The court room was silent, but not tensed. All the ministers and members of the court stood at their respective places, Maharani Jaivantha bai and Ajabdeh sat at their place behind the net curtain beside the throne and the rest of the ranis on the other side of it. The praja of the kingdom waited anxiously for that golden moment and stood on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of their beloved prince, Pratap, who was standing in front of the throne while Rawatji stood beside him to crown him as the next king.
"Aaj se, ham sabke priy, Baujiraj Pratap, Mewar ki raj gaddi sambhalenge. Aaj se, isi kshan se, baujiraj Pratap ko, itihaas...Maharana Pratap Singh ke naam se jaanega..."
The crowd drowned Rawat Chundawat's speech with a deafening cheer. He placed the royal pagdi on Kunwar Pratap's head, now making him Maharana Pratap. The royal cloth of lustrous silk was placed on Pratap's shoulder as a part of the abhishekh. As the crowd cheered on, Pratap dropped his voice to a whisper and asked Rawatiji, "Rawatji, aap jaante hain na, ki ham ye sab keval apni matr bhoomi ke liye kar rahe hain?" To that, Rawatji replied with a smile, "Ji haan Ranaji, ham bhali bhanti jaante hain ki aap apne dajiraaj ki ichcha ke viruddh raja ka padh keval apni matrbhoomi ke liye swikar kar rahe hain. Is samay, rajputane ko aapki aavashyakta hai, aapke naitritv ki aavashyakta hai. Matr aap hi hain jo Rajputane ko Mughalon aur Afghano ke lagatar akramanon ke uprandh bhi surakshit aur swatantr rakh sakte hain. Tabhi to Mewar ka bachcha-bachcha jaanta hai, aur sampurn praja garv anubhav karti hai, ki unka priy rajkumar...Dharti ka veer putr, Maharana Pratap hai..."
Pratap returned a smile to in return for that honour. And now, it was time to give Pratap the most important thing. The pride for which every Rajput waits. The legendary Rajput sword of the Mewar dynasty. Rawatji called forward Maharani Jaivantha bai to come and hand over the sword to her son Pratap, the new Rana. But, instead, she smiled and stood up from her position and announced, "Praja jano, ham bhi aap sab ke bhanti bahut prasann hai ki aaj, aap sabke priy rajkumar, aur hamare putr, Kunwar Pratap ka rajyabhishekh hua hai. Ham Mewar ki maharani ke saath saath, Kunwar Pratap ki maa bhi hain. Kintu vivah ke baad, talwar dene ka adhikar, Maa ka nahi, patni ka hota hai. Kunwar Pratap...oh kshama kijiye. Maharana Pratap ko talwar dengi unki patni, Mewar ki nayi Maharani, Ajabdeh."
The crowd erupted with joy at hearing Ajabdeh's name. Ajabdeh stood up with Jaivantha bai, thanked her for the honour, and proceeded to do complete the ceremony. The crowd greeted her with loud cheers and her husband, Pratap, was looking at her with a sparkle in his eyes as she approached him.
"Maharana Pratap ki...JAI! Maharani Ajabdeh ki...JAI!"
Amidst the rhythmic cheers, Ajabdeh took the sword and handed it to Pratap who bent and touched his head to the sword to salute it. The crowd cheered louder than ever. Pratap smiled at Ajabdeh, who smiled back, and turned back to receive blessings from his people. He joined his hands to thank them, and then sat on his new place in the court of the Chittor palace...on the throne of Mewar..."
"Kya soch rahe hain?"
A voice brought Pratap back from his lost world. It was Ajabdeh, who had just returned after taking off her heavy Maharani jewelry. It was night and it was time to sleep. But Pratap was so deep in thought regarding the morning's crowning ceremony, not even a wisp of sleep was bothering him. He was wide awake.
"Kuch nahi Ajabdeh, bas, ham to rajyabhishekh ke bare me hi soch rahe the. Praja kitni prasann thi hamare abhishekh ko lekar! Kitnu, apni praja ke liye, hame apne daajiraj ki antim ichcha ke viruddh jaana pada. Aap hi bataiye Ajabdeh, ham dajiraaj ke jyeshth putr hain. Unki aagya ka paalan karna, unki ichcha poori karna, hamara dharm nahi hai?" Pratap asked as he doubted his deeds.
