The Plan

Jaivanta sat in her master bedroom, wiping her moist eyes. On the side table beside her was a wedding album. Her son's. She sniffed. Udai paced the room noiselessly, with a grim frown upon his face and sighed once in a while.

"He agreed?" Udai asked at last. His voice spoke of disbelief. Jaivanta nodded. "It seemed so. He didn't say no."
"This is all your fault, Jaivanta." Her husband's tone of rebuke was the first time she had heard in her entire married life. She looked up, a little taken aback.
"Udai?"
"You heard me. It's all your fault. You wanted their marriage to be like every other. I warned you to leave them alone. You never understood that they are different. And it's okay."

"It's all my fault, is it?" Jaivanta defended, "It's not my fault that I grew up with certain orthodox ideas that proved quite alright to me. I never…"
"Did Ajabdeh even want a family?" Udai interrupted. "You put this idea in her head in the first place."
"But she could deny it."
"C'mon. She was trying to please you by being the kind of daughter-in-law you wanted. You made her feel that her entire existence in this family depended on an heir."

"That's what my mother-in-law taught me." Jaivanta retorted. "I didn't force her. I suggested."
"Then both you and my mother are extremely wrong." Udai shook his head.
"What do I do?" Jaivanta looked perplexed.
"First, tell Pratap the truth." Udai sat down across from his wife. "The entire truth."
"The truth about what?" Jaivanta's brows shot up.
"Everything. From you sending Ajabdeh for those tests. He needs to know why she feels the way she feels to heal her." Jaivanta looked up at his words.

Pratap stared at his mother in disgust. A sense of guilt hit him. The guilt of being in the middle of all that was happening and being clueless about it all. Had he been more vigilant, neither Ajabdeh nor his mother could have lied to him the way they did. He needed to set things right. He needed to make Ajabdeh see the fact that their relationship was not based on the facts she thought were most important. But how?
"Leave me alone." He tried to check his voice in vain. Jaivanta looked up.
"I am sorry, son."
"I said, leave me alone. Let me handle it now. And please stop interfering anymore." Jaivanta left the room silently. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hands on his head. A few rooms away, Heer was trying to study Ajabdeh. She was packing the rest of her things.

"Jija?" She spoke at last. "What have you decided?"
"I will shift to the apartment." She said.
"Oh, but you can't." Heer reminded her, "The apartment is under renovation. It will take at least a month."
"I am going to Bijoliya for a few days then." Heer looked up at her words with hope as she added, "alone." Heer face turned pale. "I will work remotely. Then, when I feel better and the house is ready, I will go back to our apartment. Talk to my attorney. And send him the separation papers."
"Jija?" Heer stopped her by putting her hands on Ajabdeh's cold ones. "Are you sure?'
"I am Heer. I have to do this."
"Why?" Heer almost choked.
"Because I can't deprive someone of happiness just because I am incapable of providing it." She said nonchalantly. "He deserves to be happy."
"He wants to be happy with you." Heer reasoned.
Ajabdeh shook her head. "He pities my condition. He always pitied me. Now that pity is suffocating me. I can't breathe here. I need to be free."
"You cannot stay alone there." Heer sounded alarmed. "You are unwell."
"I am fine. I have always taken care of myself. I will now." Ajabdeh forced a smile. "I will drop you off at the airport on the way. Pack your bags."

Shakti's knock on the door made the sisters look up as he entered the room with a grim face.
"You are leaving?" He asked. His voice trembled a little.
"First thing tomorrow morning." Ajabdeh sounded normal. He sat down by her on the floor and looked teary-eyed.
"Ajabdeh." He said, almost sounding helpless. "Don't leave." His words made Heer teary as she looked away. Ajabdeh smiled a little at him. "I know perhaps we were not the type of people you wanted as a family, and we failed to make you happy."
"No. No. No Shakti." Ajabdeh ruffled his hair. "It's nothing like that."
"Then why are you leaving?" He asked.
"Because relationships are about to give and take, Shakti. And I have nothing else to offer. I feel tired. Suffocated. And I can make nobody happy if I am not happy."
"Then take a break. Take a vacation." Shakti reasoned. Ajabdeh shook her head.
"A vacation won't undo certain things, Shakti. Don't blame anyone. It's me. It is all about me. I may sound selfish here, but I am doing this for myself. Please forgive me." Shakti hugged her tightly. Ajabdeh needed that hug. She knew she did. But she just expected it from different people. Expectations were, as she gathered, the root cause of pain.

Early at dawn, a car pulled into the porch of the mansion and the servants got busy loading the suitcases in. Sajja wiped her tears as Ajabdeh hugged her. "You are sure?" She asked, "You don't want to meet any of them?"
"I can't go if Dad tells me not to, I know he is upset with me. He will understand eventually. I know he will. I have already let Ranima know my decision, well, not directly, but she is aware of it. And said goodbye to Shakti." She sighed. "And tell Pratap…"
"Tell me what?"

