After we had traveled a little distance from the estate Rudra's mood seemed to have lightened up.

"I will ask the carpenter to make a mounting block for you, so that you are able to mount the horse on your own" he said trying to make conversation. I simply nodded my head, a bit unsure about this show of friendliness.

"Please sit straight don't slouch. Right from your ear to the heel the whole body should be in a straight line" he said after sometime had passed and I had started to relax a bit and slouch. I immediately blushed pink to be caught on the wrong. It almost felt like I was failing Suraj as a teacher by not remembering his lessons so needed to justify that it was my fault and not his.

"Suraj sa had explained to me the importance of sitting straight. I just ..." I left the sentence incomplete as I saw him frown at the mention of 'the name' from my peripheral vision. I mentally slapped myself for forgetting about not taking Suraj's name in front of him.

We kept on moving in silence for a few minutes when he grabbed my reins and made my horse come to a halt along his. I looked up at him in surprise.

"I am going to be repeating a few things which you might have been told before as I still consider you to be a novice. It doesn't mean that I am underestimating anyone. It's never a waste to hear a lesson being repeated " he said it slowly as if I was a child keeping his voice neutral.

I realized that he had said it all without taking Suraj's name. I looked the other side and simply nodded.

"Today we will practice stopping a horse in motion. You have to learn to give commands using voice modulation and also using pressure from your body".

He sounded quite professional and was a good teacher but I missed the companionship of Suraj.

My stomach rumbled as the sun came overhead and I blushed at the thought of Rudra having heard the noise. I had had only a small breakfast in the morning as I was too nervous to eat.

"I think it is enough for today. You can try trotting back to home from here" said Rudra keeping his face passive, saving me the blushes. He kept on instructing me on the way back. I was a bit disappointed that though we spent so much time together we never talked anything personal.

When we reached back he helped me down which was even more electric then before as I came sliding down beside him. I looked up to see if he too felt the same. He stared at me keeping his face blank studying me. It seemed like eternity as we stared at each other, none ready to make a move. My mind seemed to have gone into that happy land where no thoughts entered except for those beautiful chocolate brown eyes I loved so much.

"Rudra sa ... should I take the horses" I heard the stable boy exclaim from somewhere. Rudra was the first to look away towards the boy and responded something as I stood there stunned in awkward silence. I wondered what he must be thinking about me.

"Let's go "he said and I followed him meekly with my head down lost in my own thoughts.

I was greeted by a sly smile from Lajo but thankfully she didn't say anything. I wasn't ready for twenty questions right then.

My life seemed to go fairly smooth after the first awkward ride. Though Rudra wasn't overtly friendly but we had got into the student teacher routine. I felt him observing me many times specially when Suraj was around. Those were the only awkward moments where although there was nothing between Suraj and me I felt like being watched over. I would almost feel guilty if caught even glancing at Suraj.

Considering the physical aspect of the things, the contact between us became nonexistent even if there was such a thing only from my side and my perspective only. He had got the mounting block the very next day. The stable hand held the horse's head while I mounted the first time with Rudra guiding me. The next time he asked me to mount on my own while he watched at a distance to make sure that I didn't fall. I didn't want him to take me to be a girl who was too dependent on others so though I was a bit scared the first time I had to mount up on my own I sent a little prayer and was successful. It also made me realize that maybe he too was wary of the touch so got the block made as a priority.

I knew I was doing my own set of analysis or over analysis but then who could I discuss it with. The girl had to do what she had to do, especially when her heart was at risk. I couldn't help feeling the way I felt but I could still be wary and do some damage control. Everybody loved me, I knew that but they loved him too. Blood was and would always remain thicker than water. This was the proverb I didn't want to put to test.

Parvati had refused to help me with my trousseau and validly so. Gayatri who had come in the next day was good with pattern making while Vasundhara taught me the finer points of the traditional embroidery as I knew only a good running stitch. I was asked calculative hidden questions by the girls and I knew that they themselves were busy weaving a story based on the keywords they could get out of my answers. I would have loved to be in their shoes for once as they had each other and it was not their story.

My riding skills had improved quite a lot in few days. My teacher didn't say much but I could see the admiration in his eyes and the way the reminders had become less. Though I couldn't gallop as fast as Rudra but I was proud to be able to give him a good competition.

"Can I be taught sword fighting too?" I asked one day out of the blue. It was a thought which had been bubbling in my mind for a few days. I wanted to be able to defend myself in this time period, especially with the kind of unsure life style everyone led.

Rudra stopped in mid stride as we were walking towards the house after the successful completion of another riding workout. He stared back at me solemnly for a while as if contemplating the reasons behind my request.

