Skip to main content

The Promises


“Love comes unexpectedly, like a gust of wind in the summer afternoon.”

The morning was gloomy at Bijoliya. Rawat Chundawat and Rao Ramrakh Punwar sat with dejected faces that showed that they had been insulted enough for their idea of peace by the Rana. Kunwar Partap sat rubbing his hands with a frown. Kunwar Shakta fumed at his father’s irrational behaviour.
“I apologise.” Kunwar Partap broke the silence, “On his behalf, for your insults.” Rao Ramrakh looked up at the crown prince joining his hands before him, in shock.
“No, No Kunwarsa!” He held his hands humbly “You need not apologise. Ranaji is right. This is his decision, we cannot…” His words faded out as Rawatji placed his hand gently on his shoulder.

“It cannot be his decision if it is Mewar’s future at stake, Raoji.” Kunwar Shakta fumed. Kunwar Partap shot him a warning glance that made him stop. Kunwar Shakta was angrier at what Rawatji mentioned. Their father had even gone to the extent of breaking personal ties, mentioning, “There will be no marital alliances with Bijoliya henceforth”. Kunwar Shakta clenched his jaws. He was sure the news had reached the Ranimahals, and Badima and Maasa would be disheartened. And what about Ajbante Baisa? For the past two days, Kunwar Shakta had observed changes in his Dadabhai’s behaviour towards her, with hopeful eyes. He had seen Dadabhai praise her cooking and heard her read to her siblings. He hated his father now. The man had no right to decide for people.

Hansa Bai wiped away her tears as she heard her daughter approach. She had heard the men speak from behind the jharokha, and she was sure so had Ajbante. She did not know of wars and politics, but the mother in her was worried about her daughter’s uncertain future and how to face her. She looked up at Ajbante’s calm face. She had no hint of pain in her eyes.
“I came to ask you what we should serve the guests for dinner, Maasa.” She spoke in her usual composure.
Hansa Bai did what she had never done in her life. She hugged Ajbante tightly to her chest and sobbed. Ajbante closed her eyes to stop the coming tears and held her mother tightly in her arms.
“Everything will be fine, Maasa.” Her words made Hansa Bai stare at the girl. Did she actually believe it?
“How can things be fine, Ajab?” She asked between her sobs.
“Even if it doesn’t go exactly like we plan, life always falls into place and things are eventually fine, Maasa.” She smiled reassuringly, “You can never fight destiny.”
“Only Eklingji knows what is in your destiny.” Hansa Bai hugged her daughter tightly. Ajbante Bai let out a sigh, hoping her mother wouldn’t notice. She was in a way relieved. It was going to happen someday, and it did, just not the way she thought it would. She placed her hand gently on her mother’s hand and smiled, “Let me see what to serve for dinner.”

On her way to the kitchen, Ajbante stopped at the strategy room. Kunwar Shakta sat on the floor as Kunwar Partap was arranging the marks. She realised that they were going to make strategies for the impending war, and rubbed her hands thinking of his invitation for her to help them out.
“With Bijoliya not going to war”, Kunwar Shakta’s voice made her frown “We will be some thousand fewer.” Kunwar Partap agreed in silence. His mind was preoccupied.
“Why won’t Bijoliya go to war?” Her voice startled the princes as she realised she had overstepped her boundaries “I apologise…” she looked away.
“You tell me, Baisa, if you were at your father’s place, would you go after such an insult?” Kunwar Shakta’s voice was harsh; Kunwar Partap looked at his brother warningly. “I won’t!” Kunwar Shakta shrugged.
“I would.” Her words made Kunwar Partap stop at his marking and look up at her “For my service to my country doesn’t change with who is sitting on the throne and my personal issues. When my country needs me…” She stopped “I will talk to Daata. Maybe he is taking an impulsive decision, but this is not right.”
“Dhanyavaad.” Kunwar Shakta stared at his brother and back at the princess, who nodded understandingly.
“What do you think of this strategy, Baisa?” Kunwar Shakta pointed at the map in front of them, “Dadabhai made it, so be careful before giving your insights.” He chuckled to lighten the mood as Ajbante smiled slightly at him, and Kunwar Partap shook his head with a smile at him and moved away for her to inspect his markings. 

