Prisoner

The next day,

the door of the cell opened,

the guard said,

"You are called to see the chief."

Jairam was surprised at this change in the guard's behavior and secretly flirted with him. Pratap Rai was sitting on an ebony chair in the porch of his palace.

In front of him were the gifts of the King (Raja) of Sarandeep in a silver plate, which were returned from the Arab ship last evening.

When he saw Jairam,he pointed to the pile of jewels and said,

Jairam!

King(Raja) will be more happy to see the gifts of Sarandeep than the gifts of the King(Raja) of Kathiawar.

A single diamond among them is worth more than all the wealth in your chest.

Jairam glared at him and started biting his lips.

Pratap Rai said, but your face is yellow and your eyes are red.

It seems, you didn't sleep all night. It will be very hot in the closet.

I did not think of you after coming back from the port.

Otherwise there was no need to keep you there for so long.

I have sent an envoy to His Majesty's service.

In a few days, their order regarding the prisoners will come.

Jairam said?

So you have imprisoned them.

"Yes"

I told you yesterday that this is the order of the king.

You fight them and become a host of prisoners?

Pratap Rai replied,

"You are still a child."

Everything is fair in a fight?

Where is she?

"Who"

My sister,

Where was she!

Don't try to make me.

Respecting a Rajput is not as easy as you think.

I was formerly an envoy of your king.

And now I have come here as the ambassador of the King(Raja) of Thiawar. If you even look at my sister, remember that I will build a wall of fire from Thiawar to Rajputana, and your majesty would rather hand over to us an arrogant ruler of humiliation than to waste the lives of thousands of his soldiers.

Will consider appropriate.

The Arabs were the guests.

I am sorry that he got into this trouble because of me.

My call about them may not be heard in any corner of India but their arms are very thin. They will strangle you whenever they want.

Pratap Rai knew that sometimes the officials had to bear the consequences of following the King(Raja) wrong orders.

At the time of danger, rulers blame their officials.

Regarding the Arabs,he was satisfied like his king.

But he was not ready to take the responsibility of the sister of the ambassador of Kathiawar.

He said, Jairam, I have no knowledge about your sister.

You liar!

I left him with the Arab women on the ship.

The women who were on board are all in our custody.

If your sister is among them,

I apologize to her right now along with you.

let's go !

The desire to find his sister overcame all Jairam's intentions, and he went with Pratap Rai.

On the way, he asked, how did you treat the Arabs?

Pratap Rai replied, They all fought till the last, except the women and children, they managed to capture only five men alive.

On the other ship, Sarandep's sailors put up a slight resistance but soon surrendered.

So this means that you have declared war against Sarandeep and Arab at the same time.

I have only obeyed the orders of the King (Raja) and as long as I am in this position,

I will continue to obey such orders.

In reply to my letter, the King(Raja) said,

If you were sent to the palace and you obtained permission from them to release the prisoners,

I would be happy.

I will avoid the responsibility of any desire.

A few steps away, Jairam and Pratap Rai entered the four walls of the prison.

The guards opened the door of the Arabs' room following Pratap Rai's signal.

Women covered their faces.

The Arab sailors turned away when they saw Jairam.

Zubair was sitting in a corner against the wall.

He looked at Jairam with hatred and contempt and turned away like his companions.

Jairam looked at Pratap Rai and said,

My sister is not here,

Where is she?

Pratap Rai called a watchman inside and asked him,

Are all the women in the same room or is there anyone in the sailors' room of Sarandeep

No majesty!

Are all the women here?

Jairam looked at Zubair in a daze and said in broken Arabic.

Zubair!

Don't look at me like that!

I am innocent you know.

Where is my sister?

A sound like the roar of a hungry lion suddenly came out of Zubair's mouth.

You have proved more disgraceful than I expected. You cannot cover up the truth with lies, but look, even if something happens to Naheed,you will not find any place on God's earth that can shelter us from our vengeance.

You left your sister on the ship.

Your plan was successful.

You sent this ally of yours as our host and called me from the ship and you yourself reached the ship from behind and took Naheed somewhere under unknown pretext, but if these are the principles of your people for peace and war.

Then, remember that.

The days of your king are numbered.

Pratap Rai suddenly snatched the whip from the soldier's hand and threw it on Zubair's face and was ready for a second blow when Jairam stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

You can bear it,

I can't.

Jairam said this is the last time I ask you, where have you hidden my sister and this Arab girl?

This question cooled Pratap Roy's anger and after thinking for a while he said, is it not possible that during our attack he was thrown down from the ship under the spirit of revenge.

Jairam replied,These men do not let nobility slip in enmity.

The disappearance of the Arab girl with my sister shows that the mind of a bastard like Thare is working at the bottom of this conspiracy?

Zubair then addressed Jairam and said,

You can't fool me with these things.

Naheed, Khalid, your sister has disappeared from the ship at the same time, and she is certainly in your custody.

No, Naheed and Khalid should be kept with us.

Pratap Rai was shocked and said,

I understand now,Jairam,if any man has disappeared from the ship along with these girls,then the matter is clear,a government boat has also disappeared from the harbor last night, but they cannot go far.

You come with me!

Pratap Rai and Jairam got out of the prison and mounted their horses and galloped them to the port.

Port guards confirm Pratap Rai's account of the boat's disappearance during the evening, and Jairam's concern for Maya grows.

Pratap Rai sent a few boats and ships along the void to the north and west for maintenance and reassured Jairam that they could not go far.

Jairam went to Walis city along with Pratap Rai.

With no news of Maya in his house till afternoon,he intended to go to the port,

But Pratap Rai's soldier came and took Jairam to the palace