The Third Boon

Writer’s Note: My story is based in Medieval India. In order to retain the flavor of that time and geography, I have intentionally used some native words. At the end of the story I have given a glossary to help the reader understand those words. I have highlighted those words inside the body of the story in a different color.

Chapter 1

“Mirror! Mirror! On the wall! Who is the loveliest of them all?”

Maharani Padma admired herself in the full length mirror of her Shringar Kaksh. The mirror’s gilt edges reflected the illumination of the oil lamps placed on the sides and an enormous and heavy curtain hung vertically from the roof on top of her. Two slaves outside the room were moving the curtain back and forth by a thick cord which was connected to it, enhancing air circulation inside the Kaksh and keeping the environment conducive for her comfort.

Padma had just emerged from her bath and a bevy of maidens were buzzing around her, drying her delicate body and preparing her for the durbar. She was enjoying the fuss they were creating. Each girl vied with the other for her attention and pampered her with endearments and praises. This was not any magic mirror. But she was aware that her reflection in it was the correct answer to the query she had posed.

One of the maidens was holding a pot of simmering incense powder below her long and lustrous, black hair. The smoke from the incense served both to dry her hair and also leave their sweet fragrance behind. Another maiden, was running a silver comb through her hair. Suddenly the queen shrieked in pain. A strand of hair had got stuck in the comb and had broken off. All the maids were petrified. The Maharani had a notorious temper.

She got up from her seat. Her hazel eyes which would otherwise put a doe to shame brimmed with rage as her lovely face contorted into a visage of fury. The errant maid cowed in fear, and begged for forgiveness.

The Maharani snatched away the comb from her hand and touched her broken hair that was still stuck in it. Her face softened for a few moments, as if she were looking at her child. The maid was sobbing and her tears were soiling the floor below. Padma raised the comb above her head and brought it down in a swift movement on the unsuspecting girl’s face, ripping apart the flesh of her cheek and covering her face with blood.

Padma signaled to another attendant, who clapped her hands. Two guards, who were invisible so far, emerged from the darkness. They grabbed the hapless girl away by her hair, as she sobbed and yelled. She was to be relegated to the dungeons to be beaten and tortured.

Maharani Padma returned to her seat. The attendants who were trembling at her cruelty, returned to their task, lest they earn her wrath.


Chapter 2

An usher pre-announced the Maharani’s arrival in the durbar.

Trumpets and conches were blown as Maharani Padma left her Shringar Kaksh for the durbar. An attendant walked behind her holding an umbrella over her head. Padma’s entry into the durbar was greeted by silent groans and stifled sighs from the courtiers. It would take an ascetic control for a man to be not swayed by that face and form.

She was wearing a red colored choli which strained to hold her well proportioned breasts. She wore a heavily embroidered lehnga below her waist. A mulmul chunri covered her bare shoulders. The ends of the chunri folded over her chest, making a weak attempt to conceal her ample cleavage. Her midriff was bare, exposing her perfect figure and her navel. Her complexion was dusky and her skin smooth. Her waist length black hair was tied on top of her head, over which lay a jeweled crown. She was bedecked in diamonds and gold.

As she walked towards her jewel encrusted gold throne, the courtiers looked with keen interest at the gentle swaying of her hips. The sight was enough to stir the loins of even the most loyal of husbands. Maharani Padma, the sovereign ruler of Virpur province in India assumed her throne and the proceedings began.

The Prime Minister was the first person to speak. He announced that the rebellion had been crushed and the leader Jai Singh had been captured. Padma knew that he was referring to the farmers’ rebellion in protest against the increased taxes she had imposed that year. The farmers were protesting because there was a famine and the increased burden would cripple them.

Jai Singh was presented before the Maharani. She eyed his striking, dark face with interest. Years of hard life had left their imprint on his face, making him look older than his true age. The bare torso was decorated with rippling muscles and the fetters did little to shroud his defiant spirit.

“Do you have anything to say?” Padma asked, enjoying the humiliation of this bold adversary. She wished to see the brave man beg for his life. Maybe she would pardon him with a light sentence.

“You think your school of art and music is more important than the happiness of your subjects. You should go into the houses of the farmers and see how they live. You leave in splendor,” Jai Singh waved his hand to point at the opulence around him, before continuing, “While your subjects live in abject misery.”

