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The people of Panwarmer, the only village under the estate of Surajgarh since Independence, still depended on the royal family of Surajgarh for their livelihood and their professions still included serving the royals directly or indirectly. Whether it was the villagers who loved to stay in their age-old traditions, or it was the royals who never let them get out of their habits it was hard to tell. But the people barely had any complaints about their “Rulers.”

Surajgarh hadn’t changed over the two decades. Not only did the villagers say so, but it was also evident from its roads and houses. The day Pratap Singh entered his village after twenty years of staying away; he was greeted by the warm hug and the tears of his Badi Maasa. Meera was in her late sixties and ailing. Losing her husband early, the childless Meera had doted on her nephew Pratap, the motherless son of her husband’s brother, until they left twenty years back. Even when they had repeatedly offered her to join them at Jodhpur, Meera felt she belonged here, in this village among these people. She was also the village’s greatest connection to the Surajgarh palace, being Ranisa’s religious guru. The Ranisa herself came and paid Meera visits and heard her speak at gatherings and temples. Pratap often missed Badima’s wise words. He had spent five years of his life living in contrast to his father’s belief that swords and power were the most valued, and Badi Ma said love conquered all.

Nothing seemed to change much here since he had left. Though he was barely five, he remembered her and missed this place. His father, whose forefathers had been horsemen of the royals, had his own school of horse riding in Jodhpur, he had lost his mother at birth. He had graduated with good marks, finished his MBA and was in a steady job but he enjoyed helping his father teach the children of Rajputana horse riding every weekend. As soon as he held the reign in his hand, his eyes sparkled, like he was destined to hold it. It was Badi Maasa’s health and loneliness and her sudden urge to see him, which had brought them back to the village. No one could say no to Badimasa.

 “Wow! It is beautiful.” She gasped opening her eyes as he beamed proudly. The swing was of ply and rope, but very well decorated with wildflowers and creepers. He had even made a tiara out of flowers that were kept on the seat that swayed in the breeze. She was quick to run to it and sit on it dangling her bare legs and smiling at him. He presented her with the tiara and she put it on with a grin asking

“How do I look?” She watched him smile.

“Like a princess.” He bowed.

“What if I am... a princess?” She asked as he chuckled.

“You are not.” He shrugged “I can tell.”

“How?” She frowned.

“Because then you won’t play with me. Neither will I.” He said matter of factly “My father says we can never be friends with the royals, we serve them.”

“Oh. Come on, give me a push.” She waited as he walked to take a position.

“Okay soft one?” He asked facing her back.

“Oh no, I am not scared, take me to the stars!” She beamed. He chuckled giving her a soft push.

“Wee! Wee!” She stretched out her hands and smiled.

“I kept my part of the promise, now it is your turn.” He smiled.

“I remember. That is why I insisted to Maasa that we should see Masi’s wedding video yesterday.” She smiled.

“Okay tell me.” He sat down leaning against the tree trunk as she pulled him up.

“Umm...They hold hands like this.” She held his palm firmly “And go around in circles around...” She was about to drag him around the tree trunk, and stopped midway.”No no!” She shook her head. “The boy leads.”

“Okay.” He stepped forward and walked around holding her hand. “Then?”

“Then they say a promise.” She smiled.

“Like?” He asked wondering.

“Like I promise to be your friend forever! Now your turn.” He had gone around in another circle and beamed “I promise never to forget you, no matter what.”

“I promise I will always respect you.” Her words made him frown. “What? I heard that on the wedding video.”

“But this is our promise na? Make it up. I promise I will protect you.” He smiled. “This wedding play is fun!”

“I told you! I promise I will learn horse riding only from you.” She giggled.

“I promise I will always be there.”

“I promise... umm... “ She wondered. “Promise to give me this one?” He had pointed at her locket. She nodded.

“I promise I will never part from it.” He smiled. She stopped to take off her locket and put it in his pocket.

“I... wait, seven are done!” She clapped her hands.”That is it.”

“What does it mean now?” He asked.

“Maasa says it means they will be friends for the next seven lives.”

“So will we be so too?” He frowned.

“What’s this?” Badimaasa’s words startled him from his thoughts. She was unpacking his trunk and had held out a chain, perhaps of gold, with a little butterfly locket in the middle.

“I... don’t know.” Badima had frowned at his words.

“But it is in your things...” She said.

“I mean... It was with me all this while, so I gathered it belongs to me perhaps? Is it Maasa’s?” He looked confused.

“No dear, it is not. It looks like a child’s.” She held it out over the palm of her hand.

“I don’t know then, you can keep it.” His words made the woman laugh.

“What will I do with this? I can keep it for your children.” She ruffled his thick curls and stared into his intelligent brown eyes, “I missed you my Ladesar.” He hugged her with a smile “I missed home too.”

“You want to come with me to the gathering today?” Meera held his hands “I am telling a story to the children.”

“I am not a child anymore Badimaasa.” He smiled.

“You are to me.” Meera patted his head. “Always.”

They stopped at a gasp from someone in the clearing. There were two ladies with their eyes fixed on them.

“Badimaasa! Look! We were just playing wedding!” He smiled leaving his firm hold on her hand and dashing to the lady in saffron.

“She is my new friend!” He grinned.

“What did you do children?” The other lady asked in a state of panic.”Did you make that swing?” She asked the boy who suddenly withdrew behind the other lady, a little scared.

“Yes, he did. And we went round and round that tree, just like the video.” He watched her speak in a fearful voice “Will you scold us Maasa?”

“Hey, Shiva!” The lady seemed restless,  “You do not know what you have done.”

The lady in saffron smiled patting her shoulder gently “But I am sure He knows why.”

“He?” She frowned.

“He who knows everything.” The lady could not understand any of it. “Has everything written!”

“But Guruma, you know what this...” The lady was in fear. Of what? He wondered with a frown.

“Go home Ranisa, everything is fine” He held his Badimaasa’s hand tightly, watching her go, being dragged by her mother. “Everything is destined.” He heard her say. The girl looked back at him, one last time, her eyes twinkling full of hope.

“But I didn’t ask her name yet Badimaasa!” He looked confused “Can I, the next time we play?” She had nodded affirmatively. Little did he know he was seeing her for the last time.

The old peepul tree at the centre of the village was where the panchayet often held public meetings. Today, the children of the village were waiting eagerly for Meera there.

“So what is today’s story Guruma?” One of the Panchayet men smiled touching her feet “Anything special because your nephew is here?”

“Yes. Today I am going to tell the story of Kalbhoj.” She smiled.

“A warrior?” The man frowned “I thought you preach love.”

“I do.” She smiled taking her seat amidst the children. “Can’t warriors be in love?” The man shook his head and walked away as Pratap made a place for himself at a fair distance away from the children, from where he could see the gathering, yet not hear it. Among all the things he missed from his childhood were the storytelling sessions of Badimaasa, yet he felt out of place here, among the children.

“...So Kalbhoj was just a small goat herd, mending his goats when he met the princess at play. She told him to build her a swing on the banyan tree ...and they took vows around it. The friends of the princess teased that is how they got married....”

Pratap noticed the children hear her stories with the same excitement in their eyes as he did when she told him about heroes of the past.

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