Skip to main content

I Saw You

Kunwar Pratap was in his brown Dhoti, off-white angrakha and a piece of brown cloth tied to his head when he entered the palace premises. He was standing in the courtyard, eyeing the lofty towers and domes, wondering whom to talk to as some soldiers galloped their horses out of the stables on the right and some people were gathered on the left. The main entrance and two guards on either side, and he decided to go towards the stairs leading up to the inner palace, when the guards stopped him.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Rao ji?” He asked unsurely. “Rao Ramrakh…”

“What audacity, boy?” The old guard scolded, “Say, Hukum!”

“Yes, Hukum.” He nodded. “I came to tend to the stables.”

“Then go to the stable. Why are you loitering around the private gardens?” One of the soldiers said in a gruff voice.

“He must be the one we were told about…” The other one reminded him.

“Oh, go to the stables anyway, Hukum is busy practising, I will summon you once he is on the premises.” Pratap nodded at his words, thanking him.

“What should I say your name was?”

“Kika.”


Ajbante knelt in front of the cow, looking distressed. Ratan Bai looked around at the maids accompanying them and cleared her throat. “Jija, they said they would call the vet. We should not be here. If Daata finds out…”

“You go inside with them.” Ajbante nodded at her words, settling down on a haystack and caressing the cow’s pregnant belly. “I will be here with Lakshmi.”

“But you…” Ratan Baisa eyed her sister who looked at her sternly. “I can at least stay till her doctor arrives?” She watched them leave. 

“It’s alright, Lakshmi. It will hurt a little, I know… I know…” She patted the cow as she looked into her eyes. The unspoken love she radiated seemed to warm Ajbante in her heart.

Kunwar Partap walked unsurely towards the direction a soldier directed him towards and ended up in the cowshed. “I must have come the wrong way.” He murmured. “Umm… Suniye…” He was unsure as there was nobody in sight. Did the palace not wake so early at dawn? He frowned a little as he heard a cow moo and someone speaking in hushed tones to it.

He walked up to the shed to find a girl in royal fineries, not caring about her gaudy clothes being soiled as she sat on the hay and caressed the animal. Hearing footsteps behind her, Ajbante anticipated the doctor.

“You are late for the job.” She said with a frown.

“Oh? I apologise, Hukum.” He narrowed his brows. He did not know who she was, but he knew she was royalty.

“Now see her, she is in pain.” Ajbante turned to see a stranger standing in front of her, staring blankly. The boy seemed confused. “Pardon?”

“Are you not…” Ajbante suddenly looked alarmed. “Who are you?”

“I… am Kika, the newly recruited horse keeper.” He smiled faintly “Who are you looking for?” Ajbante was not sure what to answer as Lakshmi mooed loudly.

“She must be in a lot of pain.” He said sympathetically. “What’s wrong with her?” His words made Ajbante stare a little skeptical at him. On one hand his rough demeanor told her he was a hard worker, he claimed to know enough about horses to land the job, yet he could not realise a cow was in labour.

“She… she…” Ajbante stammered unsurely. In a flash, the conversations between her parents came to her mind as she eyed the boy. Could he be…? Ajbante’s hands trembled. Before she could finish her sentence, Lakshmi mooed again, forcing her to turn her back to him.

“The horse shed is up ahead on the left.” She instructed. But he did not leave. Instead, he stood there for a while before walking up to her and kneeling down beside the cow. Ajbante moved a little on her haystack to give him room.

“She needs to lie down. I will go call someone…” He said, inspecting her belly. Ajbante watched him walk away towards the shed and come back with one of the other horse keepers.

