as if the whole Hohenzollern clan was marching towards these forbidden lovers. Rahul held Victoria’s hand tightly and ran out of the dungeons. They ran towards the soldier’s quarter that was near the Black forest. There was an army following them as they ran for their love. Noticing an empty room sissy entered it quickly and bolted it. Everyone pounded and shouted at the door. Victoria noticed a bag containing an alpine tent and took it at once. Rahul dropped a chair to cover sound of the opening back window and the lovers slithered into the night. That is how they landed into the forest. It began raining as they pitched their tent. Rahul knew the perfect place. As soon as they new light of dawn entered the black forest the troop saw the tent. Surrounded by her brothers Victoria was scared yet felt safe with Rahul. Rahul whispered, “no matter what happens today I shall always love you no matter what Victoria. You turned my life, and I will love you till my last breath. “ As they came out of the tent the soldiers caught Rahul and made him kneel on his knees with guns pointed at him. Tears in eyes both of the lovers looked at each other with love and helplessness. Rahul could have broken free but he did not. “Brother please let him go! Please I beg you.” In the middle of the black forest with sun rays entering as beams there stood an army surrounding two young people in love. Victoria’s brothers held her as Rahul was taken away. She did not shed a single tear. She stood there watching. After 5 years. I felt like crying. Crying for all the tears that he never could. For all those I never let myself shed in the presence of people. For all the moments I knew that should have been done 5 years ago. For all the vain attempts made to find him as I truly believed he was alive. Whenever I asked daddy what had they done to Rahul he said that the necessary had been done. After 4 months of the incident at black forest Daddy got me married to Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick. Ernest was kind and loving but could never replace my dear Rahul. I can never forget this day, 14th of March, 1921. The housekeeper of the Brunswick palace came to me as I sipped my morning tea from the new corelle printed cup. The sky was the same as it was on the day I had gone to the mine 7 years ago. The housekeeper came up to me and handed me an old envelope. I rarely got letters. Keeping my cup on the garden table I opened the envelope. Inside was a small parchment that smelled of leather and spiced liqueur. My heart skipped a beat. With tears in my eyes I turned the parchment around, and saw in a crooked handwriting were, THREE words.