Ajabdeh sat quietly on the palace balcony, her baby sound asleep on the Jhula. Unlike traditional Princesses, she did not let her firstborn be taken care of by Dai Ma. After all, she was the future Maharani and had to make sure the heir to the throne was safe. After all, she was one of the few to know how manipulative her stepmother-in-law was. The Bhatiyani Queen hated her husband. Suddenly, she heard footsteps and grew alarmed.
"Baiji Sa..." She was relieved to see her Daasi.
" Yes, what is it?" She asked, eagerly.
" Maharani Sa sent you a message to be ready. Kunwar sa and Rana ji will be arriving back in Chittor any time soon, and it's been twenty-one days, so Maharani Sa wants you to welcome Kunwarsa yourself."
As the Daasi left, she picked up her newborn, kissed his forehead and whispered, " Kunwar Sa will see you for the first time." Her eyes twinkled with joy. He had written to her continuously these last few months when he could not be with her because he had to oversee the construction of the new capital. She was used to this. After all, their first priority had always been their motherland. This was the tradition of their forefathers.
Two maids arrived to dress her up in the best of her attire, her gaudy jewellery and a traditional red lehenga. She always liked it simple, and so did he, but she was not that common anymore. The Aarti thal was ready. She picked it up and made her way towards the gates of the Rani Mahal as the sound of hooves and cheer grew closer. Chittor seemed to come alive at the break of dawn.
He rode in with his father, who was duly welcomed and taken inside the Palace by his queens. She saw him coming toward her with a smile on his face. His eyes met hers and made her blush. Even after two years, nothing had changed. She did the Aarti and put a Tilak on his forehead. The Praja gathered outside and cheered his name.
" Padharo Kunwar Sa." She welcomed him. A turn in the corridor and they were all alone.
" Ajab De... " He held her hand. " I can't tell you how eager I was to come back this time."
" Kunwar Pratap, I can't wait to tell you what I felt when I held him in my arms." Her eyes shone in happiness and pride.
" You won't take me to meet my son?" Kunwar Pratap smiled back.
"Yes..." He let go of her hand and let her step forward.
" No, Kunwar Pratap. You have to bathe, get fresh and then meet the newborn with a shagun with your Rajiraj as per the traditions." Maharani Jaivanta Bai interfered. Kunwar Pratap took her blessings and left for his chambers.
At the traditional ceremony, Kunwar Pratap came to see the newborn prince with his father. The little bundle of joy slept peacefully in the golden cradle meant for him. The traditional name-giving ceremony was held by Kunwar Pratap's friend and Rajpurohit Chakrapani Mishra. Kunwar Pratap and his Ajab De Punwar held their baby boy and named him Amar Singh.
" Kunwar Pratap, many proposals are coming for you from all over Rajputana." Rani Jaiwanta Bai was proud of her son. "Ranas are congratulating you on the birth of crown prince Bhanwar Amar and also asking for your hand in marriage." She continued to the taken aback Pratap with Ajab Deh by his side.
" You know what I feel about marriage alliances, Rani Ma." It was a stern answer. Jaivanta Bai exchanged a worried and perplexed look with Ajabdeh, who stood by his side.
" But Kunwar sa, you are a future Rana, and these are important to grow our army against the Mughals. Your Daajiraj wants the same, too."
At this, the young, impatient nineteen-year-old Pratap turned on his heel and walked away down the corridor of the Chittorgarh Kumbha Palace towards Ajabdeh's chambers. The room had been his safe space over the past two years. Jaivanta Bai heaved a sigh and sat down, worried as Ajabdeh reassured her. She need not worry. Ajabdeh would do the needful. She knew her responsibilities now. As a wife, a mother, but first and foremost as the future queen of Mewar. " Ranima, I will talk to him. Who is the princess?" She tried hard so that her voice would not tremble.
" Pur Bai Solankini, from the land of Pratap's Majhli Ma sa. She is Sajja's niece." Jaivanta watched her nod. The alliance would indeed be good for Pratap, especially when some people were trying hard to create a rift between him and Kunwar Shakti, who was now at Baasi. Ajab Deh made her way to her chambers with a smiling face.
