A New Side

Kunwar Pratap was determined to solve the issue without bloodshed. Bhils were friends, and their grievances were to be met from the heart and solved. The Bhil Sardar entered the Khema as he stood up.

" Kunwar Pratap! Gani Khamma. "

" Khamma Gani." He indicated the seat. " Tell me your grievances."

" The Mughals." He replied, still not taking the seat. " You know how close the forests are to Mughal camps. Every day, the Mughal soldiers come, attack the settlements, and take women and children. If we kill them, more come the next day. The local chiefs do nothing about these encroachments." Kunwar Pratap was visibly shocked and angry. He tightened his fist.

" Rawat Ji, why are there no soldiers guarding the Mewar Forests and the borders near Bhilwara?"

" Woh Baojiraj, none are trained for..."

" This is ridiculous. Select a team of the most competent soldiers and get them to Chittor by tomorrow morning. I will train them on camouflage and forest tactics."

" Ji Baojiraj."

" And also until they are ready, you are going to stay here and look after the settlement, the Bhils are friends we cannot lose." The Sardar was happy that he meant every word. He folded his hands in gratitude." Kunwarsa, I think it's not safe for you to be here." His words shocked Rawatji. " I think you should leave. The Mughals..."

" I will leave once the borders are taken care of." The sound of horses outside made Kunwar Pratap frown as Rawatji smiled. In a few minutes, Raoji entered the Khema, hands folded.

" Raoji ?" Kunwar Pratap was shocked.

" Ji Ranaji sent me." He smiled at Rawatji. " I didn't inform you because then..."

" Kunwaranisa would have wanted to come," Rawatji added. Kunwar Pratap nodded with a grateful smile.

" Ayiye, I hope everyone is well in Bijolia."

" Ji Baojiraj. Ajabdeh..."

" She is fine."

" Baojiraj, I think you should return before dusk." He added.

" Kunwarsa padhar rahe hai..." A maid came running. " Kunwarsa..."

A happy Jaivanta Bai smiled at a blushing Ajabdeh. " Let's go give him a grand welcome."

Ajabdeh was helped to dress by the maids in a red lehenga, and she took the remaining time to decorate the room with flowers from the palace garden. She lit the lamps and incense sticks. And made rangolis. She couldn't wait to ask about the trip.

Kunwar Pratap got down from his horse and looked at the receiving crowd. There, he could spot his mother's happy face and Majhli Maa and Daajiraj too. He walked up the steps of the Kumbha palace and touched his parents' feet.

" Congratulations on your success, Kunwar Pratap." Udai Singh was pleased. " Learn something from him, Kunwar Shakti." The one to whom this was directed looked humiliated as he quietly walked away

" No Daajiraj, Bhai Shakti too..." Kunwar Pratap was trying in vain as Udai Singh gave a cold look to Sajja Bai for her son's audacity.

" Ranima..." Kunwar Pratap changed the topic quickly. " I missed Majhli Maasa's aachar." A smile appeared on Sajja's face as she said, " You will get many achar options for lunch today, I will see to it." She walked away after Udai Singh left, as Jaivanta nodded at her son approvingly.

The sound of a familiar payal made him look behind Ranima as she smiled at the approaching figure before walking away.

She approached him with the puja thali in hand. He put up a disappointed face at her, saying, " I didn't expect this from you!"

" Ji?"

" You came after everyone else to welcome me. I didn't expect this." His disappointed voice made her feel scared as she fumbled.

" Woh... Woh...I..." He laughed, shaking his head at her confused face.

" Ajabdeh, let's go. You want to hear what happened or not?" She nodded excitedly, quickly doing his aarti and then following him to the room.

She had totally forgotten to mention the rangolis as he stepped on one, ruining it.

" Ohh no! Kunwar Pratap! I spent all morning on this!" She exclaimed as he stopped looking at his feet.

" You should have mentioned this to me."

" You are a warrior, you have to notice the smallest of details, don't you?"

She frowned as he stared, amused. He missed looking at her.

" Kunwarani Ajabdeh Baisa! You seem to know so much about warfare, yet I see you not practising your skills or taking part in any planning or suggestions. Why?"

"Practice?" She asked, eyes wide.

