Silvery white moonbeams had kissed the blacktop road into deepest grey, leading inside the quitetude of the RayBahadur Palace. In that moonlight, Satyakirth had pushed open the main gate and walked in, whistling happily, or so it appeared. He had come on a motorcycle.
The electricity was long gone, without a trace of the fault, and the two guards sitting at the entrance of the palace stood up at once as they saw the young doctor approaching.

"Arey Gangadhar, how is your son doing now?" Satya remarked in a jovial manner.

The guard, at once, folded his hands and joined them infront of him in a gratitude.
"Ji Doctor Saheb. Your medicines worked wonders."

"Doctor Saheb... Well..." The second guard grinned at him sheepishly.
"My legs and joints..."

Satya was smiling. He had already pulled out a box of sweets from his leather bag as he handed it to him, patting his shoulders firmly.
"Your joints needs exercise Monglu... Medicines won't help." He smiled brightly, walking past the two men.
"Tell your RayBahadur to make you do push-ups every morning... And yes, don't have that box all by yourself, I'll have to treat you for diabetics then."

"Doctor Saheb, getting married Kya?"
Monglu was grinning at him, the sweets had already found refuge in his mouth, the boxed passed on to the other man, and Satya turned around to face him with amusement in his eyes.

"Something like that Monglu... Enjoy the sweets... Share it with others."

"Will there be a bride and pretty bridesmaids? Monglu' eyes brightened suddenly.

"...And, food and fireworks?"
Gangadhar's voice sounded a little tipsy, as he put another sandesh in his mouth.
"These are tasty stuffs Doctor Saheb."

Satya smirked.
"Don't know about the bride or bridesmaids, there would definitely be fireworks, Ganga... Definitely!"

The night was perfect. The impenetrable darkness looming outside had made it even beautiful. The perfect opportunity to achieve the unachievable!
Satya was prepared. He had laced Neelmoni's whiskey bottles with a heavy dose of sedative the night before, now the guards were asleep too. The two other house servants were taken care of already. And now, it was time to get the golden key chain from Raimoti's neck and open Alibaba's cave...
Open Sesame!
And, the entire supply of weapons and medicine would be theirs... And then the Chattagram armory raid... exactly as planned!

As for that night, the plan was simple. Satya would flicker his torch thrice from Raimoti's window, and Girish, along with six other boys would enter inside the palace, unarmed, but ready to raid the place dry. It was the perfect plan... And only a task away...
Just one task... Raimoti!

But, fate... always has a humorous way of intervening in people's lives, sometimes making them stand against all odds, and sometimes throwing them off balance, completely. What man proposes, destiny always seems to have other plans, arranged, nurtured and put to use at the right time.

The thought of Raimoti had surfaced some mixed emotions in Satya. First he sighed, then smiled, then sighed again, as the wetness of emotions suddenly started to knead his stone hard determination.

How would she feel when she would wake up the next morning, only to find his brutal ruse!
Would she even wake up?

Random thoughts had made Satyakirth's heart thud, sending an uncomfortable uneasiness down his spine, his lips were quivering in an apprehension too, laced with a heart-wrenching sadness...

But why was he sad?
Shouldn't he be excited for the night?
Wasn't it for this night that he had risked his entrance in this place?

Satya stopped and exhaled again, before pulling out a new chain lock from his bag.
A parting gift?
He had bought it for her, to fix her broken door, so that no one can invade her privacy arbitrarily.

Did he care for her? May be...
Was he falling for her? Hell no!!

Satya bit his lips and shook his head sideways, vehemently opposing the ideas that his mind was offering him in a platter.
He hadn't seen her for a day.
No... Thirty eight hours to be precise!
And, his heart had already started to count the clock.

"Miss Mukherjee?" Satya had walked across the empty dark corridor, seeing himself outside her closed door, waiting for another quirky response from her.
She never fails to amuse him with her words!
His lips had automatically curled up into a smile.

"Miss Mukherjee... Hope you aren't asleep this early... The beautiful stars would..."

Satya had pushed the door open, as the soft dancing yellow light inside the room hit his eyes, and in that light, the sight he saw made his entire body go numb for a second, his mind had seized to form new words, his heart skipped beats.

Did he forget to breathe as well?

The glass lantern was rolling on the carpet, the soft yellow light was coming from it, making the shadows dance on the walls in ominous patterns. And, on the bed was Raimoti, lying diagonally, eyes closed and lips slightly parted, her right hand dangling from the bed, her head had hung a little lower from the mattress, as her long dark traces touched the carpet on the floor menacingly.

