Confrontations

The two shadows met at the darkest corner of the Rani Mahal late at night.

“Hua kya hai… jaldi boliye.” He looked around, alarmed lest the guards see them.

“Wohh, humne yeh socha ke aapko suchit kar de ke Shyaam mandir bolke hum Jija ko kaha le jana chahte.” Her voice had a hint of anxiety in it.

“Matlab? Subah aapne hi toh Dadabhai se bola…”

“Haan Dadabhai Shakti,woh islie kyunki hum nahi chahte thee ki woh ya Jija jaane se mana kare…”

“Par le kaha ja rahe hum unko?”

“Jaha sab kuch ka aanth hua tha wahi se nayi surwaad karvane.” She smiled faintly.

“Kya? Vrindavan? Asambhav. Dadabhai nahi jaenge waha.” He shook his head vigorously, making it a point that it was impossible to convince an adamant Kunwar Pratap.

“Ve avashya aenge, unko aana parega. Jija ke liye.” Pur’s voice was loud and clear as he stood there watching her leave.

“Ajabde bhabisa ke bhaati yeh bhi sherni bann rahi, hei eklingji hum ko dadabhai ke krodh sebacha lena.” Shakti murmured a soft prayer.

At dawn, two Palanquins left the Ranimahal as Jaivanta Bai whispered a small prayer, watching them go.

“Bhai Shakti yeh hum kaha jaa rahe?” Kunwar Pratap was restless on the forest path as he reigned over Sarang. “Hum ko srighraa Shyam mandir pouchna, Ajabde…”

“Hum aap ko bhabisa ke paas hi le jaa rahe hai, jaha woh hai….”

“Hum kuch samajh nahi paa rahe Bhai Shakti spastta se boliye.”

“Pur Behena. Hum ko itna samay kyun lag raha hai Mandir pouchne mein?” Ajabde called out softly from her palki.”

“Ohho Jija woh humne ek dusre mandir ke baare mein suna toh hum waha pehle jaa rahe bas.” Pur tried to sound normal as she said a soft prayer.

“Humari putri ko lekar woh Samanth putri kaha chali gayi… agar usko kuch ho gaya toh?” Pur’s tensed mother paced the room, stopping at Dheer Bai’s entry.

“Hum bhi yehi soch rahe thee, bhagwan na kare… par sach yehi hai ke woh dono toh sautan hai, ek dusre ke prati….”

“Dheer Behena.” Sajja Bai’s firm voice made her stop.

“Waise toh sautan hum aur jija bhi hai, par jija humse behen se bhi zyada sneh karti. Aur Ajabde humari jija ki parchai hai bhabisa aap ko koi chinta ki…” She stopped watching a fuming Dheerbai leave.

Ajabde’s heart skipped a beat getting out of the Palanquin. Those white marble stairs brought back horrifying memories of the day that changed her life, changed her. One by one, she made her way up the same stairs to reach the porch he had left her at. Pur smiled at her, saying, “Aap yaha rukiye hum abhi aate hai Jija.”

“Ji.” She managed to find her voice and smile faintly, watching Pur go.

Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes. The Temple complex. Those stairs. Her Daata’s last breath. Ghrina karte hai hum apse… prem marr gaya hai….. His words had haunted her sleep.

“Ajabdeh?” A shiver ran down her spine as she heard his voice behind her. No. She was not Ajabdeh anymore, she was Baijilal. She wiped away the lone tear and straightened her face to turn and face him. Kunwar Pratap’s eyes twinkled a little. With the memories of his biggest regret. He had left her unheard; he had been the reason her father.

“Hum e puja ke liye vilambh ho raha…” She started to excuse herself as he blocked her way; he just could not let her go. Not this time.

“Ajabdeh humari baat suniye. Hum e pata hai humse bhool hui hai, humne galti kiya, sambhavta aisi galti jiski kabhi sapne mein bhi apne humse apeksha nahi kiya tha.Hum sshama mangna chahte hai Ajabdeh… hum….” A lone tear trickled down his face as she looked up at his face, hands folded, he was looking down in shame.

Ajabde smiled, making him look up at her eyes; they were unreadable. She walked past him, turning her back to him as he turned, confused, “Ajabdeh?”

“Sshama? Kis baat ki sshama maang rahe hai aap Kunwar Pratap? Bijolia ki Samanth se bhala apko kaisi….”

“Hum Bijolia ki Baijilal se nahi, apne patni se baat kar rahe hai.”

“Patni?” Ajabdeh smiled, facing him. “Kaisa Patni?”

He looked away as his face showed guilt.

“Kahi aap uss patni ki baat toh nahi kar rahe hai na jo aapke bharose, Bijiolia se yaha aayi thi. Jisne hamesha yeh socha ke chahe duniya uske viprit khadi ho jaaye woh hamesha aapko saath paegi.”

“Ajab….” He looked hurt like a thousand daggers stabbed him.

“Kya aap uss patni ki baat kar rahi hai, jiske laakh kehne ke uprant aapne uska ek baat tak nahi suna? Jiske marte huye pita ke baare mein sunnke aap ne ek baar bhi Bijolia mein pao tak nahi rakha? Keval islie kyunki sambhavta kisine ek chitthi se jo arop lagai thi aapko woh sahi laga…. Kyunki islie ke aapke liye apne patni ke sacchai ke upar tha apke chotima ka aarop?”

