Yeh Dil kyaa kare???? Uday - Jaywanta SS (Part 1)
It's another sunny day in Mewar. The climate outside was hot but at the same time it felt fresh. Chittor Garth (fort) was standing with all its glory and shining with a pride moments it had faced in his life.
"Jija, how about this dress?", a voice came from behind and neared the spacious balcony where Mewar's eldest Queen was standing.
Jaywanta turned on her heel to address the familiar voice and beamed at the source of chirpy voice walking towards her with quick strides.
"Its beautiful and it will look more beautiful on my Bena," said Jaywanta affectionately.
"I knew it you will like it," Sajja chirped happily ,"but you're going to wear this not me." Said Sajja. "Today, I want you to look the prettiest lady in Mewar... I will help you to do Shringar, Ranaji should be surprise to see his beautiful bride. Today, it should be just YOU and Ranaji..." winked Sajja.
Jaywanta forced a smile on her lips as a reply to Sajja Bai's excitement and preparations for today.
"Okay, I am going to do other preparations of Mahapooja... I leaving this dress and jewellary here only, you try them and let me know if you need something else," Sajja smiled at her Jija and leaved the room.
As soon as Sajja Bai went away, that forced smile of Jaywanta died and eyes shimmerred with unshaded tears which she blinked away.
Story in Jaywanta Bai's POV:
"Everything is finished between you and me. Today, I am full-filling this wish of yours but remember one thing that today you have not just broke my dream but you slashed the strings of our relation. I will never forget this day and from now on you are just an unknown person for me whose face I don't want to see ever in my life." These were his last words in fact that was the last time I saw him face to face, 3 months back.
Things have changed after that one fateful night which took my everything from me. I will never forget his anger redenned face. He hadn't got angry like that ever on me in these 16 years of ouf our marriage. That night had left its permeant prints on my life...
It was a longest and painful night of my life. How could a wife feel when her husband abandons her from his life? And how could a mother danger her son's life by crowing him prince of Mewar?
I lost this battle of being Wife and Mother. They say it right, what you do with others, it comes around to you. I abandoned Pratap from getting crowned... I broke his dream.
But my child didn't question me at once but just obeyed what I asked him to do. It must be good deeds of my previous birth, that I have a son like Pratap... A lone tear escaped from Jaywanta's eyes when she thought about the reason of her existance... Her Pratap.
Pratap and Ranaji are the only two people who gave some meaning to my life. And what I did? A mother in me weakened that Shaktrani Jaywanta and I fell in trap of Dheer Baiji. And forced Ranaji to cancel crowning ceremony. She succedeeded in her plan to pull Ranaji away from me."
Jaywanta moved inside her room and looked down at the things left by Sajja Bai. She kneeled down near the bed and touched the red lehenga-choli which she had wore on the most beautiful and unforgettable day of her marriage... and today it's their 17th marriage anniversary.
Jaywanta held the red cunari to her face and a familiar jasmine fragrance immediately struck her, an overwhelming grief knotting her stomach and pulling at her heart at the memory of her marriage and all those good memories which she always cherished and will cherish for her life to come... As now she has only these memories with her.
Thousand niddles ran up the back of her neck and a lump in her throat threatened to choke her at the memory of that fateful night when he abandoned her from his life. Apart from the low hum of the wind-chain, the room was quiet. She was alone...On her marriage anniversary.
"I failed to explain him why I took such an extreme decision... And even he failed to undersatnd me. He got hurt with my words but he failed to see the pain in my eyes. Why?
I really don't know when what went rong between two of us. I still remember, first time I saw him through my ghunghat in our wedding. From that day his aura and charm took over every awake sense of mine. Even through my ghunghat I could see how he's eager to see how exactly his wife looks.." Jaywanta smiled at the memory of teenage Uday Singh strugling to see her face.
"It was all like a fairytale which Rani Maa used to tell me... story of a Fairy and Prince Charming. And she was right in saying one day my Prince will come to take me away in another world. But in my case it wasn't Prince Charming.. It was Ranaji. The most handsome and dashing man I have ever seen.
I used to laugh on my frinds who said that one can fall in love in a first site... I accepted it when it exactly did happen the same with me when I met love of my life... My Ranaji." Jaywanta smiled through her tears.
"He gave me everything a woman can dream of. He gave me right to become his wife, his friend and later a mother of his child. I got everything from him love, respect, affection, authority, acceptance.. I can't explain in words how lucky I am to have a husband like him. These 17 years of our marriage has been memorable journey for me.
We both grew as a woman and man, we grew as Queen and King, we grew as parents of our son but... But as they say when people grow, they grow apart.
