"Then its must be some elaborate way of getting your revenge on me".
The Guru stood in my room, indifferent to my outburst . Anger takes the best of me; Nana always said that. And to some extent, I was aware of that too. But given the situation, I clearly had no other choice than to enrage at the Guru. He had just decided proposed my marriage to the sinister Emperor.
"If you do not intend to hear my justification, then there is no point that I explain what I did".
My eyebrows furrowed, "Guru, how naive do you think I am? That you'd just weave up a lie as your 'justification' and I'd agree to it?" I retorted.
"Didn't you tell me that your world has a court where even the guilty can hire people to defend them?".
The Guru was clearly trying to digress. Although I appreciated the idea that the Guru had remembered details that I had told him about my world. My appreciation got the best of me and I stayed silent, finally allowing him to say whatever he wanted.
The Guru took the cue of my silence and continued, "The Emperor is your VIP ticket to Agrabah".
"You're very admirable, dear Guru" I lathered my words in sarcasm, "using examples of things in my world so that you'd emotionally weaken me".
I knew I was being unreasonable. But the truth was, I did not want to hear the Gurus reason. I was scared that the he would convince me to go along with his crazy idea of marrying the Emperor, which I despised to do.
"I apologise if you think I'm emotionally manipulating you" he added, "but that's the best way I can explain this to you. The Emperor is really your VIP ticket to Agrabah".
I narrowed my eyes at the Guru, waiting to see how'd he ever be able to convince me of this idiocy.
"You do realise that no matter what you do, your next stop is Agrabah— if you wish to leave this realm? " He explained with the dexterity of his hands and I nodded along with him.
"So, why not go there as a Begum who has access to comforts than a mere citizen who has to face the shady society of this realm?".
"Guru, I'd rather be living in a discomfort than as a Begum of that man".
"There will thousands of other Amedas and hundred other officers like the one you encountered there".
As the Guru mentioned Ameda's name, incidents of the brothel replayed in my mind over and over again; how Ameda had sold me and how the officer had tried to inflict his lechorous actions against me.
"Ever since the day I found out you were going to Agrabah, I'd been worried sick. You were sold within the first hour you stepped in on that land. So today, when I saw the opportunity— I took it. It's my job to ensure that your safe here—unharmed".
"And besides, it's not like you're marrying the Emperor and making him your one true love," the Guru continued as he paced, "do you know how many other women that man has?".
"I don't know", I furrowed my eyebrows, "I don't know how things work in this realm, but in our world- marriages are no jokes".
"Things are same here too. But things related to Royals; it's quite different" he added, "marriages are not merely about two people loving each other, childbirth is not just about a couple extending their family, death is not only about losing someone; everything is different".
The Guru's eyes looked sad. It was clear he was remembering something.
"That's why I had left the Royal life to become a sage", he confessed, " this act as Prince Akram, isn't even an act- I really am a prince of Bisnagar".
YOU ARE READING
Back to the Arabian Nights
Romance"You're going back now. Back to the place" She goes to a realm she had only heard in stories; a realm that entices her to stay with the comforts of fortunes and prosperity. Yet, the place is not hers to stay. She tries to get out of it. Even when th...