The durbar was stunned by this announcement. The young leader had spoken out the minds of the majority of the subjects of the kingdom, including the courtiers. Courage, which the courtiers of Virpur lacked, had blessed this young man in abundance and his incarceration had not dimmed it.

Padma was stung by the criticism of her dream project. It would be her legacy to her kingdom and this impudent man chose to denounce it. She announced a quick judgment. Jai Singh would be beheaded before the next full moon. No one in the durbar objected to the sentence.

After Jai Singh was taken away, Vikram Singh the Commander of the army cleared his throat. He announced that his spies had information about some military buildup in the neighboring kingdom and he wanted to lead an army to the border. He believed that if everything was under control, he would be able to return within hundred days. He wanted the Maharani’s permission to prepare the army. The permission was granted.

Chapter 3

Vikram Singh was in his secret chambers. It was late in the night and his wife and children were sleeping in their rooms. He was meditating and invoking the Goddess. Few people, knew that he was an accomplished tantric with magical powers. Something about Jai Singh had troubled him and he wanted to use his powers to fathom their cause. He sighed when he read the future.

Padma lay on the royal bed. Her mind was restless. She could not forget the scorn and contempt on Jai Singh’s face as the royal guards had led him away. She would not be happy by taking his life. It was his spirit she wanted to subdue. She got up from her bed.

Jai Singh looked at the darkness above him as he lay on his stone bed. He was dejected that he had let his followers down. His thoughts went to the morning. Padma’s beauty was not lost on him. It seemed as if the God of Love had chiseled her at leisure. Only if the same God had also remembered to put in a heart!

He was stirred out of his thoughts when the door of the prison opened. Maharani Padma walked in, holding a lamp. She closed the door behind him. She moved close to where he was sitting on the stone bed.

Jai Singh looked at her in utter bewilderment as the flickering light from the lamp illuminated only part of her face. She stood next to him. He could smell the sweet fragrance of her body. He had never had a woman before, but from his natural masculine instincts he knew that the scents were not only of perfumes, but also of that exquisite body. He inhaled deeply, wanting to take in more of that heady fragrance.

“You think I do not know my responsibilities,” she asked him.

“If you did, you would not do what you are doing,” he clarified. His heart was still under the spell of her beauty, but his spirit was indomitable.

“I have to learn to rule my kingdom from an illiterate farmer.” There was scorn in her voice. She was tempted to touch his muscles.

“In that case, what are you doing here at this hour? The great Queen Padma wants to spend the night in a prison cell with an illiterate farmer,” he retorted.

Padma felt that she had been slapped. She was hoping that this handsome youth would fall on her feet and beg to be pardoned. But he had no fear of death.

Her ego had been bruised. Neither her status nor her beauty could subdue this man. Instinctively, she moved her chunri away, revealing her deep cleavage. He shifted uncomfortably and Padma could feel his lustful eyes on her bosom. “At last, his defence had fallen,” she gloated in silence.

She enjoyed the effect she was producing on her adversary, and it stimulated her own excitement as well. Her pussy was getting sticky and she could smell her own arousal. She was sure that he could smell her too. He walked towards her with menacing steps and her mind was seized with an unknown fear. It only heightened her arousal. She could feel her nipples stretch against her satin choli and her nether lips were flowing with her love juices. She picked up the lamp and fled.

Padma was breathless when she reached the safety of her bedroom. She was still excited and wished her lover would be there to take care of it. She stood in front of her mirror, removed her choli and cupped and pressed her full breasts and tweaked the nipples between her fingers, enjoying the sensations. She walked up to the bed, her naked breasts hanging like ripe mangoes. Lifting her lehnga up to her waist she lay down on her soft bed, and rubbed her index finger on her slit. It slipped in easily and she purred with pleasure.

Her finger was drenched in that sweet juice and she brought it to her nose and smelt herself. She needed this more, and put two fingers inside now and rubbed her sensitive bud. She closed her eyes and imagined his lust bound by fetters. She could no longer hold herself as she exploded into a massive orgasm, releasing all her pent up juices, and engulfing the room with their heady stench.

Feeling more relaxed now, Padma lay on the bed thinking about the animal she had bound in fetters in the prison. She could feel her excitement rising again, when she heard the knock on her door.

“Who could it be at this hour?” she wondered.

