"Wait, your son has a friend now?"
"Yes, Rohan, he lives somewhere by the river."
"Of course, at Madam Jaya's!" Lord Charan almost broke the cup as he slammed it down. "That's why they have so much in common those two little..."
He rose, furious, followed by a puzzled Lord Ruchir.
"Where are you going, darling?" Lady Ekla asked as he stormed by her and Lady Nira.
"To pick up that little shameless liar!"
Lord Ruchir led him to Nihar's room, still wondering what was actually going on. "Charan, you mean that Rohan..."
"Yes, he's a courtesan's son! He lives in a brothel!"
Lord Charan kicked open Nihar's door as Lord Ruchir's anger flared.
Nihar jumped to his feet, startled by the intrusion, and Bismillah rushed in from the bedroom – she hadn't been with him. Lord Ruchir stopped by the door to stare speechless at the two young liars while Lord Charan rushed on to the next room and came back dragging Rohan behind him.
"Nihar! How could you bring this son of a courtesan into our house?" Lord Ruchir demanded.
Before Nihar could reply, Lord Charan hit Rohan's face with his fist. The boy fell, his nose bleeding, but Lord Charan kept hitting him with hands and feet.
Nihar tried to stop him, but his father grabbed him and kept him still. Bismillah screamed, begging her father to stop as Rohan tried to protect himself from the furious beating. Lady Ekla and Lady Nira joined them and stared gaping at the scene.
"Enough!" Bismillah shouted, crying. "Enough, Father, leave him alone!"
Lord Charan stopped, panting, and Rohan curled up into a ball, moaning with pain.
"You better forget her," Lord Charan said, his voice strangled by hatred and fury. "I will never give her to you!"
He grabbed his sobbing daughter's wrist and stormed out of the room, followed by his wife.
Lord Ruchir let go of his son. "Take him home. And keep him out of this house from now on."
***
Nihar crouched by Rohan's side and touched him tentatively. "Rohan?"
His friend was bruised but hadn't lost consciousness. "I'll be all right.
"I'm sorry, Rohan."
"Not your fault. Not blaming you. Help me, please."
Nihar helped him to his feet. Reaching Madam Jaya's had never been so slow and painful, especially for Rohan.
"Rohan!" Deepika looked very upset when she saw her son all bloodied and with a broken nose.
"Let him lie down," Nihar said quickly, leading his limping friend to the bed. "I will call a doctor."
"No, I'll take care of him. What happened, Nihar?"
"Lord Charan found out about us. I thought he'd kill him." He forced down his tears as Deepika cleaned Rohan's wounds. "I'm sorry, I tried to help him, but my father..."
"Don't worry, I'll handle this." Deepika was quiet now, and Rohan closed his eyes under her gentle touch.
Nihar hid his face in his hands, ashamed. A sob shook his shoulders.
"Stop crying like a baby and give me a hand," Deepika chided.
Nihar sniffed then wiped away his tears and joined her at his friend's bedside.
***
Hello, beloved
I decided to write to you hoping you understand my handwriting. I am not completely fit yet. No broken bones, but... yes, your father hurt me, but it's nothing compared to the thought that I won't see you anymore. I know you're upset... but trust me, it's better this way, for both of us. Your father could end up hurting you and I could never accept that. I hope Nihar will be able to give you this letter. I'm suffering as much as you for the loss, but there's nothing we can do about it. You father is the all-powerful Lord Charan and we are nothing. I hope we'll be able to keep in touch in writing, although it would probably be better if we both forget... but I know it's impossible. I'd like to tell you many more things, but I'll end with only five words: I love you very much. Be happy without me. Rohan.
My dearest one
why are you wishing me to be happy without you? You're very cruel as you abandon me. Your letter was so beautiful... those last words ruined it all. Please at least keep writing to me and tell me those lovely things you told me in person, or I shall have no other option than to kill myself so I won't have to live with that cheating liar, Jaiden. I keep thinking about you. I miss you. I hope you are healed and have no more traces of my father's beating. You know, he'll have to relent sooner or later, because I don't want to lose you. He's not talking to me at the moment, but eventually he'll relent. Help me hope, Rohan. Write to me again. Bismillah.
