Going Home

Bondita's Mama came to Tulsipur to meet his daughter. He was a poor man and wore a short dhoti and a Batik shirt. It was wrong to come empty-handed to the daughter's house, so two pots of sweets accompanied him. Reluctantly, he had to go to Roy Chowdhury's house. They were the Zamindar of Tulsipur, the master of the father-in-law of Sampoorna, and they needed to be respected. Apart from that, the fate of the sister and niece whom he was reluctant to shelter and spent day and night rebuking them about had turned; the same sister now handed over some money to him by the end of the month, because of the kindness of Aniruddha Babu. He did not have the luxury of pushing Lakshmi away. Hence, it was necessary to come to the landlord's house to meet his niece. In their house, servants also dressed better than he. Look at the fate of the girl. Where he had arranged for her to stay in a corner of an old man's house, now Bondita was living a queen’s life.

Zamindar Trilochan Roy Chowdhury did not hesitate to show it to anyone if he didn't like them. Bondita's uncle was one of those people. Trilochan Babu was shocked by what he heard from Bouma's mouth about how they treated her, and then even more surprised at seeing Bouma's affection towards them. But they were family. What could be done if someone arrived at his doorstep with sweets? It is not in the landlord's taste to disrespect a guest. Bondita took her uncle’s blessing and asked about her mother. How was she doing? Was she worried about Bondita and what Mama should tell her? Trilochanbabu knew that Bouma had not seen her mother for a long time.

"Then, Bouma, go with your Mama, come back in a few days." Trilochan's words make Bondita's eyes sparkle.

"Really, can I go?" Bondita asked in disbelief. Trilochan nodded his head. "If he doesn’t object..."

"No, no, why will I..." Bondita’s uncle smiled sheepishly, "If she wants to come..."

"Wait, Mama, I'll be right back." Bondita ran inside. While tying the bundle, her hand stopped once. Should she tell Barristra Babu? Should she ask his permission? Her ego got the better of her. He didn't want her to stay, didn't trust her, and Jyatha Shoshur Moshai told her to go. Why bother asking him again? She would go to stay with her mother. He would be fine, perhaps better off without her. He would not find his things; that would be good. He wouldn’t have to see her face, not stay out of the house angry with her, and he could sleep in his bed. He would be fine.

Absent-mindedly packing her things, Bondita did not realise when Aniruddha came and stood behind her. For a long time, he watched her pack a bundle, a frown on his face, fear in his heart. After that day, they didn't talk about anything but unavoidable things. He tried many times but couldn’t understand what to say to Bondita.

"Where are you taking these things?" Bondita was startled by his words. The comb fell out of her hand. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Aniruddha picking up the comb from the floor, a look of displeasure on his face.

“You? Why are you up?” Bondita suddenly asked, "So early?"

"Bihari said, Mama... what are these?"

"I will go home with Mama."

"Why?" Aniruddha tried hard not to sound agitated as Bondita jolted back.

"I mean, Jyathamoshai said I can go to see Mother..."

"You're not going anywhere." Aniruddha suddenly started taking things out of her bundle. "You don't need to go with uncle, I said I will take you to meet her." Bondita got angry at his demeanour. She forgot her vow to be grateful to him and stopped him. After so many years of a habit of arguing with her, Barristra Babu got the better of her.

"Why won’t I go?" Aniruddha stopped and looked at her, suddenly relieved by the tone in Bondita’s voice. It had a hint of right towards him, "Why won't I go to my mother with my uncle?" Bondita tried to snatch the bundle from his hand in vain.

"I said I will take you," Aniruddha said, lifting the bundle on his head, beyond her reach.

"Yes, you are taking today and tomorrow too. Give me back my things. Jetha's Shoshur Moshai told me to go." Bondita taunted.

"I said you are not going."

"So, are you preventing me from meeting my mother?"

“No. You know very well why I am stopping you.” His stare made her look away.

"No, I don't know." Protests erupted more strongly in Bondita’s voice. "You're acting like a madman."

"What?" Even Bondita was shocked at the words that came out of her mouth as Aniruddha looked flabbergasted. She was afraid that she had successfully angered him more.

"You called me crazy for your stubbornness?" Aniruddha's voice sounded bitter. "Bondita, you know well why you are insisting and why I don't accept that insistence."

"What's going on?" Seeing Trilochanbabu outside the threshold, Bondita pulled her Ghomta on her head quickly, realising it had fallen off in the middle of the argument. Aniruddha dropped the bundle, and a look of awkwardness was reflected on both of their faces. Trilochan Roy Chowdhury cleared his throat. He knew that the ghost of stubbornness often danced on these two, leading them to meaningless arguments he could never make sense of, but arguing like this, especially when there was a guest at home, what was wrong with them?

"Look, he won't let me go to my mother." Bondita startled Aniruddha with a complaint.

"No... I mean," Aniruddha looked a little lost for words in front of his uncle. “I say, why bother, Mama, I will take her.”

"When?" Bondita snapped. ”How many times have you said this in the past year? Did you take me there once?"

"Bouma is right, let her go with her uncle. You have been busy. And he is her Mama, it won’t bother him. You go and pick her up in a day or two, what's the harm?”

"He doesn’t have to go."Bondita protested. "He's so busy he can't bring me home, so you must send Bihari."

"I can. I can bring you home.” Aniruddha protested firmly, and Bondita eyed him.

"Then what is the problem? Get her the day after tomorrow. Bouma, come quickly, your uncle says the train will leave if you don’t go now.” Trilochan Babu still did not understand why his son was protesting like this. But he never tried to understand all that he did or said. What's the point? "And Aniruddha, you should make Bouma a lawyer." He jokingly added, "She can argue better than you."

