A six-year-old girl had sneaked into the private royal garden with her best friend. Afternoons were usually the time the guards slept; time for a child's freedom. She was dancing around the garden, twirling in her frock. A ten-year-old boy came running from inside.
" Chaks!! You are here!" Her best friend gushed as she made an irritated face. He ignored her and handed her friend some chocolates from his pocket. He then offered one reluctantly to the dancing girl.
" I'm too sweet for sweet!" She stuck out her tongue, making her friend laugh.
" That you are!" An elder woman's voice behind them made Bhago and Chaks run as Ajabdeh stood like a statue before Ranisa Jaivanta Bai. She came forward and patted the child's head softly,
" You are Hansa's daughter?" She exclaimed. "You look just like her."
" Ji... Ranisa." Ajabdeh felt her heartbeat increase. What if she was scolded or worse, her father had to hear something because of her?
" You are a pretty little princess. " She smiled as Ajabdeh looked up. " What's your name, princess?"
" Ajabdeh Punwar."
Jaivanta smiles, " You don't need to sneak in, dear, come here whenever you feel like it, no one will stop you!"
She was already in awe of the lady.
A teenager, Ajabdeh, was sitting on the floor of the palace, sobbing. Jaivanta was braiding her hair.
" I don't want to go, Ranima, I don't want to leave!" She suddenly hugged Ranima tightly. " Ajab, my dear, there are no good schools here; this is for your future! Kunwarsa is in the UK studying too. Do you know why? So that you people can come back and help build schools and colleges in Surajgarh, that way, no Ajab will have to leave her Ranima." She comforted with a smile. "You can always come back home."
" I won't go." She sobbed again. "I don't know Delhi, and I don't know anyone there."
Ajabdeh walked up the five steps to her Ranima as her vision blurred. " Ajabdeh! You are so grown up!" Jaivanta gushed.
" Ranima!" She hugged tightly. Some things did not change. Yes, it finally felt like home.
" You have become prettier." Jaivanta wiped away her tears and Ajab's. " Come in now." She dragged Ajabdeh by her hand into the hall.
Pratap shook his head, " Wah, Ranima already forgot me!" He handed his bag to the servant who was waiting and went inside.
" I have something for you, Ajab, come." Jaivanta walked inside as Ajabdeh followed, her sneakers making strange noises on the floor. Jaivanta led her to a room and opened the door. It was pink, full of colourful cushions, soft toys and purple curtains. Ajabdeh stared at it, shocked.
" This is like my room in Delhi... Ranima, how do you..."
" You are staying here!" Jaivanta smiled.
" No Ranima... Papa... " She shook her head.
" It's my order, Ajabdeh, he won't say anything. At least be here till Hansa comes at the end of this week?" Jaivanta suggested. "Don't I get some time with you after so long?"
Ajabdeh couldn't protest. Ranima called a maid and told her to be with Ajabdeh and help her unpack.
" Ranima, I don't need this!" She was awkward.
" Okay, I am calling Hansa and telling her you don't consider me as Maa, bas kehenti ho!"
" No, Ranima," She hugged tightly. "You know I missed you!" Jaivanta smiled.
" Good that you are here then, now you can enjoy the wedding too! After Pratap and you left, Bhagwati and Chakrapani went to Udaipur to study together. They will be glad to have you back!" Jaivanta smiled.
After unpacking, Ajabdeh dismissed the maid who was standing there like a statue, making her feel uneasy. She went out on the balcony of her room, overlooking the garden. She spotted him sitting there, still in that suit, sipping at his tea, and reading a file with a frown on his face. She sighed.
A paper plane came flying and hit his shoulder, startling him. She ducked, giggling. He looked here and there and picked up the plane. It had a note.
" Are you always this boring, or just at home, you act boring?" he looked straight up at her balcony, still frowning. Then, shaking his head in irritation, he left. She got up, watching him go and wondered, " Damn Ajab, you just offended Princy!" She gasped.
In a few minutes, a servant came calling. "Ranisa has asked you to see her at the study."
She quickly changed into the first dress she got her hands on. A bright yellow knee-length dress teamed with a pink belt. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and applied some gloss and Kohl. Then she wore her favourite pink flat slippers.
She knocked at the study door to hear Ranima say, "Come in."
"Just see her, Udai, how she has grown!" Ranima gushed as Ranaji smiled at her. Then she saw her father standing there, smiling widely. She ran to hug him, "Papa!"
" My Angel!" He kissed her forehead. She touched Udai Singh's feet, and he asked her, " I heard you play Badminton too?"
