#jennyxram

Chapter 1

Bheem fortuitously appeared at her window causing the young woman preparing to go to sleep to startle.

- Jenny,” his voice made her look at her door worried that someone might hear him.

- Bheem...” She approached the balcony and whispered looking surprised at his appearance, ‘I thought you would take Ram and leave, it is dangerous to come here, my uncles...’.

It still felt strange to call him Bheem instead of Akhtar, but he confided his real name when she got him the prison map to rescue Ram.

- Jenny... You have to come with me,” Bheem called out to the young woman and suddenly she heard a series of shouts and gunshots... ‘When I was taking Ram, I found out that they organized to come here...’ Jenny opened her eyes.

- What?” Jenny opened her eyes in surprise.

- Not everyone wants to solve this conflict peacefully...- Bheem expressed and saw the young woman turn to leave - The governor and his wife were fleeing in the direction of the eastern base...

- It is not possible...- Jenny denied and felt Bheem's hand holding her so that she would not move away from the window... - They knew I was here...

The young English girl stared at the room for a few seconds, they knew she was here, but it was also true that they seemed deeply offended with her to the point of not speaking to her for the last few days. After Bheem was captured by Ram it didn't take long to spread the report that she took them to the Ymca party, from that moment on she felt judged by every look inside those walls.

- Jenny... we have to go...- Bheem expressed and she let go for a few seconds and then ran to her night table throwing some papers, money and a little black box inside her purse.

Jenny heard some gunshots closer and closer and could see the reflection of fire in the surroundings, she opened her closet and took the first dress and coat she had and threw it in the bag and went back to Bheem.

- Come...- The revolutionary offered Jenny his hand, and as a child trusts her parents she followed every indication he gave her, from riding on his back for him to lower them through a column, to taking shelter in tree after tree avoiding a crowd of people tired of the injustice and violence with which they were treated.

When Jenny and Bheem finally stopped, she was exhausted and discovered that he was going a little further and began to remove some branches from a small, almost rickety pickup truck.

- Where did you get that,” she asked taking a deep breath as her heart practically leapt out of her chest.

- It was abandoned in the garage, we repaired it some time ago, when I rescued Ram I went straight to the garage,” Bheem affirmed and when he finished removing the branches he climbed into the back, ”Anna, can you hear me?

Jenny slowly approached the truck observing the surroundings out of the corner of her eye, she had no idea how far she ran until she could get far enough away from her aunt and uncle's house, she still couldn't believe they left her behind, but in a way, it wasn't a surprise for them, her aunt had been trying for days to get her uncle to give her some kind of reprimand. The Governor was her uncle on her mother's side, and he was a little more kind to her than Lady Scott.

- We have to leave,” Bheem said and discovered the young woman put her bag down on the floor, ”Jenny?

- Thank you for saving me, but I have to stay here,” Jenny said, ”I have a ticket for the ship in three days, I have to go to Bombay in the morning.

- You can't stay here, many people are still angry and can hurt you,” Bheem said taking her bag from the floor.

- I'll be fine, I'll just walk in the direction of the train,” she affirmed and as she was about to take the bag Bheem's hand gently but firmly took hers.

- I have to protect you both, Jenny...” Bheem affirmed and she blinked in confusion.

The confusion left Jenny's mind when she discovered Ram completely dirty and with his hair and beard so long that he looked older. He was settled in the back of the van.

- He... He has a fever and is badly wounded,” Bheem expressed in anguish, ”But that is not all, the people of our village consider him a traitor, I have to take him away from here. I'll take you to Bombay, I don't know how we'll get there safely, but I promise I'll get you there safely.

- Listen...- Jenny turned and looked at Bheem- if he has a fever we need some medicine, and food for the trip. Look for some old clothes and sheets as soon as we get away from here....

Bheem was still slow to understand what she was saying, but his English was more acceptable than at first.

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Governor Scott used to tell Jenny that she would have made an amazing doctor, had she not been a woman. Jenny's father was a doctor, and a very good one, but unfortunately she couldn't often demonstrate her inherited gift. But she was sure this was one of those cases where her knowledge would not only save another, but herself.

The young woman was changing the cloth on Ram's forehead while Bheem was tearing to shreds the worn cloth of a sheet. She knew that by medical measures, the English did not approach those who were infected with smallpox or leprosy.

Leprosy was the perfect excuse to keep Ram, and herself, covered. Besides that a leper colony was being built in Bombay, she was inwardly grateful to be involved in charity at this time, although it felt like a false charity seeing all that her country was taking from these people.

The trip was uncomfortable for the young woman, but she was a little calmer because both she and Ram had safely passed three checkpoints, who at the word Lepers, almost threw Bheem out of there.

The young woman observed the ancher after a whole day's journey, they needed to rest.

- He has not woken up since we left the prison...” Bheem exclaimed, wiping Ram's face.

- His fever is very high, I'm afraid,” Jenny dissolved an anesthetic in the water again, ”he may have too many internal injuries.

Bheem was silent and she walked over to where he was sitting next to Ram.

- Let's try to get him to drink some more, he hardly drank the soup on the way,” she said, extending the metal cup to Bheem.

Bheem sat her anna down, and Jenny poured the water little by little into her mouth.

- Jenny...” Bheem called out to her and looked into her eyes where the fire they lit glowed dimly, ”I need you to take Ram with you.

