Fun Times

Ajabde was up at dawn to do her daily puja. She was making a garland and humming a tune to herself. After many days of emotional turmoil, she was happy. Kunwar Pratap stepped into the mandir silently, making sure he didn't startle or interrupt her. He sat down beside her, the thaal of flowers between them. She stopped singing and got up.
" Kunwarsa?" She was acting displeased. "I told you I won't meet till the sagaai..."
" Ohho, Ajabde, I'm not here to meet you. For your information, this is a puja ghar. I can come here anytime I want ... To pray." He had this victorious smile on his face, teasing her.
" Kunwarsa, I know very well that is not the only reason you are here..."
" Accha?" He stared at her, forcing her to stare back at him before she looked away.
" Then tell me, Ajabde, why am I here?"
He moved towards her, scaring her a little. She moved away a few steps.
" Kunwarsa, this is a temple. And we are not engaged."
" So? I was checking that box behind you. What did you think?" He let out a chuckle. Ajabde went red and gulped. She found her way past him out of there with her lota in hand. He followed her through the corridors into the garden adjoining the arena. She was offering water to the tulsi as he stood begin her hands folded. She started moving around the Tulsi manch, and he followed suit. Irritated Ajabde tried very hard to ignore him, but a smile crept up on her face, making things easier for him. She stopped.
"Kunwarsa, what are you doing?"
" Ajabde, you saw we just took seven rounds together?" Ajabde blushed red.
" Kunwarsa, why are you doing this?"
" So that you quit your hopes of keeping me away from you for the week."
" That won't happen."
" Really? Then what are you doing here, Ajabde? With me talking to me?"
" You followed me here."
She was about to leave when Raoji interrupted.
"Kunwarsa, you won't practice today?"
" Yes, yes, Kunwarsa, go do your own work," Ajabde whispered to him with a taunting smile, sure that he would have to leave her alone now.
" You are challenging Kunwar Pratap Singh, Ajabde Punwar, you will see..." He whispered back, scaring her as Raoji approached them. Ajabde touched her father's feet.
" Saubhagyavatibhaba. Kunwarsa..."
" Raoji Ajbade is not taking her lessons seriously." Ajabde looked at him with wide eyes.
" What? Ajabde, is that so? You are not learning properly..." Before Ajabde could defend herself, Kunwar Pratap interrupted.
" No, Raoji. Since we arrived, I have not seen her practice even once. I was telling her to practice with me now, but she is so arrogant... " He smiled, knowing his job was done.
" Silence... Do as Kunwarsa says... How dare you refuse him? Go get ready and go to the arena..." Raoji was soft yet stern. Ajabde looked up, angry at a victorious Pratap.

At the arena, he was setting up dummies when he heard her payal and turned. He smiled at her eyes, which clearly showed anger.
" Come practice with the dummies."
" You know I practice everything religiously."
"Of course I do."
" Then why did you tell Daata..."
" You don't know why?"
She picked up her sword." You want to play games, Kunwarsa... Let's play."
She pointed her sword at him as he picked up his amused expression.
" Be careful, Ajabde, I don't want a broken bone by my future wife on my sagaai itself." He replied, amused. " Am so scared!'' Ignoring his taunt, she swung her sword. He defended it. Then he attacked her, sitting on his knee... She jumped up to avoid being hurt on her legs. Her payals were adding music to the duel. Their swords clashed as he still sat on one knee. He pulled at her dupatta, and it fell on his face. She let out a laugh as he freed himself from it.
" This is cheating." He said as swords clashed again. He was up on his feet, facing her.
"What?"
" Your dupatta, your payal, they make me lack concentration."
" Well, then they can help on the battlefield too..." They were moving as they spoke. Attacking and defending.
" Ajabde Baisa, everyone is not a fan of your dupatta and payal like me." She gave a smile as she pushed him against a pillar with her sword.
" Am I too strong today, or are you not paying attention, Kunwarsa?"
He answered with the sword. He whirled it up and hit her sword in such a way that it fell from her hand. She took out her knife.
" You are fighting a sword with a knife?"
"I am a Rajputani Kunwarsa ... I fight till death." She replied.
" No, Ajabde." He stopped. " I pray you never have to fight as long as I am there." His words made her stop as well, and she nodded, " I know I will never need to fight with you around. But when you fight with me, you will have to sort it out with the sword." She smiled. "Done!" He agreed.

Kunwar Shakti came into the arena and was stunned to see them there. Ajabde quickly picked up her dupatta and put it on her face.
" Bhai Shakti, come, let's have a duel."
" Really, Dadabhai? It seems like you lost to Ajabde Baisa today. I would rather fight her instead." He joked. Kunwar Pratap was in protest.
"No, no, I didn't lose. Am the one who dropped her sword."
"But she took out the knife, and you quit. So you lost. "
" Bhai... How do you know that? Where were you hiding?" Pratap scrutinised him. Ajabde walked away, embarrassed.
" Behind that pillar!" He answered as he got a pat from Pratap.
The elders were sitting at dinner discussing guest lists and dresses when Jaivanta Bai asked, " What colour dress do you want?" Addressing Ajabde. Pratap thought it was for him as both replied, " Red and green." Then looked at each other, shocked. Chakrapani and Shakti were the first to laugh at the embarrassed duo, followed by everyone, as Ajabde walked out with the excuse of bringing more food, and Pratap resumed eating. Hansa Bai looked at a happy Jaivanta Bai, who said, "See, they are like each other's shadow. A match made in heaven."

