I Know You

The car zoomed through the Haldighati Pass. They stared out in silence. Pratap was beside the driver, and Survi sat with her mother in the back seat. The driver pointed towards the cliff, saying.
“ Udhar, Pahari ke beech woh gaon hai, jaha haldighati k waqt Ranaji rehte thee, ab khandar hai. Loha Karan naam tha.”

“ We will visit on our way back.” They spoke in unison as they stared at each other. Jaivanta stared at them both and spoke up.

“ We need a guide at Haldighati.” She said to the driver.

“ Aunty, who needs a guide when you have two history buffs with you?” Pratap smiled. “ Especially Survi knows a lot.” He smiled at her. Survi felt her cheeks go warm and red at his compliment as she smiled.
" No, No, I..."
" Yes, my daughter is indeed  ..."
" Mom..." She stopped her embarrassed.

As they walked to the banks of the Banas near Rakht Talai, Pratap felt a sudden heaviness in his head. He looked around, and he could hear… cries… Har har Mahadev! Har har Mahadev! Even closing his eyes couldn't make them go.

“ Survi, tell me about the war,” Jaivanta asked. She was about to tell her mother what she had read when he started.

“The Mughal soldiers were coming from there, thousands of them. The Bhils were up on that hill, Rana Punja’s Bhils. Hakim Khan and his troops aligned up front. Amar was…. He was with Chundawat.” He stared at Survi, making her feel a shiver down her spine. His stare was like he was in a trance.

He said he never came here, then how can he describe it so accurately? Survi’s eyes narrowed as he continued. He pointed at the other end.

“ The troop remaining attacked Maan Singh and his men, and Chetak was badly injured.” He continued as she saw his eyes twinkle.

“ ….Then I rode away on Chetak one last time from the ground. Chetak fell on the way; his memorial is up there.” He pointed at the structure uphill.

“ You go and see the memorial, I will wait in the car, Survi.” Jaivanta was tired after the 30-minute lecture from the ASI guy. She frankly didn't hear half the details.

Survi seemed to stare right at Pratap, making him uncomfortable.

“Let's go.” He managed a smile. She nodded and walked ahead.

They climbed up to where Chetak's cenotaph stood. He touched the plaque  “Chetak.” His voice was…. Guilty?

“ You said I rode away…” Survi spoke up, eyeing the car at a distance where her mother sat chatting with the driver, fanning herself with the end of her saree.

“ Pardon?” He asked, surprised.

“ You said I rode away on Chetak. Why?” Her question stunned him, as he wondered. Will she believe the vision I got down there that I am… No….

“ It slipped. I was in character.” She saw him look away. Survi frowned as they made their way to the Mahadev caves, where they believed Maharana Pratap rested when he was injured.

"He was waiting for her to take him home," Pratap murmured under his breath. "He knew she could come for him. Even when she was far away." He did not remember where she was.

"Avadgarh," Survi spoke matter-of-factly. "She was at Avadgarh." Eyes met as he realised he was speaking his thoughts out loud. Survi looked away. "I read it somewhere."

The car stopped at the village ruins a few minutes later. The driver said that the site was not a tourist spot and there was nothing there. Jaivanta refused to get down from the car as Pratap and Survi walked through the ruins. She stopped at a place. She was right here and …“ Tilak.”

She closed her eyes to remember. She breathed deeply. She saw a crowd. Right in front of her.

“ Rana Pratap Ki Jai.” It echoed. The crowd parted, and it was….

Pratap? She opened her eyes to see him standing exactly where he stood in her vision and looking at her as though he was thinking the same.

“ Pratap.” Her mouth dried up as she looked away. “ Is there something you should tell me?” All of a sudden, she was sure all the male voices she heard were his. He was unusually quiet. Looking away like he was guilty. Speak up, let me hear you.

“ Pratap.” She stepped forward and looked him in the eyes.

“ Aja….” He stopped and closed his eyes to check himself. A shiver ran down her spine.

“ Pratap, look at me. And tell me what you think. I am leaving tomorrow, and I will never come back.” The last words made him look up at her teary eyes.

“ Are you who I think you are? Tell me.” She added calmly. Her eyes spoke of fear.

“ What do you want me to say, Survi? Kya bole hum? You were right, I am mad, I … have these flashes and … I see these dreams and… You are in this wedding attire and your mother is my mother….” He seemed restless.

“ And yours is mine… and there are Mahals… and …” She was calm.

“ And you are dying… I am saying don’t leave me… don’t go…. Ajabdeh.” He stared at her as she looked shocked.

“ Ajabdeh?” She repeated. “ You call me Ajabdeh in your dreams?” He nodded helplessly.