Heer turned from the door of the car at his words and smiled hopefully. The first thing Ajabdeh noticed when she looked at him was that he was extremely well dressed for five in the morning, and he clearly hadn't slept the night before.
"I will send you the papers … when they are ready." She looked away. "Sign them."
"Oh, you don't need to do that." He put on his sunglasses as one of the servants brought his suitcases down to the car.
"I am coming to Bijoliya." He said rather monotonously. "Your leaving is, of course, your choice. My following you is mine."
"But…"
"Of course, you can't stop me. We are still legally married." He sounded casual as Ajabdeh's jaws tightened. "If you want, treat this as a business trip. But whatever it is, I do have some work in Bijoliya, and you are stuck with me."
"What is this work, may I ask?" She looked miffed.
"Of course. You can always ask. A man is always answerable to his wife." He made Sajja and Heer stare at each other and smile.
"I need to get my partner back. And I won't let her go unless she gives me a good enough reason for it." He smiled. "If there is anything she taught me, it is not to run away from promises. And I have made my vows to her."
Ajabdeh inhaled. "You can play your little game. It's a matter of a month. Once I go home, you can't follow me around." She snapped, "I will definitely send you the papers then." He removed his glasses, amused.
"Oh, I won't need to follow you around. Because I promise you this, Mrs Ajabdeh Punwar, that once this month is over, you will come back home, here, with me." He looked at her intensely, making her look away.
"Come on, Heer, let's drop you at the airport on the way. Shall we?" Heer nodded.
"Stay away from me," Ajabdeh said almost in a murmur.
"Oh, I will." He turned, amused as she got into the car.

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...

His Wife

" Where is the Kesar, Rama? And the Kalash?" Ajabdeh looked visibly displeased at the ladies who ran around. " They are at the fort gates, and nothing is ready yet!" She exclaimed. She was clad in a red lehenga and the jewellery she had inherited as the first Kunwarani of the crown prince. Little Amar ran down the hallway towards his mother. " Maasa Maasa... who is coming with Daajiraj?" His innocent question made her heart sink. " Bhanwar Ji." Sajja Bai called out to him. " Come here, I will tell you." Amar rushed to his Majhli Dadisa., " Ajabdeh." She turned at Jaivanta Bai's call. "They are here." " M... My Aarti thali..." Ajabde looked lost like never before. Jaivanta Bai held her stone-cold hands, making her stop. She patted her head and gave her a hug. The hug gave her the comfort she was looking for as her racing heart calmed down. Jaivanta Bai left her alone with her thaal. " Maa sa!" ...

AAYA TERE DAR PAR DEEWANA

Pratap was outside the gates of Meera Girls College in Udaipur by the next afternoon, unsure of whether to go in and ask for her. He spotted a few girls walking out, and one of them kept staring at him suspiciously before approaching him. He stood in his spot, still awkward as she asked, “Aren’t you that ASI guy that Roshni met?” “I… what?” Pratap narrowed his eyes “I am sorry, I don’t remember you.” “I am Mahek.” The girl waved her hand and smiled, “I was with her at Chawand.” “Oh, I see.” Pratap sighed. “I found some information that might help her …err… project.” He stopped at Mahek’s suspicious frown. “So I thought…” “You came all the way here to give her some information about her project?” Pratap cursed himself inwardly. Indeed, that sounded lame when she repeated it. “Why didn’t you call her?” “I…” He cleared his throat “I lost her number, so… I was hoping that she would be interested in an on-field internship…” “Oh, wait, I will give you her number. But she isn’t here, and I do...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Four

Aniruddha tapped his black loafers on the Italian marble floor of the entrance as he eyed his watch. It was almost half past five. He checked himself in the full-size mirror beside the coat hanger, looking fresh as he shaved and bathed, set his hair, chose a white summer blazer over his black shirt and trousers and abandoned the idea of a tie. He cleaned his glasses with the handkerchief, contemplating whether he should knock at Asha’s door, telling Bondita to hurry. He wondered what the women were doing there for such a long time. He could hear them giggling and gossiping as he walked past the room. He wondered what huge deal a party was that a woman needed another to help her dress up. He took out his phone and wondered if he should call her downstairs instead to avoid the awkwardness of knocking on the door. It was then that Aniruddha heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up in a reflex. He would give her a piece of his mind for wasting precious moments, especially when they...