Before Aniruddha could understand, Bondita snatched the bundle of clothes from his hand and packed the rest of the things in a hurry. Standing with folded hands for a while, Anirudha watched her. Then she took out a saree to change into, took the key from the lock, and said, "I will put it in this drawer; you will need it." She went to the washroom to change her saree. Aniruddha tied some loose change in a handkerchief, "You may find it useful." He said, offering it to Bondita, raising his eyes and observing his wife’s pale face.

"Believe me, I will go there myself. I will bring you back." Bondita lifted her eyes at him briefly. "Everything you think is not true. I... ” Suddenly afraid of what Aniruddha wanted to talk about, the subject Bondita stepped back.

"It's getting late, I need to go." Suddenly, she took his blessing, interrupting him mid-thought and left the room. Aniruddha sighed and stood there for a while. "Dugga Dugga." He said to himself.

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...

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!" A...

One Night

Happy Valentine's Day, readers! Hope you put your self-love and your love for reading right at the top when you celebrate today! The night was eerie; the veil of stars shone in the clear sky, occasional clouds travelling with the wind, playing hide-and-seek with the crescent moon. The leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, and somewhere in the forestland, the call of an animal broke the silence. Owls hooted somewhere, and in the darkness, one could see across the arid land, beyond the water of a lake, a fort wall was lit by the torches of the guards who were awake and alert. The sandstone castle in the middle of the small township was asleep. The corridors of the Mardana Mahal, where noblemen and princes were stationed, were heavily guarded tonight. The prince of Mewar was travelling through this small town, on one of his many campaigns. The square-shaped palace had an inner courtyard for the ladies. Opposite the Mardana Mahal was the Andar Mahal, where the women resided. They shar...

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 ...

The Wounds of Love

The procession had stopped at a clearing. The women and children needed to rest for the day. The maids and guards who had followed them into this life of difficulty and sacrifice quickly laid the tents for rest. The young crown princess, still a child, was not used to the extreme conditions of the open air and the desert sun. She was slightly feverish. In the tent, her mother put her hand on his warm forehead, worried. There were sounds of footsteps, and she grew alarmed. The tent curtains parted. Ajabdeh Punwar entered the tent she shared with Pur Bai Solankini, a little worried. She managed a smile at Pur Bai as she checked the princess's fever. She checked the medicines kept by the bed and, after a reassuring nod at Pur Bai, stepped outside the tent where an eager Amar waited for her. "Keep vigil on your sisters." She ordered the eight-year-old as a pang of pain hit her. She did not want to take away his childhood and innocence with the weight of responsibilities so so...

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...

The Difficult Times

Rana Pratap rose to prominence as the new hope for Mewar after his coronation on Holi, 1st March, 1572. His subjects and chiefs had a lot of faith in his ability to remove the Timurid influence from Rajputana. In the year 1573, in February, June and November, Raja Man Singh, his father Bhagwan Das and Todal Mal came to persuade the Rana on alliances respectively. Although he received the fellow Rajputs cordially, their purpose remained unsolved. These frequent visits to his court from alliances of Akbar made Gogunda vulnerable as a capital. He decided to move to a small village at Girwa, about 8 miles from Haldighati. Not being able to reach him anymore, Akbar's chieftains were forced to prepare for war against the Rana. Under the leadership of Man Singh, Akbar's army reached Haldighati, the chosen battlefield on the banks of the Banas River. The brave Rajputs, having only half the army's strength, fought bravely, and an injured Rana was taken to safety by his favourite ...

Forever

" The Day Amar Singh was born, Mewar celebrated like it was Diwali. The palace was decorated, and so was Ajabde's room. Amar was lying in a golden cot when I saw him for the very first time. He looked like my Pratap used to as a kid. Today, when I look at Amar, I see a lot of Ajabde in him." Jaivanta Bai smiled at a beaming fourteen-year-old. " Ranaji too was so happy with Mewar's uttaradhikaar." Her smile faded at the memories. The differences started afterwards. " He was so happy that he founded the new capital that year only." She spoke up. " What about Daajiraj and Badi Ranima?" Kunwar Chand, nine, enquired. Solankhini and Jasobai interrupted the conversation. " Come now, all of you, Kunwar Amar, Kunwar Chand, Kunwar Bhagwandas, and Rajkumari, it's late. Time for bed." Solankhini spoke. " Please, Majhli maa. A little more. " Bhagwan Das, a five-year-old, pleaded. " Haan Majhli Maa... let Dada bh...

The Maharana and his Prodigy

We do not know exactly when Ajabde Punwar passed, but it was after the capital was shifted to Chawand, and we can assume it occurred between 1583 CE and 1597 CE. During the last few years of his reign, especially after the birth of his first grandson, Karan Singh of Mewar (Born on 1st August, 1583, according to Veer Vinod), to Aarti Bai Chauhan and Amar Singh I, Maharana Pratap decided to leave most of the administrative work to Amar, while he focused solely on rebuilding an army to regain the outpost at Chittorgarh which was under his half brothers rule who had joined the Timurids. The timeline also coincides with the time when a young Prince Salim, in one of his early expeditions, was injured in Mewar, and that prompted Akbar to remove Timurid outposts from Mewar (according to Akbarnama). However, the real reason was the constant attack on these outposts by Mewari Soldiers, and the cost of movement of these soldiers proved to be expensive for the emperor, who, after the Battle o...

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