Colours and Fun

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!

Begum Sahib: Forbidden Love

2nd June 1634, Burhanpur. " My heart is an endowment of my beloved, the devotee and lover of his sacred shrine, a soul that enchants mine." The Raja of Bundi had arrived at Burhanpur after a win in the war of Paranda. He had met the crown prince Dara and was honoured with a sword and elephant before he came to pay his respect to the Padishah Begum as per the norms of the court. Jahanara was writing in her room. Her maid came with the news, “Begum Sahib, the Raja of Bundi has arrived at court; he is at the Bagh to pay you his respect.” “Tell him to sit in the courtyard of my bagh, I will be there.” She had risen from her place, covered her face in the veil of her dupatta and walked to the place where he waited. “ Begum Sahib," he had acknowledged her presence with a salutation. She returned the bow with a nod. She was sitting inside the arch while he was on the other side of the Purdah, the sun shining over his head as he took his seat on the velvet carpet th...

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!" A...

One Night

Happy Valentine's Day, readers! Hope you put your self-love and your love for reading right at the top when you celebrate today! The night was eerie; the veil of stars shone in the clear sky, occasional clouds travelling with the wind, playing hide-and-seek with the crescent moon. The leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, and somewhere in the forestland, the call of an animal broke the silence. Owls hooted somewhere, and in the darkness, one could see across the arid land, beyond the water of a lake, a fort wall was lit by the torches of the guards who were awake and alert. The sandstone castle in the middle of the small township was asleep. The corridors of the Mardana Mahal, where noblemen and princes were stationed, were heavily guarded tonight. The prince of Mewar was travelling through this small town, on one of his many campaigns. The square-shaped palace had an inner courtyard for the ladies. Opposite the Mardana Mahal was the Andar Mahal, where the women resided. They shar...

Scheme of Things

The ousting of Shams Khan and his troops from Chittorgarh earned Kunwar Partap Singh overnight fame across the land as tales of his bravery made their way through the dunes and hills, across rivers and borders to lands far and beyond. At thirteen, he had commanded an army troop to take over the fort of Chittorgarh and restore Mewar’s borders to their former glory. People started comparing him to his forefathers, the great Rana Kumbha, who built forts across Mewar and his grandfather, Rana Sanga, who had united all Rajputs against external threats. As bards sang praises of the prince, gossip soon followed. Gossip was the most entertaining one could get in the mundane city lives and village gatherings, and it often travelled faster than the fastest Marwadi horse. So alongside the tales of his absolute bravery and how he hoisted the Mewari flag on the fort, were the stories of how his life was in danger, the king and queen did not quite get along and how he was made to live in poverty by ...

Begum Sahib: An Introduction and chronology

Note to the readers: Women behind men in history fascinate me. I had been reading about the mothers and wives who changed men’s fortunes. But what about daughters and sisters? A few months back, I was looking for books on Mughal Ladies, mainly Noor Jahan and her work. In the bibliography credits, I had chanced upon “The Life of A Mogul Princess” By Jahanara Begum, the daughter of Shah Jahan. I had no idea about the book and thought it was another autobiography. Previously, I had read only about how she was imprisoned along with her father at Agra, and her involvement with Dara Shikoh, her younger brother, in connecting the two realms of Hinduism and Islamism and the establishment of Sufism. All of these and the chronological events of history can be found in various books. As I read each page of her diary, cross-checking each point with Jagunath Sircar’s “History of Aurangzib” and R.C. Majumder’s “Mughal Empire” as well as numerous other sources on the Mughal Harem, I discovered ...

The Wounds of Love

The procession had stopped at a clearing. The women and children needed to rest for the day. The maids and guards who had followed them into this life of difficulty and sacrifice quickly laid the tents for rest. The young crown princess, still a child, was not used to the extreme conditions of the open air and the desert sun. She was slightly feverish. In the tent, her mother put her hand on his warm forehead, worried. There were sounds of footsteps, and she grew alarmed. The tent curtains parted. Ajabdeh Punwar entered the tent she shared with Pur Bai Solankini, a little worried. She managed a smile at Pur Bai as she checked the princess's fever. She checked the medicines kept by the bed and, after a reassuring nod at Pur Bai, stepped outside the tent where an eager Amar waited for her. "Keep vigil on your sisters." She ordered the eight-year-old as a pang of pain hit her. She did not want to take away his childhood and innocence with the weight of responsibilities so so...

Protectors

Rao Surtan was at the Fort gates as the soldiers tried in vain to attack with arrows from above the towers. His troop was stronger and more competent than the one Balwant headed at the Bijolia Fort Gates. They had managed to hold the troops back for a day, but they feared they could no longer do so. “Break the door”, Surtan ordered the elephants. “Where is Ajabdeh?” Hansa looked around the cellar. “Jija!” Ratan exclaimed. “She was on the roof last time I saw her.” “Ajabdeh.” Hansa Bai opened the cellar door and stepped out, followed by Ratan, who was equally worried. “Stay back!” Sajja Bai called in vain as Jaivanta Bai too walked out and up the stairs to the corridors of the Rani Mahal in search of Ajabdeh. Surtan’s troop had entered the palace, and he made his way to the Rani Mahal. He was having different thoughts now. Killing Jaivanta Bai won't yield him anything… Maybe capturing a few young maidens… Ratan froze in the corridor, seeing the man approach. Behind...

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...

Forever

" The Day Amar Singh was born, Mewar celebrated like it was Diwali. The palace was decorated, and so was Ajabde's room. Amar was lying in a golden cot when I saw him for the very first time. He looked like my Pratap used to as a kid. Today, when I look at Amar, I see a lot of Ajabde in him." Jaivanta Bai smiled at a beaming fourteen-year-old. " Ranaji too was so happy with Mewar's uttaradhikaar." Her smile faded at the memories. The differences started afterwards. " He was so happy that he founded the new capital that year only." She spoke up. " What about Daajiraj and Badi Ranima?" Kunwar Chand, nine, enquired. Solankhini and Jasobai interrupted the conversation. " Come now, all of you, Kunwar Amar, Kunwar Chand, Kunwar Bhagwandas, and Rajkumari, it's late. Time for bed." Solankhini spoke. " Please, Majhli maa. A little more. " Bhagwan Das, a five-year-old, pleaded. " Haan Majhli Maa... let Dada bh...

Wedding Bells

Udai Singh was adjusting his turban when a smiling Sajja Bai entered to take something from the room. He smiled back at her, asking, “ So Solankini Ji, are you happy now?” “ Ji Ranaji. This all still seems like a dream." “Yes, seems like yesterday Kunwar Pratap and Kunwar Shakti used to run about the palace.” “ And fight!” She added. “ They used to fight all day but could never stay away from each other.” “ Remember that time Shakti got hurt?” “ Kunwar Pratap cried more than him!” Jaivanta Bai smiled as she heard the conversation. “ These two are like each other’s shadows. Remember when five-year-old Pratap asked me what marriage was?” They all laughed at the memories. “ Yes, and Jija told him that some girl will come and be his friend forever and in exchange, you have to share everything with her.” “ And Kunwar Pratap!” Udai Singh Laughed. “ Pratap was wailing that he never shares anything with anyone except Bhai Shakti.” “ And Kunwar Shakti was t...

RAABTA

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