She opened the door, to find Vikram Singh standing in the doorway. A smile formed on her beautiful face. She held his hands and led him into the room, closing the door behind her. The two kissed with passion, undressing each other with urgency. The Maharani lay on her back, as the Commander mounted her. She held his engorged cock in her hands and positioned it at her entrance. He slid in easily, surprised at her arousal. He lowered his face to kiss that sensuous mouth as her hips moved in tandem to his every thrust.

Vikram Singh was Maharani Padma’s commander, protector, friend, confidant and lover. He was her father’s commander and when the king passed away, Padma ascended the throne. Greedy aspirants to the throne saw this as an opportunity as they reasoned that the young Maharani would be no match for their intrigue and treachery. All their ambitions were thwarted by Vikram Singh’s loyalty.

The young Maharani blossomed under his protection and tutelage. It was only a matter of time before his attraction towards her youth and beauty and her admiration for his valor and courage turned into passion and love. They commenced an illicit affair.

Vikram Singh genuinely loved Padma and cared for her. His tantric knowledge revealed that the Maharani was in grave danger. He was worried that he would be away and there would be no one to protect her in his absence.
He was lying on his bed and her nude body was on top of him. He was enjoying her warmth and softness. “Padma, I need to talk with you.” There was concern in his voice.

“What about, darling?” She kissed him.

“You have to be careful, when I am gone. There is a lot of discontent in the populace because of the taxes. Perhaps you should reconsider,” he cajoled.

“No way,” she sounded indignant at his suggestion.

Vikram Singh knew that she had made up her mind and there was nothing he could do to change it. But he was concerned and wanted to protect her.

“You looked worried about me. Why don’t you use your Tantra and give me special powers,” she giggled.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed. She had solved his problem. He would bless the woman he loved with special powers.
“Ask for three boons,” he encouraged her.

Padma thought and said, “If I am ever attacked by wild animals, I should be able to protect myself. If ever I look for someone or something, I should be able to find my path. If ever I am threatened by my enemies, I should be able to control their minds.”

The tantric whispered the secret mantras into his lovely protégée’s ears who burst out laughing. “No way can I remember that.”

Vikram Singh sighed. She was not seeing the danger. He looked at the diamond ring on her slender fingers and after slipping it off, blew into it, before slipping it back on her fingers. “What was that,” she asked in an innocent voice.
This ring will give you all the powers that you ask for.

“No!” she squealed. “I cannot wear the same ring every day.”

Vikram Singh was left with no other choice. He got up and laid her naked body on the bed. He turned her and kissed her ass cheeks, sliding his tongue between them. She was getting aroused and he loved that smell. Then he turned her. He cupped each breast at a time, sucking and fondling them, before sucking the nipples. Finally he put his mouth on her royal slit, darting his tongue inside.

Padma was delighted at this act. She thought that her lover was trying some new foreplay. She was aroused and wanted him inside her. Vikram Singh released himself from her arms. He looked at her and said in a voice which forced the Maharani to listen. “Padma, listen carefully. I have blessed the special powers into your body. If you are ever attacked by an animal, you have to go down on your fours like one and expose your ass to the sun. The sun rays falling on your ass will scare the animal away. If you ever seek something in the night, you have to expose your breasts to the moon. The moon rays falling on your breasts will show you the right path. If you are ever threatened by an enemy, you have to expose your breasts, ass and pussy. Your enemies will fall asleep.”

The Maharani thought this was some joke. She was too hot to care. She pulled her lover to bed and straddled him. Vikram Singh also needed her one more time before he returned to his middle aged wife and grown up children. He moaned with pleasure as that royal pussy swallowed his fat cock.

Chapter 4

Vikram Singh left with his army for the border. As if the grief of his leaving was not enough, Padma received more bad news. Jai Singh had escaped from prison.

Padma was livid when she received the news. She ordered the prison in charge to be beheaded. She felt helpless. She missed Vikram Singh’s presence and did not trust anybody else to pursue the fugitive. She decided to lead the chase herself.

The Maharani was no pushover. Vikram Singh had trained her well. She selected a team of fifty able bodied and skilled horsemen. They would leave the next morning.

At the break of dawn, Maharani Padma led her team of expert horseman into the dense forests of Virpur where they expected Jai Singh would be hiding. By mid afternoon, they had reached deep into the dense forests. One of the horses tripped, and the rider fell off.

Padma was shocked at this incompetence. She rode up to the fallen soldier and getting down from her horse, helped the man back on to his feet. The soldiers were surprised at this act of humanity from their Maharani who was otherwise known only for her high handedness.

