Eternal Love

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Rana Udai Singh had made up his mind. It was now or never for them. His sons were trapped in the fort, maybe captured, he feared.
" Raoji, get the forces ready, we have to lead an attack at dawn."
" But Ranaji, we don't know anything about them yet. I think we should wait for Baojiraj..."
" Enough! They were stupid enough to do this, now you are supporting them?" He shouted displeased.
" Hukum, the forces will be ready to leave by dawn." He left the tent in a hurry. Something told him this was not a good move.

Pratap moved swiftly up a corridor to the second floor. Rawatji followed him as Chakrapani and Shakti watched over them. Pratap couldn't help but notice the corridors and halls guarded by such less amount of soldiers. They had expected an army of ten thousand or more at the fort. There were much fewer. Maybe Akbar didn't find the fort vulnerable enough. He hears a familiar voice coming from the room at the far end of the corridor.
" Bairam Khan!" Rawatji whispered. " He is here!"

" We don't have enough soldiers or ammunition to fight the Mewaris yet. Until the Shahenshah sends us more from Agra we need to keep the fort shut and pose that there is a strong army waiting. The rumour has saved us all this while, a few more days to go." He was instructing his generals.

" This is our chance Rawatji. We need to go back by dawn and attack, once Akbar sends an army it will become tough, we need to do this within two days." Pratap was determined. A sound of footsteps made them hide and a soldier walked in a hurry past them into Bairam Khan's chambers.

" Hukum! Udai Singh and his army are on the horizon. They are attacking."
" What? But they were quiet till yesterday why all of a sudden... Ya, Allah, go get ready... how far are they?"
" They will reach in an hour Hukum!" They all rushed out. Pratap was shocked. Daajiraj Attacked? Maybe he thought we are...
" Baojiraj! What will we do?"
"Let's reach the fort entrance quickly!"
The front entrance already had heavy patrols. They reached a side entrance with about twenty guards. This door was on the opposite side of their army.
" Dadabhai what's the..."
" We kill these guards, Chakrapani and you reach Daajiraj, tell him about this gate. Half the army split up and reaches here, and the other half attacks from the front, when the first half has entered we will open the front gates for them. Rawatji and I will remove the bodies and patrol this gateway as Mughal soldiers to avoid suspicion. Ready?" Everyone nodded.
" Go!"
At his words, four of them moved to the gates from above the side cliffs and jumped in front of the soldiers. They were taken aback and twenty of them was an easy job for the four. Shakti and Chakrapani left as Pratap and Rawatji hid the bodies between boulders.

At Chittor, Ajabde was sitting at the puja Ghar, her lamp lit steadily in front, the letter in hand. Heer needed her. She needed to go.
" Ranima!" In all these days Jaivanta Bai was shocked to find Ajabde leaving Bhago and her Diya and coming to her.
" Come in Ajabde."
" I ... I have come to seek permission Ranima."
" Permission? For what?"
" I ... Want to go to Bijolia this dawn, I will be back by dusk." Jaivanta Bai smiled. Maybe Ajabde missed home in these tough times. News from the front was that the war was happening today. This was a good change for her.
" Go meet Hansa, And any news, I will make sure it reaches Bijolia." Ajabde nodded.

Her Palki reached Bijolia an hour before midday. Hansa Bai did her aarti and then hugged her daughter. Ajabde managed a smile. In two weeks, she looked older, responsible and tired. Hansa thought. Ratan hugged her Jija tight.
" Ohh I missed you."
" I missed you too Ratan, where is Bhai Balwant?" Ratan took Ajabde to her old bedroom. Nothing felt good like this place once but today she felt empty inside. She hugged Balwant who was busy playing with her dupatta.
" Ratan, I need your Help."
" Jija... I knew you came here with something!"
" It's Heer."

