One Thousand and One Nights (It so happened...)

Four phrases of wisdom

 
The four phrases of wisdom are,
I'm sorry. Thank you. I love you. I don't know.

~Anon

Dilruba shut her eyes tightly as her heart clenched in her chest, her stomach was twisting. Something about the metal thump didn't make her feel good.

It grew closer and it stopped. She knew the person was in the room.

"Good evening, your majesty." A older male voice, she inferred.

"Ah yes, Wahti. What is the matter?" The mad king asked. Dilruba held her breath and calmed herself. She then breathed in and out periodically.

"Your majesty, I haven't received the girl yet. It's been two nights."

Dilruba took a deep breath. The mad king then uttered, "I know. Isn't there thirteen more moons to go for the new moon?"

"Yes. Your majesty. Seems like this one is really special."

"Indeed she is. I wish to seek pleasure from her some more. I will return her on the new moon say. Be rest assured."

"As you say, your majesty. A wise man would never get attached, remember that."

Then she heard the metal thumping again and this tine it was fainter. Dilruba opened her eyes but still lay on the bed. She felt empty. She should be sad, cry, mope even but she knew she didn't have the most fantastic life so that she would miss it.

       "You heard it all. You have nothing to say?"

    Her eyes snapped to him. She leaned on her palm propped up by her elbow. "Would it matter if I said anything? Would I get out alive?"

      "Honestly? No. You're lucky to even last till now."

      "And...I'll be forever grateful for that!" She slumped on the bed again.

      "I'm curious about what happened next. Continue the story." He ordered as he took his seat on a chair beside the bed.

      Dilruba scoffed and then she laughed. Her eyes watered and she stopped. "No."

         Dilruba found his expression taken aback, "What?!" He asked in utter shock.

       "It's a no. I'm not continuing the story. Ever." She snapped at him and turned around.

She squeezed her eyes close. People, her client's wives and families always cursed her that she would never die a good death. It seemed that it had come true.

After a while, she heard the door shut and she knew he had left. What was better? To die tomorrow or to die everyday by anticipating your death?

***
The next morning she woke after a restless sleep. Her eyes were heavy as her heart and she did her morning chores dully.

Then evening came and then morning. And Dilruba had lost count of how many nights had passed. Every morning she would get up, wash up and get dressed and then she would sit by the window. The sane window in front of which she begged the moon.

And she would watch the outskirts through the window. The village outside the window thrived with life. But in her chambers, it was cold.

When she was a little girl, her father used to tell her a story. There was once a myna. The bird sang so beautifully that it used to stun travellers, the jungle used to grow quiet as it sang, everyone felt relaxed and pleasant in its tunes.

The King's chariot once passed through the forest and once he heard the Myna sing, he felt calm. He ordered his soldiers to capture the bird.

But the King's soldiers captured another Myna which lived in the same forest. The bird was captured and kept in a gilded cage decorated with precious stones, it was fed the sweetest fruits but the Myna refused to sing as it felt it would be kicked out if it didn't sing as beautifully as the other bird.

The King's men cajoled the bird, to sing for their King but it refused to sing. In anger of the bird's arrogance, the King's men killed it.

The Myna sang only two verses,

"A gilded cage is a cage too, at last in death, I'm free."

Dilruba felt like that Myna. The food she ate and the clothes she wore were all exquisite. How many a nights had she wished to live a life this luxurious. But in the present moment, she would give anything to be back at the hustling bustling market.

She sighed but an idea struck her. She wasn't the Myna that sang beautifully. She was captured by mistake. The person who was supposed to be here was the Old Lord's daughter, not her.

Standing up she went to the door and knocked, a maid came in, "Please tell his majesty that I wish to meet him."

***