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 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 Ajabdeh 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 Ajabdeh 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 scolded her; she kept me on my toes all the time. Now it is her turn." Sau giggled. "Aarchi is coming with Mausi" Ajabdeh 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... I 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 it 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." Rukaiya smiled. "Relieved?"
"No, sleep." He frowned. Rukaiya giggled at his worried face as he kissed her forehead and repeated, "Sleep."Aww, Aarchi..." Ajabdeh was playing with Aarchi, who was smiling at Mausi. Pratap entered, smiling at the scene."Look at her!" Ajabdeh 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 Ajabdeh 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 Ajabdeh 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 Ajabdeh said, "I'm coming, baby, Mamma is making your food..." The baby cried louder as they 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." Ajabdeh 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 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 Ajabdeh rushed to the baby with the feeding bottle, and Sau and Chaks smiled in tow. 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.

Sibling's Day

Shakti always had a very strict sibling equation with Pratap. Though they were only two years apart, the siblings had very different tastes and preferences. For Shakti, Pratap's disciplined and well-planned life looked like he was missing out on a lot of things. He sometimes didn't even approve of how impulsive Pratap was when he was emotional. Shakti, on the other hand, prioritised experiences over plans. He never found a need to feel deeply for anything the way Pratap did, and over the years, mostly in Pratap's absence from the family, he had managed to find a way with his parents. But he didn't really have any other elder sibling figure. All his cousins' sisters were close to him and younger. But with Ajabdeh, he had developed this very strong connection over the past few weeks. As a child, Shakti's playmate in the house used to be Sajja, while his father worked, his mother ran NGOs, and Pratap was always found with his head in a book. Ajabdeh was up for an...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Four

Aniruddha tapped his black loafers on the Italian marble floor of the entrance as he eyed his watch. It was almost half past five. He checked himself in the full-size mirror beside the coat hanger, looking fresh as he shaved and bathed, set his hair, chose a white summer blazer over his black shirt and trousers and abandoned the idea of a tie. He cleaned his glasses with the handkerchief, contemplating whether he should knock at Asha’s door, telling Bondita to hurry. He wondered what the women were doing there for such a long time. He could hear them giggling and gossiping as he walked past the room. He wondered what huge deal a party was that a woman needed another to help her dress up. He took out his phone and wondered if he should call her downstairs instead to avoid the awkwardness of knocking on the door. It was then that Aniruddha heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up in a reflex. He would give her a piece of his mind for wasting precious moments, especially when they...

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...

AAYA TERE DAR PAR DEEWANA

Pratap was outside the gates of Meera Girls College in Udaipur by the next afternoon, unsure of whether to go in and ask for her. He spotted a few girls walking out, and one of them kept staring at him suspiciously before approaching him. He stood in his spot, still awkward as she asked, “Aren’t you that ASI guy that Roshni met?” “I… what?” Pratap narrowed his eyes “I am sorry, I don’t remember you.” “I am Mahek.” The girl waved her hand and smiled, “I was with her at Chawand.” “Oh, I see.” Pratap sighed. “I found some information that might help her …err… project.” He stopped at Mahek’s suspicious frown. “So I thought…” “You came all the way here to give her some information about her project?” Pratap cursed himself inwardly. Indeed, that sounded lame when she repeated it. “Why didn’t you call her?” “I…” He cleared his throat “I lost her number, so… I was hoping that she would be interested in an on-field internship…” “Oh, wait, I will give you her number. But she isn’t here, and I do...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Five

Aniruddha stared at the clock on his chamber wall for the third time and verified its working condition by checking it with his watch. He had asked Bondita to come to his chambers at six. It was almost six-ten and there was no sign of her. The peon he had sent to call her in had also left. He wondered if she had gone home earlier than usual. But then would she not have informed him? He eyed the partnership deed he had prepared to be signed, going through the terms one last time before he decided to go downstairs and see where she was for himself. As soon as Aniruddha got up, taking the coat from behind his chair to go, gathering the paperwork of the deed, a knock resonated on the door as he straightened his glasses and found his most professional voice to ask her to come in. Bondita looked a little breathless as though she had run up the stairs and apologised in a hurry, “Sorry, sorry… Meghna had some issues with her computer.” “There is a tech guy for that.” He narrowed his brows slig...

