I desperately wanted the journey to end as the cold war of sorts continued between Anil and Rudra. I felt all alone as Vaishali instead of being supportive seemed to be enjoying the situation by pouring oil into the fire with her excited chatter, consciously or unconsciously I couldn't discern from her innocent smile. She was the only person who enjoyed the whole ordeal.

Rudra seemed to make it a point not to let me be alone with my friends. I wondered if he was suspicious that I would blurt out our plan to them. Again, like before we stopped by the Dharamshala to rest the camels and eat our food, but this time it seemed quite lonesome without the hustle and bustle of the whole retinue. I showed my friends where I had drawn water from the well and also gave a demonstration. It was good that I had had quite a lot of practice during my stay, so the way I effortlessly drew the pot up got quite a heartfelt applause from both my friends. As I turned towards Rudra, I saw pride reflecting in his face making me confused.

I wondered why he was feeling proud of me, as he wasn't the one to teach all this to me. If he had been proud of how well I rode the horse or handled a sword I might have understood as he was my teacher, but pride in this seemed quite odd.

His men it seemed were quite resourceful and had arranged food for the return journey in such short time. Even Anil though still looking quite rebellious and glum seemed to enjoy the scrumptious food on the ecofriendly leaf plates, while I felt a fluttery kind of feeling in my tummy on re-living the experience which I had never thought I thought I would get to experience again.

Rudra was quite attentive towards me as he sat beside me and kept insisting that I have more food... quite motherly in fact I thought. Was he trying to show that all was back to normal to both my friends and his men, I wondered. This seemed to be having quite a bad effect on Anil as he kept sending glares at him while Vaishali seemed to be having a fit of giggles as if she just had her dose of the laughing gas. Then again, I wondered if all this was an act to get back at Anil. If yes then Rudra seemed to be doing a great job of it. As for me, I had to keep reminding myself that it was all for show and the reality would turn out to be lot worse.

It was the night camp which brought the battle out full throttle. I found both the 'boys' arguing heatedly at some distance from where the campfire had been built. I would have left them at it as I was feeling quite tired by then but I had felt the volcanoes simmer all throughout the day and the resultant explosion would have led to dreadful results. I dragged my tired feet towards the arguing duo with a deep sigh of frustration hoping it was just a 'gentle' argument. Unfortunately, it didn't seem so as I approached them.

"You are not married to her"

"Yet..."

"Let's talk of present... future can be quite different ... who knows ...it just might be me who.."

"Silence..." roared Rudra.

"I will not be silent... I am in charge of her"

"I am her fiancé and am in charge of this whole expedition. I can ask my men to escort you back ... alone"

"I will not leave her..."

"What are you both arguing about?" I interrupted, making my presence known.

Both turned towards me with anger filled eyes. Rudra was the first one to mask his expressions but didn't utter a single word. Anil seemed to be relieved on seeing me just like a thwarted player on seeing the referee when he was on the verge of losing an argument.

"He wants you to sleep with him..." Anil blurted out angrily.

"What...?" My eyes turned as round as saucers as I gaped at Anil with disbelief and then at Rudra as he punched Anil on the face at that same moment.

"Ouch... that hurts ... you mad person... I am sorry Lekha ... I meant he wanted you to sleep on his side of the camp" Anil tried to explain looking embarrassed while rubbing the area where he had been struck. It didn't seem that bad and I knew that Rudra had been quite in control when he had punched him otherwise it would have been far worse. I had seen him use his strength once and quite knew what he could actually do to a person.

There was pin drop silence as I tried to digest the information, and Rudra, I didn't know what he was up to, as I was too red faced to look at him.

"We were just discussing security concerns ... I mean it is after all an open space ... anyone can attack... I mean wild animals or ... even dacoits ... you know... both of you girls are my responsibility..." Anil tried to break the silence and the embarrassing situation by giving plausible explanations.

"Not this one ... she is my responsibility" Rudra's voice sounded right behind me, making me jump. I hadn't even notice when he had moved.

"I am not anyone's responsibility. I can take care of myself. Vaishali and I will sleep in the cart. Kindly move the cart near the camp fire ..." I said in a very formal and a no-nonsense voice, still unable to face him.

"No" countered Rudra in a firm voice.

I turned around angry at this. This man just wanted a fight. Here I was trying to peacefully settle everything and he had to just go and be stubborn.

"May I know why you have to always cross out anyone's suggestions just to prove your superiority over us" I said in a cold voice with a full-on glare towards him.

"Maybe because my knowledge about these parts of the deserts is far superior then all of you here" he answered in a cool smug voice.

"I faced no danger when I had travelled alone" I challenged him.

"Maybe it was a happy coincidence" he smiled indulgently as if I was but an argumentative child.

I raised an eyebrow at him questioning his decision.

"You see dacoits are a threat in these parts and especially if they see a beautiful girl like you... and your friend. They can kidnap the girls while everyone is sleeping. They are very stealthy that ways... I don't want my men to go chasing after you again... we are all very tired and need a restful sleep so that we are alert tomorrow" he said with a smirk.

The last part hurt but it was the truth. A tiny part of me wanted him to be more concerned about me then his men not getting enough rest if we were kidnapped.

"I can watch over both the girls" volunteered Anil, making his presence felt in the tensed atmosphere.

