Times Intertwining Destinies (On Hold)

3. A Horse-Ride To Remember

Shaktiselvi had woken up to the first rays of the morning sun. She had sat up with some difficulty. The beautiful silk was still draped carefully around her and a wet cloth placed neatly on her forehead. There was no one in the tent.

She had chosen that moment to escape. But the more she saw, the more she was convinced she was not dreaming. How could she possibly travel back in time? And that man, was he really whom he claimed to be?

"Devi Shakhiselvi, do you know how to ride a horse?"

She was startled from her reverie by a deep baritone. She had barely heard his question.

"Yes... yes..." she replied intending it as a question.

"Angraj Karna or only Karna or whatever you please" he completed for her, assuming she was fumbling for a way to address him.

She nodded. He smiled pleasantly showing her to a sturdy brown horse.

Shakthiselvi merely followed the direction his hand showed. She walked on dazed before her senses suddenly surged up.

"Taah" she screamed sprinting back. The soldier holding the reigns of the horse struggled for control as the horse jumped up and down in its position.

"What happened Shakthi?" Karna was astonished and concerned at the same time.

"I can't ride a horse. I am scared of them." she stuttered.

"But didn't you just say you can?" he asked confused.

"No... no. I have never been near horse. I did not hear your question right... I thought..." she rambled.

"But we have to start soon for Anga palace. We can't waste further time here in the forests" Karna said decisively" Come with me."

Before she could answer he was half leading and half dragging her towards his own white stallion. Within no moments she was sitting side saddled in front of him.

"Now, Devi, hold me tight" he said picking up the reigns and signaling to his soldiers to begin.

"What?" she had never been more confused all her life. She was alone and injured and now practically sticking to a complete stranger, or whatever he called himself.

"Hold me tight. Lest you should fall." He replied calmly.

"Okay" she said, hesitantly clutching at his angavastra(upper garment). They had already started trotting.

"I don't think that would be safe particularly when we pick up speed" Karna replied, inhaling sharply.

"Oh... oh... then, how ..."

Karna stopped the horse and looked down at her curiously, and sans any notice he clasped both her hands. Her eyes widened. Smiling softly, he gently drew her hands around his neck, one from his back and the other from his front.

"Now don't loosen your grip. We will pick up speed in no time."

Shaktiselvi looked around as they galloped over rocks and tree roots and even some occasional shallow brooks. But the neighing of the horse coupled with its fast movements over the uneven terrains did nothing to ease her fright.

"Aaaa" she let out suddenly, all the accumulated fears erupting at once.

"Hush, Shakthi" Karna said surprised "You will frighten the horse this way."

But, alas, the horse chose that very moment to rise up, neighing loudly, making Shakthiselvi scream.

"Ouu" Karna yelped in pain, as his head was yanked behind by Shatiselvi's frantic fingers, while he desperately tried to regain control over his horse.

"Are you alright Devi?" he asked having managed to calm the horse. She was clinging to him, her eyes shut. She nodded, untangling her fingers from his smooth hair.

"I am sorry about that" she said guiltily.

"It is fine. Now, Devi, you will look only at me" he said gently "This could have been dangerous. Look up at me."

She did as told without any protest. He smiled pleasantly at her, starting the horse again.

"Shakthi" she whispered.

"Pardon me?"

"You can call me Shakthi."

"As you desire, Shakthi."

"So Angraj Karna, I admit you are the first royalty I am meeting."

"I am no royalty, Shakthi. It has been only a year since I got this kingdom as a gift from my friend Yuvraj Duryodhan of Hastinapur."

She nodded.This means she was quite early in time. Every passing minute convined her all the more that she had somehow managed to travel back in time and landed up in the agae of the Mahabharat.

"But Shakthiselvi you said you came from the future?"

She smiled. He was sharp like she had read.

"Yes and I was merely trying to figure out exactly what is the time period now. I know about you the Pandavas the Kauravas about Parshuram and Bhisma and Dronacharay about the rangbhoomi(competition ground- where the princes were displaying their skills having completed their training from Dronacharya)and where Karna made his appearance for the first time and was crowned King of Anga by Duryodhan) incident, about the past and also the future"

He looked at her silently for some time before uttering his next words.

"If you are indeed telling me the truth then I would prefer you not to disclose the future to me. I wish to take my life as it comes."

"I didn't expect anything less from you"

"So Shakthiselvi tell me more about your place or rather your time."

Like this they galloped on chattering, without any further incident.