RAABTA

The majestic fort of Kumbhalgarh had a breathtaking view. Ajabdeh stood at the edge of the longest wall of India, watching the sunset. Today was special. It was on this very day two years back that her book Choices had been released. There had been no turning back since then. She was writing her second one. In these two years, her image had changed in the media. She was not the party animal anymore. She occupied the position of the MD of Surajgarh Group of Heritage Hotels, an initiative of the Sisodia Punwar Mughal Partnership. She had successfully run NGO programs across the state alongside Heer under the Punwars banner and earned a name for good causes. She frowned at her watch and stared back at the gates leading out of the fort. Still no sign of him. Her phone rang and she picked it up and moved to a fairly empty corner away from the crowd. “Hello?” “Jija!” Heer sounded excited on the other side, while she frowned. “It’s snowing!”  Heer and Shakti had been visiting R...

The Punwar home was decked up for the much-awaited royal engagement of Kunwar Shakti with Heer Kanwar Punwar. With the media waiting for bites outside, inside the well-decorated house, the closest of the families of the Punwars and Sisodias had gathered for the occasion in the evening. A traditional tilak rasm was to be followed by an engagement with the exchange of rings. Hansa Bai was running around instructing the servants and making sure everything was proper. Shakti waited at the hall, surrounded by a teasing Jalal, an amused Rukaiya, a blushing Maan beside an awkward Shallavan, Dheer Bua’s hawk eyes over the details, his Ranima helping Hansa Bai while his father chatted in a corner with Bairam Khan. “Humko lagta hai kuch aur mehmaan bula lena chahiye tha.” Dheer had murmured several times since the arrival “After all Surajgarh ki…” She had stopped at Jaivanta’s stare. She had received the news of Kunwar Pratap and Ajabdeh calling off their much-hyped wedding from Maan. She ...

“And in the entertainment news, today we have a special segment, Jalaluddin Akbar and Rukaiya Begum said Qubool Hai!” Ajabdeh frowned at the news, which flashed pictures of the wedding as well as their honeymoon and turned off the television. She was happy that things went better than she planned but the talks of weddings were definitely not her cup of tea. To her horror, that was the only thing Heer and Hansa talked of nowadays. She knew Heer had a thing for weddings unlike her. She feigned happiness for the sake of it. Her living room was a mess, with papers scattered everywhere. She was finally on the couch with the final draft on her lap and her laptop on the centre table. She had to send the draft by the next day to the publishers. Brownie seemed too happy to be back home with his Humans and he was busy tearing up the pieces of paper Ajabdeh had scattered around the floor. The wedding was a grand affair and Ajabdeh was happy for her own reasons. For in the morning of the wed...