Chapter 18
Is this love
Sia, Bhim and Pari all went to the Bhavanipur mahal for the evening dinner as invited by Dharam and Sakshi. There was this kind of nervousness amongst Sia tonight as if she was going to that place for the first time. It was not like she was going there to meet Dharam for the first time either but it felt like that. She tried her best to hide her blushed cheeks when Dharam came and received them but it was difficult. He looked amazingly handsome in the orange robes that night and his sudden changed manners just made him even more spectacular. Sia observed of how he invited them in politely especially with Bhim making sure he was respected due to his age. Bhim felt a bit awkward as Dharam was the maharaj and he was just his servant but Dharam thought otherwise and made sure he was treated well.
On the table Dharam sat at the head and made Bhim sit on his right side and Sakshi sat on his left side and Sia sat next to her and Pari sat next to Bhim. Thanks to the vaid Dharam had sent she was slowly recovering again and wanted to come and thank Dharam personally. So she insisted on coming along too.
Now as they ate Dharam had his constant gaze on Sia
She saw the sincerity and affection in his eyes and he just couldn't take his eyes off her eminent shining orbs.
The trance was broken soon by Sakshi asking Dharam something. Both turned away from each other quickly and got back to eating making sure no one realised anything wrong.
After dinner Sia wanted to avoid any further contact with Dharam as it is she was feeling embarrassed by her actions.
Antara: Rajkumari Sia, aapse phir mulaaqaat hogi hamne socha nahi tha
Sia: socha to hamne bhi nahi tha Rajkumari Antara
Antara: (fake smile) hame to yaha hona hee tha (walks over to Dharam) aakhir jaha Maharaj Dharam honge onkee maharani onke saath hee hogi.
Dharam didn't like what she said and he looked over at Sia who equally looked upset.
He knew she also didn't like it and he just turned away with annoyance ignoring Antara's advances.
Sakshi came over to Sia.
Sakshi: chalye Rajkumari Sia ab hame kuch suna bhi dijye
Sia: (still a bit upset) ji ham wo?aap kya kehrahee hai?
Sakshi: aap ne hamse waada kiya tha Sia ke aap hame sitaar zaroor sunaengee. (pleading smile) ab aap baat se mukhar nahi sakti. Aapko hame suna na hee hoga. Chalye na (grabs her hand and takes her towards the corner of the hall where the sitar was put.)
Sia didn't have a choice so she sat down and took the sitar in her hands. She didn't know why she was so upset with what Antara said. Was it because she felt jealous? She didn't know but she knew she didn't like it. Everyone else sat down too to listen. Whilst she played Dharam kept his constant gaze on her and just admired each and every note strung by her. She just made it even beautiful. Antara saw how he was looking towards Sia and she just frowned and envied Sia further.
After she finished everyone applauded on her performance and then began talking amonsgt themselves.
Sakshi: aapne itnee khoobi se ise bajaya ke ham kabhi karhee nahi sakte
Sia: (smile) ab aap hame yuhi behlarahee hai. Hamne to bus koshish karke bajaya hai or wo bhi kaafi buree tarhase. (looks at the instrument) yeh bohat hee khoobsurat sitaar hai.
Sakshi: ha?Dharam bhaiyya ne hame yeh kuch hee dino pehle hee tohfe me diya. Ham iske hakdaar nahi hai per wo bohat hee acche hai
Sia: aisa mat kaheeye Sakshi?aap zaroor hakdaar hai. (turns to look towards Dharam) aap ke bhai to yehi sochte hai or aap jaantee hai ke wo kabhi ghalat nahi hote.
Dharam saw how both the girls were staring at him and smiling. He wondered what they were talking about and why Sia was staring at him.
Sia: (hands the sitaar to Sakshi) ab chalye aap ki baaree hai
Sakshi: (nervous) lekin in sab ke saamne ham kese?
Sia: Ham jaante hai ke aap hamse behtar bajaatee hai. Chalye hambhi sunte hai.
Saying that she got up and began advancing towards where everyone had sat. as she got near Bhim and Pari, Antara intervened.