"No need. We will divide the girls. You sleep that side with the other girl with the chain connecting each of your legs. We will sleep this side. My men will sleep surrounding us." said Rudra in a finalizing tone.

Before Anil could protest he turned around and left to speak to his men.

I felt deflated and somewhat angry as I moved back towards the campfire where Vaishali sat huddled in a shawl, without giving a second glance towards Anil.

"Trouble in paradise" giggled the wise old lady making me even more irritated.

"I wonder why I ever considered you my friend. You turned out to be a traitor who could easily be bribed by anything ... you are a ship jumper... you are a 'bin pendi ka lota'... you are..." I rattled off irritated.

"I am still your best friend silly girl...I am trying to do what is best for you. I can see he loves you that is why supporting him. You on the other hand ..."She said interrupting my rantings.

"No... he doesn't ... he loves..." I stopped at that moment seeing Rudra approaching from behind her.

"O he does love you I am so sure, about it. You know..." started Vaishali trying to convince me unaware of the approaching person.

"You girls talking about me?" smirked Rudra with so much of self-confidence that it irked me some more and added to that he sat beside me as if we were a couple.

"No, we were talking of Anil. Stop eavesdropping on private conversation" I lied.

But that stubborn man didn't seem to be affected by anything I said as his cheeky grin stayed in place.

"Sound travels far in the desert ... so be careful of what you speak next time you open your pretty mouth..." he smiled at me and then tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

"I have nothing to hide "I said stubbornly feeling embarrassed and giving another accusatory glare at Vaishali.

"Sure" said Rudra in a monotone.

"I am sorry but right now we have to divide you girls for the sleeping arrangement. " Rudra said in such a polite humble tone to Vaishali that I was bowled out. This man was worse than a Chamaeleon.

"You see there are dacoits around here... nothing to be scared of. But as a precautionary measure Anil sa and I have decided to chain one leg of each girl to one of us... incase ... you know. But don't worry my men will be surrounding us while we sleep... " He said in a soothing tone. I rolled my eyes when he told about the mutual decision between Anil and him.

"You are right jijasa (brother in law) ... You know this area better than us" said Vaishali in equally sweet voice eyeing me with a smirk.

"Vaishali behave yourself" I cried out in English not wanting Rudra to understand what I said. I was appalled that despite my warnings she had the audacity to call Rudra as brother in law.

I don't know but I had a feeling that Rudra understood why I had shouted at her, as I saw him smirking at me. I huffed and got up to leave towards Anil, as I felt it better to be tied up with Anil then this arrogant man.

Rudra caught my wrist to stop me.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to check on Anil. To see if he needed something for his wound" I said without looking at him.

"No need. My men are already taking care of him. ... Baisa (sister) can you please go and find him and also ask for the chains. We want to have an early night as my men are tired." He asked Vaishali, to which she immediately got up and left like an obedient girl.

He took out a chain from somewhere and gestured towards my feet. I put my hand out but he refused to give me the chain and again gestured with his hand to bring my foot out. I didn't want him to touch any part of me but reluctantly had to put my foot out towards him so that he could shackle it. With a soft touch he held my foot and put it on his knee sending shivers down my spine. The delicate way he was locking the chain gave the impression as if he was putting on an anklet instead of shackling it with a chain.

Anklets 

While I was deep in in thoughts trying to analyze the situation, he got up abruptly putting my foot down gently. I sat there feeling like a chained slave while he vanished off to some place.

I saw Anil and Vaishali bickering on the other side of the fire place about who gets to be the one to do the saving in a dangerous situation. I smiled at the two bickering children and realized that I had hardly ever seen these two interact. It had always been me in the middle and somehow my heart felt glad at this 'chain game' as my friends interacted. Bickering, fighting is always an innovative way to interact as you let the other person know your feelings even if you shout it out.

Rudra came in with some blankets and spread them on the ground in two places around one foot apart. Although manners urged me to help him but the chain around my ankle made me stay put.

"You sleep towards the fire and I will sleep here" he said quietly, lying down on his blanket with his back towards me. I wondered why all of a sudden, he was ignoring me.

"What about the chain? You haven't tied it around your foot ... were you saying all this to win the argument with my friend 'Anil' "I asked feeling annoyed at being ignored. I was wanting to fight him full throttle and looked for a reason to begin one. Accusing him was a good start I thought.

"I don't need to make up false excuses to win anything or ...'anyone' " The word anyone sounded so specific that it sent a strange thrill inside of me but I quickly squelched that thought with a reminder that, that 'anyone' wasn't me and also could never be me.

"I am lying down for a rest not sleeping. I will go check on the scouts after sometime and will tie the chain when I actually go to sleep. Now you go to sleep."

It can never be me I reinstalled in my still hopeful heart as the whole conversation took place with his back towards me in a very stoic voice.

Then there was complete silence as I wrapped myself in the comforts of the warm blanket. Anil and Vaishali too seemed to have sorted out their differences as I saw their blanket covered forms lying on the other side.

The silence of the desert soon lulled me to sleep and I couldn't keep my eyes open even when I saw a shadow hover over me as my heavy eyelids closed with finality.  

'Bin pendi ka lota' is an idiom it is referred to 'a person who keeps on shifting sides'

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well :)