Teardrops on Roses

CHAPTER 4

Claustrophobia.

That was the precise word to describe her current condition. The palki was too gaudy and suffocating but not more than the perverse stares and creepy smiles of the man sharing it with her. The man who had her under his mercy and who appeared to be undressing her with his eyes now.

Her mind momentarily wavered to the little silk pouch Sumana had discreetly slipped into her palm before she left with the vile merchant. Sumana had asked her to keep it hidden from Samudra and use it wisely.

It had been over two nights after which one day taking advantage of his absence from the palki she had whisked out the pouch and oh boy was she not stunned. Inside it were some solid gold bangles and small earrings. Her eyes had teared up at the generosity of the old woman.

As she stared out of the small parting of the palki now,  her mind once again darted off in all possible explanations for the lush green amd clean scenery she saw outside and the mannerisms and clothing of the people. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Everytime she tried to think of this her head would starting hurting like hell.

Deciding instead to just enjoy the cool breeze against her face, Monami focussed all her attention out of the tiny window of the palki, in an attempt to escape Samudra's lustful eyes. A sudden jolt caused her to be on alert again. She cautiously tried to peer further out from the window but she felt Samudra's cold grip round her wrist pulling her back in.

"Stay in" he ordered her harshly.

She gulped and nodded, watching him move out of the of the palki and disappear behind the curtains. She could hear some kind of commotion from outside. She gripped at her small pouch of gold tighter as she tried to figure out what was being said. She could only hear male voices along with Samudra's voice. It seemed there was an arguments of sorts.
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"Kumari, please make haste. We need to leave soon."

Monami blinked, continuing to stare at the young man who was trying to rush her to another caravan. He looked fairly handsome and had keen eyes.  But she stood her ground, her eyes darting everywhere. She wasn't just going to pulled out of one palki and moved to another for her honour to be stripped off.

"Who are you?" she asked cautiously.

"I am son of Maharaj Dhritarastra and Sugdha. Yuyutsu."

Monami's eye brows shot up sky high, her eyes widening like saucers. What the hell was she hearing!

"Yuyutsu!"

Both their heads swirled around to the source of the loud whisper. Monami warily eyed the new stranger now; the coarse clothes on his fair, tanned complexion looked rather starkly contrasting as against the uncommonly lustrous gold earrings on his ear.

Must be heirloom from past generation wealth, she mused, looking  at the bow he was carrying too which too looked meticulously crafted to suit royalty. Peculiar. Her eyes remained fixed on him studying the contrasts laden on his body.

Then just as she raised her head up a bit to look at his face some more, her lips parted in some unexplained fascination and awe as her eyes met his.

His eyes seemed to hold something else she could not specifically pin point. She might have been able to had she been allowed some more time to. An unnatural cough from Yuyutsu. Her eyes broke away from the deep brown eyes of the bow wielding man.

Now the men stared at her with curiosity and some amusement. Her cheeks flustered red. Years later she would still look back on this day and reflect on how her defences had completely broken down momentarily in the presence of this man despite her recent horrifying experiences with men.