Begum Hazrat Mahal - Warrior Queen of Awadh by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2023-07-02T15:23:50+00:00

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James walked up the stairs, passing shrieking children at play and ladies sitting on the stone steps and working their rosaries. Skirting the main residence, he walked around to the back of the house along the verandah that ran around the ground floor rooms. There was no one at the back. He paused at the sound of clothes being beaten on a wooden washboard, then pushed the scullery door open and went in. It was dim inside even in the morning, but he could see that Kamla was alone. He went softly up to where she stood against a deep granite sink and, putting his arms around her from behind, lifted her feet off the ground.

Kamla gave a shriek and beat at his hands. He laughed into her neck, then twirled her around and kissed her hard.

‘James! How…what…how are you here?’

‘I needed to see you. No, not just needed…yearned.’ He laughed, but his eyes were shy, serious.

Kamla straightened her saree, avoiding his eyes. She was feeling a little breathless, and more than a little tingly. ‘And I need to speak with you.’

‘Oho…that sounds ominous! Don’t like the sound of it!’ His laugh was infectious and she had to stifle a smile. She shook her head with spirit.

‘I…I mean it. We need to talk. After what happened that day.’

He caught her hand. ‘All right, come. We’ll go somewhere we can talk.’

He pulled her out and they continued along the back of the house until they came to a door. James pushed it open and she saw stone steps going down a dark stairwell.

‘The storage basement,’ he said. ‘Dr Fayrer’s is the only house with basements. This is purely to stock extra supplies of food, bedding and medicines for the hospital.’ He gently coaxed her down the stairs. Downstairs, it was a row of small, dusty, musty rooms dimly lit by ventilators that opened outside at ground level. The silence, away from the sounds of battle, was deafening.

Kamla tugged her hand away and came to a standstill. ‘James.’

He stood looking down at her without replying.

With an effort, she looked back directly into his eyes and asked, ‘Where can this ever go?’

‘I will never leave you.’

‘Does that mean what I think it means?’

‘If you mean marriage, yes.’

She shook her head slowly. ‘I know that the Company does not recognise Indian wives of British men. That their children are treated as bastards, as half castes. The Company goes to the extent of importing British girls at its own cost to ensure racial purity is maintained.’

He bowed his head. ‘True, true, all true. But also true that the Company cannot stop a man from marrying the girl of his choice.’

There was a long silence. Then she said softly, ‘You would do that just to be with me?’ She placed a hand on his heart. ‘Why?’

He held the hand and kissed it. His voice was husky. ‘I’ll show you.’

After a long time, as they lay on the dusty stone floor, breathing hard, entwined in their discarded clothes, Kamla gently tugged at the thick brown hair to raise the head resting on her stomach.

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