Friends,
A couple of assumptions! I am not going to let Rani's character be an out and out servant and do any menial jobs, because I don't beleive it is practical for a servant to become Queen.
Next, among the servants, I am not going to have too many villains. Because I am sure that will be covered well in the serial 😉 😆. I would prefer to concentrate on the Prince and Rani. 😊
Next part..............
Re-cap : Rani reaches the city. She is awed by the palace. She is introduced to the Rajmaata (also called Rani maa) and the King. Rani maa mentions about Rani working for her which confuses Rani. The prince cannot forget Rani's voice.
PART -2 : SERVANT PHASE
Lakshmi : Ab raat bhar yahin khadi rahegi kya? Chal jaldi!
Rani stares at Lakshmi.
Pradhan : Jaldi jaa kar so jao. Mei subah theek saat baje aa jaunga.
And he walks away and Lakshmi also starts to walk and Rani follows her slowly. They traverse through the same path again, but this time Rani does not notice anything in the palace!! Her mind is completely clouded. She is thinking "Lekin maa ne toh kahaa tha ke mei sheher mei college ki padhai karungi. Lekin yeh log toh kaam karne ki baat kar rahe hai. Mujhe kuch samajh mei nahi aa rahaa. Mei kya karu?" 😕
She is lost in thoughts and does not realize that they have reached the servant quarters. Lakshmi takes her to a room on the ground floor.
Lakshmi : Aaj se yeh kamraa tumhaara.
Rani enter the room and looks around. It will be a small room, perfect for one person. There will be a cot in one corner of the room with a mattress, a pillow and a bedsheet on it. There will be a cupboard and a table and chair, next to the bed. There will also be a lamp on the table. There will be a window in the room that opens into the garden. Rani goes and opens the window and from the window the whole right side of the royal palace is clearly visible.
Rani is staring at the palace when she hears Lakshmi talking. Rani turns to listen to her.
Lakshmi : Raj mahal ke bahut se taur-tareeke hai, jo har naukar ko yaad rakhne chahiye.
And she starts off.........
Lakshmi : Sabse pehle, jab tak koi kaam na ho, Raj mahal mei nahi jaana. Doosri baat, jab tak Raj parivaar mei se kisine tumhe bulaaya nahi ho, unke saamne mat jaana. Raj parivaar subah aath se sadhe aath baje naashta karte hai, baarah se ek baje dopahar ka khaana khaate hai aur shaam mei saath se aath baje, raat ka khaana khaate hai. Unke khaane ke baad hi, hum sabko khaana milega. Agar kisi wajah se tumhe baahar jaana ho, toh meri angya leni hogi. Baahar jaane aur aane se pehle, phaatak ke paas tumhaari talashi lee jaayegi. Raat ke nau baje ke baad, baahar aana ya jaana manaa hai. Har mahine ke paanch tareekh ko tumhe pagaar mil jaayegi...............
Lakshmi just continues without taking a break and Rani is listening to her hard!!
Finally......
Lakshmi : Agar tumhe kuch chahiye ya koi pareshaani ho to mujhe kehna, theek hai?
Rani shakes her head in the affirmative.
Lakshmi : Ab apna samaan leke aa jao yahaan. Mei ek ghante mei aaungi aur tumhe raat ke khaane ke liye le jaungi. Wahaan baaki logon se mil lena.
They both walk out of the room. Rani goes to the kitchen and takes her bag and comes back to her room. She closes the door and goes and sits on the bed. She is exhausted, hungry and her mind is in a turmoil. She does not understand what to make out of the situation. She thinks..."Pataa nahi kaise lekin Rani sahibaa ko koi galat-fehmi ho gayi hai. Shaayad Maa ne jo kahaa, woh unke samajh mei nahi aaya. Mujhe Pradhanji ko baataana hoga".
Rani opens her bag and slowly takes her stuff out. She first pulls out the family photo that her daadi had given her just before she started for the city. They all had taken that photo in the Lodhi mela that was held recently in the village. Rani stares at the photo. Tears fill up her eyes and suddenly she feels very homesick. She recollects what her daadi said about her being a fighter, who has always fought to come on top.
Then she slowly removes the eatables that her Mom had packed for her and she remembers what her mom had told her about studying well and earning a degree, thereby fulfilling her Dad's wishes.
And then she slowly takes out the pen that masterjee had given. Then, she remembers how she promised munna that she will not go to the city and she will burst into tears. 😭 😭
Rani cries her heart out and after a while controls herself. Just then she hears knocking on the door. Rani goes and opens the door. Lakshmi is standing out. Rani does not realize that an hour had passed already! Lakshmi sees the red swollen eyes of Rani and feels pity on her.