Being a daughter of King Akshayraj Songara, I always knew that my life is devoted more towards my country, after marriage I became a queen of Mewar. Ranaji got busy with his duties of King. But then too we spent a quality time with each other. Our journey of marriage was the same like I have seen of my parents and always dreamed to have the same. And with Eklingji's blessings we had a family with our Pratap.
We both understood our duties towards our mother land in a very tender age and we both devoted our life towards it. But there is a woman in me who wanted some time of her husband... her husband who is the ruler of one of the most strong and prosperous kingdom of Rajputana ... and he is the same man who rules my heart. A wife in me wants a little of my husband's time... We both understood this but accepted the thing that being a King and Queen you have more responsiblities towards your people.
But love and care was always there... till the time Ranaji met Dheer Baiji." Jaywanta released a sad sigh and settled down against her bed staring at the ceiling of her luxurious, specious room.
"I still remember the day when he came with Dheer Baiji as a married couple. It wasn't first time for me to see my husband sharing my right with some other woman, I accepted Sajja Bai not as other wife of my man but as a younger sister of mine and so I call her Sajja Benna. But no matter how many times you have told yourself that this is how our society is and a woman has to share everything what belongs to her for the betterment of country, society and our generations to come.
Me and Sajja Benna aceepeted each other and give mutual respect... I was expecting the same from Dheer Baiji and that was my mistake. My made a mistake in understanding her. After all the things she did against Pratap, I still consider her as my younger sister but for her... I am her competitor and Pratap is a threat for her extreme ambitions.
Chittor has a history of glory, bravery, victory and a beauty. Rajputs always admired and valued the beauty. The way Rajput's worshiped their wars and warrior skills, they showed the world what the real warriors are and what the real bravery is... in a same way they give shelter to talent and admires beauty.
A woman's beauty is her real strength, weapon and in front of this everything which a man wins seems dull. Dheer Baiji is very well aware of this power of her young beauty. She's young and prettier than both of us.
Ranaji grew more affection towards her. I never envy her for that. I was happy to see Ranaji happy with her. All I want is to see him happy. But then she started influencing his decisions, many a times I tried to speak about this with him but he failed to understand why I'm saying all this to him.
This marriage of Ranaji changed everything between us and in this palace. She wants infant Jagmal to be crowned as a King but he's too young and becoming a King is Pratap's right by the tradition of Sisodia's. She wants all the power in her hands. I was aware about her ambitions since start but never knew that she will stoop so low to fullfill them. She tried to kill my son not once but thrice. And that day she crossed her limits and openly spoke about her intentions. I was stunned not by her words but the depth of hatred I saw in her eyes. I was shakened to see the viciousness of her expressions. And for the first time I thought for what belongs to me and didn't thought about anyone. I wanted to safe my son from her evil paws. I know; I was wrong as queen to stop coronation but... I am wrong as a mother to love and think about my son??
All the happening in past where I tried to tell the truth to Ranaji and the way he discarded me was a proof that he will not listen and understand anything against Dheer Baiji. She has both... His LOVE and his TRUST!!! So I did what I think was right. Pratap is safe now and that's what matters for me. He has Eklingji's blessing and I know my son will surpass every hurdle in his life at a correct point of time." Jaywanta smiled satisfactorily and had that proud in eyes when she thought of Pratap.
"Soon Mahapooja will start, in that I have to sit with Ranaji. I so wish to see him in the face, talk to him for a while but... He has discarded me and ordered not to show him my face. On the first night of our marriage we promised to give love and respect to each other through out the life. We had a very simple plan: to stay together for the rest of our lives. A plan that anyone within their circle would agree was accomplishable. We were best friends, lovers and soul mates, destined to be together, everyone thought. But as it happened, one day destiny cruely changed its mind. The end had come to our happy married life.
Today, we will be together in front of Lord Eklingji but as strangers and not as husband - wife. The man whom I worshiped and loved the most in my life doesn't wants to hear my name or see my face. What an irony..." Jaywanta smiled humorlessly.
Jaywanta never met him or tried to spoke him in these 3 months, because she knew, she simply didn't matter to him. Jaywanta's heart is still stuck at him dismissing her and since that day nothing made any sense to her. Finally, collecting herself Jaywanta got up from the floor and moved towards wash her face, hoping that cool drops of water will wipe out every bitter memory from her mind and she could attend the pooja without being defeated by her treacherous heart which always jumps to her throat whenever it feels his presence anywhere near to her. And now she has decided not to shed any more tears on this special day of her life.
Tale of Jaywanta's heart,
-by Khyati (Kittu) 😊
Inspirations: All the siggy makers who made lovely creations on UdayWanta... I am anadi in siggy creations, so I tried to some creation with my words 😃 Thank you all for lovely siggy makers to inspire me 😳
Poster pic credit: Thanks Marathi_Mulgi for letting me use your creation in this story 😊
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
