It seemed he was staring at me as I quickly lowered my camera and turned around as if viewing the sunrise. I tilted my head a fraction and saw from my peripheral vision that he too had turned back to his previous position and was looking the other way.

I felt relieved that he had not seen my camera otherwise he would have come bounding towards me. I thought it wise not to take any photos any more but inside felt disappointed at having my plans thwarted like this.

As I turned towards the east I saw the orange sun peeking out from the horizon looking actually like a big ball of orange instead of the yellow sun we see later on in the day. It was indeed a Kodak moment for me . I again checked him from my peripheral vision and saw that he had left from the other terrace. I sighed with relief and started taking pictures of the beautiful sunrise. Then some of the fort which looked all mysterious surrounded by the early morning haze .

I was so engrossed in all this that I was taken aback when a hand grabbed my hand which was holding the camera. It was the second time I would have dropped my camera but it was saved by the string handle wrapped around my wrist and also the mysterious hand which held the camera in firm grasp.

I gasped and turned around coming face to face with Rudra towering over me. I had to give him the credit of being a person with great stealth in his movements as I never heard him approach.

I was speechless and stared open mouthed at him while he seemed to be quite cool and collected , unlike his previous angry self.

He put his finger under my chin and closed my mouth, making me realize that I was staring at him like a mouse caught by the cat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in an expressionless tone.

"I... just came to see the sunrise" I said trying to sound brave which I wasn't feeling. It seemed loads of butterflies were fluttering all inside my stomach and my heart started beating like a drum.

He looked at the camera.

I looked at the camera.

Then I looked at him looking at the camera and then realized that along with the camera he was holding my hand too. I slowly tried to slide my hand out of his hand but the stupid camera string wound around my wrist didn't help matters. It acted like handcuffs.

I gave a tug looking at him, silently conveying the message to him to release my hand but the adamant man then shifted his grip and held my hand up.

"What is this? What are you trying to do with this?" he asked with his voice resounding with suspicion.

"This is a camera" I said softly.

"Kamara" he mispronounced making me smile.

His frown intensified at this but the arrogant man didn't ask for a repeat with the correct pronunciation.

"What do you do with this?"

"It take pictures . Just like you paint pictures, this takes real pictures... as in it looks real not painted" I tried to explain.

He looked at me thoughtfully and then again at the camera.

"Let me show you how it works" I said trying to pacify any feelings of mistrust he might have. As I again tried to slide my hand from his grip , he tightened his grip and then loosened it slowly nodding towards the camera.

I selected the display button in the camera and moved the screen towards him. He shifted close to me as he bent forward to look at the pictures I showed him one by one leaving those of my era out. I felt a different kind of awareness in my stomach at his nearness which I had never felt before.

It's not that I had never been near boys as I had studied in a coed school before my parents died. I had even been near Vikram and Udai bhaisa but this was something different.

Maybe he was so arrogant and always looking suspiciously at me that is why I felt like this, I thought.

He looked quite intently at the photographs and then at the scene which I had shot as if comparing notes. He shook his head several times amazed by the whole discovery.

"I had a talk with kakisa (Mahadevi sa)about you" he said all of a sudden, standing straight but his eyes still on the camera. I switched off the camera to conserve the battery and nodded my head waiting for him to speak further.

"She told me a weird story about your prophecy and where you came from"

I suddenly found some imaginary flint on my dress which I had to remove and simply nodded my head.

"Today I saw a small evidence of what she meant" he continued after a bit of pause, his eyes still on me.

"So now you believe me that I mean no harm to anybody " I said raising my eyes looking directly into his looking for some kind of confirmation.

"You are to put that thing away and not bring out anything of your time till you stay here with us " he said ignoring my question and keeping his face blank.

I knew he avoided saying camera again as I had smiled at his wrong pronouncement. If he had been a better person I would gladly have helped him get the word right but that arrogant man just made my heart glad that he could not get at least one thing right. It's not that I was a mean person to keep grievances for long but he had the knack of bringing the worst out of me.

"Now you go down back to your room and stay there if you know what's good for you." With that he gave an about turn as soldiers do and marched back to the terrace door with an arrogant stride.

"Excuse me! Can I talk to you for a second ?" I said and he came to an immediate halt .

"What?" he said without turning back.

"I wanted a few more pictures to take as memories... I mean with your permission only" I said trying to sound humble and polite. In my mind I patted my back for such a good voice modulation. Now that I knew that he knew where I came from I was feeling brave enough with my requests.

I now had his full attention as he did turned around and stared back at me as if I had gone mad.

"I meant just a few more pictures before anyone wakes up... only if you permit"

He simply stared at me and then gave a slide nod. As he turned to leave again I said "Wait.."

This time I surprised even myself by my bold act. He had an irritated look on his face by now.

