Here is the third update people. Hit the like button if u like it, please comment and let me know your views. Not much talking this time. Just enjoy reading!!!
Part-3
Till now: Ajabdeh has found Pratap and has sucked out the poison and given him a first aid. He is out of danger and back in the castle. But he is still unconscious. He has been assigned medicines by Rajvaidyaji. Hansa bai knows about Pratap's condition. Ajabdeh has thought of getting to the root of this plan against Pratap's life.
That night, Ajabdeh and Phoolkanwar were sitting in the room together when a dasi came, "Bai sa, aap dono ko bhojan ke liye bulaya jaa raha hai."
Phool replied almost immediately, "Aakhir aa hi gaya bhojan ka nimantran. Hame to itni zor se bhook lag rahi thi ki kya batayen. Chaliye Ajabdeh, chalkar bhojan karte hain!"
"Nahi Phool, aap jaiye. Hamara man nahi hai." said Ajabdeh in a rather put-out tone.
"Arre, aise kaise nahi hai man. Samaroh se aapne kuch nahi khaya, abhi bhi nahi khaengi?" Phool exclaimed indignantly.
"Arre Phool, kuch nahi. Hame bas Kunwar Pratap ki chinta ho rahi hai. Hamari pratiksha mat kijiye aap. Aapko bahut zoron se bhook lag rahi thi na, to jaiye."
" Pakka ham jayen?"
"Pakka."
And Phool left for food.
The next afternoon, Ajabdeh was sitting with Laxmi. "Laxmi, aap jaanti hain, kitna kuch ho gaya kal ke hi din me. Kal Saubhagyawati aur Chakrapani ka vivah khushi-khushi sampan ho gaya. Lekin, unke vivah samaroh me, Boondi ke purane raja, Rao Surtan ne ham sab par jhoomar girane ka prayas kiya. Agar Kunwar Pratap na hote, to aaj ham yahan hote hi nahi. Unhone samay rehte jhoomar ki rassi pakadkar ham sabko bacha liya. Itni bhale hain Kunwar Pratap. Aur dekhiye, kisine Kunwar Pratap ko hi jaan se maarne ki koshish ki. Hame to samajh hi nahi aa raha ki kaun kar sakta hai aisa. Itna ghatak war, ki Kunwar Pratap abhi tak achet hain. Hamara to soch kar bhi man vichlit ho jata hai. Kunwar Pratap ke hatiyare tak hame pahunchna hi hoga, is se pehle, ki vo unpar ek aur hamla kar de. Parantu hame to samajh hi nahi aa raha ki aisa kar kaun sakta hai. Yeh itni uljhi hui paheli hai, hame to samajh hi nahi aa raha ki shuruwat kahan se karen. Hame lagta hai ki hame Kunwar Pratap ke sachet hone tak pratiksha karni hogi. Achcha Laxmi, ham chalte hain. Kunwar Pratap ki aushadhi ka samay ho gaya hai." With that, Ajabdeh departed from the cow shed.
And the evening came. Everyone was in the dining hall. Everyone but Ajabdeh. Noticing the peculiarity of Ajabdeh's behavior, Phoolkanwar asked Hansabai, "Massiji, aapki Ajabdeh se baat hui subha se?"
"Nahi to. Ham soch rahe the ki ve pura din aapke saath hain."
"Hamare saath? Hamne to unhe subha se nahi dekha. Bas ek baar dikhi thi hame. Parantu, ve aapne khayalon me itni khoi hui thi, ki sun kuch rahi thi, aur bol kuch aur rahi thi. Hame laga tha ki aap to aavashya jaanti hongi ki ve kahan hai aur unke man me kya chal raha hai."
"Phool, aap chinta mat kijiye. Bhojan kariye. Ham Ajabdeh ko dhoondkar laate hain." and Hansabai leaves the hall. She asks all the dasis, checks in the cowshed, looks in the temple, but no sign of Ajabdeh. She then goes to her room, to find her sitting on her bed, lost in thoughts.
"Ajabdeh..."
"a...k...k..kaun? Maa...aap...yahan...kaise?"
"Aap hame bataiye, aap yahan kaise Ajabdeh?"
"M...m...matlab? Ham to apne kaksh me yunhi vishram kar rahe the."
"Subha se aap yahan sirf vishram kar rahi thi, aur kal se aapne bhojan bhi nahi kiya hai? Kisi se mil bhi nahi rahi hain, na kisi se baat kar rahi hain. Kya ho gaya hai aapko Ajabdeh?"
"H...h...hame? Hame to kuch nahi hua, theek to hain ham."
"Achcha. To phir aap kal se bhojan..."
But Ajabdeh cuts her in between. "Aapki baat beech me rokne ke liye, ham aapse shama chahte hain maa. Kintu hame jaana hoga. Kunwar Pratap ke laep ka samay ho gaya hai." And Ajabdeh immediately leaves.
Hansabai watches Ajabdeh exit the room, then says to herself, "MAA, ham aapse shama chahte hain. Kyuki KUNWAR PRATAP ki aushadhi ka samay ho gaya hai..." and giggles to herself and she too leaves.
