| Battle of Hearts |

| Something's Coming |

Bijolia

"Ajabdeh, come here. I want to make food for you three with my own hands tonight, so you do not need to go to the paakshala," Hansabai told her daughter, who was heading in that direction.

"But Maa.."

"No arguments, Ajab. You go to your brother. Kunwar Pratap has him in his chambers."

Ajabdeh nodded and made her way to Pratap's chambers, smiling fondly at how easily Pratap had bonded with Balwant. It was clear the former loved babies, and Balwant seemed to have a special liking too for Pratap, much like his elder sister. Ajabdeh wanted to whack herself for what she had thought, but it was not wrong either. Kunwar Pratap did hold a special place for everyone in Rajputana, she was just lucky she was considered good enough to be engaged in frequent conversation with him.

"Kunwar Pratap?" she called out from outside, a little hesitantly, entering when he called out to her in an enthusiastic tone.

"Ajabdeh, come in," Ajabdeh froze for a second at the sight in front of her. She was captivated by Pratap cradling Balwant in his arms, pecking the baby's forehead, clearly to the delight of Balwant. He would be a great father, she mused, jerking back to reality and slowly walking up to both of them.

"Maa sent me to you both," Ajabdeh said, smiling fondly at the thought of her mother. "She wanted me occupied so I won't go to the paakshala."

"Not go to the paakshala?" Pratap's eyes glinted curiously.

"Maa wanted to make food for us three with her own hands," Ajabdeh said. "It is a tradition she always has with Phool and I, and now, you too are a part of it."

"She is Maa to me as much as she is to you and Phool," Pratap said, smiling at Ajabdeh.

"She is. Do you know, Phool's mother too treats me as her own?" Ajabdeh said, though she suddenly felt sad. Phool's parents were the only ones who treated her as family, everyone else treated her awfully at Marwar. Usually, she would not bother talking about it, as she had accepted it. Yet, around Kunwar Pratap, she felt like talking all the time, and telling him the most personal stuff.

"I am glad she does," Pratap looked at her with something like curiosity, without any force to make her say anything.

"She, Phool's father, and Phool are my happiest memories of Marwar," Ajabdeh said softly, not wanting to say more. Something told her Pratap will understood, and she looked at him, seeing his jaw lock minutely. He had understood, then, as she had thought he would.

"Chittor will hopefully be happier for you, Ajabdeh," smiled Pratap quietly, looking at her with deep eyes, still cajoling Balwant affectionately.

Ajabdeh blushed, and said, "He loves you."

"I love him," Pratap kissed baby Balwant's forehead, though his eyes met Ajabdeh's, and she blushed yet again. This prince she adored was making her blush all the time nowadays, and she was letting it happen. Yet, the pull between them was too strong for her to ignore, though she was trying hard to ignore it anyway. She did not know what would happen at Chittor, given that she could not hide behind lots of work there.

"I am glad he has another person watching over him," she confessed, not wanting to reveal why she had said that. Pratap's coming felt auspicious to her, and his naming the baby the name she too thought of told her there was more to this than what she knew. Something she was innately scared to discover, for it spoke of fantasies that could never be true.

"I will always be there for him to the best of my ability," Pratap said, though his eyes rested on Ajadeh's face, making the latter look away, the tenderness of the situation setting in. He cleared his throat and said, "Bijolia has given me something I did not know I needed."

Ajabdeh looked at Pratap when he said that, her eyes widening, and his also gazing into hers quietly and tenderly. She flushed. This could not be true, how could it? He was the beloved Prince of Mewar, and she was a Princess from one of the vassals of the said Kingdom, she was much lower on the social rung.

"I-I..." Ajabdeh faltered. How was she to reply? If she did in the positive, he would understand her feelings to some extent at least. If she did in the negative, she would be hurting him, and she had hurt him enough.

Luckily, she was saved by her younger brother suddenly crying out.

"I think he wants Maa," both of them said at once, looking at each other when they chorused. Pratap spoke up.

"Come, Ajabdeh. Let us go to Hansa Maa."

***

Everyone had finished dinner, but Ajabdeh felt weird. Something was wrong, something felt wrong. She sensed as if her Kanha was going to test the resolve of not just her, but of Phool and Pratap as well, and this filled her with the sense of something changing life for all three of them on the trip to Chittor, which was not all that long, in truth. Something unexpected was going to happen, and it was going to topple things for all of them.

Ajabdeh did not know what to do, so she ran to her mother's chambers, where she found Pratap, talking to her mother. Well, why was this surprising anymore? Her mother had a connection with Pratap, very similar to the one Ajabdeh herself shared with Hansa.

"Maa!"

"Ajab? What happened? Did you have another of your premonitions?"

"Yes Maa. Kunwar Pratap, we need to be very careful and firm tomorrow, our lives are changing in an unexpected way, and this change will happen on the trip to Chittor itself."

"What do you mean, Ajabdeh?" Pratap looked at her alert, and Ajabdeh froze. How was she to explain this to him?

"She gets premonitions, Kunwar Pratap. Ask her, she would have gotten something during the fight at Chambal nadi too," Hansa Bai said, which made Ajabdeh nod.

"I could feel something was wrong, and I usually see signs. I saw something turn red from green, indicating bloodshed, Kunwar Pratap. Please be careful," Ajabdeh near pleaded him, frantic. She calmed as her mother held her palm, though her eyes were fixed on Pratap, who nodded slowly but firmly, his eyes reassuring her worry and calming her down as much as her mother's grip did.

Ajabdeh slowly nodded, resolving to keep her mental barriers up and calm, so as to face whatever niyati had in store for them. 

*****

Glossary:

Niyati- Destiny, Fate

Paakshala- kitchen