After Mewar was lost to Akbar, Pratap and US were broken. They decided to go and assassinate Akbar, believing that after Akbar's death Mewar will be free. Not knowing what can of worms they might open on the entire Bharat.
However the wife of Dheerbai had one thought in her mind. She wanted to stop Pratap and US from going and hence save their lives. Hence she wrote a letter to the only person who she thought could stop them - Rani Jaiwantabaiji.
Rani Jaiwantabaiji who had taken sanyaas years ago in hopes to wash away her sins and get away from the politics, was now a sadhvi. She had gained even more insight in her vision and could be balanced in any situation. She realised that this mission of Pratap and US would not only kill them both, but killing Akbar will throw the entire nation in a state of chaos. Akbar had no successor and hence there was no guarantee on who might snatch the power! Mewar would never be free as after Akbar it was possible that an equally or even more cruel king would seize the kingdom and then there would be no Pratap to save the commoners.
Hence she was guided to come back and stop this tandav of vinaash.
Obeying the divine message she came back and made US and Pratap realise that where they are going is a suicide mission and there will be no benefit from it.
Once this was done there was an even bigger mission for her - to make Pratap understand. To give a suitable response to all of his unanswered questions, that rose after her sudden departure.
Pratap, had by now been forced to learn to live without his mother. Who was still living in a duality. he knew that the love of his life and his beloved wife could never say anything to his ranima that would make him go away. But then why did his mother go away? Even though he had accepted Ajabde back in his life, he never apologised to her for leaving her on the stairs of the temple, or not being there for her when her father died or all those years.
He always felt that she must not have meant it and hence he had to forgive her. She was his responsibility. He had killed most of the love from his heart and had never showered her with the love as he wanted. He had told his newly wedded wife that both of them are equal, but after her mistake, he never treated her the same.
Now as he stood infront of his mother he blamed her. He did not want to be close to her again, did not want to open his heart again. He knew inside him that Ajabde was not at fault, but in one way or another he still blamed her. Hence he was scared to hear the real reason behind his mother's sudden departure.
So when she told him that she won't go, he became adamant at knowing why she left. He told her that he is no longer a child and wanted to know the reason.
"Theek hai Kuwar Pratap. Hum jante hai, ki aapke liye ye sun pa na kathin hoga, parantu ab app itni zid kar hi rahe hai to humare pas aur koi vikalp nahi choda hai apne."
"ranima, aapke jane ke baad humne jo saha hai, us pida se adik kathin aur kya hoga?"
JB continued as if Patap never spoke
"Aapke Dajiraj ne apke vivaah ke kuch hi din purva ek aur vivaah kiya tha. Rani Veerbaiji se. Yeh toh aap jante hi hai. Aap yeh bhi jante hai ki iss baat se kitna bawaal macha tha pure mahal mein. Ek stree ke liye, apne pati ka dusra vivaah dekhna kitna katheen ho sakta hai, yeh socha hai kabhi aapne KP?"
When she saw a confused look on Pratap's face she explained further
"aapke vivaah bhi ho chuka hai Pratap, sochiye, agar Ajabde kisi aur se viv..."
"ranima!!!"
she laughed
"Gussa aya na? aap yeh soch bhi nahi sakte ke aapka jiske saath vivaah ho chuka hai, woh kisi aur se vivaah kare... lekin yeh, hum striyon ke jeevan ki saachai hai pratap. lekin hum iss peeda ko bhi sehen kar liya, jab ranaji ne veerbai se vivaah kar humare dil par ek aur ghav diya. Aur apne Maharani hone ka kartavya nibhane ke liye humne veer bai ko jitna h sake utna apnaya. yahan tak ki, jab Ranaji ne unhe patni ke roop me nahi apnaya, toh humne un dono ke beech ki duriyon ko kam karne ke liye unke kaksh ki sajawat karvayi aur Ranaji se vinanti ki, ki ve veerbaiji ko patni ke roop me apnale"
"Bas ranima, hum apke jane ka karan janana chahte hai lekin aap yh kaisi batein ..."