Back in Chittorgarh, Rani Dheerbai was writing an apology letter to Udai Singh, hoping to be invited back for the sagaai. She had to clean up her mess before it was too late, and Samant Putri won.

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, ...

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Seventeen

Bondita opened the curtains of her room at The Park to find the view of Stephen Court and the street below going towards the Maidan. She eyed the double bed and placed her things on one side while lying down on the empty side. The soft bed made her yawn as she sat up, staring at the clock. She needed to change for a quick dinner. They had an early matter at the High Court, and the client’s car was supposed to pick them up around 9 AM. As she changed into a full-sleeve black top and jeans, removed her earrings and adjusted her smudged Kajal, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Aniruddha standing in a pair of jeans and a grey polo-necked T-shirt, his hair brushed back, as he cleaned his thin-rimmed glasses with the edge of his T-shirt. “Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, putting the glasses back on. As she nodded, she grabbed her handbag. They walked into The Bridge, and Bondita was a little conscious of her environment. Many foreign guests, businessmen and even s...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty One

The morning after the Chief Minister of the state attended the reception party, Binoy wrapped the newspaper that had just arrived at their threshold, eyeing the picture of him and Trilochon with the chief minister smiling proudly, made a mental note of framing it for his office in Siliguri and stepped out to see the car waiting for him in the entrance to take him to the station. He glanced over his shoulder at the house, still asleep and watched Bihari put his luggage in the back seat. Bihari had been with the Roy Chowdhury House since he was a teenager. He eyed Binoy as he lit his pipe and straightened his jacket when Bihari approached him. “Boro Saheb, should I inform Kotta Moshai once?” Binoy eyed Bihari with a disapproving glance. “If I wanted to tell him, I would have done so myself, Bihari. Where is the driver?” He checked his watch. Bihari sighed as he ran to check on the driver. Bondita stopped on the gravelled path leading from the entrance to the main gate as she watched...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Two

The winter morning was pleasant, especially when the sunshine hit the dewy grass on the lawn, and Bihari set down the porcelain cups for Trilochon and Kalindi to start their day. Kalindi had just taken up some orders to knit sweaters and mittens for some of the neighbourhood kids as she wrapped the thick brown shawl tightly around herself, on the chilly morning as she sat down on the lawn chair with her needles, pin and colourful balls of wool, as she knit a pair of mittens while waiting for Trilochon to join her. Bondita hurried out of their place and stopped at the sight of her sitting alone, unsurely. “Do you need something?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly from the wool and asked as she shook her head. “I was hoping to talk to Jyatha Moshai…” She shivered a little as Kalindi scolded her to find a sweater first. She rushed indoors as Kalindi spotted Trilochon in a thermal t-shirt, a pair of pants and a shawl walking towards her with the cane in hand. He stopped as he watched her kni...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty

Trilochon’s only desire for Som’s wedding was for it to be so grand that the entire Chandannagar remembered it for the longest time. He had also invited the leaders of the opposition, ministers and even the CM, and if rumours were to be believed, he would accept the invitation. That meant trying to impress him for a ticket to the next Lok Sabha elections. He knew the only way to do so was also to showcase Som as a prodigy. Their family name was enough to earn votes for the party in the area. “Perhaps you could tell him about Somnath Babu’s involvement in some of the projects here. Like the slum area where water was flooding the pathways…” Poritosh had suggested. “But it was done by…” Bapi Da had stopped as Trilochon shook his head, “How does it matter who did it? What matters is that we say Som did it.” They agreed. “Jyatha Moshai.” Bondita walked into his room, not expecting the elderly men from the Party office to be there. “ Bolo, Maa. ” “The Gaye Holud is here.” She smiled. “How a...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Three

“So the question is, do the slum dwellers get their dues to relocate, or do they protest on the road, grabbing media attention? If one of them mentions the sewage project where all this started, we can’t guarantee not dragging certain names then. It will be beyond our control.” Bondita breathed in as she eyed everyone at the table. The conference hall of ARC & Associates had an oval table with a whiteboard, projector and podium and sitting around the table were a stenographer, Bondita’s secondary attorney, Debashish Ghosal, the contractor and his attorney Biswas, the representative of the NGO with the Union leader of the slum, Trilochon, Somnath and Aniruddha. The people of the NGO appreciated her strategy with a nod. Ghoshal looked perplexed as his lawyer whispered something in his ear. Somnath did not look up from the table as Aniruddha passed a note to Trilochon in writing. “Now the decision is yours.” Bondita continued. “We are keen on out-of-court settlement if our basic ...

Purnota: Chapter Nineteen

“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight. “Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up. “What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face. “Let me sleep, Daini !” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder. “Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn. “Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused. “Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting...

RAABTA

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