Conversations

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Chetak ran in circles on the meadow as Pratap held his rein, instructing him to go fast and slow, start and stop. He followed every instruction, making both Patta and Ajabdeh smile at each other and at them.
“Bhaiya and Chetak look like they are soul mates.” Patta smiled at them in admiration.
“Soul mates?” Ajabdeh let out a soft laugh. “I even believe they were husband and wife.” She appeared to be thinking, staring at Pratap's smile, patting Chetak, “I wonder who was what.”
“Bhaiya has to be the wife.” Patta shrugged in a serious tone that made Ajabdeh stare at him for a moment as the two broke into a fit of laughter. The laughter did grab Pratap’s attention as he frowned at the two figures sitting on a haystack in the distance, staring at him and laughing.
“He will kill me, Baisa Hukum.” Patta stopped at his stare.
“I will save you,” Ajabdeh reassured. “You are my favourite, Patta!”
“He is ready to be your ride in the next two to three days.” Pratap declared, bringing Chetak in as Ajabdeh patted him lovingly.
“Oh, really?” Ajabdeh’s eyes shone in excitement “I can’t wait!”
“Patta get his food and balms.” Pratap saw the boy dash for the stable at his words.
“You can smile once in a while at work, you know, Chetak.” He stared at the princess’s words as she patted the horse “No one will punish you.” She frowned as he sat down on the haystack where Patta sat, silently. “Though there is no extra payment for that!” She eyed him, gathering a rope, unnerved.
“How is Meera Ma?” She asked.
“She is doing well.” He sat down to touch Chetak’s injured leg and check.
“Have you lost your job?” She frowned.
“I hope not.” He shrugged.
“If you have, you can always come to Udaipur and work for me.” She offered, “Nanosa has his companies there.”
“That is kind of you, Ma’am.” He stared at her and back at Chetak.
“Urgh, I am bored.” She yawned, sitting down on the haystack again.
“What was the joke?” He asked, unroping Chetak’s reins and patting him.
“What?” She frowned.
“You and Patta were laughing.” He reminded matter-of-factly. Ajabdeh smiled, amused and walked up behind him. “At Me?”
“Do you believe in the cycles of life, Pratap?” She asked as he frowned, “Rebirth?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because you and Chetak seem like husband and wife from the previous birth, and you are the wife, of course.” His hand stopped at the reins as she laughed, and he stared at her in disbelief as she kept laughing, holding her stomach, as her eyes became watery.
“I didn’t find it that funny.” He said in a monotonous tone. She wiped off her eyes and took a deep breath, and said, “You know, there is a quote, Pratap.”
She stared at Chetak and back at him. “It says...”
“Here!” Patta grabbed their attention with the bowl of palm and pail of fodder as Pratap got to work. It was nearly half an hour later that Chetak was back in his stable, and Ajabdeh saw Pratap check his watch.
“What does it say?” She was about to leave and stopped at his words, cluelessly.
“The quote, what does it say?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.
“It says, lovers don’t just meet somewhere, they are in each other all along!” She let out a hint of laughter, “Maybe that is meant for you and Chetak!”
“Am I supposed to laugh?” He asked, shrugging.
“I don’t know, I am not paying you for it!” She retorted.
“Listen.” He stopped her as she was about to leave again and sighed as she stared at him.
“That day... I didn’t mean to offend you when you said we can be friends. It was very kind of you to be so considerate of me, but...” He stopped as she shook her head.
“You don’t need to apologise, Pratap, I get it.” Ajabdeh smiled at him “It is just that I am alone, I could do with some support, especially when I have no clue about anything here.”
“If you ever need me, I am here.” His genuine words made her look at him. For a moment, Ajabdeh thought of telling him everything. Her fears, her scars, her drawings and how much she felt neglected. At the moment, Pratap meant what he said, not thinking about the barriers of formality between the employer and employee, wanting to reach out, with as much as his resources permitted him to, to this girl whose eyes were more mysterious than anyone else’s he had ever noticed.
All that Ajabdeh could say was “See you tomorrow.” Pratap nodded with a smile as she left.


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