The man thanked the Maharani. He didn’t see the Maharani raise her hand and the hard slap landing on his cheek. He turned crimson with embarrassment.

“I do not want any incompetent fool in my team, “she thundered, her exquisite features turning fearful.

They rode on in silence after that incident. No one had the courage to challenge the Maharani, but internally they were all simmering with discontent and hoped to get even.

They came across a river where they decided to stop and rest for some time, before pursuing further. The horses would need to drink and they would also need to be fresh.

For reasons of speed, Padma had not bought across any of her female attendants. They would not be able to ride horses and would prove to be a liability. A curtain had been brought to protect the Maharani’s privacy. Two soldiers stood at some distance apart, each holding one end of the curtain.

On the other side the beautiful Padma prepared for her bath. She had no clue that the soldiers who were all enamored of her beauty would not leave this chance to see her delicious nude body. Also, after the incident of the morning, the soldiers were also thirsting for revenge. What better revenge on a woman than to watch her naked! They had made several, small holes in the curtain where they would take turns to watch their lovely Maharani bath.

The Maharani was not used to taking bath without the help of her attendants. First she slipped off her boots. Next she removed her headband and shaking her head, allowed her long hair to fall off on her shoulders. Her back was to the curtain, as she took of her hunting shirt. She was wearing a choli inside. The soldiers groaned when they saw her bare back with the knot of the choli adorning it only in the middle.

They all wished that she would turn, but her face was towards the river. Next she stretched her hands behind her back and loosened the knot of her choli allowing it to slide off her body and fall on her feet. She stretched her arms over her shoulders. The cool, fresh air caressed her breasts like silk. She turned slightly, giving the soldiers who were fortunate enough to be at the peeping holes at that moment, a momentary glimpse of those royal assets.

Padma then tugged at the strings of her harem pants, which formed a heap at her feet in an instant. The royal ass was revealed to her followers. She placed her hands on her ass cheeks and rubbed them slightly, oblivious of fifty pairs of lusty eyes following her every move.

She ran a few steps before she plunged into river. The cold water bit into her skin, but relieved all the weariness in her body. The soldiers watched her swim with abandon, before she returned to the bank to soap and lather herself. They all thanked their stars when she got up and lathered her ass cheeks. She then dived into the river and washed herself.
She walked out of the river naked, and at last the soldiers were able to get a full frontal nude view of their Maharani. Her shapely and firm breasts shook gently as she walked. The soldiers were delighted to see that she was shaven which helped them get a clear view of her pussy with its plump lips.

It was too much for the soldiers to resist. They had never seen a woman more beautiful, and to see her stark naked! They were dying for relief and many of them took out their cocks to masturbate on the other side of the curtain.

A woman is supposed to have an uncanny sixth sense when it comes to sensing furtive looks on her. Padma was drying her body, when she felt that she was being watched. The doe-eyed beauty’s eyes detected the flickering of the eyeballs at the holes in the curtain. She was beside herself with rage. She marched towards the curtain, unconscious of the fact that she did not have even a thread on her body. She did not care. She marched to the curtain and pulled it aside with force.

She was greeted with the amazing sight of well bodied men in various stages of undress, holding and stroking their erect cocks.

Chapter 5

“What the hell is going on?” Padma screamed at the soldiers in various stages of undress, some still holding there erect cocks in their hand.

The soldiers had no answer. They all froze on the spot. There was an ominous silence. None of the soldiers were looking at her eyes. She realized that she was naked. She tried to quickly dress. She put on the harem pants and her boots. Next she tried to put on the choli. But it proved difficult. She signaled to one of the soldiers, to come near. She held the piece of cloth on her breasts, with the two ends hanging by the side of her breasts, and asked the man to tie it behind her. The man did what he was told, his hands shaking. The other soldiers cursed his lucky. He was able to get so close to this gorgeous woman.

Padma completed her dressing and returned to her soldiers. The anger in her eyes was still evident. But she was an intelligent woman. While dressing, she had quickly gone over the whole situation. She was already unpopular with the soldiers because of the slapping incident earlier. She had to be careful or there could be a revolt. They might even rape and kill her in the middle of the forest, and would join Jai Singh’s army. She made a plan.

She addressed them in a calm voice, regaining her composure. “If you help me capture Jai Singh, I will pardon all of you.”

