Chapter 32
Ishwari remained on the ground, reluctant to move. If she was able, she would remain there until Pagan returned, though she knew she would have to head back and wait at the palace. She continued to run the possibilities of what could happen to her king, trying her hardest to block out the most negative outcome. She moved her hand to her face in an attempt to wipe some of the wetness from her eyes when she noticed one of the guards starting to sit down beside her. Turning to look at the man, she noticed it was the same guard who had saved her and Pagan from the shootout.
He was a large sized man, most of his mass being from muscle, though it was hard to tell from the heavy armor he wore. The bangs of his oily brown hair rested just above his eyes, almost hiding the kindness in them. Kind eyes weren't common in any of Pagan's soldiers, but this man was different in some way. Examining the man next to her, Ishwari eventually came to realize, he wasn't of the same nationality as the rest of the army. This soldier was a Kyrati citizen.
"I know you're worried, but don't be. King Min is tough and he's gone through so much to be where he is today. I truly believe he will be fine." He assured her. Without all the chaos to distract her like it had before, Ishwari could hear the kindness in his voice as well. "I made arrangements to personally stay behind with you, I know that's what King Min would have wanted. As for the guard that is escorting the king and his sister, he's going to radio me with every update once they arrive in India."
"Why would he have wanted you to stay with me?" Ishwari asked, confused by his statement. "Who are you?"
He smiled at her. "My name is Pavel. I'm one of Pagan's most trusted soldiers." He shrugged his shoulders. "Or at least that what he's told me."
"You're Kyrati though." Ishwari informed him.
Pavel let out a light laugh. "Yes, I suppose I am. I guess it's not common to see a fellow Kyrati working for the dictator of our country. There are more of us though. Citizens who are tired of Kyrat's traditions and have join forces with the king." Pavel reached up and removed the helmet he wore on his head, before running his hand through his messy hair. "Most Kyrati soldiers are stationed at outposts and lesser responsible positions. As I said though, I'm more trusted and I have the honor of being one of Pagan's personal guards."
"Is there a reason Pagan trusts you so much?" Ishwari questioned.
Pavel sighed. "I'm sure your husband has told you the story about how Pagan betrayed him and his soldiers when they were in the process of restoring the throne?" Ishwari nodded, signaling the man to continue with his explanation. "Well...when Pagan and his army turned on us, I made a choice. Even though I was supposed to fight to kill Pagan, I instead assisted him in the assassination of Mohan's team. I was the only one to go against Mohan and 'help' the enemy." He gave Ishwari a smile. "I guess he's always been fond of my loyalty to him and because of that loyalty he's asked me to watch over you as well." Pavel stood up and offered Ishwari his hand. "Ishwari. Even though we were never formally introduced before, I am your personal bodyguard assigned to protect you by King Pagan Min. I promise to do so with my life."
Ishwari reached out and grasped the man's hand. She had never given it much thought but looking back she did recall this specific guard always being close by on any trip she went on with Pagan. She couldn't help but have a sense of trust towards him. He pulled her up to her feet and escorted her back towards the vehicle before informing her that they would return to the palace where it was safe. She reluctantly agreed, knowing there was no benefit to remaining at the airport. Still teary eyed, she climbed into the front seat and sat quietly the entire ride back home.
Walking through the doors of the palace, Ishwari almost immediately heard Ajay's laughter coming from a nearby room. The sound was relieving to her. Right now, her kids were what she needed to get through this nightmare. She began to take a step when she heard a grunt from behind her. Turning around she saw Pavel.
"Ma'am. I'll just wait outside this entrance. Should you need me for anything I'll be available."
Ishwari gave him a weak smile. "I'd rather you stay close to me if you don't mind."
"Yes ma'am" He said as he began to follow her down the hall towards the sounds of the children.
"Mommy!" Ajay yelled out the moment he saw Ishwari walk into the room. He jumped down from the chair he was standing on and ran into her arms. He buried his face into her embrace and Ishwari held him tight. After a moment Ajay pulled away. "Where's daddy?"
Forcing a smile, Ishwari answered her son. "He's spending the night with aunt Yuma."
"Why? Did something happen?" Shanna asked as she was in the process of changing Lakshmana's diaper.
"Mommy?" Ajay asked, concerned when his mother broke down in tears from Shanna's question. Ishwari wrapped her arms around her son tighter, the feel of his warmth comforting her slightly. She wasn't sure if she would even have the strength to talk about what had happened. She just wanted it all to be a dream.
"Pavel. Come in."
