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Pranipat PrAjajano!
P R O M I S E S
Its been terribly long since I wrote on these two. And I miss doing this SO MUCH! PrAja's always a part of me. And I'll never forget them <3
Coming to this, if you'd remember, I'd started Antarmahal, a SS on them. But owing to my horribly busy schedule and tasks, I just cannot bring myself to complete it. So here, I present a few OSs in a series, of discrete ideas - those I'd planned to weave into a long story.
For the first one, I'd written a similar piece for Arjun - Draupadi (the striking similarities in the third angle of PrAja & ArDi is unusually same). But this has something else too. Also, its been really long since I've penned something on them, so please forgive if it isn't up to the T.
Ajabde stood in the balcony, taking in the chilly air. Dry wind blew past her hair and she sensed the coldness in the breeze. It wasn't soft or fragrant but hard and sad. The lightings on the walls of the Palace hasn't dimmed yet, indicating that it was the festive time to celebrate. And why not? Kunwarsa had married Rajkumaari Phool Kanwar Baisa. Entire Mewar was drowned in festivities.
But her heart twitched. It wept silently. Her Kunwarsa won't be hers only.
She removed her dupatta and extinguished the lamps. Today, she didn't have to wait for Kunwarsa. She was all by herself. She removed her ornaments in dark, the gloominess in her soul was overwhelming.
There was a sudden tap on the door. She shuddered and quickly put on her dupatta. Slowly, she went to unlock the latch.
"Shhh!", rushed in Kunwarsa, firmly placing his hand on her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock as he pushed her in.
He heaved a sigh of relief and got in, removing his blanket that draped him.
"Yeh Kya Baat Hui Bhala?", she complained.
"Accha Matlab ab aap humein dekhkar aisa kahengi?"
"Woh.. Woh. Nahi. Par aapko yahan nahi hona chahiye", she kept her eyes low.
"Yeh Humaari Kunwaranisa Aur Humaara Kaksh Hain. Aur Hum Yahin Rahenge, Samjhi Aap?"
"Par Phool..."
"Mujhe Koi Parwah Nahi"
"Kunwarsa!"
"Hum Bhi Kahan Phass Gaye! Hey Eklingi. Chaliye ab", completely ignoring her rant.
"Kahan?"
"Chaliye toh. Bharosa nahi?"
"Nahi", she fumed, to tease him.
"Toh theek hai,phir", he llifted her up.
"Kunwarsa!"
"Maun rahiye Ajab. Nahi toh woh Kumbhakaran Phool uth jayegi"
He carried her all the way to the Ram Mandir, where Jaiwanta Bai was already waiting for them.
"Ranimaa... "
Without an explanation, Maharanisa covered her with an Oondhani and Kunwarsa tied his dupatta to her Saree.
"Main aapko Vachan Deta Hoon Ajab, Hamesha Sirf Aapka Rahunga"
Tears brimmed up in her eyes as they took rounds of the holy fire.
"Vachan deta Hoon Ajab Ki Aap Hi Sadaiv Humaari Maharani Rahengi. Aur Mewar Ki Bhi"
"Hum Bhi Aapko Vachan Dete Hai Kunwarsa, Ki Hamesha Aapki Sakhi Bankar Rahenge"
After a few more vows, they took the blessings of JaiwantaBai.
"Jab naye sambandh bante hain toh Manushya ko puraane sambadh phirse seechne padtein hai", she smiled.
They retired for the night in peace and happiness.
The Next Day
Uday Singh had organised a huge Havan for the betterment of the kingdom and the welfare of the Public. But Kunwarsa & Phool were to sit to accomplish it. Dheerbai was successful in manipulating Uday Sigh in agreeing to Her thought.
The sole aim of Phool & Pratap's marriage was to replace Ajabde with Phool, in Pratap's life so she could gain control over the shrewd Kunwarsa of Mewar.
"Yeh Kahan Ka Niyam Hain Ki Nav Var Vadhu Hi Havan Mein Baith Sakte Hai?", he roared.
"Aapki Aur Phool Ki Nayi Nayi Shaadi Hui Hain...", pleaded Jaiwanta Bai. Another of Dheer's traps to make Uday Singh send Jaiwanta Bai to convince him.
