“ Mahek, I am going to Bijolia….”
“ Where?” Mahek looked up at the unfamiliarity of the name and asked.
“ Bijolia,” Survi replied. “ There are … Jain Temples there.”
“ But we are going to Kumbhalgarh tomorrow. Everything is
fixed.” Mahek frowned. "Can't it wait for the day after?"
“You all carry on, I need this for my research. I will be joining you once I am done,” Survi reassured her.
“ Kya Hua Bhaisaab?” Survi looked perplexed as the car came to a halt in the middle of the highway.
“ Mem Saab, tyre puncture ho gayi.” The driver scratched his head. "Aap side mein jaake wait kare. Main dekhta hoon." He took out his phone and cursed at the lack of signal.
“ Aise highway pe?” She frowned, unsurely. “ Dusra spare…”
“ Nahi hai Mem saab.” The driver shook his head.
“ Oh no shit!” She stepped out of the car. She should have listened to Mahek and not come alone, perhaps.
A black vintage car was passing by, and it suddenly stopped before her. A familiar face peeped out.
“ Miss Joshi?” Pratap smiled, "Is that you in trouble again?"
“Mr Singh?” She asked, surprised. “ Can… I get a lift to
the nearest bus stop?”
“Please come.”
She stepped in with her backpack, looking a little guilty as
she murmured, “Thanks.”
“ You seem to be in a lot of trouble on this trip.” He looked amused.
“ Story of my life!” She shrugged.
“ Where are you off to?”
“ Umm… I took your advice. I was starting with Bijolia when
the car broke down.”
“ Bijolia? Then you don’t need a bus. I am going home for
the Janmashtami Holidays. I will drop you off. You may need another cab to come back by, though.”
“ Thank You. Again.”She said. He nodded.
“ Mr. Singh, you studied history, and you are a local, so
tell me what you know about Ajabdeh Punwar?”
“ The Maharani?” He saw her take out a diary. “ Well, she …
was queen consort, mother to the crown prince… and supported him. She was
Bijolia’s Samant Putri, and she died early.”
“That’s it?” There was a hint of disappointment in her voice, as if she expected him to know something miraculously more than the books and historical accounts.
“ That’s it. But why are you …” he asked curiously.
“ I am writing a project on women of Rajputana, so…” She
lied. She had to. She was not going to sound like a madwoman by telling him the truth.
“ Ohh, we are here.” He looked out of the window as she asked the driver to stop and arrange an auto for her. She got down, looking lost as he pointed,
“ This is the Jain temple.”
“ I want to see something related to…” She looked unsure as he nodded.
“ Her… okay, come with me… There are temple ruins from that
area… The new royal palace is inside the fort walls, while the old palace ruins are a little further away at the Kalan, but this one is
near my house.”
He took her through the ruined corridors of what was once a
temple.
“ Mahadev temple for the royals,” he said. “ There is
Mandakini Kund nearby.”
Ajabdeh… Ajabdeh….
She turned around at the faint sound.
“ What is it?” He asked.
“ I thought… someone was calling me…” She said, unmindfully. “
I mean… I thought I heard something.” He smiled.
“ There must be something in these corridors, then.” He
concluded.
“ Pardon?”
“ I sometimes heard my name too… as a kid… like someone is
calling… I feel…” He seemed to take it so lightly. “ What did you feel?” She could sense his glance on her. Was he amused because she felt too much?
“ Leave it, it's… nothing.” She looked disturbed.
“ Can I ask you something, Miss Joshi?” He seemed thoughtful.
“ Yes, please call me Survi.”
“ Have you been to
Chittor? Did you feel something there, too?” He seemed awkward, asking.
“ Like…. “ She felt uneasy as she said, “An eerie feeling?”
“ At the Dangal. And then at Jauhar Sthal.” He looked at her, surprised as she stared
wide-eyed.
“ And… I don’t know how… I thought the palace had five…” She stammered, unsurely.
“ Five and a half…” He added. “ Yes, maybe it’s coz we read too much
and….”
“ Imagine things.” She added quickly.
“Ms Joshi, do you have any … Rajasthan connection apart from
the books?”
“ I…. My mom is … from Jallore.” He nodded at her words. "I haven't visited often, though." Pratap led her out of the temple premises towards his car.
“ Is there any place where I can read old historical books
or find old texts?” She asked. I need
some answers. Everything happens for a reason.
