Epilogue: Amourous Hearts

1576 CE

The rain poured incessantly on the cliffs and soil of the Aravallis. It drained away the last signs of a devastating short-lived war on the bank of the Banas. Somewhere the carcass of a horse lay unattended, somewhere else bodies of soldiers waited to be mourned. Of chieftains and kings had the better fate of being removed and sent back home to their mourning widows and children. The fort of Kumbhalgarh was under siege.

Ajbante Kanwar ran her cold, trembling hand over the feverish forehead of her husband. He groaned at the familiarity of her touch as he tried to say something in vain. Sweat covered his brows, and the Vaid attended to balming his wounds as blood oozed out of the cuts and slashes.

“I… I…” He could barely open his eyes when the light from the torch in the otherwise dark cave blinded him. His eyes closed in a reflex as she bent over his body, shielding his eyes from the light. He opened his eyes once again, this time to see her blurred figure over him, praying softly. His hand reached out to hold hers as she reassured him in soft sobs that everything would be fine.

“I failed.” He managed faintly as a teardrop trickled down his eyes to the side of his cheek. “I …”

“No.” She sounded firm. “You taught me that we try again and again until we succeed. It's not a failure, it's a setback.” He exhaled, letting his tired body be soothed by her touch as she waved a dry-leafed fan above his head. He could tell that she was worried; he could tell that she cried. Yet, every time someone came in to make the paste of herbs, medicines or balms for him, she would take charge and do it herself. She healed in him the things she never broke, his confidence, his faith and his reason to live. He promised her in silence to never give up.

Maharani Ajbante Kanwar knew all that he left unsaid. She also knew in her heart that he would not die as easily as the enemies anticipated him to. Not before he saw a new dawn of freedom, he had wished for all his life. That belief had led the queen out of the comfort and safety of Avadgadh into the forest lands of Kelwara and finally to the cave where he was hidden. She stepped out of the cave for a while, as the servants helped him with a bath.

She eyed the banyan tree, camouflaging the cave naturally to her left and under it was a small shrine to Lord Shiva he had set up for prayers. She knelt before the lord, hands folded, teary eyed, grateful that he was alive… and so was Mewar’s hope for a future.

The End.

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RAABTA

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