Our World

Holi in Surajgarh was always traditionally colourful and nice, with delicious homemade sweets and Thandai and lots of childhood memories. The people were too happy to find the Royal Family back in Surajgarh for the Holi. Away from the media and news, these simple people who still looked up to the Royals always wanted them to come back home unaware of the happenings of the fast lives in the cities. Their small world would celebrate Holi like never before this year.

Surajgarh was decked up as soon as it knew Ranisa was coming on Holi. Ranisa much like Ajabde baisa was their god-sent angel, who solved problems like miracles and the people loved and respected her.

Jaivanta did a Khamma Ghani to the crowd in her elegant gracious way that always mesmerised Ajabdeh. She smiled inspecting the latest happenings with the Panchayat much to Jaivanta’s delight.

“Jija we are here for the holidays so please don't talk about work.” Shakti dragged her away as she said “But…”

Patta met them with a not-so-convincing smile as Ajabde asked “What happened to you?”

“Nothing.” He frowned as she looked suspicious.

“Everyone can rest till Holika Dahan. Rukaiya especially.”Hansa spoke up. “And you?” Rukaiya looked down as she scolded.

“Mausi scold her, she kept me on my toes all the time now it is her turn.” Sau giggled.

“Aarchi is coming with Mausi” Ajabde smiled at the baby.

“Say bye to everyone.” She walked away talking to the baby in her room, while the others went to theirs. Pratap was playing ball with Brownie when he heard Shakti and Patta with Jalal in the corridor.

“What is cooking here?” He frowned. “Jalal if you do some mischief with them I swear I will…”

“No… am responsible.” He made a serious face. “Pratap trusts me.” Pratap frowned at his smile.

Jalal quickly walked away to his room as Pratap watched Shakti go to him. Jalal frowned at Rukaiya’s pale face as she was sitting in bed and having water.

“Ruk, are you okay?” He asked worriedly.

“Just a little nausea…” She smiled faintly.

“Umm… is it normal?” He hated when the doctor and the patient were the same people. It worried him that she would always hide something.

"Yes it is.” She giggled. “Do you remember my senior Dr Mahamanga?” “She seemed very motherly to you.” Jalal smiled.

“She will be looking at me personally.” Rukaiya smiled. “Relieved?”

“No, sleep.” He frowned. Rukaiya giggled at his worried face as he kissed her forehead and repeated “Sleep.”

“Aww, Aarchi…” Ajabde was playing with Aarchi who was smiling at Mausi. Pratap entered smiling at the scene.

“Look at her!.” Ajabde smiled excitedly. “I think she got a little taller?” Pratap looked clueless as she put a kajal tika on Aarchi’s forehead. “Nazar na lage meri princess ko.”

He sat down beside her staring as she smiled at Aarchi. The baby started crying as Ajabde promptly picked her up saying “Aww what happened….” She cradled Aarchi as Pratap frowned at how at ease she was with the tiny baby. “Are you hungry? Is Aarchi hungry?” She said worried and got up.

“Go to Kakasa I will bring your food from Mamma!” She promptly placed Aarchi on his lap as he tried to protest and ran out. Pratap looked terrified, eyes wide at the door as she ran.

“Oh God…err….” He looked terrified as the baby moved. “Hi, Aarchi.” He managed a smile but the baby pouted and started sobbing. He remembered how Ajabde was cradling her and that made her stop. “What do I…” He looked petrified. “Ok….erm… Aarchi… hush…” He tried in vain. Jalal walked into the room amused.

“Look who is taking care of Aarchi!” He smiled.

“Jalal!” Pratap was all smiles as he handed Jalal the baby. “What I… she is crying….” Jalal looked scared.

“Stop her, come on!” Pratap smiled relieved. “Practise.”

“Pratap! Yeh… umm… hush hush… Aarchi… hush….” He tried in vain as the sob turned to cries and Ajabde shouted “Am coming baby, Mamma is making your food…” The baby cried louder as Pralal looked at each other.

“hahaha! What's happening here!” Shakti smiled amused at the duo. “She is a baby, not a battlefield, let me try.”

Pratap and Jalal were happy to hand Aarchi over to Shakti who thought the baby would feel good if he twirled her. He used to twirl Patta all the time. Only he was a two-year-old and not a month. But Shakti gathered that all babies are the same. Two whirls and she stopped as the men smiled at each other, Shakti more proudly. A moment of silence later, the cry was louder than ever.

“I should hurry.” Ajabde looked worried as Sau smiled. " Let me see Pratap's condition now.” She giggled as Chaks agreed.

