Sakhi never got the hang of archery. That is not say she didn't try. From that day, she accompanied me every morning to the training ground. Her target was set at the beginners' distance and like I had failed in hitting it during the first few days of my archery practice, so did she. Gradually she started feeling depressed and nothing I could say would help her. She had been a brilliant student at her Gurukul and this failure weighed heavily on her.
I, meanwhile, had graduated to moving targets. I disliked killing and maiming birds for my practice though, so I asked Sakhi for help. We would hang a small object to her arrowhead and she would shoot it up at random. My job was to hit the object attached to her arrow. I failed miserably every time. Once the arrow left her bow and it's trajectory was clear, I had a very small window in which to mount my arrow, take aim and shoot. Frequently, her arrow would have reached the ground by the time I shot. The one good outcome of this exercise was that watching me fail lifted Sakhi's spirits a little.
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It was a cool winter night when we were woken from our sleep by Sakhi's scream. I ran into the corridor and found my father and King Ravan already sprinting towards her room. The sounds were louder now and I heard unfamiliar male voices, mixed with Sakhi's screams. I ran after father. When we reached the corridor in front of her room, a strange scene greeted us. Sakhi was attacking a huge man with nothing but an arrow grasped near the head. She was using it as a small knife and slashing at the man. The man had a dagger in his right hand but seemed reluctant to use it. Instead he grabbed Sakhi's hand and twisted it painfully, making her drop the arrow.
He seemed to have realized that he had an audience, for he whipped around with Sakhi's hand still twisted behind her and put the till-now-unused dagger to her throat.
"What's going on? Who are you?" Father demanded.
"Nobody," he breathed,"Just let me out of here and I promise she won't get hurt."
"How did you get in?"
"Climbed a wall. But I would like to go out a door, if you don't mind"
"Why?"
"I just wanted to make a quiet, old theft, alright! I guess I made some sound and the girl woke up. She thought she would catch herself a thief and attacked me. Brought you all here. I am just a small-time thief! I have a family waiting for me. Please let me go and I promise I will not do this again! Please!"
"You may go, but leave the girl behind. She did a brave thing by alerting us. She must not suffer for it."
"How do I know you will not arrest me once I have let go of the girl?"
"I am giving you my word as the King of Mithila that I will forgive this trespass if you let her go."
"I'll leave her at the palace gates. I'll leave her there and disappear. I will never bother you again! I promise!"
With that he started moving backwards.
"Wait! That girl is a guest of Mithila! If you want a hostage, my daughter will accompany you to the palace gates. Sita, please go with him."
I was terrified. I darted a quick look at father, but he was staring straight into the man's eyes. Behave like a princess, I told myself, and stepped towards the man.
"No, not her. The younger one."
"No!" I gasped.
But Urmila stepped out and calmly walked up to the man with the dagger. The man removed the dagger from Sakhi and moved it towards Urmi. In that moment, several things happened.
There was a blood-curdling cry and King Ravan dashed towards the man. The man froze for a second but then rushed the dagger towards Urmi. He misjudged though, and the dagger cut a red line across Urmi's face.
Time slowed to a crawl. I heard Urmi's scream. I saw the thief staring at what he had done, then dropping the dagger and running away. King Ravan catching him. Urmi swaying. I was barely conscious of catching her in my arms, lifting her and running towards Vaidya ji's quarters. The good doctor would be able to sort her in no time. She will be fine. I remember looking back just once - the thief was on his knees and King Ravan was standing over him bringing the dagger down on him.
______________________________________________________________________________
"She'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound." Vaidya-ji smiled. I nodded numbly. Urmi's face was covered in bandages. Another bunch of bloody bandages was lying on the ground. I averted my gaze. She was unconscious, but Vaidya-ji had told me that it was just because of the shock.
"Let her rest. My wife will take care of her. You go and sleep too, little one."
But I couldn't leave, could I? I was responsible for Urmi. I was the one who had brought her to the Vaidya while others were busy playing heroes. I must stay with her.
I refused to leave. Vaidya-mata shook her head and created a make-shift bed for me beside Urmi.
I lay there for hours, looking at her face, watching for signs of trouble, but she lay peacefully. Gradually I too drifted off.
______________________________________________________________________________
People were shouting. Why were they shouting? Didn't they know Urmi needed rest? I blinked away the sleep from my eyes, checked that Urmi was still asleep, then marched out, determined to tell them off for disturbing my sister.
The sounds were coming from behind some mango trees. As I got nearer, I recognized father's and King Raavan's voices. They seemed to be arguing. Curiosity got the better of me and I crept forwards, not making a noise.
