The ladies were all sitting around the bride in the evening, planning about the big day the next day, as the bride sat unmindfully, and the women played the Dhol and danced around her.
Ajabdeh was a nervous bride. The moment she saw her reflection in the wedding lehenga, Baijilal gave way to a blushing bride as Saubhagyawati teased her. She looked at herself as Ratan put the Chunri on her. The new life awaited her. Kunwar Pratap was adjusting his pagri when Jaivanta Bai arrived, smiling. He blushed as she did his Nazar utran. Finally, Sakhaveer and Baijilal realised it was the day they let Kunwar Pratap and Ajabdeh have their moment and realise how far they had come. Everything else, every worry and plan, faded as they smiled at their reflections with eager anticipations of the evening.
"Bindni must be thinking of Kunwarsa ", someone teased.
"Or the wedding ", another woman added. Jaivanta Bai observed an absent-minded Ajabdeh. After the guests retired after some singing and dancing, she took her hand and led her out of the hall to her chambers.
"What happened?" She asked, closing the door behind her.
"Ji?" She asked, surprised.
"Why are you tense?" Jaivanta urged her to speak.
"Ranima woh...." A knock made her stop as Kunwar Pratap appeared at the door. Patta followed him cluelessly and bowed to the queen.
"Ranima, you called..." his eyes stopped on her worried face, then back at his mother.
"Yes, I think Baijilal needs some talking to here." She left with a smile, closing the door behind her.
"Patta." They spoke in unison as the boy looked wide-eyed.
"Do not tell anyone who we suspect, is that clear?" Ajabdeh spoke up.
"I know Jija, she has a stronghold..."
"And we three need to keep an eye on her." Kunwar Pratap added. " If we can't expose her, we will stop her."
"She was not with the ladies," Ajabdeh spoke up. "That worries me."
"Then where is she?" Patta frowned.
Dheer Bai ji was at the Mahanal Temple puja thaal in hand. A man wrapped in a shawl walked by and stopped at a distance. She gave her Dasi a piece of paper. The man took it, nodded positively and left as Dheer Bai smiled contentedly.
At night, Rana Udai Singh entered his room to find Dheer Bai ji waiting. He frowned.
"You want something ?" He asked. He could notice that she had dressed up according to his liking.
"Ranaji, I know you are still angry about my orders, but please listen to me." She still mesmerised him with her smile. " I... am truly sorry, you know how much I love Kunwar Pratap, don't you?"
"Dheerbai ji...." He cleared his throat.
"I can help you with the Marwar issue." Her words made him look up. She played her cards well.
Everyone knew that Mewar and Marwar were in a cold war ever since Maldeo came to the throne. Two of Rajputana's largest states were not united. Udai Singh feared that Akbar would use Marwar to get Mewar. He didn't want war within Rajputana with the Mughals at Agra, breathing down their neck. Rao Maldeo was egoistic, vain and never to bow or ally with Mewar. Even Jalam Singh's capture wouldn't bring him to an alliance. He had taken over Ajmer, Alwar and Merta, which had been briefly under Mewar. Perhaps a personal approach could be better than political. Rani Uma Devi Bhattyani was an elder sister of Dheerbai. She was also one of Maldeo's favourite queens. She could control and influence him with her words. And this relationship was the help Mewar needed for peace talks right now. Kunwar Pratap knew that the whole of Mewar knew that. Just out of the Bundi war, Udai Singh needed to buy time with talks, if not a peace treaty. Tonight Udai Singh was going to forgive his favourite queen, for his own benefit.
The dawn arrived with the Haldi ceremony preparations in full swing. Ajabdeh was bathed in Milk and rose water before she headed to the Haldi ceremony. Patta was keeping an eye on everything around the palace. Ajabdeh saw Dheerbai's confident smile that made her worry, as she searched the crowd for Ratan.
Patta was at the stables. He was inspecting a pair of footprints that led in from the walls into the stables. They appeared fresh. Clutching his sword, he looked around. Suddenly, he felt someone behind him. As soon as he turned, a sword was on him. He swiftly moved to his left, which injured his right hand. He swung his sword and missed the man. The man smiled. A hired assassin, no doubt. But why him? He frowned. As swords clashed, he remembered he had stared at Dheer Bai ji speaking of the traitor.
"She sent you, didn't she?" He smiled. The professional hitman kept mum as swords clashed.
"Baojiraj, Baojiraj." Chakrapani appeared breathless as Kunwar Pratap smiled at his friend's arrival, but the smile soon faded as his friend appeared worried.
"Back... stable... Patta." Kunwar Pratap picked up his sword and ran out.
"But..." Chakrapani called in vain.
As Patta's hand weakened due to blood loss, he felt dizzy. Before losing his senses, all he remembered was Kunwar Pratap's face.
"Patta! Patta!" Jija's voice rang.
The assassin lay slayed at Kunwar Pratap's feet as he looked at his injury and back at Patta's head on Ajabdeh's lap.
"Someone call the Vaid." He shouted at the gathered crowd. "Now!"
Ranaji and his queens arrived with Raoji and Rawatji at the site.
"A hired goon. He was here for Kunwar Pratap!" Rawatji looked worried.
"No, he was here for Patta." Ajabdeh's teary eyes flashed rage as she stared at one particular face in the crowd.
"Kunwarsa, your hand..." Sajja looked worried. " A cut... It's not a good omen before..."
"Majhli masa. Cuts are jewellery to a Rajput; this will heal soon." He smiled reassuringly. The Vaidji arrived as Patta was taken to a room.
"Baisa. Why do you think the assassin came for Patta?" Rawatji asked as she looked surprised.