"Aavashya hai. Kintu apni matrbhoomi ki raksha aapka param-dharm hai. Sabhi vachan, sabhi kartavy, sabhi ichchaen, aapki matrbhooomi ki maang ke aage gaun ho jati hai. Aap hi yogy hai singhaasan par baithne ke liye, vishesh roop se jab Akbar apni sampurn shakti Rajputane ho hathiyane me laga raha hai. Aapko apni matrbhoomi ke liye, Mewar ka raja banna hi hoga Pratap" Ajabdeh assured Pratap. Pratap had no words to answer. But before he could think about it, a loud chorus in a childish voice filled the room.
"Daajiraj hain Maharana! Daajiraj hain Maharana! Daajiraj hain Maharana!..." Kunwar Amar Singh entered the room, celebrating the crowning of his father, seemingly happier than anyone else.
"Kunwar Amar..." Ajabdeh called out, "Aap abhi tak soye nahi? Dekhiye kitni raat ho chuki hai" she asked him in her motherly tone.
"Vo Ranimaa," Kunwar Amar said innocently, "vo ham so to gaye the, kintu daajiraj ke rajyabhishekh ki smritiyon ne hame phirse jaga diya" he confessed.
"Kintu ye konsa tarika hai, poore mahal me itna shor machake apni prasannta vyakt karne ka? Aap nahi, kintu baki sab to so rahe honge na Kunwar Amar? Agar aapke swar se kisi ki neend toot gayi, to? asked Ajabdeh.
"Vo...kshama kijiyega Rani maa...kintu...hamne jab daajiraj ke rajyabhishekh par gaur kiya, to hame ek baat pata chali, jis se hamare dhairy ke baandh toot gaye aur prasannta jhalakne lagi" Kunwar Amar told his mother in his sweet voice.
"Achcha, aise konsi baat pata chali aapko? Bataiye hame..." Ajabdeh asked him.
"Vo...bade dada ko sab log Rana Udai Singh bulate the, hamare poorvajon ko bhi sab Rana' kehkar sambodhit karte hain. Rana Kumbha, Rana Hameer. Kintu daajiraj ko sab log Rana' nahi, Maharana' kehkar sambodhit kar rahe the. Maharana' arthat Daajiraaj ne sabse adhik mahan kary kiye honge na. Tabhi to sab unhe Maharana' bulate hain. Haina Rani maa?"Amar said.
"Ji haan Kunwar Amar. Aapke Daajiraj ne baal aayu se hi aise veerta ke karname kiye hain, apni matrbhoomi ke liye itna kuch kiya hai, poori sena se swayam yudh kiya hai, hame aur hamari matrbhoomi ko sadev bachcakar rakha hai. Inhe karyon ki vajah se aapke Daajiraj, Maharana bane hain" Ajabdeh explained.
"Rani maa, jam ham bade ho jaayenge na, tab ham bhi Daajiraj jaise shurveer Maharana banenege!"Amar said excitedly with a deep note in his voice to demonstrate his seriousness.
"Kunwar Amar, aise hi koi nahi ban jaata Maharana'. Maharana' banne ke liye bahut abhyaas karna padta hai, bahut mushkilon se joonjhna padta hai, bahut saara shram karna padta hai, praja ko khush rakhna padta hai. Aap swayam dekhiye, aapke daajiraj ne kitne varshon ke abhyaas, prashikshan, anubhav aur karyon ke baad Maharana' ka padh prapt kiya hai. Bina kathinaiyon ke anubhav nahi milta, aur bina anubhav ke ham kuch prapt nahi kar sakte. Samjhe?"
"Bhala aisi konsi kathinaiyan aur anubhav hai jinhone daajiraj ko Maharana bana diya?" asked a curious Amar.
"Kunwar Amar, aap kitne sawal karte hain?" said Pratap in surprise, interrupting the mother-son conversation. "Bhala aap hamare jeevan ki kathinaiyon ke bare me jaankar kya karenge?" Pratap asked casually. But the answer he got was swift and serious, "Kyu ham bhi aapki tarah Maharana' banna chahte hain."