Lakshmi : Kya hua Rani? Tum ro rahi thi, kya?
Rani does not reply but just stares down.
Lakshmi : Tumhaare gharwaalon aur gaanv ki yaad aa rahi thi kya?
Rani still does not reply.
Lakshmi : Lagta hai pehli baar ghar chodh ke aayi ho.
She comes closer to Rani and rubs her back.
Lakshmi : Mat ro, hum sab hai na tumhaare paas. Dheere dheere tumhe yeh jagah bhi accha lagega. Aur phir tum hamesha ke liye thode na aayi ho. Ekdin phir gaanv chali jaogi. Bas dheeraj se kaam lo.
Rani looks at Lakshmi greatfully and says
Rani : Ji maasi.
Lakshmi (with a smile) : Ab maasi kahaa hai toh baat bhi maanani padegi. Chalo jaldi. Khaane ka samay ho gayaa hai aur tumhe bhook bhi lagi hogi. Apni aankhen pocho aur chalo.
Rani quickly wipes her eyes and both of them go towards the dining area which will be just outside the kitchen. They reach the dinig hall. Rani sees about 20 servants...men and women all taking their seats. She looks around for Pradhan and notices that he is not there. Rani understands that he eats in his room and does not mingle with the servants.
Lakshmi gets a seat arranged for Rani besides her. Everybody sits down when Lakshmi announces
Lakshmi (referring to Rani) : Yeh Rani hai aur aaj hi gaanv se aayi hai. Yeh Rani maa ke dekhbaal ke liye laayi gayi hai. Rani ko koi bhi kaam bataane se pehle, tum log mujh se pooch lena. Mujhe bataaye bina Rani ko koi bhi kaam mat saumpna. Samajh gaye?
All the servants whisper among themselves and everyone shake their heads. And then Lakshmi introduces them one by one.
Lakshmi : Rani, yeh chamki hai, yeh Jhumpa, yeh Nandu, yeh Billu, yeh Ramkhilawan................
And she goes on......Some give her friendly smiles, some are hostile towards her. And Rani just looks at all of them.
Lakshmi : Sabka parichay kar diya. Ab chalo khaate hai. Taayee, khaano paroso.
Taayee and her kitchen staff start serving food. Once they have finished serving, Rani closes her eyes and starts to pray.It is her habit to always pray before eating. When she opens her eyes after praying, she sees a hand grabbing the jalebi that was served in her plate. Rani will grab that hand and it freezes. Rani turns to see a 7 year old boy. He is looking with fear in his eyes. It is the same boy who had dashed into her outside the kitchen a few hours ago.
Rani (with a smile) : Tumhe jalebi chahiye?
The boy shakes his head in refusal.
Rani : Nahi chahiye? Toh theek hai mai kha leti hun.
She picks up the jalebi acting like she is going to eat it.
Rani : Kha loo?
The boy shakes his head again in refusal.
Rani : Accha, mei nahi kahu? Toh tum khaalo?
Rani takes the jalebi closer to the boy. Just then Lakshmi who was sitting next to Rani says
Lakshmi : Arre Chintu, tu abhi tak soya nahi? Yahaan kya kar rahaa hai?
Chintu runs over to his Mom looking at Rani
Chintu : Maa......mujhe neend nahi aa rahi thi...
Lakshmi : Neend nahi aa rahi thi ya tu neend ko aane nahi de rahaa tha? Rani, yeh meraa beta hai. Bada sharaarati hai, iss se bachke rehna.
Rani smiles and again gives him the jalebi. This time chintu takes it and eats it in one gulp. Lakshmi and Rani laugh and start eating their food.
Chintu : Maa, yeh nayi didi kaun hai?
Lakshmi : Yeh nayi didi ka naam Rani hai. Yeh aaj hi gaanv se aayi hai. Didi ko bilkul pareshaan mat karnaa. Samjhe?
Chintu shakes his head in affirmative.
Rani : Aao, mere paas aake baitho. 😃
Chintu goes and sits beside her. Rani offers him another jalebi. He grabs that too and eats.
Lakshmi ; Arre rani, bas karo, varnaa yeh tumhe kuch bhi nahi khaane dega.
Rani : Koi baat nahi maasi, waise bhi mujhe mithayi zyaada pasand nahi.
Chintu : Tumne mithai dee hai toh Kya mujhe tumhaari har baat manani hogi??
Rani looks at him suprised. She remembers her brother munna and for a minute gets emotional. Then she says
Rani : Nahi munna, tumhe har baat nahi manani hogi.