“You should go home, Rajkumarisa. We will take care of her.” The old man smiled reassuringly at a worried Ajbante. She did not move. She was too engrossed in watching the man lay Lakshmi on the hay and massage her belly to even notice a pair of eyes on her. His thoughts ran. Is she a princess? Raoji’s daughter? He had never seen any of his sisters or mothers in the cowshed themselves except on occasions of Gau Pujan. Ajbante refused with a polite shake of her head as she watched the old man take charge. Her eyes fell on him, still standing there observantly as she viewed him from the corner of her eyes, a small wrinkle appearing on her forehead, making the round Bindi take an oval shape as she looked at him with questioning eyes. That was when Partap realised he had been staring at her, still lost in his thoughts. Cursing his unchivalrous manner inwardly, he stepped back and walked to the stables.


Before he could be briefed about his job, Rao Ramrakh Punwar had himself come to the stable, his eyes reflecting an apology as he narrated that his guards had made a terrible mistake by not letting him in.

“I am Kika.” There was something in Kunwar Partap’s tone as if to remind Raoji of his disguise and how odd it looked to bystanders to see their chief apologising to a common stable boy. Raoji understood as he cleared his throat, regaining the voice of authority. “This is Kika.” He summoned the one in charge of the stable as he spoke, “His father once saved my life, and now they have fallen on hard times. Be nice to him.”

“Yes Hukum.” The older looking man agreed, “I was just instructing him to take charge of feeding and cleaning some of the horses.”

“Some?” Raoji looked alarmed. “Um… why don’t you let him take care of Bijli?” He suggested. Kunwar Partap stared at the unsure-looking man.

“But Hukum, the Rajkumarisa trusts me with her horse.” He looked reluctant.

“Don’t worry about her, tell her that I ordered you to.” He was reassured as he turned to Kunwar Partap.

“You see, my daughter is very careful with her moody mare, Bijli. She doesn’t let everyone take care of …”

“I understand.” Kunwar Partap nodded. “The princess will have no complaints from her new attendant.” A smile curved his lips. He had always liked challenges. He heard the stable in charge lament about the moody horse and its picky mistress. He would love to impress them by taking good care of Bijli. He had felt odd taking this job, being fully aware that Raoji would underwork and overpay him. He did not want that partiality. So he was glad that he could at least put in some hard work.


Ajbante Kanwar was busy making garlands when Hansa Bai approached her. She stopped at her mother’s familiar footsteps and turned to smile.

“Maasa, Laxmi has given birth to a daughter.” Hansa Bai smiled as she sat down beside her daughter, using the tip of her painted fingers to adjust her dishevelled hair as she asked, “Oh, has she? What should we call her?”

“I was thinking Mandakini.”

“After our Kund?” Hansa Bai smiled. “That is a good suggestion, Ajbante.” She cleared her throat. Ajbante was in her own world as she wished to distribute sweets in the cowshed and stables for this special occasion. Hansa Bai suggested she would send someone, but she insisted that she would do it herself. Hansa Bai knew she could not stop her daughter. She cleared her throat again, and this time Ajbante stopped her hands at the flowers and looked up at her mother.

“Do you want to say something, Maa sa?”

“I… yes… Your Daata thought the new stable boy could take care of Bijli.” Ajbante looked confused at her mother. “He told me to inform you…”

“But he is new.” Ajbante interrupted, looking troubled. “Bijli gets very angry if anything is out of order. Kaka has been taking care of her for years.”

“I know.” Hansa Bai cupped her face with a smile as Ajbante looked bothered. “But we can always give someone a chance, after all, Kaka is getting old.”

