Chapter 4 | Shadows

"Vadji, insist on treatments for even the injured Afghan's. I'm leaving now!" She said in a hurry and dashed out of the medical camp with Saubhgyavati. 

"Why are we in a hurry!" exclaimed Saubhgyavati trying to keep up with Ajabde's pace. 

"Because I want to make ghevar for daata and dadabhai once they are home." Replied Ajabde. "Patta." She called aloud to the eleven year old. "Let's go!" 

"No, no you'll carry on...I'm waiting for my daata." He insisted. 

"Alright," replied Ajabde, "will you be going to Kelwa or..."

"I'll ask daata if it's possible to stop over at Bijolia because I want to have ghevar." Replied Patta, as saliva ran over his tongue and lips. 

Ajabde broke into a chuckle teasing, "Your most welcomed." 

Saying this the two girls dashed off on Ajabde's mare Lakshmi. 

Though the afternoon sun beat down on them, the light breeze which followed the galloping mare made their hair fly a little. 

"I can't believe we've won!" Exclaimed Saubhgyavati.

"I knew dadabhai would hoist the flag." Gushed Ajabde with pride. 

"But Ajab, from what I heard it was Kunwar Pratap who hoisted the flag." Replied her friend. 

Ajabde almost immediately pulled the reins of the horse to a stop and turned and looked at Saubhgyavati with confusion in her eyes saying, "Dadabhai was given the task of hoisting the flag."

"Yes I agree," nodded her friend, "but, I heard from the injured soldiers that dadabhai Dungar gave the flag to Kunwar Pratap."

"Kunwar Pratap is in Jalore." Insisted Ajabde clicking her tongue, signaling the horse to move ahead. "All the royal boys were sent to Jalore before the battle!"

"Yes...but Kunwar Pratap managed to escape and warily joined the army." Narrated Saubhgyavati immediately. "I heard he was very...brave!"

"First of all," began Ajabde, "what he did was under age warfare, which in the long run can lead to severe backlash regarding the state of his mind."

"As in?" inquired her friend curiously.

"Umm....look," sighed Ajabde, "underaged conflict and battle confrontation may lead the prince to be more vulnerable in terms of...the life of his comrades." She paused for a moment and then continued, "he...may also feel like giving up more often than most other warrior's." 

"Why do you think so?" asked her friend sceptically. 

"Death isn't something that....umm...one can really come to terms with. Maybe you won't be afraid for your death, but seeing your comrades or your loved ones die always has a negative effect."

"Hmm.....but Ajab wherever that happens life always gives that person someone who can get him or her out of that situation."

"Yes you're right..." smiled Ajabde and signaled the horse to ride faster. 

***

After the treatments in the camp, Rana Udai Singh and Kunwar Pratap entered the palace where Maharani Jaivantabai did their vijay tilak with pride in her eyes. 

After freshning up and enjoying the song and dance celebration in the court Kunwar Pratap yawned and stepped into his chamber. 

He smiled looking at his mother and hugged her in happiness.

"So," she asked, "how do you find your first victory?"

He smiled and shrugged casually saying, "I'm sure there'll be much more than this!"

"Of course there will." She replied. "Also...this is still a minor victory Pratap, don't let it get into your head. The moment success feels everything, is the moment you lose the passion and meekness to learn more. That's when, stagnation begins leading to a slow painful death."

Kunwar Pratap smiled and nodded at his mother replying, "Ranimaa, if not for Kunwar Dungar and Raoji I would've been dead!"

"Really!" chuckled his mother sitting beside him on the bed. "Tell me, what all happened."

Kunwar Pratap spent the rest of the hours telling his mother the in-depth details of all that had taken place. With twinkling eyes and constant nods and smiles she listened to all that her son had to say. 

Rani Dheerbai watched the two with contempt in her eyes thinking, here I was thinking that Kunwar Pratap would be killed but....no... Eklinji just doesn't answer my prayers! "I'll have to come up with something new..." she mumbled and walked away. 

***

Kunwar Dungar narrated the whole tail of the young princes bravery and extraordinary deeds on the battlefield. 

Her father added few sentences in between as they were as a family together having a meal, along with Saubhgyavati, pundit Ram Van Shastri; her father, Patta, Rawat Jagga and his wife Sajjanbai. 

"I must say kunwarsa is very humble." Smiled Kunwar Dungar. 

"You've been saying that for the fifth time." Reminded Ajabde with a plastered smile across her face. 

"But it is the truth," insisted Rawat Jagga feeding himself laal maans and bajre ki roti. "If you meet him, even you will have a similar opinion."

