A Future Brighter?

It was for her condition that no one noticed his call. He thanked god for that in secret. She was unconscious, as he carried her to the guest room worried. Hansa rushed in with the doctor.

“ She is running a fever.” Jaivanta looked worried.

“ Talk to me. Please. You can’t…” Pratap’s voice stunned Jaivanta.

He was the one who had carried the unconscious Survi from the floor back to her guest room. He had been worried sick and trying to shake her awake. Even sprinkling water made her open her eyes once and see him and murmur " Ra...Ra...." and she closed her eyes again. He touched her burning forehead his hand still holding hers as a teardrop appeared at the corner of his eyes. Jaivanta had noticed that even when Hansa didn't. He loves her for real?

The Doctor examined her.

“ Seems like some fever she caught in the desert ." He looked confused. " She needs complete bed rest.  At least for a week.”

“ What?” Jaivanta looked worried. “ We are leaving today for Delhi.”

“  That is out of the question!” The doctor answered her.

She lay unconscious, as Jaivanta did her patti. She groaned like she was in trouble. Her hand searched… Protection? Jaivanta was clueless at the sudden fever. No matter what the doctor said, it was highly unusual in nature.  She was worried.

Pratap knew this fever was unusual. Once as a kid, he got his first flashes and had a fever. But She always had the flashes. What did she remember all of a sudden that made her so… He was worried. He walked away as soon as the doctor left as he didn't want his Ranima to be worried. He had seen how overprotective she was about her daughter. And he didn't want to cause trouble. Moreover, so much happened today he needed to get some time to reflect as well as worry.

“ Pratap.” His mother’s call made him jerk out of his thoughts.  “ Survi…Survi… is calling your name. “ She looked confused and scared. Pratap rushed into the room as Jaivanta nodded an approval visibly shaken by Survi's trances.

He rushed to her side as she kept murmuring. “ P…Pratap….Pratap…” Her hand was restless as he caught it.

“ I’m here. I’m here.” He tried to calm her. “ Hush.”

“ Kunwarsa….. She … She….”

His eyes widened at the clueless ladies standing witness. “ She will harm  Amar… P…Pratap…. Amar…”

“ No, she won’t. I am there, listen. Hush. No one will harm Amar.” He patted her head as her closed eyes and face reflected genuine worry.

“ Who is Amar? “ Hansa asked an equally surprised  Jaivanta. “ Iska Bhai??”

“ Nahi. I haven’t ever heard of this Amar. Who is Amar??” Pratap stared at her mother’s question worried.

“ She is just hallucinating.” He came up with it quicker than he thought.

“ But you said Amar will be fine…” Hansa frowned.

“ It’s a story… she read and… she is hallucinating it… It’s just for the fever.” He replied intelligently.

Dheer sat locked in her room. She was disturbed. Her nephew had never raised his voice against her. And today for that girl…. The moment she had set her eyes on the girl she felt uneasy. Survi’s eyes seemed to speak of an impending doom. Pratap was not wrong. She was jealous. She was angry. Her father had given all his property to her Jija as she was a widow early and had to raise a son. Was it actually Dheer’s fault that she never wanted a family and just wanted to be rich? How could he judge her for her ambitions?

Dheer was here with a purpose. She had got the news that Pratap was posted in Chavand for his new job and she expected her Jija to be alone. Hansa was always simple and nice. It was easy to influence her. She had brought papers to the property and had planned to make Hansa sign and take everything by fraud. Her shortcut to success was always a fraud. She had done it twice. With strangers. She was on the run. Her only living family was clueless about her deeds. She had been successful till now.

But she came here to find Pratap and this girl. This girl… Looked so familiar. Ever since she had seen Survi she was having strange dreams. Dreams that made no sense. She was watching Survi dying. She was watching Pratap insulting her. A teenager called her Ranima again and again. Blurred faces. Unknown places. She suffered. She had no idea about what was going on except the fact that this girl was scaring her like she would face her first defeat.

“ Amar…. Pratap… “ She was in a trance he feared would never be over. He had sent the mothers to dine, as he thankfully saw Jaivanta trust him with her daughter now. He was sitting by her bedside patting her head. A sudden gust of wind closed the window so he decided to bolt it. As he got up, leaving his hand from hers, she grew restless.

“ Kun….Kun… Pratap…” He froze at the window. That was Ajabdeh’s last words before…. He closed his eyes. Then rushed to her. She was sweating heavily.