"Because he would not have been hurt from the back like that unless... he was the prey." Ajabdeh's answer was firm.
"This wedding is full of unpleasant events." Dheer Bai's words made everyone look worried as Jaivanta Bai smiled, "No, Dheer Bai ji, just insignificant tries and failed attempts... of enemies." Ajabdeh smiled slightly, amused at Dheer Bai's grim face as Kunwar Pratap's glance caught hers.
"He is fine, just needs rest." The Vaidji spoke up.
"Dhanyavaad." Kunwar Pratap folded his hands.
"Chaliye sab, let Ratan and Ajabdeh take care of him; we have rituals to arrange. " Sajja Bai took everyone out. "And Kunwarsa, no more seeing our Kunwaranisa before the wedding." She teased, "You have broken the rule quite several times now." Kunwar Pratap left a little embarrassed after a nod at Ajabdeh. Dheer Bai ji was in the corridor when Ajabdeh called her from behind, making her stop.
" Choti Ranisa." She smiled. "Since we are family, can I share something?"
"Surely, Ajabdeh, you are my favourite son's would-be bride." She smiled back.
"Some insider, a traitor, led Surtan here and helped him escape." Dheer Bai's smile faded as she said, "I know."
" Someone tried to kill my brother and injured Kunwarsa." Dheer Bai nodded.
"But you see, love and belief win over everything, Choti Ranisa." She hugged her, surprisingly, a taken aback Dheer Baiji. "I see how much you love and care for us all. I feel inspired." Her sarcasm didn't escape Dheer Bai. " And I promise to give you the same and more, once I arrive at Chittorgarh." Ajabdeh smiled. " Your love is something I will cherish winning."
"Ajabdeh, it's my duty to love and care as a mother," Dheer Bai spoke up with a cunning smile, as Ajabdeh's smile did scare her. "Once you are in Chittor, you will see how I run things there."
"Of course. I will learn a lot from you about how to run a Rani Mahal. And it will be my duty to protect and honour the people I love, no matter what. I will always do that over every duty as a Kunwarani." Ajabdeh's smile disappeared as she looked into Dheerbai's eyes. She saw Dheer Bai walk away nervously. She had just encountered the Baijilal in Ajabdeh. Pleased, Ajabdeh went back to her room, where Ratan was waiting.
"Ratan, you be with Patta and tell Balwant I send for him." She made her nod.
"Did you summon me?" Balwant arrived at her threshold.
"Yes, I need you to do something for me." Ajabdeh stood up from the edge of her bed.
"Me?" He asked, surprised.
"Yes, you. Be on guard until Patta is better, don't let him go out, especially... at night until he heals. " She opened a chest and took out a letter. " I want you to give Patta this after I am gone."
"Ji Jija." He nodded a little cluelessly. He knew Patta was adamant, and his little persuasion skills would be futile to stop him.
Kunwar Pratap was sitting for the Haldi Rasm with a slight blush as he looked around and noticed.
"Where is Chotima?" He enquired.
"Here I am, Kunwar Pratap. Was just a little caught up with your bride." Her last words made him worry. What is she planning now?
The Haldi Rasm was going on when a Dasi arrived with a gift box for Ajabdeh. Dheer Bai took it and walked up to Ajabdeh's room as Kunwar Pratap's eyes travelled to his mother, who followed quickly.
"Ajabdeh, my elder sister, Uma Jija, send this for you." She smiled at the box. "From Marwar."
Ajabdeh stared at the box and then at Jaivanta Bai, who had just arrived.
"I am sorry, I can not accept this." Dheerbai gasped at her words. The Samant Putri was refusing a gift from the Rani of Marwar.
"This is a Naulakha she sent...." Dheerbai tried to persuade her.
"No! It's from Marwar, and we are in a war situation. Until that is resolved, I, as a Mewari, can't accept this. I am sorry. Her blessings will be enough." Ajabdeh's determined words made Jaivanta Bai smile and agree as Dheer Bai fumed. She walked away with the box, which had a necklace laid with poison. It perhaps would not have killed Ajabdeh, but the poison would seep into her skin and make her sick. People could blame Marwar for it, but Dheer Bai was desperate to scare Baijilal and intimidate her. Ajabdeh knew Marwar was too vain to send gifts; she needed to be careful and play the game right with Dheer Bai. She was not letting Mewar be harmed because of her misstep. She knew if something from Marwar hurt her, Kunwar Pratap would not spare Marwar, and Mewar could not afford another war. Jaivanta Bai was pleased that she understood that.
"Kunwarsa." Her voice made him stare wide-eyed.
"Ajabdeh? You know, after the Haldi...."He looked around the empty corridor, then back at her.
"I just came to give this." She placed a bowl of balm down on the table. "Chalte hai."
"Ajabdeh." She stopped without turning.
"Ji?"
"Hum apse ..." Footsteps in the corridor made him stop as she ran, and turned back at the corner, they both blushed with a smile as eyes met before she disappeared behind the drapes.
Dheer Bai had no intention of peace with Marwar. She wanted war; she wanted to submit to the Mughals, knowing that way, Akbar would kill Kunwar Pratap, and her Jagmal could be king. He would agree to bow to the Mughal as long as the throne was his. Peace with Marwar would yield nothing. But she wanted her niece to be his bride so that, in case the Mughals had no interest, she would still have a stronghold using her niece. But all her plans were failing. She had tried to kill Patta and failed. She had tried to attack Ajabdeh with the Marwari gift that would cause a war, but it failed. Now she had the only hope in Udai Singh. She needed to restore his faith in her with a successful talk with Marwar. She knew to win bigger wars, she needed to lose this small one.