“Hum aisa…” A tear trickled down his face and made her heartache.

But she was not weak anymore.

“Ya phir islie kyunki aapko Pur Baisa se vivah karna hai aur aapko apne patni ka samarthan chahiye tha?”

“Bas Kijiye Ajabdeh, bohot bol chuki aap.” He was clearly cross with the last straw.

“Haa Kunwar Pratap, hum bohot bol chuke, lekin aapke bohot bolne se bhi hum apko yeh kabhi nahi keh paaye, apke jhute aarop sunte rahe hum. Sochiye Kunwar Pratap agar aapko aisa lag raha hai sacchai se, toh humko unn jhute arop se kaisa laga hoga? Sochiye ke uss beti ko kaisa lagajab aapke karan apne aakhon ke samne usne apne pita ko….”

“Ajabdeh, hum … hum e pata hai…” He tried to compose himself to say everything he had planned to, all night.

“Jaiye Kunwar Pratap. Aj Kunwarani Ajabdeh Baisa aapse kehti hai, kar lijiye Pur Baisa se vivah aur yeh samajh lijiyega ke aaj ke baad aapki patni bas ek wohi hai, Bijolia ka Baijilal aapko aapke sabhi uttar dwaittyo se mukt karti hai.” She took three steps back as he stretched out his hand to her.

“Nahi Ajabde, nahi…”

“ Maar chukka tha aapka prem, aj maar chuki Kunwarani Ajabde Baisa.”

She turned and took the same stairs down to her palanquin without looking back as he stood there like a statue, this time, alone and helpless, watching her palanquin go.

“Hume shama kijiye hum asafal huye.” Pur’s soft voice made him wipe away the coming tears and turn to her.

“Aap unke piche jaiye, unko aapki avashakta hai.” His voice was calm and composed as he stared at the roads leading to Chittor.

“Ji?” Pur asked, confused.

“Hum…” he smiled faintly “, Jaante hai apne Ajabdeh ko, woh… Hum e dukh deke dukhi na ho aisa ho nahi sakta….”

Pur stood silent, staring at his unreadable face, dumbfounded. She had expected an argument, maybe an ugly one too. Never had she imagined the Bravest valiant Kunwar Pratap to be silenced by Ajabdeh Baisa. And here he was once again worried for her. Pur left in silence as Shakti placed his hand on Kunwar Pratap’s shoulder.

“Sabha bulaiye Ranimahal mein bhai Shakti. Samay aa chukka hai Chotima se kuch jawab mangne ka.” His eyes reflected the fury Shakti had expected.

“Ji Dadabhai.”

“Hum wohi karenge jo aap chahti thi, Ajabdeh. Hum aapke liye yeh yudh bhi jeet lenge jaise pehle jeete thee. Aapko hum yeh yakeen dila denge ke hum kabhi aapka haat nahi chorenge. Yeh Kunwar Pratap ka vachan hai, Kunwarani Ajabdeh Baisa.”

Purnota: Chapter Eleven

Bondita opened her window to find Thamma and Jyatha Moshai missing from the lawn. The chairs were empty. Was she sleeping till late? She checked the clock and shook her head. Taking the towel, she hurried towards the bathroom, countering Kalindi on the way. She was reading the newspaper with her rimless reading glasses on. “Umm… why are you here? Where is Jyatha Moshai?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly and sighed without putting the paper away. Her lack of response puzzled Bondita as she made her way to take a bath. When she came out in a pair of jeans and a shirt, rolling her sleeves up, Kalindi observed her keenly. “Will you be going somewhere?” She enquired. Bondita nodded. “Ah, yes, the District Office, some of my paperwork for the Bar Membership needs to be signed by a Gazetted Officer. Jyatha Moshai knows someone…” “Don’t go by their house… he is in a bad mood.” Kalindi placed some Chirer Polao in front of her and spoke as Bondita rubbed her wet hair with a frown. “Why?” “Oh...

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

Aniruddha eyed Trilochon, sitting at the desk in his room, attending to some paperwork. His reading glasses were on his nose, and he appeared engrossed in a financial document. He stood at the threshold, a bit unsure and glanced over his shoulder at Somnath, Batuk and Bondita. She gestured at him to go on. Aniruddha cleared his throat. That prompted Trilochon to look away from his document at his nephew. “Jethu, if you are busy, I can come back…” He suggested unsurely. “Come in and close the door.” Trilochon glanced over Aniruddha’s shoulder at the others who walked away hurriedly. Aniruddha closed the door, and Bondita tiptoed to place her ears on it. Batuk and Somnath stood at a distance. “So you met her?” Trilochon spoke while cleaning his glasses. Aniruddha nodded. Somnath had introduced them to Ashalata. Bondita, Batuk, and he had met them in a Dhaba off the highway. Although Bondita did most of the talking, initiating a friendly gesture to put the nervous Ashalata at ease, he had...