Ajbante stepped in, to the place where he stood and read the map.
She asked, frowning.”Does Mewar have enough allies?”
“Allies?” Kunwar Shakta asked, “Yes, there is Sirohi and Jallore.”
“You think we need more?” Kunwar Partap’s question surprised his brother as it was directed to Ajbante Baisa.
“I don’t know. Asking smaller states can be of help. I wonder what Marwar is thinking.” Ajbante spoke absent-mindedly.
“What do you mean?” Kunwar Shakta frowned.
“Would you agree to a war, just over fallout over a marriage?” Ajbante frowned.
“This is more about Rao Maldeo’s personal ego clash with Daajiraj Hukum.” Kunwar Partap spoke.
“They forget they are kings. Kings should never have personal wars.” Kunwar Shakta blurted.
“Or perhaps, Marwar wants to show it is mightier than Mewar, to the growing power of the Turks.” Ajbante frowned “I heard Rao Maldeo had once promised Humayun some help when he lost his empire.”
“He did not give any thought.” Kunwar Shakta shrugged.
“Maybe that is why he wants...” Kunwar Partap’s voice trailed “To serve his ego and his...”
“I do not understand how people survive with such false pride.” Kunwar Shakta spoke in remorse before walking out.
Ajbante watched him leave, and worry swept across her face. She was about to follow him out as well.
“Let him be, he is impulsive, he will come around.” Kunwar Partap stopped her on her track as she turned to face him.
“I am sorry if my words upset him.” Ajbante Kanwar was worried.

“He is upset about something else altogether.” Kunwar Partap bit his lips as soon as he said it, making Ajbante Kanwar look up at him briefly. "Actually, Baisa, I am sorry, because of me, Raoji…”
“You need not apologise, Kunwarsa, it is our duty to serve Mewar, and we will continue to do so.” She smiled reassuringly, but there was a tone of formality in her voice that disturbed Kunwar Partap.
“I…” he thought, if he should speak of it, then he remained silent. Ajbante understood and smiled, “It is good that it happened this way, either way, someday or the other…”
“I did not expect him to be so insensitive towards…” Kunwar Partap stopped at his own words. Emotions? Did he care about her emotions when he wrote a letter of rejection two years back, or did he think of the consequences? Was he even the right person to judge his father for doing the same? Kunwar Partap’s eyes travelled to the girl in front of him. In the flickering light of the lamps at dusk, her face was calm. In an eerie way, she reminded him of Ranima today, and how she handled family crises. He was sure her mother was hurt too, and here she was, worried for Mewar more than her own uncertain future. In his heart, Kunwar Partap always admired Ajbante’s efforts and self-esteem. Today, he respected her soul.
Ajbante smiled faintly “It is time we probably need to focus on the war, and do not worry. Before you leave, I will convince Daata to go with you on the war; it is a Samanth’s daughter’s promise to the Senapati of Mewar.”
Kunwar Partap felt relieved at her words. “I… we will be leaving the day after tomorrow.” He said rather monotonously. Yet something in him felt restless as he looked away from her and focused on the map.
Ajbante’s smile faded a little as she murmured softly, “Excuse me, I should go and check if dinner…” She walked away from the room in slow, dignified steps as her eyes twinkled.

As the moon shone through the jharokhas that night, and the wind brought fragrances of flowers from the garden, Ajbante sat holding her cushions tightly as she wept. She had dared to keep on dreaming of things long after they had ended in reality. She had put him on the throne of her heart, and no one could ever replace him there. A sudden thought came to her mind. This was probably the last time she saw him. Before she knew it, her father would surely fix her marriage elsewhere, and he would eventually marry some princess. They would never meet again. Sending him letters would be inappropriate for her. Ajbante felt like she was losing a part of herself. In trying to prove him wrong, over the past two years, she had discovered sides of herself that even she hadn’t known. She had found herself trying to win his heart. She had promised him to convince her father, and she would keep her promise. She could probably take the path of God, much like Meera Ma did, but could she even be truthful to God, for her heart would always belong to him? Ajbante felt like she was losing her grip on her emotions. A part of her wanted to go and face Kunwar Partap. Tell him everything she ever felt. And a part of her wanted to tell him that she respected him immensely and wished him success. Torn between her thoughts, Ajbante was restless. She couldn’t sleep till the first lights of dawn entered her chambers, and she decided to wipe her tears and talk to her father and remind him of his duties.



Popular posts from this blog

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, ...