Releasing the embracing grip she had around her son, Ishwari turned her attention to the static voice that came from the radio that hung on Pavel's hip. The solider reached for the device as he started walking towards the hallway, wanting to put some distances between him and the sensitive listeners in the room. Ishwari stood up telling her son to stay put before she followed Pavel. She leaned against the doorway just outside the room, eavesdropping on the man.
"Sir, we arrived at Indraprastha Apollo without any delays."
"Glad to hear it. What about the king?" Pavel questioned, anxious to know for Ishwari's sake.
"He had fallen unconscious by the time we arrived. He still had a pulse and the staff rushed him into emergency surgery. They informed us it could take up to three hours before any update."
Pavel let out a sigh. "Alright. Be sure to radio back to me as soon as he's out of surgery." Placing the radio back at his side he turned around and was startled by Ishwari standing behind him. "You heard all that I'm assuming?"
Ishwari nodded, giving Pavel a slight smile. She worried so much for Pagan, but the news that he was still alive when they arrived at the hospital gave Ishwari a little bit of optimism.
"Miss Ishwari. If you don't mind me saying. I believe you should go get some rest and allow your friend to care for your children." Pavel walked closer towards her. "You've had a stressful day. Both your mind and body need to recuperate."
Ishwari smiled, grateful for his concern. Agreeing to his request she returned to the room long enough to explain to Shanna that she needed the night to herself before she made her way to her bed chambers. Pavel remained right by her side until she reached the doors of Pagan's office.
"Thank you so much for everything Pavel."
He gave Ishwari a shallow bow as a response to her gratitude. "Get some sleep Ms. Ishwari. If you wish I'll stop by early in the morning with any updates I receive throughout the night."
She nodded before thanking him once more and slowly walking into the king's room. With the little strength she had in her she managed to stumble her way into the bathroom. She looked into the massive mirror that revealed the physical and mental trauma she experienced that day. She reached her bloodstained hands up to unbutton the jacket she was wearing. Taking it off, she revealed the yellow blouse she had on. It had been one of her favorite shirts but it was now covered in blood. Pagan's blood. The sight of herself covered in the vital fluid of the man she loved was almost too much for her. She rested both her hands on the sinks countertop and began taking deep breaths.
Her loose pony tail fell down by her face and she caught sight of the coarse texture of it. "His blood must have gotten in my hair too." she thought to herself. As much as she didn't feel like taking one, she decided it'd be best to wash off in the shower.
After getting the day's gore cleaned off of her, she walked to the closet. She had originally planned on changing into her night clothes, but she stopped at the dirty laundry basket. Laying on the floor was the white button up shirt Pagan had worn the previous day. She reached down and grasped the garment, pressing it to her face. It still smelled like him. Without hesitation she slipped her arms through the sleeve holes and began buttoning it up. Wearing nothing but his shirt she crawled into their king-sized bed and laid there crying until she eventually fell asleep.
The sound of birds chirping and rays of light filled the room. Ishwari slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, thankful for the little bit of sleep she did get. She looked over at the small clock that sat on the table beside the bed informing her that it was seven a.m. Being eager to find Pavel for any updates on Pagan, she quickly stood up and went in search of a pair of pants before making her way into the office on the other side of the bedroom doors.
She didn't even know where to begin searching for the man, wishing they had made more distinct plans to meet up in the morning. She opened the massive golden doors and stepped in the hallway only to be taken by surprise at the sight of Pavel waiting.
"How long have you been waiting out here?" Ishwari asked, pleased she didn't have to waste time searching for him.
Pavel chuckled. "As long as I needed to be."
Ishwari immediately cut to the chase still concerned about Pagan's well-being. "Is Pagan okay?"
Giving a sympathetic smile Pavel spoke. "Do you mind if we sit down and discuss it at breakfast Miss Ishwari? King Min will be cross if he found out you weren't eating proper meals. Besides, there's a lot of information to give you and you'll want to pass the time."
"Pass the time?" Ishwari questioned, unsure of what he meant.
"I'll explain at breakfast Miss Ishwari. I've also took the liberty of talking to your maid friend about caring for your children this morning." Pavel was eager to head to the dining area to discuss things. Ishwari nodded, thankful that Pagan had assigned such a courteous guard as her own personal protector.
As always, the table was already filled with a fine selection of food. Ishwari chose something that would be light on her stomach, not knowing what kind of nervous wreck she'd be in after hearing Pavel's updates. Pavel simply sat down, not reaching for any food to add to his plate.
"Please eat something" Ishwari encouraged him, feeling awkward about being the only one at the table with a plate of food.
"Ma'am I must decline, it's really not my place to be eating in front of my boss."
