Jatishwar Chapter 3

A/N : Thank you for the fantastic response! It means a bucket lot to me! So yeah the below chapter is very very long! Always remember that it's fiction and hence a few scenes may not be exactly as how it would be in reality! Take everything with a pinch of desi namak! Honestly speaking I enjoyed penning this chapter down <3 Looking forward to your comments and replies :)

Love,

You know who!

CHAPTER 3

“Amar shona maa amar… amar rajlokkhi, uthepor babu…” (My lovely darling… goddess of luck, get up sweetheart). Shaakhi groaned and pushed aside her mother, pleading for a few more minutes.

Her eyes shot open as her mother stood lovely before her, dressed up in a fine Dacca Muslin saree. Her gold bangles chimed as she cupped Shaakhi’s face.

The skin around her mother’s dark eyes crinkled with unadulterated joy as she placed a kiss on Shaakhi’s forehead. Shaakhi cried in disbelief as she clung on to her mother and wept. She felt the warmth of her father’s embrace as well.

“mm…” Shaakhi stammered and then hugged her father fiercely “Amake chere jaona…” (Don’t leave me) Shaakhi pleaded as they gently soothed their daughter to sleep. Shaakhi blinked in uncertainty as her scars were vanished, her skin was glowing and soft as before. She turned around to find herself on her four post banister bed, tucked in duvet.

Her father, the man she worshipped, sat next to her. In spite of the greys near his temples and the soft signs of ageing… Rehmaan Muntasir was a force to be  reckoned with. His long face and sharp nose hid nothing of the shrewd tradesman that he was.

“Lokkhi me amar, jibon tui onek jinish dekhbi jetar obhiggota amader karor kache chilona. Konodin mone korish na je tui aka, amra tor kacche achi… shob shomai. Akhon amra amon jaygai acchi je bhogobaan chailo amake tor kash theke door rakhte parbena. Kintu… tui jodi tor bhaggo ono karor shate jure dish… obhigkotha choto kintu mishti hobe” (My sweet one, in your life you shall face such circumstances which none of us ever experienced. Never think that you are alone… we are with you, always. We are in such a position that even the lord himself can’t steal us away from you. But… if you tie your destiny with someone else… the experience will be short but sweet.)

Rehmaan stopped and looked at his sobbing daughter in his arms. “Khub bhalo bashi toke baccha, khub.” (I love you, my child… alot). He flicked aside a tear and pressed his lips on her forehead.

“Abbu?” Shaakhi cried as she feared darkness taking over her. She turned aside to find her brother crying at their parents. “Didi…” He yelled.

“DIDI…”

Suddenly her father turned into a man she knew better, now… his voice changed and she felt an iron grip on her arms.

“Bhogobaan tor shate acche…” (God is with you…) Her father whispered and her surroundings disappeared into a mist. She blinked harder, repeating to herself that the Lord is with her.

Her blurry vision cleared… “Bhogobaan…” (God…) Her sentence remained incomplete as Arjun’s face came into her view.

It wasn’t her father.

“SHAAKHI!” Arjun yelled and Shaakhi got up in a jump. She fisted her palm near her palm and stared around. Her brother was crying his heart out “DIDI!”

The throbbing ache in her head resumed and she focused her balance, leaning onto Arjun’s strong frame. “Shaakhi, thik acho?” (Shaakhi, are you fine?) He gulped as she slipped into his arms, tears staining her cheek.

The dream of her parents had emotionally exhausted Shaakhi. Every inch of her body screamed of the pain and fatigue she had ignored. She felt the cool drops of water on her face and her cheeks stung slightly from a slap.

Her eyes shot open, something was different. A gamcha was tied around Arjun’s head and blood was trickling from his left eyebrow. His right cheek was bruised and there was black soot on his face. She raised her fingers and swiped the soot from his cheekbones. It almost smelled like… gunpowder?

What was happening?

Suddenly a loud boom shocked Shaakhi and she got up. “Cholo!” (Let’s go!) Arjun yanked her arm and picked her brother in his arm and ran away from the tent.

Her eyes widened as the horrific scene came into her view. The night was blazing with fire, men were screaming from every direction. There were darker patches on the mud, it dawned to her that it was blood.

“Ki hocche!” (What’s happening?) Shaakhi cried out and found herself running with him, avoiding the sting on her feet. “Oi shada chamra golo jaante pereche… je amra ekhane achi, revolution anchi. Toh… ora, police ra, amader ke maarte esheche.” (Those white skinned [British] have become aware that we [responsible for the revolution] are here. Hence they’re here to kill us.)