" Kunwar Pratap..." As she entered the room, he put his hand on her lips. "Not another word from you, Ajab Deh, I know you are going to repeat what Rani Ma said."
" Solankini Bai is a good alliance, from Majhli Ma's side. She is a princess of the dynasty that once helped Bappa Rawal," she continued, ignoring his glances. He watched her go around the room, arranging things as she spoke, clearly ignoring his stares.
" You promised me that you would do what is best for our land, and the Solanki clan has huge armies. This will also set aside the rumours they made about you and Kunwar Shakti."
" Ajab Deh." His stern voice stopped her from picking up the Granth that lay beside her bed. She turned back and looked at him.
" Marriage doesn't mean alliances, Ajab Deh, we are not the lowlives who marry to put princesses in their harem. Marriages grow with love, respect and understanding. "
" Yes, I am sure she is beautiful enough for you to have a good marriage." Ajab Deh bit her tongue, knowing what she had done.
Angered, he held her hand. " Ajab De!"
" Shama Kijiye..." She stammered, seeking his forgiveness. Her face melted his heart. He made her sit beside him. " I can never love another like you, Ajab Deh, no matter how big an alliance she might be, you are my Princess." He could see her eyes were hurt yet happy. " Neither can they understand me like you; they will know the Prince in me, you know the person." Ajabdeh held his hand reassuringly.
" Kunwar Sa, I am not going anywhere. Amar is there with us, too, but you cannot win the wars with the Timurids without aid. You need this for me, us, our subjects and Amar. We need to make him the best, and it can not be done if we lose Mewar to the Mughals. Then Amar will live never knowing us." The thought of Jauhar and Saka shook their minds. They sat in silence, lost in thought, hand in hand.
The next day in the courtroom, he stepped in front of his father as his mother and wife witnessed the events from the Jharohars, " I am ready for the marriage, but I have a condition."
" What is it, Kunwar Pratap?" Rana Udai Singh asked.
" I want it to be made clear to the princess and her family that she will only be a queen and not have the rights of suggesting and guiding me like Ajab Deh does. She will never expect to be my Maharani, as even though she is a princess of a higher rank, Ajab Deh is my first wife. " Pratap's intentions were clear; he was doing this for his motherland and family. Udai Singh smiled at his wife at his son's words. The seventeen-year-old Ajab Deh stood disbelieving at his condition. The queens of Udai Singh were amused and pulled her leg at how lucky she was. Deep down, she knew she was indeed lucky to have him.
After the court was over, Pratap made his way through the Rani Mahal looking for her. Rani Veer Bai informed him she was at Meera Ma's Temple. With a smile, he walked to the temple premises and found her singing bhajans. He quietly ordered the crowd of maids and guards to disperse. She stopped her song and looked at him, from behind her dupatta. He took Prasad and smiled at her. " Happy now?"
" Yes, Dhanyavaad." She smiled. He burst into laughter. She looked confused.
" You may be the first wife in the world, Ajab Deh, who wants her husband to remarry when he does not." His smile faded as he looked at her. " Why? Isn't it difficult?" He was concerned.
" Yes, but I know I am your friend more than a wife. Nobody else can be that. Besides, you only taught me to think of my people and motherland before us, right?" He always had no word for her intelligent answers. " Let's walk home today." She nodded with a smile.
Together they made their way to the palace side by side, not a word exchanged in public, yet their silence spoke to each other, he of his love and she of her faith in his love. A long journey lay ahead, the teenagers unaware of what the future had in store. Ten more marriages, wars, the siege of Chittor, moving to Udaipur, hiding in the forests, all that history witnessed in their life.
Maharana Pratap Singh and Maharani Ajab De Punwar's love stood the test of time for almost thirty years of their marriage, and two sons later, before her untimely death. He married her sister as per her last wish, and all through their life, they kept aside their personal happiness and pleasure for their motherland.
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