War For Love

~Fourteen~

"Get behind the bushes, fast!" Sahib ordered Siya, hearing footsteps coming near them.

Siya narrowed her eyes, shaking her head, defiantly. Sahib's eyes darkened from visible frustration and anger. There were people coming their way and she wanted to be defy him, right at the time of compliance. It was still dark outside and if anyone saw them together, at this time, alone, it won't end up good for her. But Siya was thinking of entirely a different story. She wasn't doing anything wrong. When was learning a new skill, illegal? And when she has done nothing wrong, why should she even hide?

"This is not the time to be obstinate, Siya. People are coming this way and they can't see you with me. Hide, now." Siya locked her jaw, looking away from Sahib, aggravating him more than he already was. Why can't this woman ever listen to him?

"But I haven't done anything wrong, Rudra! I was just learning how to use a sword. I don't need people's permission to decide what I should do and not do with my life." Sahib glared at her. If looks could've killed, she would've been nine feet down the earth. But Siya wasn't in the mood to get ordered even.

"You told me, you'll listen to me. That you don't defy my direct orders and this is an order, Siya! Behind the bushes." Sahib said in his low but dangerous voice, which made a part inside her wish to comply but a stronger part, wanted to defy him.

"I will. I will accept every order of yours, when you'll be teaching me. Only when you're my Guru (teacher) and I don't see you teaching me now. The class was over and so was the period of me obeying you." Siya shot back and Sahib took a deep breath, taking a few steps to his right to see people approaching them. They were a group of seven to eight men.

"A warrior doesn't reveal himself until he is fully prepared, Siya. Unveil yourself when you become the sword fighter but don't be a fool to reveal everything now. This world never trusts the process, the only thing they trust is the success. Remember, one thing, Siya, if you get caught today, you'll forever be called a woman seen with another man, doing God knows what. They won't see why you're here. They won't care about your intentions; but if you unveil yourself once you've learnt the art, you'll always be remembered as a woman with sword. Choose yourself. You want to be remembered as a woman with scarred character or a woman with sword."

Siya didn't say anything for a long time and time was running out, they were very near now. Sahib took a deep breath, gripping her wrist as he took her behind the giant bushes, before looking down at her.

"Trust me, you don't want the former and latter is the best option you can ever have. Please stay here, until I come myself to get you out. And if you try to defy me one more time, Siya, this would be our session and last meet. I meant it."

With that Sahib walked out, with a hope that Siya won't come out now. He took the bamboo sword, tossing one inside the bush, towards Siya before he started practicing himself with the scarecrow and that's when the men of the village came walking, looking at Sahib, suprised before a respectful smile formed on their faces, a few of them folded their palms together, greeting the fighter of their village while a few gave Sahib their Salaam (greeting).

Sahib nodded his head. Keeping his sword down, acting as if he wasn't already expecting them.

"Salaam, Sahib. We didn't knew you would be practicing here. It's been a long time since we've met." A man named Waseem said, making Sahib nod his head head in agreement. .

"True, after the news of bombing, the officials made it difficult for us— men to gather in public, let alone meet you, Sahib. Bastards wanted to interrogate our women! Like any woman of our village would dare to step out of their houses to protest against them. They're delicate little beings." Mangal said, huffing and Siya clenched her fist.

"Women bear life, Miya, they're hardly delicate beings. But true, I don't believe there would be any woman involved in the bombing, the royals just need a way to harass our women!" Waseem snarled. (Miya— a respectful title given to a man)

"Don't worry, I won't let any woman get harassed by the royals." Sahib said in his firm and calculated voice and the men agreed, knowing Sahib was a man of his words. If he said, he will protect their women, he would die to protect their honour.

"Practicing with a bamboo sword, Sahib?" Bahadur asked, making Siya to snort behind the bushes.

"A warrior must always know how to use anything as a weapon. A sword is a sword, be it metallic or wooden. Now, if you don't mind, I don't like any disturbance in my practice." Sahib said, his eyes daring them to stay a minute more and the men laughed. Siya could sense the nervousness in their laughter. After all, Sahib was a very intimidating man.

"Of course, Sahib, though it would be delightful to meet you often." Amir said, making Sahib to look at him with his raised brows.

"People only interact with me when they're on the verge of dying. And I don't think, you'd like that. Anyway, if you can excuse me, I need to practice." Sahib said, his impassive voice held no emotions but Siya felt a painful knot inside her stomach.

Sahib's words had a deep meaning to it. Sahib was the protector of their village. A nameless man, they had no clue, one day came in their village and started fighting for them. Started taking their blames and opposed the royals for them. But no-one had ever tried to protect him. When he was protecting everybody, selflessly, no-one thought for him. Nobody offered him food because they barely had anything for themselves and even when, they would get food more than they require, they tried to store it for their future use.

