The Wedding Planner

"I said small mirrors. Don't you understand simple instructions? Do you want to get fired?" The intern looked scared as Ajabdeh Punwar grilled him. "It's on your list. Take it back. Now."

"But, Ma'am. We didn't find…" He stopped at her stare. "Then you haven't looked everywhere. Find it." She said. "I don't work with excuses. I want everything to be perfect and exactly like the bride wants. Got it?" She sighed as he left in a hurry.

"Hello, boss." Shakti's words made her turn as she checked the watch.

"You are five minutes late." She reminded him.

"But the traffic." He frowned.

"When Dad told me to treat you like the others, he meant it, Shakti. Now off you go. There is a truck loaded with gifts for the kids at the NGO. Take them there." She pointed at the driveway of the Punwar mansion.

"But I was supposed to work in the accounts department of your…" he stopped at her stare.

"First, learn to be on time," she reminded him. He walked away towards the driveway, checking off the items as they were loaded on the truck.

"I hate weddings." He murmured to himself.

"Don't say that. She will kill you." He turned at the familiar voice as Heer smiled at him.

"Let me help you." She offered.

"Thank you. You are my saviour." Shakti smiled.

"Just don't tell Jija. She will fire you." Heer laughed.

"So you are moving back here?" He asked.

"Dadabhai offered me the job to do the interiors of the farmhouse. I think I will take up the project." She agreed.

"You will have a better boss than me." He made her laugh.

"How do I look?" Rukaiya checked herself in the mirror.

"Like a bride?" Pratap said, unsure, making Jaivanta stare at him with a warning glance as Rukaiya's mother laughed.

"Humour Ajabdeh that way and she will kill you." Rukaiya frowned at him.

Khan Uncle blessed the bride and turned to Pratap.

"She is in a bad mood over some mirrors. Some poor soul may get fired today." Pratap and Rukaiya looked alarmed at his words. "You want Jalal to talk to her?"

"I will." Pratap nodded reassuringly. "Let Jalal have his moment."

"Poor Heer must be tired babysitting all of you." Jaivanta's words made Pratap stare as Khan Uncle laughed.

"You are not new here. Why are the mocktails not ready yet?" Pratap walked up behind her as she snapped at Jacob. He gestured at Jacob to leave, and that made her turn to face him.

"What? You are not ready yet? Is Rukaiya ready? Where is Heer? Why is nobody bothered?" She looked irked "This way, nobody will be ready on time."

"Calm down." He took her hands in his. " Or I will book an appointment with Doctor Sekhawat again." He warned her.

"I am not anxious." She snapped. "I want the wedding to be perfect for them. You know how much Jalal and Rukaiya mean to me. I don't want to screw up their best day."

"You are Ajabdeh Punwar. You are the best in the business. You can't screw anything up. Just relax. It's your friends' wedding. Enjoy it a little. Laugh with them. They will remember that, not whether the mirrors were small. Give me some attention. I will look super handsome in that sherwani." He made her smile.

"Coming from someone who thinks it's a scam industry, that mirror comment is offensive. Because some people do cherish attention to detail." She retorted.

He pulled her by her hands towards him and held her waist. She looked a little surprised and wide-eyed.

"What are you doing?"

"I just realised in between hating weddings and stopping some, I happened to fall in love with the queen of that scamming industry."

"Oh, how very flattering." She taunted. "People are watching. Let me go."

"Only if you promise to be calmer and not fire anyone." She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine. Next time you are agitated before the annual general meeting, I will pop into your office for some romance and see if it calms you down."

"Try that." He smirked. "I always fantasised about it on the office couch…"

"Stop that." She slapped his arm, making him laugh. "Go and get dressed. I will be there soon."

"Coffee, Ma'am?" He asked, letting her go.

"Can always use a cup." She nodded.

"So, where are you going for a vacation?" It was Shakti who popped the question to Jalal at the dinner party. "I was thinking of Switzerland," Jalal said. "What do you say?" He turned to Pratap. "You two take so many vacations nowadays."

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to know if you don't want to spend your honeymoon trekking or your entire life in adventure sports." He made Jalal laugh.

"He's just saying so because he's scared of what Ajabdeh might try next." Shakti stopped at his cold stare.

"Come, let's dance." Rukaiya dragged Jalal away. As Shakti went to ask his mother for a dance, Jaivanta redirected him to Heer, Udai, and Pratap shared a glance across the room.