"Raimoti!??"
Satya had almost jumped, pouncing on her with a primal animalistic protective instinct. He picked her body up in his arms at once, and shook her violently.

"Raimoti!!"

Raimoti was cold, perhaps colder than his determination!
Satya was checking for signs of life. She was hardly breathing as he pressed two fingers on her throat to check her pulse... very faint!
Satya, now, breathed...

"Rai... Rai... What did you do!! Open your eyes... Look at me...!"
He shook her body frantically trying to get her back to her senses, laments weren't helping. Rai's body was unresponsive, her reduced heart-rate and her dilated pupils giving clear indications of some unknown intoxication that had taken over her mind and body.

"I had asked you not to die Raimoti... Just one day... I was gone for just one day... Couldn't you just keep your words?"
Satya was looking around for something... something which would give him a clue of what she had done to herself.
But, alas! There were none.

"Raimoti... Rai open your mouth...!" He had squeezed her soft cheeks to make her open her mouth. His face was lowered on hers, sniffing her mouth to trace the poison she might had ingested.
The unique faint smell of ammonia had hit him at once, as he quickly shoved his tongue inside her mouth to confirm it's bitterness.

Opium!!
Satya felt as if he had just broken a fever, the sweat-beads on his forehead felt cold.
Satya exhaled and loosened his body a little, his head held back in slight relief.

Goddamn Raimoti!! Why are you so difficult?

Satyakirth was a blessed doctor, or so would his professors say. But if there was something that would make him stand out from the others was his battle readiness. He had trained himself to treat people under adversities, and his presence of mind had only aided to his excellence.

Raimoti was sinking away slowly and Satya knew there wasn't any time for any formal diagnosis. He had to make do with whatever was available. Without wasting another second, he had quickly opened his medicine box and pulled out a middle sized hollow rubber tube as his expert hands pushed it down Raimoti's throat skillfully. His hands were now on her abdomen, applying the adequate amount of pressure needed to pump out whatever she had ingested.

One... Two ..three...

Satya pressed his hands on her soft body again, and almost immediately a foamy colourless liquid came out through the pipe.

"Raimoti...? Raimoti can you hear me?"
The rubber tube now lay beside, on the table as Satya splashed water on her face, forcefully, patting her cheeks gently to bring her senses back.

Raimoti had half opened her eyes, and Satya had pulled her neck up at once, pressing her firmly to his irregularly thudding chest.

"Thank goodness... Rai... Do you hear me?"
The restlessness in his voice had made Raimoti frown, as she closed her eyes once again, a soft groan escaped her throat.

"No... No... Rai you can't close your eyes... You can't sleep!"

Satya was patting her expressionless face once again, but except a few groaning sounds, Raimoti had stayed passive.
Although, he had figured out the cause of her current state, but Satya was entirely unsure about the dosage, and hence, the only practical way to save her was to not let her slip back into unconscious once again, that was, not to let her sleep in anyway!

Crutching on his presence of mind, Satya had suddenly jumped down from the bed, as he stooped down a little, scooping Raimoti's limp body in his arms.

Her senses needed a nudge and Satya at that moment could think of no better way than a cold shower. He had carried Raimoti inside her bathroom and turned the faucet on, as icy cold water started to sprinkle from the fancy fountain jet attached overhead.

Raimoti shivered a little, as the water droplets touched her face. She was still held in his arms, cradled to his chest, and as Satya tried to make her stand on the marbled floor of the bathroom, her knees gave away.
Raimoti wasn't able to stand, not did her senses let her fathom the vehemence of the situation. With her fumbling feet on the ground, Raimoti was now trembling, her arms were thrown around Satya's neck, and her face buried in his chest.
Satya sighed.
His hand had already slid up her waist, another at the back of her neck, supporting her fragile frame to lean on his body. The water stream wasn't hitting her directly, and her eyes were still closed, and holding her tight to his chest, Satya slowly moved them both under the fountain jet, letting the cold water stream drench them with it's freshness.
Raimoti was responding, slowly her grip had tightened on his chest, clutching his soaked silk kurta firmly in a fist, she was now pulling him closer, perhaps for that much needed warmth that her body was craving for.
Satya complied.
He too, wrapped his arms tight around her body, letting her rest her face in his chest. Her lips were already touching his skin, through the softness of the thin silk material, now moistened with water.
Satya was shivering too!

