Chapter Seven
The final confrontation
Scene one:
The vaidh had come in and declared that Ajabde was now much better, but her weakness would last a few more days. He gave Hansa some herbal medicines and took their leave.
Ajabde, Kuwar Pratap kahan hai asked Hansa.
Ajabde looked at her mother shook her head.
'humay nahi pata ma' she said.
Hansa looked at Jaivanta and glanced at her questioningly. Jaivanta asked her to follow her outside.
'Ye rukha vyavhar kab tak chalega inka Jaivanta?' asked Hansa
They were walking away from Ajabde's room towards the sitting area
Kuwar pratap koshish tho ker hi rahe hain aur Ajabde, bohot hati hain ve. Ithni jaldi manengi nahi. Mujhe tho abh dar lag raha hai - said Hansa
'aap ithna math sochiye hansa. Mujhe purn vishwas hai ki sabh kuch teekh ho jayega'
Pratap was doing horse riding when he saw patta arrive
'Praram Kuwar Pratap' said Patta. He could not quite meet his eyes.
Pratap understood his situation and climbed down the horse.
He went and hugged Patta.
'aapnay kuch anuchith nahi kiya hai. Balkay aap per tho humain garv hai , ki aap jaisa bhai pakar Ajabde tho bohot bhagyashali hai' he said
Patta beamed at him and hugged him back.
He wanted to apologize for hitting pratap but pratap interrupted once again
'nahi , aapko kuch kehnay ki avashyakta nahi hai'
Kya aapki baat hui jija sey? asked Patta
Pratap turned around , facing away from patta
'nahi'
Patta came around and faced Pratap
'tho , abh apa kya karengay. Jija ka krodh ithni jaldi jatha nahi. Aur unhay manana tho bohot mushkil kary hai' he said worriedly
'hum janthay hain' said Pratap remembering how hard it was to just convince her to get married to him. He knew that she was extremely hard to impress.
'Tho aap unko rajhanay ki koshish kijiye na' said Patta with urgency in his voice
'Kaise? asked Pratap
Patta went into deep thoughts.
aaj budhwar hai aur ve har budhwar , gurukul main jaker bachon ko swadishth bhojan karwathi hain. Aap unsey pehlay vahan chale jayiye aur unki madad kijiye. Shayad ve aapsey baat karay aur ye sara mamla aasaani sey nipat jaye?
Pratap thought about this idea. It did seem like a good one.
He then asked Patta where the gurukul was and headed towards that direction. Soon he was inside the gurukul area. He saw many young kids learning to read from the acharya. And as it was custom those days they were learning how to read the scriptures and discussing the meanings within.
Pratap reminisced his own gurukul days and how he had learnt his ashtr shastr vidya from his acharya. A tear ran past his cheek as he remembered how his teacher had given up his life for him during the battle.
Just then he saw all the kids get up. They were looking at the entrance and there she was- Ajabde, followed by some dasis who were carrying food.
Pratap quickly hid himself. He did not know why he was hiding when he had come to talk to her in the first place. Perhaps he needed more courage.
He saw Ajabde talking to the children. They all greeted her happily and hugged her. She truly loved her people and no wonder they were ready to give everything up for her.
She made all the children sit in the shaded area of the gurukul and started to serve them.
Pratap made his way to one of the dasis and took the basket of laddo from her hands. He told her to remain silent and proceeded to feed the children.
Ajabde started putting delicious savories on the plate and moved ahead doing the same for all the children. Pratap followed her lead. He started putting laddos one by one on the plates.
'aap humari baijilal ko aise kiyun dekh rahe hain' said one of the kids who had held on to the wrist of Pratap as he was placing the laddo on his plate.
Pratap looked at him and smiled and it was then that Ajabde had noticed him.
She quickly turned away from Pratap.
'Ye yahan kya ker rahe hain? she asked herself.
she quickly adjusted her pallu which seemed a little out of place due to the bending and standing that she was doing while serving the food and called one of her dasis.
'ye kary abh thum purn kerna' she said
Pratap looked at her and understood that she was about to leave when he too gave his basket to another dasi and followed her.
'Rukiye' he shouted
Ajabde rukiye
but Ajabde was walking in a very fast paced manner. Pratap was not someone who would just let her go. He knew how she liked to avoid him, it was her speciality. So he walked faster and quickly came in front of her standing on her path.
Maine kaha rukiye he said with a command.
Ajabde did not look at him.
There was silence. Awkward Silence.
'humain janay dijiye' said Ajabde finally
'nahi'
'humesha aapki merzi nahi chalegi' she said looking up at him with anger
'janthay hain ajabde , isiliye tho mafi mang rahe hain' said Pratap with his voice softer this time.
'humain maaf ker dijiye- dekhiye aap nahi janthi ki ...
