Dawn

Adhiraja Ishaan Dev was at the Lord’s feet in the temple shrine through the night as Neelambargarh prayed for their queen. Maharani Priyambada had fainted in the arena and had been attended to by the medicine men since then. It was Vrinda who rushed out of the inner palace towards the temple in urgency, looking for the Adhiraja to hold her breath and declare, “The Maharani is awake and looking for you. The heir is unharmed.” Adhiraja Ishaan Dev said a soft prayer of gratitude, wiped his eyes discreetly and followed Vrinda into the palace in urgency.

Maharani Priyambada clutched the pillow to her chest as she let out a wail. What had she done? She killed her mother. Would the gods forgive her for such a sin? Her mother! She looked at her now clean hands and beat her forehead with them, almost like a mad woman, making Urvi intervene.

“What are you doing, Maharani? You will hurt yourself.”

“What did I do, Urvi? Did you see that? That is not me. That is not…” She hid her face in the pillow and cried. Urvi wiped her tears and stood up as she heard the Adhiraja approach.

“Leave us alone.” He commanded as the maids and nurses flocked out of the chambers. Priyambada looked up at him as he rushed to hug her, and she sobbed again.

“Oh, what have I done! I didn’t ever mean to kill her.”

“I know. But she meant to kill you.” Ishaan Dev placed his hand on her head and reminded her gently as Priyambada looked up at his face, still horrified. “And if you don’t kill those who harm you, you will be killed. That is the law of war.”

“She was my mother!’ Priyambada shook her head and cried again as Ishaan Dev held her. “I know Priya. I understand.”

“And yet, I feel sorry for myself for having experienced this rather than being sad at her demise,” Priyambada confessed as though her voice was distant. “She was my mother, yet all I feel is sorry for myself, worried for my sin, my image and my state.”

“You are now a true queen.” Ishaan Dev reminded her. “It is never wrong to think of yourself first.”

“But what about my child? If I am so self-centred, do I deserve to be a mother? What if I end up like…”

“You will be nothing like your mother, Priya.” Ishaan Dev spoke firmly. “I wanted to let you know, while you were unconscious, I took the liberty of allowing Priyam Dev to do the last rites at the banks of Maya. He was escorted by the guards and would be locked up again, at dawn, hopefully for the rest of his life.” Priyambada nodded, wiping away her tears.

“We couldn’t do Father or Prithvi’s last rites.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “Oh, is Prithvi hating me right now? And father?”

“No, Priya. They are not. They were kings and princes. They know the price of the throne. If Prithvi were on the throne today and Priyam rebelled against him, he would have gotten Priyam executed. That is how it is. I am sorry you have to learn it this way.” Something in Ishaan Dev’s voice calmed Priyambada as she gasped for breath, tired of crying, as she clutched onto his clothes for dear life. Ishaan Dev tried to pacify her by patting her gently, and when she was calm enough, he ordered Urvi to bring food and water. Priyambada reluctantly let him feed her as the image of her mother’s blood-soaked body suddenly reappeared in her mind’s eyes, making her feel nauseated. Ishaan Dev stayed awake by her side all night, refusing the constant help Vrinda and Urvi offered as she vomited in disgust, slept tired and cried awake from nightmares.

Ishaan Dev didn’t know when he had fallen asleep beside her when her movement alerted him. When Ishaan Dev opened his eyes, he found the first rays of dawn lit up Priyambada’s pale face as she sat up on the bed, looking out at the sky turning a shade brighter. At least she wasn’t crying. Ishaan Dev noticed her rubbing her hand over her womb absentmindedly as he smiled faintly, placing his hand over hers. Priyambada jolted a little as he sat up beside her and placed her head silently on his shoulder.

“Will we be able to keep the child safe?” Her question made him frown.

“Of course, we will.”

“What if he rebels against you for the throne? Will you kill him then?” Adhiraja Ishaan Dev stared at his wife, a little taken aback by her question. “Of course, you will.”

“Or we will give him the throne and retire to Siyori for the rest of our lives. Like you once told me, your grandfather did.” Ishaan Dev tightened his grip on her hand, reassuringly trying to smile faintly. Priyambada shook her head.

“And what will you do there? Farm animals?”

“Why not? I am good with horses, ask Vidyut!” Ishaan Dev hoped to make her smile. Instead, Priyambada sighed. “A king is nothing without a throne.” She said firmly. “Grandmother always said so… but then father used to argue that it is the people who make a king, not the throne or the crown.” Ishaan Dev sat up and cleared his throat.

“I will agree with your father on that one. A true king is always a king wherever he goes.”

