Renewals

Rani Dheerbai was sitting in her chamber in the Ranimahal of Chittor. She was busy writing a letter. Jaivanta Bai walked in to inform her of her plans when Dheerbai swiftly hid the letter under a Granth.

" Jija!" She looked a little pale with that faint smile.

Jaivanta Bai stared at her face and then at the paper underneath her granth. Then, at something Dheerbai should have hidden but didn't. Something she shouldn't have in her room at all. The Royal Seal Of The Rana Of Mewar.

Jaivanta Bai inhaled and kept a straight face as she informed, " Since Kunwar Shakti is not here and Kunwar Pratap and Kunwaranisa are in Bijolia, I was thinking I would go there too for some time with Sajjabai. She had been very upset lately, and this will be a welcome change."

" I agree, Jija, Kunwar Shakti has also been very upset lately. Don't worry. Kunwar Vikram and the children will be taken care of. I will also take care of Ranaji when he arrives back."

" Arrives Back?" Jaivanta Bai looked surprised." Where is he?"

" He and Rawatji are at the village on some issue."

" All right, I will take your leave then."

As Jaivanta Bai walked out of the room, DheerBai heaved a sigh of relief.

The Mahal at Bundi was silent. The Rani was sobbing for her missing daughter when the sounds of the Nagada announced the arrival of the Maharani of Mewar. Raja Surajmal ran to greet her. Maybe his sister had brought news. Jaivanta Bai's smile faded after seeing the worried faces.

" Heer?" She was lost in thought, but then where were Pratap and Ajabde? 

" This is Rajkumari Jasobai Chauhan of Ajmer." Jasobai touched the feet of the Maharani, who gave her a faint smile. " She is Heer's friend," Surajmal added.

Jasobai was in her room, praying they didn't find Heer before she could convince Shakti. Then her thoughts travelled to the woman she met at the gates. He looks just like his mother. If she were to believe in rumours, Kunwar Pratap would indeed be as handsome as her Sakhis said. She smiled unknowingly.

Heer was playing with the petals of a wildflower carefree. Shakti watched her with a smile. Delicate like that flower she was, she didn't know how much trouble her drastic step could land them in. Still, her childishness was something he admired, like her bravery.

Ajabde was picking flowers when she noticed Shakti watching over Heer. She went to the backyard to find Pratap feeding Sarang, unmindful. Even her payal didn't make him turn.

" Kunwarsa..." She looked at his frozen figure, worried.

" Kunwar Pratap!" His name made him turn towards her.

" Where is Bhai Shakti?"

" He and... umm... why are you asking Kunwarsa?"

" Kuwarani Ajabde Baisa, you know we are the elders here, right? "

" Yes."

" So, we must make them understand... that... It's not right." 

Ajabde looked up at him like thunder had struck.

" What? Kunwarsa, you promised them you will..."

" Ajabde, that was before all this. Now, with what face will I go up to Mamasa with Heer? Everyone will think he made her run away."

" Kunwarsa... Let me talk..."

" No, I need to talk to Shakti." He walked off as she followed.

Kunwar Shakti was placing a wildflower on Heer's hair, making her blush. They seemed to be so happy together. Heer held his hand, saying, " So Kunwar Shakti Singh, are you ready?"

" Ready? For?"

" The rest of your life with me!"

" Only if I can marry another better-looking princess next."

" No No No!"

" Why not?"

Pratap was disturbed seeing them smile together as he walked up, Ajabde in tow.

" Bhai Shakti, we need to talk." They walked off as Heer held Ajabde's hand, worried.

" Bhai, tell me, is this what you want? An unethical elopement that will morally degrade you in front of the family? Hang our heads in shame?" Shakti looked at his older brother. The Queens always used to say he was " Maryada Purushottam". Shakti was getting a taste of that today.

" No, Dadabhai, I never want to shame my family."

" Then you must take Heer back to Bundi with dignity. I am not going to support an eloped marriage, Shakti. You know me."

" Yes, Dadabhai."

He patted his brother and walked towards the hut.

" No! No! No! Jija, I will not have a bite! Leave me alone!" Pratap walked towards Heer's room just as Shakti reached.

" Heer Baisa. Listen to me, I..."

" Dadabhai can't do this to me. Kunwarsa can't do this. I'll die starving if they take me back to Bundi and hand me to my father!"

" Bas!" Pratap's voice startled everyone.

" Enough is enough, Heer, you are not a child anymore. No one is going to tolerate your tantrums. My decision is made."

" No, Dadabhai!" To a shocked Shakti and Ajabde, who stood staring at each other, Heer replied to Pratap.

" I will not eat a bite until you agree to the marriage."

" Then stay hungry." Pratap walked out fuming.

" Kunwarsa... listen to me..." Ajabde followed.

" You think this will work?" Shakti sounded worried.

"Of course it will, Dadabhai loves me, and he always listens to Jija."

" What if he doesn't....?"

"I have to keep up the starving act, and you are reluctant to marry one." She frowned. He smiled as he gave her a mango hidden under his kurta, watching her eat like a kid. He smiled and prayed their plan worked.

" What is wrong with you, Kunwarsa?"

" What is wrong with me? Heer is the one...."

" Kunwarsa, what's wrong if they..."

" Ajabde, enough, you are siding with her, I can't believe it! Even Shakti thinks she is being childish here."

" Kunwar Pratap, if it were you in Kunwarsa's shoes, what would you have done?"

" I wouldn't have eloped."

" That doesn't answer my question."

" Ajabde, you and I were different."

" As far as I know, you would have rather run away than lose me."

" I would never! My rajdharm comes first."