Sibling's Day

Shakti always had a very strict sibling equation with Pratap. Though they were only two years apart, the siblings had very different tastes and preferences. For Shakti, Pratap's disciplined and well-planned life looked like he was missing out on a lot of things. He sometimes didn't even approve of how impulsive Pratap was when he was emotional. Shakti, on the other hand, prioritised experiences over plans. He never found a need to feel deeply for anything the way Pratap did, and over the years, mostly in Pratap's absence from the family, he had managed to find a way with his parents. But he didn't really have any other elder sibling figure. All his cousins' sisters were close to him and younger. But with Ajabdeh, he had developed this very strong connection over the past few weeks. As a child, Shakti's playmate in the house used to be Sajja, while his father worked, his mother ran NGOs, and Pratap was always found with his head in a book. Ajabdeh was up for an...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Three

Trilochon and Kalindi were having tea in the morning in their living room when Binoy walked downstairs in his Pajama Panjabi, pipe in hand and found them. Watching him unusually in his home attire, Trilochon frowned. “Are you sick? I thought you had already left.” Binoy sat down on the single chaise chair beside the couch as Kalindi poured some tea for him. “ I told you, Dada, I am here to retire.” He said, putting his pipe in his pocket. “Today, Som is going alone. We will see how that goes.” Their conversation was interrupted by Asha coming into the house in a white and red saree, with a red sindoor Teep on her forehead. She had a basket with her, and Koeli was accompanying her as she offered them the sweets she had taken as Prasad. “Since it’s his first day at the new position, we went to the temple together.” Asha narrated to Kalindi. “He left for work from there.” “Do you not have school today?” Kalindi enquired as Asha shook her head. She smiled, eyeing Trilochon, who narra...

Purnota: Chapter Forty Five

Aniruddha stared at the clock on his chamber wall for the third time and verified its working condition by checking it with his watch. He had asked Bondita to come to his chambers at six. It was almost six-ten and there was no sign of her. The peon he had sent to call her in had also left. He wondered if she had gone home earlier than usual. But then would she not have informed him? He eyed the partnership deed he had prepared to be signed, going through the terms one last time before he decided to go downstairs and see where she was for himself. As soon as Aniruddha got up, taking the coat from behind his chair to go, gathering the paperwork of the deed, a knock resonated on the door as he straightened his glasses and found his most professional voice to ask her to come in. Bondita looked a little breathless as though she had run up the stairs and apologised in a hurry, “Sorry, sorry… Meghna had some issues with her computer.” “There is a tech guy for that.” He narrowed his brows slig...

The Adventure of PI Ved: The Case in London

There is something funny about the phrase “as dead as a doornail.” Why? Because I am dead and I don’t look like a nail of any sort. I lie on my living room carpet, hands stretched out, the knife stuck to my back...such a backstabber. I hated them all my life! And what is the purpose of killing me? It is not like I would have lived much longer, I was eighty-five, for God’s sake! I lay here, the blood turning thick as I stared at the painting on the wall. It is such a hideous painting. I bought it for so much money, I was duped. I am waiting for the morning when my caregiver arrives to discover me on the floor. But I feel they are still around, looking for something. Searching every room. It is around 7 AM that she rings the bell. She bangs the door. She yells out, “Mr Smith!” Oh no, she is going back. Come back here, you fool! The criminal must still be upstairs. I hear them come down the wooden staircase and exit from the back door. Now the useless caregiver lady is back. Oh, she ...

Embracing Truths

Rana Udai Singh had sent his Senapati Kunwar Partap back to Chittorgarh because Dungarpur had summoned them to the battlefield. How did a friendly visit culminate in a war? Rumours spread faster than wildfires in Mewar. Rana Udai Singh was attending a Mehfil where he liked one of the King’s best dancers. He wanted to take her back to Chittorgarh, and the king, who took pride in art, refused to part with his best dancer. Udai Singh, at the height of intoxication, abused the king, insulted his dynasty and almost forced the dancer girl to follow him, leading to an altercation. What he expected now was for Kunwar Partap to lead an army to Dungarpur, wage a war and force the king to apologise. Kunwar Partap was appalled by what he heard from the soldier. Could the Rana not understand that he could not make any more enemies? He asked his troops to prepare to leave and informed Raoji. Ajbante Kanwar ran down the corridor to her chambers as fast as she could. She did not care if anyone saw her...

Destiny

The war was almost won. A few of Marwar’s soldiers were left on the field along with Rao Maldeo Singh Rathore, their king and leader. He was thinking of retreating at the end of this day. As his sword clashed with one of the opponent generals as he eyed the opponent King now open and prone to attack. A little hope flickered in his mind as his eyes instructed his closest aide. The opponent was in a winning situation thanks to their new Senapati. He was just sixteen, yet his bravery and valour reflected his blood and upbringing. He mesmerised the opponents and even Rao Maldeo with his clever war strategies and sword skills. As Maldeo’s aide swung his sword at a taken aback Udai Singh, someone’s sword defended it as his body acted like a shield for the king. He killed the man in one go. “ Ranaji, are you okay?” “ Haan Raoji.” He nodded gratefully. By half the day, the Marwar army had retreated as the air filled with “ Jai Mewar! Jai Eklingji!” From the triumphant soldiers. Rana Udai ...

RAABTA

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