"Pratap, aapko ko yeh sagai karni hi padegi." Rani Jaiwanta Bai said as if pleading than ordering him.
"Yadi humne ek baar keh diya ki hum vivaah nahin karna chahte hai aur naa hi koi sagai toh iska arth yehi hau ki hum vivaah NAHIN KARENGE." Pratap said in a dangerously low voice.
Rani Jaiwanta Bai was very well aware of her son's nature. If he had said that he won't do the sagai then she knew that it would be a tough job for her to make him agree.
"Pratap, 9 varsh ho chuke hai us ghatna ko hue. Kitne din Pratap? Kitne din tak aap bite dino aur ghatnao ke saaye mein reh kar jiyenge? Aur kitne din aap apne aap ko sazaa denge uss ghatna ke liye jo 9 varsh pehle hua tha? Aap jaante hai Pratap ki aapki nahin thi koi galti fir kyun apne aap ko sazaa de rahein hai aap Pratap? Bhul jaiye Pratap unn baton ko, Bhul jaiye un saari ghatnao ko jo 9 varsh pehle hua tha, bhul jaiye Ajab..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Pratap who was till now listening everything silently with his back towards JB turned around and cut her off in the middle.
"Ruk jaiye Rani Maa. Aap aise keh bhi kaise sakti hai Rani Maa? Yeh aap bhi jaant hai aur hum bhi jaante hai ki jo aap keh rahi hai woh sambhaw nahin hai. Rani Maa aapne soch bhi kaise liya ki hum Ajabde ko bhul jaayenge, APNI Ajabde ko bhula paayenge hum. Kaise soch liya Rani Maa aapne? " He said with pain evident in his voice. How can his Rani Maa say that to him? Forgetting his Ajabde? It was like forgetting himself.
"Pratap..." JB tried to speak but was again interrupted but Pratap.
"Aap keh rahi hai hum bhul jaaye unn beeti baton ko? Aapk keh rehi hai ki hum bhul jaaye uss ghatna ko? Uss kaali raat ko? Uss har ek pal ko jo humne Ajabde ke saath kaati thi? Bhul jaaye Ajabde ko? Aap jaanti hai ki humarein liye Ajabde ko bhula paana asambhaw hai! " He said trying to sound as clear as he could. I was getting difficult for him to control the pool of tears which were ready to break out anytime.
"Haan Pratap, bhulna hoga aapko un saari baaton ko. Bhulna hoga un ghatnao ko. Bhulna hoga Ajabde ko aur uss haadse ko..."
"Galat keh rahi hai aap Rani Maa. Shadyantra. Haadsa nhin, shadyantra tha woh." Pratap said seething in anger. Somewhere there was hiding an emotion of being betrayed by his loved ones.
JB was blank. She didn't knew what to say. The truth can't be denied. But that doesn't mean he would spend his whole life like with the feeling of hatred towards his family and with the past shadowing him. No. That definitely was not done.
"Pratap. Humari baat suniye. Avashyak hai bhulaana aapke liye beeti baaton ko aur Ajabde ko." She said again trying her best to make him understand the siuation. The reality. Past is past.
"Kyun nahin asmajh paa rahi aap humari baat ko Rani Maa? Kyun?" Pratap literally screamed. "Yeh alag baat hai ki Ajabde ne humein diya hua apna vachan nahin nibhaya, yeh alag baat hai ki ve humein chod kar chali gayi, ye *and he chokes* yeh alag baat hai ki unhone ek baar bhi nahin socha ki unke jaane ke baad humara kya hoga..." And a drop of tear trickeld down from his eyes. Many other followed. The tears he had been trying to hold back so long had broken out. The pain was too much to be controlled, the anguish inexpressible.
"Parantu hum unhe KABHI BHULA NAHIN PAAYENGE Rani Maa." He completed.
JB couldn't see her son in pain. It was difficult for her too after all she also loved Ajabde and always thought her to be the ideal bahu and wife. But she knew that how important it was for him to move on.
