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.

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...

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...

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 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...

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!" ...

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...

Purnota: Epilogue

“Hello?” Saudamini’s voice was heard on the other end of the telephone as Aniruddha breathed in. “Mini, this is Aniruddha.” “Oh, Ani, how are you? How is Bondita?” Her voice changed from doubtful to excited. Aniruddha was standing by the couch in the living room with a phone book on the coffee table and a sheet of paper with a guest list in his hand. The mention of Bondita made him involuntarily eye the visible corridor to the dining area, where he could hear her voice, instructing Koeli. Ever since the marriage, she seemed to have taken up the job of ordering everyone around the house like a true landlord, and even he was not spared from her occasional orders. That is exactly how he had landed on the couch with a phone book. “Umm… she is good. Everyone’s good. I’m calling because…” “Oh, do tell her I truly apologise for not attending the wedding. I know she was disappointed with me and thought it was some payback for her not attending mine.” An amused smile formed on Aniruddha’s lips ...

RAABTA

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