"I never meant to say he's... arrogant," justified Ajabde, "but... underaged fighting is..."

"You should meet him." Insisted Kunwar Dungar glancing at his sister. "After all, he was quite curious to know who was the girl who ordered treatments for the Afghan's!"

Ajabde immediately began coughing as a piece of roti choked in her throat. Her mother gently pat her back as she sipped water from the tumbler and said, "He knows that...it was me?"

Kunwar Dungar shrugged saying, "Why not! I told him that it was you."

"Why did you..."

"Ajab," said her father, "eat your food."

"But this isn't fair!" hollered Patta all of a sudden, drawing everyone's attention on himself. "Kunwarsa is only thirteen, how does he get to fight when I can't!"

"Just eat your food." Insisted Sajjanbai. "Next time I'll send you to the frontline!"

The moment she said this, the rest of the members burst out laughing while Patta sulked and continued eating. 

"Patta is right," scoffed Kunwar Shubhkaran, "next time even I'm coming."

"Me too..." added Kunwar Pahad. 

"Yes, yes..." nodded Rao Ram Rakha shaking his head at his overenthusiastic sons. 

Though Kunwar Shubhkaran and Pahad were older to Ajabde, they were more child like in nature while the youngest one of the family was unusually the most intellectual and mature one amongst her three brothers. 

***

The next day at Chittor the Gaduliya Lohars had arrived in the court. The Gaduliya Lohars were a tribe who made armaments for not only the royal family but also for all the soldiers of Mewar. 

Kunwar Pratap's magnanimous victory had spread like wild fire throughout the whole of Mewar, and Rajputana as a whole rendering him into a hero overnight. 

People from all over Mewar came with gifts and praises and laurels for the prince who bashfully accepted every praise and blessings given to him. 

He was forced to constantly remind himself that this was still the begining and was absolutely nothing compared to what his great and lusterious ancestors had done for the land. 

"I'll come along for the puja!" exclaimed Kunwar Pratap making the courtiers stare at the prince baffled. 

"Kunwar Pratap," snapped his father, "you are the prince of Mewar and technically it isn't safe to go anywhere just like that."

"But daajiraj, the Gaduliya Lohars are very important to us. And instead of just touching the fruit offering as a blessing why don't I go there myself for the puja?" Insisted Kunwar Pratap eager to get out of the palace. 

"Baujiraj is right," smiled Rawat Chundawat before the king could say anything further. "He should go."

"But Rawatji," interjected Rani Dheerbai, "Kunwar Pratap is the future if Mewar, what if something happens to him while he's away from the palace?"

Kunwar Shakti rolled his eyes saying, "I'm going along with dadabhai."

"Kunwar Shakti," smiled Rani Dheerbai, "you yourself are a prince and...both of you'll are very important to Mewar. Ranaji, I think you shouldn't send them."

"Ranaji," said Maharani Jaivantabai in a firm, compelling voice, "just like Dheerbai ji said, Kunwar Pratap is the future of Mewar; hence, he must know his people. He must go."

Kunwar Shakti pursed his lips trying not to yawn aloud. He was honestly bored with the family melodrama and the over sweet Rani Dheerbai who had a problem with every little thing in life. 

"Maharanisa is right," insisted Rawat Chundawat once more. "I myself will accompany Baujiraj Pratap and Kunwar Shakti."

"Alright Rawatji," nodded Rana Udai Singh immediately. 

Wah Rawatji! Wah Jaivanta! You'll are ruining my plans, thought Rani Dheerbai plastering a smile on her lips. Don't worry....I have another idea. 

Just before both the princes could leave Rani Dheerbai stopped Kunwar Shakti and asked, "Are you...going to accompany your dadabhai?"

Kunwar Shakti simply nodded without a word and was about to leave but Rani Dheerbai held his upper arm saying, "Don't you get jelous? Your dadabhai is getting all the credit and you...I sincerely feel sorry...for..."

Kunwar Shakti looked at the woman and snapped, "Dadabhai is getting the credit for what he deserves. He won the war, why the hell should I be envious!"

Rani Dheerbai smiled once more at the boy and said, "Don't you....want to be king and give all that respect that Sajja jija deserves."

Kunwar Shakti couldn't help but smirk at the lady who stood in front of him. He just couldn't fathom how sick he felt in her mere presence. "Look lady, the reason why my mother is hardly respected is because of you. For that matter even my badi maasa is suffering because of you." 

Rani Dheerbai's eyes widened in horror, she was nearly about to cry when Kunwar Shakti stepped closer to her and pointed a finger at her warning, "If you try and poison my mind or my mother's mind. I will strangle you and I mean it." Saying this he walked off leaving a visibly shaken Dheerbai to herself. 

