Kairavi

Chapter 6

The traumatised princess's knees gave up and she fell on the ground. "Kairavi!" shouted the concerned Karna. He held her by her shoulders as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.
"Bhrata Karna, a feather detached from a bird's body never flies again. Today, I've knocked myself off from my father's well wishes, how will I ever be happy?" she wept. "No, my dear sister. A bird pushes off it's fowl from the nest in order to teach it to fly on it's own. Perhaps this was destiny's lesson to us." he consoled.

The curse had began to release it's effect. His consolations were bringing no solace to her heart. "Seems like our purpose here has been fulfilled. Let's leave now." Karna suggested. "I cannot even begin to imagine my life without the security of gurudev." Her voice was laced with sorrow and despair.

"I shall protect my sister. It's every brother's dharm and responsibility to do so, no one would even dare to lay a finger on you." He promised her, forgetting that it was ordained to go futile.
"Where will we go?" she asked. "To Hastinapur. You'll live with my family, Mata and Pitashree would be overjoyed to have a daughter like you." Karna proclaimed. She smiled weakly at him and together, they took off to Hastinapur with Radheya leading the way.

They travelled for 2 days straight on foot and reached the bank of the vast river, Narmada. Both of them were quite tired so they decided to stop and rest for a while. "Stay here, I'll go and search for some fruits to eat." he instructed. Kairavi obliged and went to the rim of the holy river to freshen herself up just as Karna left.

She felt a lot better after splashing some of the refreshing water on her face. She removed her jewellery and was rinsing them, when she heard shuffling in the bushes behind her. 'Some animal maybe..' she tried to reason but her intuition refused to have it.

She sat frozen on one knee and waited for the creature to show itself. She focused her eyes on the movement and spotted the top of somebody's head. "Bhrata, is that you?" she asked nervously. "I won't talk to you if you continue scaring me."

Terror flooded in her heart when more heads started to appear at the distance. "Bhrata Karna!" she shouted for help but he was nowhere near to hear her cries. "Save me Bhra-" she stopped mid-sentence as someone pressed the tip of a sword against her neck from behind.
"Looks like we've found a vault of beauty and gold, boys." laughed someone menacingly. It was Vajrahanu, leader of the dacoit mob which atrocized people of Shonitpur by kidnapping maidens and looting the poor of their little incomes.

He pinched her chin between his fingers and made her turn her face towards him. The lustful look in his eyes disgusted Kairavi and she flinched away from him. "Quite a rebel, are we?" He taunted and hit her head with the hilt of his sword, rendering her unconscious.

Meanwhile, Karna returned carrying some berries on a leaf; but his sister was nowhere to be seen. "Kairavi?" He called out but didn't get a response. He walked to the bank to check but she wasn't there either. He put the food down and went inside the water to look for her. Still no signs.

'I'm so done with this girl, where on Earth did she go?' his worry spoke to him. "The forest maybe?" he guessed and started walking towards it.
"Ah!" something sharp pierced his foot. He bent down to take it out and noticed that it was Kairavi's ear pin covered in his blood. Unpleasant thoughts started clouding his mind and without a second thought, he darted towards the jungle.

Vajrahanu's men had carried Kairavi to their base. They were celebrating their grand loot by worshipping their deity and having a drinking spree. Everyone was so occupied in the truimph that nobody saw her open her eyes.
Her vision was blurry and a sharp pain seared through her head. She groaned and tried to sit up but her skull felt too heavy.

"Look who's awake to join the celebration." Vajrahanu slurred while hovering above her. He grabbed her by her throat and asked, "How did my future wife sleep?"