"Pratp aap jaante hai na ki Ajabde kabhi nahin lautengi fir kyun? Kyun apne aapko itna dard de rahein hia aap? Jaante hai hum kitna prem kate the aap unse. Par iska arth yeh nahin hai ki aap jeewan bhar unhi ke yaad aur unhi ke dukh mein khoye reh jaaye." JB tried to make him understand.
She knew that how much he loved Ajabde. But when after that incident, Ajabde was no more with them; there had always been that feeling in her that it was just a childhood love. Pratap would soon forget it, maximum a year may be, and then he would move on. But as years went by she realized it wasn't only a childhood love. It was true love and something more than that. The bond they shared was beyond what she had thought it to be. The drastic change which she had seen in Pratap was shocking. She never ever expected Pratap to react in such a way to Ajabde's death. It was unbelievable.
"Pratap, samjhne ki koshish kijiye. Aa[ke liye yeh vivaah bohot avashyak hai. Aap ke Daajira bhi yehi chah..." before she could complete Pratap said in an angry tone "Achha toh yeh baat hai. Aap...aap daajiraj ke kehne par humse yeh sab baatein karne aayi hai. Rani Maa aap bhi. Sun lijiye aap Rani Maa. Humein koi farq nahin padta ki ve kya chahte hai ya humse kya apekshaayein rakhte hai. Aur yadi aap yeh soch rahi hai ki hum inki shaaririk sthiti ke baarein mein sun maan jayenge toh aap galat hai." Each and every word of his was clearly said as if he wanted to make it very clear to her. After all misconceptions should be cleared as fast as they could be.
JB was shocked. She was broken. She lost all hopes of getting back her son. In the last 9 years Pratap never had a good and proper conversation of 5 minutes with his father, except that accusation session. The gap in these father son relationship was too long and deep to be bridged. Her son literally hated her husband. HATED his once-beloved' Daajiraaj! The hatred which she saw in Pratap's eyes for her husband broke her to a thousand pieces. Where did that son of hers go, who used to be the ideal for every other Rajput, who always followed the path of justice, who had deep respect for his father? Where did that innocence in him go which was so catchy? Alas! Everything was finished! Her SON was no more. Her son had died there only along with his lady love...
"Rani Maa, ek aap hi reh gayi hai iss mehal mein jinka hum samman karte hai. Majboor mat kijiye humein ki aapke prati woh samman aap bhi kho baithe." Pratap said in a warning tone.
"Pratap, thande dimaag se sochiye. Aap jaante hai na ki yadi aapka vivaah nahin hus toh aap Mewar ke raaj singhasan par nahin baith paayenge? Aap...aap uttaradhikari hai Mewar ke...us singhansan ke. Rajputane ke sabse badhe, sabse vistrit aur sabse shaktishaali Rajya ka Singhasan unhi khaali nahin reh sakta. Aapke Daajiraj se akele nahin sambhala jaata itna bada rajya." JB made him aware of the gravity of the situation. Mewar, Rajputana's biggest and the most powerful state's throne needed someone powerful to rule the country, and Rana Uday Singh was definitely not anymore fit for it. Pratap Singh was the heir of and the rightful owner of the throne. Though from a certain point of view, it didn't matter who sat on the throne, even if it was Jagmaal. From the previous 7 years, Mewar was ruled by Pratap. It had been Chundawat ji supporting him all the while and helping him spreading his territory by attacking many states of Rajputana, thereby extending the boundaries of Mewar. Soon the army was known to be the unbeatable army as no one, no one could defeat his army once, be the opponent be stronger or weaker.
JB glanced at Pratap's face. It was clear that he would again say a no. With no option left to herself she tried the last thing which she could do.
"Aapko apni Rani Maa ki SAUGANDH, aap yeh viaah karenge."
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"Kunwar Pratap maan gaye?" Rani Dheer Bai Bhatiyaani asked JB, praying to hear a no in answer.
"Haan Jija bataiye na, kya ve maangaye?" Asked SB and badly hoped it to be a yes.