"I told you! I told you the security wasn't enough! But you wouldn't listen! My sister was attacked in the royal palace! What kind of a palace has only a handful of guards while the bulk of the king's force is out patrolling the streets!"
"I am sincerely sorry this happened, King Raavan. I had expected more of my citizens. Thieves and robbers are rare in Mithila."
"Well, not as rare as you imagine them to be."
"I agree, and I will have this investigated thoroughly."
"What's to investigate? The thief has been arrested. Hang him and set an example to anyone who would dare rob the king's palace!"
"Hang him for a theft? And that too a theft for which I had promised him forgiveness?"
"Hang him for threatening to kill my sister, injuring your daughter!"
"That man is not a killer. I believed him when he said he would leave princess Suryasakhi at the palace gates. He was so terrified he couldn't wait to be rid of us. And as for my daughter, may I remind you King Raavan, that had you not rushed the man, he wouldn't have panicked and hurt Urmila? Please do not show any fake concern for my daughter. I did notice, you know, that you attacked him the moment your own sister was safe, with no regard for my daughter's safety."
"Excellent observation powers, King Janak! However, I also noticed that you showed greater concern for that thief than for your 'daughter'. Of course, she is not really your daugher, neither of them are. Even if one gets killed, you can always pick another runt from the same gutter where you found these, can't....."
There was a loud blast and King Raavan was thrown back into the trees. I saw him twitching on the ground. After a second I realised that he was trying to get up, but couldn't seem to manage it. Meanwhile, father pointed his sword at his navel. King Raavan's eyes widened in fear.
"I am afraid you have outstayed your welcome, King Raavan. Anyone who insults my daughters does not deserve Mithila's hospitality. That thief will be tried for the damage he has inflicted and will be punished accordingly. And let me warn you, in case you are getting any more reckless ideas - I know your secret. If you try to revenge yourself on my family or my people, I will make sure you pay for it with your life. Do you understand? "
The hate in King Raavan's eyes terrified me. That person on the ground looked so different from the gentle giant I had known for the past few months. It was as if a veil was lifting from my eyes and I was seeing him for the first time. I turned and ran, back to Vaidya-ji's cottage, to the room where Urmi was sleeping. The cruel things he had said were ringing in my ears. I focussed on Urmi's face and tried to wipe away that polluting memory.
King Raavan and Suryasakhi left the same day. I would not see them again for many years.
I, meanwhile, had graduated to moving targets. I disliked killing and maiming birds for my practice though, so I asked Sakhi for help. We would hang a small object to her arrowhead and she would shoot it up at random. My job was to hit the object attached to her arrow. I failed miserably every time. Once the arrow left her bow and it's trajectory was clear, I had a very small window in which to mount my arrow, take aim and shoot. Frequently, her arrow would have reached the ground by the time I shot. The one good outcome of this exercise was that watching me fail lifted Sakhi's spirits a little.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a cool winter night when we were woken from our sleep by Sakhi's scream. I ran into the corridor and found my father and King Ravan already sprinting towards her room. The sounds were louder now and I heard unfamiliar male voices, mixed with Sakhi's screams. I ran after father. When we reached the corridor in front of her room, a strange scene greeted us. Sakhi was attacking a huge man with nothing but an arrow grasped near the head. She was using it as a small knife and slashing at the man. The man had a dagger in his right hand but seemed reluctant to use it. Instead he grabbed Sakhi's hand and twisted it painfully, making her drop the arrow.
He seemed to have realized that he had an audience, for he whipped around with Sakhi's hand still twisted behind her and put the till-now-unused dagger to her throat.
"What's going on? Who are you?" Father demanded.
"Nobody," he breathed,"Just let me out of here and I promise she won't get hurt."
"How did you get in?"
"Climbed a wall. But I would like to go out a door, if you don't mind"
"Why?"
"I just wanted to make a quiet, old theft, alright! I guess I made some sound and the girl woke up. She thought she would catch herself a thief and attacked me. Brought you all here. I am just a small-time thief! I have a family waiting for me. Please let me go and I promise I will not do this again! Please!"
"You may go, but leave the girl behind. She did a brave thing by alerting us. She must not suffer for it."
"How do I know you will not arrest me once I have let go of the girl?"
"I am giving you my word as the King of Mithila that I will forgive this trespass if you let her go."
"I'll leave her at the palace gates. I'll leave her there and disappear. I will never bother you again! I promise!"
With that he started moving backwards.
"Wait! That girl is a guest of Mithila! If you want a hostage, my daughter will accompany you to the palace gates. Sita, please go with him."
I was terrified. I darted a quick look at father, but he was staring straight into the man's eyes. Behave like a princess, I told myself, and stepped towards the man.
"No, not her. The younger one."
"No!" I gasped.
But Urmila stepped out and calmly walked up to the man with the dagger. The man removed the dagger from Sakhi and moved it towards Urmi. In that moment, several things happened.
There was a blood-curdling cry and King Ravan dashed towards the man. The man froze for a second but then rushed the dagger towards Urmi. He misjudged though, and the dagger cut a red line across Urmi's face.
Time slowed to a crawl. I heard Urmi's scream. I saw the thief staring at what he had done, then dropping the dagger and running away. King Ravan catching him. Urmi swaying. I was barely conscious of catching her in my arms, lifting her and running towards Vaidya ji's quarters. The good doctor would be able to sort her in no time. She will be fine. I remember looking back just once - the thief was on his knees and King Ravan was standing over him bringing the dagger down on him.
______________________________________________________________________________
"She'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound." Vaidya-ji smiled. I nodded numbly. Urmi's face was covered in bandages. Another bunch of bloody bandages was lying on the ground. I averted my gaze. She was unconscious, but Vaidya-ji had told me that it was just because of the shock.
"Let her rest. My wife will take care of her. You go and sleep too, little one."
But I couldn't leave, could I? I was responsible for Urmi. I was the one who had brought her to the Vaidya while others were busy playing heroes. I must stay with her.
I refused to leave. Vaidya-mata shook her head and created a make-shift bed for me beside Urmi.
I lay there for hours, looking at her face, watching for signs of trouble, but she lay peacefully. Gradually I too drifted off.
______________________________________________________________________________
People were shouting. Why were they shouting? Didn't they know Urmi needed rest? I blinked away the sleep from my eyes, checked that Urmi was still asleep, then marched out, determined to tell them off for disturbing my sister.
The sounds were coming from behind some mango trees. As I got nearer, I recognized father's and King Raavan's voices. They seemed to be arguing. Curiosity got the better of me and I crept forwards, not making a noise.
"I told you! I told you the security wasn't enough! But you wouldn't listen! My sister was attacked in the royal palace! What kind of a palace has only a handful of guards while the bulk of the king's force is out patrolling the streets!"
"I am sincerely sorry this happened, King Raavan. I had expected more of my citizens. Thieves and robbers are rare in Mithila."
"Well, not as rare as you imagine them to be."
"I agree, and I will have this investigated thoroughly."
"What's to investigate? The thief has been arrested. Hang him and set an example to anyone who would dare rob the king's palace!"
"Hang him for a theft? And that too a theft for which I had promised him forgiveness?"
"Hang him for threatening to kill my sister, injuring your daughter!"
"That man is not a killer. I believed him when he said he would leave princess Suryasakhi at the palace gates. He was so terrified he couldn't wait to be rid of us. And as for my daughter, may I remind you King Raavan, that had you not rushed the man, he wouldn't have panicked and hurt Urmila? Please do not show any fake concern for my daughter. I did notice, you know, that you attacked him the moment your own sister was safe, with no regard for my daughter's safety."
"Excellent observation powers, King Janak! However, I also noticed that you showed greater concern for that thief than for your 'daughter'. Of course, she is not really your daugher, neither of them are. Even if one gets killed, you can always pick another runt from the same gutter where you found these, can't....."
There was a loud blast and King Raavan was thrown back into the trees. I saw him twitching on the ground. After a second I realised that he was trying to get up, but couldn't seem to manage it. Meanwhile, father pointed his sword at his navel. King Raavan's eyes widened in fear.
"I am afraid you have outstayed your welcome, King Raavan. Anyone who insults my daughters does not deserve Mithila's hospitality. That thief will be tried for the damage he has inflicted and will be punished accordingly. And let me warn you, in case you are getting any more reckless ideas - I know your secret. If you try to revenge yourself on my family or my people, I will make sure you pay for it with your life. Do you understand? "
The hate in King Raavan's eyes terrified me. That person on the ground looked so different from the gentle giant I had known for the past few months. It was as if a veil was lifting from my eyes and I was seeing him for the first time. I turned and ran, back to Vaidya-ji's cottage, to the room where Urmi was sleeping. The cruel things he had said were ringing in my ears. I focussed on Urmi's face and tried to wipe away that polluting memory.
King Raavan and Suryasakhi left the same day. I would not see them again for many years.
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