Ashwaki: waiting for Ashok

The war within me

The curtain had been closed, but the transparency revealed a pair of angry eyes staring in, looking at us with a great deal of murderous intentions. It was Prince Dhiraj. He watched our meeting and intruded on our privacy. Ashok gave him a glare. Prince Dhiraj ripped down the curtains which made my body weak again and made me shiver. I put my hands on Ashok's bare chest because I was scared and he put an arm around my shoulders. Dhiraj stormed closer and closer and closer....
"Who gave you the right to touch my wife to-be?"
"Who gave you the right to interfere in our private encounter?"
"Let's prove who is more capable for her then Rajkumar, after all, you're are just a Daasi- Putra...." (slave boy)
Ashok felt his nerves twitching and he brought out his sword. Dhiraj did the same. They both engrossed in a fierce sword fight while I just stood watching and tears flooded down my eyes. "Ashok stop! Please, Dhiraj!" I felt I had to stop this; I decided to go into the middle of them and this was a bad idea because I felt the force of a blade strike my back. I screamed and Dhiraj and Ashok turned round suddenly. My eyes were closing and my lightheadedness started again. I felt I was going to faint. My legs lost stability and I swayed backwards, fainting into Ashok's arms. He dropped his weapon and caught me to the floor. My head lay in his lap. The kings, my father and Bindusar heard all the screaming and rushed to my room to see what had happened. My father stood in shock as he saw Dhiraj looking scared and shaking with a blade in his hand that had my blood on it. Bindusar rushed to Ashok and stroked his hair (he was proud of him). "Paani layiye! Jaldi!" (Bring the water quickly!) Ashok was trying hard to wake me up and make me conscious again. I, however, lay unconscious in his lap. My back bled heavily, staining his clothes. My father seemed proud of Ashok too as he watched him care for me and wash my wounds. Water was splashed on my face but I still didn't wake up. The whole court was gathered in my room. "Get out of my kingdom before I kill you..." my father said to Dhiraj.
"But Samrat....!"
"I said GET OUT!" He cried, making Dhiraj jump and run away. Ashok picked me up in his arms and lay me on the marble block where I was treated for the next few hours by my maids. He ordered the maids to go. I felt his fingers caressing my back; the scar was deep.