THE COURTESAN OF JAIGARH (Complete)

Part 6-Menaka

 Holding the prince's warm hand, Neelanjana walked out of the tavern that had been her home for so many years. She had seen the worst time of her life there, but at the moment, she had mixed feelings. At least, she had been alive. What would happen to her now? Would she live to tell the tale after spending the night with the prince, or would that spell the end of her? She had never been in the presence of royalty and did not know how to act around them. What if she angered the prince? These thoughts troubled her as she fell into step beside him.

Outside the tavern, a small crowd had gathered to have a look at the prince. The old man shooed them away. Two horses were tied to a pole. The prince took her toward a huge black stallion. Neelanjana felt a twinge of fear. She had never seen such an intimidating beast. They had only ever used mules and donkeys for transportation.

The prince saw the fear written large on her face and smiled.

"Don't be afraid. Believe me, you'll enjoy riding him."

She nodded mutely, not knowing what to answer. Sometimes, silence was the best policy, she mused. At least, it kept your head firmly on your shoulder.

The prince showed her the stirrup, so that she could put her foot on it, then hoisted her up on the saddle, mounting up after her. Neelanjana could feel his hard chest against her back and stiffened involuntarily.

"Relax," he whispered against her ear, before pulling the reins and guiding the horse out of the narrow street.

The horse trotted through the streets, its pace leisurely, as if they had all the time in the world. The other man followed beside them on his bay mare, casting surreptitious glances her way.

"What is your name?" the prince asked, his voice low and sensuous.

"Neelanjana," she whispered, as a frisson of awareness went through her.

"Pretty name for a pretty woman," he remarked. "How old are you?"

"Six....sixteen," she stammered.

By that time, they had reached the wide tree-lined avenue that led to the inner part of the city and the royal palace.

She gazed in wonder at the huge palaces of noblemen and rich traders. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. She had never been to that part of the city and it was all totally new for her. They passed mansion after mansion, till the horse came to a stop in front of one. They alighted and she followed the men inside.

Neelanjana could scarcely believe her eyes. The interior was luxurious, with marble floors and tinkling fountains. The walls were painted with murals of men and women engaged in love play. She could hear faint strains of music floating from some room above the stairs.

They were greeted in the hall by a woman of middle age. She was attired in the finest of silk robes, her hair arranged in an elaborate do and her movements fluid and unhurried. Though aging, she was still quite attractive to behold.

"Aah, Menaka, my dear," the prince greeted the woman with a hug which she returned.

"My lord, how may I serve you today? Would you care for some wine and a new raga I have perfected?"

"Not today, dear. I have some other work lined up for you," he replied, pulling Neelanjana forward by the arm.

It was then that Menaka's gaze fell on her and she raised a brow.

"This is Neelanjana," the prince introduced her. "I wish for you to take her under your wing and train her in the ways and etiquettes of a royal courtesan."

"As you wish, my lord. I shall try my best to teach the girl all the arts of our trade," the woman promised, though she looked doubtful. The girl appeared to her to be raw and uncultured. She would have her work cut up. It would need a lot of hard work to make her proficient in the trade.

"Take care, my dear," the prince whispered to her then. "I shall come to meet you on the morrow."

Neelanjana watched him depart with some trepidation. Things were moving too fast. It was all new for her, and a feeling of nervousness assailed her.

"Come with me," the woman threw over her shoulder, expecting her to obey without fail.

Soon, she was shown to a small room, boasting of nothing much, but clean and comfortable. A fresh set of clothes was handed to her and she was sent to the well to wash and clean herself. She was handed fragrant soap, the likes of which she had never seen. Washed, dressed, and fed, she was summoned to a chamber where Menaka handed her over to a man who would teach her the ragas.

It was quite late when she was allowed to retire to her room. Neelanjana lay on the narrow mattress, her mind going over the surreal happenings of the day. She had never, even in her wildest dreams, imagined that something like this would happen to her. She wished that she had some way to share her news with Dhruva. What would he have made of it? It was such a big change, a welcome deliverance from the clutches of the wicked old man, but falling into the hands of the crown prince.

Though, to give him his due, he had only shown her kindness until now, she mused, but how long would that kindness last? What would happen if she failed to please him in bed? The thought made her shiver.

The next morning she had a tough routine. After her ablutions, she received lessons in classical music and dance. There were a couple of other girls too. A woman, a few years older than her, supervised the lessons.

Next came the etiquette. She was taught the right way to address and curtsy to the royalty, even how to carry herself in their presence.

During the breaks, she had come to know that of the two other girls, one was Menaka's daughter. Menaka, of course, was the chief courtesan of Jaigarh and the king's favorite. She had served King Yashvardhan for years, and even his father before him. She must have started very young, wondered Neelanjana. The other girl, Valli, was a slave, abducted from her home in the far south, and sold by a merchant.

It was mid-afternoon when Menaka entered the room where the girls were receiving their lessons. She stood for some time, watching their steps as they learned to walk with a sway of their hips, then turned to the young woman supervising them.

"Madhulika, I hope that the girls did not give you any trouble?" Menaka asked, hands on her hips.

"Not at all," said Madhulika, the look in her eyes saying that would be sorry if they did so.

"Well, I have come to take Neelanjana away. The prince would be here at any moment to meet her."

Neelanjana heard the words with a mixed feeling of nervous excitement. He was coming to meet her. The thought sent a delicious shiver down her spine. What would he think when he saw her now? What would the meeting be like? The thoughts crowded in her head, buzzing like bees in a garden. Oh, Time, run slowly, she prayed. Too much was happening too soon.