Shaakhi slapped her head, if the other religion wasn’t enough then here were the Britishers. “Curzon pathieche, Shomi bolchilo.” (Curzon [Lord Curzon who went forward to dividing Bengal to East and West] has got a whiff of us and sent the police, Shomi [Sameer] was saying.)

Hot trail of tears poured down Shaakhi’s cheeks as the nightmare of a situation was turning into a horrific reality.

Her blood chilled as she heard the yells of the police, a scream left her mouth as she saw a policeman kill one of Arjun’s mates by shooting him in the head. Arjun didn’t turn behind, he knew who died, how he died. He didn’t have time to weep or break down. He pushed Sakshi and Hussain into a barrel “Ekhane thak, tora bethore chole jabi aar kichu hobena. Shomi oi dike dariye acche. Ami jaachi… janina…” (Stay here. You guys will go and nothing will happen to you both. Shomi’s standing there. And I, I will leave… I don’t know if I can ever…)

For the first time in years did Arjun’s voice crack. He looked at Shaakhi’s who whitened drastically as she caught on to what he meant. For a split of a second his heart became heavy on thinking if only.

He couldn’t help but see the images of what could be a happy life. Shaakhi had resurfaced his buried dreams. What would it have been to live a life without anxiety, agony  and dread. He came back to reality as she hurled herself towards him and sealed his mouth with a cry “Chup! Morar jonno onek karon acche, tumi morte parona.”   (Shut up! There are thousand reasons to die, you can’t  die [for a reason like this].) She shushed her baby brother and sighed as Sameer came into the view.

“Aar okhane jeona! Tumi more jabe! Murko houna! Jibon ke jaane! Ami akhon dariye dariye morte pari! Ne, eshe shaap kete dilo! Akhon beche achi toh ei beche thakar kaaj e di.”   (Don’t go there! You might die! Stop being a fool! Who knows about life? I might die by just standing, here a snake comes and bites me - that’s the last of me then!) Shaakhi huffed, Arjun couldn’t help but admire her. Respect swelled in his heart, her hands were trembling with fright as they turned ice gold in his grip but the determination in her eyes was enough to kill thousands.

“Amake giye lodte hobe Shaakhi, ami oder ke aaka rakte parina. Ar etar pore ami tomake konodin…”  (I have to fight Shaakhi, I can’t leave my men alone. Who knows if I can see you after… )

As time was against him, Arjun cupped her cheeks and brushed his nose against her “Hoitoba bhalo beshe felechi…”  (Perhaps I have fallen for you… ) His lips barely touched hers and he sprinted off towards the ceasefire. His blood pounded with a strange emotion and he felt complete.

There were no regrets now.

With his aim settled, he blurred the vision of burning tents and blood, he focused solely on his enemies. He shot down five men in a row. A shuffle of feet distracted him momentarily and found a police glaring at him.

But that didn’t deter him from shooting each one approaching him. Most of them were dead by now, their bodies lay side by side, on the same earth.

Irony of the situation.

His hand stilled when he realised that he had no more ammunition left. The heat of the fire crept up in his skin and the grains pricked him, he fisted his hand in the blood bathed mud and glared at the police in front of him.

He heard a loud explosion followed by a deathly silence.

This war was over, for now.

The policeman grinned on him, a blood lust craze in his eyes. He was shaky from a bullet grazed in his bicep yet that didn’t deter him from shooting the young rebel in front.

Arjun tried to move but in horror he realised that he felt numbness all over his arms and body. A stinging pain coursed through his body as he tried to move. He looked up to find the man grinning at him.

The soft bitter smell of gunpowder and something else hung in the air.

In spite of his situation Arjun felt no fear. When the bullet pierced his hand, he still felt no fear. He was proud of his deeds and he wasn’t going to die without giving a last fight. But suddenly her shy face floated before his eyes and that’s when he realised that he must be dying.

For he saw her, as wild and beautiful as the Goddess he worshipped faithfully.

Rage burned in her eyes, her hair was flew in the wind, in her hand was a sword. Tears blurred his eyes as he felt a piercing pain in his throat. His dream became even more beautiful as she came ran with all her might, blood smeared on one side of her face. Her hair created a dark halo around her and her yell shook his bones. His eyes widened and a small prayer left his lips as Shaakhi seemed nothing but an incarnation of the Goddess herself.

