Ajabdeh was getting ready for the office in Rukaiya's kaftan. She was too late to go home and change. The gossip last night with the snacks and giggles lasted till 5 am. She sat down at the table, waiting for Rukaiya's coffee and checked her watch. 9.30. She took the newspaper in her hand. The morning newspaper made Ajabdeh frown. "Back In Paradise?" The Rajput Times read with a picture of them on the ramp, looking at the crowd, hands in each other's. The left section seemed to give a small throwback to his love life, and the right... featured a picture of Miss Phool Kanwar. Nothing on the Foundation or Event on the front page, so she turned to page 5 for a little detail on the project. "That's it?" She frowned. "What?" Rukaiya asked, handing her the brewing hot coffee. "This... paper... has nothing on the project... they... they..."
"Are hyped about Pratap Singh and Ajabdeh Punwar... we know." Sau smiled a smile that made Ajabdeh frown. The girls seemed more than pleased with it."I am going to work." She got up, putting the paper back on the table." I will drop you on my way to the boutique." Heer offered as she nodded. "Aarchi and I will stay here until Jalal comes." Sau smiled. "He called me thrice yesterday for this." Rukaiya blushed at her words. "I wonder what the boys were up to yesterday... no calls or texts..." Heer wondered aloud as Ajabdeh pushed her towards the door." Chalo, we are getting late."
A bucket of cold water startled Patta awake as Jalal and Shakti shared an amused laugh. "What the..."
"Wake up! We have offices and work! And you need to freshen up before Ranima and Mausi get suspicious of us." Shakti nodded. "Arghh, my head hurts."
"After your bravery at the pub..." Shakti gave Jalal a High five as Patta's eyes widened. He remembered. Jiwa was at the pub with a bunch of spoiled brats. He knew them. Her ex... seemed to get cosy with her. She had noticed his gaze more than once. Patta gulped down a drink and felt a pat on his back. "It's better to ignore," Jalal suggested with a smile. He smiled back. He had turned his back to them but could still hear her giggles above the music and chatter. It seemed haunting. He didn't know when he had made up his mind and had walked up to them with a "Hi." He regretted it that very moment when he was met with her ex's taunting smile. She had looked away. He knew she wanted to talk. "Come with me." The guy had ordered. Jiwa didn't move as her eyes were fixed on him. "Chalo." The guy had managed to pull her by the arm. Patta didn't know what overtook him, maybe his Rajput self. A punch made the guy fall to his feet, and Jiwa gasped. The whole pub was looking as the guy got up to face him. He was scared. Shit scared. Yet he didn't move. He knew his brothers had his back as he stared back at an impressed Shakti. For the first time, Jalal, Shakti and even Pratap were staring at him like he was not a kid anymore. He was all grown up. But then a punch from the guy, and he could hear Jiwa scream "Patta?" before he blacked out. He had regained his senses in the car as an amused Shakti smiled at him while Jiwa was putting ice on his wound. He stared at her like he was dreaming. She was worried. Jalal was smiling. "What happened to..." He had managed, as Jiwa said, "Hush."
"I took care of him," Jalal reassured. "Well, we did." He stared at Pratap. "Words were enough," Shakti added to his relief. They had dropped Jiwa at the doorstep of her dorm. "I will..." He had started unsure. "Call you." She smiled and nodded. "I call her?" Patta scratched his head."Kiddo." Jalal patted his back and said, "Bye. Take care!"
"I wonder what the girls were up to all night...."
"Gossip." Jalal's shrug made Shakti smile in agreement. "Dadabhai?" Shakti looked around his empty room." He left at 6 am." Ranima's voice made him turn with a frown. "That early?" Shakti frowned. They had only made it back home at 4 am."He has an important meeting." Ranima's smile made a clueless Shakti frown as he left.
Ajabdeh was in her new office, arranging her files with the help of the newly appointed secretary. With a knock and his peep, she gestured at her employee to leave before she took her seat. Pratap seemed excited as he came up to the desk, the newspaper in hand. She frowned at it and made his smile disappear before adding, "I read it, nothing on the project."
"Come with me."
"Where to?" She looked up at his words. "I set up a meeting..."
"MFP ?" She questioned with a hint of doubt.
"Yes," He was lying. She shook her head and agreed. An hour-long drive from the office, she frowned for the tenth time, asking, "Where are we..."
"Meeting." He smiled a half smile, concentrating on the road. "Princy!" She shrugged, murmuring. "Patience!" He patted her hand. They entered a compound with high walls and what looked like a front lawn and garden. She frowned at him. It was a Bungalow. The kind of ones she always admired in books and novels, once upon a time. "Come." He opened her door for her as much as she hated it and gave her his hand. She took it and came out of his car as he let go and walked ahead. Frankly, Ajabdeh had expected some kind of surprise inside; her heart had leapt with expectations that he was going to make things memorable, maybe something she liked was inside? She was disappointed at the empty hall that welcomed her. She stared at him, trying not to sound too disappointed as she asked, "What is this?"
" My new project... Our... A Punwar Sisodia Partnership..." He looked around with a smile. "Pardon?" She frowned. He looked at her confused face and added, " I am thinking of starting a new project."
"What? When? We don't have time after..."
"We do." He held her hand, making her stop. " We have time."
