SMALL TALK
AN OS ON BAJI - KASHI
Good day everyone! I am SenAnu, or simply Anu and an ardent fan of the show and the life of Peshwa Bajirao.
I have been following the show since its initiation and was regularly involved In the forum too, but owing to contstant examinations in school and a little toll on my health I had to restrict myself to watching the show and keeping the excitement to myself only :P
But now I have received the opportunity to be with all of you and I would like to dedicate this OS to all the IF members associated with the forum of Peshwa Bajirao :)
The OS follows the aftermath of the Devadasi Pratha- Abolishing Temple incident which involved Bajirao I and his wife Kashi Bai in one of the recent episodes of Peshwa Bajirao, in the form of a conversation.
I do hope you enjoy it and do review if you did so :)
P.S. This is completely a work of fiction. The intention is not to hurt anyones sentiments but if I have done so, kindly forgive me :)
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SMALL TALK
"Swami Ji, if I learn that another girl or woman is forced to come into this profession by either you or her parents, I am sorry to say, but I will have to take stricter action."
Bajiraos words echoed across the marble walls of the temple as the crowd stood at its feet looking at their Peshwa's eldest son with divinity and towards the temple priests with feelings of dejection.
The head of the priests, the Swami, looked at his disciples. From all came the same silent response, to get out of there without further banter as fast as they could.
The swami turned and left, while Baji let the little girl go back to her parents, now a free human.
"I dont understand, " he spoke to the crowd gathered there, "That why you need to do such things. If your daughter wants to serve the God herself, then it is a separate question. But you must'nt force her! In such a way, neither she nor the god will be pleased. Your work is the only thing that can either appease or anger the God. You all must remember this for the rest of your lives. It is only then that our country can stand on its feet."
The crowd looked empowered, aroused.
"HAR HAR MAHADEV!" They yelled.
"HAR HAR MAHADEV!" Came the response from the tall, fair and well built Bajirao.
As the crowd proceeded with their rituals, Bajirao turned to his side.
She stood there, silently, with teary eyes looking straight up at him. He couldnt gauge her expression; she was smiling, but at the same time she had tears... what was going on?
"Kashi?" He asked solemnly.
Kashi broke out of her trance. She wiped her tears and looked down and smiled.
The petite woman looked so easy from the outside, but inside her, the emotions were worse than the turmoil of wind in a storm.
She was scared at first when Bajirao began retorting against the priests, but with each word of his, her pride and joy knew no bounds. It was true, whatever he said was true, but what was even better was his attitude towards the importance of woman in society. He was the only man after her father whom she knew of thinking about women in the same way, and she couldnt be happier.
If only, if only he realised the importance of the woman in his life too.
She kept her thoughts aside and looked up at him again.
"Uh,Rao... I will proceed towards the temple. Please come with me."
"You go, Ill join in later."
Kashi felt upset, but she knew, there was a way to get him to come along with her.
"Rao, one should never leave a temple without a prayer. If not yourself, you should atleast pray for the well being of others."
Rao smiled and nodded after a moment. He asked Kashi to lead the way and followed her to the Shiva ling.
--
Kashi folded her hands and murmured her prayer. But she was constantly pierced with the presence of her Rao beside her. It was not very often that she got him by her side physically.
Kashi opened her eyes a little and turned towards him.
So serene, for once atleast. He looked calm and at peace.
Kashi, she could give her life for him. When had she fallen for him, she had no clue. But for all she knew, the Kashi who once hated her husband, could not imagine herself now without his side.
She quickly closed her eyes again and Bajirao flinched and moved. How she had to hide herself from him.
The two opened their eyes a while later and completed the other rituals. Before leaving, Baji turned to the priest and said,
"Swami Ji, wont you make any prediction about anything this time?"
The priest smiled. Everytime Bajirao had come to the temple, he had made a prediction or a suggestion which had turned out to be true. It was the only superstition Bajirao believed in, solely because it gave him huge upper hand for all his wars.
"You and your wife have come here for the first time together, isn't it?" The Swami asked.
Baji turned to look at a blushing Kashi and nodded.
"As for now," the Swami said, "I can only predict, that the two of you are to very happy for a long time to come. Just dont leave each others side, thats it."
Kashi looked at the Swami with a bright beaming face and immense joy. What she had head sounded no less than the words of God to her.
"I will never leave her side," Bajirao said proudly and thanking the Priest, turned to move out of the temple.
Kashi touched the priests feet and walked behind Bajirao.
Bajis words resounded within her soul.
He said he would not leave her. But for that, he had to be with her first...
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The palki carrying Kashi moved at par with Bajirao walking beside it on foot. Baji had a horse, but he didnt like to be like that in front of his wife. After all, she was his ardhangini, and his being on foot would show their equal importance to the whole world.
"Kashi," he spoke all of a sudden, "What did you pray for?"
Kashi was startled at this attitude of his. He had initiated a conversation!
"Uh...Nothing.. Actually you shouldn't reveal it.."
Bajirao smiled and replied,
"Oh, very well then. No worries.."
Kashi smiled but realised what she had done. She closed her eyes and cursed herself.
"Oh Kashi! What an absolute idiot you are! Its the first time he talked with you from his side and you just killed the conversation?! You..."
But now she had to think of a way to get back to him. And being the smart girl she was, she did.
"Uh, Rao... What did you pray for?"
Baji looked at her in question.
"But you just said we cant reveal it right?"
Kashi flabbered.
"Ye...Yes but... Husbands can tell their wives.. If they want..."
Baji smiled.
"I prayed for the well being of my country and all its people. I prayed for peace, equality, truth and..."
