Kapali: The return of Mahavir

Chapter 10: The war of minds

Pratap's head is spinning like hell. First Bhabosa and Minakshi, now Saurya. What the hell is happening?! His doubt went towards Jagtap and he sent his troops behind him. But no one could find him. They brought the information that Jagtap was Kapali's ally. All in Veerpur knew about it. Pratap started banging his head, in lust of Ranisa he is loosing everything. Is his lust being used against him? But how come Kapali knew about these things? And who was Bijli? She was so similar to Ranisa, rather she was only Ranisa... did Kapali took advantage of her memory loss? Or.... or Ranisa is only helping them?! Saurya, Sukanya, Dhruv are all captivated by Kapali. Does it mean........ but how can it be?!
Maan and Pratap got into a serious discussion to attack Veerpur, but for that they need information first. If Kapali is not in Veerpur then Pratap's goodwill in the neighbouring states will be hampered.
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Back at Kapali's place,
"Taru Taru kaisa geya kaal ki raat..." Anusiya pinched Tara
Tara gave a side stare and moved away.
"R a Taru bolo na... sugandhi tel kaam kiya??"
"Humne tumse kaha tha Anusiya... nehi hoga kaam... ulta daat pari...."
"Daat?? Kisne data apko?" Tara's mother entered from behind. The two girls went into hesitation mode.
"Keya hua aap dono ko? Kuch uch nich ki keya?"
"Ji.. ji nehi Ma..... aacchoooo" sneezed Tara.
"R a thand kaise lag geyi apko?!" Asked Tara's mother.
"Woh.. oo... lag geyi ma...."
"Aaplog saaf saaf boliye to... hua keya hai.... r a hum Ma hai apke... boliye...."
Tara and Anusiya looked at each other and whispered in each others ears,
"Bol de??"
"Bolte hai sayed koi rasta nikal aye...."