***

"You are coming along!" exclaimed Ajabde trying hard not to jump in trepidation. 

He simply nodded with a faint smile taunting, "Do I have a choice?"

Immediately her face fell making him frown, "What is it?"

"Daata? Will he agree? I know he'll let me study more but...Kashi...?"

"I've convinced him and he has agreed." Replied Aachraya Raghavendra with a straight face. "In Kashi you will meet the present day followers of Sushruta and learn more from them."

"Guruji, could you tell me more about Sushruta?" she asked as she sat down on the mud floor while Aacharya Raghavendra sat on a slightly raised platform. 

"Sushruta was a physician who wrote the Sushruta Samitha, a book on surgery." He began in a loud voice. "You have already mastered Ayurveda for Ayurvedic medicines now you must learn surgery."

Ajabde nodded and asked, "Sushruta...was during the Mahabharata right?"

Aacharya Raghavendra nodded in response. "Sushruta was the first one to perform surgeries and also inject medicine into a victims blood stream."

"Inject!" exclaimed Ajabde in discombobulation. "But...how..."

"Snake fangs,"

"That's venomous." Implied the girl wide eyed. 

"Ajabde, the venom resides in the gland not in the fangs. The fangs are only a means to inject the venom into a victims blood stream." He replied with a firm look. 

"So...that means, like the gland if medicinal pouches or something like a sack is attached to the fang it can inject medicine into the blood stream."

Aacharya Raghavendra nodded once more and got up from the pulpit and handed a book to Ajabde. "This is the Sushruta Samitha, I suggest you better begin learning it."

"When are we leaving for Kashi?" asked the excited girl. 

"Tomorrow at dawn, even Saubhagyavati can accompany you." He added. 

Ajabde smiled and touched his feet for blessings. 

"Kalyan ho." He blessed and added, "your archery training will happen in Kashi only."

"Yes and... Shastras?" she asked.

"That too will happen in Kashi." He replied. 

Ajabde joined her hands in gratitude and smiled and left the gurukul. Going straight to Saubhgyavati's house the two girls sat and began browsing through the book. 

"Hey Bhagwan!" gasped Saubhgyavati aloud. "What on earth is Laparotomy?"

"Look here," pointed Ajabde at the definition in the book. "It's the making of small incisions to reach the wall of the abdominal cavity."

Turning the page over now it was Ajabde's turn to exclaim, "Fractures and classification of bones! Hey Eklinji! How long will I take to learn and practice all this?"

"Ajab...I think even before I finish studying baapusa will get me married..." She pouted and began crying. 

"Bhago...until we get our menses none of our fathers will get us married." Insisted Ajabde with a straight face. 

Just then Saubhgyavati's eyes widened exclaiming, "Why don't we delay our menses!?" 

Ajabde's eyes widened in horror. Immediately she shook her head in denial saying, "Are you insane!"

"Ajab...if we want to learn then we must." Insisted Saubhgyavati holding her friends hands in hers. "The decoction is simple, mustard seeds, fermented apple juice and papaya seeds."

"I know..." Replied Ajabde pulling her hands away from her friends grip. "But, it can even have the opposite reaction on us and cause our menses to come earlier than expected."

"Then what do we do?" asked her friend crashing down with a thud on her bed. 

"When it happens we'll see," replied Ajabde not know what else to do.

"I am warning you," began Saubhgyavati pointing a finger at her friend, "if I get my menses first I'll pray to Maa Bayan so that you'll get it soon and get married."

Ajabde narrowed her eyes at her taunting, "I don't want to marry because...I sincerely don't know if my husband or in-laws will permit me to learn more and practice!"

She sat down beside Saubhgyavati as a sulk enveloped both their faces. 

"Anyway...there's still a long way to go." Said Ajabde. "We'll pray that we don't get our menses soon."

***

"Khamma ghani guruvar!" exclaimed Kunwar Pratap, Kunwar Shakti and Chakrapani in unison. 

Aacharya Raghavendra joined his palms and greeted them in reply. "What brings you'll here?"

Kunwar Pratap immediately touched his gurus feet saying, "If not for you accepting me as your student, I wouldn't have been able to give Mewar it's deserved victory."

"You have just begun Kunwar Pratap." Said his guru in a soft yet compelling voice. "Shams Khan is as good as dust when you compare him with the Mughals."

"But guruvar, the Mughals have left Bharath." Said Chakrapani immediately.

"Maybe for a while but they will be back; much stronger and with much more cruelty." Replied the teacher, as he placed his hands behind his back. "Sher Shah Sur's death has lead to chaos ever since 1545. No one knows what will happen further."

"Your right guruvar." Nodded Kunwar Pratap. "Babur nearly killed my grandfather Rana Sanga and his son Humayun killed daadi Rani Karnavati and next...is his son Jalal-ud-din Mohammed whom I will kill."

"Kunwar Pratap," said his guru, "what you are talking about here is a personal grudge and if that is the case it's best not to fight."

"But why Guruji? Is taking revenge...that bad?" asked an amused Kunwar Shakti. 

"Revenge can only serve your motive once or twice. When the burning fire of vengeance is in your heart you will stop at nothing to destroy what you hate." 

"Then what exactly is the problem?" asked Chakrapani in discombobulation.

"The point is, Kunwar Pratap whom you are trying to avenge are the souls of great people who layed their life willingly. How can you denigrate such great sacrifice to mere vengeance?" 

Kunwar Pratap nodded at his guru and smiled joing his palms saying, "I understood. But I, as the scion of Lord Ram's lineage shall continue this fight which was begun by my daadusa Rana Sanga."

Aacharya Raghavendra nodded his approval at his favourite student and asked, "How did your meeting with the Gaduliya Lohars go?"

"The puja was fantastic!" exclaimed Kunwar Pratap immediately. His eyes twinkled with delight as he showed his guru the sword the tribe had gifted him with. 

"This sword is a symbol that your people have already seen you as their protector and a king; make sure you live up to it. Not only by your actions but also by your deeds." Said his guru firmly. "Wars and great showy actions are one thing, it can be done by anyone; what sets you apart from the rest is your determination to live by your principles and values, especially when it is seemingly impossible."

Kunwar Pratap smiled at his teacher as tears of pride and joy twinkled in his eyes. He couldn't feel more blessed to have such a guru in his life. 

"Well...that's enough sermon for today." Said the guru breaking the moment completely. "I'm off to Kashi in the morning."

"Kashi!" exclaimed Chakrapani, "I was supposed to go there myself for my further studies in astrology."

"But guruvar, why Kashi so suddenly!?" asked Kunwar Pratap feeling slightly alarmed. He was afraid that his guru would leave him and go for good. 

"Stop getting distraught." Said Aacharya Raghavendra seeing the slight flicker of an agitation of loss on his pupils face. "I'll be back within a year or two, it depends on how fast she learns."

"She?" frowned Kunwar Shakti, picking up on just one word of the entire monologue. "You teach girls!"

"Not all girls," replied his guru. "Just two."

"Wah wah!" teased Chakrapani, "who are those two lucky ones who've been trained by you? So much so that you are going to Kashi along with them!"

"When the times right you'll will know them." Replied Aachraya Raghavendra with a slight sigh. 

"But still...girls!? Which girl in Rajputana...and what exactly are they learning?" asked Kunwar Shakti feeling highly interested in the two mysterious girls. 

"Bhai Shakti, why are you keen to know about them?" asked Kunwar Pratap almost immediately. "Guruvar can teach anybody, does it really matter?"

"Of course it does!" Exclaimed Chakrapani. "Guruji has never trained girls!"

Kunwar Pratap rolled his eyes replying, "Guruvar knows to choose his students."

"But still," insisted Kunwar Shakti with a grin, "who are they?"

Aacharya Raghavendra shook his head replying, "If you and Chakrapani are so interested why don't you'll join me at dawn tomorrow."

"Aah..."

"No one is going anywhere." Snapped Kunwar Pratap before Chakrapani could say anything. "Guruvar will go and come soon." Saying this he held his brother and friends arms and dragged them out of the gurukul. 

"Dadabhai what is your problem?" asked Kunwar Shakti pulling his arm away from his brothers grip. 

"You are embarassing!" exclaimed Kunwar Pratap immediately. "And so are you Chakrapani Mishra!"

"But...what's embarassing in asking and knowing? It's general knowledge." Replied Chakrapani sheepishly. 

"Knowing about girls is general knowledge?" Taunted Kunwar Pratap making Kunwar Shakti chuckle. 

Shooting a glare at his younger brother he said, "And you, since when have you been interested in girls?"

"Dadabhai, I understand you are extremely boring but I am not." Replied Kunwar Shakti trying hard not to laugh. "And what's the harm in knowing someone?"

"They are girls." Insisted Kunwar Pratap shaking his head vigorously from side to side. 

"Then...you are basically abnormal." Teased Kunwar Shakti making Chakrapani burst out laughing. 

Kunwar Pratap shook his head and walked off unable to comprehend what had happened to his brother and friend.