War For Love

~Eleven~

Rudra. Sahib had told his name to Siya. When she left his house, he clenched his eyes, hitting his fist against the tree, not really being able to believe that he had told his real name to the girl, he had promised to stay away from. She was a troublemaker. She follows the trouble and the trouble follows her too. When Sahib saw her for the first time, he knew this woman would be a trouble but never did he expect that Siya would trouble his heart. He had never gone this soft, this gentle, this considerate for a woman ever.

He was a freedom fighter. Death lured him and he lured the death. Every day he goes out knowing his death is inevitable. He fights every battle like his last battle because soldiers die. Warriors die but their valour lives forever. Their tales, their stories of every struggle gets carved on the walls and gets diluted in the air. The only thing he should have feelings for, shall be his own country. How can he fight knowing someone is waiting for him? Will he be able to die peacefully knowing his death with affect a woman?

Her eyes. Those tempting darkness that had captivated his attention. He was still in her trance, in her spell when he removed the thorn from her feet. He was still in her reverie when he corrected her, told her to call him Rudra instead of the title people had bestowed him.

Sahib had been living alone. Since the day he had left his own village and came here, people had been referring him as Sahib. The title held the utmost respect but the title didn't ever provide him the warmth. No-one was close enough to Sahib, to know his real name until he one day decided that Siya was worthy enough of knowing Sahib's real name.

When Sahib was anxious after telling Siya, his real name, fearing that he might have caught some feelings for her, Siya wasn't able to keep calm. Her fingers kept shivering, her whole body quivered. She could still feel Sahib's touch on her. Though it was just for a minute, but it was long enough on her skin that his touch was now carved on her soul. His gentle and warm touch made her insides to flutter. This was the first time, a man had touched her. Touched her and she felt every second of it.

She didn't even realise when she reached her home until she saw Vedika stitching the kurtas. Vedika saw her walking a little weird before she saw a plain clothe tying around her foot. Siya didn't even knew when Sahib had tied the clothe, or maybe she was just too lost in his eternal gaze. Seeing her younger sister in pain, she stood up, filling a glass with water before she handed it to Siya, who gratefully took the glass before gulping the water down. Vedika could see her walking carefully, trying not to put much pressure on her wounded leg but still she didn't look in pain. She looked different.

"What happened, Siya?" Vedika asked, holding her shoulders gently and Siya shrugged her shoulders, sitting on the hard cot, her house had.

"I mistakenly stepped on a thorny twig. Nothing major. Looks like the kurtas are ready to be distributed, hm?" Vedika furrowed her eyebrows, sitting down on her knees as she undid the clothe, Sahib had tied and checked her now uncovered wound. The ointment looked familiar to Vedika, it was the very ointment Siya had made for Sahib, a few days ago.

"Yeah, they're ready. Is it painful? Do you need me to get you a fresh ointment?" Siya smiled at her sister's concern, shaking her head as she held Vedika's wrist, stopping her as she tied the clothe again, by herself.

"No, Jiji. It's not hurting anymore. Besides Rudra did apply me the ointment. It's helping me already."

Siya said, her cheeks flushing red as she lightly brushed the clothe but set her foot down. Vedika, however looked too confused. Didn't she go to give the food to Sahib? And Vedika could clearly remember her making the ointment for Sahib. Who was Rudra now?

"Rudra?" Vedika asked, confusion seeping her voice and Siya licked her lips, looking into her sister's eyes before she nodded her head slowly.

"Rudra." Siya nodded as she continued speaking. "Sahib. That's his name. Rudra."

Vedika's eyes widened in shock. No-one in the village knew Sahib's real name. He never told them. When Sahib came in the village for the first time and fought against the royals' oppression, his respect in their eyes widened. Unknown of Sahib's real name, they started referring him with the title, every villagers now uses— Sahib. He never felt the need to tell them his real name until that day.

Vedika could feel that Sahib felt things for her sister as Siya did for him. Vedika was happy that Siya was growing emotions for a man who was just like her. Brave. Courageous. A fighter and most importantly, he was understanding her, even though slowly but the process had started. But what scared Vedika was, Siya still didn't knew that she liked Sahib. And it was against the norms of their village to marry a man of their own village— even though, he didn't belong to their village originally. Secondly, agreeing to their relationship would attract unwanted attention of the royals towards her sister.

"He told you his name himself?" Vedika asked and Siya nodded her head, a weird shyness surfacing her.

"Yes. I called him Sahib and he told me to call him Rudra instead." Vedika didn't say anything for a long time, making Siya even more anxious than before. "Jiji?"

"Hm?"

"Wouldn't it be wrong if I called him by his name when everyone in the village calls him 'Sahib'?" Vedika was taken aback by her sister's question. She blinked her eyes before shaking her head at Siya.

"What is 'wrong', Siya?" Vedika asked and Siya pressed her lips together, thinking, before she looked at her sister again, shaking her head, making Vedika to smile as she answered her own question.

