The Last Ride

Ajabdeh woke up with a heavy head and still felt sleepy. She sat on the bed and drew the blanket over her bare shoulders as she remembered the night. A smile curved her lips as she looked out at the midday sun. She suddenly looked alarmed. It was midday. They were supposed to leave after breakfast. Why did nobody wake her up? Where was he? She quickly got dressed. Her mind was running. So many things were said and done the day before. She needed to talk to him.

She was greeted at the door by the packed luggage and Kasturi.

"I packed your luggage for you, ma'am. Sir said I should pack you some snacks, so I made sandwiches."

"Where is he?" She asked, looking around.

"He is yet to come downstairs."

"Why did you not wake me up, Kasturi? We were supposed to leave two hours ago." She narrowed her eyes at the clock.

"I am sorry, ma'am. Sir instructed us to let you sleep." She smiled, thanking her for her service and insisting she took a handsome tip before she turned at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Pratap had his aviator glasses on and walked past her towards the car.

"Put the luggage in Bahadur." He said to the guard, who did as he was told.

Ajabdeh silently went up to her side of the car and opened the door.

"Put her luggage on top." She heard him say, "She will be dropped off first." Ajabdeh inhaled. She glanced across at him, driving once they were on the highway.

"I sent Mrs Sekhawat a thank-you note and a bouquet." She spoke.

"I called Heer. She will be there when you arrive at the apartment. She will help you clean up and settle." He turned on the radio as she looked out of the window.

"We need to talk," Ajabdeh said almost in a murmur. The music was too loud. He didn't hear her. Or he pretended not to. He hadn't seen her eye to eye even once.

"Do you want sandwiches?" She asked a little louder.

"I am not hungry." He shook his head indifferently. Ajabdeh decided it was best to be quiet.

The car stopped at her old apartment. Ajabdeh could see Heer wave at her on the driveway.

"I will take the bags inside." Heer insisted, forcing a smile as her face looked pale. Ajabdeh nodded in silence and looked back at the man who handed the bags over to her sister.

"I…" Ajabdeh spoke as Pratap cleared his throat.

"I will see you around. Drop the papers by my office. I will sign them." Ajabdeh looked up at his words. He looked away. "Whatever makes you happy." He walked back to the car and drove off. Ajabdeh stood there watching his car leave.

Jaivanta's face looked pale as she exchanged glances with her worried husband. Her son was home. Alone. Shakti was about to follow Pratap up to his room as Udai gestured to him to stop.

"Leave him alone." His words were firm.

"I should talk to Ajabdeh first thing tomorrow," Jaivanta spoke, concerned.

"Don't you dare do that! I will visit her in a few days. Leave it to me." Udai spoke. "Unlike you, I will support them if they are happier apart." Jaivanta looked away.

Pratap rushed into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. Then he sat down on the floor, hugging his knees close to his chest as tears flowed down his cheeks. He had lost her. He looked up at the pictures on the wall. The wedding day. The honeymoon selfie. The candid photo of her with animals at the rescue centre. His vision blurred. He held on to the nearest cushion he found close to his mouth and let out a silent scream. Ajabdeh was gone, and it was all his fault. He perhaps didn't ever find it important to say what he felt rather than show it. Now, in his desperate attempt to stop her, his words perhaps lacked value to her feelings. He was too late.

The moment Ajabdeh entered the apartment, the smell of fresh paint gave her a headache. Even lunch and a nap didn't help. When she woke up, it was raining outside. She popped a pill and stood on the balcony as Heer made tea.

"What would you like to have for dinner, Jija?"

"He said he loves me." She said almost in a murmur.

"What?" Heer looked clueless.

"He said he loves me." Ajabdeh smiled, a little surprised.

"And you thought he didn't?" Heer looked shocked. "Of course, he loves you."

"But… Heer." Ajabdeh looked out at the scene. "I didn't say it back." She looked alarmed. "That is why...that is why he left me."

"You are not making any sense, Jija. He didn't leave you. You told him to."

"You don't understand. " Ajabdeh shook her head. "He was there all along. He never said it. I missed the signs waiting for the words." Heer shook her head, clueless. "What did I do, Heer?"

Pratap sat staring at the wall. He was tired of crying and hungry because he skipped lunch and dinner and hadn't stepped out of his room since he arrived. Even Shakti couldn't get him to open the door. "Leave me alone, please." He had insisted. There he was. In the cold, dark room alone. His eyes dried up from all the tears. He couldn't close his eyes even for a second. Her face, her words, the feeling of her skin on his came haunting back. The previous night, for a very brief moment, he had thought that he had convinced her. That she was happy with him. She did make a move. She did hug him. But then she said she would never forget it. Their last night. What was he thinking? He banged his forehead against his hand in utter frustration.

