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 write. 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.

" Kunwar 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!

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

Aniruddha eyed Trilochon, sitting at the desk in his room, attending to some paperwork. His reading glasses were on his nose, and he appeared engrossed in a financial document. He stood at the threshold, a bit unsure and glanced over his shoulder at Somnath, Batuk and Bondita. She gestured at him to go on. Aniruddha cleared his throat. That prompted Trilochon to look away from his document at his nephew. “Jethu, if you are busy, I can come back…” He suggested unsurely. “Come in and close the door.” Trilochon glanced over Aniruddha’s shoulder at the others who walked away hurriedly. Aniruddha closed the door, and Bondita tiptoed to place her ears on it. Batuk and Somnath stood at a distance. “So you met her?” Trilochon spoke while cleaning his glasses. Aniruddha nodded. Somnath had introduced them to Ashalata. Bondita, Batuk, and he had met them in a Dhaba off the highway. Although Bondita did most of the talking, initiating a friendly gesture to put the nervous Ashalata at ease, he had...

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

It had been a month since Bondita had started working in the firm. With Somnath’s wedding date being set for winter, many things were keeping Trilochon and Kalindi busy as they took charge of the smooth running of things leading up to the wedding. They needed to shop for everyone, buy gifts and choose jewellery and sarees for the bride. Despite his attempts, Trilochon found Binoy reluctant to participate in his son’s wedding arrangements. Somnath took him and Kalindi to places they wanted to go, especially Kolkata for shopping, and Trilochon made arrangements to make sure that the first wedding of the generation was grand enough. Bondita tried to help as much as she could as she noticed Aniruddha being oddly aloof from the entire thing. She assumed it was due to Trilochon’s reactions to his lack of interest in marriage. Trilochon kept pestering her to enquire into his reasons while she kept stalling him with excuses. Bondita also failed to know more about Kalindi and Trilochon’s past, ...

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

A week was all it took for Bondita to get used to work and the new routine. She would wake up early and hurry through her chores, helping Kalindi prepare a tiffin of either Chirer Polao or bread jam and then proceeding to the Roy Chowdhury house. She would arrange the day’s paperwork before Aniruddha arrived at the study room. Occasionally, she would hear him call out to Koeli for breakfast and pack her things, knowing he was almost ready to leave. He would walk into the chamber, check his list, and they would go to work. She would follow him from courtroom to courtroom. She would be sitting in the audience and learning. She would follow him to conferences and client meetings and take notes. They would discuss complicated cases. She would share the tiffin she brought from home. He would at first take a reluctant bite, then eat more than her. She often gave him her share of food discreetly. They usually stayed back after everyone was gone and ordered food for dinner. Some days, he woul...

Purnota: Chapter Seventeen

Bondita opened the curtains of her room at The Park to find the view of Stephen Court and the street below going towards the Maidan. She eyed the double bed and placed her things on one side while lying down on the empty side. The soft bed made her yawn as she sat up, staring at the clock. She needed to change for a quick dinner. They had an early matter at the High Court, and the client’s car was supposed to pick them up around 9 AM. As she changed into a full-sleeve black top and jeans, removed her earrings and adjusted her smudged Kajal, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Aniruddha standing in a pair of jeans and a grey polo-necked T-shirt, his hair brushed back, as he cleaned his thin-rimmed glasses with the edge of his T-shirt. “Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, putting the glasses back on. As she nodded, she grabbed her handbag. They walked into The Bridge, and Bondita was a little conscious of her environment. Many foreign guests, businessmen and even s...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Dreams and Wishes

At dawn, the Bhil women took the girls to the Kalika Mata Temple and the Jal Kund. Dressed in white, a nervous Heer followed everything Ajabde knew and did, trying to explain the significance of the rituals to her. They prayed to Lord Ganesh. Kunwar Shakti and Kunwar Pratap were staying at Punja Ji's place, as they were not supposed to see the brides before the wedding. Ajabde was dressed in her mother's lehenga, a mang tika Jaivanta Bai gave her as a family heirloom and the simple nosering Pratap had gifted. They made their hair into a simple bun with wildflowers before putting on their dupatta. Heer was dressed in traditional Bhil jewellery of silver and beads that the women had gifted her. They made her wear a red and white saree draped as a lehenga and a red chunri with it. She looked like a pretty, colourful Bhil bride. Kunwar Shakti was a nervous groom dressed in a traditional bhil dhoti, kurta and cap. The bhil shawl hung from a side, making the white attire colourf...

You Deserve More

Ajabdeh woke up with the song of birds as she felt something warm on her hand. Her eyes went wide. Her hand was on the pillow in between them, between his hands, clasped as he slept. She thought of removing it slowly, but he was holding on to it so tightly. Ajabdeh's heart beat faster and faster. What do I do now? How do I not wake him? What if... why is my hand in his? She was utterly confused. " Am I...In love?" Pratap was staring at the sleeping figure on the bed as he stared back at the rain. Then he frowned as he noticed that she shivered. He closed the windows of the room to make it cosy, then sat on his side of the bed. A lamp flickered on her side like always, and he stared at her sleeping figure as he put his blanket over her as well. She shifted a little in her sleep to make herself cosy again. Her payals and bangles made a rhythmic sound, breaking the silence of the room. Her hand was out of her blanket and on the pillow in between. He tried to slowly put it ...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Fourteen

“Why can’t she work? I will too.” Bondita had barged into the Roy Chowdhury living room early in the morning, still in her loungewear, as Aniruddha looked up at her through his glasses. Trilochon was showing Aniruddha some paperwork from one of their investments as Bondita stood by the coffee table, wearing a frown. Aniruddha looked confused. Trilochon cleared his throat as he shook his head at Bondita. “It's different. She is going to be the daughter-in-law.” Aniruddha eyed Trilochon and Bondita, who shook her head in disappointment. “So?” She questioned, “She can’t have a life?” “When a woman marries…” Trilochon stood up, straightening his Panjabi “Her life is about being a good wife and mother.” Bondita gasped. Aniruddha’s jaws tightened as he kept the papers down. Bondita spoke before he could. “Then by that logic, men should also concentrate on being husbands and fathers.” “Then who will earn the bread?” Trilochon rolled his eyes. Bondita eyed Aniruddha, expecting him to speak...

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

Bondita woke up to the alarm clock ringing as she struggled to get her hand out of the quilt wrapped around her. She sat inside the mosquito net, rubbing her eyes and staring at the clock, trying to remember why she had set the alarm at 3.45 AM. Then her eyes shone in delight. It was Mahalaya. She remembered that during her days in Dehra, she had educated her roommate on the tradition of starting pujo with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra echoing through the air. She was uninterested, and Bondita had borrowed her headphones to hear the program and deeply missed home. She remembered that as a child, while her father was still alive, he would gently wake her up, and take her on his lap to the huge Banyan tree near the Panchayat where people gathered near the Pradhan’s radio, putting flower garlands and lamps around it and folding their hands as they heard Mahishashur Mardini killing the Asura. When she arrived in Kolkata to get her law degree, she thought things would be different. B...

RAABTA

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