'humain kuch nahi janna' retorted ajabde
'aap ithna hat kiyun ker rahi hain'
'hum hat ker rahe hain? HUM? she shouted
then she remembered that the man that she was shouting at was her husband and also the prince of the land.
'Kshama kijiye humay aapsey is tarah unchay svar main baat nahi kerni chahiye' she said with gritted teach
looking at her state, Pratap started laughing
That was the final straw. How dare he laugh at her when he was the one to blame all along.
AJabde turned around and started to go in another direction.
'acha , teekh hay teekh hai. Hum nahi hasthay. Voh aap ithni katinayi kay saath , dheemay svar main baat kernay ki cheshta ker rahi thi tho humsey raha nahi gaya. he said grinning
She wanted to punch him and remove that grin of his face.
'Tho ye lijiye mariye' said Pratap bring his face closer to her.
Ajabde took a step back. How did he know she thought to herself?
'Ajabde hum aapko janthay hain' he said sounding smug
This was it. Agar aap humain janthay tho ithnay saal humay is taraah akela chod ker nahi chale jathay. Said ajabde . Now tears coming out of her eyes.
Pratap was taken aback. He looked extremely guilty
Ajabde humain maaf ker dijiye. hum aapko kaise yakeen dilaayn ki hum kithnay sharminda hain apni us bewakoofi ke liye. Ranima chali gayi aur hum humaray hosh kho baitain. Unkay bichadnay ka dard hum sah nahi ker paye aur aapkay uper humnay voh sara gussa nikal diya.
Ajabde looked away still crying
Pratap went towards her and wiped her tears off.
He took her hands in his.
'aap humain jo dand dena chahthay hain dijiye. Lekin humain maaf ker dijiye' he said slowly.
Hum janthay hain ki hum kshama kay layak nahi hain.
...
and he was much closer to her now, He placed her hands on his chest.
Ajabde quickly took her hands off him and then turned around, walking away
Scene Two:
Pratap knew it would not be easy to convince her.
Kya hua? kiya jija man gayi? asked Patta
Pratap was now back in Patta's house.
'nahi' he said sadly.
'koi baat nahi jijusa. Hum kuch aur prayas kerthay hain.
aap aaj raat unkay kaksh main chale jayiye aur unhay mayiye. Hum pehray dari karengay. Agar koi aagaya tho aapko suchith ker dengay.
'aap pagal tho nahi ho gaye hain? said Pratap
'nahi nahi ...aap suniye tho. Dekhiye. agar aap unkay kaksh main jaker darvaza band ker dengay tho ve jayengi kahan? Aur tho us vaqt aapki baat tho unko sunani hi padegi?
Pratap looked at him questioningly. There was a big loop hole in this plan. Ajabde herself.
If she had a sword in her hand she will kill him. It did not stop her before. He thought.
've aapko kuch nahi karengi. Us waqt tho unko nahi pata tha na ki aap kuwar pratap hai' said Patta as if reading his mind.
Pratap looked away confused but it was better than nothing.
Scene Two:
So the plan was set. They were to go to Ajabde's room in at midnight when everyone was asleep. Patta was to stand near the door and warn them if anyone would come.
Aap na khidki kay zariye andhar jayiye aur main neechay aapka intezar karunga. Phir jaise hi aap jija kay kaksh main chale jayengay main mahal kay andhar aaker unkay kaksh kay saamnay pehraydari karunga.
Koi aa gaya tho aapko suchith ker dunga. Is tarah
then patta made a bird call.
Pratap looked at him with his face screwed up with worry. This is going to go so wrong he thought to himself.
Sher kay muh main haath rakhna. He thought to himself.
Sherni-he corrected.
Patta had brought a rope that was tied to an iron claw. Pratap swung the claw and aimed at Ajabde's balcony. It flew and got caught in between the railings. Pratap checked it for its strength and then started climbing towards it. Within a minute he was up in the balcony.
He looked down at Patta and gestured towards him to come towards Ajabde's door for lookout.
Patta smiled and put his thumbs up and ran towards the palace.
Pratap looked around and slowly moved the curtains. There she was. Ajabde lying on her bed peacefully.
The moon light had lit the entire room beautifully. Her face was glowing. There was a hair lock falling carelessly on her face. He moved slowly towards her bed and slowly pushed the hair away from her face.
He could have gazed at her beauty for ever but then her eyes flew open. She was about to scream when pratap covered her mouth with hands,
'main hun' he said pleadingly.
Ajabde looked at him wide eyed. There was shock and then anger in her eyes.
Pratap took his hands off. and quickly placed his finger on his lips asking her to not make a sound.
'kya aapki ye adat hai , strion kay kaksh main janay ki , unkay anumathi kay bagair. she whispered angrily
'nahi adat tho nahi , lekin majburi banthi ja rahi hai' he replied.
'is tarah aapka yahan aana' she said looking around as if she was expecting her mother walk in.
