" 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 bhai's birth story end, tomorrow we will hear mine!"
" Ohho Chand! How bout us?" The princesses protested. " We come first right Ranima?" Jasobai and Solankhini smiled.
" All right, a few more minutes then we are sending Jija!"
" Woh...Tell us... About Daajiraj and Ranima!" Kunwar Amar returned to the story.
" Your Daajiraj was so so happy he used to be so scared too! Once you had a fever, you were only a few months old then. He left his administrative work and came back for you. Ajabde had to plead and send him back! And Ajabde was always good with kids be it your Mama Balwant, Saubhagwati's girl or all of you... all your childhoods were spent in her arms more than your own mothers'"
"Of course! Badi Ranima loves me most! More than Dadabhai!"
" Bhai Chand that's not true." Amar protested.
" Yes it is!"
" Ohh no they start again!"The princess gasped." Let's go tell Badi Ranima"
" Tell me what?"
The children stopped and froze as Ajabde entered smiling at Jaivanta Bai.
" Come now all of you, let RaajMaata rest a little, it's late."
The princesses were ready to follow but the princes insisted.
"Please a little more, we promise to wake at Bhrahmamuhurat please!"
" Ajab let them stay with me tonight, after the stories I will put them to sleep here."
" Yay!" A loud cheer broke out before Ajabde calmed them down saying,
" All right All right! But after the story, go to your rooms all of you!"
"Ranimaa we are hearing your stories! How you learned sword fighting from Daajiraj!"
Bhagwan Das gushed excited as Amar pinched him whispering, " Hushh!"
Ajabde's eyes widened in shock and embarrassment as the children beamed at her. She left without a word.
His room was still in lights, and she knew he was alone, all the other six wives were in their common room, in this makeshift hideout they called home. She had gone there to hear Jasobai complain about the children big sleep deprived. She sighed and stepped into his room.
" You are awake still?" Her voice made him look up from his work.
" So are you..."
" And the children!" She nodded her head.
" What happened?" He smiled. "Badi Ranima failed to be strict?"
" No, Raajmaata's stories interrupted the scoldings!"
" Stories again? Ranima needs to rest!"
" I know! I said that! You want to try?"
" Why did you come back?"
" Coz... Ranima was telling... about... umm... my sword lessons! "She turned red as she looked here and there.
" Our sword lessons!" He stepped forward with a smile as eyes met. Then realization dawned.
" To the children??"He was shocked.
" Yes." She looked worried.
" Ranima bhi naa!" he nodded.
" Sleep now!" She was back to her old topic. " It's late."
" Ajabde!" He held her back holding her by the wrist. " I was thinking...."
" No, the children are awake and ..."
" And you are blushing like you used to."
" Ji?"
" Maharani Ajabde Baisa, it's been such a long and wonderful life with you." He smiled holding both her hands and pulling her close.
" With me? And the others too you mean?"
" Haan Haan wohi wohi!"He nodded smiling.
" Rana Pratap Singh, it's late so..."
" So...."
" Go to sleep!" She giggled at his serious face.
"Ranima! Ranima!"
" Kunwarsa is here, let me go!"
" Let him come!"
" Kunwar Pratap!"
" Stop calling me that! I feel like a child." She giggled again freeing herself right in time before Bhagwan Das came running in to hug his mother.
" What happened Kunwarsa?"
" This baby was crying because he can't sleep without Ranima!" Kunwar Amar appeared extremely fed up with his brother.
" Dadabhai I am not a baby!"
" Yes you are! You can't sleep without Ranima!"
" That's not true I sleep with Daajiraj too!" Amar laughed out loud as Bhagwan Das started to wail hugging Ajabde who shouted, " Kunwar Amar Singh stop making your Bhai cry!"
" Ranima, today I am sleeping with you!" Amar hugged Ajabde crushing Bhagwan Das in between.
"Urgh I am!" Bhagwan Das was pushing in vain.
" And I thought I am!" Pratap thought to himself!
" You said something Ranaji?" Her voice seemed angry as she heard him.
