Skip to main content

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, with no veil of formality, reflected in his eyes.
" Did you not get informed..." She spoke up in her defence. "Did the messenger not take the message to him?"
" When Dheerbai ji? When was the messenger supposed to inform us?" Maharani Jaivanta Bai, clad in white, entered the hall as people bowed before her. "After your son's coronation?"
Jagmal looked a little petrified as two guards came to remove him from the throne for the Rajabhishekh. He refused to move, clutching at the cushion, eyeing his mother, waiting to be saved from the humiliation.
" Maharani Jaivanta Bai, Rana Udai Singh, has stated in his last wish that he wants Jagmal as his heir." Rana Raimal of Jaisalmer spoke in a clear tone as Rawat Chundawat interrupted, " Who witnessed that?"
" I did, Jagmal and Dheer Behna..." He eyed his sister.
Rawat Chundawat stopped the man. "Rana ji always wanted Kunwar Pratap on the throne, and so did Mewar."
" But Rawatji, if that was Daajiraj's last wish..." Kunwar Pratap was unsure. It could be possible that his father, who secretly always felt intimidated by his popularity among subjects, wanted Jagmal on the throne. After all, he was the eldest son of his favourite queen. He was fed up fighting against his family for the throne when bigger enemies loomed in Mewar.
" No, Kunwar Pratap. Mewar needs you. We all need you." The chieftain's voice was matched by the people who cheered for him. He had lived for these people, and he had sworn to live for his motherland. His eyes searched the crowd and stopped at Ajabdeh's. She nodded in approval.  Her eyes said this was right. All his doubts disappeared. He nodded in approval as a horrified Dheer Bai watched her son being lifted and dragged out of the throne in an embarrassing turn of events.
 
"Rana Pratap Singh Ki Jai. Rana Pratap Singh Ki Jai."
The new king took his throne as Amar exclaimed to a smaller Chand,
" See, Bhai Chand, we are not Bhanwar anymore." He smiled.
" We are not? Then?" The toddler asked, confused.
" You are Kunwarsa now, Chand." Rajkumari Phool Kanwar exclaimed happily. At last, some luxuries of the mahal are ours. Jasobai and Ashabai thought the same, too. They were uncomfortable with their life in Kelwara, hiding from Mughal encampments while Pratap took charge of Kumbhalgarh after the Mughals attacked the fort.
" Why haven't you unpacked, Jija?" Solankini asked Ajabdeh, surprised.
" Because we are moving soon, Behna." She smiled, tying the Princess's braids.
" Moving?" She asked, surprised. " Where? We just came here."
" I don't know. All I know is he won't stay in Gogunda, or in Udaipur." Ajabdeh shook her head absent-mindedly. "He never thought it was a safe place to be a capital."Solankini rushed to tell the others not to unpack. Jija was never wrong about anything, especially about him.
 
He looked at the packed things around the room and smiled. Ajabdeh was putting Amar to sleep. She was wearing gold after many days, and he gathered as he realised she had changed a lot from when they left Chittor four years ago. He sat down silently and looked at her with a questioning face.
" What?"
" Why haven't you unpacked?" he smiled. She knew his soul.
" Because I gathered we will be moving soon." She said nonchalantly, watching her son sleep peacefully.
" How did you know that?" He asked, surprised as she shrugged, smiling.
" We are moving to Kumbhalgarh the day after tomorrow." He said.
" Kumbhalgarh?" Her eyes twinkled, remembering the tales of Rana Kumbha, Rana Raimal and Panna Dai.
" Yes, I was ..."
" Born there, I know." She smiled.
" I will show you the place, it's still there, I heard." He managed a smile.
" Kun... Ranaji." Her call stopped him at the door as he turned. He was getting used to the new title.
" Are you..." She sounded worried.
"I am fine, Ajabdeh. I need to go talk to Ranima," he forced a smile.
 
The first court session in Kumbhalgarh saw the attendance of every chieftain showing their support for Mewar. Pratap expected Shakti to be there. He had taken over Baasi from Chundawats and was the Thakur there. He expected Shakti to come back and be his ally, since Udai Singh was no longer the king, but his absence made him worry. Had Shakti been disappointed with him for taking the throne against his father's last wish? He wondered.
" I think you should declare Kunwar Amar as Yuvraj." Rawat Krishnadas insisted.
" But Kunwar Amar is so small. What if people try to harm him after the..." It was Balwant who spoke. He was the new Rao of Bijoliya after the demise of Ram Rakh Punwar in the Chittorgarh war. It made sense that after everything he experienced, he was tense about his nephew. Rana Pratap looked at the two elderly men having doubts about the future, and he concluded that he needed to talk to Ajabdeh.
 