“Hence, he should care for Bijli while the new person can handle his work.” Ajbante exhaled. She knew better than to question her father’s last say, but the last time Bijli found her food unpleasant because Kaka was sick, she had kicked the bowl, hurt the caretaker and dashed off into the fields. It took three soldiers to pacify her. Ajbante had overheard Raoji asking the horse to be put down, and she couldn't take it. Although she did not ride beyond her lessons and never rode Bijli, she claimed the horse to be hers and asked Kaka to look after it. “The new person looked inexperienced.” She added, remembering his confusion with Lakshmi. Hansa Bai eyed her and the maids as she held her daughter’s hand reassuringly. “Trust me when I say this, child. He knows more than you think he does about horses. Give it a chance.” Ajbante’s heart skipped a beat as she observed her mother’s tone. That meant what she assumed could be right. And if so, was it Kunwar Partap taking care of her horse? Could she even question him if something goes wrong without fearing the well-known wrath of the Mewar royals upon her? Worse, what if Bijli hurt him and landed Daata in trouble? Ajbante Kanwar knew she had to visit the stables and see the arrangements for herself to be careful about mishaps.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Deserve More

Ajabdeh woke up with the song of birds as she felt something warm on her hand. Her eyes went wide. Her hand was on the pillow in between them, between his hands, clasped as he slept. She thought of removing it slowly, but he was holding on to it so tightly. Ajabdeh's heart beat faster and faster. What do I do now? How do I not wake him? What if... why is my hand in his? She was utterly confused.   " Am I...In love?" Pratap was staring at the sleeping figure on the bed as he stared back at the rain. Then he frowned as he noticed that she shivered. He closed the windows of the room to make it cosy, then sat on his side of the bed. A lamp flickered on her side like always, and he stared at her sleeping figure as he put his blanket over her as well. She shifted a little in her sleep to make herself cosy again. Her payals and bangles made a rhythmic sound, breaking the silence of the room. Her hand was out of her blanket and on the pillow in between. He tried to slowly put it ...

Purnota: Chapter Eleven

Bondita opened her window to find Thamma and Jyatha Moshai missing from the lawn. The chairs were empty. Was she sleeping till late? She checked the clock and shook her head. Taking the towel, she hurried towards the bathroom, countering Kalindi on the way. She was reading the newspaper with her rimless reading glasses on. “Umm… why are you here? Where is Jyatha Moshai?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly and sighed without putting the paper away. Her lack of response puzzled Bondita as she made her way to take a bath. When she came out in a pair of jeans and a shirt, rolling her sleeves up, Kalindi observed her keenly. “Will you be going somewhere?” She enquired. Bondita nodded.  “Ah, yes, the District Office, some of my paperwork for the Bar Membership needs to be signed by a Gazetted Officer. Jyatha Moshai knows someone…” “Don’t go by their house… he is in a bad mood.” Kalindi placed some Chirer Polao in front of her and spoke as Bondita rubbed her wet hair with a frown. “Why?” “Oh...

Dreams and Wishes

At dawn, the Bhil women took the girls to the Kalika Mata Temple and the Jal Kund. Dressed in white a nervous Heer followed everything Ajabde knew and did, trying to explain the significance of the rituals to her. They prayed to Lord Ganesh. Kunwar Shakti and Kunwar Pratap were staying at Punja Ji's place as they were not supposed to see the brides before the wedding. Ajabde was dressed in her mother's lehenga, a mang tika Jaivanta Bai gave her as a family heirloom and the simple nosering Pratap had gifted. They made their hair into a simple bun with wildflowers before putting on her dupatta. Heer was dressed in traditional Bhil jewellery of silver and beads that the women had gifted her. They made her wear a red and white saree draped as a lehenga and a red chunri with it. She looked like a pretty colourful Bhil bride. Kunwar Shakti was a nervous groom dressed in a traditional bhil dhoti, kurta and cap. The bhil shawl hung from a side, making the white attire colourful. K...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

Bondita woke up to the alarm clock ringing as she struggled to get her hand out of the quilt wrapped around her. She sat inside the mosquito net, rubbing her eyes and staring at the clock, trying to remember why she had set the alarm at 3.45 AM. Then her eyes shone in delight. It was Mahalaya. She remembered that during her days in Dehra, she had educated her roommate on the tradition of starting pujo with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra echoing through the air. She was uninterested, and Bondita had borrowed her headphones to hear the program and deeply missed home. She remembered as a child, while her father was still alive, he would gently wake her up, and take her on his lap to the huge Banyan tree near the Panchayat where people gathered near the Pradhan’s radio, putting flower garlands and lamps around it and folding their hands as they heard Mahishashur Mardini killing the Asura. When she arrived in Kolkata to get her law degree, she thought things would be different. But ev...

