What a sweet remix poem, Periyamma... LOVED it so much ... and the previous poem too ... where Heera talks of her husband... and he talks of taking her in the secret garden...So sweet of all of you to ask for me...I know I generally say 'busy busy...' but this month really has to be the busiest ever... apart from the birthdays and parties and the guests, my house has been struck down by sickness from last week... after older one fell ill with stomach flu last week, my poor birthday baby has been ill this week... since his birthday... horrible stomach flu even through the night... only today has he gone back to school looking half-the-size he was last week... 😒so not much sleep either... hence... my energy was low.. and couldn't come online much...🤗
Awww! Lashy Sahiba- I knew something was amiss when you became so silent.😊
Glad the health situation in the house is improving.😃
Please send our love to the boys. 🤗
So you know the drill- get plenty of rest, take care of your health, too, and don't worry about the update!🤗
For now, Lana's OS has done the needful to keep us appeased during this interim period. 😃
Originally posted by: roseraja1915
Awww! Lashy Sahiba- I knew something was amiss when you became so silent.😊
Glad the health situation in the house is improving.😃
Please send our love to the boys. 🤗
So you know the drill- get plenty of rest, take care of your health, too, and don't worry about the update!🤗
For now, Lana's OS has done the needful to keep us appeased during this interim period. 😃
Hukkah joint
Angling sideways, she tried taking a closer look at the man, whose face was partially hidden by the turban scarf flung across his shoulder and neck - the kind that riders wore.
Her chest heaved in near disbelief. 'Mashallah' she bit her lip temptingly. Such flawless features, upon such a rugged body - she had never seen someone like him. In fact, when she'd spotted the lone man at first, she wondered if her eyes had been deceiving her. But now that she'd got a better view, there was no doubt - he was every bit as desirable as she'd assumed he was. And since she was accustomed to coming across fat, old, ugly addicts everyday - this dashing young man made for a visibly delightful change.
If only she could lay her hand upon his taut arms once, she thought, just to see if he was real.
However, before she could come over and lean upon his shoulder, Akbar held the horse-whip up, as though he'd read her mind - giving the lady a sure sign that he did not want her crossing that barrier.
So she stopped a step away, and began playing with the hems of her veil.
'I've already told your friends...' he muttered, with his glimpses fixed upon the ground 'Not interested!'
'Then why have you been sitting here... alone... for so long Sahib?' she asked, using a tone that was as seductive as her form 'No drink in your hand... no Hukkah... who are you waiting for? Angry with your wife? Annoyed with your mistress? I'll help you forget them... at least, for a while...'
'You heard me the first time!'
When the lady refused to budge from her spot in spite of that, he pulled out his pouch and tugged open its strings. Picking out some coins from inside, he tossed them on the seat beside him 'Go buy yourself some dinner'
She gathered the money cautiously so no one else would notice, and counted the copper coins in her palms '3 dams?' 3 dams would buy her 3 dinners! Had the man just gifted her 3 dams, expecting nothing in return? This was hardly believable! 'Very gracious of you, Sahib' she said, offering him a Taslim 'But now you've made me feel guilty... for all of my faults, I am no beggar... I'm still a lady, if only you'd care to observe me once!'
The sly coyness with which she'd uttered those words, was generally capable of enticing even her toughest customers. But with THIS Sahib, she got nothing in return - neither a word, nor a reaction 'If liquor doesn't take your fancy, shall I bring you something else?' she paused 'A refreshing drink, maybe?'
His brows that had been smooth and square for so long, merged into a frown. Why was this woman, a prostitute, refusing to go away even after being offered money? Was she so desperate for some company? Or, was it something else altogether - something not-so-straightforward?
'What refreshing drink?' Akbar went on to enquire
- and the next instant, he could almost hear her smile
'We have many kinds, Sahib...' the lady hummed chirpily as she swayed her way through - till she managed to find a spot on the floor to cosy up beside his feet 'We have a special drink that we reserve for customers as exquisite as yourself... a fruit-and-rose Sherbet?'
He slowly sat up, till his back touched the wall 'A fruit-and-rose Sherbet?' Now, that was an exquisite drink. Quite expensive too - and not commonly available in places like these. However, what struck him as oddest of all was that this particular drink was his personal favourite. A flavour he generally found difficult to refuse.
'How conveniently coincidental...' the young man exhaled warily 'All right then...' he clicked a finger 'bring me one serving of it...'
Evidently elated by the instructions she'd just received, the woman scurried off to do his bidding - and was back by his side right away, a goblet of the drink perched in her hand.
'Here you go Sahib' since the man was still glimpsing down, she tried to tap his arm to grab his attention.
But, he stopped her with a sudden order instead 'Now, drink it...'
It took her a moment to understand what he'd just said. And when she'd understood his words, it took her a moment to come to terms with it 'I... I d... drink this?' she asked again, to be sure
'Yes!'
'How c... could I? Oh...' she attempted a quick comeback 'You want me to join you? I know... I can bring myself another glass of Sherbet... and...' she set the goblet upon a low table 'Why don't you start drinking this... I w... will be...back with...'