“ I saw a dream yesterday. “ She looked away. “ You were filling my hairline and the crowd…”

“ Was shouting Kunwar Pratap and Ajabdeh Baisa ki Jai?” He completed her sentence as tears appeared in her eyes.

“ You are… I am….” She fumbled. "What do we do?" Her question had an urgency. The need to do something that would fix everything that was not broken. The need to hold on to someone she had no right to in this life.

Everything was clear, like it was yesterday.  The first sight, the wedding, the struggles, the enemies, Dheer Bai Ji! She remembered the face as she stared at him. Scared. Dheerbai had always wanted her dead, and she was alive to see it then. He read her thoughts.

“ I won’t let anyone harm you this time, Ajabdeh, I promise.” He held her hand.

“ But… But....No one will believe us…” She was puzzled.

“They will believe we can be in love, and the rest is our secret.” He added. Wiping away her tears. Survi looked at him unsurely. Did she love this man or a shadow of who he was in the past? But could she go away, knowing what she knew? Pratap knew what she was thinking. He felt the same way, yet he could not deny the fact that he had a strong urge to hold on to her. An urge not to let her go now that he had found his way back to her.

Then, in an impulse of the moment, like they had waited for each other forever, they embraced each other. She closed her eyes, feeling his heartbeat as the voices in her head stopped. He felt like he had had this feeling before, like she was in his arms before, a million times, when he needed to be reassured. Tears flew. He kissed her forehead, holding her like he never wanted to let go.

“ Survi!” Jaivanta’s cry made them jolt apart as she looked at the duo, angry and humiliated.

“ You wanted to stay here for him?" She was angry. " This guy who lives in this... village and...Survi! I gave you freedom doesn't mean you will end up humiliating me. We are leaving right now.” She dragged a helpless Survi to the car as both pleaded, “ No. You don’t understand.” Pratap followed them as Jaivanta shouted at the driver, " Take us back, then Luggage leke jaenge Udaipur."

Hansa saw a visibly angry Jaivanta walk in, dragging a crying Survi by the hand. Pratap walked in restless and pleading.

“ Aunty, please listen to me once.”

“ What happened?” Hansa asked worriedly as Jaivanta lost her cool.

“ What happened? What happened is that your son was hugging my daughter in broad daylight.”

“ What?” She looked surprised. “ That can’t be... Pratap??” He looked away.

Dheer spoke up. “ I told you, Jija, this girl is trouble. She is here with some purpose. Kar di na badnami.”

“ Stop it!” A shout came from Pratap, stunning everyone as Survi looked wide-eyed.

“ You have done this before; I won’t let it happen again.”  His words made her heart skip a beat. Scared at what he might say, Survi whispered a warning. “ Umm… Pratap?”

“ Done what before?” Hansa asked, confused.

“ She…” Pratap looked away. “ Mausi is jealous of you. Because Nanaji gave you his property.”

“ How dare you say that, Pratap?” Dheer looked stunned. Then she stormed back to her room.

“Look, I have no interest in your family matters. Survi, let's go.” Jaivanta spoke up again.

“ Listen to me, Mom.” She said in vain.

“ Jaivanta Ji, aap bina samjhe gussa ho rahe thee,” Hansa spoke up. “ Hume batayiye kya hua hai.”

“ Bin samjhe? “ Jaivanta looked stunned. “Maine apne aakhon se…”

“ Listen to me, Mom, please,” Survi begged.

“ Stop it, Ranima.” Pratap's words made them look shocked.

“Did you just… call me Ranima?” Jaivanta asked, stunned.

Suddenly, the voices were back in Survi’s head with that call.
Ranima. Ranima. Hum e pakriye. Ranima! It was a boy’s giggle in her head. She felt dizzy.

Ajabdeh, aapko hum jeetne nahi denge. Haan Ajabdeh, aap ke putra aap ke pati sab apse dur kar denge hum. Sab!

It was another voice, as the face became clearer in the dark.

“ Survi?” Her mother asked, scared seeing her hold her head. Pratap turned around, scared. Survi's vision blurred as everything looked dark. The only thing she saw was Pratap's face, then another in the vision. Dheer Bai Bhatiyani. She held the chair near her to balance herself. She was about to fall when Pratap caught her.
“ Ajabdeh?” His voice echoed in her head. " What's wrong? What's wrong?"
He looked pale. Jaivanta rushed to her daughter's side. " Survi? Beta?"
" I am calling a doctor." Hansa ran in a hurry.
Dheer walked out towards the commotion as Pratap raised his hand, saying, " Don't you dare come near her." Dheer looked at her nephew with wide eyes, and Hansa looked surprised as Jaivanta cried, " Why is she not moving?"