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.

READ THE CHAPTERS

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Chapter One: Masquerades

“Reginald Dyer is yet to apologise for the incident which was criticised worldwide. Punjab is on high alert.” The transistor in the living room broke with the morning news. “On other news the League of Nations…” Meera wiped the already clean surface of the showcase for the second time while listening to it. One of the servants came around and switched the channel to a station where a Raga played. Meera tip-toed up to the transistor and looked around before lowering the volume. She was standing outside the door of the Magistrate’s home office, clad in a saree borrowed from Nimai’s mother, who worked at her Pishima’s house. “I need it for my maid back where I work.” Meera lied with a straight face. Nimai’s mother did not care; she was getting Didimoni’s beautiful blue Jamdani instead of her tattered clothes; she would not think twice about this unharming exchange. Meera tried to listen. The gardener sang outside, tending to the flowerbeds as his scissors snipped the bushes back to shape

His Wife

" Where is the Kesar, Rama? And the Kalash?" Ajabde looked visibly displeased at the daasi who ran. " They are at the fort gates and nothing is ready yet!" She exclaimed. She was clad in a red Jora and the jewellery she had inherited as the first Kunwarani of the crown prince. Little Amar ran down the hallway towards his mother. " Maa sa Maa sa... 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. " Ajabde." 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!" Amar exclaimed

Protibimbo: Characters

Before Indian Independence Movement gained its prominence and momentum in the year 1930 across Bengal with the weaponry loot by Surya Sen, attacks across the offices of British Raj in Bengal by Bengal Volunteers, Jugantar Dol and other prominent anarchists, and Binoy-Badal-Dinesh stormed into Writers' Building, the 1920s were a built up to the movement when several large and small scale anarchist groups worked underground to strike the system of British Governance. It was a time when Indians realised that conferences did not bring independence to colonies, they had to pick up arms against the British Imperialists. This story is fictional. But in its core, every character represents several hundred unnamed heroes and sheroes of our freedom struggle whose names do not appear in the pages of history. " Protibimbo " meaning reflection is a story that reflects on relationships, freedom, sacrifice and battles fought within the society of that time. Characters: Abhaya: 15-year-o

Destiny

The war was almost won. A few of Marwar’s soldiers were left on the field along with Rao Maldeo Singh Rathore, their king and leader. He was thinking of retreating at the end of this day. As his sword clashed with one of the opponent generals as he eyed the opponent King now open and prone to attack. A little hope flickered in his mind as his eyes instructed his closest aide. The opponent was quite in a winning situation thanks to their new Senapati. He was just 16 yet his bravery and valour reflected his blood and upbringing. He mesmerised the opponents and even Rao Maldeo with his clever war strategies and sword skills. As Maldeo’s aide swung his sword at a taken aback Udai Singh, someone’s sword defended it as his body acted like a shield for the king. He killed the man in one go. “ Ranaji are you okay?” “ Haan Raoji.” He nodded gratefully. By half the day, the Marwar army had retreated as the air filled with “ Jai Mewar! Jai Eklingji!” From the triumphant soldiers. Rana Udai Si

Chapter Two: Catastrophe

Abhaya was suffocating as she could now taste the soot and ash in her mouth. She could see the smoke engulf her. The boxes around her turned into shadows in the blurred vision. She opened her mouth to breathe but the choking air wanted to make her cough. She ran, stumbling upon some boxes and utensils towards the window on the other side. It was shut firmly and her weak hands could do little to move it an inch. She placed the end of her saree over her face and coughed, hoping not to be heard from the outside. The sound of chaos and footsteps outside was increasing. She heard a scream. Was it her mother? Her sister? Or one of the sisters-in-law? Were they escaping? Should she try too? She tried to find something to break the window with, but instead, she froze at the sight of flames entering through the cracks of the door she had shut behind her. Abhaya said a soft prayer. This is how it ends. This was not the country her father served. This was not the country her mother read stories o

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rao Ramrakh and Rawatji stopped the ongoing Raj tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhattiyani hadn't expected this son of Mewar to show up that too twenty-one days after his father's death. He was not informed as per Dheerbai's instructions. She looked at Rawat Ji. He must have gone to Raoji at Bijolia. 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 came. She could stoop down so low? " We were about to inform you..." She spoke up in her defence. " When Dheerbai ji?" Maharani Jaivanta Bai, clad in white entered the hall as people bowed before her. " After your son's coronation?" " I did nothing Badima I swear!" A low voice came from Jagmal. " Maha

Struggle of Thoughts

Kunwar Pratap and Ajabde had both by the first week known each other's schedules well and they made sure that their timings didn't clash, be it in the puja Ghar, dressing room or elsewhere. They tried to stay out of each other's way as much as possible, giving each other the space they needed. Ajabde had learned that Kunwar Pratap preferred cold sharbat and desserts over steaming hot food, he liked to wake up with the first bird's call at dawn, he didn't like any disturbances at work or at the Dangal Sthal, and he loved his mother the most. Kunwar Pratap had learned that she was intelligent enough to decipher unsaid words between the lines of any novel, epic or book she read. She was very much into spending most of her time reading or sewing and when outside he always spotted her in the garden tending to flowers with his sisters. What he saw was how similar her lifestyle was to his mother's in a very weird way. She liked things simple, preferred to make her own

Love?

“I swear I can kill that Sakhaveer.” Balwant swung his sword at the Dangal as Ratan and Ajabde looked on. Ajabde hid a smile as Ratan looked amused. “Like you did last time?” Ratan’s chuckle made Ajabde press her hands with a soft no as Balwant stopped his sword and looked angry. “What do you know Ratan?” He roared angrily. “What do girls know anyways about fighting??” “Jija can fight better than you.” Ratan looked angry and defensive. “Ratan! Leave it.” Ajabde insisted. “No!! Jija, I saw you, you are better…” “Then let’s have a duel Jija.” Balwant insisted. “No.” Ajabde looked surprised and shaken. “It’s been such a long time since I have …” “No excuses Jija, teach him! That girls can be…” Ratan insisted as Balwant handed her a sword she took rather reluctantly. She tied the corners of her dupatta together and her braid in a bun. Kunwar Pratap was making his way out at the Dangal when he heard swords clash. He gathered the father-son duo would be at the Dangal

Towards You

Kunwar Pratap and Ajabde were friends. He didn't feel awkward sharing his plans and thoughts with her anymore. She was more than happy to advise him on everything. She was happy he listened to her advice before taking or discarding them, be it on what to wear to Padmavati's Sagai or how to befriend the revolting Bhils. He loved the way Ajabde always used metaphors from Puranas and Ramayanas to explain the toughest things so easily. She expressed herself so well, so easily that it amazed him. The Afghans were now led by Mehmood Shah. They have made secret territories in the forests and waited to attack. Rawatji and his spies had confirmed the news and Udai Singh had warned Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. And 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. One of his aides

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

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