The Maharana Pratap International Airport, Udaipur, was always a busy sight. Foreign tourists, local Tourists, Staff, Cars, trolleys, Hotel Crews and Buses. A statue of the National Hero Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar stood mounted on his favourite horse Chetak at the terminal. She stepped out, in her casual baggy denim jeans, a Blue tee shirt and white sneakers, a pink and black cheetah-printed backpack on her shoulders and a pink trolley in her hand. Her long hair was let loose as her shades acted like a hairband over her arched brows. She looked around to find a cab.
" Bhaiya Suniye... aree Cab kaha milega?!" She asked a man. " Sorry, Madamji, aj toh taxi strike hai!"
" Shit!" Chewing her gum, she looked around, then dialled " Papa". No one picked up the call.
" Shit Shit Shit!"She shook her head. You should make the right plans, Ajab.
Ajabdeh Punwar was just like any other normal college student from Delhi. But she was not from Delhi. She was the daughter of a manager of a small princely state of Surajgarh, a mere three-hour drive from the Udaipur airport. She had left the place when she was young, with her mother and lived at her Nana's place in Old Delhi so that she could be given a better education. Surajgarh had nothing to offer except the huge palace, some villages, archaeological sites and two good primary schools. Last heard, the prince had taken up responsibilities for the state's betterment. However bad it might be, for her, it was home.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion at the terminal gate as a few local media reporters rushed towards it. Catching one such media person, she asked, "Who on earth has arrived!!?"
" A Big Business Tycoon in the making! They call him the next big thing. He has just bought a hotel in Udaipur and has come here to see off the previous owner... and we are here for a scoop."
" Aree!! Who is it, Bhaiya?" Ajabdeh frowned.
" Kunwar Pratap Singh of Surajgarh!" The man rushed towards the gate.
A party was being held at the Surajgarh Palace Hall. A little girl sat looking out of the window. She was barely five, in a pretty pink dress and matching ballerina shoes, with two long ponytails on either side, and her eyes yearned for the lush green lawns outside. Most of the children here were rich and spoiled. She had heard her mother say to her father that she would not blend in. She looked around, watching the kids dance to something loud and silly. Seemed like a rhyming song.
A seven-year-old boy came up behind her asking, " What are you doing here?"
" Nothing." She didn't even look away from the window at his voice.
" Then come, let's dance." He extended his hand as she stared at him. Curly hair, brown eyes, cute face. And a royal blue suit.
" Who are you?" She asked, annoyed. A smile appeared.
" You are asking me who I am, at my place, on my birthday?" Her eyes widened as an unknown fear crept in. In an impulse, she got up and ran away, leaving him confused.
" Aree, wait, what's your name? Say that at least!" He frowned at the girl "Strange!"
" Ma... Maasa. " She tugged at her mother's saree, looking around restlessly.
" What happened, Ajab?" Her mother cupped her face, smiling.
" I... I... met..." She fumbled.
" Who did you meet, Ajab?" Her mother looked confused.
" Kunwarsa."
" Why are you scared, silly girl? Did you greet and wish him? Stay with me." Hansa held her hand tight as she looked around, spotting him with his best friend. He smiled at her as she hid her face behind her mother's figure, making him frown again.
The media flashes made her come out of the memory. She looked around, thinking. " There's no cab, Papa is not taking my call, too... I'm already late... " She looked at her watch. "He should have a car. " She looked at the crowd and inhaled.
"But why on earth will he believe who I am? I'm sure he doesn't remember me!" She thought aloud again. " Ahh, well, I have no option, so Ajab, let's try this!" She pulled her trolley and pushed through the crowd.
A man came out of the terminal as the media started clicking. Two security men guided him out. Black shirt, black suit, aviator shades. Just twenty-three, he looked like a man who meant business. The media started ranting on their cameras.
" Are you planning on building a hotel empire?"
" Will your Surajgarh Palace soon be a heritage hotel?"
" Will you buy Hotels abroad too?"
" No questions! No questions!" The security men waved. "Let us pass through."
He opened the Sedan door to get in when she shouted above all the voices from a foot away, "Can I get a lift?"
Stunned, he removed his glasses and looked at the crowd to see who said that. The media people were clicking pictures and being shoved away by the guards. Some were staring at her, amused. She looked a little uncomfortable.
" Damn! This was utterly stupid of me!" She murmured under her breath and was about to leave.
" Pardon?" His voice made her look up. Her eyes looked troubled. He looked at her luggage and then back at her. She gulped.
" I... I Am... Ramrakh Punwar's Daughter." She managed a faint, confused smile.
"Ajabdeh?!" He exclaimed as she nodded. He waved at the security to let her through.