"I am sorry but can I take a picture of you as well" I said hesitatingly. "I mean I will hardly get an opportunity to take a picture of any other human being without revealing my identity" I explained. It was indeed a bold move from my side as I waited with abated breathe for his answer.

He looked back thoughtfully at me and then said "Okay but make it fast. I can't waste my time with your silly things."

I would have jumped with joy but seeing his suspicious face I controlled my victory dance and didn't even smile. I had to act all serious as I gave him instructions about where to stand and at what angle for the proper light to fall on him.

He was quite photogenic I observed as I shot him from different angles. The only angle I failed to take was the angle which showed the scar on his face. He seemed to turn his face slightly and looked irritated if I tried to focus on that. I left it at that so as not to bug him further.

"Do you want to see how your pictures came out."

"No"

I just rolled my eyes at that. I couldn't call him non cooperative but he was a total kill joy.

"If I am real fast about it... can I take pictures of the Sheesh Mahal" it was quite a bold demand on my part but I was desperate to get an original of the beautiful place.

He had a stunned look on his face at this bold demand of mine. By now I was sure he thought I had gone mad but was just calculating the degree of it by looking at me. I clasped my hand together in plea and made a very requesting face.

"Okay come along but this is the last thing I am doing for you. After this if I see you roaming around uselessly I will lock you in a room till it's time for us to leave" he said after a long pause.

With a huge grin on my face I literally jumped with joy, my hands going up to hug him but I stopped at the last moment remembering where I was and with whom.My smile froze on my face at my faux pas. He seemed to have realized too as to what I was going to do and looked at me stunned. Considering the time frame I was stuck in, it was a very inappropriate behavior from an unmarried girl towards a man who was not related to her.

I rectified my mistake by doing a shooing movement to ward of an invisible fly and then again back to looking at a far of place beyond him. I tried to look nonchalant as if nothing awkward had happened, as if I wasn't going to actually hug him. I saw a small smile creeping up his lips but he hid it immediately.

"Let's go girl. We don't have time to waste" he said, the stern note back in his voice.

I realized that he never called me by my name.

"My name is Lekha" I said hurrying behind him.

He ignored me as we passed by the guard I had met earlier. I gave him a beaming smile of thanks and he returned it back with an even bigger one of his own. The presence of Rudra seemed to have reassured him even further of my being a right kind of person.



Pillared hallway of Sheesh Mahal



The inside view

We reached the Sheesh Mahal via a beautifully laid garden. I hardly had the time to admire it as I was literary running to keep pace with the irritating person in front.

He nodded to the guard who was guarding the place. He lit a lamp inside as it was still a bit dark on this side of the palace.

"Be fast" he said as he walked away to talk to the guard.

I heard him chatting with the guard about over pampered girls and their stubborn demands. The guards seemed to be sympathizing with him. I left them at that as he had ordered me to be fast and I didn't want to be on his bad side after such a big favor he had done for me.

It was an enthralling moment for me as I took in the interiors glittering bright. The walls, the ceiling all covered with beautiful artwork of mirror inlaid in marble.



The ceiling portion



The lighted lamp was kept here

The construction of this hall was done in such a way that even if a single ray of light entered the Mahal then this light would be replicated in the mirrors and the entire hall would have a natural light up and will be enlightened.

I wished I could have got married in this place which had a fairy tale kind of feel to it. Well day dreaming didn't help anyone , so I got back to my work.

I blew off the candle after finishing my photo shoot and came out.

I started thanking the guard profoundly but was quickly pulled away by Rudra as he marched me again towards the jenana deohri (Ladies section).

"Now stay out of trouble. I don't want kakisa to fall in trouble because she was kind enough to give shelter to a foolish girl. If you create trouble again then I won't be so cooperative and I know what punishments to render to girls like you" he whispered in an angry tone as he had dragged me to a corner.

My hands clenched with anger at this. "You think I will put Mahadevi sa in any kind of trouble after she has been so kind to me."

"You just did. Think what would have happened if it was someone else in place of me who would have caught you with that strange thing in your hand." He still seemed to be avoiding pronouncing the word camera.

Although I felt guilty by the very thought of putting my benefactress in trouble although unconsciously, I couldn't help my self when I said "It's called a ca- me-ra". I slowly pronounced each syllable out clearly for him.

This got his focus on my lips as I said the word. Not a good move on my part but I was too irritated to realize but as his gaze stayed on my lips, I blushed and turned my face the other way.

There was a big awkward pause between us.

"Go back straight to your room and stay out of..."

"Trouble... I know" I said trying to sound defiant though wasn't feeling so any more from inside.

I marched straight towards the entrance to the jenana deohri without looking back at him.

I could hear a faint whisper of laughter as I entered the door past the guard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-8k9Sjgcw

For my readers whose comments and votes encourage me and inspires me to bring to them all the tiny details of what had once enthralled me. :)