He walked in as she was making garlands, and his footsteps made her smile.
" Where is Amar?" He asked, looking around the quiet Ranimahal.
" He is with Ashabai; she is helping the ladies-in-waiting pack Dheerbai ji's bag for Vrindavan; he is there too."
" Is that... safe?" He was doubtful.
She frowned. " Ranaji! She is not here, and Ashabai is an overprotective mother to Amar."
" How can you trust all of them so easily, Ajabdeh? I can't!" He shrugged as she gasped disapprovingly at him.
" They are your wives. You should trust them. I know them enough to know my Amar is safe with them. They are as much his mother as I am." She was firm, her voice almost scolding, reminding him of his Gurukul teacher.
" But what if someone fakes concern and... and... tries to harm..." He did not want to bring up the unpleasant truth he had faced all his life.
"Pratap!" She exclaimed at his thought. " If you can't trust your family, then how can they trust each other? What is wrong with you...?" She looked worried. " What... Did someone say something?" She asked, scrutinising.
" Balwant was..." He stopped, alarmed, at how her sisterly side would give him an earful if she heard what he dared to imply in open court.
" Oh! He is new to this. Forgive him for..." Ajabdeh looked apologetic. "Ever since Daata..."
" No, no Ajabdeh, he was my father too. I understand he is just worried about us." He stopped. " Rawatji was saying, to declare Amar as Yuvraj and..."
" Amar hasn't proved his worth yet. When he will, we will definitely do that, not this early." Her words made him stare like she was a reflection of Jaivanta Bai.
" But Ajabdeh...." He reasoned, "Tomorrow is uncertain and I don't want..."
" Chand is a toddler, and by doing this, we will make it evident that we don't trust anyone." Ajabdeh protested firmly, "That will cause animosity which is not there." She held his hand reassuringly. " I don't want that."
Her decision was his. He nodded.
"I think once we get Amar married, we can think of it." He smiled. Ajabdeh gasped. "He is just thirteen, he is still a boy." She protested. "There is plenty of time..."
"You never told me. Was it true that he tried to protect you in the forest?" He questioned as Ajabdeh's eyes beamed with pride. He had indeed, when he was ten and they were travelling from Kelwara to Ranakpur through the forest, and the Mughal soldiers had spotted the entourage. Amar had taken out his sword, swearing to protect his mother and motherland. The guards and soldiers did their job, but Amar had his first taste of battle, and as he winced at his injury, Ajabdeh had never been so proud, cleaning his wound. He had made his mother swear not to tell Daajiraj, afraid he might scold him for it.
 
" It's time that the Maharani takes the throne with the Maharana. " Rawatji smiled at the gathered crowd. The women witnessed the scene from the jharokhas.
" Ranaji will choose his Maharani." Made Solankini Bai smile at Ajabdeh, who blushed.
" Ranaji had chosen his Maharani long before." Champabai giggled.
" Before he knew he was king," Jasobai added.
" Jija, go before you are called." Phool Kanwar smiled. "Why are you so modest?"
" Let him choose his consort." Jaivanta Bai hid a smile at his teasing wives as Ajabdeh looked trapped amidst them.
 
" Ranaji?" Rawatji asked as per the norms. He turned to his right, where Amar Singh sat.
" Kunwar Amar, call your Ranima."
He said it loud enough to reach the jharokhas. Ajabdeh touched Jaivanta Bai's feet as she blessed happily.
" Bless me to be like you." She smiled as Jaivanta cupped her face.
" No, Ajabdeh, you did what I couldn't, you kept a united family, keep doing that!" She smiled.

Rana Pratap could hear her familiar Payal amidst the noises of the court. He remembered the first time he had heard her and made the mistake of looking up at the Jharokha. He looked up again as she got down from one today, helped by their son, to the dais. Her face was veiled. But he knew she smiled at him, a smile he had known and loved, and was thankful for years.
" Maharani Ajabdeh Baisa ki Jai," echoed. She walked up to the highchair, and this time he extended his hand towards her as she took it.
" Maharanisa will sit on Ranaji's left." Rawatji declared as she did the honours. Together, they gifted clothes to the subjects like they did back in Chittorgarh.

He walked into the room knowing she would expect him to. She was combing her hair as his reflection fell on the mirror.
" We are going hunting tomorrow. As per the traditions." He made her nod.
" Take Amar with you, too."  She smiled.
" Ajabdeh, you know it's not safe. " He shook his head. "Not so soon."
" Who will teach him if not you?" She retorted.
" As far as I remember." He smiled. " His mother won a sword-fighting competition against me. By cheating."
" No, it was fair and square. You always lose to me." She looked wide-eyed.
" Ever since I lost my heart to you," he smiled. She blushed red and looked away.
" Let's read." She smiled. He nodded.
 