His Wife

" Where is the Kesar, Rama? And the Kalash?" Ajabdeh looked visibly displeased at the ladies who ran around. " They are at the fort gates, and nothing is ready yet!" She exclaimed. She was clad in a red lehenga and the jewellery she had inherited as the first Kunwarani of the crown prince. Little Amar ran down the hallway towards his mother. " Maasa Maasa... who is coming with Daajiraj?" His innocent question made her heart sink. " Bhanwar Ji." Sajja Bai called out to him. " Come here, I will tell you." Amar rushed to his Majhli Dadisa., " Ajabdeh." She turned at Jaivanta Bai's call. "They are here." " M... My Aarti thali..." Ajabde looked lost like never before. Jaivanta Bai held her stone-cold hands, making her stop. She patted her head and gave her a hug. The hug gave her the comfort she was looking for as her racing heart calmed down. Jaivanta Bai left her alone with her thaal. " Maa sa!" ...

The Adventure of PI Ved: The Case in London

There is something funny about the phrase “as dead as a doornail.” Why? Because I am dead and I don’t look like a nail of any sort. I lie on my living room carpet, hands stretched out, the knife stuck to my back...such a backstabber. I hated them all my life! And what is the purpose of killing me? It is not like I would have lived much longer, I was eighty-five, for God’s sake! I lay here, the blood turning thick as I stared at the painting on the wall. It is such a hideous painting. I bought it for so much money, I was duped. I am waiting for the morning when my caregiver arrives to discover me on the floor. But I feel they are still around, looking for something. Searching every room. It is around 7 AM that she rings the bell. She bangs the door. She yells out, “Mr Smith!” Oh no, she is going back. Come back here, you fool! The criminal must still be upstairs. I hear them come down the wooden staircase and exit from the back door. Now the useless caregiver lady is back. Oh, she ...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Three

Trilochon and Kalindi were having tea in the morning in their living room when Binoy walked downstairs in his Pajama Panjabi, pipe in hand and found them. Watching him unusually in his home attire, Trilochon frowned. “Are you sick? I thought you had already left.” Binoy sat down on the single chaise chair beside the couch as Kalindi poured some tea for him. “ I told you, Dada, I am here to retire.” He said, putting his pipe in his pocket. “Today, Som is going alone. We will see how that goes.” Their conversation was interrupted by Asha coming into the house in a white and red saree, with a red sindoor Teep on her forehead. She had a basket with her, and Koeli was accompanying her as she offered them the sweets she had taken as Prasad. “Since it’s his first day at the new position, we went to the temple together.” Asha narrated to Kalindi. “He left for work from there.” “Do you not have school today?” Kalindi enquired as Asha shook her head. She smiled, eyeing Trilochon, who narra...

Purnota: Epilogue

“Hello?” Saudamini’s voice was heard on the other end of the telephone as Aniruddha breathed in. “Mini, this is Aniruddha.” “Oh, Ani, how are you? How is Bondita?” Her voice changed from doubtful to excited. Aniruddha was standing by the couch in the living room with a phone book on the coffee table and a sheet of paper with a guest list in his hand. The mention of Bondita made him involuntarily eye the visible corridor to the dining area, where he could hear her voice, instructing Koeli. Ever since the marriage, she seemed to have taken up the job of ordering everyone around the house like a true landlord, and even he was not spared from her occasional orders. That is exactly how he had landed on the couch with a phone book. “Umm… she is good. Everyone’s good. I’m calling because…” “Oh, do tell her I truly apologise for not attending the wedding. I know she was disappointed with me and thought it was some payback for her not attending mine.” An amused smile formed on Aniruddha’s lips ...

Embracing Truths

Rana Udai Singh had sent his Senapati Kunwar Partap back to Chittorgarh because Dungarpur had summoned them to the battlefield. How did a friendly visit culminate in a war? Rumours spread faster than wildfires in Mewar. Rana Udai Singh was attending a Mehfil where he liked one of the King’s best dancers. He wanted to take her back to Chittorgarh, and the king, who took pride in art, refused to part with his best dancer. Udai Singh, at the height of intoxication, abused the king, insulted his dynasty and almost forced the dancer girl to follow him, leading to an altercation. What he expected now was for Kunwar Partap to lead an army to Dungarpur, wage a war and force the king to apologise. Kunwar Partap was appalled by what he heard from the soldier. Could the Rana not understand that he could not make any more enemies? He asked his troops to prepare to leave and informed Raoji. Ajbante Kanwar ran down the corridor to her chambers as fast as she could. She did not care if anyone saw her...

RAABTA

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