Skip to main content

Bhuke Bacche

By

“Shakti, did Pratap go to pick them up? I haven't seen him since the morning.” Jaivanta frowned at her younger son who seemed busy smiling at some text message.
“Umm… Yes, I called him, He has reached.” Shakti sat up looking at his mother who frowned doubtfully. “They are on the way.”
“Aree Rama.” Jaivanta turned to the maid in waiting.
“Ji Ranisa?”
“Make sure they get a proper welcome.”
“Ji.” The lady in waiting dashed off to make the arrangements.

“Welcome with aarti?” Shakti raised his eyebrows watching his mother prepare the lamp. “The last time Dadabhai got that was when he came back from the UK after grads” Shakti had a hint of amusement in his voice. “What did he achieve today?”
“Bahu is coming home for the first time… Isn't it achievement enough?” Udai smiled at his son who burst out laughing.
“ First time! How many more will he bring, Papa?” Shakti laughed.
“ Ohho! Stop it both of you. My Pratap is not that bad, he is just difficult to understand…” Jaivanta was overprotective of him as Shakti’s smile faded. Dadabhai I hope your decisions don't hurt Ranima!

The village seemed pleasant to the eyes as Ajabdeh smiled at the passing scenes unknowingly. The huts. The cattle. The meadows and trees. The Pond, The children running. The women with the matkas. The men in turbans. She smiled as most of them stopped to join their hands and bow to their prince.
“They respect you a lot.” Heer sounded almost surprised at them as Hansa gave her a warning stare.
“They should after all we heard you have done a lot for them.” Ramrakh smiled.
“No, Uncle…” Pratap cut in a little embarrassed “I did nothing really, they just respect me out of fear of our family name. Everything is handled by Dad and Shakri.”
“Don't be so modest, Ranisa told us everything.” Ramrakh smiled as Pratap’s eyes widened a little. The last time he went to his apparent office chamber was on the day of the annual report when the media was there and Shakti dragged him to the boring conference. Ajabdeh caught his expression and hid a smile pressing her lips as the car zoomed into the palace complex.

The Surajgarh Palace compound was built by Pratap’s great-grandfather and stood on a large acre of land, surrounded by the employees’ quarters, Guest houses, cottages and servant’s houses. The large gate with the sun disk was opened by four men in security uniforms as the car zoomed into the road with Gardens on both sides, fountains and colourful flowers in bloom.
“On the left are the employee's quarters, and on the right are the palace servants’. “ Pratap said as they went past a fountain in the middle of the road.
The quarters had adjoining grounds for the children on both sides and then started a huge orchard of tall trees and shadows.

“As kids, Shakti and I used to escape from the palace and hide here and Ranima would send the securities to catch us and we had our own little game of hide and seek. Beyond these orchards lie the old ruins of the Palace of our ancestors.”
“The one you told me about?” Ajabdeh sounded excited all of a sudden as Heer looked at them suspiciously and the parents smiled. They take time out of flirting and drinking and talking too!!
“Umm Hmm,” Pratap nodded. “That part is now secluded."
Ajabdeh realized her mother’s smile and bit her tongue. Shit! I forgot to pretend we are not getting along!

As soon as the orchards gave way to the long road ahead, meadows and flowers on either side, a huge palace made Hansa gasp inwardly. She had attended all of Jaivanta’s Kitty parties in their city farmhouse or at the hotels, never had they even been to this traditional palace property. The three-storeyed palace with a porch and stairs from either side that lead up spirally to the entrance of the main palace.

“Behind the palace and the swimming area, there is another forest-covered area crossing which we have the Royal facilities for us as well as our employees, their families and guests. The school for the employees’ children, the library, the Auditorium Hall, and a small museum of antiques and weapons that is accessible from the Highway we just crossed across the village. And our Business Office as well.”
“Wow it must cost a fortune to maintain all these” Hansa gushed as Ramrakh rolled his eyes.
“We have Trust. The Sisodia Trust for Surajgarh” He smiled as the car drove across the roads of the lawn to the porch.
“Oh yes, I remember you have NGOs under it as well.”
“Yes, old age homes, orphanages, workshops for women and schools.” He smiled. “Ranima takes care of them all.” He seemed proud of his mother’s associations.
“What do you do?” Heer murmured loud enough to make her parents feel awkward as Pratap stole a glance at Ajabdeh who was clearly amused at his “help me” face.