But what about Sahib? No-one employed him because they feared the royals and how can he buy food when he had no money? Sahib's words were painful to Siya, she felt the void in Sahib's life, for the first time. She had never seen anyone in his house either. Did he had no family? Was he ever married to anyone? Siya had no answers to her question.

Rudra— a form of Lord Shiva. Rudra is believed to be the most fierce and destructive form of Lord Shiva. Rudra literally means roaring storm and now that Siya looked at Rudra, she did find resemblance of him to the most worshipped form of the God. He was dark, fierce, fearless, like a storm, ready to destroy the evil. Something about him made Siya wish to provide him everything, he was so deprived of. Love. She didn't knew if he had a family waiting for him, if he had a wife who loves him but the only thing, Siya knew was he needed love, she could brim him with.

Siya didn't even realize that the men had left and Sahib had come towards her, until she heard his voice. She stood up, swallowing nervously as she looked into the darkness of his eyes. This darkness held a void, an emptiness that made her heart clench. For Siya, Sahib was no less than a saviour, an incarnation of God, who had come here to help the people, without any motives. She felt a weird tug in her chest, wishing to engulf all his pain and leave him with nothing but happiness.

"They're gone and so shall we. You need to leave first, I'll guard you from behind, okay?" Siya nodded her head, clutching her sword as she took a step forward, her mind still in her heart. It was the first time her mind wished to follow her heart.

"I'll keep the sword. Is that alright with you?" Siya asked and Sahib wanted to deny but nodded, nonetheless. She was about to leave, about to take another step forward but stopped, making Sahib to furrow his brows. What was more left, she wanted to argue about? He thought. Why he had asked her to hide? Or how he again tried to dominate her actions? Sahib was ready for another heated argument, but what he wasn't ready for, was her soft words, that came out of her heart, hitting right in his own.

"You told me that if people saw me with you, my character would be blemished. That they would question my virtue and character." Siya said and Sahib slowly, nodded his head, not knowing where this conversation was even heading to.

"I did."

"But you never listened my answer. I never told you what I think." When Sahib didn't said anything, Siya continued, her face held no smile, her voice devoid of any anger or amusement. She was dead serious.

"And I think, I'll forever be that scarred woman, if this is the title I'll get to be with you." Siya said softly.

Sahib's eyes widened, his lips parted and the sullen expression his face always held got dissolved into something so much raw and untouched. This was the first time, someone had something so.... so beautiful. So respectful and so raw, filled with so much warmth that the coldness that had frozen over his heart from all those years, melted at once.

Siya didn't stop for his reaction. The truth her heart had just whispered to her mind didn't need his affirmation. The truth was complete in itself. Sahib had the choice to not feel the same for her. Sahib may feel that she will tarnish his image but for Siya, Sahib would always be supreme and to be associated with him, if she has to be the woman they'd always look down to, always degrade her for choosing him, she was ready for it.

Because, Sahib was the flame that had already burnt Siya's eternal and untouched part.

~~~~~~~

"Are you done with distributing the clothes among the villagers?" Satyavan— Siya's father asked her daughters who nodded their head in response.

They had just stepped in the house after distributing the kurtas and blankets. No-one would shiver from cold, this winter. Sahib won't have to spend his night in the cold as Siya had completed his wish to see the villagers having clothes for this winter.

Vedika was stunned for, Siya had given her lifetime savings so that Sahib doesn't sleep shivering in the cold. She was left with nothing. She had given everything she had for the man, she has no right on. She can't even call him 'hers'. And yet Siya looked so happy, like she got blessed with a pot full of gold. No anger, no regret on her face, just the eternal and neverending happiness for seeing Sahib warm and healthy.

Siya was stunned for Vedika's love for her. Using her savings to buy clothes for the villagers was her decision. She did everything for Sahib. But Vedika didn't had to do anything and yet she gave away every last rupee (money) she had, so that she doesn't has to work for the landlords.

When everyone were done with the dinner and their parents had gone to the farm, Siya put half of her food in the banana leaves, packing it before she walked down Sahib's house, with the kurta, she had stitched for him and a blanket, she had purchased.

Sahib was as usual practicing but after sensing Siya's presence behind him, he ceased and turned back. He was stunned to see the kurta and blanket in Siya's hand. How can a person be so devoted to someone, who doesn't even talk properly with her, stunned him.

Sahib never admitted that night but he was grateful for every bit she did for him. And he'd forever be grateful for her.