That’s when he got mukti. Peace.

The tightness around his throat blackened him and he gasped for breath as he felt the searing pain in his throat.

He finally closed his eyes.

~*~

Shaakhi had stiffened at the intensity and heat when  he cupped her cheeks and brushed his nose against her. Suddenly everything of her past flew out of the window… his words or actions didn’t matter. She parted her lips against her will and wanted to hold on to him when he whispered the words she never imagined.

And like that, Arjun sprinted off and Shaakhi sagged against a rock, finding her heart running away along with the man who unknowingly possessed it.

A dread filled her heart as reality slapped on her face, he was fighting against several men… all alone.

~*~

Sameer never believed in the tales of Goddess Kali or Durga. He didn’t believe in the Lords at all. It was him and his friends who made all the difference out here. Where were the Goddesses his mother was chanting about?

As Sameer walked forward, his gun tactfully hidden in his hand, he walked towards where Arjun was last reported. A worry settled on him as Shaakhi was nowhere to be seen.

His mouth hung open and his knees almost buckled by the sight before him.

There lay Shaakhi, her hair loose open with blood smeared on a half of her face. A man lay by her feet, with a sword plunged right into him. Her feet had alta of his blood. Worry escalated as Arjun remained dead-ish on the ground.

Sameer’s throat dried by the sight and if he had been further religious in his beliefs, he would have proclaimed that the deity herself had paid him a visit. But he knew better, he knew the human in Shaakhi.

“Shaakhi…” Sameer whispered softly, wondering how someone could look so serene and tranquil in rage. She looked up at him and his heart missed a beat as she looked so much like the woman his mother used to pray to.

Goddess Kali.

~*~

Her heart hammered as she recalled his confession and the passionate moment between them. Her body throbbed for him and she longed to be with him.

There were no second doubts on that.

She ran faster than lightning as she followed Arjun but stopped short as the situation came to her understanding. The police murdered the brothers she met yesterday with a ruthlessness no beast could ever have.

Their sticks and guns lashed out, blood spilled on the ground and at one point Shaakhi couldn’t even recall what the colour of the mud was.

Could she be selfish to just save a man only because he could satiate her loneliness and give her the love she craved for?

The very thought repulsed her blood. None had noticed Shaakhi till now, none thought that a tiny woman hiding behind a stone would prove to be fatal than the men with strength and vigil before them.

However, one did spot out Shaakhi and just as she feared, he grabbed her hair and pushed her to the ground with himself on top.

All the yells and screams seemed distant as she faced brutal torture but now she knew better than to weep or cry for mercy. She was silent as the man focused on undressing himself and hauled her legs towards him. Just as he intended to tear her pants, she was close enough to reach to his waist and remove the pistol.

With that she rammed six bullets into his thick skull.

Blood smeared on her face but she felt no regret, no joy.

One for one.

Her thoughts drifted to her man again. How would it be possible for anyone to defeat them as they were outnumbered? None of them were gifted warriors, they were all boys who had the passion for their nation and wished to be one again.

Was this the price to be paid?

She let her thoughts drift away and let her body take over herself. She looked aside, waiting for some idea… something to help her out.

She spotted a car in the distance and she ran towards it, as discreetly as possible. She removed the hood of the car and filled an empty glass bottle with the petrol. In no time she found herself holding a petrol bomb.

“Oi!” She yelled and a cluster of policemen turned towards her.

With that she threw the bomb towards them and watched as their body blasted apart.

The rest immediately fled the scene, thinking of their heads more than orders. The fact that she could protect, could kill, filled Shaakhi with a power she never knew. She picked up a blood stained knife and started walking in the direction where Arjun ran.

There she found him, her heart began to thaw seeing him but the situation before had her seeing red. An enemy was dancing and toying with Arjun’s death. Instead of shooting him at one, he played and laughed at Arjun’s painful groan when he shot Arjun’s hand.

With a swing of rum the enemy kept a focus on Arjun.

To only cry out in an agony as Shaakhi pierced her sword through his neck. She gave him death as quickly and swiftly as possible.

Her hair had been undone by that man and she had her feet soaked in his blood. But none of that bothered her, her eyes had been fixed solely on the man before her. Who, in a mere few hours, seemed to be a reason for her existence.