The simple, innocent soldiers believed her and started crying out of sheer relief. They had all expected to be sentenced to death. Many of them fell at her feet and started crying. Padma knew that her plan had been successful. So what, that they had seen her breasts and pussy. She would have a band of loyal followers. And once she was back in the safety of her capital, she would sentence them to death, lest they spread the stories of her nudity.

The group rode on in silence, with the Maharani leading them. Their speed was slow now that the forests were dense. They could not find any trace of Jai Singh. Padma was getting restless. Her mind was also preoccupied by the incident at the river. She could still feel the eyes of the soldiers on her back. They would be sizing her body under that dress. They had seen her nude, but she was sure that they would like to see her nude again. The sight of so many cocks had turned her on. She wished she were in Vikram Singh’s arms.

She felt her excitement rising. She tried to gently touch her breasts. The soldiers were all behind her and she hoped they would not see. She could feel her stickiness between her legs. She had just been the object of lust of fifty healthy young men. She wished she could read their secret fantasies about her.

Suddenly they all heard the trumpeting of elephants. They looked around them and saw that they had been surrounded by a herd of wild elephants. The soldiers tried attacking them with arrows and swords, but the elephants were many in number. They started crushing Padma’s soldiers under their massive feet. The soldiers could not even flee as the beasts had surrounded them on all sides.

True, the soldiers were fighting bravely with their swords and arrows. But they were no match either in numbers or strength against those mighty beasts. Padma watched in consternation as her soldiers got slaughtered. Suddenly she remembered her lover Vikram Singh’s words.

“If you are ever attacked by an animal, you have to go down on your fours like one and expose your ass to the sun. The sun rays falling on your ass will scare the animals away.”

Some sunlight was filtering in through the thick foliage. Padma got down from her horse and walked towards the elephants.

“No, Maharani,” one soldier shrieked.

“They will kill you,” another one warned.

“Please turn back,” the third one entreated.

Their horror turned to amazement when they saw the Maharani remove her shoes. She knew that the soldiers were watching her. One elephant approached her, and she had to be quick. She removed her harem pants. Her pussy and ass were again exposed as her hunting shirt covered just below her navel.

She got down on her fours and turned her ass cheeks to the sun. She noticed that some soldiers were also posted in that direction, but she had no choice. They all got a delightful view of the royal bums. The sunlight fell on Padma’s ass cheeks affording an even better view. In the darkness of the forests her illuminated ass cheeks looked like some celestial fruit. The sight of those round, smooth, soft and flawless royal posterior transported the soldiers to a world of dreams and desire. They forgot their imminent deaths at the hands of those wild beasts.

The elephants suddenly stopped in their tracks. Their trumpets turned into whimpers. It was as if they had been all hit by lightning. They started backing away.

Padma wanted to be sure that the magic’s effects would sustain. She remained like that for a long time after the elephants left. She had suffered heavy casualties, and could not afford to take any further chances.

The men came and stood behind her like children at a candy store. Some of them didn’t even realize that involuntarily their hands were stroking their arousal as they all salivated shamelessly at the sight of their Maharani’s delicious derriere. Padma could feel their eyes and a deep hatred started building inside her. She was exposing herself to a group of lowly soldiers. She also felt and sensed their lust.

Fear and lust served a heady concoction. Padma’s pussy was flowing with delicious juices. The whole scene had again got her excited. Even the men could smell her, and they all inhaled deeply of that heady fragrance, each wanting a piece of her.
The shill cry of some birds shook them out of their reverie. Padma got up and dressed. The men also came back to their senses. Padma could feel her pants getting wet, from her juices. She hoped that she had not formed a spot there.

The men fell at her feet. They were not fools to not understand that their Maharani had saved them by some magical act. Padma bid them to get up and assess the casualties. They had lost thirty men.

Chapter 6

They rode on in silence. Padma was worried. Her forces were depleted and it would soon be dark. They could not turn back as they were deep inside the forests and far away from the capital. They decided to camp for the night below a small hillock.
The hard bed of her tent was no match for the soft bed of quilts Padma was accustomed to it. The strange sound of animals were producing an eerie effect and keeping her from sleeping. She had had a frugal meal of fruits and honey, which her men had collected from the forest. The elephants had destroyed most of their provisions.

She went over the incidents of the day, and again found her arousal rising.”Oh, Vikram! Where are you my love?” she moaned.