Hello beloved
I couldn't resist. I had sworn to disappear from your life, but as you can see, I failed. But at least you know why I'm so late in answering your letter. I really wanted to forget you. But your words made me hope that yes, one day your father will relent and I'll beat Jaiden to make him pay for whatever he did or will do to you. Don't smile, beloved, I'm serious. If he hurts you, let me know. I'll beat him anyway. I don't care about the consequences. Back to us, I'm afraid I'm not very good at writing down my feelings, but I'll try anyway. In my heart there's you and only you. You have wiped away my mother's face and led me to heaven. Don't worry, you might have taken my mother's place, but my heart is big enough for both of you. Besides she has Nihar and feels happier knowing I have you. And I do love you. You're always with me, not in the flesh, unfortunately, but in my heart, my thoughts, my dreams. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to keep my promise to forget you and move on. I will never forget you. One night and a few blissful days were enough to carve you inside me. I cannot live without you. My body has recovered. But I sorely miss you. I love you. Rohan.
***
"Sometimes it's not easy to hand her the letter or get hers, as her father doesn't trust me, but I always manage somehow," Nihar said strolling with Rohan through the busy streets.
"Thank you, Nihar, I'm indebted to you."
"No way! I'm indebted to you because you let me meet Deepika and she's... well, you know how she is, being your mother and everything. So I'm the one thanking you."
"How about your father, does he suspect anything?" Rohan asked.
"Yes, nothing!" Nihar chuckled. "That's why I keep running away! What a scene that night..."
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what, brother? Lord Charan almost killed you and you feel sorry for me? I can handle my father!"
"Fine, enough thanking and apologizing, we're friends, all right?" Rohan smiled and shook his head.
"Fine, enough talking about haughty and violent lords. Gods, sometimes I think I should run away from Agharek and join a nomad tribe!"
"I don't think you'd enjoy living in a tent in the wasteland. And the desert is constantly expanding... you're a town boy, how would you survive out there?"
"True. True." Nihar nodded with a sigh.
Then Rohan stopped dead in his tracks, staring at something in front of them, both desperate and furious.
"What is it?" Nihar asked.
"Bismillah," was the flat reply. "With Jaiden."
"Hawk's eye, brother! Yes, that's them."
"Gods, I hate him so much." Rohan clenched his fists, staring at the wealthy young couple.
Bismillah was frowning as she tried to keep Jaiden's hands away from her body.
Keep your hands off of her! Rohan's anger built up way too quickly for a meek person like him. But watching his beloved struggling against unwanted attention made his blood boil.
"Let's go." Nihar tried to drag him away.
Rohan didn't budge. Then he marched on Jaiden, fists ready to hit.
"Rohan!" Nihar ran after him panicking. "Are you crazy? He'll kill you!"
"No, I'll kill him," he replied through clenched teeth. He attacked his rival so suddenly that Jaiden barely realized what was happening.
"Rohan!" Bismillah sounded both happy and scared, but he didn't turn to look at her, too busy pounding Jaiden's face and torso with both his fists.
&n
bsp; Nihar looked around, worried, as Jaiden had many friends.
"Enough, Rohan, let's go!" He managed to grab Rohan and pull him away from Jaiden who collapsed with a moan.
Rohan calmed down and turned to look at Bismillah who was staring at him with wide eyes, her hands on her mouth.
She blinked and pulled down her hands. She was smiling. She rushed into his arms and he took her away, followed by Nihar who shook his head with a sigh.
***
"See you later, honey." Deepika kissed Rohan's cheek and left. He was trying to compose a song or a poem, but words didn't come easily as he tried to express himself. Maybe because he couldn't concentrate on the task at hand, as his mind kept wandering.
Rohan sighed. There was no way he'd finish that composition, not until Bismillah's smile filled his heart. Footsteps approached the room and he looked at the door closed by a curtain.
Lord Charan came in, followed by two men.
Rohan got up, gulping down his fear. "Hello and welcome," he said out of habit.