'tho aap mujhsey baat hi nahi ker rahi thi. main kya kartha' said pratap
To this ajabde looked at him and then started to get out of the bed
'kahan ja rahi hain aap. said pratap as he pulled her wrist, trying to stop her from getting out.
The force made her trip on her lehenga and made her fall back into the bed.
She looked at him doubtfully-
nahi , maine socha ki aap bahar..mera ye matlab---
he stammered and got up quickly
Ajabde picked herself up and got out of the bed. She adjusted her lehenga and then made her way towards the balcony
Main kal sey yahan per ek dwarpal ko rakhungi.
Relieved by her tone, which was not that angry anymore, Pratap smiled
'aap ithni raat ko yahan kiyun aaye hain' she asked not looking at him.
'aap sey baat kernay ke liye aur ye puchnay ke liye ki, aapnay humay maaf kiya ki nahi? asked pratap as he followed her towards the balcony
'hum nahi janthay- hum abh bhi aapsey bohot naraz hain' replied Ajabde
But then she looked at him and then she saw. The bandages on his arms.
The wounds that she had given to him. There was concern in her eyes.
She immediately touched his hands and started examining it.
Pratap looked at her lovingly.
Ajabde who was seriously examining his wounds became aware of her husband's stare. She moved her hands quickly away but Pratap caught her hands and placed them on his wounds.
'ye ghav tho bhar jayengay, lekin jo ghav maine aapko diye hain. Main shayad unki bharpayi kabhi nahi per paunga'
His voice was faltering
Ajabde looked at him. She did not know what to say. He had done wrong to her but he is also truly repentant. It would be unfair for him and for her to not forgive him. When in fact forgiveness was the first step towards healing and she owed it to herself, to her people that the healing needs to start.
It was the better thing to do, the right thing to do. Not only for herself but for the betterment of Bijolia and Mevad as a whole. She cannot drag this along for ever. That would be selfish.
Ajabde took her hands off and turned away from him
Pratap looked dejected. He knew a lost cause when he saw.
As he turned to leave
'Maine aapko maaf kiya' said Ajabde
Pratap turned around.
Ajabde looked at him and said
'main shayad abh bhi naraaz hun aapsey , lekin maaf maine ker diya' she said
Just then there was the bird call.
'Lagtha hai koi aa raha hai' said Pratap
There was a knock at the door.
Ajabde pointed towards the balcony and indicated towards Pratap to leave. Pratap made a rush for the rope but then to Ajabde's horror he saw the rope on the ground.
'Abh kya? ajabde asked
Pratap quickly ran towards her bed and hid underneath it.
There was another knock on the door.
Hansa was at the door.
aapnay apna darwaza kiyun band rakha hai. aap janthi hain na ki aapki sehat teekh nahi hai.
HUm tho aapko dekhnay aa gaye lekin abh humari vajay sey aapki neend bhi khul gayi said Hansa
'Kya hua ajabde. aapka rang kiyun uthra hua hai' asked Hansa
aur mujhe yun darwazay per kiyun khada kiya hua hai?
teek tho ho na thum? asked hansa , now totally concerned.
'ji ma. hum bilkul teekh hain.
Hansa touched her face
'aapka chehra tho bohot garam hai' aaayiye hum aapko bestar per laytathay hain
aur ye kya apanay pehen kay rakha hai. Ithna bhari lehenga pehnengi tho aap raath main kaise araam sey so jayengi.
' han ma main voh bohot thak gayi thi isiliye maine badla nahi' said Ajabde. She was exhausted with the gurukul visit. Her health still did not permit her to do things , the way she did normally.
Hansa went to the chest and took out a lighter lehenga for her.
ye lijiye aur iisey badaliye abhi.
Ajabde looked shocked. She knew pratap was in the room and she could never change now.
Are jayiye.
ma ... hum aapkay samnay?
Hansa shook her head. hum nahi dekhthay.
nahi ma hum baad main badal dengay. hum abhi sona chahthay hain. said Ajabde
'Hansa did not argue with her. She made Ajabde lay down on the bed and with a kiss on her forehead, she left.
Bach gaye - said Pratap.
Ajabde immediately got up and closed the door and locked it.
'Abh jayiye yahan sey she said'
'jathay hain- said PRatap
He did not want to leave.
So he sat down on the bed. AJabde went towards him pointed towards the door.
'jayiye-she said folding her hands.
Pratap looked at her lovingly. He started gazing slowly at her face and then without warning his eyes started to travel all around her body.
Ajabde was feeling his stare. Her heart started to breath faster and there were butterflies in her stomach.
Pratap continued looking at her and then slowly got up from her bed.
'hum jayen' he asked
'Ajabde had gone silent. Her throat had become dry and she could not answer him.
Pratap made his way towards her and then he smiled.
Without any words he left her room leaving Ajabde standing with her heart in her hands.
Edited by Suchi- - 10 years ago
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