Just as she was about to proceed to get herself another glass, she found her way blocked - by the telltale horse-whip!
'You'll drink THIS glass...' he made himself clear by pointing to the goblet sitting in front - and then, finally looked up at the lady's face to gauge her reactions. Yes, her features were every bit as alluring as her voice had sounded so long. But what a pity that such beauty had been put to many-an-evil use!
'What happened? Not willing to taste it? Not even a drop?' Akbar mocked - realising from her alarmed frowns that his instincts were right.
Alas! This also meant that the information Chota Faizan was bringing him, had been found out - which is why a lady had been sent to finish Akbar off! This rivalry was turning uglier with every passing week, wasn't it?
'But, I must say...' Akbar continued aloud, gritting his teeth to curb the rage 'You ARE efficient! It was quiet... quick... and lethal... the manner in which you poisoned my drink!'
'W... what...' the lady let out a nervous giggle 'what are you implying?'
In one smooth move, Akbar stood up and had her backed against the wall. He could sense that her cunning mind was plotting a means of escape - so he got straight to the point 'Chota Faizan... he's not coming is he?'
'I have no idea who you're talking about...' in an attempt to distract the man, she did what she did best. She started running a soft finger through the locks resting over his shoulders - the musky scent of sandalwood rife within its curls 'Besides, how could you think I'd have the heart to poison someone as handsome as you?'
'Keep your filthy hands to yourself and answer me...' he whispered in a low growl 'Where is Faizan now?'
'Who, Sahib?' the lady asked, feigning innocence. She'd come prepared for this, so her pitch was steady, however her expressions could not entirely mask the fears that were evolving within - at least, not from a pair of well-trained eyes like his.
'Is. My. Informer. Dead?'
'S... sahib... I... I...' she swallowed hard - watching how his magnetic gazes had transformed into the deadliest glares she'd ever seen. Yes, she was well and truly caught 'I... I was... I... '
Akbar detected how a ghostly-white was beginning to spread across the skin on her face, neck and arms - so, his informer HAD been assassinated! 'Darned Hell!' the rising fury turned his curses hoarse, as he fisted the pillar beside her, sending an avalanche of rubble - stone, plaster and paint - cascading down to her feet.
The fracas drew the attention of a few other inmates - but only briefly. Everyone was either too high, or too occupied, to pay heed to a kind of brawl that was commonplace at such hangouts.
Taking advantage of the lull, the desperate lady tried buying time with a sob story 'I... I didn't kill Chota Faizan...' she persisted, her nimble fingers stealthily inching towards the back of her hip belt to remove the dagger that she had hidden within 'and I was forced to do this against my will... they would've ruined me otherwise...'
'Listen lady...' Akbar shut her up with apparent apathy 'you clearly know who I am... it makes no sense to even attempt drawing your weapon out.'
But, she didn't follow his wise advice and yanked the dagger out to ram it in his torso. However the very next instant, her empty palm was throbbing in pain. The weapon had shifted hands - and it'd happened so smoothly that she couldn't even make sense of how he'd gotten it off her.
With nothing left to defend herself, the cornered lady had to accept defeat - and did so graciously 'What are you waiting for, Sahib...' she asked, her lips breaking out into a sad smile 'It is better to die at your hands, than it is to die at theirs'
It was the first instance, Akbar saw a hint of truth in her eyes.
Yet, that wouldn't move the vindictive young man - not even by a bit 'I'm going to leave you alive... so you can deliver a message... tell HIM that I've been in this game for far too long, to fall prey to such ridiculous plots!'
Withdrawing from her presence, he made his swift departure from that depressing place. But not before he'd struck the goblet over with the horsewhip on his way out - sending the poisoned drink pooling onto the muddy floor, while the empty brass cup oscillated to and fro.
Certainly, he hadn't wanted some poor drunken sod drinking the poisoned sherbet by mistake. But, he'd also done it to callously remind the slave girl of the mess she'd landed herself in - a kind of 'dangerous mess' that'd be quite a challenge for her to clean up, or explain away.
what a sweet remix poem, Periyamma... LOVED it so much ... and the previous poem too ... where Heera talks of her husband... and he talks of taking her in the secret garden...So sweet of all of you to ask for me...I know I generally say 'busy busy...' but this month really has to be the busiest ever... apart from the birthdays and parties and the guests, my house has been struck down by sickness from last week... after older one fell ill with stomach flu last week, my poor birthday baby has been ill this week... since his birthday... horrible stomach flu even through the night... only today has he gone back to school looking half-the-size he was last week... 😒so not much sleep either... hence... my energy was low.. and couldn't come online much...🤗
Thanks girls... 🤗
Thanks for the Cutlet tips, Lavanya! 😳 Am going to incorporate all these pointers when trying again...Since I had to refer to the Chota Faizan bits for writing this chapter I went back to the chapter that spoke of it... 11And I chanced upon this part when I was reading it - it's a part where we are just getting to know the man... its one of my personal favourites... and found a picture for the scene too... so, sharing it... since a lot of our baisas here now... weren't there during chapter 11
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