The young Englishwoman put the glass to Ram's lips who slurped with a groan but without waking up, her eyes were full of confusion.

- What? - She gasped.

- I promised to bring Ram back to Seetha, and I will keep it,” Bheem mentioned noticing her expressive eyes, ”But he won't get better here, in England there are good medicines.

- Wait, Bheem it's a three week journey, without proper care Ram won't make it either,” Jenny mentioned turning her eyes to Ram and gathering the water dripping from his mouth with her other hand, ” What am I going to tell him when he wakes up?

- If the mob finds him, or the soldiers, I will do anything to protect him,” Bheem mentioned and his expression turned somber, ”But I would prefer him to live, however he will not be able to defend himself in this state, they can kill me and I would not mind, but I would not forgive myself if I fail to return him home.

Jenny looked at the determination in Bheem's dark eyes, and knew it was true.

- I... I can't promise I'll take him, but we'll find medicine for him and a doctor in Bombay, that I promise with my life,” Jenny affirmed and noticed Bheem's countenance relax a little, ”We need to get some sleep.

As she settled into the back of the van on the mats and precarious sheets, she looked up at the stars shining brightly over the treetops. This was not normal in the life of a young English girl, but for some reason she was not terrified.

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Jenny took a quick bath and thanked heaven to find the Watson hotel with the right room for her, it was still uncomfortable to receive those indiscreet looks at her person, it was not normal to receive young women staying alone.

She was finally able to change after almost two days of travel, and stared at her damp hair in the mirror.

Two hours earlier she and Bheem managed to find a doctor to attend to Ram, before they had to explain to him insistently that they were not lepers, that they were only fleeing for their lives. The doctor immediately helped them without hesitation, even giving Jenny a room to remove the cloths that covered her completely.

She still had to return with discretion there, she needed to get some medicine for Ram and leave them money so they could return safely, though in her heart she knew they would not be safe, not as long as their enemies were her uncles and England.

Jenny lay down on the bed for a few seconds and closed her eyes, she would just rest for a few moments and then go to where Bheem and Ram were.

When she opened her eyes again she discovered that night was beginning to fall over the city and she was startled, she reprimanded herself for letting her tiredness get the better of her. Opening her purse she took some of her money making sure her ticket was still there.

The small dispensary had what she needed and she paid without a problem what an Indian could not afford without a month's work. Jenny walked forward avoiding showing too much of her face, many soldiers were coming and going to the Governor's house in Delhi, and she did not want to be recognized.

Jenny took a rickshaw completely against her good manners and explained with great difficulty where she wanted to go, the young man looked at her with confusion but at last seemed to understand when she said: Doctor Ali.

The Englishwoman did not like this kind of transport, in fact she preferred to drive the cars from her uncle's house, they made her feel that she had a purpose rather than just being pretty and submissive as her aunt used to refer to the ideal woman.

Jenny paid for the ride about 10 minutes later, asking for it to wait. She was relieved when she discovered Bheem at the entrance of what was a neighborhood, exactly where they had been this afternoon.

- Jenny...- He was instantly relieved to see her.

- I'm sorry, I was too tired,” she apologized, extending the small bag with medicines ans money for Ram, ”My ship leaves tomorrow at noon Bheem, and I have to leave to prepare everything.

Bheem's eyes danced in confusion as he looked at her.

- I will leave you some money to pay for the doctor's services, and maybe it will help you and Ram get home faster,” Jenny said and watched Bheem extend her hand.

- Jenny, I need you to take Ram with you,” Bheem exclaimed, ”Dr. Ali came back from the market this afternoon, he says that the soldiers are starting to search the houses one by one, it seems that what happened in Delhi is serious.

The young Englishwoman gasped, not knowing what to do.

- Bheem, if they recognize Ram, and if they recognize me as an accomplice, do you know what that means for me? Jenny frowned, she wanted to help them, God she really wanted to but not to be discovered in these conditions would be like a miracle.

Bheem lowered her hand understanding from her expression that in fact being here was a risk to herself.

- Thank you, Jenny,” Bheem mentioned clasping her hands together and she shook her head.

- Thank you for coming for me, Bheem. I don't know if I would be alive otherwise.

She just nodded and before she felt her heart break into a thousand pieces for a reason she couldn't explain, she just turned and walked back in the direction of the rickshaw.

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Jenny's eyes widened in surprise when she discovered Bheem at the port, he was with a turban on his head and impeccable clothes that looked like some respectable Indian businessman.

- Bheem...- She tried only to monosyllabize, worried about attracting attention.

- Last night the soldiers searched the doctor's house, I have no safe place for Ram, so we just, we just have you,” Bheem expressed and extended an already stamped ticket in her hands, ”He is in the server section. I registered him as Akhtar

- I am supposed to be carrying a servant...” Jenny looked at Ram's ticket and then at Bheem wondering where he got those clothes from.

- Yes... please, I beg you,” Bheem insisted and placed a moon necklace on the ticket, ”I am entrusting my Anna's life to you.

Jenny felt panic take hold of her and then after Bheem she began to see that some soldiers were advancing and register all the Indians who were there.

- I'll take care of him, you should leave now,” she said feigning as much indifference as she could and put the ticket along with the necklace in her purse.

Jenny didn't turn around once she crossed Bheem's side, but her body was shaking violently, how was Ram supposed to survive three weeks of travel in such a bad state?

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