"Grand Uncle, forgive me."
"I should have kept an eye on her."
"Actually, I met an old friend and went to discuss some important matters."
"I did send his servant to inform you. Didn't he tell you?"
He explained his absence.
"What friend?"
"That Azad?"
Zahid spoke with resentment.
Kashif smiled, "Grandpa, are you doing some tarot reading?"
Zahid rolled his eyes, "He is the only friend you have in the Market of Dugi City."
(Dugi City was nearest to Forest Town in Dugi state)
Amaan was not at all interested in their talks.
He lost himself in 'what if's.
"What if she can't fight against those heavily trained Imperial Officers?"
"What if she falls in hands of my bitter enemies who are like hungry wolf hunting chances?"
"What if they trick her to vomit the secret of 'Coal Mine'? I must get her out."
He stood up with determination in his eyes. His rusted back and the blunt sword seemed to have come alive again.
Without bidding farewell Amaan left.
Kashif said to his grandfather complaining, "that iceberg gave looks wearing fire for not greeting her grandfather."
"Now what kind of etiquette does Grand Uncle is showing."
"It would have been fine if it was just me but grandfather, he entirely ignored you."
Zahid read the face of his grandson and said disappointed, "you have no place to badmouth my childhood friend."
"I know you have no respect for your elders. But remember Dugi state is not your father's territory. It is governed by Prince Kamran."
There was a moment of silence then Zahid spoke to himself, "Amaan should stop worrying about his ungrateful descendants."
Kashif laughed, "you seem to be hating your friend's sons more than you love me."
"All the way here, I kept hearing invented curses you were gifting his sons"
Zahid sighed, he was in a low spirit. "You don't know anything about these people."
"They are cruel and practical with no bottom line."
"Those ungrateful sons of my friend belonged to the Aristocrat family yet they stuffed themselves with merchants secretly."
"Just for their greed for money."
"When their business was exposed, Amaan had to resign from the post of Imperial Tutor"
"Their rank was lowered to a Merchant family."
"He severed his relationship with his family in frustration."
"He left the Capital and came to Kinma state. I remember he was in his forty's."
but he looked too old for his age."
"It was me who nourished him gave him an honorable job as my advisor."
He looked at the ceiling blank and spoke, "After earning a good name in the business world, he went back to only realize his children were married and had kids."
"The unexpected thing was his eldest son was titled with Great General Title."
"Their family was given the title of 'PILLAR of NATION' who had the same power and authority as a Duke."
"They were granted special permission to continue their business by the late king."
"This broke him into million pieces. He still visited them few more times for the sake of his grandchildren."
Kashif listened to him carefully, he asked curiously, "how did Alisha end up with him?"
Zahid replied with an explanation, "In his last visit, he brought back Alisha to Kinma state. Then resigned as my advisor only to live in Forest Town."
"Who knows how and why he raised her there? I know a fine girl raised in the wilderness will have troubles in getting married."
Then Zahid looked at his grandson like measuring the angle of his handsomeness. While he was in deep thought.
"She had to live without her family in such wilderness, No wonder she is such an iceberg. She must hate her grandfather deep down."
"After all, he taught her embroidery, house management, cooking, and all of that girly stuff and made her participate in the competition of Officer rank. "
"But didn't let her claim the price, he must be wanting to control her."
"Leave it. Why must I worry about such trivial matters? I must find a way to get back to Kinma and this dagger to him."
Zahid said looking into his worried eyes, "After all my friend raised her and she looks more mannered and sensible than my granddaughters. I shouldn't let her suffer right?"
Kashif who was not paying attention lost in the daydream of being praised by his father.
"Of course! Yes! You should..."
Zahid spoke, "Since you agree...."
"I will ask Amaan and settle the date. I am sure he will rescue her soon."
Kashif nodded, "yes! Yes! You are right. You have a good judgment for people."
He was just being polite to answer while being rude and a fool by not listening to him. His mind was filled with dreams of how would he be inheriting his father's work. Accompanying him through his great plans.
Zahid's eyes grew bigger, "you have no plan to butter your father by marrying a girl of his choice."
Kashif replied, "You are the best decision-maker grandfather. No one can compete with you."
Hearing this from his grandson, Zahid seemed to have climbed the top of the sky, "you will marry Alisha as my wish."
Kashif replied, "yes! Indeed! You are___"
Now his brain woke him up, "what????"
"What marriage?"
"No... not at all... grandfather I would indeed marry a girl of your choice but not Alisha."
Zahid was both happy and angry, "why not her? She is a good girl."
Kashif explained, "she has participated in the various competition of Officer rank."
"Her grandfather has intended to make her Imperial Lady Royal."
"And who knows what must be happening to her right now?"
"I won't be marrying a girl who was taken advantage of."
~Slap….~
A voice was heard in the crowded restaurant. Everyone looked at him, people who were nearby and heard him were in a deep jolt. Not only did he exposed the purple lady but also tainted her reputation by exposing her kidnapping.
Kashif's hand covered his red cheeks. He gave a resented look at him.
