Wanderers Chapter 4- Future Planning

He reached Rana Punja.

“Rana Punja ji…”

“Kunwarsa aap yaha…koi avashyakata hai kya??”

“Ji…Ji…hum yaha apse kuch baat karne hi aaye the”

“Kunwarsa joh kehna hai bejijak kahiye”

“Punja ji baat yeh hai ki hum toh Chittor gava chuke hai…”

“Haan Kunwarsa”

“Aur humare saare sainik aur sab kuch koh chuke hai…”

“Kunwarsa ab kya karna hai hume??”

“Toh hume lagta hai ki agar hum apna takat baadayenge toh hum uss gaayar Mughal ka mukhabla kar sakte hai”

“Haan Kunwarsa yeh hi sahi baat hai”

“Parantu hume samaj hi nahi aa rahi thi ki hum kya kare aur isi kaaran hum apke paas aaye”

“Kunwarsa agar aisi baat hai toh Mewar humara bhi ghar hai aur humari matrubhumi…toh hume bhi iske liye kuch karna hai…aur isliye hum humare Bhilo ko apko dete hai taki aap unke sath ek sena bana sake”

“Magar Punja ji…”

“Kunwarsa samajh lijiye ki yeh matrubhumi ke liye humara yogdaan”

“Rana Punja hume samajh nahi aata hi hum aapko dhayawad kaise de”

“Kunwarsa aap dhayawad aise deh de…aap baisa ke saat sham ke Utsav mein aa jayiye”

“Punja ji hum aa jayenge”

“Dhanyawad Kunwarsa”

Pratap went back only to find Ajabde getting ready. He did not know the reason. He had no idea so as to why she was wearing her jewellery and making her hair. He kept looking at her. After few minutes he broke the silence.

“Ajabde…”

“Aap kab aaye??”

“Hum toh kab ka aa gaye the magar aap toh apne shringar mein vyasth thi aur hume dekha bhi nahi”

He notices her hand not able to wear the neck piece when he volunteers.

“Ajabde…kya hum apki sahayatha kar de??”

“Nahi Kunwar Pratap iski avashyakata nahi hai”

“Thik hai…toh hum chalte hai”

He told that he would go away but he was not moving from there waiting for her to ask for help. After struggling for a while she gave up.

“Kunwar Pratap…”

“Aapne bulaya kya??”

“Ji…”

“Kya hua Ajabde”

“Wo..oh Kya aap sahayatha kar denge??”

“Apke liye kuch bhi”

“Dhanyawad Kunwarsa”

It was all a reason to go close to her. His hands after making her wear the neck piece moved on her face and reached her eyes. She was just wishing that somehow this stops. The hut was open and so as the giggles of the ladies made Pratap move away.

Soon all the ladies rushed inside to talk to their warrior as well as favourite Kunwarani. Pratap slipped out taking the opportunity while all the Bhil women caught hold of her and fired her with questions.

“Kunwaranisa…”

“Kakisa aap hume Ajabde hi pukar sakti hai aur waise bhi…”

“Kunwaranisa agar hum Kunwarsa ko Kunwarsa kar pukarte hai toh hum aapko bhi kunwaranisa kehkar hi toh pukarenge”

“Magar aap humare liye maa ke samaan hai aur aap humse badi bhi hai”

“Kunwaranisa humse yeh nahi hoga”

“Toh samjh lijiye ki yeh Mewar ke Kunwarani ka hukum hai”

“Aagya ka palan toh app karenge na aap??”

“Ji”

“Toh kijiye aur hume Ajabde hi pukariyega”

“Joh aagya Kun..Ajabde”

“Waise Ajabde aaj yaha ek Utsav hai aur apko ismein zaroor aana hoga”

“Joh aagya kakisa”

“Ab hum chalte hai aur waise bhi hum sab ko bhojan banana hai”

“Kakisa agar aisi baat hai toh hum bhi apke sath chalte hai aur bhojan banayenge”

“Nahi Ajabde aap vishram kijiye hum sambal lenge”

“Kakisa hum apke yaha reh rahe hai aur hume lagta hai ki humara bhi kartavya hai ki hum aapki madath kare”

“Aapse toh koi nahi jeet sakta”

They proceed to the kitchen to cook for the afternoon meals. Ajabde made Kheer, Pratap’s favourite for all. She lent a helping hand to all the women to cook every dish.

With all the women she too dressed simple brought all the dishes one after other and all the wives started serving their husbands. One after the other she served everything.

Calling over and over again to serve was just a reason to hold Ajabde’s hand and look into her eyes while others were busy with eating. Memories refreshed by this.

A visit to Jallore was a very good one. After resting for a while, both decided to have a visit to the heart of the city and the mela taking place there. It was quite far from the palace so they had to take a cart and reach there.

By the time they reached the place it was afternoon and they planned to skip lunch and reach the palace early. Water fell on their plan. They were so engrossed in looking at the fair that they never realized that it was almost evening and no one will drop them by palace.

It was not an easy task to reach palace by foot, the dense forest and the darkness made the job tough. They preplanned that they will look for a place in the city and stay there for the night and reach palace with the day will dawn.

They were searching for a place to stay for the night when an old lady called them.

“Suniye…”

“Ji”

“Kya aap dono ka vivaah abhi abhi hua hai??”

“Haan magar…”

“Toh chaliye…hum jante hai ki aap yaha Jalore ghumne aaye honge”

“Haan kaki”

“Chaliye chaliye”

The old lady took them to her house where they were shown their room and were given food vessels and plates for both. Ajabde decided to serve for Pratap and then serve for her and have her dinner.

Pratap being hungry kept asking for a second serving. Ajabde too kept giving when asked. But his motive changed soon. He kept asking for second and third serving, he held her hand and stared into her eyes. She was too late to realise all this thus left him to do anything. She just wanted him to finish quickly. But suddenly the old lady entered and was surprised to see this.

“Ehu Ehu…”

They just moved away.

“Beta bhojan ho gaya??”

“Nahi kaki…”

“Toh jab ho jayega yeh sab de dena mujhe”

“Ji kaki”

She left them alone and he resumed eating.

After men had their food, women had. Men reached the strategy room and decided to plan to protect their motherland, Mewar from foreign invasion.