"Your boss?" Ishwari questioned. "I don't really like the term boss and with everything that we've just been through and all you've done for me..." Ishwari smiled at the man. "I'd like to think of you more as a friend. Now eat. I insist." Obeying Ishwari's request, Pavel made himself a small plate of pancakes and eggs. They decided it be best to wait until they nearly cleared off their plates before discussing the Kings current medical status.
"Okay. I ate breakfast like you asked me too. Now please tell me what they said about Pagan." Ishwari pried.
Pavel nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin before taking a deep breath. "They informed me that they almost lost him halfway during the surgery, but in the end, he made it through fine. However, around three a.m. this morning he woke up and began to panic. He had pulled all his IV's out and tore the wound back open fighting with the nurses. They had to take him back to surgery and supposedly they're keeping him sedated." Letting out a sigh he continued to speak. "Ms. Ishwari, he has no memory of what happened and he was calling out for you. He thinks something happened to you and they couldn't get him calmed down about it."
"He doesn't remember anything?" Ishwari asked.
Pavel shrugged his shoulders. "As far as I've been told, no. He has no recollection of what happened or why he's lying in a hospital bed all the way in India. The nurses believe if he hears your voice, he'll remain calm enough for them to wake him up." reaching into his pocket he retrieved a small piece of paper. "They gave me the number to his room and they asked that you call around nine. Which with the time difference is soon, hence why I said we need to pass time."
"I know I've said it before, but thank you again Pavel. I appreciate everything you've done."
Pavel smiled back at Ishwari as he handed her the piece of paper. "Go call him."
Ishwari made herself comfortable in the king's office chair before picking up the phone. She longed to hear his voice after the previous days experience. It felt like the phone rang for an eternity before a voice finally answered. Ishwari wanted to groan at the sound of Yuma's voice, who must have been staying in Pagan's hospital room.
"Yuma...It's Ishwari. How's Pagan doing." She spoke, hoping things would stay civil between them.
"Well he almost died thanks to you."
Ishwari wanted to defend herself against Yuma's nasty comment but Yuma spoke the truth. If she had not encouraged Pagan to travel around the country, pretending everything was fine and would only get better. If she let him continue his rule without any of her input or ideas he would had never been shot.
"I see you have nothing to say. I've tried to warn him countless times that you will eventually undo all the progress he's made. He's blind to it, but I see your game. He eats, drinks and breathes only you, and when he's at his most vulnerable you will destroy him." Yuma continued to attack her.
"I would never hurt him." Ishwari stated boldly. How could she ever hurt him? She has never loved any man the way she loves Pagan. "Now if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you fetched a nurse to wake him up so I can speak to him."
Yuma let out a sigh of annoyance before laying the phone down. Ishwari listened closely to the background noise and she could faintly hear voices speaking. Eventually a nurse picked up the phone and informed her that it would take a few minutes for him to fully wake up enough to speak before putting her back on hold. She could hear the nurses speaking to Pagan informing him where he was and what happened, asking him to remain calm.
"Miss Ishwari?" a nurse began speaking. Ishwari answered, letting the nurse know she was still on the line. "I'm going to hold the phone up to his ear. His heart rate is starting to rise again and he's begging to panic. Just talk to him."
Ishwari heard the phone shuffle and assumed that the nurse was doing as she said and had the phone up to the king's ear. "Pagan? It's Ishwari can you hear me?" She could hear heavy breathing and she knew he was still tense. "Pagan, it's okay. You have to calm down."
"Are you hurt?" She heard him mutter.
Ishwari felt relief at the sound of his voice, though his raspy breaths said he was still frightened. "No, my love, I'm not hurt."
"Ishwari..." Pagan seemed to have trouble talking.
"Pagan, you don't have to speak. I'll do all the talking okay?" Ishwari wanted to make things as easy as she could for him.
Ignoring her request, he began speaking again. "I remember walking with you and then there was this warm, wet feeling on my stomach." His breathing began to finally regulate. "I heard gunshots and I tried to run to you. I tried to protect you but I fell. Next thing I remember is waking up here." Ishwari heard small sniffles and she was almost sure he was crying. "Ishwari. I thought I lost you."
"Pagan I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere." Ishwari was heartbroken that she couldn't be right there with him in person. "You need to let the nurses take care of you. Please Pagan, promise me you won't fight them caring for you. I don't want you opening your wound back up. Listen to everything they say."
He sounded hesitant but eventually agreed knowing the sooner he healed the sooner he'd be allowed to return home to the woman he loved. They only continued to talk for a few more minutes before Ishwari suggested that he get some rest, promising to call and check up on him every day. They hung up and Ishwari finally felt at piece, knowing her king would be okay.
