CoS 27- SAVIOUR

I was taken back for the last time for the day.

A letter arrived in Gauhar Jaan’s name. It was from Akbar.

“Agar tumhe Pratap ko marna mushkil lag raha hai toh wapas laut jao aur apna pran de do warna hum hi tumhe saza-e-maut de denge”

Reading this she was surprised on how the Mughal ruler doubted her skills. After reading this she knew what to do. Her game was on.

Gauhar Jaan began her work. She decided to hiss Pratap during his practice hours when he would be busy and she would bite him as a snake.

As usual Pratap practiced his skills in the morning, almost in dark. According to the plan Gauhar Jaan reformed herself to a snake and slithered to Pratap. And then bite him and ran way.

He soon fell and became unconscious. Ajabde who was practicing secretly heard the noise of the falling of number of swords and came running to the arena to only find her Pratap on the ground.

Immediately soldiers were called and he was taken to the room where the royal doctor was called. He checked and lost hopes and said only miracle would help. Any miracle could only cure him. This broke all the hearts.

Ajabde was broken the most. She hadn’t expected all this to happen at the beginning of their love life. Only this she could do was to think of ways to keep him awake and wait for a miracle.

She decided to read out his favourite stories after consoling all the elders and had them to sleep. She read one by one different stories.

“……Bappa Rawal ne bhi apni sahas dikhayi……”

“……Rana Kumbha ne Bharat ka sabse bada diwaar banaya……”

“……Rana Sangha hi ek paw ke bina hi sainkdo yudh jeet te gaye……”

“……Rana Udai Singh ne bhi Afghano ko nahi choda, veh bhi unko apne mathrubhoomi se dakelne mein safal rahe……”

Kunwar Pratap agla apka naam hai

Magar yeh bara nahi hai

Apko kuch karna hi hai jis se apke baare mein apke aane wali peedi jaan sake

Iske liye apko pehle uthna padega

Phir thik hona padega

Phir hi aap kuch kar payenge

One after other she read the stories and the last one was Meera ma’s story.

“……Jitna prem Meera ma Giridha Gopal se karti thi……utna hi hum bhi apse prem karte hai……”

Yeh toh aphi ne hume kaha tha

Aur apne yeh bhi toh kaha tha na ki aap hamesha humare sath humare paas rahenge

Toh phir…toh phir aap yeh vishwas ghat kyu kar rahe hai

Hume toh laga ki aap apna vachan nibhate hai

Magar yeh dekh  yahi lagta hai ki aap ne joh vachan hume diya woh nibha nahi rahe hai

Sun lijiye humari baat

Sun lijiye

Aapko uthna padega

Uth jayiye na

Humare liye hi utha padega

Humare liye uth jayiye na

Ek aur baat

Humne yeh kabhi kisi se nahi kaha hai

Apke bina hum adhure hai

Bikul ahure

Aap humare premi nahi jeewan sathi hai

Hum apse meera ma se bhi adhik prem karte hai

Uss din hi hume apse pre ho  gaya jis din humne apko mele mein dekha

Uthiye na humare katir

Kunwar Pratap agar apko kuch ho gaya toh samjh lijiye ki hum iss Dharti par nahi….

Ajabde felt a strong pull which made her turn to him. His appealing eyes said not to continue further. She was happy that he had atleast gained conscious. After the check by the doctor, he informed that a special detoxifying medicine has to be got from the baba in Bijolia.

Ajabde left Phool in charge of Pratap and went to get the medicine.

In a hurry burry, the medicine spilled by she did not lose hope, she soaked it with her dupatta and applied it on him. She made sure he was kept awake.

After continuous taking care, he was cured. He was weak but was out of danger. Ajabde made sure he was fit again. She made food for him with her hands and fed him every day. She did the patti time to time. She applied the leap regularly.

Medicines were fed by her. She took care of him without taking care of herself. It was as if he was her life, her heart and everything for her. All were surprised to see Ajabde taking care of him like this. Phool revealed their feelings for one other.

Udai Singh saw how much Ajabde loved Pratap and how much she took care of him and decided to proceed to Mewar with Ajabde to check upon the different thing for their marriage.

After Pratap got well, the royal family along with Ajabde and Phool left for Chittor.

The book got me back and that was it for the day. The day’s course was over. Somehow I had to pass my time. But I did not have anything to do.

Instead of wasting my time wrote the diary entry and had my dinner. After having seen television I went to sleep and waited for new day to dawn.