The Palace was decorated for the wedding, the guest rooms were filled with renowned guests, and the family was busy with the wedding preparations. Rana Uai Singh, Raja Surajmal and Rawatji sat discussing matters of the state with Kunwar Pratap. The Ranimahal was filled with the laughter and giggles of princesses, queens and noblewomen. Everyone was eager to meet Ajabde, keeping her busy since the morning. Heer sat pretty in a white and gold lehenga while Shakti wore a white dhoti. The Ranimahal was separated into two groups: the bride and the groom.
Maharani Jaivanta Bai had made sure the royal tailor made dresses for every occasion, not only for the bride and groom but also for the newlywed Pratap and Ajabde. For Haldi, Ajabde was wearing a white lehenga like Heer's with a marigold yellow dupatta and pink borders. Pratap's white kurta had the same pink borders, and his turban matched his wife's dupatta. Ajabde wore her own wedding jewellery that made her look as gorgeous as the bride.
The Haldi powders and paste were first taken to Shakti. Jaivanta Bai, Sajja Bai and all other relatives were smearing Shakti with Haldi as he sat blushing, and Ajabde smiled, remembering her own wedding. She came forward, and Shakti smiled at her, putting forward his cheeks to his Bhabisa, making everyone laugh.
"Kuwaranisa will take the Haldi to Heer."
" Ji Ranima."
" Where is Kunwar Pratap?" Sajja Bai asked.
" He must be hiding somewhere, fearing the Haldi." Chakrapani smiled.
" Aree, you are here!" Ajabde hugged Saubhagyabati, whose baby bump was starting to show. Jaivanta Bai greeted them. Then she told Chakrapani,
" Now it's your job to drag him out of Rajkarm and make him enjoy the wedding, Chakrapani."
" I will do that, Maharanisa." Ajabde smiled at Jaivanta Bai before leaving with the Haldi.
" Aree... Bhabisa..."
" You want to say something, Kunwarsa?" Shakti had caught Ajabde in the corridor.
" Woh..."
"You want to say something to Heer Baisa?"
Shakti was a little hesitant, then he handed Ajabde a mala of Heer's favourite flowers.
" I got this for her hair..." Ajabde smiled and nodded, and took the gift for Heer.
"Jija, you are here!" Heer hugged Ajabde. "You look beautiful. " She swiftly handed Heer the gift while hugging, and she hid it beneath her dupatta. Jasobai saw that and smiled.
The Haldi ceremony was done; all the ladies were in the common hall, smearing each other with the remaining Haldi. Jaivanta Bai remembered she had kept some Haldi to dry on the roof of the Private Mahal of the family.
"Kuwaranisa, go fetch the remaining haldi too if it's there on the roof." She ordered.
" Ji."
" Chaliye Baojiraj!" Chakrapani was dragging Kunwar Pratap by the hand away from the kings and nobles.
" Aree, where are you taking me, Chakrapani?"
" I am following Maharani Sa's Aadesh Baojiraj!"
" What?"
" Yes, to keep you away from Rajkarya till the wedding, so I'm taking you to the Ranimahal!"
" Chakrapani, stop!" Kunwar Pratap let go of his grip." I have no work in the Ranimahal Chakrapani. The ladies are busy with the rituals there. I am going to my room!"
" But... Baojiraj!" Chakrapani was calling in vain at the retreating figure.
"Ohho!" Pratap was talking to himself. " If I go there, then Shakti can attack me with the haldi, the whole Mahal is filled with haldi, where will I go?"
Ajabde was picking up the powdered and dry paste Haldi in a bowl when she sensed his presence. He was a little taken aback seeing her there as he looked here and there to see if anyone was watching before he approached her with a smile. An idea struck Ajabde's mind. She smiled to herself.
" Ajab..." She turned around, throwing powdered haldi at his face, surprising him. His face and Kurta were smeared in Haldi as he looked at his wife giggle.
" What just happened?"
" You got smeared in Haldi." He couldn't help the little haldi on her left cheek as she laughed.
" Accha?" He took a handful of Haldi from the one spread on the floor.
" Nahi Kunwarsa!" She ran to the other end of the roof. Her payal made tinkling sounds, and he ran after her. Her dupatta was flowing.
" Why are you scared?" He caught her by the hand and pulled her close, and used his other hand to smear her face, neck and hair with the Haldi powder.
