| Battle of Hearts |

| Nostalgia |

Bijolia

Pratap was happy that day. He was delighted his RaniMaa wanted to meet Ajabde, and that the latter had agreed to come with him to Mewar. He was aware Phool Kanwar too would be joining in, but it did not matter to him. He knew she was dear to Ajabde, and Phool herself was a friend of his, but it was Ajabde coming that mattered the most. He was not sure why it was, but her coming seemed exceedingly needed. Plus, it was for a Pooja, and Pratap knew his RaniMaa would be impressed with Ajabde's knowledge.

What was he even thinking? Pratap half slapped himself on the back of his head, shaking it to get out of the daze that frequented him. Why had he changed so much since coming to Bijolia?

Subconsciously, he already knew the answer, but he did not want to voice it. Maybe not yet, at least. He knew he needed his RaniMaa on this, and without realizing, he had reached Hansa Bai's room. A smile adorned his face- Hansa Bai was a lot like his RaniMaa, and her presence, as well as Ajabde's, reduced his pangs for Jaivanta Bai.

Greeted by the pure laughter of Ajabde, he stepped in, smiling at Hansa, who smiled softly back, nodding at him to join them. Pratap glanced towards Ajabde, who had also looked at him, their eyes clashing, causing his heart to thump. He forced himself to look at Hansa, who had a smile he could not understand the meaning of.

"Come come, Kunwar Pratap. I was just about to tell my laughing daughter a story about your RaniMaa and I," Hansa offered, making Pratap light up.

"About RaniMaa and you?"

"Indeed," Hansa said, as Ajabde added, "Maasa, I do not believe it."

"Wait, I will show you," Hansa turned to her large box, when Pratap looked at Ajabde questioningly. She laughed a little, narrating the story to him. Pratap's eyes widened when he heard that Hansa Bai had worn the same lehenga for three days straight.

"Was it that beautiful, Mausiji?" Pratap looked at the lehenga in her hands, and inaudibly gasped. He could see his Rani Maa wearing this, as he could Hansa Mausi, and Ajabde as well. For a moment, he was transported to a different realm, but came back when he heard Ajabde say, "Oh, that is how close you both were?"

"Not were, Ajabde. We still are. Jaivanta does not even need a letter from me to know something is wrong and the same for me. We managed to keep in touch regularly, and I had heard a lot about Kunwar Pratap from her, like she did about you from me."

"Has she, Mausiji?" Pratap asked curiously, smiling at a wide eyed Ajabde, before turning back to Hansa, who nodded.

"Kunwar Pratap, Jaivanta and I dreamt of a lot of things together," Hansa said, sounding nostalgic. "At some point, she and I always wanted to do everything for each other's children, from their birth to marriage to everything else."

Pratap reflexively looked at Ajabde at the word marriage, which was the exact time her doe eyes met his, and he smiled at her, in a way that was tender, a way he had never smiled before at anyone else. He turned back to Hansa, who had that smile he could not understand yet again.

"I do not know if she told you, but Jaivanta has a toy soldier right?" Hansa asked, which made Pratap light up in recognition and nod.

"Yes Mausiji, I remember it. She said that the soldier is a representation of me."

"I was the one who gave her that before your birth," Hansa said softly.

"What?" Pratap was surprised, as he and Ajabde sat on either side of Hansa, both looking at her with a combination of fascination and curiosity. Hansa continued, saying, "I told her that her son would be the greatest of Rajputs, strong but kind, honest and caring, and would be a perfect combination of Ranaji and my dearest friend. And Kunwar Pratap, you are much beyond all of my words, I cannot tell you how proud every achievement of yours makes me."

Pratap felt tears spring in his eyes, and his instinct told him to hug Hansa, which he did. She returned it with a lot of affection, making Pratap feel like he was in the arms of his RaniMaa. Hansa gently stroked his hair, holding him close like a mother would her child.

"My prayer is for you to always be the way you are, and to be happy and victorious," Hansa said softly.

"As long as I have mothers like you and RaniMaa, Mausiji, how can I not be?" Pratap said softly, still hugging her. He suddenly felt bereft at the thought of leaving Bijolia, at the thought of leaving these simple yet fun times, despite being riddled with conspiracies, Afghans and Mughals.

"I cannot wait for you to come to Chittor, Maa," Pratap whispered, unknowingly using the term Maa for Hansa, making Ajabde tear up. She had not envisioned this, and yet it felt right.

"I will be there faster than you both know it," Hansa said caringly, caressing Ajabde's head too. "Ajabde will have no time to miss me at Chittor anyway."

"Maa, how so?" Ajabde said quietly, widening her eyes.

"Jaivanta is there, is she not? Furthermore, Ajabde, you remember the navaratna bangles I keep in my chest of memories? Jaivanta once said that she will make my daughter wear those bangles with her own hands at the right time."

"W-what?" Ajabde stuttered, her wide eyes enhancing the glow of her face to Pratap's eyes. "M-me?"

"Ajab, you are my daughter, and thus, to Jaivanta, hers too."

"Maa is right, Ajabde. RaniMaa will see you as her own," Pratap said gently, sensing her need for comfort. He did not yet understand why, but it was somehow clear to him she needed it, and he was entirely willing to give it to her.

Ajabde slowly nodded, her head on Hansa's shoulder, as she peered at Pratap, who smiled back at her, his own eyes meeting hers, his head on Hansa's other shoulder. Hansa Bai simply smiled, holding the daughter she birthed and the son who was as good as hers close, and in this position, Rao Mamrakh found them.

***** 

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I will upload the next one by the weekend, or Monday utmost. 

Further news is that I may be posting another story next week, once I get a few more chapters out on this one.