She had no choice. The sexual tension in her body had transgressed limits of her control. She extinguished the oil lamp in her room and lowered her pants. In the darkness her hand moved to her slit. It was sticky with her juices. She rubbed the puffed lips, moaning gently all the while. She imagined those lusty eyes on her nude body.

She closed her eyes and imagined Vikram was with her. Her fingers slid in easily, stimulating her clit. She could feel her body being engulfed in waves of pleasure as she brought herself to an intense orgasm. She held one hand over her mouth to stifle her scream.

Feeling much relieved, she lay back in peace. She had removed her hunting shirt and was sleeping in only her choli. She chose to indulge herself further. She removed the choli and stared pressing her soft breasts, enjoying the sensation immensely. Suddenly she remembered her lover’s second boon.

If you ever seek something in the night, you have to expose your breasts to the moon. The moon rays falling on your breasts will show you the right path.”

She ran out of her tent. There was a man standing guard outside her tent. He was both shocked and delighted to see Padma with her shapely and naked breasts. Padma looked at the sky, and saw the full moon. The moon rays fell on her naked breasts.

She walked to the guard whose mouth was agape. He was staring unabashedly at this wonderful sight. “Call out all the men immediately,” she ordered and rushed back into her tent.

The Maharani was already on her horse when the soldiers grouped. “Get ready. We leave immediately,” she commanded.

The men were dazed at this exquisite sight. A lovely woman with her bare breasts mounted on a white horse in the middle of the forest, with the full moon shining in the clear sky. The men were no poets, but they all felt like one. They observed that their commander was gifted. Her breasts were full, round, smooth, soft and shapely. The dark brown nipples were erect from the cold breeze and the gold coin size areola was of a chocolate color. They had neither any idea what she was up to nor did they care. Those royal jugs had taken them to another world.

Padma was surprised at how she felt. She did not feel angry as the men stood there in a daze. She felt good and affectionate towards them. “Go, get ready,” she said this time in a soft voice, which shattered the daze of the soldiers.

As Padma marched on in the moon with her tits hanging, her horse seemed to have a mind of its own. It chose a strange direction of its own volition. The men were not sure of this path, but by now they were aware that their Maharani knew what she was doing. Even if she did not, they couldn’t care less. They were all under the spell of her beauty. Her arrogance was forgiven and forgotten. They would gladly lay down their lives for her.

Padma‘s thoughts were different. She regretted not taking Vikram Singh seriously. “Why could I not learn the mantras or why did I have to be so fastidious about my diamond ring?” she thought. Her body being sated by her exertions in the tent before, she no longer felt any excitement. Instead she experienced great embarrassment at what she was doing. The great Maharani Padma whom all subjects feared was cavorting nude in front of her soldiers! A tear fell from her eyes, which soon become a steady flow.

A cold breeze made her tremble and she crossed her arms across her breasts to protect herself. The horse immediately stopped and she knew why. The moon could not see her breasts. She moved her arms away, and the horse resumed trotting.

The horse led them atop a small hillock. From the top they could see a settlement below. Padma knew that Jai Singh was hiding there. She now put on her choli back. She did not have to signal to anyone. A man came and stood behind her as she held the choli on her breasts. He tied it behind her back. She put on her shirt and addressed the men.

“Jai Singh hides below,” she informed them.

Her men knew she was right.

“But your royal Highness, we have to assess his strengths. We could be outnumbered.” The head of the soldiers had finally found his voice.

Padma knew he was right. But soon it would be daytime and they would no longer remain concealed. They had to make a move now. The Maharani had seen a lot in her young age. She had faced death many times. But this time it was different. Vikram Singh would not be there to protect her.

“We have no choice,” Padma explained. They split their small army into groups and decided to attack from different sides.

Chapter 7

The head soldier had been right. They were hopelessly outnumbered. Padma was captured alive and all her men were slaughtered.

She was presented before Jai Singh who was surrounded by his men. They all jeered and booed at the Maharani

“The bitch,” one voice said.

“Look at that slut, her head hangs in shame,” another voice spoke out.

“Let us strip her and make her walk naked,” a drunken man exclaimed.

“Yes, yes, yes,” a chorus was heard.

“She exploits us. Our children sleep in hunger while she whores around with her commander.”

The last comment was a slap on her face. She had always thought that her affair with Vikram was a secret. The hapless woman had no idea that public figures cannot have a private life.

She started sobbing which excited the crowd even more.

