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The Difficulties

“The best of our characters are often reflected in our children.”

Kunwar Shakta had visited the court at Udaipur after a Turk marriage offer was turned down by Rana Udai Singh for the third time for one of his Princesses. The Ranimahal at Chittorgarh buzzed with rumours of him warning his father about the consequences of enemity with the Turks and also about the impending doom of Mewar. He had apparently irked Kunwar Partap by suggesting a peace alliance with the Timurids was beneficial to Mewar. Rana Udai Singh in his anger had banished him from his court. Kunwar Shakta had sworn not to be associated with the royal family any further and to join allies with the Turks. Rawat Chundawat was calm enough to pacify the angry prince and offer him to shift to Bassi and give his decision a second thought. However, Kunwar Partap had refused to abandon Chittor defying his father’s orders for a shift to the newly founded capital with his Ranimahal. He wanted to stay at Chittorgarh which was in impending danger and this made his father furious. No one knew what decision was reached at court but the Ranimahal fell silent in all the uncertainties of the day.

Kunwarani Ajbante was shocked at the news of the happenings at court and decided to speak to Pur Baisa, sending the eager eight-year-old Amar Singh to play with the four-year-old Asha Baisa, daughter of Pur Bai Solankini. Bhanwar Amar was too happy to spend his afternoon playing with his sister, while Kunwarani Pur Baisa sat worried at the uncertainties that had cropped up. The pregnant Champa Bai Jhati had come to her room, with her two-year-old daughter Rama joining the children at play. Pur Bai gestured at her not to speak of the impending difficulties in front of the children. Jaso Bai, barely sixteen, had managed to join Amar, Asha and Rama in their little game, and managed to smile, eyeing the two women on the couch.

“Jija...?” Champa bai asked, at last, unable to bear the silence.
“She told me to gather you two here. She wants to talk to the family.” Pur Bai met a nod from Champa Bai.
Kunwarani Ajbante Kanwar entered the relatively silent room, filled with occasional giggles from the children as the three Kunwaranis stood up, looking visibly worried.
“Bhanwarji.” She addressed Amar who sat on the floor, beside his sister. “Take your sisters to see the doves in the courtyard.” Amar Singh frowned for he could feel something was amiss in his mother’s voice. He stared at Majhli Maasa who nodded with a smile.
“Doves!” Asha clapped her hands as her eyes danced “Dadabhai, let’s go before they fly away.”
“Yes, but...” Amar stared at his mother with a frown before picking up Rama and walking away reluctantly, being dragged by Asha.

Kunwar Partap had come home, almost around midnight, looking tired and distressed and he frowned slightly at the empty bed of the Bhanwar Amar Singh in his mother’s chamber.
“Where is Amar?” His voice startled Kunwarani Ajbante Kanwar as she lifted her head from the book she was engrossed in.
“He decided to sleep with the Dhai today.” Ajbante smiled faintly “Besides, I feel he is now old enough to shift to the Princes...”
“We have discussed this Ajab. The common room is not safe for the heir to the...” He had stopped at his own words with a longing smile and stared at her. “We may have to leave...”
“Leave?” Ajbante Kanwar’s heart skipped a beat as she walked up to the threshold where Kunwar Partap stood. “Leave... Chittorgarh?” The fear in her voice was evident. He took her hands in his and nodded slightly. “Ajab... Bhai... Shakta...” He stared at her as she hugged him. Kunwar Partap had felt strangely empty in the past few days. He had felt like a stranger amidst his own blood, misunderstood in his intentions. One tight embrace, made him feel he was perhaps stronger than he thought he was. He gently patted Ajbante Baisa’s head reassuringly with a melancholy smile.
“Everything will be fine.” He sighed.
“I know that, and even if it is not fine, we will cope.” She spoke staring into his uncertain eyes “Together.”
“I think we should think of shifting Solankini Bai, Champa Bai and Jaso Bai with you and the children to somewhere safer until...” She made him stop with a firm protest.
“We are not going anywhere.”
“There are uncertainties.” He frowned.
“So?” She sounded adamant.
“There is Amar, Rama and Asha...” He tried to reason.
“They are never troubling!” She defended.
“ Champa Bai...”
“Is my responsibility, I have talked to them and it is our decision, wherever you go, however, you stay we are coming with you.” He stared at her words and shook his head.
“Seems to me that YOU said and they agreed.” He looked at her rather suspiciously.
“Does it matter?” She frowned.
“Yes. I don’t want any of them to feel...”
“Kunwarsa. I have told you this before. My family doesn’t abandon each other in difficult times. We will cope, together.”
“And what if I need to fight, the Turks attack?” He frowned “How will I camp around with all of you?”
“We will see then, right now I need to know when we are leaving and where we are going...”
“Ajab, you won’t ask why?” He spoke sounding a little low.
“Do I need to Kunwarsa? I know you will always have the right reason.” She made him smile.
“Sometimes, I fear the way you trust me.”
“And sometimes I hate the way you don’t trust my decisions.”He shrugged at her frown.
“That’s not true Ajab.” He shook his head firmly “I am just worried, you all are my responsibility.”
“And we are capable of taking care of ourselves and our children.” She said firmly “We are wives to Mewar’s greatest warrior.”
“They say right.” He shrugged with a proud smile at her “You can never argue with your wife. She is always right.”
“When and...”
“As early as possible, we will leave for Kelwara.” He sounded uncertain “From there...”
“I will inform everyone and get the preparations going.” She was about to leave when Kunwar Partap held her hand and pulled her back making Ajbante frown a little.
“What will I do without you?” He sighed.
“Think that when I am not there,” Ajbante said shrugging when his face grew serious.
“That is the first and last time you are saying that! As long as I am alive, nothing can separate us, understood?” He had tightened his grip on her hand, as she stared at him, with longing in her eyes. It had been months since he was home, and most of his time now, he was at camps, or with the children. Ajbante Kanwar missed their conversations. The sound of footsteps made them part slightly as Amar appeared at the threshold looking worried.