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

Bondita woke up to the alarm clock ringing as she struggled to get her hand out of the quilt wrapped around her. She sat inside the mosquito net, rubbing her eyes and staring at the clock, trying to remember why she had set the alarm at 3.45 AM. Then her eyes shone in delight. It was Mahalaya. She remembered that during her days in Dehra, she had educated her roommate on the tradition of starting pujo with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra echoing through the air. She was uninterested, and Bondita had borrowed her headphones to hear the program and deeply missed home. She remembered that as a child, while her father was still alive, he would gently wake her up, and take her on his lap to the huge Banyan tree near the Panchayat where people gathered near the Pradhan’s radio, putting flower garlands and lamps around it and folding their hands as they heard Mahishashur Mardini killing the Asura. When she arrived in Kolkata to get her law degree, she thought things would be different. B...

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 ...

Purnota: Chapter Ten

The rain clouds gave way to the scorching sun the following day as Bondita woke up as the first rays of the sun hit her face and disturbed her sleep. She cursed herself for keeping the window open and sat inside the mosquito net with a sleepy yawn. She eyed the alarm clock on her desk that said 6.30. Bondita scratched her head and pulled the mosquito net up to search for her slippers. She heard the bell ringing from Thamma’s room and the chanting of mantras. A smile came involuntarily to her lips as she realised that she might have come after ages, but everything in Chandannagar seemed to have been at a standstill. She grabbed the Kurti from the chair to change from the top she was wearing and wondered what she could do for the day. For the first time in a long time, she was free from the routine of boarding houses. Her eyes fell on the mess around her room since she had not unpacked the day before. Bondita decided to spend the morning unpacking her belongings. She opened the door of h...

Dreams and Wishes

At dawn, the Bhil women took the girls to the Kalika Mata Temple and the Jal Kund. Dressed in white, a nervous Heer followed everything Ajabde knew and did, trying to explain the significance of the rituals to her. They prayed to Lord Ganesh. Kunwar Shakti and Kunwar Pratap were staying at Punja Ji's place, as they were not supposed to see the brides before the wedding. Ajabde was dressed in her mother's lehenga, a mang tika Jaivanta Bai gave her as a family heirloom and the simple nosering Pratap had gifted. They made their hair into a simple bun with wildflowers before putting on their dupatta. Heer was dressed in traditional Bhil jewellery of silver and beads that the women had gifted her. They made her wear a red and white saree draped as a lehenga and a red chunri with it. She looked like a pretty, colourful Bhil bride. Kunwar Shakti was a nervous groom dressed in a traditional bhil dhoti, kurta and cap. The bhil shawl hung from a side, making the white attire colourf...

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

It had been a month since Bondita had started working in the firm. With Somnath’s wedding date being set for winter, many things were keeping Trilochon and Kalindi busy as they took charge of the smooth running of things leading up to the wedding. They needed to shop for everyone, buy gifts and choose jewellery and sarees for the bride. Despite his attempts, Trilochon found Binoy reluctant to participate in his son’s wedding arrangements. Somnath took him and Kalindi to places they wanted to go, especially Kolkata for shopping, and Trilochon made arrangements to make sure that the first wedding of the generation was grand enough. Bondita tried to help as much as she could as she noticed Aniruddha being oddly aloof from the entire thing. She assumed it was due to Trilochon’s reactions to his lack of interest in marriage. Trilochon kept pestering her to enquire into his reasons while she kept stalling him with excuses. Bondita also failed to know more about Kalindi and Trilochon’s past, ...

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...

Confrontation

Maine kahan tha saath rahunga Banunga main tera saaya Par tere saath kuch kadam bhi Main nahi chal paya Bondita got out of bed and left the room before Aniruddha woke up. She went about her chores and decided to ignore his presence until she found herself a logical explanation for her impulsive behaviour, good enough for him to forgive her mistake. She made breakfast and told the cook to note down who preferred what for when she would leave. She waited in the kitchen long enough for the breakfast to be served by the house help and eaten. His routine was fixed. He would go to the study room and leave for work in half an hour. Then, she wouldn’t have to put up with this hide-and-seek till late afternoon or evening. But things rarely go as planned in life. “Bondita? Bouma!” Trilochan’s call made her shake her head. She pulled the ghomta above her head and walked out to the dining area. Eyes met briefly as she looked away and spoke to Trilochan as if dismissing his presence altogether....

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

A week was all it took for Bondita to get used to work and the new routine. She would wake up early and hurry through her chores, helping Kalindi prepare a tiffin of either Chirer Polao or bread jam and then proceeding to the Roy Chowdhury house. She would arrange the day’s paperwork before Aniruddha arrived at the study room. Occasionally, she would hear him call out to Koeli for breakfast and pack her things, knowing he was almost ready to leave. He would walk into the chamber, check his list, and they would go to work. She would follow him from courtroom to courtroom. She would be sitting in the audience and learning. She would follow him to conferences and client meetings and take notes. They would discuss complicated cases. She would share the tiffin she brought from home. He would at first take a reluctant bite, then eat more than her. She often gave him her share of food discreetly. They usually stayed back after everyone was gone and ordered food for dinner. Some days, he woul...

RAABTA

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