"Nahi Nahi, okay all right you two leave her alone! Who is coming with me to hear some war tales before sleeping?"
" Me Me!" Bhagwan Das ran as Amar still stood there. " Am staying with Ranima, let the Baby hear about war and be scared!"
" I am not a baby!"
" All right!" Pratap stopped them with his hand. " Enough now, you will wake the whole house!"
" Ranima, tomorrow I want sword lessons with you instead of Daajiraj." Amar smiled.
" Me? Nahi Amar, I don't remember..."
" Yes, Kunwarsa take your mother to the Dangal, we will see what she remembers!" Pratap smiled at a surprised Ajabde.
Early at dawn, Solankhini Bai came rushing in, " Jaso Behena, Champa, Phool Baisa! Wake up! You can not miss this!" They rushed to the jharkhas with smiles and giggles as they witnessed their always soft and gentle Jija in the arena with Amar. Her warrior attire made her look fierce. Amar was practising a duel when Ajabde constantly said, " Trust me, Amar, I forgot!"
"Then let's remind you Maharani Ajabde Baisa!" His voice made her look at him wide-eyed as Amar slowly stepped away with a smile and went inside.
" Should we be watching this? If Ranaji knows he can scold!" Champa spoke up.
" If Jija knows she won't talk to us in embarrassment the whole day." Phool giggled.
" Let's leave them alone!" Solankhini smiled.
Swords clashed as eyes talked, she attacked and he defended, teasing her with his gaze. It had been eighteen years almost since their first fight, yet the same Pratap and Ajabde stood in the Dangal Sthal today, older, mature, and more responsible, the guardians of Mewar, whose dreams of being together in all the hardship and keeping Mewar safe were still the same. The kind and gentle Ajabde, was now Maharani Ajabde Baisa while the valiant Kunwar Pratap was now Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar. Time stood witness to their amazing friendship, love, struggle, sacrifice, marriage, romance, family and achievements. They stood facing each other eighteen years apart, still the same, their love unchanged, forever.
" 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 bhai's birth story end, tomorrow we will hear mine!"
" Ohho Chand! How bout us?" The princesses protested. " We come first right Ranima?" Jasobai and Solankhini smiled.
" All right, a few more minutes then we are sending Jija!"
" Woh...Tell us... About Daajiraj and Ranima!" Kunwar Amar returned to the story.
" Your Daajiraj was so so happy he used to be so scared too! Once you had a fever, you were only a few months old then. He left his administrative work and came back for you. Ajabde had to plead and send him back! And Ajabde was always good with kids be it your Mama Balwant, Saubhagwati's girl or all of you... all your childhoods were spent in her arms more than your own mothers'"
"Of course! Badi Ranima loves me most! More than Dadabhai!"
" Bhai Chand that's not true." Amar protested.
" Yes it is!"
" Ohh no they start again!"The princess gasped." Let's go tell Badi Ranima"
" Tell me what?"
The children stopped and froze as Ajabde entered smiling at Jaivanta Bai.
" Come now all of you, let RaajMaata rest a little, it's late."
The princesses were ready to follow but the princes insisted.
"Please a little more, we promise to wake at Bhrahmamuhurat please!"
" Ajab let them stay with me tonight, after the stories I will put them to sleep here."
" Yay!" A loud cheer broke out before Ajabde calmed them down saying,
" All right All right! But after the story, go to your rooms all of you!"
"Ranimaa we are hearing your stories! How you learned sword fighting from Daajiraj!"
Bhagwan Das gushed excited as Amar pinched him whispering, " Hushh!"
Ajabde's eyes widened in shock and embarrassment as the children beamed at her. She left without a word.
His room was still in lights, and she knew he was alone, all the other six wives were in their common room, in this makeshift hideout they called home. She had gone there to hear Jasobai complain about the children big sleep deprived. She sighed and stepped into his room.
" You are awake still?" Her voice made him look up from his work.
" So are you..."
" And the children!" She nodded her head.
" What happened?" He smiled. "Badi Ranima failed to be strict?"
" No, Raajmaata's stories interrupted the scoldings!"
