Skip to main content

Engaged to Love

At dawn, Ajab de was singing her favourite Bhajan to the Lord when Hansa Bai came and sat with her. The palace was decorated well for the Sagaai, and Hansa Bai's eyes teared up at the thought of losing her favourite daughter.

" What's wrong, Maa Saa?"
" Nothing, Ajabde. I was thinking it's only a matter of time before you go to Chittor and I will never hear you sing again." She sobbed as Ajabde hugged her.
" I will come back to visit you, Maa sa...."
" Only in Pak Fera and on occasions, and when you have children. That's the rule of the Royal Family, you cannot come here when you want. "
" She is my daughter, Hansa, and if she wants to meet you, I can assure you that no rule will stop her. "Jaivanta Bai interrupted the mother-daughter moment with a smile.
" I know, Jaivanta, I will not worry about her because I know you will be there."
" Hansa, Yu should not worry as long as Kunwar Pratap is there for her." His name made Ajabde blush as she walked past them and to her room.

Ratan was busy with a hundred options for her Jija's Sagaai. Not every commoner married the crown prince. She had to do something special. Hansa Bai made Ajabde sit down and applied Chandan on her to make her already glowing face glow more. Jaivanta Bai came in worried.
" Ranaji has called Dheerbai; she is arriving at the Sagaai soon." Everyone's faces were gloomy when Ajabde smiled, "Of course, Choti Maa has to come to bless her favourite son." Her smile and confidence made Jaivanta less worried.

As they got Ajabde ready in her crimson red chunri and green lehenga, Sajja Bai decided to do a Nazar Uthran of Mewar's Kuwarani.
" I think we need to save Ajabde from Kunwarsa's eyes only. She is looking so beautiful, he will only stare at her." Sajja Bai's comment made everyone laugh, and Ajabde blushed red.

In a room at the far end of the corridor, Kunwar Pratap was wearing his turban, helped by Chakrapani.
" You are making him wear the turban, Chakrapani. Look at the smile he is wearing today. "
Kunwar Shakti chuckled as Kunwar Pratap stopped smiling and looked at him sternly.
 "You are next, Bhai Shati, we will see what you do!"
" True, Kunwarsa, the first time I am seeing a man so happy to get married. " Chakrapani joined in.
" Aree... stop talking, you two, and help me get ready,  I'm late." Pratap tried to ignore their glances as Veni and Bheem laughed.
" So Kunwar Pratap is so eager for the Saagai." Everyone was shocked as Udai Singh joined the group. Pratap was stunned.
" Daajiraaj, you also!" He replied, shocked.
" Come, Kunwarsa, I need to talk to you." Everyone else left immediately.
" Kunwar Pratap, you are soon going to start a new life, and I want to tell you something really important today.... " Pratap waited in silence.
" I have seen that in many ways, Ajabde is like your Ranima. Her ideals, morals, and self-respect are all like Jaivanta Bai ji. I had always tried to understand her in vain; I know I displeased her a lot. I was married to her when I was your age, and since then, the only happiness we shared was you. " Pratap was stunned at his father's words. Everything he said was known, but he never expected his father to actually say those.
" Always keep Ajabde pleased and give her priority among all your alliances. I failed your Ranimaa. But I know you are more like her than me. And Pratap, I am sorry, as a father, I didn't listen to you first; no one could be better than Ajabde for you." Kunwar Pratap hugged his father with a smile. See, Ajabde, what you have done, you made Rana Udai Singh speak out to me....

Jaivanta Bai was shocked to see Rana Udai Singh share a smile and a hug with her son. She smiled, pleased as she broke the father-son moment, saying, " Come, Pratap, the Panditji is calling you to the hall. " Udai Singh nodded in approval as Pratap went out with Ranima. As Udai Singh sat lost in his thoughts, a guard came in and announced, "Rani Dheerbai is here, Ranaji."