"You are doing that again," Udai said, almost in a murmur to his wife.

"Doing what?" She asked.

"Setting up Heer with Shakti," Udai said in a warning tone.

"So? It will be perfect. The sisters won't fight like most sisters-in-law do." Udai shook his head at her words.

"Leave them alone. Let's dance." He took her to the dance floor.

"I am just trying to be a good mother," Jaivanta reasoned.

"Sure you are." Udai agreed, "But definitions have changed. Leave him alone."

Pratap smiled, knowing what his parents were talking about. He looked around. His wife was missing. Again.

He made his way through the staff-only entrance to spot her waving her hands and instructing the waiters.

"That's enough now." She turned at his words. "Come with me."

"But … I have to be there when they serve…" He made her stop with a stare as they stood in the empty corridor.

"Let's dance." He gave her his hand.

"Here?" She asked.

"Yes. Knowing you will never dance in public at a wedding you organised." He said matter-of-factly. She smiled sheepishly.

"But I am wearing heels." She shrugged. He went down on his knees as she looked around the empty corridor, alarmed that someone might spot them. He took off her shoes and put them away, placing her feet over his shining boots.

"There you go." He held her by the waist as her hand travelled to his shoulders. "Anything else?"

"I don't know the song."

"Oh, shut up." He snapped, making her laugh as he adjusted her pasha right beside her vermilion-clad hairline and kissed her forehead. They matched each other's rhythm in perfect sync, staring into each other's eyes. The music played on.

Tu ne jo dekha hai, tu ne jo jana hai

Hu bhi nahi bhi hu main woh.

Chahoge tum jaisa ho jaunga waise,

Chaho toh vaada ye le lo…

The End

Happy Ending

Dheer had a sleepless night. Yes, she had killed the Maharani, but to seek revenge for her son. Jagmal was all she had for a dream, and Rana Pratap's first decision was to banish him. He had never been that tough with his other brothers who went with Akbar, then why him? Just because he wanted to be a king? Just because they brought a false letter and bought a few witnesses? Her son died in Ajmer, so young. And she had always blamed Ajabdeh Punwar for Rana's hard decision. After all, ever since she came as a support for Jaivanta Bai, she had been like his shield, even though creating misunderstandings didn't help Dheer Bai Bhatiyani. Ajabdeh had done the impossible, showing him the real face of his Chotima. What bothered Dheer now was whether he remembered anything, and most importantly, if she did. Dheer had turned pale at the song and smile Pratap gave, but if he knew she had killed Ajabdeh, it meant Survi remembered her walking to a dying Ajabdeh and confessing that ...

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!" ...

Begum Sahib: Forbidden Love

2nd June 1634, Burhanpur. " My heart is an endowment of my beloved, the devotee and lover of his sacred shrine, a soul that enchants mine." The Raja of Bundi had arrived at Burhanpur after a win in the war of Paranda. He had met the crown prince Dara and was honoured with a sword and elephant before he came to pay his respect to the Padishah Begum as per the norms of the court. Jahanara was writing in her room. Her maid came with the news, “Begum Sahib, the Raja of Bundi has arrived at court; he is at the Bagh to pay you his respect.” “Tell him to sit in the courtyard of my bagh, I will be there.” She had risen from her place, covered her face in the veil of her dupatta and walked to the place where he waited. “ Begum Sahib," he had acknowledged her presence with a salutation. She returned the bow with a nod. She was sitting inside the arch while he was on the other side of the Purdah, the sun shining over his head as he took his seat on the velvet carpet th...

Queen of the Heart

Kunwar Pratap was in the Dangal Sthal practising his moves. Ajabdeh decided it was fair to know his strength before she summoned him. Sword in hand, in a white female warrior attire with only her face visible, she hid behind one of the large watchtowers of the Dangal, watching him move. She heard Rawatji say, "Your left hand is still weaker than the right one with the moves. Both should be perfect." A smile curved her lips. Knowing an opponent's weakness always helps, which is one rule of war she always remembered. Kunwar Pratap swung his sword with his left hand and turned around. He could sense someone watching; his sixth sense was never wrong. He looked around. Ajabdeh again peeped at the grounds to see that it was empty. He had left. She walked towards the empty ground, sword in hand. Suddenly, the cold blade of a sword was felt on her neck. She stopped still. " So someone was spying on me." His voice had a hint of taunt. " No, I was ... walking by......

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...