Antara: Rajkumari Sia, hamne suna hai ke Sumaina or aas paas ke gao se bohat saare log Maha Shivraarti ke mele me gaye hai
Sia: ji aapne sahi suna
Antara: Aap ke parivaar ke liye to kitna nuksaan huwa hoga na
Sia makes a face and turns away from her but she still doesn't let her go forward.
Antara: hamne yeh bhi suna hai ke on mese aapke liye kuch khaas log bhi shaamil hai jinkee judaai kuch ziada hee bhari hogee aap par
Sia: ham samjhe nahi aap kiskee baat karahee hai
Antara: (sly smile) ahhhh hame pata hai ke kese aapko zaroor Agni or oske dosto kee kami mehsoos horahee hogi?khaas karke Agni kee
When she mentioned that name three people in the room became restless. Sakhsi stopped playing and shot up with an angry look towards Antara. Dharam was about to get up and warn Antara and go and console Sia, and Sia was boiling inside but she had to control herself. She turned around towards Sakshi and walked desperately towards her.
Sia: ham to bhool hee gaye ke kese aap ko hamaree madad paregee is sitaar ko bajaane me. Chalye ham beithe hai aapke saath.
She sat down avoiding her gaze with anybody else and just when she had fretted enough she looked up and matched her gaze with Dharam. At that time she saw how
he was comforting her with his eyes telling her that everything was alright.
She let out a smile at his gesture and to her surprise she could see he nearly had a half smile on his straight face.
Both of them knew how each other felt for each other and slowly her hatred towards him was melting.
Soon the time came for Sia and her family to leave. She gave her goodbyes to Sakshi and thanked Dharam for inviting them. He was humble towards them and told them to keep coming. Then as their carriage left, Dharam stood outside staring at it until it disappeared. He felt sad as if he felt some kind of detachment from his being.
The mahal hall
Antara: kitnee kamzore or sawri lagrahee thi Rajkumari Sia aaj ha? Itne mahino me kitnee badal gayi wo?wese hamne aaj tak itnee buri rajkumari nahi dekhee?(looks at Dharam who sat thinking) hamne to faisla karliya hai ke ab hame Rajkumari Sia se koi rishta nahi rakhna. Ham to onhe jaan na bhi nahi chahte. Aap ka kya khayaal hai Dharam?
Dharam: (stands up and folds his arms across his chest) hame kuch ziada alag baat nahi lagee onme. Jesee wo kuch mahine pehlee thi wesee hee nazar aayi. Ha onka chehra thora utargaya hai per aisa to samajh sakte hai ke insaan jab itna kaam kare to hojaata hai.
Antara: dekha jaaye to hame wo kabhi khoobsurat lagee hee nahi thi. Naahi onke paas safaid rang jesa badan hai or naahi onke paas kaali ghata jese baal. Onka chehra theek thaak hee hai or raha sawaal onkee aakho ka (lets out a short laugh) jo hamne kai baar suna tha ke kaafi anokhee hai (sharp look towards Dharam) hame to onme kuch aisa nazar hee nahi aaya. Or phir onke sajne sawar ne ka andaaz hame to pehlese hee pasand nahi aata tha or osme koi rajkumari jesee jhalak hai hee nahi. (Dharam doesn't answer and goes and sits down again with an angry face) hame yaad hai kese aap ne hee kaha tha ke kese aap ko Sumaina ke jese chote log se koi lene dene me dilchaspi nahi. Per phir aap hi Rajkumari Sia kee kuch ziada hee tarif karne lage the. Hame yaad hai kese wo aap ko kuch kuch theek thaak lagne bhi lagee thi.
Dharam: (looks towards her) Ji ha yeh sahi hai. Ham onhe kuch kuch pasand karne lage the (stands up with excitement)per wo tab tha jab ham onhe pehle mile the per ab onhe jaane huwe kaafi mahine hochuke hai or ham yeh nirne tak pohoche hai ke wo is dunya kee sabsi haseen rajkumariyo me se hai.
Antara felt really bad after hearing that and she was equally vexed. Dharam just left the hall as he didn't need to say any further. As he walked towards his room there was this kind of satisfaction in his heart as if he had finally lifted a burden or something. He felt content and happy.