"Keya hua??" Asked Tara's mother
"Woh... woh Ma.... " started Anusiya, "Dhruv ji krodhit the na Taru se... to humain unhe woh... sugandhi tel diya....."
"Acchaa.... samjhi... raat ko khub nahaya ha?? Baal bhi bhigaye honge?" Asked Tara's mother
Tara nodded her head.
"To kaam hua??" Whispered Tara's mother
Tara and Anusiya looked up at her and then looked at each other. What the hell is their mother asking??
"R a boliye boliye... hum Ma hi hai apke..." Tara's mother sat beside them
"Jaise janna to hum bhi chahate hai..." pinned Anusiya.
"Unhone humara hath liya... aur poocha... ki Sugandhi lagayi??"
"Ahaa... fer???" Asked Anusiya
"Fer... fer keya... daatne lage... ki keu lagayi? Chot pe ghao ho jayega... bolke dawai deke chot saaf kiya.... fer... fer... bole... ki rijhana chahati thi mujhe?... aab boliye aaplog... kitna sharam aya hoga humain... sab apki waje se hua Anusiya..." Tara got up.
"Ishhhh.... yehsab to humain socha hi na tha..." repented Anusiya
"Taru aap to Ved hai... apko to samachna chahiye tha.... aur yeh baal bhigaye... thand lagi... iske liye bhi daate honge??" Asked her mother
"Haa bohat daate...."
"Pata hai humain... unke sath itne saal rehke... jinta shant hai... utna krodhit bhi hote agar unke apne apna kheyal na rakhte... ek baat to manna parega... abhibhabak banne ke sare gun hai unmai..."
"Parantu Taru..." Anusiya intervened, "Agar woh krodhit hi the... to sari raat apke kaksh mai woh....."
"The woh humare kaksh mai... hum thode... thode dukhi the unke acharan se.... to unhone humain samjhaya... anu... anubhab karwaya ki.. humare dimag mai tanav hai... us.. us hatse ka... use karan se woh mere samip nehi ay rahe the.... woh the raat bhar humare sath....... waise nehi jaise hum chahate the.... parantu jaise rahe... aise hum unke sath salo saal reh sakte......" smiled Tara.
"Kitna sochte hai na Chikitsak Dhruv... apke bare mai...." asked Anusiya
"Haa... bohat... humara Rajkumari wala ghamand unke upar na chalta.. unki ada hi alag hai..."
"So to hai..." agreed her mother, "Humain khusi hai ki apko Dhruv jaise pati mile.." her mother caressed her head, "Sukhi rehna... aur sukhi rakhna unhe... hamesha..."
"Ji Ma...."
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"Chikitsak Dhruv, samai ay geya hai ki hum yung ki taiyari kare..." said Mahavir.
"Arthat bhaiji?"
"Arthat.... aap jante hai humne Durgavati ji ko itne maan samman ke sath saach saja keu kiya??"
"Keuki woh bujurg hai....."
Mahavir smiled, "Nehi Chikitsak Dhruv nehi... Rajniti samachte ho aap.... RAJNITI..."
"Ha bhaiji... bohat acche se... Rajniti matlab iska dosh uske upar aur uska dosh kisi aur ke upar karke apne kaam nipta lena...."
"Aiah?! Yeh kaisi rajniti ki paribhasa hai... humko to na gyat tha...."
"Keu bhaiji... aise nehi hota Rajniti?? Humare udhar to aise hi hota hai... diplomacy.... accha to yeh kutniti hoga....."
"Aap rehne de.... hum batate hai..... Devgarh pe Vallabhgarh ka sraap barso se laga hua hai... keuki Devgarh ke ek Raja ne ekber humare purbaj Maharaj Rajendra Kumar Singh ki garvvati patni Yasodha ko hani pauchai thi... jiske karan unke garv ke santan ki mirtyu hui..  santan na hone ka sadma woh seh na saki aur apne pran tyag diye..... usi shan Vallabhgarh ke Maharaj Rajendra Kumar ne sraap diya Devgarh ko ki jaise unke vansh ke diye ko Devgarh ne bujhaya taise Devgarh ke rajvansh mai bhi kabhi unke vansh ka diya na jalega. Tab se Devgarh apni Vasanj god liye santan se age badha raha.... unke koi bhi Raja ka putra na ho paya.... "
"Interesting story... but bhaiji... Bhabosa ki to santan hai... fer Surya Pratap.."
"Durgavati ji maharani na thi Dhruv... unke Pati Raja bane unke bhai ke mirtyu ke paschat... tab unke santan ho chuke the... aur Surya Pratap purb Raja ke god liye santan the... Durgavati ji ne hi unko pala keuki purv raja vivahit nehi the...."
"Wohhh teriii... itni kahaniii....."
"Ha Dhruv... aur isber Surya Pratap ne bhi ek hi jaisa kaam kiya hai... Taru ko dhoka dekar Saurya ko apnaya hai..."
"Jaise ek baat notice ki apne bhaiji...."
"Keya?"
"Surya Pratap ne Saurya ko chal se apnaya... jab ki unki shadi to tyar thi... sayed unki shadi hoti to apni santan bhi hoti... parantu... unhone dusre ke patni ke sath chal karke unki santan li... yeh keya sraap ka hi reflection nehi?! Aap hi boliye...."
"Sahi kaha apne Dhruv.... yeh to humne socha hi nehi..."
"Seriously... mai kabhi in sab pe viswas hi na karta tha... agar Saurya Pratap sachmai prayachit karte aur Tara aur Saurya ko bachake khud shadi karte unke mangetar se... yeh sab natak na karke... to sraap mit jata..."
"Parantu Dhruv sach ke path mai chalna asan nehi aur anischayata ke bhay ka koi tod nehi... kaam krodh lobh, asan hai karna... parantu mushkil hai unke prabhab ko samhalna.... Pratap nehi samhal payenge... apne papo ke prabhabh ko.... hum Rajniti ki baat kar rahe the na... yahi hai woh kutniti... Durgavati ji ko sach batake... unke dil mai Surya Pratap ke liye jo prem tha use dhwast karna... itna bara paap woh na sahengi... woh unke virudh na jaye per unki sehyata na karengi... Devgarh ke kan kan mai Vallabhgarh ke praja ne baat faila di hai... unke papo na... janta ka samarthan khoyenge woh... insab se humain asani hoga raktpat bihin rajya adhigrahan mai....."
"Apka plan... arthat... niti keya hai..."
"Pratap ko chal se idhar lana aur fasana... aap sighra puja ke liye taiyar ho jaye... samai na hai... kaal hi aap tino ko jana hoga.. Pratap jabtak idhar rahenge usi samai mai ap tino ko hum rahana karwayenge..."
"Ji bhaiji......"
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Tara was drying her wet hair with help of her assistants. Soon Dhruv entered the room. He signed with his eyes, Tara asked her aids to leave. Dhruv proceeded towards her and helped her to dry her hair.
"Keya baat hai Chikitsak ji... aaj to aap swayam padhare....."
"Ana hi pada... kuch dena tha apko...."
"Ji... keya...."
Dhruv called the servant. The servant brought a golden plate covered with velvet cloth.
"Rajkumari ji... aap agar is garib ki choti si bhet sikar kare... to hum...."
"Bhaap... " scolded Tara in a sweet tone and moved the velvet cloth to discover the saree underneath. Tara's eyes shinned. She took up the saree. The flowers made her happy like a kid. She then took the shawl and smiled at the little flowers. Dhruv looked at her smile, the enchanting smile. Mingling together, he knows, the real instincts of the Rajkumari. He knows she never liked the heavy lehenga but adored the light kurtis, he knows she loves teddies more than the swords, he knows she loves to sleep for long hours, he knows her recreation is in irritating her loved ones, he knows she likes small wildflowers over the expensive large ones, he knows she adores small things than the aristocratic ones. The the etiquette and upbringing made her think that small is not for her, she is made for big, being benevolent, but with Dhruv the child, which got lost in her childhood, unleashed. Perhaps the only other one to know her this side is her Bhaiji, who brought her up in real sense, who never let her soul die, who gave her the chance to unleash her real self in the name of Bijli. Others found it wierd but Dhruv knows Bijli was his REAL Tara.