“I thought about something.” Her words made Ishaan Dev stare at her intently as she looked up at him, “About what you said about Prithvi…”

“I apologise.” Ishaan Dev shook his head. “I didn’t know how to calm you…”

“You were right.” Priyambada made him stop. “He would have done so. Once, when we were playing in the garden, Priyam took his dagger and ran. That dagger was given by Father on Prithvi’s declaration as heir. He was so mad he threatened to hurt Priyam with it.” Priyambada shook her head. “Kumar Viraj had intervened.” For the first time, Ishaan Dev observed Priyambada open up about her otherwise “perfect” brother’s flaws. He was a bit taken aback because Priyambada, subconsciously through her words and stories, had painted in his mind the picture of a perfect prince.

“Brothers fight like that.” Ishaan Dev shook his head. “Whatever I had, Ravi always wanted the same one. If he got the same one, he always thought mine was better.” He smiled a little at memories of his childhood, which he had long forgotten in the turmoil of kingship. Memories of Trishaan Dev, Ravi Varman and himself being a unit, stronger than everyone around them, once upon a time. The bond of the boys often made Rajadhiraja Trikal Dev say that they would be invincible when Ishaan becomes king, Ravi Varman his prime minister and Trishaan Dev his advisor. He wasn’t sure anymore.

“I have something to tell you.” Priyambada interrupted his chain of thoughts as he nodded.

“I also have something to ask, about General Unmukt saying…” Ishaan Dev was unsure if the scars were too raw to discuss, but he wanted to know.

‘I was going to talk about that only. I met him in the prison cell.”

“Alone?’ Ishaan Dev gasped. “That is not safe for you, Priya.”

“Devdoot was with me.” She reassured him as she continued. “He said the person he met for aid wasn’t Trishaan Dev. Or at least him alone.”

“Who else was it then?” Ishaan Dev sat up with a frown.

“Rajputra Ravi Varman.” Priyambada studied Ishaan Dev’s face as soon as she uttered the name. She perhaps anticipated surprise, but Ishaan Dev showed none. Instead, he smiled, shook his head and sighed.

“I expected that of him. It is Trishaan’s actions that hurt me more. But what can we say? You were right, Priya. Kingship knows no kinship.” He looked up at her. “I am all alone in the place I call home and among the people I call family. I can trust nobody and…” Priyambada made him stop by putting her cold hand over his lips.

“The place you call home is here, and your family is us.” She placed his hand over her womb. “And we are here with you.”

“You are.” Ishaan Dev agreed and appeared to be thinking.

“What is the next course of action?” Priyambada seemed to read his mind.

“I will inform Father of this treason. He will do the needful with the bastard.”

Trishaan Dev held the letter with the broken seal of Neelambargarh over the burning lamp and watched it turn to ashes with a smile. He had read the contents of the letter, from Ishaan Dev to the Rajadhiraja, accusing Ravi Varman and him of treason against the crown prince of Suryapali and an attempt at assassination on his wife, for which he mentioned there was proof. He heard footsteps outside his chamber and was quick enough to sweep the ashes under the rug before Rajkumari Mandakini Devi appeared before him at his threshold.

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Two

Bondita got down from the local train with a duffle bag and her hoodie tied around the waist of her dark green Kurti, which she teamed with white leggings and a white dupatta. The weather at Canning seemed hotter and humid than Chandannagar, and at first glance, Bondita spotted the spring blooms of Krishnachura painting the tree at the station red. She picked up her bag and looked around the crowded station. Someone was supposed to come and get her. She dragged her bag through the crowd and finally reached the gates. The rickshaws, vans and small autos were shouting out names of different places, names that appeared like images in her memories. “Bondita Malkin?” She turned to see a woman in a checked printed saree worn above the ankle with a Ghomta over her head and the Anchol tied to her waist. Bondita nodded as the woman in her forties surprised her by touching her feet. Bondita jolted away in shock. “What are you doing?” She asked with raised brows as the woman took her duffel bag. ...

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 Thirty Three

Aniruddha stepped out of his room, in a wrinkled Kurta, with a towel and toothbrush, to almost bump into Bondita, who was hurrying out of her room, trying to wear her watch on the go. He stopped before she barged into him and spotted her in one of Thamma’s Dhakai sarees. It was a white-on-white saree she had worn with a quarter-sleeved black blouse. Her hair was bunned with a claw clip, and she wore a small black Teep complementing her Kajol-drawn eyes. She looked slightly startled as she stopped at his dishevelled appearance and looked away at his stare. “Why are you…” He cleared his throat to do away with his morning groggy voice, “Dressed up?” Bondita shook her head at his words. “Because I have camp today, the NGO representative is waiting downstairs.” At her words, Aniruddha nodded and promptly held her wrist to check her watch. Bondita eyed his index finger and thumb, briefly brushing around her wrist as he suppressed a yawn. “But… It's 7 AM.” Bondita smiled, amused at his wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Six