“Are we leaving Daata Hukum?” He frowned at Kunwar Partap who suddenly felt his heartache at Amar’s words. “Why will we leave home?” He asked a little agitated. “I don’t want to!”
“Amar.”Ajbante Kanwar had knelt before the boy worried “Haven’t you slept?”
“I couldn’t.” He shrugged “Choti Maasa was with Majhli Maasa, packing trunks, and they said we are leaving, are we Maasa?”
“Yes, we are.” She had nodded holding the boy gently.
“But why Maasa?” He stared at Kunwar Partap who looked away “This is Home.”

“Amar.” Ajbante Kanwar had sat down on the floor, dragging the boy lovingly close to her and gesturing at Kunwar Partap to sit. He did, facing the child and his mother, trying to smile at the visibly disturbed child.
“Have you seen little birds hatching from eggs?” She asked Amar who frowned, just like his father, at her cluelessly.
“Yes! Last spring Asha and I...” He sounded excited.
“When the little birds were too small, their parents brought food didn’t they?”
“Yes Maasa, they opened their mouths like this.” He gestured making Kunwar Partap admire the innocence of his son “And then they could see.”
“Yes, and then when they grew older, their mother taught them to fly.”
“Yes, Mother Bird was pushing them from the nest.” Amar remembered, “And then one day they flew away.”
“Yes Amar, they grew up and went to explore the rest of the world, but the nest was their home, wasn’t it?”Ajbante smiled at her boy “Similarly since my Amar is all grown up, we will take him to explore Mewar. Know her.”
“But birds don’t come back home Maasa. I want to come back home.” He hugged his mother “I don’t want to abandon Chittorgarh.” His last words made his parents stare at each other as Kunwar Partap got up and left. Ajbante Kanwar watched him go, holding her boy closer.”You will come back here, Amar. I promise. You will come back home.”

The terrain in the forest was tough and arid. With no sign of clouds in the sky, the tired troop stopped at a clearing at midday, for lunch. They intended to cover some more distance before dusk. The small camp had the maids of the Kunwaranis setting up cooking utensils as Kunwarani Ajbante Baisa herself checked on the meal. Pur Baisa sat beside Champa Bai who seemed exhausted from the journey since dawn.
“Should I tell Jija...” Pur Baisa stopped as Champa Bai held her hand “No. I am fine. She will worry.”
Jaso Bai Chauhan frowned at the ladies. “Why are we travelling like this?” Her words made Pur Bai stare at her disapprovingly “I would rather go live with my parents at...”
“Jaso Baisa!” Pur Bai got up from her face making Champa Bai stare at them scared. “If you feel you are the only one facing the heat and humidity here...”
“No, I don’t Majhli Jija. I am saying this for all of us. My parents married me to the heir of Mewar. Not to roam like...” She had stopped at Pur Bai’s cold stare.
“You will not understand now Behena.” Champa Bai came to her defence before Pur Baisa spoke “But one day you will know how Jija...”
“Jija!Jija!” She seemed irked “How is this always about Jija? Can’t you see that she just pushed her decision on us, hoping we will agree? Did she see how Champa Jija is having troubles...”  She stopped as Ajbante approached them with a bowl.
“Here, Champa Behena.” She held out a broth “You have your food first and rest a little before we start again.” She made the third Kunwarani sit down. “Pur Baisa, I told the Dhai to feed the princesses.” She had turned to Jaso Bai “And Behena, if you want, I can still arrange for you to leave for Bhilwara.” Her words made all three of them stare at her as she smiled faintly “I don’t want anyone to force my family to do something against their will.” Jaso Bai’s throat went dry as Ajbante Kanwar walked away with the same dignified calm posture with which she had arrived.

