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.

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...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Six

Bondita opened her door in the usual hours of the morning and found Thamma and Jyatha Moshai on the couch in their living room, sipping tea. She had half sat on her bed, leaning against the pillow all night, imagining her plight when she faced Aniruddha in the morning. What if he did not think of it as much as she thought of his actions? What if that was his uncomfortable way of comforting her because she was upset? But what about his eyes, his gestures? Had she misread all of it? Bondita blushed to herself the moment she remembered how his eyes followed her around for the past two days. Bondita was hurrying through her daily chores, eyeing the clock, for she would be late for work and overheard Trilochon lament about things not changing since Binoy left. He thought that things were getting better at home, but as soon as Aniruddha had left for Sunderban, Binoy informed him that he had changed the attorney in charge of his case. Bondita frowned slightly as her hand stopped at wearing th...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Five

“The bride is older than the groom.” Aniruddha heard one of the older villagers speak in a judgmental tone. “No wonder the higher castes don’t attend such atrocities.” He eyed the younger man he was talking to, who smiled. Aniruddha was sitting beside them on a bench in the open courtyard of a house where the wedding rituals were taking place. Tirio and Tumdak were playing rhythmically in a corner as some women danced to the tunes surrounding the new bride and groom. The men sat on the other side of the courtyard. “Forget about the Brahmins, we don’t expect them to come.” The younger man shook his head. “As for traditions, what is wrong if the bride is older?” He smiled sheepishly at the older man. “What’s wrong? Everything. Master Moshai, you can be educated, but our ancient traditions have reasons. The groom must be older than the bride. It has some reason.” He shook his head. The teacher, in turn, educated the man that it was a perfectly normal Santhali ritual to marry older wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Seven

“Why will Bondita not come for Holi?” Asha asked as she inspected the colours, Abir, Pichkiri and balloons Somnath had ordered from Baro Bazaar. He shrugged. “She is scared of colours, I think.” Asha smiled, a little amused at her clueless husband. “She is not ten anymore.” He looked up at her words with a sheepish smile, “Well, I never saw her play Holi, perhaps Dadabhai knows the reason.” Asha contemplated her husband’s words. She did not share a relationship with Aniruddha frank enough for him to share things about Bondita. It would be easier for her to ask Bondita instead. “If you wish for her to come,” Som said, like he could almost read her mind, “Perhaps you can invite her. She won’t say no to you.” Asha nodded. “It will be good to have the whole family together. It's not been so since the wedding.” She smiled. Som agreed as he matched the list with the things. “Yes, and Baba will be coming too, he told me not to tell Jethu, but I was surprised by that.” “Maybe because he an...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Eight

Trilochon was so overwhelmed that Binoy came for the Pujo and Kirtan on Dol Purnima. Their neighbours, friends and acquaintances had all gathered in the Thakur Dalan, first for the pujo when the idol of Sree Radha and Sree Krishna were worshipped in the Dalan, and Horir Loot of Batasha and Naru were distributed. Unlike in the village, people here, especially children, did not fight over the Horir Loot . Bondita and Batuk took part in the ritual like they used to as kids, counting the number of Batasha each of them had, amusing the elders who reminisced about their childhood and how Batuk snatched Bondita’s share and ran as she chased after him, shouting. The Kirtan followed the pujo, the tales of Sree Krishna’s prowess, his Leela and Radha’s sacrifice were sung with the sounds of Dhol and Khanjani . It followed the devotional songs praising Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his praises to Lord Krishna. Bondita not only liked the stories of Kirtan but also how the crowd joined in the singing and...

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...

Endless

Kunwar Pratap reached the Dangal. Ranima had ordered Ajabdeh to practise regularly. She was nowhere around since he woke up that morning. He had assumed she was with Ranima for the morning prayers, but then she was not in the Dangal on time, either. Ajabdeh was never late. He felt a little uneasy as he picked up the sword. A thunder made him look up at the gloomy sky as he felt the first drop of rain. A little wet, he ran through the corridors. Ajabdeh had woken up feeling unwell. He was sleeping after a tiring day, so she decided against calling him and, more, worrying him. She bathed, hoping to feel better, performed her puja and went to the gardens for some fresh air. Still feeling uneasy in the gloomy weather, she decided that playing with Parvati might make her feel better. After some talk with Bhago and playing with Parvati, she stood up from the floor and felt dizzy. Bhago caught her hand. " Are you all right?" " I just felt a little dizzy. I don't know why...

The Difficulties

“The best of our characters are often reflected in our children.” Kunwar Shakta had visited the court at Udaipur after a Turk marriage offer was turned down by Rana Udai Singh for the third time for one of his Princesses. The Ranimahal at Chittorgarh buzzed with rumours of him warning his father about the consequences of enemity with the Turks and also about the impending doom of Mewar. He had apparently irked Kunwar Partap by suggesting a peace alliance with the Timurids was beneficial to Mewar. Rana Udai Singh, in his anger, had banished him from his court. Kunwar Shakta had sworn not to be associated with the royal family any further and to join allies with the Turks. Rawat Chundawat was calm enough to pacify the angry prince and offer him to shift to Bassi and give his decision a second thought. However, Kunwar Partap had refused to abandon Chittor, defying his father’s orders for a shift to the newly founded capital with his Ranimahal. He wanted to stay at Chittorgarh, which...

His Wife

" Where is the Kesar, Rama? And the Kalash?" Ajabdeh looked visibly displeased at the ladies who ran around. " They are at the fort gates, and nothing is ready yet!" She exclaimed. She was clad in a red lehenga and the jewellery she had inherited as the first Kunwarani of the crown prince. Little Amar ran down the hallway towards his mother. " Maasa Maasa... who is coming with Daajiraj?" His innocent question made her heart sink. " Bhanwar Ji." Sajja Bai called out to him. " Come here, I will tell you." Amar rushed to his Majhli Dadisa., " Ajabdeh." She turned at Jaivanta Bai's call. "They are here." " M... My Aarti thali..." Ajabde looked lost like never before. Jaivanta Bai held her stone-cold hands, making her stop. She patted her head and gave her a hug. The hug gave her the comfort she was looking for as her racing heart calmed down. Jaivanta Bai left her alone with her thaal. " Maa sa!" ...

Life and You

" Maharanisa! Maharanisa!" The maid-in-waiting ran through the quiet Rani Mahal as Jaivanta Bai, who was sitting in front of the Lord in her room ever since she was back, rushed out of her room, followed by Sajjabai and Veerbai. " What happened?" She asked, her voice calm, but her heart thumping. " Kunwarsa is here... with Kunwarani... She... She...." The maid sobbed as Jaivanta Bai rushed to the room. She stood at the door as her eyes could not believe what she saw. Kunwar Pratap was soaked in her blood as he laid her down on the bed, shouting, " Quick. Rajvaidya..." His eyes stopped at the door as Jaivanta Bai rushed to be beside the unconscious Ajabdeh. The Daasis and Sevaks were running about soon enough. Sajja Bai gasped at the scene. So much blood. Kunwar Pratap had not noticed anything except her calm, unconscious face. Now that he noticed his blood-soaked, red hands, he stared at them as though in a trance. "Kunwar Pratap! Tell me w...

RAABTA

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