War For Love

~Sixteen~

The ocean's depth can never realize, how much a land heats. The depth of the ocean is oblivious to the warmth its upper layer holds. And unknown to the warmth, the depth of ocean believes that the whole word is cold. Once a mountain, now sand, however knows how it was being the mighty, immovable entity; but it also knows how it feels to be to be diminutive sand.

Nothing stays for long. Be it the life or the pretence. Sahib always behaved liked be didn't care for Siya, like her pain didn't affect her but the truth has the power no-one can defeat. Sahib couldn't hide his concern when he saw the red, painful blisters all over her feet. Sahib had them, all the time but they weren't as painful as it was to see them on Siya's feet.

Siya could see his impassive, stoic face twisting into painful and concerned one. She might have mistaken it, but she also saw a faint emotion of remorse crossing his eyes. She suddenly had forgotten her pain. His dark, magical eyes had sucked her pain off. The only thing she could feel was the fluttering in her chest and her heart beating in her ears. She feared Sahib could hear it too.

Siya could see his face contorting as he lightly gripped her ankle, getting down on his knees, placing the pot on the ground, beside him. Siya gulped, it wasn't the first time, he was touching her, but the feeling and fluttering never ceased even after he had now touched her multiple times. She shivered as his calloused, rough, fingers softly brushed her skin. It was no less than a feather caressing her soul. Something wasn't right with her, because his touch was making her feel lightheaded, her fingertips were turning cold. She looked ready to pass out. But so did he.

"I'm fine, Rudra. It's some just blisters." Siya said in her soft and low voice. Rudra looked up at her, his eyes slightly hardened when he saw her biting her lips to keep her pain inside.

"But they doesn't look fine to me, Siya. I— I didn't notice, you had no shoes on. I knew you never wore shoes and hell, I don't know how it slipped out of my mind." Sahib growled, howled, like a wounded tiger. Siya's heart thumped loudly in her chest as she scooted a little closer to him.

"It's not your fault. Remember, you said to me, a warrior should know how what pain is. I am learning it. It's just a just a part of my learning." Sahib's eyes softened a bit, almost as if someone imagined it. He licked his lips, looking into her dark obsidian, which held galaxies, he wanted a tour of. He was getting lost in its depth. The deeper he got lost, the more he found himself losing in her, for her.

"Not this pain, Siya. Not this pain." He mumbled, his voice slightly shaky and Siya tilted her face, looking into his guilt filled eyes.

She knew, it would be against the laws. It was wrong to touch a man, who she had no right on. It was immoral to even be near one. But when did she ever followed the rules? Especially, when it comes to her country and him— Sahib. Despite of all the chains the society had tied her with, she cupped his palm, making Sahib's breath to hitch. He had touched her so many times, but Siya touching him was new.

She evoked a feeling inside him that felt foreign to him. His heart never beat so loudly ever before he had met her. Not when the royals caught him rebelling, not even when they whipped him. But she made his heart to almost bounce out of his chest.

"I'm fine. It's not even your fault, Rudra. If a deer wishes to jump in the lion's cave, it's his decision. I'm fine, trust me." Sahib swallowed nervously, nodding his head, almost in hesitation. He took the pot, taking some water in his hand before he poured them on her feet, trying to get rid of the dirt. It was important to keep them clean.

Siya winced when the water came in contact with her feet, clenching her eyes. Her fingers curling around his bare shoulders. Something about the moment was so raw, so impeccable that it made their souls to quiver. His skin burned under her touch. And just when her heart was calming down, his hand cupped hers, making her eyes to widen. He was assuring her. Supporting her, silently. What more can she even ask from him?

"Shh. It's okay. You're okay, hm. But how will you walk back home like this? With blisters. You won't be able to walk." Sahib said and Siya smiled, taking her hand back, losing his warmth as she gripped her skirt.

"I will. My feet has blisters, Rudra, but my determination is still intact. Help me to get up, please?" Siya asked and Sahib reluctantly but got up, his white dhoti, now had mud and dirt. He gripped her wrist before making her stand on her feet.

"I'll walk home. You should too." Siya said, trying not to wince and Sahib opened his mouth to argue but closed it, knowing he has no other alternative.

"Wait, here." He said before he vanished in the dense forest, making Siya to sigh, as she closed her eyes, leaning against a tree.

Sahib returned back with a long stick and colors flooded her cheeks as she gripped the stick to walk. It was indeed painful but it felt much more easier to walk with.

"And Siya,"

Sahib called her from behind, making Siya to slightly turn her face as she rose her brows at him and he looked at her, the seriousness returning back to his face.

"Don't come to my house, today. And we can skip tomorrow's training as well. Take rest, Siya. As much as I like my students to be on time, I also want them to be healthy too. Hm?" Siya's lips curled up in a smile as she nodded her head, leaving for her house.