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. 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 was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Seventeen

Bondita opened the curtains of her room at The Park to find the view of Stephen Court and the street below going towards the Maidan. She eyed the double bed and placed her things on one side while lying down on the empty side. The soft bed made her yawn as she sat up, staring at the clock. She needed to change for a quick dinner. They had an early matter at the High Court, and the client’s car was supposed to pick them up around 9 AM. As she changed into a full-sleeve black top and jeans, removed her earrings and adjusted her smudged Kajal, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Aniruddha standing in a pair of jeans and a grey polo-necked T-shirt, his hair brushed back, as he cleaned his thin-rimmed glasses with the edge of his T-shirt.  “Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, putting the glasses back on. As she nodded, she grabbed her handbag. They walked into The Bridge, and Bondita was a little conscious of her environment. Many foreign guests, businessmen and even s...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty One

The morning after the Chief Minister of the state attended the reception party, Binoy wrapped the newspaper that had just arrived at their threshold, eyeing the picture of him and Trilochon with the chief minister smiling proudly, made a mental note of framing it for his office in Siliguri and stepped out to see the car waiting for him in the entrance to take him to the station. He glanced over his shoulder at the house, still asleep and watched Bihari put his luggage in the back seat. Bihari had been with the Roy Chowdhury House since he was a teenager. He eyed Binoy as he lit his pipe and straightened his jacket when Bihari approached him. “Boro Saheb, should I inform Kotta Moshai once?” Binoy eyed Bihari with a disapproving glance.  “If I wanted to tell him, I would have done so myself, Bihari. Where is the driver?” He checked his watch. Bihari sighed as he ran to check on the driver. Bondita stopped on the gravelled path leading from the entrance to the main gate as she watched...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Two

The winter morning was pleasant, especially when the sunshine hit the dewy grass on the lawn, and Bihari set down the porcelain cups for Trilochon and Kalindi to start their day. Kalindi had just taken up some orders to knit sweaters and mittens for some of the neighbourhood kids as she wrapped the thick brown shawl tightly around herself, on the chilly morning as she sat down on the lawn chair with her needles, pin and colourful balls of wool, as she knit a pair of mittens while waiting for Trilochon to join her. Bondita hurried out of their place and stopped at the sight of her sitting alone, unsurely. “Do you need something?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly from the wool and asked as she shook her head. “I was hoping to talk to Jyatha Moshai…” She shivered a little as Kalindi scolded her to find a sweater first. She rushed indoors as Kalindi spotted Trilochon in a thermal t-shirt, a pair of pants and a shawl walking towards her with the cane in hand. He stopped as he watched her kni...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty

Trilochon’s only desire for Som’s wedding was for it to be so grand that the entire Chandannagar remembered it for the longest time. He had also invited the leaders of the opposition, ministers and even the CM, and if rumours were to be believed, he would accept the invitation. That meant trying to impress him for a ticket to the next Lok Sabha elections. He knew the only way to do so was also to showcase Som as a prodigy. Their family name was enough to earn votes for the party in the area. “Perhaps you could tell him about Somnath Babu’s involvement in some of the projects here. Like the slum area where water was flooding the pathways…” Poritosh had suggested. “But it was done by…” Bapi Da had stopped as Trilochon shook his head, “How does it matter who did it? What matters is that we say Som did it.” They agreed. “Jyatha Moshai.” Bondita walked into his room, not expecting the elderly men from the Party office to be there. “ Bolo, Maa. ” “The Gaye Holud is here.” She smiled. “How a...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Three

“So the question is, do the slum dwellers get their dues to relocate, or do they protest on the road, grabbing media attention? If one of them mentions the sewage project where all this started, we can’t guarantee not dragging certain names then. It will be beyond our control.” Bondita breathed in as she eyed everyone at the table. The conference hall of ARC & Associates had an oval table with a whiteboard, projector and podium and sitting around the table were a stenographer, Bondita’s secondary attorney, Debashish Ghosal, the contractor and his attorney Biswas, the representative of the NGO with the Union leader of the slum, Trilochon, Somnath and Aniruddha. The people of the NGO appreciated her strategy with a nod. Ghoshal looked perplexed as his lawyer whispered something in his ear. Somnath did not look up from the table as Aniruddha passed a note to Trilochon in writing.  “Now the decision is yours.” Bondita continued. “We are keen on out-of-court settlement if our basic ...

Purnota: Chapter Nineteen

“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight. “Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up. “What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face. “Let me sleep, Daini !” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder. “Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn. “Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused. “Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting...