In my Devil's Arms

Riya kept on crying as he brought her back to his suite. Manav was still sleeping. Vicky fixed her some water.

" Take a hot shower", he suggested. " I ordered some clothes. They'll be here soon".

Her beautiful dress was soiled and a bit torn.

She bathed and cooled down.

" I ordered pizza", he said. " Come".

They ate it sitting on poolside.

They talked about their work, friends and life. By morning Riya was tired but still not sleepy. They exchanged numbers.

Manav and Riya freshened up and bid goodbyes.

" Lets not tell anything to aunty. She is already sick", she said.

She started her life as usual again. College, home, her research.

But Vicky's friendship became a parrt of it. They spoke to each other frequently on phone. He never visited her college. She was engaged( WELL NOT FOR LONG NOW) and he had a bad reputation with ladies.

They would only meet at that palace where he gave her a free pass.

He wanted to be with her. So he let her win a negptiation.

" Please that place is a heritage Vicky".

" Riya look resort will stand there. I paid half a million for it.", he answered. She sighed. He was not telling her the truth.

IN REALITY VICKY HATED THAT KING..WHY?

" Can I visit there until you destroy it".

" Sure, why not ", he said.

Arrangements were made for her to come and go freely.

These days the visions of the child bride and her husband became frequent.

" May Shiva bless you", said a priest in one of her visions.

"Who are they"?

She concenterated her research on the king. The written account was found about him..

She read and re read any account on it. Cruel.Killer. Multiple wives...CHANDBAI .

She tried to connect it with many of the other findings of that era.

" The central library has a piece. It was published around the time of independence ", said her professor one day.

Post Medieval kings the title read

The palace is a symbol of the king's tyranny it read. He destroyed homes of those who opposed him, killed his rivals and even artists were scared of him. He hated snakes.

She was searching as she came across an article.

Dancers of Court

It read as follows:

The kings patroned many dancers in their court. They were courtesans. The job earned good money and status but no respect from society. They started as girls from poor families. They trained in singing and dancings. The main madam of the harem conferred new names on them. As a girl became a courtesan she lost touch with old family.

HURRIEDLY SHE SEARCHED FOR CHAND BAI ..

She got a single line..

Beloved consort of Maharaj Ranjeet Singh killed by his third wife. King died mourning for her.

So Chand bai was not her name. She tried finding her real name but it was nowhere. As if someone has successfully removed all the information on her.

WHO?

She wondered. She seriously wondered.

She decided to talk about it to her professor.

Professor B.K.Gupta was around 55 years of age and a renowed historian.

" May I come in sir"?

His favourite student was here.

" Yes Riya, please do", he said.

" Sir here is the information I got from the library. It was a news article as you said."

" So Chand bai was not her real name", he asked.

" No sir".

" The potrait", he asked.

" Removed by the new owner", she said sadly. " He will destroy that beautiful palace".

" Don't be sad kid", said the professor but he felt bad too.

Vikram Oberoi refused to meet him. Riya was the only one allowed in that palace.

" His father is friends with Vikas uncle", lied Riya to her professor.

" I have a book on court dancers. Its by an English writer Rose Healey. She lived in India in the last years of British rule.She mentioned Chandbai and her Payron king in a chapter."

" A chapter", Riya was elated. " It will be anything more on her than I got".

" Its not much just an outline of her relatonship with the king. You can read it. See the references. If there is a person interviwed that you can meet".

" Thank you sir", Riya said happily.

Rose wrote

King loved her. He wrote poems on her. Carved her on stone. Found a few stones on herin the ouskirts of his kingdom which is now the dreaded forbidden forest."

" Forbidden forest??"

She decided to visit it. She will search the address.

That afternoon she saw men moving some big potraits . She has never seen them.

In which part of palace were they kept?

" Hey wait", she shouted. They stopped.

" Let her see everything that she wants but search her properly before she leaves", Vikram has ordered his security. He brought female security to check her.

" As if I am a thief", she sulked. " Did you check that woman who was here that night?"

" Never brought any of them here. In fact my security thouroghly checked her and escaryed her back to her husband that night", he said. " I also told him why she was here".

She gaped at him as he explained what happened.

These paintings could be important she thought.

" Show the photos ", she ordered.

One was of the king with Chand bai. She clicked a photo with her camera. She was in his embrace. They were on terrace as tears came out of her eyes. King was hugging her tightly. He could only be recognised by his clothes. His face was buried in her neck.