“ Aarchi is…” Heer entered spotting Aarchi on Shakti’s lap as the three looked terrified. Aarchi was all red from the crying.

“Three grown men can't hush a baby?” Heer looked disappointed as she took Aarchi and tried to make her stop, as she sobbed softly. “Bhaijaan I didn't expect this of you!”

“What did I do?” Jalal frowned. “Pratap made her cry.” He pointed.

“I didn't…” Pratap defended as Ajabde rushed to the baby with the feeding bottle and Sau and Chaks smiling in toe. Heer and Aarchi left for the baby room as the trio looked terrified at Chaks and Sau.

“Welcome to our world.” Sau giggled amused. “It's terrifying,” Pratap said wide-eyed.

“Petrifying.” Shakti agreed.

“Oh no!” Jalal could see himself in the next few months. “I need to start looking for a new place after Rukaiya throws me out.” His serious tone made them all laugh at his pale face.

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Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Purnota: Chapter Three

“Did you ask for me, Dadu?” Bondita asked as the old man smiled at her. She looked fresh, with her hair neatly braided and a cotton pleated skirt, Thamma sewn with a faded top of one of her cousins, as she stood before the old man sitting on the porch. “Yes indeed, Didibhai, you didn’t come for chess yesterday.” The man smiled. “Oh, Pradhan Jyatha wanted me to look out for the …” She stopped as she saw Aniruddha walking towards them down the corridor. She eyed him as the old man followed her gaze. “Oh Aniruddha Babu, come here. This is Bondita Das.” Aniruddha smiled at the child as she looked away. “She is the only girl in the village who has appeared for her final examinations this year. She is very intelligent and…” Aniruddha nodded “She helped me a lot yesterday.” He made her look up, with a cold stare at him as he smiled politely. “Yes, I have called her here to show you around the village. He wants to see the affected areas of the Adivasis, Bondita.” The old man made her nod. “But...

You Deserve More

Ajabdeh woke up with the song of birds as she felt something warm on her hand. Her eyes went wide. Her hand was on the pillow in between them, between his hands, clasped as he slept. She thought of removing it slowly, but he was holding on to it so tightly. Ajabdeh's heart beat faster and faster. What do I do now? How do I not wake him? What if... why is my hand in his? She was utterly confused. " Am I...In love?" Pratap was staring at the sleeping figure on the bed as he stared back at the rain. Then he frowned as he noticed that she shivered. He closed the windows of the room to make it cosy, then sat on his side of the bed. A lamp flickered on her side like always, and he stared at her sleeping figure as he put his blanket over her as well. She shifted a little in her sleep to make herself cosy again. Her payals and bangles made a rhythmic sound, breaking the silence of the room. Her hand was out of her blanket and on the pillow in between. He tried to slowly put it ...

She Left...

The war was over and so were the hopes of regaining Chittor. The Battle at Haldighati had robbed the Rana of all his wealth, and brave men, and bruised him for life. Trying to match up to Akbar or rather Raja Man Singh's army with one-third its strength had cost his bravery dearly. He had lost his friend and companion. He had brushed past death. The only good thing that this war ensured was that Akbar accepted that he cannot have Mewar. His army retreated and left the country in peace after almost two decades and seventeen wars. This war gave something else too. Kunwar Shakti came to help his brother in his time of need. He lived up to his brother's expectations of being loyal to his family. A heavy-hearted Rana Pratap Singh was overseeing the construction work on his lost friend's memorial right where he died, trying to save his master. The Bronze statue of the life-like Chetak stood tall but was no match for the void Chetak has left behind. He was lost in his thoughts as ...

Purnota: Chapter Four

The group of youth provided by the Pradhan proved efficient for Aniruddha’s liking as they helped him survey the villages, create a set of data and provide a rough idea of how much fund was needed to rebuild the roofs and fallen walls. “What if we make them permanent? That way, the next cyclone will cause less damage. Pakka houses may also get other facilities like toilets and…” Aniruddha suggested as his eyes shone in the flickering light of the dimly lit kerosene lamp in the living room of Pradhan’s house. Drops of perspiration had formed on his forehead in the load-shedding, and the mosquitoes buzzed around them. For the first two nights, Aniruddha could barely sleep in the unfamiliar surroundings with buzzing insects, sounds of the unknown, and eerie animals here and there at a distance. Stories of snakes climbing up to the second floor through windows despite the mosquito net protecting his four-poster bed kept him alarmed. By the third day, after a day’s survey through the villag...