" Why not? The Princesses practice." He shrugged. She smiled.

" They are Rajumari Kunwar Pratap, not..."

" I will talk to Ranima about this." He spoke determinedly.

" Don't!" She exclaimed.

" Why not? Besides..." He stepped forward, making her heart skip a beat as he leaned close to whisper, " I can teach you a lot of things you don't know, Ajabdeh!"

" I... I...." She was fumbling red as he smiled lovingly, grabbing her by the wrist as daasi came calling.

" Maharanisa has called you Kunwarsa." He nodded and left her smiling.

She decided to unpack his things before he comes back and wants to read. She was keeping away his things as two Daasis helped when she came across a paper neatly kept between two rolled maps.

Woh Komal jaise Pankh koi... Her eyes widened as a smile curved her lips. Is he a poet? He never...She kept it back between the maps, smiling to herself at the lines.

Kunwar Pratap walked back into the chamber, expecting her to be busy reading. Instead, she was sitting with paper and ink.

" You are writing a letter?" She didn't reply. He frowned and walked up to her.

" What are you doing, Ajabdeh?" He hoped for a reply.

" Writing down my deepest thoughts." She responded without looking up, and he smiled, taking a seat in front of her.

" What are your deepest thoughts?"

" That you hide things from me!"

" Kya?" He was surprised as she looked up with a serious face.

" Haan! I feel there are things we still don't know about each other."

" All right, things like?" He questioned.

" I like pigeons more than peacocks. I don't like the gaudy beauty the peacock flaunts in vain." Ajabdeh wondered.

" And ... I should know this because?" He smiled, amused.

" Leave it!" She got up as he held her by the wrist.

" No, no, no, let's do this, okay? My turn! I... I like archery more than swords. Few people know that!"

" I like spears!" She smiled. " And sewing."

" I like writing." He stopped, alarmed. " I mean writing down my..."

" I never saw you write." She frowned.

" When do I get the time?" He shrugged.

" Now." She sounded excited. " Write something."

" Now?" He asked, surprised as she nodded. He thought for a while.

" How can I write something just like that?" He frowned at the empty paper.

" Then show me something you already wrote." She smiled. One look at her and he could read what she was up to, so he decided to play along.

" All right. I wrote this... " He showed her a paragraph on Mewar he had penned down.

" Something else?" She looked disappointed.

" No."

" No? Kunwar Pratap, you must have..."

" No, Ajabdeh, I don't remember writing something else." He shook his head. She got up disappointed again.

" I...need to go ...see if dinner...."

" Where did you keep it?" He got up after her as she stopped frowning.

" Ji?"

" Where did you keep the paper you found?" It made her look away as he stared at her, amused.

" I found nothing. What pap..."

" Ajabdeh." He shook his head. " Learn to lie properly if you want to try." She looked up at him with narrowed eyes as he smiled.

"Pratap Singh naam hai humara. It's not easy to fool me." He smiled. She looked defeated as she stepped away and stopped at the threshold, and turned.

" People say Ajabdeh Baisa can fool enemies with the sword in Bijolia." She smiled.

" This is Chittor, and Kunwar Pratap Singh is not a fool." He smiled back, throwing a challenge.

" I defeated you once, Kunwar Pratap." Eyes were locked still.

" That was a ring, this is a sword." He nodded.

" And I will win again." She smiled intimidatingly.

" Even if you do, it's my win! Because you are mine." His words made her blush as he smiled victoriously. As she walked away, he sat with the paper with a smile. Let's see how you fool with the sword, Ajabdeh Baisa... I would like to see this side of you soon!

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...

Queen of the Heart

Kunwar Pratap was in the Dangal Sthal practising his moves. Ajabdeh decided it was fair to know his strength before she summoned him. Sword in hand, in a white female warrior attire with only her face visible, she hid behind one of the large watchtowers of the Dangal, watching him move. She heard Rawatji say, "Your left hand is still weaker than the right one with the moves. Both should be perfect." A smile curved her lips. Knowing an opponent's weakness always helps, which is one rule of war she always remembered. Kunwar Pratap swung his sword with his left hand and turned around. He could sense someone watching; his sixth sense was never wrong. He looked around. Ajabdeh again peeped at the grounds to see that it was empty. He had left. She walked towards the empty ground, sword in hand. Suddenly, the cold blade of a sword was felt on her neck. She stopped still. " So someone was spying on me." His voice had a hint of taunt. " No, I was ... walking 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 ...