Lord Charan scoffed. "Son of a courtesan, but well educated," he teased.
"What do you want, my lord?"
"You beat Jaiden."
"You beat me, although I'm aware I'm not Prince Mohan's son. Anyway, the cause was the same – you didn't want me to touch your daughter and I didn't want him to touch her."
"Insolent boy." Lord Charan signaled his men, and they marched on Rohan, grabbing him by his arms and dragging him in front of their master.
"You stay away from Bismillah." Lord Charan's voice was filled with threat and barely-contained fury. "Jaiden can do what he wants with her because he's her betrothed. But you're nobody, courtesan's son, and I had told you to stay away from her, remember?"
"I can't help but love her, my lord."
Lord Charan hit his face then started beating him again. "You're not worthy to touch her foot! If you try to see her again, I'll kill you, understood?"
He pulled away and Rohan would have collapsed if the two men weren't still holding him.
Lord Charan turned his back on Rohan as he regained control of himself, while the boy wondered what he had done to be hated so much. Rohan respected his beloved's father, why did the lord keep hurting him?
Lord Charan turned to look at him again. "Did you understand, little bastard? Get out of Bismillah's life." Then he signaled his men to do the beating for him.
Rohan was unable to defend himself or protect his body against the two attackers. He was beyond physical pain, though, and almost didn't notice when they let him go and he collapsed to the ground.
Lord Charan's voice reached his hears, though. "If you don't obey, Rohan, you'll feel much worse than this."
Bismillah's father crouched next to him and grabbed his by his tunic. "Understood?"
"Yes," he whispered through broken lips.
***
"Rohan," Deepika called, smiling at the memory of Nihar's latest misdeed. Then she saw him slumped on the floor, still and bruised. She thought they had killed him and rushed to him.
"Rohan!" she called again, anxious this time. He was unconscious, but still breathing. His face was swelling again and his body had bruises. Another beating.
Deepika managed to put him to bed, frowning, then gently touched him to assert damage.
"My Rohan, what have they done to you?" she whispered, tears choking her. She caressed his hair, then decided to let him sleep and recover.
***
"Hello, Nihar," Bismillah greeted, serious.
"Hello," he answered. "I convinced your mother to allow me to take you out instead of Jaiden today. Let's hope your father doesn't find out."
"She won't tell him. Where are you taking me?"
"Madam Jaya's." Nihar averted his eyes and Bismillah gasped.
She followed him in silence, praying everything was fine with Rohan. She had to stop before entering the brothel, though. "Nihar, is he all right?"
Nihar avoided eye contact. "He's alive."
"What happened?"
"Another beating. We don't know who did it yet. Deepika found him unconscious and thought he was dead."
Bismillah gulped down her anxiety and nodded, following Nihar up the stairs. It could have been Jaiden's retaliation or her father again.
Then she was by Rohan's bed, shocked at the sight of his bruised face.
"Rohan," Nihar called gently, sitting on the bed.
Rohan turned his head and slowly opened his eyes. "Hello." Then he focused on Bismillah and repeated "hello" but with a tougher tone, as if he were trying to hide his pain or his feelings.
"How do you feel?" Nihar asked.
"Dead," Rohan answered, turning away his head.
"I'm sorry, brother, but you're still alive," Nihar smiled. "And I'd love to know who did this to you."
"The official version is I don't know them," Rohan said flatly.
"And the truth?" Nihar insisted.
Rohan glanced at Bismillah. "Her father and two of his men."
Bismillah closed her eyes and wished to die, or to feel his pain and die with him.
"Shit." Nihar whispered. "I really hoped it was Jaiden."
Rohan made a rueful smile and closed his eyes.
Nihar got up and signaled Bismillah to sit in his place. She obeyed, struggling against tears, and took Rohan's hand.
His eyelids fluttered open again. "You must forget me," he whispered. "They will never allow us to be happy."
"Don't say that," she replied. "We can do it!"
"No we can't. Your father will kill me if he finds out we met today. You must forget me."
She shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "I will never forget you, Rohan."