“ Yes,, He smiled. “ My house has a room full of them. I
will ask Maasa.”
“ But… I … It’s getting late.” Survi eyed her watch.
“ Miss Joshi, you have already missed the last bus, it leaves
at midday, and it’s almost evening.” he smiled faintly. "If you want to go back, I can give you my car, but again, if you have a breakdown..."
“ Oh shit! But… Going to your house? Are you Sure?” She asked, unsurely. "You barely know me." He nodded, "You won't be the first guest there. My mother operates a home stay, so she is fine with it. You can pay for the stay if you want." That convinced Survi to take up his offer.
The car stopped at the porch of the Haveli. A lady came down
the stairs looking worried.
“ Pratap Beta… why are you so late? Main… Who is this?” She
asked, alarmed.
“ She is Ms. Joshi. She is a student of history, and she
wants to help with a project; she is writing about your family, the Punwars.”
“ Survi. Joshi. “ She smiled, touching the lady’s feet.
“ She is researching Maharani Punwar,, He added.
“ Ajabdeh?” The name gave her goosebumps again. Not because
she heard it so often, but because the voice that called her in the temple corridors
sounded just like this lady's voice.
“ Who?” She asked, surprising Pratap.
“ Ajabdeh Punwar?” The lady asked again. She was now sure the voice was hers. But why?
“ Hansa ji, dinner is ready.” The cook came calling.
“ Chaliye.” Pratap’s mother
smiled. "Let me show you your room. And please be my guest, you are writing about my ancestors, I will not take any payment from you." Hansa was firm. "But..." Survi protested as Pratap watched his mother lead her to her bedroom.
After dinner, Ajabde was taken by Pratap into a room full
of old texts.
“ This is a treasure chest.” She smiled, impressed.
“ Yes, even we don’t know what all is here.” He was dusting
off some layers from the trunks. They sat down on the floor with the books.
Her hand stopped at a line. Jaivanta Bai Songara, the
Maharani of Udai Singh and mother to Pratap Singh, was born in Jalore. She shut
the book, sweating. Then she stared at the stranger in front of her, engrossed in his
book.
“ I need to make a call.” She excused herself and called
Mahek, telling her everything about the car breakdown as she added, “ I think I
will stay back a little. You people go on and convince Mom for me, please.”
She came back into the room with a question. “ Have you ever been to
Jalore, Mr Singh?”
“ No, I have never even been to Haldighati.” He smiled. "I have been too busy at work, where I am posted."
“ I want to see everything around here. You were talking of
some palace ruins…” Survi insisted.
“ Yes, at Bijolia Kalan. Stories say the Maharana and
Maharani got married there.”
“ I want to see that!” Survi said curiously.
“ But there is nothing to see now, just rocks and bases,”
Pratap added. "You will be disappointed."
“ Still, I want to go. I want the voices to stop.” He looked
at her as she sounded alarmed. “I mean...No No one will believe me.”
“ I know, I understand. I tell no one what I
feel either.” He agreed.
At dawn, she woke and stepped out of the room she was given
by a generous Hansa. Her nature was so warm that she felt at home. She walked down
the dark corridor in search of a balcony, and she bumped into someone.
“ I’m sorry.” They spoke in unison. They stared at each
other.
She had sent her car, which came after a tyre change
the day before, to the hotel to bring back her luggage. For the night, she
was in his mother’s saree. He stared at her, looking typically Rajasthani in her attire, and asked, surprised,
“ Miss Joshi…”
“ Survi…” She corrected.
“ Survi, you are up so early?”
“ I always get up at dawn.” She smiled.
“ Me too.” He smiled back. She looked different in that
attire, and the messy, loose hair spread across her back.
“ Umm… “ She saw him smile and stare as she looked away from
the dark brown eyes. “ I don’t know how to thank you and Aunty, I was in such a
mess and…”
“No, no, it’s all right. You see, I was
wondering all night.” His words made her stare at him. “ I think you are right, what we feel in the ruins...they are not normal, there has to
be some reason for them, and I also want to know what.” She smiled as he said
it. Maybe he can help me. "I have been to ruins before, and it never happened to me anywhere else." She added.
“By the way, I made
arrangements. We can go to the Kalan today, then you can go back to Udaipur
when you want for the rest of the trip.” She nodded happily and added a “
Thanks.”