"Kunwar Amar, sadev yaad rakhiyega, karman eva adhikaraste, maa faleshu kadachana. Maa karmfalhetur bhurma, te sangostvkarmani' Aap jo bhi kary karen, use karne ki ichcha se kijiye, us kary se koi phal prapt karne ke liye nahi. Hamare adhikar keval kaam karna hai, uska phal to uparwala nishchit karega. Aapke daajiraj ne kabhi apne kary singhaasan prapt karne ke liye nahi kiye. Unhone jo kiya, vo apni praja, apne parivaar, apni matrbhoomi ke hit me kiya. Aur dekhiye, unke isi samarpan ke swabhav ne unhe, Maharana' bana diya" Ajabdeh shared the knowledge with her son.
"Kintu Rani maa, hame ye to bataiye ki daajiraaj ne konse kary kiye?" Amar asked indignantly.
"Achcha. To aap sach me apne daajiraj ke jeevan ke vishay me jaanne chahte hain?
"Ji haan Rani maa. Bataiye naa!!"
"Theek hai. Aiye baithiye, ham aapko sunate hain...gatha dharti ke veer putr-Maharana Pratap ki...
"He Dhaara vali dharati ka...
He laal aayo re..."
*Banner- MP*
Kunwar Pratap Singh, the eldest prince of Mewar, the jewel of the family, the darling of masses, the epitome of the bravery and chivalry, the model of kindness and honesty, the savior of his motherland, dharm-parayan, maryada-purushottam, agyakari, siddhanton aur kartavyon pe chalne vale, descendants of Lord Rama, in all terms, a true Rajput. A born son of his motherland, who could go to any extent to protect it. His respect for his rules and limits was unbelievable, so was his determination to fight till the very end. Even in the most pressing situations, he did not lose his head. Soft, easygoing and adorable as a child, with a smile that could win all hearts, and hidden courage and bravery in the face of all odds, his heartfelt respect for his people along with the thirst to do something for his people and his motherland, he was the apple of everyone's eyes. Not only that, his selfless love for his family and his constant efforts to ensure a smile on their faces and a life without tensions, he even became a favorite among the members of the royal family too and the citizens as well. His love for his motherland and for his family was deep engraved in his personality, so was his habit of adhering to the truth. That's why; it wasn't a surprise that Pratap's birth brought with it a wave of happiness, in both the praja and the parivaar, because he was the first son of Rana Udai Singh and Maharani Jaivantha bai, and first time since Rana Sanga, a valiant warrior and protector of his matrbhoomi. He was the prince that the crowd had been waiting for, he was the first son to a father full of hopes and the first child a loving and true mother had been waiting for. The amiable qualities of the ideal son, friend, brother, prince he had since birth and those of an ideal husband, father and ruler he had after growing up, he was no doubt the prince that the citizens pronounced as their crown prince, their future king, the ruler who would sit on the throne of Mewar. Same expectations his father, Rana Udai Singh had for him, for he was the eldest prince, and he was the one who had the right to sit on the throne, so he must possess the qualities and character to make him deserving for that position. Same was with his mother, Maharani Jaivantha bai, who herself taught him so much about life, about dharm, about his duties and responsibilities, about his mistakes. Infact, when Pratap thought of giving up his right to the throne to fulfill his brother's wishes, she was the one who made him realize that he must sit of the throne of Mewar because he is the kind of ruler that the praja wants, that the praja needs.
Rana Udai Singh Sisodia: Rana Udai Singh, Pratap's father, was sixth in the row of Mewar rulers. Son of the valiant and chivalrous Rana Sangram Sanga' Singh, who lost one of his eyes and arms in a battle, got eighty wounds on his body, but still challenged and fought the opponents bravely, Udai Singh possessed a fine quality of planning war strategies and implementing them. He was an excellent king who saw the benefit of his people and always rewarded them with justice, but his qualities were pressed down by one of his four queens, who kept him under her spell of evil beauty to become the Maharani' of Mewar. He passed on the Rajput traditions and he was the last remaining of his four brothers, all of whom were lost during bad times in the Chittor palace and the Rajputana. He sometimes indulges in little games too to spend some time with his family, and he is really good at such small fun activities. He loves his family a lot, but sometimes blind in the face of emotions when political matters arise.
I'm writing JB, and the rest...with lotus scene and SK stuff, and etc...read and tell me ur views... :)
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Anupamaa