"Lord Rama lived for his subjects. He created the perfect kingdom, where all men were equal and laws were equal for all. He trained Luv and Kush the way Sita wanted, fierce warriors but intelligent like their mother. He divided his vast kingdom amongst the two; Luv got the east and Kush the west."
" Yes, we are descendants of Kush." He nodded.
" He missed Mata Sita's intelligence, her questions and eagerness in everything. He missed the part of him that questioned the right and asked why the other way was wrong. Lord Ram's questions died with her departure. The only thing that remained of her was the trace of hair he had held on to. He spent nights lamenting about what if he hadn't let her go. Then maybe, just maybe, he could not be this immortal in the eyes of his subjects. His deeds and pain made him immortal. His sacrifices and work made him God." She kept down the book and looked up at his face. After a pause, he smiled.
" We will start the Gita tomorrow." He said like a child.
" No, we always end up in fights and debates when we read that." She reminded him.
" You fight, you get over-excited, Ajabdeh." He reasoned.
" I just stick to my view like you do to yours." She pointed.
" That's your ego." He loved to make her angry.
She took a deep breath and said softly,
" Rana Pratap Singh, the Vaidji, has told me not to stress myself. You are stressing me out. It is not good for the... baby." She looked away, blushing.
" When did I stress... wait... what? Baby?" He looked at her with wide eyes as she shook her head and nodded, "Yes."
" When... why didn't you tell me?" He asked.
" I confirmed this morning, and you had work." She shrugged.
" No work is more important than this." He held her hand. "Than you are."
" Ranaji, I am fine, Amar and Chand will be so happy." She smiled. He nodded.
" You make me so happy, Ajabdeh. In a life full of regret and mistakes, I am happy I found you."
" Ranima found me; you were about to reject me." She frowned.
" I am glad I didn't." He smiled. " And I will cancel the hunting trip, I will stay with you."
" No, I vowed not to come between you and..." She reminded.
" And I vowed you are my responsibility. If ever it so happens that you go before me, I don't want to repent like Lord Ram."
" Ranaji." She giggled, surprising him. " The Ramayana always gets the insecure husband out of you."
" And it's amusing?" He asked with a serious face.
" No." She looked scared, and then they laughed. The most carefree laugh they had in years.
 
Today was not about what Mewar faced or the future uncertainties. Today was about their love, their family and all the tests they passed together. Today was about the journey of Kunwar Pratap and Samantputri Ajabdeh Punwar Baisa into Rana Pratap and Maharani Ajabdeh of Mewar. Today was about the marriage that witnessed the greatest love, struggle and sacrifice saga Rajputana ever witnessed. They held each other's hands as time stood witness to their love.

 

The End





Popular posts from this blog

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Two

Bondita got down from the local train with a duffle bag and her hoodie tied around the waist of her dark green Kurti, which she teamed with white leggings and a white dupatta. The weather at Canning seemed hotter and humid than Chandannagar, and at first glance, Bondita spotted the spring blooms of Krishnachura painting the tree at the station red. She picked up her bag and looked around the crowded station. Someone was supposed to come and get her. She dragged her bag through the crowd and finally reached the gates. The rickshaws, vans and small autos were shouting out names of different places, names that appeared like images in her memories. “Bondita Malkin?” She turned to see a woman in a checked printed saree worn above the ankle with a Ghomta over her head and the Anchol tied to her waist. Bondita nodded as the woman in her forties surprised her by touching her feet. Bondita jolted away in shock. “What are you doing?” She asked with raised brows as the woman took her duffel bag. ...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty One

“Please, Sir, we were going to show the evacuation notice to the lawyer.” The older man with a salt and pepper beard and a bald head pleaded with the Judiciary official, who handed him a paper of illegal occupancy. The NGO stood on the ground of the property that belonged to the Bhowmicks. Their lawyer, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, had sent a notice of warning and evacuation that the NGO did not pay heed to. The man in charge looked least concerned at the plea of the older man. His hands were folded, eyes teary, as the men who came with the Bull Dozer to knock down the one-storey house with thatched roof broke down the board of the NGO.  “Why did you not show the notice then?” The man rebuked in a gruff voice. “Because we thought it was some mistake.” Another man, relatively younger and calmer, came forward from the crowd that stood there watching as he spoke. “We got the land as a gift from Mr. Bhowmick some eleven years back to make the school for the orphans.” “Then where is the dee...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Three

Aniruddha stepped out of his room, in a wrinkled Kurta, with a towel and toothbrush, to almost bump into Bondita, who was hurrying out of her room, trying to wear her watch on the go. He stopped before she barged into him and spotted her in one of Thamma’s Dhakai sarees. It was a white-on-white saree she had worn with a quarter-sleeved black blouse. Her hair was bunned with a claw clip, and she wore a small black Teep complementing her Kajol-drawn eyes. She looked slightly startled as she stopped at his dishevelled appearance and looked away at his stare. “Why are you…” He cleared his throat to do away with his morning groggy voice, “Dressed up?” Bondita shook her head at his words. “Because I have camp today, the NGO representative is waiting downstairs.” At her words, Aniruddha nodded and promptly held her wrist to check her watch. Bondita eyed his index finger and thumb, briefly brushing around her wrist as he suppressed a yawn. “But… It's 7 AM.” Bondita smiled, amused at his wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Six

