Chapter 22 The Reluctant Rescue #4
“Chandra, I am your friend, I only wish the best for you.” Sameera’s voice was soft with compassion.
“Then don’t ask me to do this.”
Sameera gave a deep sigh. “I’m afraid that is no longer an option for us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sarun’s health took a turn for the worse. None of the medicines are working for him. He…once levitated himself. He has more than a little of his father’s blood in him. Kalpana is taking him to Rajgarh, hoping his grandparents would know what to do. She is going to come clean about everything.”
Chandra’s felt the blood draining from her face.
“So, you see,” said Sameera, squeezing her hand, “you better tell Prince Veer before he comes to know from others.”
The panicked trumpets of the elephants were the first indication that trouble was heading this way.
Chandra turned her head toward the commotion and saw that a large elephant had broken through the paddy fence and was lumbering his way through the main street.
His haphazard walk was enough to panic the people into getting out of his way, before anyone noticed the mad gleam in his eyes.
Almost ten feet tall, the elephant crushed his way through the erected market stalls paying little attention to anything caught under his foot, and this included some unfortunate small animals as well as debris.
The cries of several people caught under the wreckage of fallen stalls went unheeded in the general din.
The street cleared rapidly. Chandra and Sameera were dragged along with everybody into the crowd, hugging the walls of the huts that lined the street. “Stay back,” barked a guard. “The animal has gone mad. Let it pass through, and you will be safe.”
A number of mahouts with long, spike-tipped poles attempted to rein in the elephant, but the giant animal picked one of them and crashed him into the guard walls that surrounded the city, splattering the stone with bloody smears as he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Another person was almost trampled underneath, making the other controllers retreat for their lives. As if sensing an advantage, the animal barreled through the main street, seeing it was the shortest route to the outside.
Chandra’s gaze went past the mostly deserted street to the makeshift puppet theater, which remained on its last rungs, ready to tip over.
A lone puppet dangled by its strings from where it had been left abandoned by its puppet master.
A child was underneath, jumping up and down to reach the doll, oblivious to the danger coming its way.
She tried to call the guard, but people were too busy staying away to pay much attention to her shout.
She didn’t think but acted instinctively, ducking underneath the restraining arm of the guard and dashing into the street, scooping up the child right in time.
A rushing sound filled her ears, excluding everything else, including the call of her name as she flattened herself against the wooden boards to escape the notice of the behemoth.
The now sobbing child was safely tucked against her chest. Thankfully, the elephant seemed more focused on the gate at the end of the street.
It struck its head against the gate. Incredibly, the gate made of reinforced wood held despite the hits, making the animal madder.
It gave a deafeningly loud trumpet. The child started bawling, and the elephant stopped.
Chandra stood up trying to make a run for it, but a sudden pain in her ankle told its story of a sprain.
And then there was no time as the animal changed its direction and thundered toward them.
Its forehead was bleeding into its small bloodlust-crazed eyes.
She hunched over the child, trying to protect her as best as she could and make herself small.
Chandra’s heart was in her throat, its pounding beat in her ears, drowning out all sound. This was it. She was going to die!
She felt something like the brush of wind at the last minute, followed by a thumping sound, but didn’t dare lift her head.
Seconds passed and when the anticipated pain didn’t come, she cautiously raised her head to see what happened. Veer stood in front of her, facing the elephant, acting as their shield.
She noticed a red gleam at the edge of his fingertips, but perhaps she was confusing it with the blood that dripped steadily from his hand, which surprisingly held one of the long spears that the handlers were using to control the elephants. The elephant was weaving in front of him as if dazed.
“Get her out of there,” he said, and Chandra realized that Sameera and another woman had joined them. She handed the child to the woman who introduced herself as the child’s mother and allowed herself to be led away by Sameera.
“Chandra, your ankle needs looking into,” said Sameera as she attempted to direct her to a nearby dwelling.
“Wait!” said Chandra, halting her. “My ankle can wait, it’s only a sprain. I want to see what happens.”
Veer jabbed his spear near the elephant’s head and moved away as the animal tried to stomp on him.
His moves were lightning quick and so graceful that she could only watch with envy.
The dance continued for a few minutes until the elephant inexplicably fell to the ground, bleeding out of its ears.
It was still conscious, but it appeared as if the fight was beaten out of it.
Chandra tried to straighten herself as Veer threw the spear to the ground and advanced on her. The look on his face packed enough heat to incinerate her on the spot. He was towering mad.
Perhaps it was time to make herself scarce.
“Sameera, I feel faint. Maybe you should take me out of the hot sun. Now,” she whispered to her friend, who openly gawked at the muscular man standing in front of them, his arrogant stance belying his common origins that his attire was supposed to project.
Instead, he had his hands on his hips, feet spread apart, his mouth pinched in a hard, flat line.
“Let me help you, then. Wife.” The last word was said in a sibilant hiss. He snatched her out from underneath her friend’s support and hoisted her up in his arms, as easily as a sack of grain, oblivious to her protests that she could walk fine.
“Sameera, this is Veer, my husband,” she said meekly, over her husband’s brawny shoulder, certain she was in for a dressing-down, leaving her friend looking after them in astonishment.