"Why?" he asked in a monosyllable. I couldn't make out his mood with that.

I shrugged my shoulder as if the matter was not that big a concern for me. I had planned on asking behind his back to Udai bhaisa and was kicking myself for even coming up with it. When he kept on staring as if waiting for further explanation, my throat felt parched. I was not in a mood for any kind of lecture or any word he might say to offend the feminist inside of me.

"I want to be able to defend myself when in need " I said slowly unable to look at him. When he didn't say anything my tone got a bit high pitched as I said in a defensive tone "I know karate. I have been learning since I was five."

"Karate...?". I saw his brows go up in surprise at the word.

"It's fighting man to man generally without use of any weapons" I said trying to explain to him as my terminology was a bit weak as regards to how it could be described in the local dialect.

"I don't think our girls in the clan are interested in wrestling. It would be difficult to get a partner for you" he said in an amused tone.

The inner frustration which had been churning inside me for a long time and Rudra's amusement at what I considered a serious issue made me take the action I would never have dreamed of. Despite the big lehenga(skirt) I was wearing I raised my leg at an angle and gave him a kick at the side of his face , which made him almost fall but the soldier in him made him bounce back. I had jumped back away from my opponent after my incredulous feat as had been taught to me. Rudra looked at me shocked, while I myself looked taken aback at what I had done. We both stared at each other speechless for what seemed like eternity.

I heard the sound of someone trying to control their laughter and looked up to see both Udai bhaisa and Suraj trying to hide their smiles.

"It's not wrestling" I tried to explain looking down shame faced.

"Oh! Is that so?" I heard Rudra say with his voice now showing more amusement then before.

It was not what I had expected, as I felt humiliated. Anger would have been acceptable but laughing at me as if I was a child trying to show off a newly acquired skill. In anger I had wanted to have another go at him but I knew that this time I would not be as successful as before when he had been caught unawares. My eyes glistened with tears as I turned to go towards the house with my chin up defiantly.

"Lekha..." Rudra called out behind me."Tomorrow wear something more flexible if you want to learn sword fighting. Ask kakisa for clothes"

I stopped in my tracks surprised but the tears in my eyes didn't let me turn around. I simply nodded my head and went inside.

After the change of dress when I went down for lunch, I seemed to have become the hot topic for discussion it seemed. A hush fell over all as I entered, with all the eyes following me. I saw Rudra in a corner smirking at me but there was a tell tale bluish mark on his cheek where my feet must have hit him. Maasa smiled at me gesturing me to sit beside her, while the other girls looked at me with awe. The elder male members had their poker faces on while the young ones were smiling gleefully at me. Suraj even had the audacity to wink at me. Lajo the youngest of the lot couldn't control her sentiments as she rushed towards me.

"Jiji even I want to learn wrestling from you. It must feel great to make a man like bhaisa fall down." Lajo jumped up and down excitedly laughing. The people who had been trying to hide their smiles had them out open wide. It felt like an advertisement for a toothpaste the way everyone showed off their pearly set.

"I had taken him by surprise that's why he got hurt" I said blushing with embarrassment, unable to take the credit of what I knew was accidental. Rudra had not been expecting me to go for him all of a sudden. "It's not wrestling" I tried to clarify again as wrestling seemed so much more intimate then karate.

"I was trying to just convince him to teach me sword fighting "I added in a humble tone.

"So you thought that to attack him will convince him" said Udai bhaisa mischievously. My face went red at the remark but internally I was simply grateful that no one seemed angry due to the incident.

"Rudra, a soldier should always be on alert with his reflexes. I am not saying you should have attacked but you should have been able to stop the attack" instructed baapusa in a teacher to student mode. I was amazed at how lightly they were treating it. Maybe everyone was trying to lighten the mood for me.

Now I really felt guilty at hurting Rudra as he seemed to be taking it all lightly too. I had to apologize to him I thought.

I got up and went near him and with my face bowed down I said "I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you but just show you how serious I was to learn sword fighting."

"I know" he said softly. I looked up into his eyes to see if he genuinely was fine with everything and that was a big mistake on my part. I felt drawn to his chocolaty eyes and I found my emotions reflected in them. I looked down again shyly unable to say much as all the elders were present there.

As I went to sit back again beside maasa , I glanced towards Rudra to check his reaction. He was looking at me with a smile on his lips which grew wider as he saw me looking back. I could feel my lips too growing wide in response. Maybe now we could be actual friends I thought. There was a sudden feeling of contentment in my heart.

Hope this chapter is  loved as much as the others :)

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