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Turn of Fates

Udai Singh had called Jaivanta Bai and Sajja Bai to his chambers.
"I knew it Jija." Sajja Bai smiled at a worried Jaivanta Bai. "Rana ji will not punish Kunwar Pratap for long, three days and he has called us. This means he will set Kunwarsa free. "

 Jaivanta Bai had her doubts. Dheerbai had kept him busy the last three days in her chambers, he was too angry to talk to Jaivanta Bai now and Dheerbai would surely use this opportunity. She was right. As they entered Udai Singh's chambers Sajja Bai's smile faded seeing Dheerbai smile at them. 

"Ayiye." Udai Singh spoke up. " I wanted to discuss something."
"Discuss?" Jaivanta Bai frowned. "Or tell?" She stared at Dheerbai.
Udai Singh was used to this side of her enough to ignore it as he addressed SajjaBai.
"We are thinking of getting Kunwar Pratap married."
"We?" Jaivanta Bai frowned as Sajja Bai's smile faded. "I was not informed. I am the mother."

"Jija, isn't Kunwar Pratap as much mine as yours?" Dheerbai smiled. "Of course the ultimate decision is yours but... I just took the liberty of suggesting a few good alliances."
"Kunwar Pratap is not ready for a marriage." Jaivanta Bai spoke up. "Certainly not alliances."
"JaivantaBai Ji. He is of age, and the way he risks his life in everything makes us worry, a marriage could calm him down" Udai Singh spoke up.
" Yes, and you remember Uma Jija? Her...." Dheerbai stopped at Jaivanta Bai's glare.
"I have already made the news official and..." Udai Singh was adamant. "I think Dheerbai has even sent out a few messengers to spread it." Dheerbai nodded in approval. Sajja Bai looked scared at a visibly angry Jaivanta Bai.

"And no one will ask Kunwar Pratap what he wants?" Sajja Bai dared to speak up as Dheerbai added "Jija, when did we start asking the children?"
"Where did you send the messengers?" Jaivanta Bai's voice was calm before a storm.
"What? How does that matter?" Udai Singh frowned. Jaivanta Bai ignored him to repeat again.
"Where did you..."
"Bijolia, first Jija." Dheerbai's smile made her fume. "After all, you said Hansa Bai has become like family. They have by now got the good news that Kunwar Pratap is getting married to some princess."
" Stop right there." Jaivanta Bai's raised voice surprised Udai Singh as she stormed out of the room as he called in vain. Sajja Bai looked visibly scared as she followed cluelessly.
"Jija... Jija... what happened..."

“We are sorry Maharanisa no one is allowed into Kunwarsa’s room without …” Jaivanta Bai ignored the guards as she flung the door open making him stare up with a frown.
“Come with me, Pratap.” She extended her hand to him.
“But Ranima… the punishment…” 
He spoke in vain as Jaivanta Bai held his hand and dragged him across the corridor to Udai Singh’s chamber. Udai Singh frowned as Dheerbai’s smile disappeared. Sajja Bai stood like a quiet witness.

“They are planning your wedding here Pratap.” She fumed.
“My what?” Kunwar Pratap’s eyes went wide.
“And strangely enough you don’t know but the whole of Mewar does isn’t it Dheerbai ji?”
“What are you suggesting Jija?”
“Why did the message reach Bijolia before it reached Kunwar Pratap?” 
Jaivanta Bai had had enough.
Udai Singh stared at his wife clueless as Kunwar Pratap’s fist tightened.

“ I gathered some people should know their positions before they dared to dream.” Dheerbai smiled.
"And I suggest you know your limits in other's lives Dheer Bai Ji!" Jaivanta Bai spoke up.
"Jija I expected you to be sensible here." Dheebai reasoned.
"And I didn't expect you to think so much about us Behena! We are so thankful." Jaivanta Bai taunted.
"I always love Kunwar Pratap more than Jagmal." She smiled.

