Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

Vallabh read and re-read the text before handing it back to the girl. The words had piqued enough curiosity for him to bite the bullet and follow the girl into the shadowed alley.     

Entering the bustling hall which reeked of forced laughter, alcohol and barely leashed lust, he was directed to a corridor which was tucked away at the back end of the building and was relatively quieter. Vallabh was seriously getting second thoughts as he passed scantily dressed girls and gaily adorned eunuchs. The entire atmosphere was fake and bright enough to hurt his austere eyes.     

Finally, he was ushered inside a semi-darkened room, with only few candles to give him company. After the chaos of rest of the place, this room felt like a reprieve. Surprisingly, it was barely embellished. There was no garish décor and hardly any decadent settings to suit the living room of a brothel head.     

He had never met Devyani before but probably there existed a presumptuous image in his head about her, which is why he was surprised to see her in person. Clad in a plain pink muslin saree*, she wore no jewellery and her face was free from any artificial colour. With a curvy hourglass body, her unruly locks on a clear face, she was nothing less than the Goddess of beauty. Had she passed him on a street, he would have taken her for a normal woman, no… a fairly attractive woman from a respectable family.     

"Welcome, General. I am grateful that you accepted my invitation," she said softly, indicating that he should take a seat in front of her.     

"Well, to be honest, I wasn't intending to but your cryptic words ignited my curiosity. If you don't mind, I would rather that you get straight to the purpose of inviting me over. I have had an…err, eventful night and I don't have too much patience to deal with anything unnecessary," he spoke brusquely.     

Not taking offence to his words, she smiled serenely and replied, "I like a man who doesn't beat around the bush."     

"Well, for starters, I know all about the welcome which you received this evening in the capital. It is not my place to judge the right and wrong of it. But I do know the taste of humiliation. I also know you to be an honest, upright man who is famous for his troop's undying, unflinching loyalty. For you to inspire such devotion, you must be a great leader," she said all this in a matter-of-factly manner.     

Devyani could see the man getting uncomfortable with the praise.     

With another smile, she said, "these words weren't aimed at flattering you. I was simply telling you all what I know. Anyways, the reason for which I have asked you over today is to request you to help me plan a coup on the current monarchy."     

Vallabh, who had been listening distractedly to her words, suddenly looked up at her in shock.     

"Is this an extended ploy by the Southern zilla chief?" was his first suspicious thought.     

Devyani looked at him and grasped his unspoken thought.     

"I am not involved in any of the mechanisms of the royal palace or its minions. The proposal is mine and mine only. I know we are strangers who met today for the first time, with nothing in common. But what you don't know is that tonight, there is one thread which has tied us together – the thread of injustice," she said.     

Vallabh had been ready to get up and walk away a minute ago but now he leaned back into the cushioned seat. There was something about the way she said those words that made him hold back just the way he had, when he had read her scroll outside the palace.     

Devyani went on to narrate the incident where her dignity had been ripped off in the court some weeks ago, because she had gone to fight for the rights of her people. She told him the entire episode in a detached manner as if narrating an incident which had occurred with a stranger. Probably that's why the truth of her words affected him harder.     

Vallabh finally understood the reason for her requesting his presence.     

"She must have really well placed connections inside the palace to know about an incident which just occurred," he thought.     

"I cannot claim to even remotely understand the magnitude of hurt caused to you by the king's words and actions. But what you have in mind is simply not possible. First of all, this is treason which if a person is found guilty of, will earn you a noose around your neck. Secondly, even if we wish to sooth our bruised egos by attempting such an act, what do you think can be achieved by a mere army general and a famous but equally powerless courtesan. I suggest that you take the riches which you have earned and lead a retired, comfortable life somewhere outside the capital," he said, not unkindly.