"And?" an anxious Kashi asked.
"And.. thats about it. Yes, thats it."
Kashi, who till now was peeping out of her Palki like a little girl moved back in. She wanted to hear her name, but her wishes remained unfulfilled.
"Kashi," Baji spoke again, making her look out at him, erasing all the sadness which existed just a few moments ago, "I said what I prayed for. And If A husband can tell his wife his wishes, Im pretty sure God wont be upset if a wife speaks of her wishes to her husband. Come on, you tell me now."
Wife. To listen to that word meant the world to Kashi. She was HIS wife, and he asserted it proudly.
Kashi blushed again.
"Rao, I prayed for peace in the country, the well being of my family and..."
"And?" He asked.
"And your well being. "
Baji looked at her and smiled and went back to looking ahead again. His facial expression however, changed from a happy one to a confused one.
A pile of questions built inside Kashi. Had she been too expressive of her love? Had she sounded possessive? Oh god, such a trouble thing this human mind was !
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The whole way, neither Baji nor Kashi had spoken a single word.
They reached home and walked into their room after speaking of all the incidents to Radha Bai, Bajis mother, who was not so pleased with what had happened at the temple. After all, she was the Peshwin Bai, and though deep in her heart she knew what Baji had done was right, she couldn't push herself to go beyond the norms of Society.
As Baji left after the conversation with his mother, Radha Bai turned to Kashi and said,
"Child, I want you to take control of his thoughts now."
"But.."
"I know, I sound wrong. But trust me, this is for his betterment itself. If he learns to work according to what the world says, he will learn the truth of the society faster. My son still lives in a made up world. I want you to bring him out of it. "
"But Aai Saheb, how?"
Radha Bai smiled and went back to sit in her chair.
"Kashi, If I tell you everything, how will you get to know him better?"
Before she could retort, she heard a voice from the upper floor, and perhaps her room.
"KASHI!"
Kashi looked up and saw Baji calling her for something.
"Go," Radha Bai said but before that Kashi was already running up.
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"Yes Rao?" she panted and said.
Baji was sitting on edge of the bed and said,
"Sorry, I just wanted some turmeric. I got hurt on my back during the war and the cut has worsened a bit..."
"Rau!" She yelled and ran to get the turmeric. She brought it and sat next to Baji.
"Where did you get hurt? Show me."
"No, its fine. Im good, just give it to me."
Kashi welled up but controlled herself.
"Rao, I will not listen to whatever you say every time. I need to see where you got hurt."
Baji turned around with his back facing her and exposed the nape of his neck to her.
"Look, somewhere there. The enemy struck me with an arrow but..."
Baji stopped when he felt Kashis hand on his wound. So subtle, yet so comforting. He wasnt used to such touches, and moved a little ahead.
"What happened Rao?" Kashi asked.
"Nothing. Ill do it myself, please."
Kashi could not take it anymore. She thought Baji didnt like her. She broke down inside and thumping the turmeric bowl on a table beside the bed was walking out the room when, she felt a hand tug her back.
Kashi turned to see Baji standing there behind her with a strong look on his face.
"Where are you going Kashi?" he asked softly.
Kashi was furious. First, he told her to go away and now he was asking where she was going?! What was wrong with this guy?
"Rao! Im going out.. You can everything yourself right? You dont need me, do you?"
"When did I say that?" Baji immediately responded . "I didnt tell you to go out."
Kashi stood there quietly, as confused as ever.
"Kashi," Baji said, "You only prayed for my well being right? Then why do you not want me to do this myself? Im fine only right?"
Kashi came a few steps closer to him and looked at him with crystal clear eyes. Her eyes spoke volumes more than what her lips did, but the other pair of eyes read them very slowly.
"Rao, I prayed for your safety, security and most importantly, happiness. If I do something for you, does it not make you happy? I mean, you can tell me, I wont have a problem. "
Baji realised that there was much more to the woman who was standing in front of him than that could catch the eye.
He made Kashi sit softly next to him on Their bed and he sat next to her. Kashi was surprised at all this, but she enjoyed every moment of it.
"What happened Kashi?"
Kashi spoke after a pause.
"Rao, Aai Saheb is not liking you going against the these traditions and ..."
"I know Kashi..
"And even I dont. You know you are risking your life doing such things right?
"Kashi, I do. But dont you think what I did was right? Did you see the smile on the girls face afterwards?
"I did Rao, she said tired from the argument, "I felt proud and happy. But you..
"Kashi, you must give away your fear about me. You know I am a soldier and.."
She was irritated now.
"Rao, how can you ask me to give away my fears about you just like that?! I down fear for anything else in this world, I fear only for you.. because.."
"Because?"
Kashi looked down. How could she? How could she express her love in front of someone who she knew would never respond to her?
"Kashi, because ?"
Kashi met his eyes. She had to. Even if it led to him never talking to her for the rest of her life.
"Because I love you."
Baji heard her words, and FELT them. For the first time in his life, he felt what it meant to be loved. Though his feeling was different, he did.
"Even I love you Kashi," he said.
Kashi's eyes blinked and then opened into the shape of a beautiful dove. She let the warm tears fall and smiled. Her heart beat faster and she clasped her fingers together .
Kashi got up from the bed and standing next to a painted portrait of the two, she looked down, blushing redder than ever.
"Even I do Kashi," Baji said in the same position, "Its just that I cant express it. But Im sure you understand it, do you?"
Kashi turned to look at him and nodded.
" I do."
"Thank you Kashi, he responded.
And that was how with just a small talk, the two found themselves in a new ocean of love, a new beginning that would make them eternal in the pages of history.
v
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