The car stopped at the porch right where Jaivanta, Udai and Shakti stood smiling to welcome the guests as Pratap felt relieved.
“Welcome,” Udai came forward to shake hands with Ramrakh as Hansa hugged Jaivanta.
“You need help?” Heer got down quickly to share a courtesy smile with Shakti before turning to her sister.
“I am fine. I think.” She held her dress to step out of the car.
“Don’t fall.” Pratap chuchkled under his breath.
“Shut up!” Ajabdeh’s voice was louder than usual as everyone stopped to stare at her getting down. Her eyes widened a little as Shakti and Heer shared a glance at them and at the elders as Pratap seemed amused.
“I was… talking to Heer.” Ajabdeh pointed at her sister who frowned. Pratap shook his head and took his place beside Shakti.

“How are you?” Shakti smiled.
“Tired, hungry, sleepy.” He murmured.
“Where were you two all night?” He seemed amused.
“Hush! I was...”
Pratap stopped a little awkwardly as Heer touched Udai and Jaivanta’s feet prompting Ajabdeh to do the same in return of which Jaivanta was happy to bring the aarti thaal.
“What was the need of such….” Hansa smiled placing the Chunri over Ajabdeh’s head as Pratap received a cold helpless stare from her. He shrugged.
“How is it not important when my Lakhsmi came home for the first time?” Jaivanta smiled.
“Dadabhai?”
“Hmm?”
“Does Ranima know that her Laksmi is Maata Chamunda as well?” Shakti’s serious voice made Pratap smile.

“You all must be hungry? Come have breakfast then Shakti will escort you to your cottages.” Jaivanta smiled leading the way into the large hall with beautiful jharokhas, large candelabras and pictures on the wall.
"I am very hungry." awkward silence followed as Pratap and Ajabdeh spoke in unison and then stared at each other.
"Jija!" Heer warned whispering.
“What? Am hungry.” Ajabdeh murmured as Heer warned, “Slowly and gracefully Jija, remember?”
"The children are hungry and rightly so, come along please!" Udai smiled welcoming Ramrakh who smiled rather awkwardly as Hansa gave Ajabdeh a warning stare.

A text on Pratap’s phone read NEXT STEP PLAN! As he looked across the table at Ajabdeh who just put down her phone and smiled as Hansa praised the palace.
The table was laid with a variety of options from cornflakes, bread and cheese to desi parathas. Everyone stopped to notice how two plates were filled with every possible option they found much to the parents' embarrassment.
“Did Jalal not serve dinner, Pratap?” His father’s warning voice rang a bell as everyone laughed a little and Pratap froze mouthful.
“No I... the dinner was good…” He lay staring across the table at the one who seemed in a different world with her cheese omelette melting in her mouth.

“I had dinner at my hotel room.” Shakti sounded indifferent. “I left early.”
“Why?” Jaivanta frowned.
“I had to drop someone off….” He stopped amused as Heer’s fork landed on the ground with a sound.
“Am sorry.” She murmured.
“Don’t be clumsy.” Her mother warned.
“Jalal is their friend by the way, Jallaluddin Mohammad Akbar,” Udai informed nodding to Ramrakh.
“Ohh he is the next big thing in textiles I heard!”
“Yes, he cracked a major deal recently.” 

Udai smiled at Shakti and stopped watching how disturbingly his elder one was using both his hands on the cheese sandwich, in a way some melted cheese fell on the table. His eyes rolled to stop at Ajabdeh licking the melted cheese off her fingers as Heer caught his gaze and pinched her sibling to stop. Udai Singh shook his head and sighed.
“Shakti, show the guests their cottages. We arranged one for the girls and another one for you two.” Jaivanta smiled. “Please rest, we will see you all at lunch.”

“ Ji Ranisa, thank you so much” Ramrakh smiled as they got up to take leave prompting Ajabdeh to get up with an apple in hand her mother signalled her to keep back.
“Are you not fed at home, Ajab?” she scolded under her breath.
“But am hungry,” Ajabdeh whispered back making Pratap stare back at her.
“Am going to finish the rest in my room.” He picked up his plate as Shakti got up to show the Punwars their cottages. “Excuse me.” His father opened his mouth to protest but he left nevertheless.

“He must be hungry.” Jaivanta defended her elder one rather awkwardly.
“It’s okay.” Hansa smiled as it faded with Ajabde picking up the apple again.
“Take it beta, eat it on your way to the cottage.” Jaivanta smiled as Ajabdeh smiled back biting the apple and making her parents stare at each other. “Please come with me.” Shakti smiled at Ajabdeh’s antics and lead the way to the cottage.



READ CHAPTERS HERE
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Purnota: Chapter Eleven

By
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...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

By
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...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

By
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...
Read More

You Deserve More

By
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 ...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Ten

By
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...
Read More

Dreams and Wishes

By
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...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

By
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, ...
Read More

Towards You

By
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...
Read More

Confrontation

By
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....
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

By
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...
Read More