"This is the reason why I don't want to go around with you."
"If my elder brother Ali was not sick and father had ordered me to accompany you."
"I would have never come here with you to Dugi."
Zahid stood up and spoke furiously, "I am not dependent on you."
"The father you are always looking up to is my son. His business is what I have given him."
"Not only you the entire clan is dependent on me."
Kashif left his grandfather alone in the restaurant and walked away making his way to Kinma.
Here Amaan was getting down of his horse looking exhausted.
The night was covered with black clouds but they could not hide the shiny moon. He was walking towards a mansion but he was stopped at the gate, "Lord Amaan, old master is not here."
Amaan who looked helpless grew furious, "I am here for your Master. Don't stand in my way!"
Amaan ignored the guard. He could not stop him. It seemed his exhaustion transformed to power.
He entered the main hall and saw a man consuming Hookah he was accompanied by his subordinates.
The man on the main chair was making smoke rings with his head high up. He didn't notice Amaan entering.
The subordinates of the man immediately got up showing their respect to Amaan.
The man said with a smile, "Did you all see four rings in one go. How many of you can___"
He turned his head towards them and saw Amaan standing between the two rows and his subordinates standing with their head down.
He immediately stood up setting up his look and lowered his head. "Greeting's uncle, you could have asked me to come to you. Why did you trouble yourself to come here?"
Amaan laughed sarcastically, "Indeed I should not invade the privacy of nephew."
"Forgive me but I have an urgent matter. No matter how offended you are I have to disturb you."
On hearing 'urgent matter' everyone left including the servants. Amaan took a seat while Danish his nephew stood in front of him, "Uncle, please don't say like that. I really respect you so please guide me."
Amaan spoke sharply, "I am not here to receive respect or guide you."
"This thing is tearing my heart so I will come to the main point."
Danish grew serious, "if the matter is tearing your bold heart, it must be really important."
A tear dropped from Amaan's eyes and his neck lost its standing.
"Fatima (name of Alisha) has been taken away on command of Prince Tabeed."
"I am worried what if she catches the eyes of my enemies and they torture her to speak about the 'coal mine'. "
"I have no other worry other than her safety."
Danish mentioned a fact, "you are forgetting Fatima is dead for everyone. No one knows she is your granddaughter."
Amaan banged the side table, "And the only one besides you and me who knows about the location of mine."
"Though I had my face covered with a mask, they must have known it was me."
"And if it was me and the girl following me is my Granddaughter, this alone is a reason for them to torture her."
Danish tried to comfort him, "Uncle I will surely get her back."
"Don't worry, please be assured."
he left after whispering in his head servant's ear, "Take good care of him, don't let him leave the house before I find Fatima."
He went to his office and gathered his men, "You need to look for a girl arrested by Imperial Secret Officers."
"They must be here since a thunderstorm has been predicted. They can't leave the Dugi City."
His men nodded and scattered themselves in various corners of the city.
Here Alisha woke up in a horse cart, her hands and limbs were tied and her mouth was stuffed with a white cloth.
She felt stiff, the strong wind had unveiled her face.
Her long and thick black hair waving, covered her face. Her sweats seemed sewed in her face.
She tried to move and untie herself. After trying for half an hour, she gave up.
She was tired and thought to herself, "what in the world I did wrong?"
"Why I am here?"
"Are they some sort of Bandits?"
"No how can bandit easily kidnap people from the middle of the city."
She looked outside and saw the heavy drops of rain were hitting the land. She couldn't see properly and thought to herself, "it must be grandfather's friend and his grandson."
"They must have fooled my grandfather. It must be them who kidnapped me."
"Do they know that the purple veil is me?"
"Are they kidnapping me to manipulate my grandfather to make me participate in the ILR (Imperial Lady Royal) competition and take away the prize money?"
"My grandfather doesn't want me to participate in the final that's why they kidnapped me"
Tears rolled down her eyes to think, "What if they are torturing my grandfather? Where are they taking me?"
"I think they are playing a trick to make me kidnap and play nice in front of grandfather."
"They will find me later and let my grandfather be indebted to them and serve them."
She shook her head and promised to herself, "once I am out of this mess created by them. I will expose them and never let my grandfather serve them."
"So what he is a servant of government? Everyone is! So, what if we don't have a rank. We are noble from the heart."
The rain outside was getting heavier and the lightning made her scared but she couldn't shout her fear out.
Tears kept bouncing out from her hazel eyes thinking how her grandfather must be worried about her.
" I shouldn't have left the restaurant. I keep having feelings that those two people tricked us."
"They must be knowing that I participated in that competition. Since my grandfather does not want me to serve as Lady officer."
"They might want to force him and blackmail him to send me to the palace and they have chances to fulfill____"
" BANG....."
Alisha realized they were on a bumpy road and she was like a dice inside the small carriage. she soon lost her consciousness. Alisha had no idea what her fate had for her.
The wild guesses her little mind made her somewhere true but she still has no idea of the schemes she was smelling were nothing in front of the one cooked and served on luxurious plates.