Happy Ending

Dheer had a sleepless night. Yes, she had killed the Maharani, but to seek revenge for her son. Jagmal was all she had for a dream, and Rana Pratap's first decision was to banish him. He had never been that tough with his other brothers, who went with Akbar, so why him? Just because he wanted to be a king? Just because they brought a false letter and bought a few witnesses? Her son died in Ajmer, so young. And she had always blamed Ajabdeh Punwar for Rana's hard decision. After all, ever since she came as a support for Jaivanta Bai, she had been like his shield, even though creating misunderstandings didn't help Dheer Bai Bhatiyani. Ajabdeh had done the impossible, showing him the real face of his Chotima. What bothered Dheer now was whether he remembered anything, and most importantly, if she did. Dheer had turned pale at the song and smile Pratap gave, but if he knew she had killed Ajabdeh, it meant Survi remembered her walking to a dying Ajabdeh and confessing that she...

To Protect You

Kunwar Pratap was in the court with Rana Udai Singh. The Mughals were conquering a huge part of the north courtesy of Bairam Khan and Mewar on their routes to the ports of Surat. " Daajiraj, we need to secure the roads leading to Agra and also towards the west. The attack-prone areas should always be under surveillance." " Yes, Ranaji. Baojiraj is right." Rawatji agreed. In the Rani Mahal, everyone was preparing for a grand lunch. Ajabdeh was making a drink for the princes and princesses, and in a hurry, she forgot to add the Kesar and Badam on top. As she served the smaller princes, including Kunwar Jagmal, Dheerbai came to inspect her eldest son's food. " What is this? Who made this? Kokoiaji?" She stormed to the kitchen with a bowl of sweet dishes. " Kunwaranisa did." Came a scary answer, from Veer Bai. " Ajabdeh Baisa." Her words let out a silent gasp from the lesser queens who stood witness. Calm and composed, Ajabdeh walke...

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...

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: 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...

PI Ved: The Miniature of Kalimpong

There are some things you must do when you are spending an extended weekend in the mountains in India. Take a long coat along for good pictures, have some Wai Wai Noodles and Momos, and wait for the fog to clear for a view of the mighty Himalayas. After a hearty meal of pork momos and Darjeeling First Flush tea, I walked out of Gompu’s Bar and Restaurant near the clock tower in Kalimpong’s main market area. The weather was slightly rainy, so my parents decided to return to the hotel while I walked down the busy road on the other side through the market. Tourists like me were flocking around the souvenir shops and departmental stores selling shawls and caps. I lazily checked out a few Jap Jantra and magnets, deciding to come back later. One could easily distinguish between tourists and locals simply by how they dress anywhere in the world. The locals treated this as summer weather in Kalimpong and walked around in half-sleeved shirts and loose pants, while the tourists found it hard not...

The Legend of Maharana Pratap: An Introduction

Itihas ke Har Panne Ki Ek Bohot Bada Uddesh Hota Hai Jo Aap Aur Main Kabhi Samajh Nahi Paate. Shayad, Meera Bai Ki Bhakti Ki Panna Dhai Ke Sahas Ki Chittor ki Jauhar ke askon ki Ek Bohot Bada Uddesh Tha. Ek Pratap Ka Charo Or Phelne Ki Mewar Ke Suraj ki Roshni Ki. Mewar, a land in Rajputana, is nestled between the serene Aravallis. With its beautiful lakes and forestland, the yellow soil that witnessed warfare, and the mighty temples that stood as a testament to the Bhajans of Meera Bai, its history and folktales reflect stories of bravery, rebellion, and loyalty. Rana Sanga, the most famous of rulers who sat on the throne of Mewar, died unexpectedly, leaving Mewar in a state of uncertainty. Here is where this story begins. The year was 1535 CE, and Mewar's capital, Chittorgarh, stood invincible on the plateau surrounded by the Aravallis. The danger that loomed large after the king's demise was to the throne. Ratan Singh, the king's secondborn, was coronated rather quickly...

RAABTA

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