Sahib followed her until she reached her home, watching her from a distance. He turned back once he saw her walking inside her house.

~~~~~

"What in the name of God where you doing, Siya? Your feet looks like a warzone. How did you even walk till here?" Vedika asked, worry seeping her voice as she saw her younger sister walking in with blisters on her feet. She could hardly walk.

Vedika made her sit on the cot, rushing to get a bowl of water and a clean clothe. Siya opened her mouth to protest. To tell her that she can tend to herself but one sharp gaze from Vedika and Siya closed her mouth, letting out a sigh. Vedika placed a giant plate under her feet as she poured some water on her feet, to clean her wounds. Siya gripped the hem of her dupatta (scarf), biting on it, to keep herself from screaming in pain. Vedika looked at her sister sadly before she pat her feet dry, with the clean clothe.

"Jiji! It hurts." Siya gritted out when the clothe made contact in with her red blisters and Vedika nodded her head, as she stroked her hair, lovingly before she rushed inside to get the ointment, Siya often makes, knowing someone might need it in emergency.

"Look away, Siya. Infact, close your eyes." Vedika said and Siya took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Getting her blisters treated was even more difficult than walking home. Vedika was trying to be as gentle as she could but the pain was just too much for her to bear. After what felt like an eternity, Vedika was done applying ointment on her feet and Siya finally opened her eyes, wiping a few tears of pain that had escaped her eyes.

"Now, sit where you are, do not move. I'll get you some water and tonic to drink." Vedika said, taking the large plate and clothe inside before she bought a glass filled with water and the tonic for her, which she took gratefully.

"How are you feeling now?" Vedika asked softly, sitting on the ground and Siya placed the glass down, leaning against her wall.

"My feet is burning but I feel much, much better with the ointment on my blisters."

"Now, tell me, Siya, where were you since this morning? Do you know, how hard it was to lie to Ma and Baba, when they saw, you weren't in the house when we woke up. How scared I was?" Vedika asked and Siya pressed her lips together, looking at her with a sheepish look as a guilty smile formed on her face.

"I may or may not have forgotten to tell you?" Siya said with a nervous laughter, making Vedika to narrow her eyes at her younger sister.

"Tell me what? And forget that, how did you get so many blisters on your feet?"

"That's what I am trying to tell you, Jiji. I had been sneaking out from two days now. I meet Rudra— Sahib, in the forest where he teaches me how to use a sword." Vedika wasn't really shocked. She knew Siya had been always so curious about the things.

She remember, Siya was hardly ten when she wanted to learn about the medicines. When their parents denied her to learn, she started sneaking out to learn from the vadiya (doctor), who taught his students, hiding behind the tree. She had never stopped learning since then. She also had political, social knowledge, as she sneaked inside the meetings, all the men of her village organized, atleast once a month.

"What's the connection of sword fighting with blisters, but?"

"He made me run eight miles today. I am so tired, Jiji. And that Guru (teacher) of mine is so cruel, he made me run two extra miles because I spoke when he asked to stop talking! He infuriate me so much at times, I can't even tell you, Jiji." Vedika didn't meant to laugh but she couldn't control her giggle at the riled up expression her face had. It was so hard to believe that Siya had actually run two miles extra, without her will.

"Didn't he see, you were bare foot?"

"He didn't." Siya sighed, shaking her head. "Everyone thinks that Sahib is so cruel and so impassive. But he held me so gently when he saw my feet covered with blisters. He surely hides his emotion from the world but I can feel his emotions, Jiji. They're so intense."

Vedika nodded her head, looking at Siya, not speaking anything. She wanted Siya to realise herself what she was feeling for Sahib.

"Sit here, while I prepare the breakfast, hm?" Vedika said and Siya nodded her head, grabbing a piece of clothing from the neatly folded clothes before wrapping it around her feet.

"Let your feet breathe, Siya. You're not going anywhere to cover your wounds." Vedika said with a frown and Siya shook her head, tying its knot.

"I'll have go to go, Jiji. I can't keep Sahib hungry because I am hurt."

"But......"

"Besides, it calms me down to see him eating. And you know, I won't eat until he won't." Vedika sighed, shaking her head as she started kneading the dough.

"Be careful, Siya, someone might think you're falling for Sahib with this pace." Vedika's words made Siya to choke on her breath as she looked at her sister, appalled.

She wasn't falling for him! Or was she? She opened her mouth only to close it again. She respected Sahib. The first day she went with the medicines, it was out of respect and honour. She hadn't even seen him till that day but Siya couldn't deny that Sahib was an attractive man, that his presence enough made her feel happy. She often forgets her pain when he's around.

But that's not love. Or is it?