Friendship, Love, & War Author's Note updated pg 97 - Page 35

Originally posted by: crazy-for-praja

Ruva darling!🤗I know i am late and i have no excuses as of now!😛But each update of your was just outstanding!👏⭐️Love every bit of it!😳❤️Do continue soon.😉

Hi Ramya!! No need for excuses either! 😉😃

Am just glad to have you back here! 🤗

Thank you so much for liking the updates!😳 Hope you continue to read and review! 😃

Lots of love,

RuVa

Hello brilliant people!! 😃

I'm here with the next update for Friendship, Love, & War. It is a single chapter and event though it is not very long, I could not update it with the next chapter as together they would be too long. I'm hoping to post the next chapter soon though! Till then, please read and review! 😊

Chapter 41

Pratap looked at her, once again, with an expression that she could not decipher, but thought was a mix of surprise, uncertainty, and confusion, and answered, "He said, Looks like you both have already started practicing for the play' ". Ajab's eyes went wide.

A fraction of a second later so did Pratap's and they exclaimed, "Aks!"- "Akbar!" simultaneously.

Five hours later

Pratap walked into the audition hall all set for a confrontation. He didn't know what Akbar was thinking, but he was definitely going to find out. Upon entering the hall however, Pratap's mouth ran dry - and that was not a reaction that he gave very often.

He had envisioned a practice session with Ajab, Akbar, and himself. He had NOT anticipated the presence of over ten other students, all rushing about looking like they belonged there. Some carried pieces of cardboard, others carries foil, lights, lamps... you name it. In addition to these students, were also, his friends - Som, Chak, Ven, Sau, Patta, Phool... They were ALL here.

This did not feel like a simple practice session. This had the distinct feel of the actual play, with the audience. Pratap was seriously starting to reconsider his decision to be a part of this crazy idea of Akbar's when he heard it - the distinct, delicate sounds of a payal - well of someone moving about, who was wearing a payal. Even amidst the chaos on stage, he had a strange feeling that he already knew who was walking around wearing anklets. Ajab.

He had only crossed half the length of the hall, when he noticed everyone on the stage seemed to get some signal or cue and everyone disappeared from the stage, the lights in the hall dimmed to the minimum, so much so that it was a little difficult for Pratap to see his own feet, and everything went completely quiet. He heard the sound of the anklets getting closer to the stage and instinctively looked up just as a soft light lit up the whole stage with the beautiful pink and orange hues of early morning light. In the centre of the stage, he could see a life-like cutout of a tulsi vrindavan.

Then, he heard her bhajan ring through the hall - the one his Maa sa, and she, sang everyday. Her voice left him frozen to the spot. But when she walked onto the stage, she took his breath away.

She was not dressed in the usual gray and white school uniform he had seen her in this afternoon, nor in her casuals. She was dressed in a long flowing light blue lehenga-choli, he thought they were called. Her hair were swept to one side, long and shining in the soft light. She wore simple blue and gold bangles in her hand, which added a soft tinkling sound of their own as she walked with an aarti thaal in her hand, looking for all the world, a Princess. Beautiful, graceful, and poised. He was sure that she had draped the same blue and gold dupatta around herself which she was wearing the first time they met in the Dubai mall.

As he watched, she circled around the Vrindavan twice, put down her puja thaali, and poured water from the copper jug in her thaal. She then folded her hands and continued to sing her bhajan, like this was the most natural thing for her to do.

Pratap stood there mesmerised. He did not even realise when his own hands had folded in prayer, listening to Ajab's bhajan.

A moment later, or may be it was more, Pratap couldn't be sure, he heard Akbar's voice ring through the hall - "Excellent Dee!"

He broke out of his trance to see that the hall lights were back on, and Ajab was standing still in the middle of the stage, this time looking a little disbelievingly at her surroundings while Akbar walked out of the wings towards her, looking excited.

"See? Didn't I tell you? You are going to be completely fine doing this...", Aks was saying.

But Ajab was not listening. She had just caught sight of Pratap standing near the first few rows for the audience, looking at her with a soft expression. She couldn't help the blush that rose up from her neck, to her cheeks, making her feel warmer than she felt a moment ago.

"Kunwarsa!", Aks exclaimed. "You are here! Finally!"

"Er..." Pratap started hoarsely, cleared his throat, and then tried again. "Urm.. yes...?"