"Dhruv......"
"Ha bolo Tara .. pasand aya na apko yeh toofa??"
"Ji.... parantu.... humara mangalsutra na mil raha Dhruv..."
"Woh mere pas hai..."
Tara looked up at him with insecurity in her eyes. Dhruv smiled and left the room.
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Tara came to the Mandir wearing her new saree. The anchal was open over her one arm and the other arm was covered with the shawl. She wore only a rose gold pendant as her neckpiece and had a silver bracelet on her wrist. And Dhruv's engagement ring on her finger. Bhabosa was shocked to see her minimal looks. Her hair was open and just styled with a clutch, earrings were small as well, and no veil at all, no ghunghat!! She was more amazed to see that her mother have no problems with such a "bold" minimal look. Obviously these people had no problems with Bijli as well, even her husband is ok with his wife moving around like that in public. Bhabosa tried to look down at her, but again she looked up. It looks soo comfortable to wear such a light saree. It's beautiful as well. But her husband is angry she heard, he accepts her like this but does he really accept her like this or It's just show off, because last day he was rough with her. Suddenly a thing striked her, the saree, it was the same saree, the one Chikitsak ji got made to gift Tarapriya. It means he only advocates such light looks?!
Questions were doing rounds on her mind when Dhruv entered the room holding Saurya's hand. Saurya was holding a brown teddy in his other hand. Dhruv's eyes got stuck at Tara when Tara's eye stuck at the teddy over Dhruv's traditional attire.
"Mocooooo" exclaimed Tara and went towards her son's teddy. Mahavir got confused and started looking around, whom is she calling?! Saurya very well understood that his mother's intentions aren't right, so he grabbed his teddy and hid behind his father.
"Saurya... do na...." Tara started doing kabadi with her son who was going this way and that holding his father's dhoti.
"R a beta mera dhoti to chodo... bohat kast se pehna hai...."
Mahavir just couldn't hold on his laughter and made a wierd noise.
"Tum Moco ko laye the...." Asked Tara with shinny eyes.
"Haa laya tha.... Saurya ke liye....."
"Keu Moco to mera tha na....."
"Haa... woh uttaradhikar se ab Saurya ka hai..."
"Nehi... Saurya banna... Masa ko Moco wapas do...."
"Nehi... Muko humara hai.... Papa ne humain diya hai", replied Saurya, "Papa ne keh diya hai... ki Saurya.. Ma apse Muko mangengi parantu ko chinne mat dena...."
"Tum pati ho ya dushman... humara Moco de diya..."
Dhruv was holding on his laughter.
"R a yaar tumhare liye neya brown teddy kharid dunga... kaha bacche ke khilono ke piche pade ho..."
"To tum neya kharidke dete na Saurya ko... Moco mera hai..."
Dhruv raised an eyebrow up.
"Saurya bannaa.... do beta....." Tara went towards Saurya, Saurya ran away, both mother and son started running behind each other.

Bhabosa looked the Tara running around. She never would have allowed it. Perhaps she's a conservative one, that's why she's not in her "loving" position. She recalled that Pratap too didn't give this kind of freedom to Tara. Tara forced herself in their etiquettes just to live. She looked at her again. She looked at Dhruv who was smiling putting his hand on his head. He does approve it. Bhabosa sighed. She never got this love, nor she could give it to anyone. Her pride just ruined everything, nothing will be like before anymore.

Mahavir slowly came to Dhruv,
"Apko Taru ko Ma nehi banana tha...."
"Banana nehi chahata tha Bhaiji... galti se ho geya.."
"Galti se ho geya?! Yeh sab galti se bhi hota hai keya?!"
"Humare waha hota hai"
"Adbhut"
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