Wherever You Stray, I Follow (Kunwar Pratap/Ajabde [PrAja])

27//~rutho jo tum~

The guest room bed was a gazillion times more comfortable than the armchair he had been sleeping on for the past few days but sleeping here was not the same as sleeping in his room, even if it was on the armchair.

The morning went by fast. Too fast. There was nothing interesting about this morning.

He did not have to scrounge through every last drawer in the vanity to find his comb amongst the mounds of makeup and tools Ajabde stored in the too-small vanity.

A pair of kurta and dhoti was simply delivered to his room rather than opening the cupboard and everything falling out on him.

He also did not have to sit there for thirty minutes helping Ajabde decide which lehenga she should wear and which jewelry would go with it.

And of course, there was no fighting for the mirror.

Life was utterly and completely boring.

~-~-~

Everything in his day had been delayed now despite the easy and fast morning because now, he needed to go find Chakrapani and ask him for advice. He found his friend in one of the temples within the fort.

"Bhavjiraj? Aap aur mandir mein? Kya koi hriday parivartan ho gaya hain?" Chakrapani asked as soon as he stepped into the temple.

"Khamma Ghani, Bhavjiraj," Saubhagyvati greeted.

"Ghani Khamma, Saubhagyavati," Kunwar Pratap returned.

"Aur aapko bhi Ghani Khamma, Chakrapani," the prince added sarcastically.

"Khamma Ghani, Khamma Ghani, Bhavjiraj. Voh hum aise ashchariyachakit reh gaye aapko mandir mein dekhke ki hume bhan hi nahi raha,"

"Voh sab chhodiye," Kunwar Pratap said. "Hume aapse bohoth hi mahatvapurna vishay mein baat karni hain,"

"Bhabhisa ke vishay mein?" Chakrapani asked with a teasing smile.

"Aapko kaise pata?" he asked in surprise.

"Ab vivaah ke baad pati patni-"

"Mitra. Keval mitra hain humari. Humne koi vivah nahi kiya, yeh to keval samjhota hain," Kunwar Pratap corrected.

Chakrapani nodded, knowing better than to argue with the (sometimes delusional) prince.

"Thik hain, thik hain. Aapki mathe ki lakiro se gyat hota hain ki vishay gambhir hain," Chakrapani said.

"Haan wahi to. Veh humse rusht hain aur baat nahi kar rahi humse," Kunwar Pratap said.

"Ajabde aapse rusht kyun hain bhala?" Saubhagyavati asked him.

"Ab thoda sa gussa ho gaya hoga humse. Kintu baat bhi ussne gusse dilanewali hi ki thi. Phir bhi, krodh adhik hi ho gaya tha," Kunwar Pratap admitted.

"Aur humne teh kar liya tha ki jab tak veh kshama nahi mangti humse hum bhi baat nahi karenge par kshama to door door ki baat hain, unhone to humse sidhe moo baat bhi nahi ki. Hume humare hi kuksh se nikal diya. Aur utna hi nahi. Kal bhojan mein keval ek hi Gulab Jamun diya hume aur baaki sab ko teen teen," Kunwar Pratap complained.

Chakrapani and Saubhagyavati giggled after hearing this but upon Kunwar Pratap's stern glare, they attempted to get their giggling under control.

"Ab pichhli baar veh ek phool se maan gayi thi. Par iss baar, hum kitne saare phool leke gaye phir bhi nahi maani," Kunwar Pratap added.

"Hmm, hume koi aur marg dhoondna hoga Bhavjiraj. Yadhi veh eetni rusht hain to phoolo se toh nahi manegi," Chakrapani said. 

An idea formed in Kunwar Pratap's head and he turned to Saubhagyavati.