And just like that, the night came and went. Early the next morning, Ajabdeh had finished her everyday routine and was sitting in front of the huge engraving of bhagwan Shiv in the palace's temple.
"Shivji, aap jaante hain na ki Kunwar Pratap kitne veer aur vinamr, sahasi aur bhale vyakti hain. Phir unhe, aisi peedha kyu uthani par raha hai? Aisa kaunse paap kiya hai unhone, jiska dushparinam sehna pad raha hai unhe? Aaj teen din ho gaye hain Shivji, lekin ve abhi tak apni chetna me nahi aaye hain. Aisa kyu Shivji, aisa kyu? Kya hamari seva me koi kami hai, jo Kunwar Pratap abhi tak nahi jaage hain? Aur vaise bhi, ab to aapki mala bhi unhi ke gale me hai, to ve Kunwar Pratap ki raksha kyu nahi kar rahi hai? Hamari aapse yahi prarthna hai Shivji, ki Kunwar Pratap ko jaldi se theek kar dijiye, unhe kuch nahi hona chahiye..." till the time Ajabdeh completed her prayer, her eyes were filled with tears. She could not see Pratap in that condition, never. It was becoming too much. Why was Pratap not becoming conscious? But vaidyaji said that he was out of danger. So he could wake up anytime. She just had to keep holding on to her faith, trust, belief, and care...
The day passed in the same manner as the previous two days; Ajabdeh being to herself, not indulging with anyone, worrying about Pratap, taking care of him, and not touching food or water. It was evening, and there at Chittor, someone else was in the same state as Ajabdeh.
"Kya hua Jaivanthabai ji, aap bhojan kyu nahi kar rahi hain?" asked a concerned Rana Udai Singh.
"Rana ji, na jaane kyu hame bahut chinta ho rahi hai Pratap ki."
"Jaiwantha bai ji, aap pooja bhi karva chuki hain...ab kyu chintit ho rahi hain aap? Ham keh rahe hain na ki Kunwar Pratap bilkul theek hain."
"Nahi Rana ji, hamara man nahi maanta. Na jane kyu. Bahut ashant ho gaya hai hamara man. Pal-pal Pratap ki chinta hoti hai hame. Na jaane kis haal me honge Pratap..."
"Theek hai Jaiwantha bai ji, agar aapko itni adhik chinta ho rahi hai apne putr ki, to ham kal suryoday hote hi, Bijolia ke liye nikal jayenge Pratap se milne."
A smile immediately appears on Jaiwantha bai's face, "Sach, Rana ji?"
"Kunwar Pratap hamare bhi putr hain Jaiwantha bai ji. Agar unki maa itni doobi hui hain unki chinta me, phir to hame aavashya hi unse milne jana hoga."
Jaywantha bai smiles with her teeth showing. She is really very happy that she will finally get to see her son, and also her best friend.
That night, in the palace of Bijolia, Ajabdeh is in Pratap's room, for his regular doze of medicines. Pratap is still under the spell of unconsciousness. She fills a glass with the hara kadha'. She put her hand behind Pratap's head and carefully lifts him up to make him slowly drink the kadha. She also puts the aushadhi ka laep' on his deep wound which had started healing. She carefully places him in his previous position, and sits besides his bed. "Kunwar Pratap, yeh kya ho gaya hai aapko? Kyu aise achet hue pare hain aap? Aap jaante hain, sab kitni chinta kar rahe hain aapki? Hamari to bas yahi prarthna hai Eklingji se ki aap shighr swasth ho jaye. Agar aap nahi uthe, to rajputane ko Mughalo se kaun bachayega? Jab tak aap hai, tab tak har Mewari swatantr hai. Kitne sapne dikhaye hai aapne ham sabko! Aur hame aapki yogyta par aseem vishvas tha, hai, aur hamesha rahega. Parantu, aap nahi uthe to aapki yogyta bhi kis kaam ki? Nahi achcha lagta hame aapko aise shant aur bejaan para dekhna, nahi achcha lagta hame. Mat dijiye itna kasht hame. Jaldi theek ho jaiye Kunwar Pratap. Ratri ho chuki hai. Aur hame lagta hai ki kal bada din hai, na jane kyu. Isiliye aap abhi bina kisi chinta ke vishraam kijiye.Shighr swasth ho jaiyaga aur apna dhyan rakhiyega. Shubh Ratri. J" and Ajabdeh looks at Pratap one last time for the day and goes to her room. As she drinks water, and lies her head on the pillow of the bed, she thinks, "Pata nahi kyu hame lag raha hai ki kal kuch vishesh hone vala hai. Koi shubh samachaar to aavashya aane vala hai. Parantu kya? Ab yeh to kal he pata chalega. Tab tak ke liye to ham keval prateeksha kar sakte hain." And she closes her eyes and falls into a not-so-deep sleep.
I know that this update was a fast-forward of three days, three very important days in PrAja's life. Will update really soon this time, coz i delayed a lot and the next part is ready. Comment and let me know your views.. :)