Jai Singh was seated on a wooden chair which his followers were treating like a throne. He got up and raised his hand. As if like magic, the crowd fell silent.

He looked at Padma,” Nice to meet you again Maharani!” The voice was dipped in sarcasm.

“I must admit that you have courage, unlike your courtiers. You come out in to the jungle to catch me! You must be mad, “he declared.

“I know that you do not want to learn from an illiterate farmer like me. But let me tell you something. Your men do what you tell them out of fear. These men,” he was waving to the crowd before continuing, “Will do what I tell them, out of respect and love. They know I work for their good. They trust me.”

Padma could not raise her head to face him. She had never been humiliated so much before. She knew her death was imminent and she wished it to be swift and immediate.

“Take her away,” Jai Singh commanded.

Chapter 8

Padma lay on the hard bed of her prison cell. She knew her fate. She only wished death to take her in his arms before any further humiliation. She was tired and didn’t realize when she fell asleep.

She woke up when she heard voices outside. She could see from her prison window that it was dark. The voices sounded angry and harsh. She felt scared and started trembling.

“Drag out the slut,” the first voice said.

“Let us enjoy her royal fruits,” the second voice said.

“Let her dance naked for us,” was the third voice.

She heard the prison door open and saw them enter. She could smell their foul breath. They were drunk. They clutched her hair and dragged her out.

Outside a big crowd waited and jeered. She was dragged to the center of an open enclosure. The bright moon above left her no place to hide. She felt hungry, thirsty and cold. But the men would not have any mercy.

“Get up,” they commanded. She did as they asked.

The men could see was crying. Her eyes were red. But she still looked lovely. Nature had gifted her in so much abundance that it would take a lot more misery to dim her loveliness. Her hair was loose and hung below her waist.

The men all drew closer to her like a magnet. They had never seen so much beauty before.

A sharp sword was held at her throat. “Remove your clothes,” the voice beside that sword said.

She stood there defiantly. The sword dug a bit deeper stretching the smooth skin more. “Do it.”

She had no choice. She brought her hands to her shirt. The sword moved away. Several pairs of lusty eyes saw her unbutton her shirt and cast it away. The men groaned when they saw the bare skin below that shirt. Those in front of her saw her smooth and deep cleavage. The others behind saw her bare back.

“Turn you bitch,” they jeered.

She turned around. Someone started playing a musical instrument.

“Dance you whore,” they commanded.

Padma’s subjects knew that she was a skilled dancer. She started dancing to the tune of the music.

“We want to see your mangoes,” one voice commanded and the others clapped in unison.

She stopped and cried, “Please do not make me do this. I beg of you. Please kill me, but do not make me do this.”

Her cries were responded to by taunts and boo.

“Watch the great Padma beg. What happened when we begged you not to levy your stupid taxes,” someone from the crowd said.

The sword appeared again.”Show us your this,” the voice said poking at her breasts with the sword.

She gave in and reached her hands behind to untie the choli before throwing it away. She felt like a whore now. She resumed her dance to the tune of the music, her well formed breasts springing with her steps. The men were all groaning and moaning.

“I wish the whore would warm my bed,” one man said.

“I wish I could touch them,” another man said.

Padma sobbed and danced, her fine tits swinging gaily in the air.

“We want to see the royal pussy,” a voice laughed.

“Yes, yes, yes,” there was a huge commotion.

Padma knew she had no choice. She tugged at the waist band of her harem pants which formed a heap at her legs. She stepped away from them, and stood before them in all her naked glory. Her tears had stopped as she was devoid of any feeling now. Her humiliation had been deep and complete. She made no attempt to hide the crown jewels. Her breasts, ass and pussy were all exposed for the pleasure of those lustful eyes.

Suddenly she remembered her lover’s third boon.

“If you are ever threatened by an enemy, you have to expose your breasts, ass and pussy. Your enemies will fall asleep.”
The realization brought her back to her senses. She knew that her deliverance would be swift. Her lover had not failed her on the previous two occasions and he would not fail her now.

Her haughtiness returned in the confidence of her lover’s magical prowess. She stood up more arrogantly, unmindful of her nudity, looking forward to her revenge.

She was to be disappointed. The music suddenly stopped and a sharp voice was heard, “Stop it!” It was the voice of Jai Singh. There was something in that voice which marked its owner out immediately for leadership.