“Enough! Bas Kijiye.” Kunwar Pratap’s voice boomed in the room as his parents looked shocked, they had never seen him raise his voice even at enemies, let alone family. Jagmal who was just three, playing in a corner started crying loudly as Kokoi Aaji his Daima rushed to take him out.

“ Kunwar Pratap, how dare you shout at your Chotima like that?” Udai Singh raised his voice.
“How dare she speak like that about…”
“Ranaji, he is just immature…” Dheerbai spoke up.
“ No, I am not! I am mature enough to understand what you are doing here and I won’t let you.” He fumed as Jaivanta Bai smiled at her son.
“It’s his wedding he will decide his choice.” Jaivanta Bai added.
“Fine! You have a choice tell us.” Udai Singh tried to reason.

The mother-son duo looked at each other, this was the time Dheerbai waited for. Speak up and get disowned, Pratap! She smiled.
“Ajabde.” Jaivanta Bai spoke up. “ Raoji’s daughter, she is our…”
“Enough! “ Udai Singh raised his hand. “It is for you he is such a rebel... He is Mewar’s crown prince and she… she is a Samant's daughter how could you? Didn’t you feel it would be…”
“My choice is made whether you approve or not.” Kunwar Pratap cut his father’s words and silenced him.

“Ranaji…” Dheerbai was about to speak when Udai Singh spoke up.
“Then leave… leave and don’t show your face, you are not Mewar’s crown prince anymore.”
“So be it.” Jaivanta Bai spoke as Kunwar Pratap nodded at her and touched her feet.

“ Always choose what is right.” She blessed her son. Kunwar Pratap walked away as the trio watched him go.

"Kunwarsa! Kunwar Pratap! Please don't go! Ranaji stop him!" Sajja Bai sobbed starting to walk after him as Udai Singh spoke up "You go after him, you leave with him Sajja Bai ji."
"Daajiraj how can you speak to my mother like that?" Shakti was fuming. He had met Kunwar Pratap in the corridor and heard everything. His fist tightened as he stared at Dheerbaiji.
"Kunwar Shakti." Jaivanta Bai calmed him down. " Listen to me.."
"No Badima I..."
"Now I know who teaches these children to be such rebels.You Jaivanta Bai ji." Udai Singh's words made Sajja Bai gasp as Jaivanta Bai took Shakti's hand and walked out of the chambers silently.

Baijilal was at the temple and Bijolia Lake every single night since she had heard his marriage talks. She hoped he would show up each night as she stared at the Mewar horizon. She wished to send him a letter but decided against it as she feared the cunning Chotima. As days passed, the hope in her heart was fading. She knew how he always abides by his promises and feared someone took one against their love.

He walked carefully towards her trying not to startle her. His heart said he would find her here.
“Ajabde…” His voice rang in her ears like music. She turned to see him, in his white angrakha and red pagri, smiling at her, eyes moist. Ajabde smiled back and in an impulse hugged him as she sobbed.
“I was so scared. So scared Kunwarsa.” She sobbed hiding her face in his chest as he held her as if to say he won’t let go.
“Hush Hush! I am here.”
“Kunwarsa I…I…” She sobbed.
“You?” He stared at her pleased hoping to hear what he wanted.
“ Ranaji agreed?” She asked with a frown as his face turned grim. He stepped back a little.
“What did you do?” She asked surprised.

“ I … might have fought with Daajiraj …” He looked away adding “And left home and my claim to the….”
“What?” She stared at him wide-eyed like she didn’t believe he did what he did.
“Kunwar Pratap!” She spoke angrily. “Go home.” She turned her back to him.
“What? I came here for you.” He looked surprised.
“Yes, and you will go back and apologize.”
“Never!” He said firmly.
“Kunwar Pratap. What do you expect? You will go to Daata and he will defy his loyalty to your father and hand me over to you?”
“No… Maybe…” He had never thought about it.
“Then what?” She asked frowning. “You want to run away?”
“Maybe… I don’t know.” He appeared clueless.