JB took a deep breath and finally answered "Haan. Ve maan gaye."
DB was shocked. She thought that it was going to be a NO as she was so sure that Pratap won't ever agree. That boy still madly loved Ajabde, that girl who was dead. Then how come he agreed? It must be one of JB's tricks. Great. That was all which was to be done. Pratap getting married and ascending to the throne of Mewar and ruling the most powerful rajya of the whole Rajputana. Whereas she and her good-for-nothing son would be watching him rule the Mewar, officially.
It was all her fault. She was such a fool to think that Jagmaal would sit on the throne of Mewar when it was so obvious that only Pratap will sit on it. She wanted to remove Pratap from her way but alas! When was God on her side? Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani knew that she had to do something before it's too late. And for that she needed to have some time alone and work on the conspiracies which she was very good at.
"Maaan gaye! Arrey Wah! Yeh toh bohot achhi baat hai! Hum jaakar yeh shubh samchaar Rana ji ko de aate hai." DB said pretending to be delighted by this news. She quickly hurried towards Rana Uday Singh's room.
"JIJAAA!!!!!!!!! Kunwar Pratap maan gaye?? Maan gaye ve? Sach keh rahi hai na aap Jija? Humein...humein to yakeen hi nahin hota ki ve maan gaye. Bata nahin sakte Jija ki aaj hum kitne Khush hai!!! Bohot Khush hai hum. Kitne dino se Mewar apne nayi Maha Rani ka intezaar kar raha tha! Aur unhe woh aakhir kaar milne waali hai! Hum Kunwar Pratap ke liye bohot Khush hai!" Sajja Bai said excitedly. She was really happy and delighted after hearing this good news. "Waise Jija, aap bura toh nahin maanengi yadi hum aapse yeh pooche ki Kunwar Pratap iss vivah ke liye maan kaise gaye?"
SB asked JB is hesitant yet curious tone.
"Sajja Bena, Kunwar Pratap to taiyyaar hi nahin the iss vivaah ke liye. Humne unhe bohot samjhaya ki unke liye aavashyak hai ki ve apne jeewan mein aage bade unn ghatnao aur Ajabde ko bhula kar. Parantu ve toh taiyaar hi nahin the. Ant mein humne humarein aakhri vikalp ko chuna. Humne unhe apni saugandh di hai. Kunwar Pratap maan toh gaye hai iss vivaah ke liye parantu..." JB said tensely.
"Parantu kya Jija?" Sajja asked with equal tesnsed expressions.
"Unhone kaha hai ki ve yeh vivaah sirf humare is saugandh kamaan rakhne ke liye karenge. Aur kuch nahin. Aur unhone...yeh bhi kaha hai ki hum unse koyi bhi apekshaayein na rakhe." JB said sadly.
"Yeh kya Jija? Yeh toh ivaah nahin...ek samjhauta hai!" SB said in a shocked as well as sad tone.
"Hum jaante hai Sajja bena. Par humare paas aur koyi vikalp bhi toh nahin bacha tha. Aur sach kahein Sajja Bena, humein pura vishwaas hai ki ek baar Kunwar Pratap ka vivaah ho jaaye toh ve fir se pehle jaise ho jaayenge. Bhula paayenge Ajabde ko aur apne jeewan ek naye sire se shuru kar paayenge. Sabhi punha(once again) uss pratap ko dekh paayenge jo har putra ke liye ek aadarsh tha, aadarsh tha woh har ek Rajput ka, chahein woh sanskaar ki drishti se ho ya vyavahaar ke drishti se. Humein humara khoya hua putra waapas mil jaayega!
Purna vishwaas hai humein ki ve unka jeewan khushiyon se bhar dengi. Ve phir se Pratap ko sikha paayengi jeena. Ve Pratap ki berang si jeewan ko ek baar phir ujwal rangon se bhar degi.Hum jaantehai ki AAKRITI humarein adhoore se putra ko pura kar dengi!" Maharani Jaiwanta Bai said withhopefulness. She wished each and every word of hers came true.
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