Bondita opened her door in the usual hours of the morning and found Thamma and Jyatha Moshai on the couch in their living room, sipping tea. She had half sat on her bed, leaning against the pillow all night, imagining her plight when she faced Aniruddha in the morning. What if he did not think of it as much as she thought of his actions? What if that was his uncomfortable way of comforting her because she was upset? But what about his eyes, his gestures? Had she misread all of it? Bondita blushed to herself the moment she remembered how his eyes followed her around for the past two days. Bondita was hurrying through her daily chores, eyeing the clock, for she would be late for work and overheard Trilochon lament about things not changing since Binoy left. He thought that things were getting better at home, but as soon as Aniruddha had left for Sunderban, Binoy informed him that he had changed the attorney in charge of his case. Bondita frowned slightly as her hand stopped at wearing th...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Five

“The bride is older than the groom.” Aniruddha heard one of the older villagers speak in a judgmental tone. “No wonder the higher castes don’t attend such atrocities.” He eyed the younger man he was talking to, who smiled. Aniruddha was sitting beside them on a bench in the open courtyard of a house where the wedding rituals were taking place. Tirio and Tumdak were playing rhythmically in a corner as some women danced to the tunes surrounding the new bride and groom. The men sat on the other side of the courtyard.  “Forget about the Brahmins, we don’t expect them to come.” The younger man shook his head. “As for traditions, what is wrong if the bride is older?” He smiled sheepishly at the older man. “What’s wrong? Everything. Master Moshai, you can be educated, but our ancient traditions have reasons. The groom must be older than the bride. It has some reason.” He shook his head. The teacher, in turn, educated the man that it was a perfectly normal Santhali ritual to marry older wo...

The Difficulties

“The best of our characters are often reflected in our children.” Kunwar Shakta had visited the court at Udaipur after a Turk marriage offer was turned down by Rana Udai Singh for the third time for one of his Princesses. The Ranimahal at Chittorgarh buzzed with rumours of him warning his father about the consequences of enemity with the Turks and also about the impending doom of Mewar. He had apparently irked Kunwar Partap by suggesting a peace alliance with the Timurids was beneficial to Mewar. Rana Udai Singh, in his anger, had banished him from his court. Kunwar Shakta had sworn not to be associated with the royal family any further and to join allies with the Turks. Rawat Chundawat was calm enough to pacify the angry prince and offer him to shift to Bassi and give his decision a second thought. However, Kunwar Partap had refused to abandon Chittor, defying his father’s orders for a shift to the newly founded capital with his Ranimahal. He wanted to stay at Chittorgarh, which...

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 ...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Seven

“Why will Bondita not come for Holi?” Asha asked as she inspected the colours, Abir, Pichkiri and balloons Somnath had ordered from Baro Bazaar. He shrugged. “She is scared of colours, I think.” Asha smiled, a little amused at her clueless husband. “She is not ten anymore.” He looked up at her words with a sheepish smile, “Well, I never saw her play Holi, perhaps Dadabhai knows the reason.” Asha contemplated her husband’s words. She did not share a relationship with Aniruddha frank enough for him to share things about Bondita. It would be easier for her to ask Bondita instead. “If you wish for her to come,” Som said, like he could almost read her mind, “Perhaps you can invite her. She won’t say no to you.” Asha nodded. “It will be good to have the whole family together. It's not been so since the wedding.” She smiled. Som agreed as he matched the list with the things. “Yes, and Baba will be coming too, he told me not to tell Jethu, but I was surprised by that.” “Maybe because he an...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Four

“You are cheating, he can’t play!” Bondita was attracted by the commotion downstairs as she opened the window of her room. She walked out to the balcony to inspect it. It was Sunday, and Padma had promised to make Chicken Curry, knowing Bondita had invited Tapur to join them for lunch. In the courtyard was a group of boys, probably Sidhu’s friends, with a broken pipe for a bat, a wooden plank for a wicket kept between two bricks and a rubber ball, arguing over a game of cricket. Bondita’s eyes stopped at Aniruddha, marking a line with chalk and then measuring feet using steps to mark the boundaries. Bondita looked amused at the sight. “Batuk. You went out fair and square; give me the bat.” Bondita put her hands on her waist as she commanded. Batuk refused to part with his new bat. Som frowned at his brother. “She is right; it was a clean bowl. Give her the bat!” Som commanded. “I was not ready.” Batuk shook his head. “She knew that.” “It's still out.” Bondita frowned. Aniruddha wal...