“Jija.” Ajbante Baisa had smiled expecting Jaso Bai to enter her small tent, in the evening. “I am sorry. I don’t want to leave. I was just...”
“Jaso Bai.” She walked up to the girl and held her hand “It is all right if you want to...”
“No Jija.” Jaso Bai’s eyes were teary “I was just scared that...” There was a sudden commotion outside and someone shouted “Looters!”
Jaso Bai could not react to what was happening and before she knew it, two fiery-looking looters were standing in front of her, and in between her and them, stood Kunwaranisa Ajbante Kanwar, with her sword out. Jaso Bai’s eyes widened as things happened in a trance. Kunwaranisa had attacked the looters with a single swing of her sword, grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the tent, towards that of the children. Ajbante Kanwar had stopped at the entrance of the tent, as a looter was stopped from reaching the princesses, the visibly scared Asha who held a wailing Rama, by Amar Singh, who stood with his sword out, staring at the looters. Ajbante’s heart filled with pride at how his eyes twinkled as he challenged the man.

“Bhanwarji.” Jaso Bai was about to jump in worried and she was stopped by Ajbante Baisa’s gesture. She was sure her son could protect his sisters. Jaso Bai suddenly let out a cry as she turned to see two men corner Champa Bai she ran to hold her before she fainted in her arms. One of the men seized the opportunity to attack his sword and was stopped right before it hit Ajbante’s neck by Kunwar Partap’s bare hands. Jaso Bai shrieked in dismay grabbing the attention as Kunwar Partap’s right hand, still on the sword blade, turned red with blood and Ajbante Kanwar looked up at him worried. His eyes were angry, and Jaso Bai was scared at the way he looked at the looter. Pur Bai grabbed her stone-cold hands and ran to help Ajbante Bai with the fainted Champa Bai as Kunwar Partap slashed the man’s neck holding the sword in his left hand. 

He then turned to the ladies as Ajbante shouted for medical aid. Around dinner time as Kunwar Partap was trying to do his bandage in vain, in his tent, awake and alert, Ajbante Kanwar walked in with balm and freshly made leaf bandages.
“Let me!” He watched her stare at his hand like she was hurt.
“How is Champa Bai?” He asked.
“She is better,” Ajbante spoke.
“We can start at dawn then, it's unsafe to wait here.” He sounded worried.
“Why did you need to grab the sword with bare hands?” She shook her head.
“He was trying to hurt you.” He said matter of factly.
“It hurts a lot?” She asked a little worried at the deep cut of the wound.
“Not even close to as much as it would have if it hurt you.” He smiled making her blush a little and shake her head disapprovingly at him.
“How will you eat with an injured right hand?” She asked narrowing her eyes “Let me feed you.”
Kunwar Partap stared at her feed him like she fed Amar and asked “Why are you so happy?”
“How do you know I am happy?” She asked narrowing her brows.
“Just... why?” He asked to shrug.
“Today, I saw a glimpse of you in Amar, he was defending his sisters and...” Her eyes sparkled.
“Amar? Is he all right?” He sounded worried.
“Of course he is.” She shrugged “He told me those cuts are his wings. Like the baby bird...” Ajbante Kanwar smiled “I am so proud of him.”
“So am I...” He smiled in agreement “But... these looters...”
“Afghans?” She frowned.
“Turks...” He stared at her as she read his thoughts.

Kunwar Partap had a fallout with his father over the Turk policies around 1565-66. He was posted in Kumbhalgarh at the time and had perhaps returned to Chittorgarh before the famous Chittor siege. Kunwar Shakta had been believed to have left home owing to the jealousy of the throne with Kunwar Partap but recent historians believe this to be untrue. As soon as he had predicted doom on Chittorgarh he had warned his father before the siege. Also, some suggest the difference between the brothers was staged, and he was a spy for Partap in the Mughal court. That is why he helped his brother at Haldighati and reunited with him as his Rawat in 1578. Months before Akbar arrived, Kunwar Partap was ordered to leave Chittor to the chieftains and move away against his will. It is here that he decided to not shift his family to the Ranimahal at Udaipur. Folklores suggest that his wives and children moved with him for a few months before settling at Kumbhalmer during the siege. The names of Kunwar Partap’s daughters and the order of birth of his children remain unknown and I have used the names provided in Abhay’s blog and my own interpretation of their birth times, keeping it as real as possible. The incident of Amar Singh defending his mother and his father’s Ranimahal from attackers in a forest at the mere age of eight without proper training is, however, mentioned in many folklores and history books.

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