Ajabde sat in her room, her hands going cold in nervousness. The guests had arrived mainly from her family, the Chittor and Jalore Royal Family, Jaivanta Bai's homeland. Bhago and Ratan came running in to inform, " Kunwarsa is at the hall and he looks so handsome." Sajja Bai smiled at Ajabde, who was blushing.
" He is handsome as always, he's my Dadabhai after all!" The voice made them turn as a beautiful girl, almost Ajabde's age, entered with Jaivanta Bai. Her lehenga and jewellery indicated she was a royal.
" Ajabde, this is Heer Kanwar, Pratap's cousin from Jalore."
" Bhabisaa!" She hugged a taken-aback Ajabde. Ajabde remembered Pratap talking of Heer to her once.
" Aree, let the vivah happen, then call her Bhabisa." Sajja laughed. Heer touched her feet.
" I have heard of you from Dadabhai, too." She gushed.

Kunwar Shakti was at the door.
" Panditji has called for Bhabisa." He said to his mother as his eyes fell on the stunning beauty beside her.
" Shakti, this is Rajkumari Heer Kanwar of Jalore."
" Kunwar Shakti Khamma Gani."
"Gani Khamma." Ajabde noticed a familiar smile on Shakti's face, a smile that could be genetic, she thought as she looked at Heer blushing. A smile curved Ajabde's face. Dheerbai entered the room, " I will take Mewar's future Kuwarani to the hall. "
"Of course, Dheerbai ji, since you are so happy with this sagaai." Jaivanta Bai's taunt made Hansa and Sajja smile at each other. Ignoring them, Dheerbai held Ajabde's stone-cold hands.
"Are you nervous already? What will happen when you have to welcome more wives of his with a smile, Ajabde?" Dheerbai whispered. Ajabde smiled. " It's just jitters, Chotima." Dheerbai was not impressed.

At the hall, amidst the mantras and the crowd chatter, he heard her Payals... and looked up. Her face hidden in a dupatta, she made her way to the hall, and a smile curved his face. He saw Dheerbai lead her and was a little bothered as he looked at his mother, who gave him an assuring nod.  A bail of water was kept between them as the Panditji instructed them to unveil her dupatta. Dheerbai stepped forward to do the honours, and her nervous face was unveiled as he looked at her reflection on the water. Then he looked into her scared eyes directly with a smile. His smile paced down her heartbeats, and she smiled back. Mantras were said, pujas were performed. Jaivanta Bai blessed Ajabde with traditional jewellery and clothes, and Raoji blessed Pratap with a sword and turban. After the puja, the cousins and friends decided to have some fun. They took the newly engaged couple to the room.

Kunwar Shakti was confused. He didn't know why he couldn't take his eyes off Heer throughout the ceremony and even in the halls. Her smile made him smile, and her voice made him skip a beat. What's happening to me?

Kunwar Pratap was waiting for a moment with Ajabde in private, but they were always surrounded by people.
Ratan and Heer were teasing Pratap, saying, "You should gift her something." 
Not being able to scold his sister, Pratap asked Ajabde, "What do you want?" as the others laughed.
" A promise."
" Promise?"
" Yes, Mewar will always be independent, promise me," came a soft reply, stunning everyone. He smiled with pride, " I promise you, Ajabde, as long as I live, Mewar will be independent." 
Heer frowned. " What is this, Bhabisa? You had the opportunity to ask for anything!"
Shakti smiled, " She is Dadabhai's reflection!" 
Heer looked at him with a smile that stopped his world as Ajabde looked at the duo and then at Pratap, who was looking at Chakrapani helping Bhagwati with the flower on her hair.

That night, Ajabde stood on her balcony, looking at the rain, lost in thought. After a few more days at her home, the thought made her sad. A creak of the door made her turn as she looked at Pratap walk in, looking back to check if someone saw him.
" You?"
" Ajabde..."
" We need to talk." Their voices together stunned each other.
" You first", She replied.

" I don't know why Chotima is here, but I am sure she will trouble you." He sounded worried. " I ..."
" Don't worry about me, Kunwarsa, I will not make the same mistakes again. " She assured him as he held her hand.
 "Now my turn!" She was excited.
" Say... what's the news...."
" Kunwar Shakti... did you notice him at the ceremonies?"He was lost.
"Did you see Heer Kanwar Baisa?"
" Behena? Ajabde, you are confusing me."
" I think Kunwar Shakti likes her!" Her smile was cut short by his laughter.
"Bhai Shakti? He is never interested in girls!"
" Were you always interested in girls?" Her question shocked him.
" No... I...."
" I don't know how you did not notice him at the ceremony. He has your smile...."
"I didn't know you were busy noticing them when all your attention should have been towards me. " He stepped towards her with a teasing smile. " And now, the sagaai is also done, you know!" She skipped a heartbeat.
" Kunwarsa!"
He stepped forward and unveiled her dupatta. Then her scared eyes made him smile as he stepped back and said, " Subhratri." He left his bride smiling as he dashed to his room.