" Maasa, am taking Jija to Kuldevi Mandir, we will have lunch when we come back." Hansa Bai nodded. " Some fresh air will do her good."
Rajkumari Heer Kanwar was in a daasi's attire her face carefully hidden by the dupatta.
" Wait! Daasi where are you going?" It was her mother. Her heart skipped a beat.
" Woh... Maharanisa, am sending her to run some errands, hope you don't mind!" Her best friend was to the rescue.
"Rajkumari JasoBai, you are Heer's guest, we have no problem. Daasi, go!" She smiled at her friend before running off. The Chauhan Princess smiled at the running figure praying she came back safe.

Kunwar Pratap and Kunwar Shakti were fighting the Mughal armies. Their army had reached the front gates.
" Quick Rawatji, open the gates. Shakti, go now!" He said as he tackled two soldiers. Raoji was by his side with Chakrapani and one-half of the soldiers.
" Raoji, we need to find Bairam Khan! He can't escape. " Kunwar Pratap rushed towards the palace doorway.
" But Baojiraj... wait!"
" Jija!" Heer hugged Ajabde tight, in tears. Ajabde wiped them off saying, " It's good to see you too."
" What will I do Jija... I can't choose between my father and Kunwarsa Jija."
" It's not a choice between people Heer, it's a choice for happiness." Heer looked up at Ajabde. " Choose what is right, what your heart says, and your path will be easier Baisa."
"Ohh Jija!" Heer hugs her again. " But you know something... Daata..." She was lost in thoughts.
" Daata has been behaving strangely since the last week. I have never seen him like this. I have never seen him sell away his morals for some alliance."
" What do you mean?"
" I mean...there is more to this than we see... Are you sure that Rani Dheerbai ji..."
" No, No, She's..." Ajabde denied, " Busy with Kunwar Jagmal's lessons nowadays."
" Keep your eyes open Jija."
" You too, inform me."
" Yes, If you stop receiving letters, understand it's time you come to Bundi." Ajabde nodded.
" I promise you, Heer Baisa, neither your Dadabhai nor Kunwar Shakti will let something happen to you."
Ratan interrupted them, " Any good news from the front Jija?"
" Not yet, they are attacking today, Ranaji feels Kunwarsa are in danger."
" And you?" Heer asked anxiously.
" I know they are safe." She reassured Heer.
" I hope it's over soon and Daata is home." Ratan wondered aloud.
" It will be... " Ajabde reassured. " Well, there is good news, Bhago is expecting." She smiled at the shocked duo.
" Wow Saubhagyawati Jija, that's good news indeed!" Ratan gushed as Heer nodded.
" Waise Jija..." She added, " When are we getting our good news?" Heer smiled at Ratan.
" I haven't smiled in days Jija, this feels so good meeting you." Blushing a little Ajabde smiled before Heer took leave. Ajabde was back at the Bijolia Palace and then left soon, after lunch, leaving Hansa Bai worried.

" Ohh No he has fled!" Pratap was gasping for breath atop the fort walls. Rawatji came and patted his back. " We won for your strategy Kunwarsa, Jai Mewar! "
" Jai Mewar!" Pratap proudly lifted the Mughal flag and placed theirs. Soon a new flag will replace the small one marking the fort to be theirs. He couldn't wait to get home now.

Ajabde reached the Mahal, and Bhago came running.
" The war is on but we received no news yet." She was worried.
" They will be fine Bhago."
" How do you know?"
" Look, am fine, it means nothing has happened to Kunwarsa. And when he is there, you don't need to worry about anything." Jaivanta Bai and Sajjabai were hearing this conversation from a distance. Ajabde's trust had once again stunned them. They all entered the temple together. Dheerbai came in watching the tensed faces.
" I am having a bad feeling about today jija..." She added to everyone's shock.
" Think good and good will happen Behna." Sajjabai stopped her. Jaivanta Bai fumed in anger.
Kunwar Jagmal came rushing to inform.
" Badimaa... woh..."
" What is it?" Dheerbai enquired.
" The messenger we sent to bring war news. He... He..."
" Say it!" Dheerbai scolded.
" He was killed by Mughals." Everyone gasped in worry as Sajjabai Fainted in Jaivanat Bai's arms.
" Quick, we should take her to the nearest room, call the Vaidji Kunwarsa!" Jaivanta Bai instructed Jagmal. Ajabde looked at a calm and composed Dheerbai as Heer's words crossed her mind.
" Come let's take Majhli Maasa to Choti Ma's room. That is the nearest." She added.

