CHAPTER 5
The escort of the royal family proceeded into the road of Amer. The citizens were exalted in their spontaneous zeal only to get the chance of walking with the royal family in the same road. The guards of the escort were doing really hard-work to manage the over-enthusiastic crowd. The caravan of the palanquins is leaded by the decorated horses of the male members of the royal family who are surrounded by a number of trained and armed bodyguards. None from the outsider will be able to have a glimpse of any of the women of the palanquin after passing so many barriers.
The princess removed the corner of the curtain of the palanquin and peeped outside. The sea of people it is...like every year! Her lips automatically caught with smile to see the strong security system surrounded the women carriage. Really his father is so much protective to all of them. If he gets to know any day that his elder daughter uses to roam around the fort in the disguise of male at midnight, what will be his reaction?
"Kise dhund rahi ho? Suryaban Singh ko? O dekho..."[Whom are you searching for? Suryaban Singh? See there.] Moti, foolish Moti, does not think anything other than love and marriage- she quite normally has guessed that Jodha is finding Suryaban Singh and so like a very good friend she has showed her horse to Jodha. Suppressing her smile she concentrated her glimpse to the horse of the crown-prince of Bhangadh... Quite a well-trained and decorated horse; and the owner also look to be a good warrior and horseman with well-built physic. Though she cannot see his face from back; but yes, she has seen him today- obviously Moti's over-enthusiasm is culprit... However, after seeing him Jodha understood why her mother is so happy with this relation... she always wanted her beautiful daughter to be married with the most handsome person of the world and eventually in is partly happening. Maybe Suryabaan is not the most handsome man of the world, but certainly good-looking that the most handsome guy of Amer... For her mother the height of handsomeness is Sujamal Bhaisa, and now her to-be son-in-law will occupy the space soon in her eyes..
Yes, Suryaban is handsome; but what matters? Even if Suryaban were a very bad-looking person, or an old man with falling teeth- would it have been mattered? The princess of Amer is marrying the prince of Bhangadh...this fact matters only. However, Jodha is happy to be the part of this alliance; she proud to be the princess of Amer; she understands politics; she knows the importance of this marital alliance and happily agrees with it... but if only Baapusa had let her to participate in the discussion of this alliance which is directly related with her rather than announcing his decision in front of her one day! If only!
Her festive mood got spoiled again thinking about that. Is it the only reason that she is not feeling any attraction towards the handsome prince who is her future? Is this the only reason that she is thinking him just a normal royal person with a common mentality and ordinary thought-process, as her marriage has been arranged by her father very ordinarily without asking for her consent, just like the other girls? Well that's also true, Jodha cannot deny that she is a girl only... her thoughts can be different, but the world will not change for her...
Leaving those gloomy thoughts behind Jodha tried to concentrate on the fair outside. The roads have adorned like a new bride, the shops beside the road are glittering in light and happiness. Crackers are burning. The sky too is enjoying the festival of the human beings. The preparations of ravan-badh are almost completed. It will start the moment the king will enter into the venue. This happy face of their face is not very uncommon. In each and every occasion Amer decorates herself like this... all the internal problems, poverty, pains got hidden under the coat of pure happiness.
But in her experienced eyes Jodha was able to point out the difference. This time the festival is not so gorgeous like other years. The economical condition of Amer is not very good nowadays. The latest attack that happened in the temple outside the fort has damaged the economical backbone of Amer severely. The king is yet to come out from the refugee problem. Due to the lack of rain the supply of food is also hampered. The state is concentrating on their defense strategy but has forgotten that a man needs food and shelter first... then the need of safety comes.
There is a lot of solution of this problem in Jodha's mind. The state can centralize the crafts of the little venders of the villages; that will help both the craftsmen and the economy of the state and also the heritage of Amer's craft will become more famous. Amer can interact with the nearby states with the deals of business rather than only depending on the money of taxes won from war! The revenue system has to be more polished according to the situation... the rules that Jodha's great great grand father had made might not be applicable for today! So many venders from so many states come to sale their products- why cannot Amer take the full advantages of all these?