Popular posts from this blog

Purnota: Chapter Eleven

Bondita opened her window to find Thamma and Jyatha Moshai missing from the lawn. The chairs were empty. Was she sleeping till late? She checked the clock and shook her head. Taking the towel, she hurried towards the bathroom, countering Kalindi on the way. She was reading the newspaper with her rimless reading glasses on. “Umm… why are you here? Where is Jyatha Moshai?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly and sighed without putting the paper away. Her lack of response puzzled Bondita as she made her way to take a bath. When she came out in a pair of jeans and a shirt, rolling her sleeves up, Kalindi observed her keenly. “Will you be going somewhere?” She enquired. Bondita nodded.  “Ah, yes, the District Office, some of my paperwork for the Bar Membership needs to be signed by a Gazetted Officer. Jyatha Moshai knows someone…” “Don’t go by their house… he is in a bad mood.” Kalindi placed some Chirer Polao in front of her and spoke as Bondita rubbed her wet hair with a frown. “Why?” “Oh...

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

Aniruddha eyed Trilochon, sitting at the desk in his room, attending to some paperwork. His reading glasses were on his nose, and he appeared engrossed in a financial document. He stood at the threshold, a bit unsure and glanced over his shoulder at Somnath, Batuk and Bondita. She gestured at him to go on. Aniruddha cleared his throat. That prompted Trilochon to look away from his document at his nephew. “Jethu, if you are busy, I can come back…” He suggested unsurely. “Come in and close the door.” Trilochon glanced over Aniruddha’s shoulder at the others who walked away hurriedly. Aniruddha closed the door, and Bondita tiptoed to place her ears on it. Batuk and Somnath stood at a distance. “So you met her?” Trilochon spoke while cleaning his glasses. Aniruddha nodded. Somnath had introduced them to Ashalata. Bondita, Batuk, and he had met them in a Dhaba off the highway. Although Bondita did most of the talking, initiating a friendly gesture to put the nervous Ashalata at ease, he had...

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

Bondita woke up to the alarm clock ringing as she struggled to get her hand out of the quilt wrapped around her. She sat inside the mosquito net, rubbing her eyes and staring at the clock, trying to remember why she had set the alarm at 3.45 AM. Then her eyes shone in delight. It was Mahalaya. She remembered that during her days in Dehra, she had educated her roommate on the tradition of starting pujo with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra echoing through the air. She was uninterested, and Bondita had borrowed her headphones to hear the program and deeply missed home. She remembered that as a child, while her father was still alive, he would gently wake her up, and take her on his lap to the huge Banyan tree near the Panchayat where people gathered near the Pradhan’s radio, putting flower garlands and lamps around it and folding their hands as they heard Mahishashur Mardini killing the Asura. When she arrived in Kolkata to get her law degree, she thought things would be different. B...

You Deserve More

Ajabdeh woke up with the song of birds as she felt something warm on her hand. Her eyes went wide. Her hand was on the pillow in between them, between his hands, clasped as he slept. She thought of removing it slowly, but he was holding on to it so tightly. Ajabdeh's heart beat faster and faster. What do I do now? How do I not wake him? What if... why is my hand in his? She was utterly confused.   " Am I...In love?" Pratap was staring at the sleeping figure on the bed as he stared back at the rain. Then he frowned as he noticed that she shivered. He closed the windows of the room to make it cosy, then sat on his side of the bed. A lamp flickered on her side like always, and he stared at her sleeping figure as he put his blanket over her as well. She shifted a little in her sleep to make herself cosy again. Her payals and bangles made a rhythmic sound, breaking the silence of the room. Her hand was out of her blanket and on the pillow in between. He tried to slowly put it ...

