THE COURTESAN OF JAIGARH (Complete)

Part 39-On The Journey

 Days passed into weeks but Neelanjana was no near to a decision. Hassan's proposal was at the forefront of her mind, but so was the fear that somehow, Harshvardhan would come to know about it, and not only would she lose the position that she had earned with so much effort, but also the chance to marry the man she loved and lead the kind of life she had only hitherto dreamed of.

Yes, she had accepted that she was in love with him. She had never even in her wildest imagination expected to meet a man like him. He was the embodiment of all her desires. He was gentle by nature, tender in his lovemaking, and without any false notions of aggressive masculinity. She knew that she was fortunate to have his undying love, but would he wait for her decision if she took too long to make up her mind? She guessed not. They were both no longer young enough to dally mindlessly. Also, being rich and handsome, any woman would consider herself lucky to marry him. Why should he walk into danger for a woman, not of his land? Moreover, one who belonged to another man.

Neelanjana hid her face in her pillow, sobbing tears of frustration and helplessness. Her body burnt with unsatisfied desire, hunger eating at her. She yearned for a union with the man she loved. What irony, she mused with an aching heart. She, who all her life had to suffer the cruel possession of men, longed to be possessed by the one man whom she could not have. At least, could not have without a considerable risk to both their lives.

The meandering path through the foothills was dusty and uneven. It took a lot of concentration on the part of the servants to guide the camels through the narrow roads. The little party made its way through the rough terrain. On one side was a sheer drop about thirty feet below.

"Harr...." Hassan spurred his horse. The animal was surefooted and tough. His companions, his fellow travelers, all merchants returning with their goods, lagged quite a few paces behind him.

He smiled to himself. There in his mind was a picture of his blue-eyed beauty, the way she had been while he made love to her. How her glorious hair had spread around her face, her lips swollen and moist, her eyes half closed in bliss. Her moans still rang out in his ears and her heady woman scent, a mix of jasmine and sandalwood, intoxicated him. Hassan took a deep breath to steady himself, for his body had swelled up with desire. What would he not give to have her in his arms once more, but this time for good?

He wanted her as his wife, to live by his side. He wanted nothing more than to wake up every morning with his Neelu in his arms. God willing, they would grow old together. He wished that the year would pass on wings so that it would be time to return to her. What would her answer be, he wondered, his heart beating in anticipation.

Thus, lost in his thoughts, he guided his horse absentmindedly, not paying much attention to his surroundings, until a blood-curdling cry broke through the maze of his thoughts.

A scream rose from the lips of his companions as a band of brigands jumped in front of them from behind a rocky hill.

"Help," a servant cried as an outlaw pushed him toward the drop, seizing the reins of the camel and leading it away.

With the swiftness of a mountain lion, Hassan drew his sword from where it hung at his waist, and with a resounding roar, enough to put the fear of death in the hearts of men, Hassan fell on the brigands.

All hell broke loose as men ran here and there, trying to save themselves. Hassan fought valiantly, driving his sword through the heart of a man, chopping off a limb of another, and parrying their blows. Taking heart from him, a couple of merchants took out daggers and knives, trying to fend off the attack.

The air rang out with shouts and screams as flesh met deadly metal. Blood spilled on the ground, turning it a deep crimson. The brigands were taken aback. They had not expected a group of sedentary merchants to fight them. They had already lost a couple of men, who lay dead on the rocky ground. They hadn't been successful in looting a single camel. It was better to cut their losses, accept that it just wasn't their day, and retreat. They did so, vanishing up the mountainous paths as quickly as they had appeared.

"Are you alright?" Hassan asked the servant who had been hanging for his dear life on a sheer rock face. Hassan had pulled him up, disregarding the wound on his arm that was bleeding.

The young lad nodded, his legs still shaking.

"Sit down and rest for some time," he said, leading the boy to a boulder by the roadside. He offered him a canteen and the boy drank thirstily.

"You're bleeding, my friend," one of the merchants commented in dismay.

"Do not worry. It's nothing," Hassan said, tearing a strip from his robe and tying it around his arm.

"Let us find a place to catch our breath," another man suggested.

Everyone agreed. Soon, they found a bit of grassy patch by the wayside, shaded by a gnarly tree. It would have to do. They watered their horses at a small stream, a narrow channel of water spouting from some rocks, then let them graze.

Hassan bent down and splashed the icy water on his face and neck. It refreshed him, letting him forget the pain in his arm for a moment. They stopped there to eat the flatbread and sun-dried meat with swigs of wine, before proceeding to the onward journey.

Miriam welcomed him with open arms, placing a kiss on his forehead, then noticed the wound on his arm and exclaimed in alarm.

"How did this happen?"

"Let me in, Mother. I'll tell you everything," Hassan said, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her inside.

Once he had washed and dressed, he sat cross-legged in the kitchen, recounting his tale to an awestruck audience.

"You mean to say that instead of escaping with your life, you chose to turn back and fight those brigands?" asked one of his younger brothers.

"Yes, Ahmed. I'm no coward to run away in the face of danger."

"You're a fool, my son," scolded Miriam. "I'm not letting you go anywhere again."

Hassan laughed.

"What would I do here, Mother? Surely, I'm not an old man to sit in the village square, smoke a pipe, and reminisce about the past?"

"You shall marry and have a house full of kids," Miriam declared. "I have searched for a suitable girl. She's pretty and from a wealthy family. Her mother is a friend of mine."

"Why should I settle for a pretty girl, Mother, when I can have the most beautiful woman in the world?"

A hushed silence fell in the room as everyone stared at him in shock.