“ Kun…”

“ Ajabdeh… Ajabdeh… say it… I know you wanted to tell me something.”

“ Ch…Chotima…. Chotima….”

“Yes?” He looked worried.

“ She sends…. Send…. The ….Killer….” She sat up with a sudden jerk prompting Pratap to hug her. She was sweating and in tears.

“ She what?” He asked wide-eyed. “ Are you sure?” She nodded scared at the vision she saw. She was dying. And he was helpless. She in her unconsciousness had heard Dheerbai tell her " I send them Ajabdeh, I send them via Akbar. You lost Ajabdeh. The first time I saw you in Chittor as his protection I wanted you dead. Today you paid for his act of banishing my son."She had extended her dying hand to Ranaji as he wept. Then she remembered herself in the fort a week back, everything else seemed to be gone in time.

She sat weeping as Pratap calmed her down. " hush. Hush. You are here. You are fine with me now."
" But... But Chotima?" She was shaken by the vision.

“ She will pay.” He got up as she held him back.

“ But Pratap, she is Dheer Mausi now, maybe she is… better?” She tried to convince him from doing something stupid.

“ I don’t think so.” He nodded angrily. " Some people can't change.

“ Survi You are up?” The mothers were delighted as he moved out of the room and towards Dheer Bai’s closed door. He stood in front of it. Then walked away.

The next evening Pratap found Survi sitting with a book on Chittor alone. Lost in thoughts.

" What are you doing? You should rest, you still have a fever." He said keeping aside the Jauhar tales.

" I... am disturbed."

" So let me take you somewhere." He smiled taking her hand in his.

" Where?" She asked surprised.

" Chalo naa."
" But everyone... Mom...."
" Ranima..." He smiled. " Okay, I will come back when everyone sleeps." His smile made her skip a beat.

He took her to the roof when everyone was asleep. He picked her up the stairs as she protested softly and kept her down on the roof. Lamps shone as the stars twinkled like her eyes. She stepped into the roof looking around. He went down on his knees.

" Survi... My Ajabdeh. " She looked stunned. " I know we have been struggling a lot with our visions and now that we know that we have had an unhappy past, I want to rewrite it with a happy one. Marry me."

" What?" Her eyes went wide.

" Marry me and be mine forever." He smiled. " I can't afford to lose you again."

" I... Pratap..." She felt numb as he wiped away the tears as they hugged and he kissed her forehead.
" We are getting married as fast as possible, I don't wanna to wait." He was suddenly so possessive of her.
" But... Pratap... Mom... I mean..."
" Who do you need to call for the wedding?" He asked smiling.
" We have no family, just each other, and maybe some friends."
" Call them." He smiled.
" What? Now?"
" Tomorrow, earliest. But first...."

“ We are getting married.” He declared to the shocked family as a gasp escaped Survi’s lips. She had seen insecurity in his eyes, she had seen how he was never leaving her side.

“ Pratap! You know her only a week or so.”Dheer Mausi spoke up as Survi stared at her.

“ Sometimes that is eternity.” He stared at Survi smiling. His Ajabdeh.

“ But…” Jaivanta Bai was about to speak out. She was not in doubt that he loved her, but everything was happening so fast that as a mother she had her doubts. But She was happy. She looked at Survi's bright face blushing.
" We have relatives to call." Jaivanta's words made Survi hug her as Pratap added "That will be done."
" But Pratap." Dheerbai spoke again. They are a mad couple.

“ If anyone protests, they can leave,” Survi spoke up shocking everyone. Pratap nodded in approval.

“ This is absolute madness.” Dheer walked away visibly disturbed.

Survi followed her despite Pratap’s scared look.

“ Mausi ji.” Her call startled Dheer as she kept away a red file. Her room was her safe haven and nobody dared to enter without knocking. But this girl...

“ I am not your Mausi ji, Survi.”

“ You will be. He loves you a lot. He will want you to be a part of the wedding.” She smiled.

“ He is my nephew, of course, I will be, no matter how much I oppose this madness.” Survi nodded pleased.

“How can the wedding happen in three days?” The mothers frowned.

“ I will make the arrangements. “ Pratap was firm.

“ But the mandap….” Jaivanta looked worried.

“ I have a perfect location, I just need to use some sources for permission.” He walked away.

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