Purnota: Chapter Ten

The rain clouds gave way to the scorching sun the following day as Bondita woke up as the first rays of the sun hit her face and disturbed her sleep. She cursed herself for keeping the window open and sat inside the mosquito net with a sleepy yawn. She eyed the alarm clock on her desk that said 6.30. Bondita scratched her head and pulled the mosquito net up to search for her slippers. She heard the bell ringing from Thamma’s room and the chanting of mantras. A smile came involuntarily to her lips as she realised that she might have come after ages, but everything in Chandannagar seemed to have been at a standstill. She grabbed the Kurti from the chair to change from the top she was wearing and wondered what she could do for the day. For the first time in a long time, she was free from the routine of boarding houses. Her eyes fell on the mess around her room since she had not unpacked the day before. Bondita decided to spend the morning unpacking her belongings. She opened the door of h...

Dreams and Wishes

At dawn, the Bhil women took the girls to the Kalika Mata Temple and the Jal Kund. Dressed in white, a nervous Heer followed everything Ajabde knew and did, trying to explain the significance of the rituals to her. They prayed to Lord Ganesh. Kunwar Shakti and Kunwar Pratap were staying at Punja Ji's place, as they were not supposed to see the brides before the wedding. Ajabde was dressed in her mother's lehenga, a mang tika Jaivanta Bai gave her as a family heirloom and the simple nosering Pratap had gifted. They made their hair into a simple bun with wildflowers before putting on their dupatta. Heer was dressed in traditional Bhil jewellery of silver and beads that the women had gifted her. They made her wear a red and white saree draped as a lehenga and a red chunri with it. She looked like a pretty, colourful Bhil bride. Kunwar Shakti was a nervous groom dressed in a traditional bhil dhoti, kurta and cap. The bhil shawl hung from a side, making the white attire colourf...

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

It had been a month since Bondita had started working in the firm. With Somnath’s wedding date being set for winter, many things were keeping Trilochon and Kalindi busy as they took charge of the smooth running of things leading up to the wedding. They needed to shop for everyone, buy gifts and choose jewellery and sarees for the bride. Despite his attempts, Trilochon found Binoy reluctant to participate in his son’s wedding arrangements. Somnath took him and Kalindi to places they wanted to go, especially Kolkata for shopping, and Trilochon made arrangements to make sure that the first wedding of the generation was grand enough. Bondita tried to help as much as she could as she noticed Aniruddha being oddly aloof from the entire thing. She assumed it was due to Trilochon’s reactions to his lack of interest in marriage. Trilochon kept pestering her to enquire into his reasons while she kept stalling him with excuses. Bondita also failed to know more about Kalindi and Trilochon’s past, ...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Confrontation

Maine kahan tha saath rahunga Banunga main tera saaya Par tere saath kuch kadam bhi Main nahi chal paya Bondita got out of bed and left the room before Aniruddha woke up. She went about her chores and decided to ignore his presence until she found herself a logical explanation for her impulsive behaviour, good enough for him to forgive her mistake. She made breakfast and told the cook to note down who preferred what for when she would leave. She waited in the kitchen long enough for the breakfast to be served by the house help and eaten. His routine was fixed. He would go to the study room and leave for work in half an hour. Then, she wouldn’t have to put up with this hide-and-seek till late afternoon or evening. But things rarely go as planned in life. “Bondita? Bouma!” Trilochan’s call made her shake her head. She pulled the ghomta above her head and walked out to the dining area. Eyes met briefly as she looked away and spoke to Trilochan as if dismissing his presence altogether....

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

A week was all it took for Bondita to get used to work and the new routine. She would wake up early and hurry through her chores, helping Kalindi prepare a tiffin of either Chirer Polao or bread jam and then proceeding to the Roy Chowdhury house. She would arrange the day’s paperwork before Aniruddha arrived at the study room. Occasionally, she would hear him call out to Koeli for breakfast and pack her things, knowing he was almost ready to leave. He would walk into the chamber, check his list, and they would go to work. She would follow him from courtroom to courtroom. She would be sitting in the audience and learning. She would follow him to conferences and client meetings and take notes. They would discuss complicated cases. She would share the tiffin she brought from home. He would at first take a reluctant bite, then eat more than her. She often gave him her share of food discreetly. They usually stayed back after everyone was gone and ordered food for dinner. Some days, he woul...