40. The link

                                    

                                          
Third person POV-
The entire assembly hall of Maniprasth was drenched in silence. Agravin sat on his throne , looking lifeless, clutching his wife's anklets in his fist. 
" Vishwas nhi hota ki humare hi rajya me aakr kuch log humari hi rajkumari ka apharan kr unhe le gye. " 
( Can't believe that someone entered our territory and then adducted our princess. ) 
One minister spoke. 
" Kintu usse ashcharya ki baat ye hai ki rajkumari swayam ek kushal yoddha hai. Unka apharan itni aasani se kaise kr sakt hai koi. " 
( But one thing that is more surprising, how come a warrior like her got adducted? )
Another spoke. 
"Kintu ye kritya kiya kisne hai, ye kaise gyat hoga? Itne bade aryavart me rajkumari ko kahan dhoondhenge?"
( But who did this? How will we find the princess in the entire aryavart?) 
Another spoke. 
"Maun ho jaiye aap sab. " 
( Keep quiet everyone. ) 
The king thundered. 
"Meri putri Jahan bhi hogi mai use dhoondh launga. "
( I will find my daughter at any cost. ) 
He said in his shaky voice. 
Agravin didn't dare to lift his lashes and look at the king. He had no courage left. 
"Maharaj! Maharaj! "
( King! King!)
Malini came running inside the court catching everyone's attention. 
" Devi Vaishali murcha se jaag gai. " 
( Devi Vaishali got her consciousness. )
Everyone got a ray of hope. Maybe vaishali knows who they were, and where they took Avni . 
Agravin and the king rushed towards her chamber. Subodh entered the chamber followed by Agravin. Vaishali was lying in bed, while queen sudha was sitting beside her. Tears rolling down her cheeks. 
"Vaishali, putri tum thik ho?"
( Vaishali , are you okay ?)
Subodh asked her while patting her head. 
"Ji kakashree."
( Yes, uncle.) 
She replied. 
"Avni Kahan Hain? Kon the wo log? Kis disha me le gye unhe?"
( Where is Avni? Who were they? In which direction did they take her?)
Agravin showered Vaishali with his questions. He didn't wait for those formalities. The only thing that mattered to him was to find his wife. 
"Gyat nhi. " 
( I don't know.) 
She answered. 
" Tum dono van me kyu gye the vats?"
( Why did you both go to the forest ?) 
Subodh asked. 
" Wo ...." 
Vaishali took a pause and looked at Agravin and then averted her gaze back to Subodh she began. 
" Wo Avni apne vivash k varshganth hetu Yuvraj ko uphaar me chandan ka vishesh  sugandh dena chahti thi , wo chandan k hi khoj me hum van gye the. Van me hum wo chandan ekatra kr k aahi rhe the ki ... Ki akasmat charo or dhua fail gya mai kuch dekh hi nhi pai , wahan se jaise taise praan bacha kr yahan laut aai kintu Avni...." 
( Actually Avni wanted to gift a special sandlewood fragrance to Yuvraj for their wedding anniversary. We went to the forest to get that sandlewood. We were collecting those sandlewood but suddenly there was fog everywhere, I just escaped from there saving my life. But Avni ..... ) 
Vaishali sobbed while completing her sentence. 
Everyone fell silent in that room. 
" Maharaj , kuch bhi kijiye kintu meri putri ko dhoondh kr le aaiye. " 
( King , do anything but please bring my daughter back, please. ) 
Sudha cried holding her husband's shoulder. 
" Maharani , sambhaliye khud ko. Maniprasth ki puri sena sab Avni ko dhoondh rhe h . Shigra hi wo humare paas hogi. " 
( Queen, handle yourself please. The entire military of Maniprasth is trying its best to find Avni. She will be with us very soon. ) 
The king assured himself more than his wife. 
Agravin was standing there , quite. His expressions were blank. But looking at his crying mother in law , he recalled his wife. In her absence taking care of their family was his responsibility. 
" Maata." 
( Mother ) 
He whispered slowly holding the queen by her shoulders. 
" Aap is prakar royengi or Avni jab wapas aakar aapki aisi dasha dekhengi to unhe tanik bhi acha nhi lagega. Aap to janti hain n ki kitni sahsi hain wo. Shigra laut aayengi wo , shigra." 
( If Avni will see you crying like this , she will not feel good at all. You know very well how courageous she is. She will be with us soon. Very soon. ) 
Sudha hugged Agravin even before he could finish his sentence. 
The entire palace was gloomy. The queen was put asleep. The king was busy with the ministers , trying every way possible to find his daughter. Agravin was sitting silently in his chamber. This chamber was filled with her essence. Her fragrance was still lingering there. 
He went to the balcony and looked at the moon. Purnima is about to come. The tithi of their marriage anniversary. 
" Chintit na hona priye, aapke aarya shigra aayenge. " 
( Don't worry my love , your husband will come to you very soon. ) 
He said while looking at the moon, tears rolled down his cheeks. Agravin wiped his tears and then looked at them. 
" Dekh rhi hain aap, Shakti veeheen ho gya hoon aapke bina. " 
( Can you see, I am feeling life less without you. ) 
Agravin sat on the floor, staring at the moon. 
************** 
It has been three days since Avni got adducted. No link was found by the detectives of Maniprasth. Another night when Agravin sat staring at the moon sitting in the balcony of his chamber. 
The sounds of anklets again hit his ears but he knew it was not his wife's. The door opened. 
" Yuvraj , bhojan. " 
( Prince, food. )
Vaishali called him from behind. 
" Bhojan le jaiye , mujhe bhookh nhi. " 
( Take the food away, I am not hungry.)
Agravin said. 
" Yuvraj teen divas se Anna ka ek dana bhi grahan nhi kiya hai aapne aise .." 
( Yovraj , you haven't eaten anything for the past three days ....) 
Vaishali was about to speak further but was stopped as Agravin raised his hand in the air. His back still facing her. 
" Ekaant. "
( Leave me alone. ) 
This time Agravin commanded. 
Vaishali looked at Malini who stood behind her , and then she left from there followed by Malini. 
Once the door was shut Agravin again focused towards the moon. Tears flowing from his eyes. Suddenly he noticed something in the sky. Agravin stood up immediately. He wiped his tears and looked again carefully. Something was coming his way. Something shining. A shooting star? No it wasn't. Agravin took his steps back immediately as soon as he realised what it was. A spear came with the speed of light and hit the floor exactly where Agravin stood a second ago. A scroll was attached with it. But it wasn't a silk scroll, rather it was a scroll of dried palm leaf. He knew who sent it. His guru. 
Agravin hastly opened the scroll. 
Putra Agravin , apni shakti ko ekatra karo. Tumhari patni ko tumhari avshakta hai. Yadi tum is prakar toot gye to use bal Kahan se milega ? 
Ye Patra vishesh roop se ye batane ke liye likh rha hoon ki jin sharpon k vish se Maharaj Subodh or Rajkumari Avni ko marne ka prayat kiya gya. Wo sarp kewal Vidarbha me paye jate hai. 
( Agravin , you have to collect your strength. Your wife needs you and if you will lose hope , then how will she  get her strength. 
I am writing this letter to tell you that the poison of snakes , that was used on those arrows to attempt the murder of king and princess, those snakes are only found in states of Vidarbha. ) 
Suddenly realisation hit Agravin. Just like everything becomes clear in the strike of lightning during midnight, everything was clear in front of his eyes. His guru knew exactly what he needed. Touching the scroll with his forehead and then holding his sword in his hand Agravin marched from his room. 
Word count- 1270