" At times, Ranaji." She nodded. "Nanu taught me."
" I used to play too." She smiled at him. "Someday, come for a match." A knock made her glance over her shoulder as Pratap looked in, a little surprised to find that his parents were not alone. He looks straight at her with an " I know it was you!" look. She looked away. " You want anything, Pratap?" Jaivanta asked her son.
" Yes, Ranima, this evening I have a small get-together with my friends and college mates at Udaipur. I'm going with Chaks and Bhago; I will not be having dinner here."
" Ohh wait, that's good. Take Ajabdeh with you, too." Ranima insisted.
" No, No Ranima, what will I do..." Ajabdeh started while Pratap interrupted.
" Ranima, leave her out of it." He said, looking at her, " She is too boring for such things." Her eyes widened at his words as he looked amused.
"Ohho, stop pulling her leg, Pratap. Ajab, go with them, please!" Ranima insisted. " Okay. Only because you said, Ranima." She nodded, narrowing her eyes while Pratap left, shutting the door behind him.
In Pratap's chamber, he was ready in his jeans, a black t-shirt and a leather jacket. He was tying his shoelaces when a knock made him look up.
" Come in!" He said. Like a storm, she walked in, still in her yellow dress, two pieces of clothing in her hand. " You know we are leaving in twenty minutes, right? With or without you." He said rather plainly. She held up the clothes in both hands in front of his eyes, startling him. One was a Dress, another a skirt.
" What the hell!" He stepped back, confused.
" Quick! Tell me where we are going, I need to choose!" She spoke, shaking the hangers in front of his face.
" Wha..." He frowned.
" Quick!! This or That!" She shook the pieces of clothes. "No time."
" You are roaming around the palace with your clothes like that?" He looked at her wide-eyed.
" Ya so? Is it against some Royal Code of Conduct?" Ajabdeh frowned.
" Well, each one!" He chuckled.
" Tell me the plan!" She asked, interrupting his amusement.
" The plan is... well..." He leaned in as she narrowed her brows. "Ajabdeh Punwar, you challenged me with that paper! I will show you some real fun!"
" I'm still confused." She frowned as she turned away. "This Princy is useless." She walked away murmuring to herself, thinking he couldn't hear her. Pratap stood a little startled at what had just happened. He then walked up to his window and looked out at the dark sky, lost in thought.
An eleven-year-old Pratap was back home from a vacation at his cousin's place. As he entered the place he called home, he found this girl on the hallway floor, with some artwork.
" Are you Chak's friend?"He smiled.
"I'm not his friend; he is stupid." She shrugged.
" How dare you call my friend stupid? Who are you?" He frowned.
" Ajabdeh Punwar!" She sounded proud. He laughed.
" Ajab? As in strange? Strange girl?!" He laughed, holding his belly.
" Ranima Ranima!!!" He hears her scream.
" How dare you? She is my Ranima!" He narrowed his eyes at the intruder. Ajabdeh rushed to hug Ranima as she arrived at the scene. " He is making fun of my name!"
" Kunwarsa!" He got scolded to his utter surprise.
" Uff! I hate girls!" He inferred watching his mother hug her as she teared up.
Pratap smiled as he said to himself, " She is still the same, chirpy, mad, strange girl!"
A knock interrupted him again. " Come in!"
She entered in a black evening gown. With a pearl-studded neckpiece, and her long hair let loose over her shoulders. His eyes widened.
" How's this?" She asked, confused.
" Girly!" He smiled.
" Is this too much?" She asked, staring at him with her dark, black doe eyes.
" No, it's perfect!" He shrugged. "I mean, you look..." He was searching for the right word when she smiled, relieved.
" Thank Gawd!" She turned to leave.
" Umm Ajab!" His call made her stop at the threshold.
" Yes?" She turned.
" Don't come into my room like that!" he shook his head a little.
" Excuse me?" She looked clueless.
" You see... this is not Delhi, it's Surajgarh, people here are... different." There was no other way Pratap could put it more appropriately.
" What are you?" She frowned.
" Wha... " He opened his mouth, confused.
" I mean, what are you? UK chaap or Surajgarh Chaap?" She asked.
" Umm, something in between, I guess." He shrugged, still clueless about where she was going with it.
" Then who cares a damn!" She shrugged.
She left him shaking his head, " Why did I even tell her?"
" Come, let's go! Prin... Kunwarsa!" He heard her voice echo in the hallway.
" Coming, stop shouting in the hallway." He ran after her!