" Kunwarsa!" In a flash, she threw what remained of the bowl at him. He sat down, hiding his face with his palms.
" Aah, my eyes, Ajabde!"
" Are you all right?" Worry crept on her face as he pulled the haldi spread on the cloth on the floor and rained her with it, laughing.
" You tricked me!" She complained as she realised all the Haldi was now on the floor. But a Rajputani never loses. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the bucket of water nearby. She rushed to it before he could grab her.
" Ajabde No!" She splashed him with the water as he got drenched.
" You are in big trouble, Kuwaranisa!"
" No No No!" He grabbed a pail of water and splashed her lehenga. Now, as they ran, their footsteps made footprints across the floor of the roof. They ran about, throwing whatever they could find at each other, from dried leaves to even mud from the pots. Their laughter rang through the silence of the roof.
Jaivanta Bai wondered what was taking Ajabde so long; maybe there was no haldi left, and her Agyakari daughter was making some more. She walked up the stairs, followed by Sajjabai and her Bhabisa. They stopped hearing the laughter of the duo. Never had she heard Kunwar Pratap laugh so loud, let alone Ajabde. The trio exchanged a surprised look.
Jaivanta Bai stepped out on the roof to find it smeared in water and Haldi and mud, and their footprints everywhere. Kunwar Pratap's Pagri lay undone in the water. She travelled towards the sound of the laughter as she caught a glimpse of the sight before her. Pale in hand, Ajabde was ready to throw some water, and Kunwar Pratap was standing opposite her, in warrior stunts with what appeared to be some mud he picked up from a pot. The duo froze at her sight as Sajjabai and Mamisa stepped forward and exchanged a surprise look. Jaivanta Bai had a serious face on as she looked around the messed-up rooftop, and Ajabde hid behind Kunwar Pratap, dropping her pail and trying to put her dupatta back on. Both were dripping wet, smudged in Haldi and mud.
" Ranima... woh...." He opened his mouth as he spotted his undone pagri and went to grab it, exposing Ajabde, who was standing, red and staring at her own feet.
" Kunwar Pratap, go and have a bath." Jaivanta Bai was trying hard not to laugh. Ajabde walked past Pratap and them and ran down, followed by an embarrassed Pratap. The trio broke into laughter.
After a bath, Kunwar Pratap was in a Royal Blue kurta and was adjusting his red turban when Ajabde came in, in the same blue lehenga, her open hair wet and hanging from one side. Eyes met when he smiled. She had a worried look on her face.
" What happened?"
" Chi Chi Chi, Ranima saw us, with Majhli Ma and Mami sa. What will they be thinking of me?" She hid her face with her hands, making him laugh.
" Ajabde, you were there with me, not a stranger..."
" It's all your fault, Kunwarsa!"
" My fault?"
" Yes!"
" Who started it?" He folded his hands and stared at her as she looked away.
A daasi came in announcing, " Rajkumarisa is calling Kuwaranisa."
Ajabde left a smiling Pratap, who made his way to Shakti's room. Shakti was getting dressed for the wedding with Chakrapani's help when Pratap walked in. He was setting his brother's turban straight as the duo smiled at him. Ajabde entered the room rather awkwardly as Heer smiled at her.
" Jija, what happened on the roof?" Heer giggled.
" Woh... Hum... I need to go give Kunwar Shakti something." She left embarrassed.
" Dadabhai, whatever happened today ... has spread like wildfire!" Shakti kept a serious face as Chakrapani chuckled.
" You want to get married or not?" Pratap eyed his brother and then his friend.
Ajabde's entry made them all turn as she handed Shakti the neckpiece.
" Look, he is threatening again, Bhabisa!"
" Stop complaining like a kid, Bhai."
" Leave him alone, Kunwarsa."
" But Ajab... I..." He nodded and left, followed by Chakrapani.
" Waise Bhabisa! People really enjoyed the Haldi. Didn't they?" Shakti chuckled as Ajabde turned red and was about to leave when Chakrapani came back to announce, " They are calling the groom to the Mandap." Ajabde smiled and followed them out to see Kunwar Pratap waiting.
As they walked ahead, he gave her his hand, saying, " Chaliye."
She took it before carefully leaving it once they arrived at the corridors leading to the halls. He smiled and walked past her to Shakti as she smiled to herself. It truly was a Haldi she would remember!