Chathrapur
Veer was all ready the next day and was about to mount his horse ready to leave for Bhavanipur when he saw Ram Singh in the near distance travelling too with the same bunch of scrolls in his hand. That day when he had followed him he didn't find out much because he lost Ram Singh after a while. He had left it then and was going to go and join Dharam and Sakshi. But today when he saw Ram Singh again his curiosity signals stood up again. There was more to those scrolls then Ram Singh had told him. Veer had sat down and thought about it that if Dharam wanted these then he could have asked anyone to bring them but why Ram Singh only. Ram Singh was one of his important sainiks so there had to be something more to them.
He stood there and watched Ram Singh mounting his horse and then he held all the scrolls in his hand. As he passed by Veer some of them slipped out of his hands and Veer's gaze fell on them. Veer looked on with horror as what he saw was unbelievable.
He saw that one of the scrolls had a stamp which was Veer's signature. He picked it up and Ram Singh panicked and got off the horse and tried taking the scroll back. This time Veer didn't allow him and grabbed the scroll back and opened it and was horriefied. He saw his handwriting and knew immediately that it was one of the letters he had written to Ananya. What was it doing with Ram Singh?
Veer: yeh sandesh tumhaare paas kya karaha hai Ram Singh?
Ram Singh: ji?(trembling with fear) wo darasal wo?Raj?Rajkumar Veer?yeh?yeh?
Veer: (raised voice) Maine poocha yeh tumhaare paas kya karaha hai. Mujhe yeh saare sandesh dikhao
He put his hand out ordering Ram Singh to hand them over but Ram Singh didn't.
Veer: maine kaha mujhe wo saare do (he snatched all of them out and began opening all of them with haste. When he saw all of them were the ones he had written for Ananya he got out of his wits) iska matlab yeh saare kabhi Rajkumari Ananya ko mile hee nahi. Or me sochta raha ke?(glared at Ram Singh and snarled) tum yeh sab ke saath kya karahe ho?
Ram Singh: (still in fear seeing Veer so angry) Rajkumar Veer?darasal wo?y..ye..yeh wo?
Veer: (goes and grabs hold of Ram Singh's collar with rage) sach, sach batao mujhe ke yeh sab tumhaare paas kese aaya
Ram Singh: Mujhe maaf kardijye Rajkumar Veer per maine yeh sab Maharaj Dharam ke kehne pe kiya hai. Onhone hee mujhe yeh saare sandesh le lene ka hokum diya tha or kaha tha ke wo Rajkumari Ananya tak na poch ne paaye.
Veer was shocked to hear that and he loosened his grip on Ram Singh. He began walking away in a trance as a bolt of lightening had hit him. He couldn't believe his own brother had messed with his life like this. He had never thought that he would stoop so low just to maintain his position. What position? Before whenever Dharam had warned him, he had never really thought that he would take drastics actions against him and Ananya. This was too disastrous.
Veer: to iska matlam yeh huwa ke wo jo sandesh mujhe bheja gaya tha wo bhi Dharam ne hee kiya tha? (he continued walking and now his pace had increased. He was really angry with the new set of information he received) tumhe is sab ka jawab dena hoga Dharam. Dena hoga. Tumne meree puri zindagi barbaad kardee. Itna sab kuch karne ke bawajood bhi tum nakaamyaab hee rahoge Dharam kyu ke ek baat tum bhool gaye, Dunya me kitnee hai nafrate, phir bhi dilo me hai chahaate. Mar bhi jaaye, pyaar waale. Mit bhi jaaye yaar waale. Zinda rehti hai onkee mohabbatein.
He mounted his horse and rode off with the haste to get to Bhavanipur as soon as possible and get all his answers.
Bhavanipur
Dharam was strolling around on foot and ran into Sia. Both froze as usual by seeing each other and then Dharam noticed something different about her.
She was not dressed as usual. In fact she wasn't dressed at all like a rajkumari instead looked just like a commoner. That alarmed him.
Dharam: Rajkumari Sia, aap is tarha kaha jaarahee hai?
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