"But..." She frowned as her mouth seemed to dry up. "What is it?"
"Hmm...I didn't come up with a name..." He appeared to be thinking. "Pratap Singh, stop confusing me and tell me why we are here." She gave him a no-nonsense look. "We are here because... umm... okay... I found a name..."
"Hmm?"
" Will You Marry Me?"
"Uhh... what?" Her eyes widened at his words. Had she heard it right? " You heard it." He smiled. "I won't ask again. This... Papa left... for us..." He looked around. "Ranima gave me the keys this morning, and I knew what she wanted."
"Wait a minute." Ajabdeh stepped back a little with a frown. "Ranima wanted?" She narrowed her eyes. "No." He was immediately defensive. "No no no no!"
"Ranima wanted it!" She shook her head. "Listen..." He stepped forward as she stepped back. "You just said it!" He caught her hands tightly enough so that she couldn't free them, nor did she try to, as eyes met. "Look. I... can't... do what you people expect out of me... Things you read in books and novels..."
"I don't expect, all I expect is not what Ranima wanted..."
"I know... I know... he shook his head... I have been stupid with words before..."
"Yes."
"And actions..."
"Yes."
"And I can't apologise..."
"Absolutely."
"Even if I want to..."
"Ha."
"Will you let me talk?" He frowned, making her stop shaking her head. "I know it is difficult, I know I can't say things... I ... messed up once, and am scared I will again."
"You won't. We messed up. We won't." Ajabdeh's words made him smile faintly." I want this. I can't stay without you like the last few years; I have been a mess without you."
"A Royal One!"
"Yes. I... Success, Money, Business, Friends... none can fill up your shoes ever."
" None can replace you, too." She smiled, adding.
"So?"
"So??"
"So... will you marry me? Not because of Ranima or Heer or Shakti or anyone. But for us. For me. I need you. You are the light of my life, Ajabdeh, and I mean it." Ajabdeh stared at him in silence, like she had seen an alien. Pratap frowned at the silence. "This is great!" She concluded. "What?" he frowned. "You have nothing else to tell me?" She stared at him. "What else... I said everything I had to." He shrugged. " Then my answer is no." Pratap looked like he had heard wrong. "No? You can't say no!"
"I just did." She smiled.
"What do you want me to say?" He shook his head, still not letting go of the hand she was struggling to free. "Leave it, Pratap."
"Ajabdeh Punwar." His voice was a little louder than usual, and it echoed in the empty hall, making her stop fiddling. He closed his eyes and sighed, making her look confused. He looked into her eyes and added, "Ajabdeh Punwar, I love you, I have always loved you and will always do. Marry me. And if you still say no, I will kidnap you right here." Ajabdeh froze at the first line, like the rest didn't enter her brain. She hugged him as soon as he finished, making him hug her back and kiss her forehead." I will of course... marry you... because Ranima wants it." Her taunt met with his poker face as she giggled, making him smile at her. "But..."
"But?" He frowned. "We will stay in the old place with everyone... we will keep it for weekends... alone."
"Hmm, I knew you would say that." He smiled. "When I throw you out as Ruks did to Jalal, you will need a place to stay." Her tone was met with surprise as she ran for her defence through the corridor, across the hall to the backyards. He followed and caught her right under the Royal Poincianas in full bloom. The giggles faded in the smile as the cool breeze blew a few red petals on them like a flower shower from Nature, and he swept the locks of hair from her face, making her heartbeat and smile fade as he stepped nearer. Her heart skipped a beat as he inched closer, holding her waist with one hand and her face with the other. His gaze dropped from her eyes to her lips, which went dry. Because there was no drunk Ajabdeh in the room, these were two of them, in complete senses, sun-kissed under the Poinciana flowers. He leaned in as she closed her eyes; she could feel his warm breath on her lips before he met hers. At first mildly. Touching. Waiting for her response. As soon as her lips moved, he deepened his kiss as though he had been waiting for this moment for a lifetime, and her hands travelled to hold his collar as he pulled her closer. Moving away after a moment that felt like an eternity, eyes met. He could feel her cheeks all hot and red, but he didn't mind getting his strange girl back from the practical taunting Ajabdeh once in a while. And today she was his. "I..." She was unsure whether to break the moment, reminded of office work. "Something else left...." He took a box out of his pocket. She knew what it was; she had seen an identical one with him at Heer's wedding." Toe ring from Ranaji?" She smiled. "Hmm," he nodded. "May I?" She gave a soft nod as he sat on his knee, placing her left foot on his thigh. She held his shoulder for support as he slid the toe ring on her finger. A Perfect Match. They always were.
"I know we need to go back before you say it." He concluded before she opened her mouth again. "Let's go." He gave her a small peck on the cheeks before leading her by her hand to his car. "I like Royal Poinciana." She concluded. "I know you do, that's why it has been growing there for seven years." His tone was indifferent as she frowned at him. "Seven?"
"That's when I decided you were the one."
"I thought you always knew." She frowned. "Knew yes. Ranima knew. Everyone knew. Realised... that was then."
"Who is telling Ranima?" She interrupted. "Tum!" They said in unison. "Don't fight." His serious tone made her giggle as she admired the house keys on the dashboard like a key to some pending dreams.