Jodha uses to share these ideas with her father and brothers often. Perhaps they think about it, but do not try to imply. Her own elder brother Bhagwant Das is much older than her- and so he treats her as a child still now. Though Jodha enjoys this over-affection and pampering, but problem is that her brother feels proud to see that his sister can think practically, but does not even imagine taking those seriously in real politics. The other brothers of Jodha have frankly no intellect to sit and understand these strategies. Only Sujamal Bhaisa takes her seriously; she often discusses with him... but here also he is much interested in sword and defense making than to think about economy.
Jodha's father is very affectionate to her; only for his love and pampering Jodha can use the finance according to her wise for welfare of the state. But only till this. Her father has no time to sit with his daughter and discuss about economical strategies. The little time he gets to spend with family, he loves to talk about the small matters of family like a normal family man.
Only if Jodha got to participate directly in court-works and conferences like her brothers...Will she ever get that chance? She was a princess, now is going to be a queen- an imprisoned bird of a golden cage... she should not think about all these!!
A jolt of crowd almost had crossed the barrier of the guards covering her palanquin. Vijay Singh made a sound to command to move them. "Zyada sakti dikhane ki abasyakta nehi hay vijay Singh. Shrinkhala ka rakhshan ho, parantu dhyan rahe ki uss karan kisi ko kisi bhi prakar ki hani nehi pouchni chahiye."[No need to show much power Vijay Singh. Maintain discipline, but keep in mind that none should be harmed by any chance.] Jodha ordered Vijay Singh. Vijay Singh looked at the curtain and bowed down in acceptance. The guards started controlling the crowd, this time keeping the princess's order in mind.
Jodha again peeped over the curtain to see the people of the crowd. They are really so much mad just to have her glimpse for once? Suddenly Jodha felt honoured in her heart... Maybe her family does not value her properly, but her subjects do!
Suddenly Jodha's eyes stuck to the eyes of a man inside the crowd... He was much far from her, and was trying to come forward to see the person behind the curtain of the palanquin, but his gestures are distinguished; can be easily differentiated from the rest of the crowd. He was neither jostling the next man to move forward, neither was floating with the crowd... he was stable and was walking in his own place; it seems he knows how to make himself different from the crowd- so different that the princess's eyes stuck on him only.
He is the one! Jodha's heart cried out... He was too far to be shown properly, but still Jodha had recognized him. She had not expected that the deepest wish of her heart will become true in this way! He is none but the warrior who had fought with her the last night. The memories of that beautiful night again bloomed in her mind... the bright and glittering eyes of the valiant warrior again filled up her heart... the gentle smile between two lips, the modulated voice saying those words- "tum bhi chadmabhesh me hi ho! Naari ki chadmabhesh!"- started to lose her from herself again...
What is he doing here? He told that he had come Amer to search his good luck... Maybe he meant any job. The outfit that he had worn looks like to be of a laborer. Maybe he is a lost soldier, have come to Amer to get a stable source of income... and now, with the crowd the wish of seeing the princess for once has come in his mind... Jodha tried hard to control her giggle. If he manages to take a glimpse anyway, what would be his reaction? What will be the first word in his mind after knowing that with the woman he was fighting yesterday night, is none other than the princess of Amer? Jodha spaced the curtain a bit more; why not the youth is looking here? She really wants him to see her!
This hide-and-seek of eyes was being continued for some more times... The king has reached the place of RamLila, the ritual of RavanBadh is going to start very soon, still Jodha's mind was only on the young man! But her wish could not be fulfilled... she did not ever expect that it will happen! The crackers were burning in their own wish, all the citizens are happy; the dummy of Ravan is burning... suddenly!
"Mandi ki piche wali basti me aag lag gaya!!!!"[The slam behind the market has caught fire!!!!] A horrifying noise destroyed the happiness of the air, and the nasty and poisonous smell of smoke started chocking everyone. Within a second a blind scare of death spreaded in the whole place followed by a pandemonium, Jodha looked at the slams behind the market and shivered in sudden jolt of fear! Most probably a cracker had fallen on any inflammable product of any shop, causing this dreadful accident! The houses of the houseless persons, who are refugee of the state even now, have become homeless again! Nature, why are you so cruel!!!
All the people were running here and there to save own lives... The huge pandemonium was becoming even more dreadful than the fire- many people can die only being smashed by the feet of others in these situations. There are a lot of trained soldiers to maintain the discipline for the safety of people, but in this haphazard their first duty had become to save the royal family from the grab of the accident. They started action- to remove the crowd and return the palanquins safely, none remembered the dwellers of the slam, who are left there to burn alive!