Sajjabai was laid on Dheerbai's bed as Jaivanta Bai sat holding her hand. Dheerbai sat at the opposite end listening to the Vaidji. Ajabde looked around the room, moving across the bed. Her eyes fell n stacks of paper in a corner, hidden by a curtain. They were letters. Letters without a seal. She stepped forward for a closer look.
" What are you doing moving around?" Dheerbai stopped her, " Sit down Kunwaranisa."

At the border of Bundi, Raja Surajmal was sitting in his khema. He hated to see his daughter cry but he was helpless. He was doing this for her. For his sister. Jaivanta had never been happy in her marriage except for Pratap. Heer's marriage would spell trouble for her. Only if his idealistic sister understood that! Maybe she would have had a better marriage and happiness. He sighed.
" Rajaji, the Alwar war is over." A messenger informed.
" So soon?"He wondered. " We must leave for Bundi Mahal."

Pratap was feeding Sarang water from a pond in Alwar. He looked around to see Shakti helping a limping Chakrapani, his friends with Rawatji and his father having a hearty chat with Raoji. Raoji's smile reminded him of someone. It's been a while since she had smiled at him like that. Now she will. He spotted red and white wildflowers beside the pond. Picking up a bunch he quickly put them away in a pouch.

"Ajabde, go get some sleep." Jaivanta Bai urged.
" No Ranima, let some news come."
" The war has stopped." A Daasi arrived. "Silence in Alwar. But we can not reach the fort yet to confirm who won." Jaivanta Bai looked at Ajabde. She went into the pooja room. Jaivanta Bai sighed as she looked at a sleeping Sajja Bai.

With the first light of dawn, Pratap reached the Ram Pol of Chittor. The first rays fell on Ajabde's face as she looked at the red cloth in hand with a smile. The sun on the cloth shone brightly as the rays fell on it.
" Kuwaranisa, Kuwaranisa!" A daasi came running." We have won,Baojiraj is here." Ajabde took her aarti thaal and thanked her lord.

Jaivanta Bai stood at the gates of the Kumbha Palace with Aarti thaal in hand. Everyone was praising Senapati Pratap Singh as his mother did his Vijay tilak. His eyes searched the crowd and then asked his mother a question his mouth couldn't.
" Go meet Ajabde Kunwarsa, she is at the Kanha Temple." He nodded.

His footsteps made her open her eyes. She turned around.
" Ajabde." Her name never felt so beautiful. She smiled. He could see she hadn't slept or eaten properly ever since he left. He knew this was going to happen. She looked weak, tired and happy. As if she had emerged victorious in her war. He held both her hands in his and they both looked down as they spoke in unison, " Hey Eklingji how did you burn your hand?" They looked at each other and smiled again. She took the aarti thal and did his aarti.
" I ... brought something for you."
" I made something for you."
" You show first."
" No, you show Kunwarsa." He held out the flowers. She smiled and blushed as she took them.
" Your turn." She brought him the cloth.
" Open it."
" A flag? You made a flag?"
" For the new fort."
" How did you know we will win it?"
" I know you," She smiled. He pressed it against his forehead saying, " I will hand this over to Rawatji for the new fort." She nodded.
" Let's go home." He gave her his bruised hand. She gave me hers. They walked out of the temple to their home.
" I want to know about the whole war, while I apply balm to your wounds."
" I want to know what happened here, and what Heer wrote."
" I met her."
" You what?"
" Let's go home first Kunwarsa. Am hungry."
" Are you making Kheer?"
" I can."
" And some Khichri too." They walked homeward with all their worries put to rest, smiling happy faces, as Rani Dheerbai watched them from the roof of the Ranimahal.