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

Aniruddha eyed Trilochon, sitting at the desk in his room, attending to some paperwork. His reading glasses were on his nose, and he appeared engrossed in a financial document. He stood at the threshold, a bit unsure and glanced over his shoulder at Somnath, Batuk and Bondita. She gestured at him to go on. Aniruddha cleared his throat. That prompted Trilochon to look away from his document at his nephew. “Jethu, if you are busy, I can come back…” He suggested unsurely. “Come in and close the door.” Trilochon glanced over Aniruddha’s shoulder at the others who walked away hurriedly. Aniruddha closed the door, and Bondita tiptoed to place her ears on it. Batuk and Somnath stood at a distance. “So you met her?” Trilochon spoke while cleaning his glasses. Aniruddha nodded. Somnath had introduced them to Ashalata. Bondita, Batuk, and he had met them in a Dhaba off the highway. Although Bondita did most of the talking, initiating a friendly gesture to put the nervous Ashalata at ease, he had...

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, ...

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 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...

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...

Dreams and Wishes

At dawn, the Bhil women took the girls to the Kalika Mata Temple and the Jal Kund. Dressed in white, a nervous Heer followed everything Ajabde knew and did, trying to explain the significance of the rituals to her. They prayed to Lord Ganesh. Kunwar Shakti and Kunwar Pratap were staying at Punja Ji's place, as they were not supposed to see the brides before the wedding. Ajabde was dressed in her mother's lehenga, a mang tika Jaivanta Bai gave her as a family heirloom and the simple nosering Pratap had gifted. They made their hair into a simple bun with wildflowers before putting on their dupatta. Heer was dressed in traditional Bhil jewellery of silver and beads that the women had gifted her. They made her wear a red and white saree draped as a lehenga and a red chunri with it. She looked like a pretty, colourful Bhil bride. Kunwar Shakti was a nervous groom dressed in a traditional bhil dhoti, kurta and cap. The bhil shawl hung from a side, making the white attire colourf...

You Deserve More

Ajabdeh woke up with the song of birds as she felt something warm on her hand. Her eyes went wide. Her hand was on the pillow in between them, between his hands, clasped as he slept. She thought of removing it slowly, but he was holding on to it so tightly. Ajabdeh's heart beat faster and faster. What do I do now? How do I not wake him? What if... why is my hand in his? She was utterly confused. " Am I...In love?" Pratap was staring at the sleeping figure on the bed as he stared back at the rain. Then he frowned as he noticed that she shivered. He closed the windows of the room to make it cosy, then sat on his side of the bed. A lamp flickered on her side like always, and he stared at her sleeping figure as he put his blanket over her as well. She shifted a little in her sleep to make herself cosy again. Her payals and bangles made a rhythmic sound, breaking the silence of the room. Her hand was out of her blanket and on the pillow in between. He tried to slowly put it ...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Fourteen

“Why can’t she work? I will too.” Bondita had barged into the Roy Chowdhury living room early in the morning, still in her loungewear, as Aniruddha looked up at her through his glasses. Trilochon was showing Aniruddha some paperwork from one of their investments as Bondita stood by the coffee table, wearing a frown. Aniruddha looked confused. Trilochon cleared his throat as he shook his head at Bondita. “It's different. She is going to be the daughter-in-law.” Aniruddha eyed Trilochon and Bondita, who shook her head in disappointment. “So?” She questioned, “She can’t have a life?” “When a woman marries…” Trilochon stood up, straightening his Panjabi “Her life is about being a good wife and mother.” Bondita gasped. Aniruddha’s jaws tightened as he kept the papers down. Bondita spoke before he could. “Then by that logic, men should also concentrate on being husbands and fathers.” “Then who will earn the bread?” Trilochon rolled his eyes. Bondita eyed Aniruddha, expecting him to speak...

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

Bondita woke up to the alarm clock ringing as she struggled to get her hand out of the quilt wrapped around her. She sat inside the mosquito net, rubbing her eyes and staring at the clock, trying to remember why she had set the alarm at 3.45 AM. Then her eyes shone in delight. It was Mahalaya. She remembered that during her days in Dehra, she had educated her roommate on the tradition of starting pujo with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra echoing through the air. She was uninterested, and Bondita had borrowed her headphones to hear the program and deeply missed home. She remembered that as a child, while her father was still alive, he would gently wake her up, and take her on his lap to the huge Banyan tree near the Panchayat where people gathered near the Pradhan’s radio, putting flower garlands and lamps around it and folding their hands as they heard Mahishashur Mardini killing the Asura. When she arrived in Kolkata to get her law degree, she thought things would be different. B...

RAABTA

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