" Stories again? Ranima needs to rest!"
" I know! I said that! You want to try?"
" Why did you come back?"
" Coz... Ranima was telling... about... umm... my sword lessons! "She turned red as she looked here and there.
" Our sword lessons!" He stepped forward with a smile as eyes met. Then realization dawned.
" To the children??"He was shocked.
" Yes." She looked worried.
" Ranima bhi naa!" he nodded.
" Sleep now!" She was back to her old topic. " It's late."
" Ajabde!" He held her back holding her by the wrist. " I was thinking...."
" No, the children are awake and ..."
" And you are blushing like you used to."
" Ji?"
" Maharani Ajabde Baisa, it's been such a long and wonderful life with you." He smiled holding both her hands and pulling her close.
" With me? And the others too you mean?"
" Haan Haan wohi wohi!"He nodded smiling.
" Rana Pratap Singh, it's late so..."
" So...."
" Go to sleep!" She giggled at his serious face.
"Ranima! Ranima!"
" Kunwarsa is here, let me go!"
" Let him come!"
" Kunwar Pratap!"
" Stop calling me that! I feel like a child." She giggled again freeing herself right in time before Bhagwan Das came running in to hug his mother.
" What happened Kunwarsa?"
" This baby was crying because he can't sleep without Ranima!" Kunwar Amar appeared extremely fed up with his brother.
" Dadabhai I am not a baby!"
" Yes you are! You can't sleep without Ranima!"
" That's not true I sleep with Daajiraj too!" Amar laughed out loud as Bhagwan Das started to wail hugging Ajabde who shouted, " Kunwar Amar Singh stop making your Bhai cry!"
" Ranima, today I am sleeping with you!" Amar hugged Ajabde crushing Bhagwan Das in between.
"Urgh I am!" Bhagwan Das was pushing in vain.
" And I thought I am!" Pratap thought to himself!
" You said something Ranaji?" Her voice seemed angry as she heard him.
"Nahi Nahi, okay all right you two leave her alone! Who is coming with me to hear some war tales before sleeping?"
" Me Me!" Bhagwan Das ran as Amar still stood there. " Am staying with Ranima, let the Baby hear about war and be scared!"
" I am not a baby!"
" All right!" Pratap stopped them with his hand. " Enough now, you will wake the whole house!"
" Ranima, tomorrow I want sword lessons with you instead of Daajiraj." Amar smiled.
" Me? Nahi Amar, I don't remember..."
" Yes, Kunwarsa take your mother to the Dangal, we will see what she remembers!" Pratap smiled at a surprised Ajabde.
Early at dawn, Solankhini Bai came rushing in, " Jaso Behena, Champa, Phool Baisa! Wake up! You can not miss this!" They rushed to the jharkhas with smiles and giggles as they witnessed their always soft and gentle Jija in the arena with Amar. Her warrior attire made her look fierce. Amar was practising a duel when Ajabde constantly said, " Trust me, Amar, I forgot!"
"Then let's remind you Maharani Ajabde Baisa!" His voice made her look at him wide-eyed as Amar slowly stepped away with a smile and went inside.
" Should we be watching this? If Ranaji knows he can scold!" Champa spoke up.
" If Jija knows she won't talk to us in embarrassment the whole day." Phool giggled.
" Let's leave them alone!" Solankhini smiled.
Swords clashed as eyes talked, she attacked and he defended, teasing her with his gaze. It had been eighteen years almost since their first fight, yet the same Pratap and Ajabde stood in the Dangal Sthal today, older, mature, and more responsible, the guardians of Mewar, whose dreams of being together in all the hardship and keeping Mewar safe were still the same. The kind and gentle Ajabde, was now Maharani Ajabde Baisa while the valiant Kunwar Pratap was now Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar. Time stood witness to their amazing friendship, love, struggle, sacrifice, marriage, romance, family and achievements. They stood facing each other eighteen years apart, still the same, their love unchanged, forever.
GOD girl didnt wanted this to end.... After all this was the closest of the fictions describing their relation in person!!! But I know Suranya will surely come back with another good story!!!!
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