"To me, only one lady is beautiful in the entire universe and that is.."
"..."
He turned towards her and said in a soft tone
"Kaya....."
....
....
....
Kaya stopped in her tracks, her wound aching more now.
"I should get going now!" She said.
Rudra came out of his daze, hearing her voice.
"Lady...." Kaya remained silent and ignored him as she moved towards her horse and arranged her clothes properly.
Rudra stood there quietly, not knowing how to stop her any further.
"Learn to not interfere in other's business....sir" giving him one last look as she said and started trotting along with her horse.
"...." He was silent. And he stared at her disappearing silhouette.
Women these days..have become so daring.
'kaya and now her...' he sighed with surprise.
......
It has already been four days since she left the palace yet only now was she able to reach the village, mentioned in the letter.
'kaya. Your so-called parents live here...who have consented to get you married off to Rudra.'
She looked at the letter in her hand and later at the sky which was slowly turning to a brighter hue.
' It was impossible to reach the palace again in such a short time, and on top of that, she was hungry and tired. She wondered if arya missed her. How did she react when she noticed that she had disappeared? She would have thought I ran away after stealing her horse, just like her brother thought.
As she walked closer to the entrance of the village, she could hear the sound of the bell of the temple...' morning prayers' she concluded.
" looks like we are there, buddy," she said passing a tired smile to Horse. She clutched the lead and walked inside.
Soon she could see the number of people increasing as she went further into the interiors, because it was still not yet morning she was surprised to see so many people.
But something strange was going on over there, she could sense that easily.
She looked around and noticed how no one paid attention to her and in fact, were all looking in the same direction.
She glanced and through the crowd made her way to the front. She blinked as her vision went down to the lady.
The lady was an old woman probably in her forties. She was on the floor crying her eyes out...
"....?"
Kaya didn't know what got into her but she strangely squatted down to that lady's level. She took a look at the old face, as the lady did so too. Her old eyes went round and her mouth left hung open.
Kaya was still lost. She felt that the face in front of her was too familiar to her as if it was not her first time seeing this woman. Once again she did something that she never expected herself to do.
She reached out her hand slowly to wipe the tears flowing like a stream from the old lady's face, who stared at her with open eyes. But before she could touch the elder, her hand froze in the air, realizing what she was doing.
She was confused.
"Kaya-"
"....." now the old lady's expression shifted to Kaya's face who looked terrified of what was happening.
It was her first time seeing her...yet...
This lady knew her name...
Now saying that she was confused would be an understatement.
The hand which was in the air remained there her fingers curling up. The old lady suddenly grasp her hand as if not wanting to let her go and the crowd stared at them before breaking in rejoice.
The old mother finally found her daughter...
"my daughter where were you?!!" she hugged Kaya. Kaya was surprised, she didn't know what to do... And daughter?
"....."
" Kahini, our kaya is back!" a lady stepped up from the crowd.
'Kahini that's the old woman's name, it was mentioned in the letter too' Kaya recalled.
Her body was tightly squeezed into the hug and she could feel that this was not a show. It was genuine care. Kaya knew this feeling very well, her mother in the future, where she came from, would occasionally pull her into a hug.
She used to cringe at her mother's way of randomly hugging her out of nowhere but now...she missed it all.
"Mother..." she called, remembering her mother. But Kahini burst into tears and started crying even harder.
.
.
.
.
.
"where have you been? Look you haven't even eaten anything, just see how much weight you have lost"
She said offering Kaya a glass of water as she came and sat near her on an old cot. Kaya only gave a small smile as she noticed the small room and a small kitchen which was unseparated but in the corner. Her mother touched her hair pushing it back behind her ear.
"And... what's wrong with your eyes," kahini said noticing Kaya's eyes. Her daughter's eyes were deep black whereas Kaya's were light, in fact almost greyish green.
Kaya raised her eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't sleep well..mother". Her mother nodded taking the empty glass away from her hand.
"Mother...that letter.." she called hesitantly, foreign to calling someone else other than her real mother, 'ma'.
"kaya, tell me everything...how did you reach the palace. You left without even telling me. Do you know how worried I was? Your father took out his anger-"
"that I was...outside at that time remember.." kaya said unsure and praying that she is correct and she hits her fluke. She needs a start v point to make up her false story and get down to the real purpose of her visit today.
Her mother nodded and paused signaling her to continue.
"I was out right.. and then I felt myself losing consciousness. I don't know her w or why but my body was feeling weak at that time. And then.."
"and then what?" her mother asked getting a bit impatient. "you were not home for 2 months for god sake!" her voice went up a bit as she was worried that something wrong had happened to her daughter.
"2 months.."
"yes a whole 2 months " her mother shouted.
Kaya was speechless. " I...m-mother" she called her who had turned her back to Kaya as she stood up.
Kaya too stood up and called her again this time placing her hand gently on Kahini's shoulder to calm her down, which worked.