"Koi basti ke basindayon ko bahar nikalo..."[Someone save the dwellers of the slam...] Jodha screamed from her palanquin, but her order lost in the noise of outside!
***
Jalal had become quite shocked with the sudden accident for a moment. But he got back into senses in a moment and then the actual tension hit his normal wit. There are almost more than 100 men in the street, all are out of their senses and running here and there. This way a lot of people will die just by getting smashed in crowd! The soldiers of the place are perhaps not trained for such disaster control; they are mainly the bodyguards who are busy to safe the royal family only... It is quite common phenomena, when any accident happens in the presence of the king, the soldiers forget the mass and tries to save him at first. But someone is needed to control the mass now with extinguishing the fire. It is spreading in the air uncontrollably.
A little boy had fallen while running away; before he got smashed Jalal managed to escape him somehow. God knows where Abdul has gone in this chaos. The soldiers are still only bothered about the security of the royal family...worthless! A moment ago they were so concerned about the discipline and now where is that?
Thankfully a prince, maybe the elder most one of the family came up and ordered the soldiers to rescue the affected men first... but everything was leading towards much mayhem. Uttering a disgusted sound, Jalal put down the boy whom he rescued at a safer place and started looking for Abdul. He must be is looking for him also. It is necessary to go out of the state now only... the way the accident has leaded into havoc disaster it will be tougher to get rid of it if they got stuck once. Though he does not believe in luck or destiny much, yet he could not help himself from blaming his luck. His plan was so much concrete, all got spoiled due to a spark of a stupid cracker.
He could see Abdul in the sea of men suddenly. It seems he also has noticed him and coming to him. Jalal signaled him by holding his hand up, but just the moment a heart rendering lamentation pierced his ears... the old man, who had mesmerized him with his song, who had blessed him to have a great life ahead, who had also cursed him for being responsible for the pains of his life, was screaming at the top of his voice... His temporary house in the slam is burning too... his wife, his little grandchildren are there...they are burning too! None is there to save them; none is there to think about them!
The cloud of the smoke was slowly grabbing the sky like a black monster... the devastation of fire was increasing very fast. Though the rescue work along with the trial of extinguishing the fire had started at the order of the prince, still that trial is much less powerful than the crude hunger of the devastating fire! Restlessly Jalal once looked at the old man. He was crying, was trying hard to reach at his house, but could not... The soldiers were trying hard to control the mass... they were stopping the old man too!
Abdul had come beside Jalal after a long trial. "Chaliye Shahenshah! Nikalne ki kosish karte hay..."[let's go my lord, let us try to go out.] he said. But Jalal did not listen. He was unable to listen anything other than the wailing of the old man... and along with that also the wailing of hundreds of people, whose everything is burning in front of him! "Bachao... koi mere baccho ko bachao... O sab andar hay!!"[Save...Save my children... They are inside...] this is the only sentence he was able to hear... the sentence that is floating on the air, is piercing both the ears and heart...the helpless begging for help, that is coming to him only!!
He is an emperor... he cannot risk his life- it is too precious! But Jalal could not stand steel anymore. The wailing for help could not let him to do... He is committed to take care of his subjects the day he has worn the crown. How can he ignore the devastated cry of so many helpless men? How can he leave them to burn alive? This state is not under his province, he has no authority to do anything for them, the men who are burning are not his subjects... but does it lessen the responsibility? Maybe he cannot do anything much, maybe it will be a very small contribution in this rescue work, but at least he is able to save one or two lives efficiently from the grab of this cruel fire!
"Hum aate hay Abdul!"[I am coming Abdul!] Telling this, before Abdul could understand anything, his majesty ran towards the affected slam and jumped inside without thinking a bit of his life. Abdul stared with an empty glance for a while, then got the most dangerous shock of his life, then with damn nervousness started to think what he should do now! He was not able to see him in the smoke, his heart was going to come out in unbearable tension!
Apart from Abdul, another person present there had noticed Jalal to jump into the death; she is none other than the princess of Amer! Her hands automatically joined to head to pray for the fearless man, who did not hesitate a bit before getting into this dreadful action; and unknowingly her fascination towards the man increased 1000 times more.
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