"When you do something that harms this world is wrong, Siya. But anything that doesn't harm people isn't wrong. Like educating women would only enhance the economy of this world, it would make women financially independent. Is it wrong? Is it wrong to educate girls and women?" Vedika asked and Siya shook her head. How can educating someone be wrong?

"No."

"Great. Now, tell me, is beating and torturing women, wrong?" Siya's eyes narrowed at the question, raising her brows at Vedika.

"Hundred percent. How can beating a woman or a man or a child, or anyone for that matter could ever be right? It's encouraging other people to disrespect, humiliate the other because they think, they're superior than the other!" Vedika smiled at her sister's outburst before she held Siya's wrist in her grip before looking in her eyes.

"Exactly, Siya. You calling Sahib by his name is not wrong until both of you are alright with it. If Sahib gives you the consent of calling him by his name, it's not harming anyone. So, if you're comfortable with calling him by his name and even Sahib has no problem with it. It's perfectly alright."

"How great it would be, if everyone could have a sister like you, Jiji." Siya said, wrapping her arms around her sister who blushed in return, hugging her back tightly.

~~~~~~

"How important you think it is to stop the evil, Baba?" Siya asked her father as she served him the food. Satyavan— their father looked up at her daughter, not understanding the source of her sudden question.

"As important as it is for the goodness to prevail. But why do you ask, my child?" Satyavan asked, wiping his mouth and Siya smiled, a smile that scared Vedika, but a smile that seemed too innocent for their parents.

"Just wondering, Baba. I read Bhagwat Geeta (the holy book) today. It says, one should do everything in their might to restore their dharma (religion) back." Siya said, the same smile gracing her face that made Vedika's heart to race with fear. She knew her sister was upto something really really big.

"Everything but in the right way. Dharma shall be restored but in the right way. But, yes, you're right, my child. And for the goodness to prevail, it is important to perish the evil."

"And isn't it the biggest sin to see the evil happening in front of their eyes but not stopping it?"

"Undeniably, my child." Satyavan agreed and Siya knew it was her chance, her only chance.

"Then why are we quiet even after seeing the biggest sin happening in front of our eyes? Why aren't we doing anything to stop it?" Satyavan didn't knew what his daughter was talking about. Which sin they were impudently watching but paying no heed to?

No one other than Vedika, no-one knew what Siya meant. Their father couldn't remember anything wrong, they were ignoring.

"Which sin are you talking about, my child?"

"Mamta's marriage, Baba. She is getting married to a man twice her age!" Siya cried out, her fingers clenching in anger, as if she was trying to keep herself from killing someone and Vedika was noticing this sudden change in Siya.

Siya was becoming more and more violent.

"So? Your Baba is twice my age, Siya. We need a mature man to handle a young girl." Siya's mother said, shaking her head, thinking how childish was Siya's argument.

"He has five more wives, Ma! Isn't polygamy wrong? A sin?" Satyavan sighed, seeing the rebel side of Siya dominating her sweet side. It wasn't unusual for him to witness her arguing over their traditions and practices but something inside felt different to him.

"He is an influential man, Siya. All the rules apply to commoners, not to people who can buy the remedy of their every sin. And I know, it's wrong but how can you and I can change the world?" Satyavan said calmly but that doesn't mean it satisfied Siya.

Siya could now see where the problem was. Nobody wanted to lose their superiority and even if anyone wanted the change, they wanted it to be initiated by somebody else. And how could she even expect the world to change until she can't change her own family's mindset?

"True, we can't. But the change is inevitable, Baba. If not us, then somebody else will, but the revolution will start. Time will change. Laws will change. Nothing is constant in this world. Be it living or non-living, customs or traditions, everything comes its expiry date." Siya said, smiling dangerously at their parents who didn't understand the hidden meaning of her words.

"Fine, when your 'someone' will raise the voice and the laws will change, we'll talk about it then. We need to work in the farms, tonight too. We can't get food in our house by revolution. We'll be back in an hour or so. And eat your food, Siya. Do not forget that in your sewing work, okay?" Siya's mother said, before they left for the farm, leaving Siya and Vedika alone in the house.

Vedika shook her head, knowing a disaster was on her way. Their mother didn't understand the meaning of Siya's words. The revolution she was talking about was her. She would be that wave of insurrection which her mother had just waved off. None of their parents could sense ths tsunami that was lurking beneath Siya's eyes. No-one could stop her now and Vedika knew it was better not to even stop her.

The tsunami that would drown all the ill traditions was Siya herself.

When have the river ever stopped by a few stones?

~~~~~~

It was dark when Siya went to Sahib's house. He was as usual practicing his fighting skills. She remembered the conversation they had here. Sahib had asked her to call him Rudra, by his real name. But she wasn't yet comfortable by calling him by his real name. It just felt too intimate for Siya to call him by his name.

Sensing Siya's presence behind him, Sahib turned around. He saw the food parcel in her hand which she kept down on his cot, a minute later. He rose his brows when he saw the determined look in her eyes.

"What?" Sahib asked and Siya, motioned towards Sahib's sword.

"Teach me how to use a sword."