Man was of a strange kind, if you leave him unattached without any dreams, he lives on. But if you give him a slice of life, then will he hold on to it as if his life depended on it.

That’s what happened to Shaakhi.

Content that there was no enemy around she focused her gaze back to the body of Arjun.

She remembered a soft whisper like “Shaakhi” come from somewhere.

She turned aside and for a split second saw reverence in Sameer’s eyes.

A few other men returned and almost folded their hands at her, hadn’t it been for Sameer’s glare they would’ve been at her feet. She tried to understand what had she done so great.

She kicked the body frontwards and then realised why had they been shocked at her.

She had killed the right hand man of Curzon.

~*~

“Bunu…” Sameer called out, fear eating him as he knew that Shaakhi was in a trance. He shook her by her elbow and Shaakhi snapped up, rage dwelling in her eyes as she looked at the dead man.

“Arjun.” He pointed at Arjun and that was enough for her to mellow down. She found Sameer ushering others to leave and a pitiful expression flitted across his face.

“Tomar upore kyo…” (Did someone do something…) His voice choked as he looked at the fresh scars on her back. “Merediye chi.”  (Killed him) Her lifeless voice replied. “Bhalo.” (Good) Sameer stated, trying to get the anger out of his system as he pictured Shaakhi being in trouble and none protecting her.

He almost chuckled at himself, if anyone saw Shaakhi now… they would be the one who needed protection.

Sameer had already got Arjun’s bullet wound of his hand dressed up. But to his fear, Arjun wasn’t getting up.

Shaakhi crouched beside Arjun, her eyes raking over his face. She opened his mouth and gasped “Jol dao… ekkhuni.”  (Give me water right away!)

Without another word he passed her a tumbler of water.

~*~

Arjun felt as if he was floating in the heavens. He knew his time had come, the immense pain in his throat had sucked out the life out of him. Suddenly he felt life flow into his veins.

The pain in his throat disappeared and he felt a strange relief. The pain in his hand came back as a sharp reminder of reality, so did the ability to move his limbs. His eyelids fluttered open and he drank in the sight of the lady before him.

His eyelids relaxed as he felt her fingers push back his hair. Her hair fell around her face, he barely got a hint of her features as moonlight filtered through her ebony brown hair.

Shaakhi cradled Arjun in her arms, patting his head which lay her heart. She swept her hair aside and smiled as his eyes were open, staring at her with an intensity which shook her.

“Kamon accho?” (How are you?) She whispered and hugged him closer. Arjun closed his eyes as her tears soaked his skin.

There was no denial of feelings.

“Bhalo…”  (Good) he croaked out and trailed her blood stained cheek and his eyes grew wide with alarm. “Chinta korona, ami theek achi.” (Don’t worry, I am fine.)

His eyebrows furrowed as he examined her further. She held his palm and nodded her head in reassurance. Sameer cleared his throat and asked for the reason.

“Kichu na, shorir e jol khub kome geichilo. Haan, aar onar ekhane okhane batha lege che, ota te oshud lagate hobe.”  (Nothing, he just got severely dehydrated. And yes, he [in the way one would refer a betrothed or husband] has several injuries here and there which need to be tended) Shaakhi murmured gently.

As they sat in the rocky carriage, Shaakhi gently placed Arjun carefully on one seat and took the other. Sameer avoided sitting inside and placing himself on the front, controlling the horse. The rest of the space was stacked with whatever leftover resources the men could garner.

She gently stirred a bit of salt and sugar in the tumbler of water and balanced herself as she trod towards Arjun. He tried to get up but she shushed him. She apologised profusely as the water spilled a little and made a place for herself.

With no other way than getting his head to rest at her shoulder, Shaakhi gently made him drink water and stared at the landscape outside. The thick foliage gave her a sense of eeriness and the birds’ hoot sent a chill. However the carriages ahead provided her a sense of relief.

In case they were attacked, they would get help.

Arjun stared at her large eyes, trying to decipher what she was thinking. The little battle they had before had left him shaken, only because he never had anyone depended on him… and he never had anyone to return home to.

His breath got stuck as he realised Shaakhi was crying. “Shaakhi… ami theek acchi… takao amar dike.” (Shaakhi, I am fine… look at me.) He coaxed her while Shaakhi shook her head and cried bitterly.

“Amm.. ami ki korlam. Ami a… ato golo log ke marlam…” (What did I do! I killed so many  people!) Shakhi cried bitterly while Arjun slowly understood her.

