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

14//~abandoned temple~

Mein hoon tumhari hai
Tumhara yeh mera jeevan

Tumko hi dekhon mein
Dekhun koi darpan

Bansi ban jaungi
in hooton ki ho jangui

In sapno se jalthal
Hai mera mann angan

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

He heard the sound before he saw anything. The sound was distant but it held the power to bring back so many memories. Memories of him and his Ranima living their best life. Of the time when he was close to his Dajiraj and they sat together to eat as a family.

And then Ranima had left. One day out of nowhere, she had left the palace leaving behind all materialistic possessions, relationships, and...him.

She took with her the meaning of his life and gave him her sake to never attempt to see her again. He had felt so empty without his Ranima and while he clutched onto the emptiness, everything else disappeared.

chham. chham. chham.

He heard the sound of anklets once again, unmistakeably his Ranima's. She had finally returned!

His cheeks broke out into a wide grin as tears of joy poured out of his eyes. He sprinted toward the direction of the sound, tripping over his own feet multiple times in the process.

"Ma! Aap laut ke aa gayi? Ranima!" he called out with an almost childish excitement

The sound was no longer as distant, he was so so close to Ranima that his heart was pounding against his chest. Kunwar Pratap looked around and yet no sign of her. Finally, he spotted her near the set of pillars.

Oh, the joy he felt seeing her back in her original clothes clad with jewelry looking truly prosperous. His heart had broken into so many pieces when he had seen her in the attire of a sannyasin.

"Ma!" he screamed expecting her to turn around, her face matching his happiness, and hold him to her chest but she didn't. She kept walking away from him.

He resumed running and this time she did too, actively trying to get away from him. A huge knot twisted in his stomach at the idea of not being fast enough and losing her again.

CHHAM. CHHAM. CHHAM.

"MAA!!" Kunwar Pratap yelled. He was this close...just a few feet away when a curtain blew into his face. Kunwar Pratap frantically moved the curtain away but the two seconds he had spent on that were enough for his Ranima to disappear again.

"MAAA! RANIMA!" he called again searching around frantically to no use. She was gone. Again.

"Kaha ho aap. Na khelo humare saath khel!" he tried desperately hoping against hope for a reply in return letting him know that she was just teasing him but it never came.

The sound of her anklets had dissipated completely. He couldn't even hear them faintly.

Suddenly, it was all too much to bear for him. He sagged in defeat and sunk to the floor. The tears of happiness had quickly turned back to bitter tears.

Why did life always play games with him? Why did she come so close only to leave again?

He went to his room completely broken and torn. She was so close, he could have had her back but she had gone again. Left him. His Ranima was gone.

His eyes fell on the jug filled with madira and with a surge of anger, he got up and chugged the jug not caring that he was making a mess. He commanded the servants to bring him another one.