wiped away the perspiration. He looked at the tigress. The black stripes on her coat shimmered. She was almost ten feet long and was at the prime of her life. It was a pity he had to kill something so majestic. He got up and patted Afreen. She was shaken, but otherwise unhurt. The servants gathered around him, praising him for his bravery.
He looked at Ahmed. Ahmed raised his right hand to his forehead and saluted him. ‘I owe you this one, Salim mia,’ he said, his voice still quivering. Salim gave him a small smile. Then he lifted the flap of his tent and went in.
No sooner had Salim stepped out of his tent the next morning, than he was greeted by the cook.
‘Good morning, Chote Nawab.’ The cook raised his right hand to his forehead and bowed. ‘When should I serve food?’ he asked.
Salim took a deep breath of the crisp morning air before replying. ‘I’ll be back in an hour. We’ll have breakfast and leave shortly after that.’
‘Whatever you wish, Chote Nawab.’ The cook bowed and left.
As Salim and Ahmed cantered through the woods, Salim looked around. The forest looked different as the morning light filtered feebly through the dense foliage. There was a fresh nip in the light breeze that blew in from the north. It made the leaves on the trees rustle like the ghungroos on a tawaif’s feet. The dewdrops on a giant spider’s web swayed and sparkled like jewels as they caught the faint sunlight.
‘You go ahead, Salim mia,’ said Ahmed. ‘I’ll join you in a few minutes. And take Toofan with you.’
Salim hadn’t realised that, while his eyes had been feasting on the grandeurs of Mother Nature, Ahmed’s eyes had caught something else. He followed Ahmed’s gaze and noticed some village girls in the distance. They were giggling and squealing with laughter as they collected wood and twigs to light the fires at home. He gave a lopsided smile and shook his head as he patted Afreen and took the reins of Toofan in his hands. Ahmed would be back soon. For all his interest in girls, he was as scared of them as a rabbit is of a fox.
As Salim trotted along under the low-lying branch of a peepal tree, someone jumped down from the branch onto Toofan’s back and made off with the horse. For a moment Salim stood dumbfounded. Was it the ghost that lived on the peepal tree? The one that the villagers had been talking about? Of course not. It was a thief. Salim kicked Afreen furiously and galloped after the thief. Soon Afreen was abreast of Toofan and Salim managed to get hold of his reins. He tugged hard at them and brought Toofan to a halt. The thief jumped off the horse and was about to make his escape when Salim grabbed hold of him.
‘You impertinent thief!’ he cried. ‘You think you can escape after trying to steal the nawab’s horse?’
‘I’m not a thief,’ the thief mumbled indignantly through clenched teeth. ‘I was just borrowing the horse as mine has run away.’
Before Salim had time to reply, he had been punched hard in the stomach with an elbow. He groaned but did not loosen his grip on the thief. In the scuffle that followed, the thief’s hat came loose and a waterfall of golden hair came cascading down. Salim stared at the hair and then at the thief in disbelief. His lips parted slightly as he narrowed his eyes to gaze into a pair of deep-blue ones.
Chapter Six
R ACHAEL
Rachael couldn’t help giggling at the look of shock on her captor’s face. He looked so familiar – those eyes, that long black hair, that firm chin. Where had she seen him before? Who was he? He was the only native she had come across who was taller than her. He must be a prince, she decided.
He abruptly let go of her.
‘I’d stopped for just two minutes to pick up some wild flowers – you know, those yellow flowers? And the moment I got off the horse, he just galloped away …’ Rachael trailed off as she found him staring at her hands.
She looked at him perplexed, and nervously played with the ring
He looked at Ahmed. Ahmed raised his right hand to his forehead and saluted him. ‘I owe you this one, Salim mia,’ he said, his voice still quivering. Salim gave him a small smile. Then he lifted the flap of his tent and went in.
No sooner had Salim stepped out of his tent the next morning, than he was greeted by the cook.
‘Good morning, Chote Nawab.’ The cook raised his right hand to his forehead and bowed. ‘When should I serve food?’ he asked.
Salim took a deep breath of the crisp morning air before replying. ‘I’ll be back in an hour. We’ll have breakfast and leave shortly after that.’
‘Whatever you wish, Chote Nawab.’ The cook bowed and left.
As Salim and Ahmed cantered through the woods, Salim looked around. The forest looked different as the morning light filtered feebly through the dense foliage. There was a fresh nip in the light breeze that blew in from the north. It made the leaves on the trees rustle like the ghungroos on a tawaif’s feet. The dewdrops on a giant spider’s web swayed and sparkled like jewels as they caught the faint sunlight.
‘You go ahead, Salim mia,’ said Ahmed. ‘I’ll join you in a few minutes. And take Toofan with you.’
Salim hadn’t realised that, while his eyes had been feasting on the grandeurs of Mother Nature, Ahmed’s eyes had caught something else. He followed Ahmed’s gaze and noticed some village girls in the distance. They were giggling and squealing with laughter as they collected wood and twigs to light the fires at home. He gave a lopsided smile and shook his head as he patted Afreen and took the reins of Toofan in his hands. Ahmed would be back soon. For all his interest in girls, he was as scared of them as a rabbit is of a fox.
As Salim trotted along under the low-lying branch of a peepal tree, someone jumped down from the branch onto Toofan’s back and made off with the horse. For a moment Salim stood dumbfounded. Was it the ghost that lived on the peepal tree? The one that the villagers had been talking about? Of course not. It was a thief. Salim kicked Afreen furiously and galloped after the thief. Soon Afreen was abreast of Toofan and Salim managed to get hold of his reins. He tugged hard at them and brought Toofan to a halt. The thief jumped off the horse and was about to make his escape when Salim grabbed hold of him.
‘You impertinent thief!’ he cried. ‘You think you can escape after trying to steal the nawab’s horse?’
‘I’m not a thief,’ the thief mumbled indignantly through clenched teeth. ‘I was just borrowing the horse as mine has run away.’
Before Salim had time to reply, he had been punched hard in the stomach with an elbow. He groaned but did not loosen his grip on the thief. In the scuffle that followed, the thief’s hat came loose and a waterfall of golden hair came cascading down. Salim stared at the hair and then at the thief in disbelief. His lips parted slightly as he narrowed his eyes to gaze into a pair of deep-blue ones.
Chapter Six
R ACHAEL
Rachael couldn’t help giggling at the look of shock on her captor’s face. He looked so familiar – those eyes, that long black hair, that firm chin. Where had she seen him before? Who was he? He was the only native she had come across who was taller than her. He must be a prince, she decided.
He abruptly let go of her.
‘I’d stopped for just two minutes to pick up some wild flowers – you know, those yellow flowers? And the moment I got off the horse, he just galloped away …’ Rachael trailed off as she found him staring at her hands.
She looked at him perplexed, and nervously played with the ring
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