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

Aniruddha eyed Trilochon, sitting at the desk in his room, attending to some paperwork. His reading glasses were on his nose, and he appeared engrossed in a financial document. He stood at the threshold, a bit unsure and glanced over his shoulder at Somnath, Batuk and Bondita. She gestured at him to go on. Aniruddha cleared his throat. That prompted Trilochon to look away from his document at his nephew. “Jethu, if you are busy, I can come back…” He suggested unsurely. “Come in and close the door.” Trilochon glanced over Aniruddha’s shoulder at the others who walked away hurriedly. Aniruddha closed the door, and Bondita tiptoed to place her ears on it. Batuk and Somnath stood at a distance. “So you met her?” Trilochon spoke while cleaning his glasses. Aniruddha nodded. Somnath had introduced them to Ashalata. Bondita, Batuk, and he had met them in a Dhaba off the highway. Although Bondita did most of the talking, initiating a friendly gesture to put the nervous Ashalata at ease, he had...

Purnota: Chapter Six

Kalindi waited outside the hut, on the torn mat they usually slept on, using the hand fan to drive away mosquitoes as she stared at the empty path leading out of the house, the path Bondita had taken some time back. It was almost an hour. Did the foolish girl escape or land in trouble? To her relief, she could hear her nephew snoring away indoors, reassuring her that they were at least not caught by the villagers till now. She was sure Bondita would return empty-handed and hurt, and that she would have no other way than to accept the proposal from the Pradhan. That morning, her Kaka would accompany Sarkar Moshai to the adjacent village to talk to a family friend of the Sarkars. They were looking for a bride for their sixteen-year-old eldest son, who worked as a labourer in Sealdah. Kalindi had tears in her eyes. Not much had changed in these years; not much of women’s fate was different, wasn't it? Kalindi was about ten years old when her father took her to the Roy Chowdhury house ...

Confrontation

Maine kahan tha saath rahunga Banunga main tera saaya Par tere saath kuch kadam bhi Main nahi chal paya Bondita got out of bed and left the room before Aniruddha woke up. She went about her chores and decided to ignore his presence until she found herself a logical explanation for her impulsive behaviour, good enough for him to forgive her mistake. She made breakfast and told the cook to note down who preferred what for when she would leave. She waited in the kitchen long enough for the breakfast to be served by the house help and eaten. His routine was fixed. He would go to the study room and leave for work in half an hour. Then, she wouldn’t have to put up with this hide-and-seek till late afternoon or evening. But things rarely go as planned in life. “Bondita? Bouma!” Trilochan’s call made her shake her head. She pulled the ghomta above her head and walked out to the dining area. Eyes met briefly as she looked away and spoke to Trilochan as if dismissing his presence altogether....

Purnota: Chapter Ten

The rain clouds gave way to the scorching sun the following day as Bondita woke up as the first rays of the sun hit her face and disturbed her sleep. She cursed herself for keeping the window open and sat inside the mosquito net with a sleepy yawn. She eyed the alarm clock on her desk that said 6.30. Bondita scratched her head and pulled the mosquito net up to search for her slippers. She heard the bell ringing from Thamma’s room and the chanting of mantras. A smile came involuntarily to her lips as she realised that she might have come after ages, but everything in Chandannagar seemed to have been at a standstill. She grabbed the Kurti from the chair to change from the top she was wearing and wondered what she could do for the day. For the first time in a long time, she was free from the routine of boarding houses. Her eyes fell on the mess around her room since she had not unpacked the day before. Bondita decided to spend the morning unpacking her belongings. She opened the door of h...