Chintu : Meraa naam munna nahi Chintu hai. 😳
Rani blinks and smiles : Theek hai chintu, ab se tumhe chintu hi bulaungi.
Everyone finishes dinner and Rani cleans up her plate.
Lakshmi : Tumhe subah utha doo kya? Pradhanji samay ke bahut paaband hai. Aur unhe der honaa bilkul accha nahi lagta.
Rani : Nahi maasi, mei khudh uth jaungi. Mujhe gaanv mei jaldi uthne ki aadat hai.
She goes to her room bidding goodbye to Lakshmi and Chintu. Once she reaches her room, Rani unpacks all her stuff and stores them and then lies down to go to sleep. She cannot sleep for a long time and then Slowly she drifts into sleep.
In the palace
Yudi is relaxing in his room, when his phone rings. Yudi picks up his cell phone.
Pramod : Pranaam mahaaraj!!
Yudi (a smile spreading on his face) : Pramod!! What's up buddy?
Pramod : Dhanyavaad maharaj, jo aapne hame pehchaana!
Yudi : Kaisi baat kar rahaa hai?
Pramod : Aur nahi toh kya? US se aate hi jaise laapataa ho gayaa? Na phone, na ataa, na pataa.
Yudi : Arre, abhi thodi der pehle hi toh aaya hun gaav se.
Pramod : Aapke rajya mei sab kushal-mangal toh hai?
Yudi : Mere rajya mei nahi, mere pitaaji ke rajya mei kaho.
Both laugh.
Pramod : Accha, kal ka kya program hai? Kal lunch mei mil sakte ho kya?
Yudi : Absolutely. Kal afternoon ko koi plan nahi hai.
Pramod : Theek hai toh mai tujhe theek baarah baje milunga, Country Club mei. Meine Softtech Inc ke do executives ko bhi bulaaya hai, hamaare proposal ko discuss karne.
Yudi : Excellent! Mei pahunch jaunga.
Then they converse for a while about his trip, their proposal and disconnect the call.
Yudi cannot sleep and so he starts to surf channels. In one channel a song will blare out of TV. Yudi remembers Rani's voice. He walks over to his almirah, opens it and takes Rani's dupatta out. He stares it for a few moments recollecting her voice. Then he sighs with frustration. Suddenly he hears somebody knock on his door. He puts away the dupatta and closes the door of the almirah. He goes and opens the door and a smile spreads on his face.
Yudi : Namrata! Tu kab aayi?
Namrata : Pranam Kunwar ji. Bas abhi abhi aayi hun.
And she walks in and Yudi closes the door.
Namrata (rushes to hug the Prince) : BHAIYYA!!!!!!!!!
Yudi (with a smile) : Andar aate hi bhaiyya aur baahar se Kunwar ji??????
Namrata (with a huge smile on her face) : Woh toh Raja saheb ke manaa karne ki wajah se mujhe aapko Kunwar ji kehna padhta hai. Varna toh mei hamesha bhaiyya hi kahun!
Yudi smiles and Namrata hugs him again and Yudi hugs back.
Namrata : Finally!! Ab jaake milna hua. Jab aap US se aaye mei Naani ke paas gayi hui thi aur abhi waapas aayi hun! I really missed you, bhaiyaa!!
Yudi : Me too! Aa, baithke baatein karte hai.
Namrata : Nahi bhaiyya, raat bahut ho gayi hai. Mei toh bas ek baar milna chahthi thi aapse aur yeh poochne aayi thi ki aapka kal ka program kya hai?
Yudi : Kal dopahar tak toh booked hun, lekin I am free in the evening.
Namrata (excitedly) : Theek hai toh evening ka program mei banaaungi. We will have some fun!!! Aap koi aapointment mat rakhiye.
Yudi (with a smile) : Theek hai!
Namrata again hugs him and wishes him good night and leaves. Yudi keeps watching her till she gets out of sight and he waves his hand at her just before she turns the corner and closes the door. Then he changes and turns in for the night.
KNOCK KNOCK.........KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! (Hard knocking!!!)
Rani jerks out of sleep and sits up on her bed!!!!Daylight is streaming into her room from the open window. She looks towards the door where somebody is knocking the door loudly. Last night's Laksmi maasi's warning comes rushing to her mind........." Pradhanji samay ke bahut paaband hai. Unhe der hona bilkul pasand nahi!!!". She is shocked!! 😲😲 She can't believe it is already 7.00 AM!!! She looks towards the door in fear!!! 😒😒 Edited by pragalbha - 17 years ago
Anupamaa