To Protect You

Kunwar Pratap was in the court with Rana Udai Singh. The Mughals were conquering a huge part of the north courtesy of Bairam Khan and Mewar on their routes to the ports of Surat. " Daajiraj, we need to secure the roads leading to Agra and also towards the west. The attack-prone areas should always be under surveillance." " Yes, Ranaji. Baojiraj is right." Rawatji agreed. In the Rani Mahal, everyone was preparing for a grand lunch. Ajabdeh was making a drink for the princes and princesses, and in a hurry, she forgot to add the Kesar and Badam on top. As she served the smaller princes, including Kunwar Jagmal, Dheerbai came to inspect her eldest son's food. " What is this? Who made this? Kokoiaji?" She stormed to the kitchen with a bowl of sweet dishes. " Kunwaranisa did." Came a scary answer, from Veer Bai. " Ajabdeh Baisa." Her words let out a silent gasp from the lesser queens who stood witness. Calm and composed, Ajabdeh walke...

Begum Sahib: An Introduction and chronology

Note to the readers: Women behind men in history fascinate me. I had been reading about the mothers and wives who changed men’s fortunes. But what about daughters and sisters? A few months back, I was looking for books on Mughal Ladies, mainly Noor Jahan and her work. In the bibliography credits, I had chanced upon “The Life of A Mogul Princess” By Jahanara Begum, the daughter of Shah Jahan. I had no idea about the book and thought it was another autobiography. Previously, I had read only about how she was imprisoned along with her father at Agra, and her involvement with Dara Shikoh, her younger brother, in connecting the two realms of Hinduism and Islamism and the establishment of Sufism. All of these and the chronological events of history can be found in various books. As I read each page of her diary, cross-checking each point with Jagunath Sircar’s “History of Aurangzib” and R.C. Majumder’s “Mughal Empire” as well as numerous other sources on the Mughal Harem, I discovered ...

Scheme of Things

The ousting of Shams Khan and his troops from Chittorgarh earned Kunwar Partap Singh overnight fame across the land as tales of his bravery made their way through the dunes and hills, across rivers and borders to lands far and beyond. At thirteen, he had commanded an army troop to take over the fort of Chittorgarh and restore Mewar’s borders to their former glory. People started comparing him to his forefathers, the great Rana Kumbha, who built forts across Mewar and his grandfather, Rana Sanga, who had united all Rajputs against external threats. As bards sang praises of the prince, gossip soon followed. Gossip was the most entertaining one could get in the mundane city lives and village gatherings, and it often travelled faster than the fastest Marwadi horse. So alongside the tales of his absolute bravery and how he hoisted the Mewari flag on the fort, were the stories of how his life was in danger, the king and queen did not quite get along and how he was made to live in poverty by ...

PI Ved: The Miniature of Kalimpong

There are some things you must do when you are spending an extended weekend in the mountains in India. Take a long coat along for good pictures, have some Wai Wai Noodles and Momos, and wait for the fog to clear for a view of the mighty Himalayas. After a hearty meal of pork momos and Darjeeling First Flush tea, I walked out of Gompu’s Bar and Restaurant near the clock tower in Kalimpong’s main market area. The weather was slightly rainy, so my parents decided to return to the hotel while I walked down the busy road on the other side through the market. Tourists like me were flocking around the souvenir shops and departmental stores selling shawls and caps. I lazily checked out a few Jap Jantra and magnets, deciding to come back later. One could easily distinguish between tourists and locals simply by how they dress anywhere in the world. The locals treated this as summer weather in Kalimpong and walked around in half-sleeved shirts and loose pants, while the tourists found it hard not...

Rishta Tera Mera: Prologue

Chal raho pe ek nayi rah banaye Department of Law, University of Calcutta Class of 1942 She adjusted the black satin gown over her saree and straightened it. Her excitement knew no bounds. She was anxious, excited, sleep-deprived and happy. They say dreams only become true if you dare to dream with open eyes. That she did. She had big dreams, bigger than what was offered to her. Everyone happened to see success in a success story. What about the journey? The hurdles and abuses? What does a person leave or face for a big dream? They don’t matter anymore once someone succeeds. People look up to them. But then, the person remembers every moment like it was yesterday. Who had faith in them and who didn’t, those who supported them, and those who didn’t? Everything in life comes in a flash in front of their eyes. Today was such a day for her. If she believed in rebirth, she would have to believe this was her moment of being reborn. To fly and reach the skies. "She is our topper, and s...

RAABTA

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