"Hum Ajab Ke Saath Hi Baithenge. Unki Saath Bhi Humaari Nayi Nayi Shaadi Hui Hain", he grinned victoriously.
Jaiwanta Bai mentally slapped herself. She should've come up with a better logic!
He royally went on a searching trip of Ajab, so that he could drag his beloved wife from work and force her to get ready for the Pooja. He was sure she must be busy either with the Purohit or in the kitchen making Prasad.
But DheerBai had overheard it all and she couldn't give up so easily. It was believed that who ever sat in this Havan would remain soulmates for lifetime.
A dirty smile played on her face as she ordered a Daasi to appear and mumbled a few devilish words in her ear.
Kunwarsa was on His searching spree, asking everyone where the Badi Kunwaranisa was. But to no avail. Jaiwanta Bai had reluctantly asked her to stay away from Pratap because it wasn't possible that he'd sit with Phool with her around. So she sat amidst prayers, in front of her Kanha in the Krishna Mandir. There was absolute silence , except for a few songs moaned by the birds and the neighs of the stable horses.
She didn't sing either, for her voice would float through the corridors of the Palace and Kunwarsa would come running to her.
"Ajab!", called out a voice. She heard it. It was Kunwarsa indeed. But how was it possible? He must be getting ready for the Havan. Ranimaa must've readied him to sit with Phool.
"Ahan! Ajab!!!", this time a louder call. Her heart thumped in her chest. It was certain that it was him!
She folded her hands and lowered her head. Then she turned back to see a sweaty Kunwarsa waiting for her. She bit her lip. He looked so tired. Must've searched all over the Palace for her.
"Kunwarsa, the Havan aarambh hone mein hai. Aapko jaana chahiye", she shouted from inside the Mandir.
"Theek hain, chala jaunga. Par Prasad toh de dijiye"
She lifted the plate of Laddoos and walked towards him with a faint smile. She wore her chappals but the moment she placed her feet on the first stair, her leg slipped. She instantly lost balance and in the next moment, the plate flung out from her hands and crashed onto the ground, with Ajab rolling harshly down the small flight of stairs.
"Ajab!!?", shrieked Kunwarsa.
He took her head in his lap. She moaned in pain and flinched her eyes.
She got up with His help and sat on the floor. "KShama kijiye ... Woh Prasad...", she mumbled in pain.
Pratap rolled his eyes. Out of everything, she was concerned of the sweets.
He gently lifted her up in his arms.
"Ah!", it hurted.
"Bass Ajab, hum Vaidji ke pass hi jaa rahe hain"
"Kunwarsa aapko ... Havan .. Mein"
"Chup!", he howled.
The Vaid inspected her swollen ankle.
"Kunwarsa inko Vishraam ki Aavashykta hain. Chalna aur zameen par baithna ekdum mana hain"
Now how was she to sit with him in the Puja?
DheerBai, Jaiwanta Bai, Shakti & Heer, everyone came to see her. Even Phool had come but she had to leave after receiving stern glares from Pratap.
He had sent a Sainik to look into the matter of her slipping and he'd founds loads of oil spilled onto them. And he suspected Phool or DheerBai behind it.
After the bandages, he lifted her up again and took her to the Havan Venue.
"Hum Havan Mein Nahi Bathenge. Kyun naa Shakti Aur Heer Baithein? Unka bhi toh Abhi abhi vivaah hua hain"
Jaiwanta Bai smiled and supported him.
"Par Pratap, Mewar ke Bade Kunwarsa aap hain"
"Mewar par jitna adhikaar humaara hain, utna hi Bhai Shakti ka bhi.", he retorted.
Dheer Bai could only grumble to herself at the turn of events as Shakti Heer sat in the Havan. She couldn't believe that Heer Baisa was her own niece. Her motive of bringing her into the Mewari Palace so that she could help her with her plots. But Ajabde & Pratap had cast their magic on her and now she despised Dheer Bai.
Pratap and Ajabde sat smiling, on the Sofa, seated with Uday Singh and Jaiwanta Bai.
"Kunwarsa, no one can challenge your conviction", whispered Ajabde.
"Why not? I'd promised to be with you, always", he smiled.
Cheers,
Mahi
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