The smell reached them before anything else. It gave them the feeling that a man gets after returning from a long day of labour. The aroma of food, prepared by a wife, a mother or a sister ,with love that held no boundaries or judgement.
The soldiers stirred from where they had collapsed taking refugee against the temple walls,wounds half-dressed,eyes hollow and aching.
She moved between them quietly, unhurriedly, a large clay pot balanced with practiced ease, ladling dal into whatever vessels the temple had like the small katoris, old brass bowls, a cracked cup that had clearly seen decades of use.She simply served them without giving away anything as if they were members of her family.
One of the younger soldiers looked up at her, disbelief soft on his exhausted his face.
"Yeh sab kaha se aaya,didi"?
She nodded towards the tree line, past the temple boundaries where the forests thinned.
"Paas mein ek gaon hai,waha se diya gaya mandir ka prasad hai.Aap log pet bhar k khaiye aagar kisi chiz ki jarurat pade toh mein toh hoon hi." She gave a simple innocent smile.
"Shukriya didi ,aapko hamare liye yeh sab karne ki koi jarurat nahi thi "the soldier's pride spoke followed by a loud growl from his stomach , completely contradicting his words.His ears turned read.
Her eyes crinkled at the corner giving way to a carefree smile.
Rudra watched from the entrance of the temple, watching , guarding completely at alert .He had not sat or eaten.His heart was still restless,his mind still at war,he knew that he couldn't stay long here there are still duties unprotected,kingdom unguarded, people's lives at risk. Jayvardhan and his soldiers were healing in their own kingdom,that gave him and his soldiers time but they had to go and secure the people quickly.
Their eyes met.A silent question.She moved towards him with a plate ,a silent offering.He said nothing
"Bhagwan k Prasad ko nahi thukrate senapati ji."She stood there,steady as the temple behind her,and waited.
"Dhanyawaad" He replied at last accepting the plate.She nodded once with acknowledgement.
Then she turned to leave .
"Ruko" One word .Not a command exactly but not quite a request either.
He looked at the plate in his hands and then at the ground beside him.He did not say please, didn't explain, simply asked something and waited.
She sat beside him,not too close not too far .She folded her hands in her lap and looked straight ahead at the temple courtyard.
"Woh gaon"he said between bites.
"Kitna bada hai?"
"Zyada bada nahi hai.Kuch parivar rehte hai bohot peediyon se.
"Mujhe wahan Jana padega.Sena ghayal hai jyada din yaha rukna aap logon ko khatre mein daal sakta hai .Yahan se sukrashit nikalne k raste ki avashyakta hogi."
"Kal Subah"he added then almost as an afterthought said-
"Rasta dikhaogi"?
"Ek baar baba se anumati leke aapko jawab de dungi. "
The silence was broken by her voice.
"Ek sawal puchu"she asked .He didn't reply didn't nod his head so she took the silence as acceptance.
"Gaon k log baat kar rahe the ,yudh k baare mein,kya aap log wahi se..." she didn't complete her sentence unable to find words for the delicate question.
He looked at her then-just briefly with those eyes that gave nothing away but stil made you entirely seen
"Haa" he nodded
Than she stood up and walked but then-
"Suno"she looked at him .
"Naam kya hai tumhara" he asked.
"Kaashi" He watched her go and then looked at the empty plate in his hands .
"Kaashi" he whispered
Annnnnd that was the start of Our precious Rudra and Kaashi.
Kaisa laga pehle ek baar bhi try kiya tha Wattpad pe likhne ka kabhi aalas aa jaata kabhi time hi nahi milta ya koi aur bahana bana leti iss baar try karungi ki complete karu.baaki mere krishna ko hi pata hai pura hoga yaa nahi.
Krishna be like " Apne kaam k liye bhi mujhe bich mein ghasit laati hai .meri.. toh izzat hi nahi hai kali yug mein
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