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A Future Brighter?

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Survi was unconscious as Pratap carried her to the guest room, worried. He realised in his panic that he had addressed her as Ajabdeh, and nobody heard him because of their worry. 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 eye. Jaivanta had noticed that even when Hansa didn't. Does he love 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 about 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 dream, followed by a fever and a headache. 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 that 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. "I will explain later."

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 that belonged rightfully to her. Her shortcut to success was disrupted. She was on the run because of some fraud she had committed in the city. She wanted a place to hide in, and there was no better place than Bijoliya. Her name and address in the city she had left behind were impossible to trace back here. Her only living family was clueless about her deeds. She had been successful till now. But this girl… Looked so familiar. Ever since she had seen Survi, she had been 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… “ Survi was in a trance. Pratap feared it 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 shut. As he got up, letting his hand go 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 sent…. 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 not to do something stupid.
He nodded angrily. " Some people can't change. I am sure she is here for something. She had always been extorting my grandfather and running away from her responsibilities."
“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 thought.
" 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 onto the roof, looking around. He went down on his knees.
" My Ajabdeh. " He smiled as she blushed. " 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. I don't want to let you go."
"I don't want to let you go either." She nodded. 
"I know this is kind of early, and we are just starting to know each other, but I have a crazy idea."
" 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.
"I know we are yet to discover a lot about each other, but I can't let you go, unsure of whether we will find our way back to each other." He said truthfully, "I almost lost you once, and I can't..."
"I know the sense of longing, Pratap, I feel it too, but..." He was suddenly so possessive of her. This was new to Survi. " But... Pratap... Mom... I mean..."
" Leave the convincing to me. Tell me whom to invite?" 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, and she had seen how he was never leaving her side.
“ Pratap! You've known her for 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 radiant 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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