"You must. I don't want him to hurt you as well. Don't let him hurt you."
"He is already hurting me by forbidding me to be with you!"
"What's good about me now?" He tried to smile. "Can't you see my face, my body? Do I look handsome?"
"Oh, shut up!" She smiled through her tears.
"Give me a kiss and then go," he said. "Get out of my life, you wealthy little wretch!"
Bismillah wiped away her tears with a chuckle. Then she gently kissed his swollen lips. She pulled away but he grabbed her to hold her tight with desperation only to push her away with determination, turning away his head.
"Leave now, please."
She obeyed without comment. She had seen the pain for the break-up in his unhappy eyes and she knew he still loved her. But it was all useless.
***
"Good morning." Lady Ekla sauntered in Rohan's bedroom looking dashingly elegant.
"Good morning," Rohan replied, sitting on the bed but not fit enough to get out of it. His bruises were almost gone and soon he'd go back to work, playing music for the courtesans' dance numbers.
"You seem to have recovered," she said sitting on the bed.
"Yes, my lady, I feel better."
"Good, good. Bismillah told me everything. She had an awful fight with her father, so he's sending me to pay your medical bill."
"My mother took care of me," he said proudly.
"She missed work for a few weeks, though, didn't she?"
"We don't need your money, my lady."
"My my, you're touchy! Anyway, I have another offer, but you must keep it between me and you. Do you still love Bismillah?"
"Yes." His answer was wary.
"And you want to see her again."
"Yes." He sounded more hopeful now.
"Come and see me when you feel better." Lady Ekla grinned. "I'll see what I can do." She rose. "My husband visits Prince Mohan every morning as he's part of his council," she added. "That's the best time."
She left satisfied by his surprised look.
***
The bruises were gone when Rohan paid a visit to Lady Ekla. He wore plain clothes and a secret hope she'd actually help him.
She let him in her apartment and pointed him to a divan, sitting right next to him. "You're
a boy who honors his promises," she grinned.
"Yes, my lady," he said. "Will you really help me?"
"Of course! Here's the deal." She paused, settling on the divan. She was still beautiful and conscious of it.
"What's the deal?" he asked as she didn't seem to want to continue, too busy toying with her jewels. He was beginning to worry about that deal.
"I will let you see Bismillah," she said. "In secret, of course. But you must give me something in return."
"I don't have anything," he said, disappointed.
"Oh, yes, you have many things." Her hand fluttered on his shoulder and she leaned on him to whisper in his ear. "Youth, beauty..."
"You have them too, my lady," he said, stiffening. "Besides, how could I give you mine?"
She chuckled. "So sweet... come here." Her other hand turned his face towards her.
He saw lust in her eyes but couldn't believe what was happening. "My lady, I don't understand," he protested, pulling away from her, jarred.
"You're so naive," she purred, throwing away her veil to reveal her generous cleavage.
Rohan gulped down his desire. She caressed his chest, sliding her fingers under his tunic. He froze.
"You're young, handsome and strong," she whispered seductively. "Give me your body and you can see Bismillah again."
He sprang to his feet, shocked, and shook his head, unable to speak. Not this. No. Not his mother's profession.
"You don't like me?" She rose majestically, displaying her curves molded by the tight fitting dress. "Or are you afraid of women? Your mother taught you nothing?"
"My mother is a respectable woman," he managed to say.
She laughed aloud. "A respectable woman! She's a courtesan! She sells her body! Follow in her footsteps. I believe the price I'm offering is perfect for you."
"No." Rohan lowered his eyes. "I'd lose respect for myself."
"Do you want Bismillah or not?" She was losing her patience.
"No, Lady Ekla. Not under these conditions."
He turned his back on her and left, his throat closed by tears. He had really hoped he could find an ally. He had really hoped to find a way. But again everything had been in vain. Desperation filled him once more.
***
"What a whore!" Deepika was furious. Finding her son gloomier than ever, she had managed to extract from him what had happened at Lord Charan's palace under Nihar's amused eyes. "And she tells me I'm one, that bitch!"
Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition) Page 24