It often happened to those who battled for the first time. At that moment Shaakhi did work on her instincts, but now she would repent them. Her hands shook as they tried to muffle a cry. Her blood stained hands came to her view and she began to hyperventilate.

“Ami ki hoigechi!” (What have I become?) She pulled her hair in frustration and fright. Every scene was flashing before her eyes.

“SHONO!” (Listen!) Arjun snapped at her and brought her out of her frenzy. “Tumi jodi eta na korte, tumi bachte na, amra bachtam na.” (If you wouldn’t have done what you did… you wouldn’t have survived, neither us.)

When Sameer had helped him on their way to the carriage he had told about Shaakhi’s plan of throwing a petrol bomb, which worked like a miracle. He even spoke of Shaakhi killing the man who intended to kill him.

And that feared Arjun, for a person who’s never killed in her life… she was likely going to go through trauma for this.

“Ami mere fellam…” (I killed... ) Shaakhi’s haunted whisper reached his ears and her grabbed her face, wanting to distract her someway. “Ami moregele khushi hote?” (Would my death bring you happiness?)

He received the answer by a stinging slap on his unhurt cheek “Tomar jonno ei shob korlam aar tumi bolcho je…” (I did all this for you and you are saying that…) Shaakhi found her worlds incomplete as Arjun pressed his forehead to hers “Etai… amake bachale tumi, oder ke marlena… akta manush ke bachale.” (This is it, you saved me, you didn’t kill them… you saved a man.)

Shaakhi hiccuped as she tried to accept the reality. “Jhap maara ochit amake?” (Should I jump out [of the carriage]?) Shaakhi growled in response and Arjun smiled “Ami rokto aar manksho te, tomar shamne. Tumi jano ami shopno dekhe chilam… jei shopnor jonno morte chaini.” (I am in flesh and blood, all due to you. Do you know I saw dreams for which I didn’t want to die.)

Having successfully distracted Shaakhi from her trail of thoughts he looked at her as he grasped her complete attention “Amake aaro kache dhoro…” (Hold me closer) Arjun pleaded softly and sighed in content as he laid his head against the steady beating of her heart and wound his unhurt arm across her waist.

“Ami tomake bhalobashi Shaakhi… janina kano, janino kokhon theke… kintu bhalobashi…” (I love you Sakshi… I don’t know since when and why… but I do love you.) He confessed and kept mum about his fear. What if life wouldn’t give him a second chance?

His response was a stifled cry and a warm kiss on his head and Shaakhi pressed her lips against his head, keeping her sob in check.

With hours having passed by and strength regained, Arjun sat up gently and cupped her jaw. He took a deep breath as his gaze alternated between her lips and eyes.

She was all in all worthy of worship.

A worry nagged him, what if he died leaving her alone? What if the promises he made with her were to last another day?

She was too precious to be hurt again.

He stiffened and cursed himself, what was he doing? He was giving her dreams which would take away her peace if he went away.

A sob broke his thoughts as he saw longing, desire and unfathomable love in her eyes. “Amio… ami ak din tomar shate thakte khushi thakbo, na ki hajaar bochor tomar chara.” (Me too, I would live my life in a day with you than in a thousand years without you).

Arjun looked at disbelief as she answered his worry. How? Brushing away the tendrils of her hair and taking a breath of her fragrance, he cupped her nape and pulled her closer.

Shaakhi parted her lips as his breath washed over her mouth. Instinctively her arms curled around him as she waited for him to come closer.

He fitted his lips gently into hers and waited for a brief moment, revelling in the joy which surged through his body. Shaakhi was lost in bliss as she felt physical joy, coupled with the emotions which coursed through her veins. She tilted her head slightly and moaned as he sucked and nibbled the forbidden sweetness.

Soft tears rolled by Shaakhi’s eyes as she felt inhumane pleasure and love. He broke the kiss by pressing lips gently towards her now swollen lips and the corners of her mouth. As their lips lay parted, touching yet not touching each other… Shaakhi broke into a cry and took Arjun into a fierce hug.

Arjun praised the lords and felt the presence of being in heaven as she embraced him, pouring her heart out. His unhurt palm caressed her hair and he allowed himself to get lulled to sleep.

As Sameer rode the carriage into the road of Hugli, he smiled to himself as the Sun rose from the majestic Ganges, promising him of new dreams and a life ahead.

~*~