" Why do you cry Chand", she asked her.

The security people remained quiet . They were quite used to her eccentric talking with dead people by now.

She looked at bottom of the photograph.

It was signed Darshan. This was the painter's name. She noted it down. The other potraits were made by Darshan too.

Some of them was of king's court.

There was a gruesome photograph ...a massacred village...kids, women dead everywhere. In the centre a soldier sat with a woman in a red saree on his feet..The soldier had a solemn expression on his face..holding a broken sword.

She suddenly got a vision looking at it..

" Sahib they killed. My munna is dead..I want to die too..Sahib.."

The vision went away. And tears came. She felt immense pain. This was personal.

" Munna", she whispered. She couldn't stop crying.

This was how Vikram saw her staring the photograph with tears in her eyes.

" Riya", he screamed.

She could not hear him and just cried.

" Riya stop crying", he said. " What happened sweetheart"?

No response. She has frozen looking at the picture.

" Riya speak", he said.

She looked at him with empty eyes.

SH*T SH*T SH*T..

This was exactly he was trying to avoid...

" Riya baby", he hugged her. He could feel her breathe.

She is alive alive.. not dead .. not dead..

" Baby", she responded weakly..

" Riya"

" Sahib he killed my baby..", she said. " Kill me too".." King..he king"..

And Riya collapsed in Vicky's arms.

" RIYAAAAAA", Vikram's piercing scream echoed.

He picked her up and rushed to the room he lived as Sri. He dialled a number.

" Dr. Shetty. Please I am at palace. Need you here. No not by road. I am sending chopper

Yaa oxygen okay..hurry".

He performed CPR. He didn't know panic medicine. He did not have Manav's number.

Riya was dreaming

" Gunjan touch his feet he is Srikant. I am giving you to him. You will be his wife."

The girl 5 to 6 years in age comes and touches the feet of 15 year old boy.

" You became my wife today Gunjan. You are mine now".

The dream shifted to a fair where the couple happily roamed.

At their house

She cooked food and he ate and fed her too.

In their room

" Don't go to Reshma Sahib or I won't talk to you. I will go away".

It shifted back to that village..

" Leave me king I won't go with you....aaah Sahib".

It shifted to a courtesan's place.

Somebody slapped her

" You vile woman you want riches and not husband. You are no longer my wife. He pulled the Mangalsootra away".

" PLEASE DON'T PLEASE DON'T", said an unconscious Riya.

" Riya what no baby", Vicky was having difficulty in breathing. He was unable to help her.

" She shall not enter the temple", declared a priest.

" Shiva Shiva", Riya cried.

Mr. Shetty prepared a dopamine injection.

Vicky explained panic attacks.

Riya dreamed of Gunjan's last moments.

Holding Vicky's hands tightly she shouted clearly...

" RUN SAHIB RUN THEY WANT TO KILL YOU".

Vikram was stunned.. GUNJAN..she was remembering her past life.

Doctor Shetty held her. " Now", he said to his wife.

A sword pierced her body

" Goodbye Sahib", Riya whispered to Vicky.

" No, no Riya.. stop it.. doctor...", he was a madman.

" She is fine Vicky. Here sit. She is okay", said Mrs Shetty.

Vicky closed his eyes.

"Shiva give her back to me. Give my wife back"Srikant was shouting.

"You don't deserve her came a voice from sky. Suffer in pain for her. That's your punishment."

Vicky opened her eyes. He held Riya close to him.

" My punishment is over Riya. You came back. I failed you in our previous life. Gunjan died in my arms. I will never let you go. "

" THE KING WILL NOT LIVE AGAIN"

An hour later

Riya slowly opened her eyes. She was with Vicky. He held her hand. He was sleeping on a chair and she on a cot. She remembered her attack.

AND SHE REMEMBERED HER DREAM TOO.

Chandbai never smiled in any of her potraits.

The king snatched her from a farmer who became a soldier. She was king's beloved but she was unhappy with him. He mol*sted her. She was not allowed in temple anymore. She was earlier shunned by her huband Srikant but they recociled.As they tried to escape king's men killed her..

Gunjan was Chandbai. And Vicky was Srikant's reincarnation.

Hence he hates the king. And was trying to destroy his existence. And Gunjan's reincarnation was Riya...

" Ohh Shiva", she said.