"hum apko apke prashna ka uttar hi de rahe hai Pratap. Ab jab apne pucha hi hai yeh prashna toh uska uttar bhi suniye. Ranaji ne mana kiya, humne lakh samjane ki koshish ki parantu apne pati se pani peeda nahi chupa paye. aur ranaji ne, usi kaksh mein humare saath raat bitayi. hum bhavnao mein behgaye aur yeh samaj hi nahi paye ke yeh haq veerbaiji ka tha. subah jab hum bahar aye toh veerbaiji ne apni peeda ko humpe krothit ho ke jatai. tab hume abhas hua ki humne unka haq cheena hai."
"unhone humse kaha ki jab tak hum mehel mein hai, ve Ranaji ke nikat nahi aa paengi."
Pratap was stunned to hear that and angry at veerbaiji. But JB had her back to pratap and could not see the expressions on his face
"aur isi liye humne socha ki abb humari mehel main koi avashyakta nahi hai hai. aur jo paap humse veerbaiji ke haq ko cheen ke hua hai uska prayashchit karne ke liy hum chale.
uss din hum isi liye ja paye kyunki hum jante the ki aab humari parchai jesi beti humari bahu banke apke jeevan mein ayi hai. aur hume purna vishwaas tha ki ve aapka ache se dhyan rakhengi aur apko kahi bhi akela nahi mehsus karne dengi, apki shakti bankar apko humse dur hone ki pida se ubhar ne ka marg batayengi. Isi liye humne unhe patra likha aur unhe apki ruchi aur pasand ke bhojan aur aisi choti choti baatein batayi aur apka dhyan rakne ko kaha."
At this, JB wiped her face and turned around without looking at his face, held his soulder
"aur dekhiye, humari beti ne humare vishwaas par khara utar ke, hume kitna prasan kiya hai. Aaj aap humare samne khade hai, hum bohot prasan hai"
but as JB looked at his face, hiding her tears she saw that Pratap had gone in a state of shock and was crying continuously. after few seconds he looked at his mother and sat on the floor with a thud.
he told her how she was not right in her assumption and what had happened after she left. how he and the entire royal family blamed Ajabde and how till today he has an almost formal relationship with Ajab. How he lost that pure bond of love with her.
hearing this JB started crying and left from there. she hurried towards the temple, where she saw Amar running out and Ajab still sitting infront of the idol and praying.
"Ajabde?"
Ajab tuned and smiled at her and came to seek her blessings.
"nahi beta, humare karan jo peeda apne sahi, jo kasht apke jeevan mein aye hai, unke pashchat aap hume itna samman de, yeh hum aur bhi adhik glani (guilt) me dhakel raha hai."
"yeh aap kesi baatein kar rahi hai ranima? aap humari ma hai. humari ranima! aap hume koi kasht de yeh to ho hi nahi sakta."
"Kuwar Pratap ne hume sab kuch bata diya hai Ajabde. Hume maaf kar dijye."
"nahi ranima, aapka is mein koi dosh nahi, us samay paristhiti hi aisi thi. Aur parivaar mein choti choti an ban toh chalti hi hai. mahatva purna baat yeh hai ki iss kathin samay mein hum yaha apne parivaar ke saath hai. aur ab toh app bhi hai, toh hume purna vishwaas hai ki jald hi hum iss dukhdai samay se ubhar ke bahar ayenge aur apni shakti ko badhayenge. Uske pashchat, us krur akbar se apna ghar apna chittor vapas lene mein Kuwar Pratap aur Dajiraaj koi kasar nahi chodenge. aap dekh ligiyega"
"haan meri bachi, app sahi keh rahi hai. aur hum dekh sakte hai ki aap Kuwar Pratap ki patni hai. toh ab ap unhiki bhasha bol rahi hai"
teasing her thus she hugged her. this scene was witnessed by pratap, who was standing at the door.
as both Ajab and JB came out Pratap went to his room. He sat on the bed and was in deep thought. Not about his ranima (as everyone expected) but about Ajab. His Ajab, and how even he was cruel to her.
Fan Fictions