He wasn't sure why he was answering with a question - it was not like he wasn't there. It was just that he couldn't really get his eyes to focus on anyone else other than Ajab.

"Ookkaayyy...", Phool spoke up, Pratap thought from somewhere to his right, but he couldn't be sure,

"Why are you saying that like it's questionable?", she asked with amusement.

"Did the Kunwarani leave you speechless Kunwarsa?", Akbar asked his voice full of amusement and Pratap thought, with double entendre.

He saw Ajab's eyes go wide at that statement and he broke out of their intense eye contest to finally look at Akbar with a displeased expression. "Urm.. no... it's.. it's not that...", Pratap said, but his voice didn't even sound convincing to himself.

Akbar's disbelievingly raised eyebrows were indication enough of the same.

"It's just.. it's just that... I didn't expect to see so many people here... that's all...", he said, trying to sound a little more confident.

"Oh!", Phool said. "Well this is the dramatics team! Akbar said we should start putting one together because this play will take a lot of effort. For starters, it is a historical/period drama - I mean, play. Just that itself entails costumes, jewellery, sets - everything mostly - of a different kind."

"Yeah Bhaujiraaj... these are all the people who agreed to come and help us on first notice", Chak added smiling.

"And look! Phool and I managed to bring a costume for Ajabdeh too!", Sau added.

"But we don't yet have a costume for you, Bbhaujiraaj...", Ven said, looking a little disappointed.

"We tried - but couldn't find an appropriate one on such short notice", Som and Patta said looking like they were disappointed in themselves.

"Never mind though! We do have your opening scene planned out!", Akbar said, with a smile that Pratap thought was supposed to be reassuring to him.

"Yes! Bhaujiraaj, it is such a dhamaakedaar scene!", Chak said excitedly. "So you don't think this introductory scene for Ajabdeh is impressive?", Sau asked looking at him challengingly.

"What?! No! Yes..! I mean...wha..", Chak sputtered.

Phool and Sau burst out laughing and Ajab's face broke into a smile. Seeing her, Pratap smiled too.

"Arrey.. it's okay.. I was just joking", Sau said to Chak, with a smile. Chak's expression cleared, giving way to a smile, as well.

"Yeah... we know that Kunwarsa's entry has to be completely different from Dee's", Akbar added.

"Of course!", said Phool, "Ajabdeh is a princess of Bijolia. She is supposed to be kind, and graceful, beautiful and helping. He's the beloved Prince of Mewar. A warrior of renown. So Akbar's script really does his character justice, I think."

"I agree with you Phool. And Pratap will do his character equal justice", Ajab spoke up for the first time since Pratap's arrival. She spoke to Phool but her eyes had wandered over to Pratap again.

Pratap smiled. He wasn't feeling quite so nervous about being able to do this part anymore.

In fact, one might even say, he was looking forward to it.




So, what did you guys think? I hope you guys can see why this chapter needed to end here... 😕


Love and creativity,
RuVa

Ruva my love

Hey Ruva !!!!!

I love this update Ruva!!!
Any such update brings a my PrAja memories back
It brought a smile to my face ❤️
Update soon! 😛

Originally posted by: twilightlover29

Ruva my love

Your update brought back memories of the show when everything was amazing

Ohhh loved how both of them said Aks-Akbar's name together as they realised they have a play to do

Pratap is looking forward to it...Arey now that Ajab has shown confidence in him he would do everything

Absolutely loved it and don't worry about it being small I personally believe that your chapter length does justice to the content and if you try to stretch it or shrink it then it loses the charm

Looking forward for the next one

And am first!!!!!

Thank you so much Garima, my firstie, for your kind words 🤗! Am so glad that I could bring back such memories for you... I feel really humbled knowing that you like their simultaneous exclamations!😳
Haan, now Pratap will be confident in doing almost anything 😊

Am so happy that you felt the chapter length was appropriate! 😃

Update coming right up!

Love,
RuVa

Originally posted by: Annei123

Hey Ruva !!!!!

Ur ff is awesome 👏

Loved Ajabde's entry scene 😳

Waiting for Praja romance 😳

Do update soon 😃

Thank you so much sweetie!

Am so happy that you enjoyed it so much! 😳

Update coming right up! 😊

Love,
RuVa