“Where will we run from family? Where will we go leaving Mewar? Isn’t it our dream to serve the motherland? How can you forget your lifelong dream for the one you dreamt just now?”
“Ajabde…”
“The Kunwar Pratap I knew doesn’t ever let his personal wishes come ahead of his people. The Kunwar Pratap I respect never wanted to run. The Kunwar Pratap I lo…” She stopped as he looked up at her disappointed eyes.
“I… disappointed you yet again.”
“No! You never disappointed me ever. Not then not now.” Her eyes were teary. “ I feel it’s my duty to Mewar to not come between the one they deserve and your rights.”
“Ajabde… Ajabde you are my strength, you are my hope…” He held her hands. “Without you, I can’t serve. Without you Sakhaveer is nothing.” A lone tear trickled down his helpless eyes.

“ Kunwar Pratap. I can not snatch Mewar of its glorious future and build my own. If we are destined not to be together so be it… forget me like a dream…”
“No… Ajabde… please don’t go…” She stepped back, shaking her hand from his as he begged. “ I left everything for you.”
“You don’t understand Kunwarsa. Love makes you have everything not lose everything. It means you don’t trust our relationship if you run like that. We can not run away.”
“ Ajabde.” He said softly and helplessly.
“Go back, please. For me.” Made his heart sink as she walked away determined not to look back.

In the Middle of the night, Kunwar Pratap appeared on Saubhagyawati’s doorstep at Telhati. The couple was shocked to see him there, knowing full well what the orders were at Chittor.

“ Rani Solankhini Baisa you?” Dheerbai looked shocked as Udai Singh frowned. Sajja Bai had dared to show up at Dheerbai’s room when Ranaji was resting there.
“Yes, me. And I wish to speak to my husband alone if you don’t mind Dheer Baisa.”
“Jija I…” Dheerbai opened her mouth.
“Leave us alone.” Udai Singh’s order shocked Dheerbai as she walked out. Sajjabai waited for her to go before she turned to the waiting for Udai Singh.

“Ranaji you know every time Shakti defies you, I feel he is wrong. I feel he is a rebel and his childishness makes him act against you. I trust you and your decisions blindly to scold him also. But now, at times I feel he is right.”
“ SajjaBai ji.” He looked stunned.

“Ha Hukum! You and I have seen Kunwar Pratap grow up, we have seen him idolize the right ways. Sakhaveer and Baijilal were local heroes, they did what your lack of administration couldn’t. When I heard you had declared them as deshdrohi…”
“Wait what… I never declared them as…” He looked surprised.
“Well apparently you did, Jija has the orders too. I was quite hoping there might be some political bindings. Knowing it's him, you punished him. For what? Doing what you couldn’t do?”

“ Sajja…”
“ Let me finish what I have to say. I gathered all my courage to show up here and maybe after this, you will throw me out too… “
“No, you are misund…”
“Ranaji, you ordered him to leave. Because he loved her? Did you ask why? Did you ask why Jija chose her? What she had to be Mewar’s future? I met her, I stayed with her, and she saved us. She is a perfect fit in his life. Don’t you know that marriage without love can be so painful? Wasn’t ours enough?” Her last words made Udai Singh stare at her. The chirpy, childish Sajja he always knew was so different today.

“What did you blame Jija for? Making our children brave? Let me tell you something Ranaji, we don’t expect your love, we expect your justice. And if you can’t give that, I am saying it here today, if my son decides to leave I will go with him, and I will support Kunwar Pratap. Because Jija can’t. Jija has the vows she made as a Maharani to fulfil and am glad I made no such vows. I am just a mother who loves both her sons equally.”
She stormed out as Udai Singh sat down. 

Dheerbai appeared soon saying “Hukum your favourite paan.”
“ Who ordered to capture of Sakhaveer and Baijilal?” His voice showed displeasure.
“Pardon?” She asked acting confused.
“Who declared them deshdrohis?” He asked angrily.
“I… thought…” Udai Singh walked passed her and stopped at her threshold.
“We are leaving for Bijolia tomorrow to ask Ajabde’s hand from Raoji. You will go and tell Jaivanta Bai this yourself.” He walked out as Dheerbai stood like a statue.


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