" Woh am I sorry... I couldn't get a cab, so..." Ajabdeh suddenly tried to figure out what the right way to greet him was.
" Come with me!" He opened the door of the car for her, making her nod.
He told his driver to take her luggage. She smiled widely and was relieved before getting into the car. Then, as he sat beside her, backpack in between, she opened the window on her side and threw out her chewing gum, making him stare.
" Oops! Sorry. Your Highness, Amazing car." She said, looking around.
" Your Highness?" He asked with a slight hint of amusement in his voice.
" Then what should I call you?" She asked, surprised.
" Bachpan mein woh kya bolti thi... hmm... I remember... Spoilt Princy. Isn't it?" He raised his brows, amused.
She turned red, thinking, Hey Bhagwan, how on earth does he know?
" You are thinking how I know that, right?" He smiled, amused.
" Kunwarsa, Bachpan k liye sorry!" She interrupted in a hurry. "Sacchi, Sorry!"
" Wow, you can use Kunwarsa? Wow!!" He smiled. She ignored the taunt. "You have changed! Delhi changed you, it was Delhi, right?" He asked.
"Yes. Delhi." She stared at his smile as she replied faintly. Silence filled the car as it drove out of Udaipur, and she looked out of the window.
" You remember Bhagwati?" Pratap said to break the silence. The scenes on the way were pretty boring for him. She, on the other hand, seemed to smile as the villages drove past.
" Of course, she was my Bff!" She said with a smile.
" Bff??" He'd frowned.
" Best friend forever? Till I left." She sounded distant. "I still keep in touch with her through Facebook, but..."
" You are here at the right time! She is getting married!" He smiled.
" Married? Oh, My God. To whom?" Ajabdeh, for a moment, sounded alarmed. She is too young!
" You remember MY best friend?" He smiled again as she looked shocked.
" That stupid guy who used to take chocolates from your room and give Bhago!" She exclaimed and bit her lips.
Ajab control! She thought to herself. Speak less!
He nodded, "The same stupid guy!" She sat like a statue there for a moment and inhaled.
"Thank you." Her tone turned formal.
" For what?" He frowned.
" Giving me the ride home!" He nodded before they stared out again. She couldn't stay quiet for long.
" By the way, how is Ranima?" Her eyes lit up.
" She keeps talking about you. And keeps gushing, courtesy of all her phone calls with Hansa Mausi." He reassured her with a smile.
" Mom?" She sounded surprised.
" You didn't know? They have like two hours of conversation twice each week about you."
" No Idea! I used to be at the hostel all the time!" Ajabdeh shrugged, pleasantly surprised.
" Me too. Hostels in London. Then a year in the US. I came back here after graduation." He murmured.
"I know," Ajabdeh said with a frown as she stared out of her window. "You know?" He raised his eyebrows, a little surprised.
" Umm... must have heard from Mom." She looked away. "I really wanted to come and see Ranima once, but the only holidays I had were in summer and you... Ranima used to be on vacation, too. Papa ended up visiting us instead."
"Surajgarh is not usually a place people return to," Pratap said, almost justifying her.
"By the way, congrats on that thing you bought!" She sounded cheerful again.
" It's a star Hotel and Resort, not a thing!" he replied, amused. "Thank you."
" Yes. That!" She smiled. He gave a courtesy smile back.
The Surajgarh Palace was a huge estate. The Palace stood surrounded by gardens, orchards, indoor and outdoor shooting arenas, sword arenas, Horse stables, Car sheds, Two Mandirs, the office building, the servant quarters and a chain of houses for the in-house employees, as well as open spaces and lawns. One of the houses in the Employees' enclave was Ajabdeh's childhood home. The car zoomed past the entrance as the guards saluted the prince. She was delighted to see the place after so long. The car zoomed past her house as the smile disappeared.
" Are Roko Roko!! Stop! Stop!" She sounded alarmed.
" Kaka, take the car to the palace entrance." He ordered calmly. " But... But my house is right there!" She pointed.
" Ranima has been waiting ever since she heard you are coming! Meet her first." He didn't look at her while he spoke as she stared with a frown.
She thought aloud unconsciously. "Shit, Man! Meeting Ranima in these clothes? I'm not even properly dressed for a meeting after a decade!" She looked at her T-shirt and frowned. He heard that but acted like he didn't.
As he stepped out, Jaivanta Bai came out. She had a royal aura about her, dressed in a cream saree and a blue velvet blouse with Kundan-studded royal jewellery. She looked like a queen right out of some museum portrait, always.
" Pratap! Pratap!" She came out worried. "Ajab's flight had landed in time, but she..."
" Ranima, look who I found stranded at the airport." He smiled as someone stepped out of his car, making Jaivanta look wide-eyed with a smile.