Bondita opened her door in the usual hours of the morning and found Thamma and Jyatha Moshai on the couch in their living room, sipping tea. She had half sat on her bed, leaning against the pillow all night, imagining her plight when she faced Aniruddha in the morning. What if he did not think of it as much as she thought of his actions? What if that was his uncomfortable way of comforting her because she was upset? But what about his eyes, his gestures? Had she misread all of it? Bondita blushed to herself the moment she remembered how his eyes followed her around for the past two days. Bondita was hurrying through her daily chores, eyeing the clock, for she would be late for work and overheard Trilochon lament about things not changing since Binoy left. He thought that things were getting better at home, but as soon as Aniruddha had left for Sunderban, Binoy informed him that he had changed the attorney in charge of his case. Bondita frowned slightly as her hand stopped at wearing th...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Five

“The bride is older than the groom.” Aniruddha heard one of the older villagers speak in a judgmental tone. “No wonder the higher castes don’t attend such atrocities.” He eyed the younger man he was talking to, who smiled. Aniruddha was sitting beside them on a bench in the open courtyard of a house where the wedding rituals were taking place. Tirio and Tumdak were playing rhythmically in a corner as some women danced to the tunes surrounding the new bride and groom. The men sat on the other side of the courtyard. “Forget about the Brahmins, we don’t expect them to come.” The younger man shook his head. “As for traditions, what is wrong if the bride is older?” He smiled sheepishly at the older man. “What’s wrong? Everything. Master Moshai, you can be educated, but our ancient traditions have reasons. The groom must be older than the bride. It has some reason.” He shook his head. The teacher, in turn, educated the man that it was a perfectly normal Santhali ritual to marry older wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Seven

“Why will Bondita not come for Holi?” Asha asked as she inspected the colours, Abir, Pichkiri and balloons Somnath had ordered from Baro Bazaar. He shrugged. “She is scared of colours, I think.” Asha smiled, a little amused at her clueless husband. “She is not ten anymore.” He looked up at her words with a sheepish smile, “Well, I never saw her play Holi, perhaps Dadabhai knows the reason.” Asha contemplated her husband’s words. She did not share a relationship with Aniruddha frank enough for him to share things about Bondita. It would be easier for her to ask Bondita instead. “If you wish for her to come,” Som said, like he could almost read her mind, “Perhaps you can invite her. She won’t say no to you.” Asha nodded. “It will be good to have the whole family together. It's not been so since the wedding.” She smiled. Som agreed as he matched the list with the things. “Yes, and Baba will be coming too, he told me not to tell Jethu, but I was surprised by that.” “Maybe because he an...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty One

“Please, Sir, we were going to show the evacuation notice to the lawyer.” The older man with a salt and pepper beard and a bald head pleaded with the Judiciary official, who handed him a paper of illegal occupancy. The NGO stood on the ground of the property that belonged to the Bhowmicks. Their lawyer, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, had sent a notice of warning and evacuation that the NGO did not pay heed to. The man in charge looked least concerned at the plea of the older man. His hands were folded, eyes teary, as the men who came with the Bull Dozer to knock down the one-storey house with thatched roof broke down the board of the NGO. “Why did you not show the notice then?” The man rebuked in a gruff voice. “Because we thought it was some mistake.” Another man, relatively younger and calmer, came forward from the crowd that stood there watching as he spoke. “We got the land as a gift from Mr. Bhowmick some eleven years back to make the school for the orphans.” “Then where is the dee...

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 ...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Four

“You are cheating, he can’t play!” Bondita was attracted by the commotion downstairs as she opened the window of her room. She walked out to the balcony to inspect it. It was Sunday, and Padma had promised to make Chicken Curry, knowing Bondita had invited Tapur to join them for lunch. In the courtyard was a group of boys, probably Sidhu’s friends, with a broken pipe for a bat, a wooden plank for a wicket kept between two bricks and a rubber ball, arguing over a game of cricket. Bondita’s eyes stopped at Aniruddha, marking a line with chalk and then measuring feet using steps to mark the boundaries. Bondita looked amused at the sight. “Batuk. You went out fair and square; give me the bat.” Bondita put her hands on her waist as she commanded. Batuk refused to part with his new bat. Som frowned at his brother. “She is right; it was a clean bowl. Give her the bat!” Som commanded. “I was not ready.” Batuk shook his head. “She knew that.” “It's still out.” Bondita frowned. Aniruddha wal...

The Difficulties

“The best of our characters are often reflected in our children.” Kunwar Shakta had visited the court at Udaipur after a Turk marriage offer was turned down by Rana Udai Singh for the third time for one of his Princesses. The Ranimahal at Chittorgarh buzzed with rumours of him warning his father about the consequences of enemity with the Turks and also about the impending doom of Mewar. He had apparently irked Kunwar Partap by suggesting a peace alliance with the Timurids was beneficial to Mewar. Rana Udai Singh, in his anger, had banished him from his court. Kunwar Shakta had sworn not to be associated with the royal family any further and to join allies with the Turks. Rawat Chundawat was calm enough to pacify the angry prince and offer him to shift to Bassi and give his decision a second thought. However, Kunwar Partap had refused to abandon Chittor, defying his father’s orders for a shift to the newly founded capital with his Ranimahal. He wanted to stay at Chittorgarh, which...

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