"Raimoti...!"
He gasped, pressing his eyes shut to let the water drain from his large eyelashes. Her thin cotton saree was wrapped around her like a second skin, making him acutely aware of her every curve and crevices. Satya too, had felt the need for warmth at that moment.

"Hm...!"
Raimoti responded, making his grip tighten on her further, the touch between their skin igniting sparks of forbidden emotions in his blood vessels.
He had almost hidden her against his broad shoulders, his muscles creating a protective sheath around her, a sheath that he wasn't prepared to let anyone penetrate!

"What did you eat?"
Satya's voice was soft, his lips were on her ears, as the water stream made her earlobes tickle. Raimoti curled her toes and dug her nails on his chest, almost.

"Opium..."

Her drenched body was generating a plethora of sensation in him. Satya was now caressing her head, trying to gather strands of her dampened hair together in a grip. The cold water was still pouring ruthlessly on them, as they both stood underneath, shivering.

"I know it's opium... But how many did you take?" His voice was calming to her senses.

"I... I don't remember!" Raimoti murmured.

Another sharp sigh had escaped from Satya's lips as he stood quietly with her in his arms, letting the water do it's magic.

"It's... It's very cold!"
Raimoti's petite frame was now quivering violently in his grip, as he slowly let go of her neck to turn the faucet off.
The water had stopped immediately, as another gush of chilly wind hit their body at once, making Raimoti's teeth clatter.

"Just a moment, Miss Mukherjee... Where do you keep your towels?" His words were hushed into her neck, as she pressed her lips together in desparate attempts of fighting the chill.

Satya gulped nervously. With a gentle tug, he pulled open the front of her saree from her waist, freeing it from the petticoat, as his hands fumbled to remove the dampened cloth covering her alluring bosom. Raimoti didn't object.
She leaned on his chest, in her soaking two piece now, trying to seek refuge in the heat radiating from his heartbeat.

"Can you walk?"
Satya had asked again, but this time too, she didn't respond.

Satya was breathing rapidly now, the moment had kindled dark desires in his heart, that his mind was busy fighting them feebly.
He had bent down again, placing his hand behind her knees, as he cradled her shaking frame in his arms once again.
They had stepped out from the darkness of the bathroom now, stepping into the moon bathed small study room. The yellow light from the bedroom was making the ambience mystical, and when Satya made Rai sit on the wooden tabletop, her posture looked alluringly surreal. Raimoti's head was still resting on Satya's shoulder, loosely, as he stood infront of her, in between her legs, his hands reaching out for the lantern on the table.

"Miss Mukherjee... Madam... Please sit straight for a minute, I'll just be back... Alright?" He had held her chin up as she nodded her head slowly with her eyes still closed.

Satya had let go of her, as he rushed back inside the bedroom and picked up the glowing lantern from the floor, lighting the second one from it.
His eyes had fallen on the small steel torch that lay on the table, and that made his gaze trail towards the open wired window.
Girish and his boys were waiting outside, for his signal, and three flickers from that torch would change the course of their revolution, but at that very moment, perhaps for the first time in his life of twenty four years, Satya chose to listen to his heart... He chose to make Raimoti his priority...
Raimoti!! The same woman whom he was supposed to loath! The RayBahadur's daughter... The one whom Batuk had called heartless!!

But, Raimoti wasn't heartless...
Infact he had felt her heartbeat more in these past few days, more than he had ever felt his own!

Satya couldn't think anymore. Brushing off all his inhibitions, he quickly held the wardrobe door open and skimmed through two fresh towels from a rack.

Raimoti needed to be dried, and then changed. And, Satya quickly picked up a random cloth from a stack and rushed back towards the study, another gush of cold breeze suddenly making him aware of him condition...
He too was soaking wet!

The lantern had found its place on the table top, where Raimoti was supposed to be seated, but instead, Satya found her lying, her slender body stretched on the hard teak wood beautifully, water droplets glistening on her fatless smooth abdomen.
Satya leaned over her body once again, sliding his left arm underneath her waist, as his right hand forced her to sit up once again.

"I asked you not to sleep...!" His words were a mild complaint.

"Why did you save me?"
Raimoti had parted her lips slightly, her words were slowly becoming tangible.

"Shouldn't I have?"

Rai didn't reply. She just gasped softly as her hands moved up on his face, tracing the outline of his forehead, down to his eyebrows, her fingers played on the bridge of his nose before sliding down to his slightly parted lips.

"Lochinvar!!!" Raimoti gasped again.

......................................................

The chapter hasn't ended yet.
Part 2 in the next update.

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