" Dekha! I knew it!" She pointed her finger at him like she caught a thief.

" What?"

" You used to lie! You got caught."

" What? Ajabde, now you don't..."

" Are you going to help them or not?"

" Ajabde!" He tried to reason with his angry wife.

" Leave me alone, Kunwarsa. You can't do this much for your brother and sister." She went in angry as he kept calling her back.

" Chakrapani was right! How she turned my anger on me, making me the guilty one, and I don't know what I did! Wives!" He thought aloud to Sarang.

" Kya? What did you say?" Her voice startled him. She picked up the bucket she had left there and went in fuming.

" Ajab...." He called in vain.

All through the day, Ajabde ignored him. Her silent treatment was like torture. He preferred fights any day. She was serving food when he smiled at her, but she chose to look away. Heer and Shakti exchanged glances as Heer went into her room and shut the door. Ajabde's worried face looked at the closed door as Shakti stared at her and then back at Pratap.

At night, Kunwar Pratap entered his bedroom with a determination to make things right.

" Ajabde?" He saw her asleep, in the middle of the bed, keeping no room for him. He sat down on the side, keeping his hand on her head.

" Ajabde?"

She stiffened as she tried to act asleep. He smiled, knowing she was awake.

" I ... thought over what you said... and... you were right."

She listened, praying he would give in. A smile curved her face.

" I would have done what Heer did probably, as much as I deny it... I can't... I couldn't afford to lose you, and I understand their pain."

She opened her eyes as he looked away and shut them again.

" I ... decided to help them get married." 

" Saach?" Ajabde jumped up in bed, hugging a taken-aback Pratap.

" So... you were sleeping? Huh?" He smiled.

" You will help?"

" Yes."

" Let's go tell Heer."

" At dawn, not now."

" But..."

" No... "

" Really? Dadabhai Agreed?" Ajabde looked at Heer's childish enthusiasm and nodded at the break of dawn.

" Where is he?" Shakti asked. Ajabde was about to say something when Pratap entered the hut with the Bhil Sardar Punga Ji.

" Kunwarsa, it will be our honour." He was saying.

"Make sure no one gets a whiff of this news."

" Ji Kunwarsa, don't you worry."

Pratap looked at the trio, looked at him with awe, and he proceeded to explain the plan.

" A simple Bhil wedding? Dadabhai!" 

Heer hugged Pratap, who smiled at Ajabde. Shakti walked out, turning red. Pratap left Heer with Ajabde and walked out after his brother.

" You are lucky, Heer Baisa! Weddings should always be simple!"

Ajabde said, unmindful as she remembered the simple wedding she had always dreamt of.

" Dadabhai, you sure you..."

" Yes, Bhai Shakti, concentrate on the wedding now. And I will tell the elders, when the time comes, keep it a secret till then." He patted his brother.

The Bhils were in a group when they came to meet him. They were looking at each other, afraid to put forward their words.

" Say without fear..." Kunwar Pratap smiled.

" Kunwarsa" Punja started. " We did not have the opportunity to attend your wedding, but we blessed you and Kuwaranisa. We have a request."

" Yess?"

" Since Kunwarsa and Rajkumari Heer Kanwar are getting married here, we request you to retake your vows with Kuwaranisa. That way, we can be lucky to see the wedding we all dreamt of."

" Retake... vows?" Kunwar Pratap was a little shocked at the request.

"That's a brilliant idea! " Shakti interrupted.

" Please, Dadabhai!" Heer joined in.

" All right, all right." Pratap smiled.

Punja ji continued, " But Kunwarsa, should we request Kuwaranisa..."

" Don't worry about her, I will talk to her, and she will be very happy."

In the room, Ajabde sat absentmindedly, combing her hair. The dupatta was on one side, and her long, beautiful hair flowed free. I promised Ranima I would write to her as soon as I felt... But I can't ruin the wedding. Maybe after the wedding, I should inform Ranima that we found Heer.

He entered the room and stopped looking at her beautiful face in the mirror. He walked up to her with a smile and placed his hand on her shoulders. She smiled at him.

" Everything is arranged?"

" Yes, the wedding is tomorrow."

" But?"

" Umm... I have a surprise for you."

" For me?" She looked a little taken aback and smiled. 

" Show me."

" Close your eyes."

He handed her a simple red wedding lehenga. She remembered this lehenga quite well. It was her mother's wedding lehenga. Something she wanted to get married in. She looked at him, Shocked.

"Kunwarsa..."

" The Bhils requested us to renew our vows before they get married."

" Renew our vows?"

" Yes, they want to see us get married. And I thought..." He smiled.

" What better way to gift you your dream wedding?" 

She looked at him, smiling. He remembered every smallest detail she had ever mentioned to him.

" So, I asked Maa sa to send me this. And that." 

He pointed at a groom's dress. Her mother had made it by herself for her groom, but when she was getting married to the Crown Prince, she decided it was too simple for royalty. Ajabde smiled.

" Dhanyavaad Kunwarsa." She said her eyes filled up.

" Ohh, you are crying already? I did this for myself, you know!"

" Yourself?"

" Yes, who would lose a chance to remarry you and make our Saath Janam ka saath double!" He smiled, wiping away the lone tear from her eye.

" Sirf 14? I want a thousand more with you." She said, putting her head on his chest.

" Thousand? No No! I would prefer a beautiful princess for a thousand more, maybe!" He joked.

" Kunwar Pratap!" She pushed him away, acting angry.

" You will not get anyone, except me, forever."

" I have no problem as long as you keep fighting like this, that too for others." He chuckled as she smiled back at him.