The booing and jeering stopped and an eerie silence descended on the crowd. The crowd parted and allowed him to reach up to where Padma was standing. He took it all in, in a swift movement of his eyes. Her naked body, her lose hair, the sorrow in her eyes, and her dried tears.

He removed his uttariya from his shoulders, and draped it around her naked body. Padma noticed that his eyes were moist.

“Forgive me, Maharani. I was not here. I just returned. I am ashamed at the behavior of my men. They will all be punished. I am sorry,” he said in a voice that was choked with emotion.

He signaled, and some women appeared who led Padma away.

Next morning, Padma was sitting in a much more comfortable room. She had been bathed and she had eaten and drunk. She was dressed in a simple choli and lehnga with a cotton chunri around her shoulders. Jai Singh knocked and entered the room.

“Maharani Padma, we have made arrangements for your departure. My men will lead you to your palace. And the men who humiliated you have been punished,” he informed her.

“I have no place in my army for men who do not respect women,” he further added.

His voice was firm, but gentle. There was an air of authority around him. He reminded Padma of Vikram Singh.
“This does not mean that we will not continue our fight,” Jai Singh continued.”I will continue to lead my people against your unfair taxes and policies,” he warned.

For the first time in her life Padma was falling in love with a man other than Vikram Singh. She gazed shyly at his handsome features. He looked regal in his simple antariya. His torso was covered by a uttariya, but the strength in that body was evident. His eyes were bright and kind. She wished for him to hold her so she could lose herself in those strong arms.

Chapter 9

Maharani Padma was returned to the safety of her palace by Jai Singh’s man. She called for an emergency meeting of her courtiers. In the presence of all her ministers, Maharani Padma issued an ordinance that would immediately lift the additional taxes she had levied on her subjects.

There was widespread rejoicing in the kingdom. People held prayers to pray for the safety and long life of their Maharani.

Far away inside the forests, Jai Singh received the news with relief and happiness. He no longer had to fight this beautiful woman. He felt a joy in his heart which he had never known before. He could never forget the way she had looked at him before he had sent her away. The love and admiration in those eyes would be his cherished treasure for life.

Maharani Padma lay on her couch. She could not sleep. She was confused. She had never expected to be in love with two men at the same time. But she had no control over her heart. She wondered why the third boon of Vikram Singh had not manifested.

Vikram Singh had not told her that his magic spells would not work on a man who would truly love her.

Word Count:7261

Glossary

{Shringar Kaksh : A woman’s dressing room

Choli: In contemporary India the choli is a midriff-baring blouse worn along with the sari.The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves with a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel. In medieval India cholis were different. Back then choli was a piece of cloth that only covered the bust and tied in the back for support, leaving the shoulders and arms bare. The choli I refer to in my story, is of the last type.

Lehnga: A long formal or ceremonial skirt worn by Indian women.

Chunri: This is also called dupatta. It is a long, multi-purpose scarf traditionally worn across both shoulders. However, it can also be worn like a cape around the entire torso. There are various modes of wearing an unsewn chunri. When not draped over the head in the traditional style, it is usually worn with the middle portion of the chunri resting on the bosom like a garland with both ends thrown over each respective shoulder. It is essentially supposed to be an additional layer of clothing over the choli to protect a woman’s modesty.

Antariya: Antariya was the modern dhoti type main garment varying in size. Antariya was worn on the lower part of the body below the waist as the male dhoti in modern times. For those wondering what is dhoti, it is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 7 yards long, wrapped around the waist and the legs, and knotted at the waist.

Uttariya : An uttariya is a piece of dress in ancient India. It is scarf-like, and descends from the back of the neck to curl around both arms, and can be used to drape the top half of the body. It was usually made of fine cotton, but almost never of silk.

Tantric / Tantra: Someone who knows Tantra. Tantra is a religious philosophy according to which Shakti (Strength) is usually the main deity worshipped, and the universe is regarded as the divine play of shakti and shiva.(Hindu God of destruction).The word Tantra also applies to any of the scriptures commonly identified with the worship of Shakti. Tantrics in ancient India were supposed to be bestowed with special powers from their practice of tantra.

Mulmul: Mulmul or muslin is a very fine plain weave cotton fabric.

In addition I have used the following words frequently. These words have today become a part of the English dictionary, But I would still like to define them.

Maharani: Empress
Durbar: Court

The name of the central protagonist Padma means lotus in Sanskrit.