"..." The lady had such a sweetheart. A small gesture from her and she was ready to listen to her. Honestly, kaya didn't have the heart to lie to such an innocent soul.
"Mother, when I became unconscious that day while I was out. I saw the princess, Princess arya, who had taken me to the palace as she didn't know who else to call. Later we became close friends." she gritted her teeth in annoyance. each word came out involuntarily.
No this was the only way she can survive her. Nevertheless, it's not like these people are going to believe her. She doubts that arya is still able to digest the only truth she had told someone from this era.
The mother looked at her in worry, "Then why did you not contact me the whole time. You should have at least written me a letter." hurt was evident in her eyes, as her voice cracked.
"...I was not well, mother. Princess arya got me treated. It took me a month to gain back consciousness, and I was able to get well to the stage my body is today, the day the marriage proposal was sent here. Mother..." Kaya paused.
Kaya looked at the old lady, her old beautiful eyes filled with concern.
Her daughter was so sick...yet she was not there for her. She cursed herself for being such a bad mother to her only daughter.
"mother. I'm not in favor of this marriage. I don't want to get married to Prince Rudra. Please say no to them." she pleaded, hoping that she would call off the marriage since only parents have the authority in deciding the fate of their children in this era.
"kaya, my child. You know I can't do anything about it. Your father is away from home, I can't take such a big decision by myself."
"Why can't you?! You are my parent too. As long as you stand up against this marriage, I won't have to get married!" she shouted, unaware of the existing norms of the house.
"your father will be back by evening. Once he has his dinner, talk to him about this matter. But remember not to raise your voice again. I don't want that horrifying incident to be repeated again." she warned grabbing her hand.
Kaya stayed silent yet confused.
Why did Kahini behave so anxiously whenever she mentions her 'father'?
Kaya was tired. Later in the afternoon, she took a nap after refreshing herself. Days we're hot so needless to say, people use to stay in their houses.
Kids use to nap where as the ladies would sit together and engage themselves in tasks like weaving or preparing spices.
Rest was rare for the Rajasthani women in that era.
Kaya could pay less attention to the heat and slept soundly. While her mother was making sewing a colorful skirt while she sat on the floor, adjacent to the cot where Kaya was sleeping.
Colors were the source of entertainment in the hot and dry Rajasthan.
In between, she would randomly steal glances at her daughter and fan her with the handmade cloth fan.
Later that evening while Kaya was still asleep, her father had come home. With a loud thud, kaya came out of her deep slumber. Bewildered with what had just happened. She looked skeptically into the corner where an old man was standing, the food was spilled all over the floor and he looked angry.
"This is what you serve your husband?! After all the hard work in the hot weather." kaya stood up. She looked at the food, which was the same as what she had in the afternoon. The food was of no problem, it was the healthiest she had eaten. She didn't need to think twice about the situation.
It was clear that this man was a problematic husband who would tell yell at his wife for no particular reason.
Her gaze turned cold when she saw that he was going to raise his hand on the innocent woman.
Just when he was about to slap the women who had her eyes closed, body trembling with fear yet did nothing to protect her, kaya blocked her, kahini's meek figure.
His hand froze in the air. "oh!", he exclaimed, "so your good-for-nothing daughter is back? I thought you would have already been married off to Prince Rudra." his face was turning ugly with disgust.
"did you have fun messing with other men after you ran away from your home? Your pathetic mother didn't know where you were. Looks like you deserve this much-needed beating more than your mother!" kaya didn't say anything.
"kaya! Don't come in between while your father is talking to me. You can't disrespect him like this-!"
She didn't feel like wasting her energy trying to talk sense to this old man.
The old man in his mid-forties got what he had never expected to come from his daughter. A blow to his stomach and he was on the floor, coughing for air.
"you! How dare you hit your father. Looks like you have grown guts while you were away. " he got up and tried to attack his daughter but she was quick and witty. She captured his wrist and twisted it upwards." a second shock had come to both the parents.
This was a rare sight. A daughter hitting her own father. Kahini's primitive thoughts made her disregard the relief that had surfaced in a small corner of her heart.
Her daughter stood for her. Something which was expected of a son, but she did not had any hope. Accepting that no one will ever be able to help her.
"kaya what are you doing. How can you hit your own father?" she quickly supported the old man rubbing his abdomen. The man remained on the ground.
'what's if kaya's father, hits her back?!' that was her fear.
Shock would be an understatement. This could not be his daughter who would silently endure all his beating, rather she was a strong woman.
And she had broken his...wrist.
He tried his best to hide it and got up with kahini's help while giving kaya a nervous glare.
He will see his daughter once he's recovered.
Kaya stared intensely with even deeper determination, in the end he had to accept defeat and look away.
The daughter of his had returned for his bad!
'I have to get her married and ask for a lot of money in return.' Better use her before she completely goes out of his hand. Later he didn't came home that night.
Only after persuading her mother after great difficulty ,did she herself went to sleep.