A Heart at War

Legend has it that Pratap had to struggle for his father Rana Udai Singh's approval on his wedding with the daughter of Bijoliya's chieftain's daughter, Ajbante Kanwar Punwar. It is so because he was the crown prince and his first queen was supposed to be the next queen of Mewar. Hence his father expected his first bride to be a powerful princess who would aid his political needs. But stubborn as he always was, Kunwar Pratap had other plans. The water of the Bhimlat was still. The sound of the waterfall could be heard in the silent afternoon in the dense forest. A pebble caused ripples in the water and alerted the horse gazing nearby. He looked up at the source of the stone. Then began grazing peacefully once again. The source of the stone however was far from being peaceful. His face wore a frown as he stared around restlessly for the umpteenth time. He sat unmindful on the large rock on the bank of the water body watching the ripples closely, lost in thoughts. The soun...

Purnota: Chapter Six

Kalindi waited outside the hut, on the torn mat they usually slept on, using the hand fan to drive away mosquitoes as she stared at the empty path leading out of the house, the path Bondita had taken some time back. It was almost an hour. Did the foolish girl escape or land in trouble? To her relief, she could hear her nephew snoring away indoors, reassuring her that they were at least not caught by the villagers till now. She was sure Bondita would return empty-handed and hurt, and that she would have no other way than to accept the proposal from the Pradhan. That morning, her Kaka would accompany Sarkar Moshai to the adjacent village to talk to a family friend of the Sarkars. They were looking for a bride for their sixteen-year-old eldest son, who worked as a labourer in Sealdah. Kalindi had tears in her eyes. Not much had changed in these years; not much of women’s fate was different, wasn't it? Kalindi was about ten years old when her father took her to the Roy Chowdhury house ...

Purnota: Chapter Five

Aniruddha finished reading the book he had carried with him in the dim light of the bulb in his room and decided to pack it away. He was leaving in a few days and wanted to make sure he left nothing behind. The construction work on the school had started, and the Panchayat wanted to give him a thankful farewell he humbly refused. The spotlight should be on Trilochon to help with his next election campaign. Aniruddha did not want to associate himself with the party or the job. He contemplated going back home and telling his father that he had decided to pursue a career in India instead of his initial plan of going back to London. He had been giving it a thought for quite some time, and the day he said it out loud to Bondita, he knew in his subconscious mind he had already decided on it. The more he saw the village, the more sure he was that he was needed by his countrymen. Dadu put faith in him that he could be part of something bigger than himself and his career, and he intended to kee...

Life and You

" Maharanisa! Maharanisa!" The maid-in-waiting ran through the quiet Rani Mahal as Jaivanta Bai, who was sitting in front of the Lord in her room ever since she was back, rushed out of her room, followed by Sajjabai and Veerbai. " What happened?" She asked, her voice calm, but her heart thumping. " Kunwarsa is here... with Kunwarani... She... She...." The maid sobbed as Jaivanta Bai rushed to the room. She stood at the door as her eyes could not believe what she saw. Kunwar Pratap was soaked in her blood as he laid her down on the bed, shouting, " Quick. Rajvaidya..." His eyes stopped at the door as Jaivanta Bai rushed to be beside the unconscious Ajabdeh. The Daasis and Sevaks were running about soon enough. Sajja Bai gasped at the scene. So much blood. Kunwar Pratap had not noticed anything except her calm, unconscious face. Now that he noticed his blood-soaked hands, red, he stared at them as though in a trance. "Kunwar Pratap! Tell me w...

Unsaid

"Keep the Lehenga in this one, that jewellery in the box." Jaivanta Bai was ordering the ladies in the Ranimahal around. Kunwar Shakti entered with an equally stunned Kunwar Pratap at the scene as the hall turned into a mini market thanks to their mothers. " Kunwar Pratap is here." Dheerbai smiled at the duo as she walked up to them. " Choti ma, what are all these?" He asked, surprised. " Shagun!" Sajjabai answered excitedly."For Kuwaranisa. She will be blessed with these for the Sagaai. " Sajja Bai smiled at Jaivanta Bai, who nodded. "What Sagaai ?" Kunwar Pratap frowned at his mother. "Your engagement , aree , no one told him?" Sajja giggled a little, amused. " The four of us are choosing separate gifts of our own choice for your bride, Kunwarsa, come and see." Veer Bai urged him. "The Sagaai is in three days, followed by the wedding on the Seventh, Rajpurohitji had said," Dheerbai informed ...

RAABTA

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