Chapter 6| Destiny's Necklace

"RANIMAA....RANIMAA..." Called out Kunwar Shakti dashing into Rani Sajjabai's room. "Pack your bags."

"What?" she asked in confusion as she got off the bed after putting Vikram to sleep. "Kunwar Shakti, what are you talking about?"

"Maa, before you are kicked out by that brainless king or his enchantress wife, we should leave the palace." Said Kunwar Shakti with a straight face. 

"Shakti, he's your father!" exclaimed Rani Sajjabai trying to knock sense into her son's head.

"Father!" smirked Kunwar Shakti, "he's not worth even being called a human being."

"SHAKTI." Screamed his mother, nearly raising her palm to slap her son. 

The boy simply kept a smug face and said, "I am leaving. You better leave as well." Saying this he walked out of the room. 

"Shakti, Shakti..." called his mother and dashed after him. 

Maharani Jaivantabai had ordered her servants to pack her trunk and her son's trunk so that they could leave. 

Entering her son's chamber, she found him sitting and crying. 

Gently holding him by his shoulders she brushed away his tears and asked, "What's the...."

He simply hugged his mother and sobbed bitterly in her bosom. she hugged him back allowing her tears to flow as well. She was sincerely hurt that her son had to go through so much.

"Ranimaa..." he whimpered, "just because of me....choti.... chotimaa...nearly committed a crime....I'm to be blamed..." 

Looking at her son in horror she asked, "Pratap, what do you mean?" 

Brushing his tears and sniffing his overwhelming urge to break down he replied, "Ranimaa...if I wasn't here none of this would have happened. You and daajiraj wouldn't misunderstand each other... chotimaa...wouldn't have to....poison....she..."

"Pratap," she urged in a firm voice, "this isn't your fault and this isn't the first time this is happening. The one who is to be blamed is..."

"It's me only ranimaa," he interjected as  fresh set of tears rolled down his cheeks. "Ranimaa, when I was small also we left, right? That was also because of me! Now also it's because of me! I'm not staying here I'm leaving."

He was about to march out but she immediately held his hand preventing him and said, "We are leaving."

Kunwar Pratap nodded without a word. He knew how self-respecting his mother was and it was the same self-esteem that was instilled in his mind and heart that prevented him from staying even another minute in Chittor. 

"Even I'm coming with you'll." Said Kunwar Shakti with a no nonsense look on his face. 

"No bhai Shakti," replied Kunwar Pratap wiping his tears. "Stay here and take care of manjhali maa."

"Ranimaa is going to Champaner along with Vikram and I will go with you'll." He replied stubbornly. 

"Bhai, don't do anything like this..."

"I have made up my mind and I will go wherever I want and with whomever I want." He snapped immediately. 

"But..."

"Alright," replied Maharani Jaivantabai before both the boys could break into an argument. 

"But ranimaa..."

"Shakti is old enough to make his own decisions." Interjected Maharani Jaivantabai glancing sternly at Kunwar Pratap. Looking at Kunwar Shakti she said, "I and Kunwar Pratap honestly don't know where to go, will you still come?"

Kunwar Shakti gave her a curt nod and at once Kunwar Pratap suggested, "What about Jalore? Just like last time."

"No." She replied shaking her head, "I don't want to reckon on anyone, anymore!"

"Bhils! They will definitely take us in!" Exclaimed Kunwar Pratap with twinkling eyes. 

"Rana Punja ji has already done so much for us Pratap, I'll feel guilty for burdening them again." Sighed Maharani Jaivantabai, reminancing the days when the Bhils took care of her and her son. 

"Then..." muttered Kunwar Shakti thoughtfully, "how about...Kashi?" The least I can do now is to take dadabhai to Aacharya ji. Maybe he may find peace with him, he thought.

"Kashi?" asked Maharani Jaivantabai pulling her brows into a frown. 

"Yes!" exclaimed Kunwar Pratap immediately. "That's the best place to take sanyas."

"SANYAS!" Exclaimed a horrified mother and brother. 

"Yes ranimaa," replied Kunwar Pratap, "I can't live with so much of deception and broken relationships around me. If by taking sanyas, everything will be fine then I'll gladly take it up."

"ARE YOU INSANE!" Shouted Kunwar Shakti aloud. More than being flabbergasted at his older brother's word's; he was furious that his dadabhai would become water so soon. 

"No bhai Shakti," sighed Kunwar Pratap in tremendous exhaustion. "I won't pick up a single weapon from now onwards, I'll only follow the path of ahimsa and dharma."

This hit like a bolt from the blue on Maharani Jaivantabai. She nearly fell, but Kunwar Shakti immediately held her by her arms exclaiming, "Badi maa!"

Kunwar Pratap looked at his ranimaa and joined his palms pleading, "Please ranimaa, allow me to take sanyas. I'm simply enervated with all of this."

Kunwar Shakti caught his older brother by the collar of his angrakha and raised his fist to punch him but stopped midway as soon as he heard a soft gasp from Maharani Jaivantabai's lips. 

"GOD SAVE YOU DADABHAI." He shouted pushing his brother away. "DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. LET'S GO TO KASHI." Gosh! I hope Aacharya ji knocks sense into this idiot! Thought Kunwar Shakti shaking his head.

The very next day; Kunwar Pratap, Kunwar Shakti and Maharani Jaivantabai left the palace as commoners on route to Kashi. Rani Sajjabai too had left the palace along with her son to stay in Champaner, her home town for few days. 

***

Sitting down at a table in the sarai (inn) alongside Saubhgyavati and Heer, Ajabde collapsed right there. 

"Ajab!" exclaimed Saubhgyavati and Heer trying to shake her awake. 

"Wake up...Ajabde..." urged Heer, patting Ajabde's face. 

Cupping her palm, Saubhgyavati filled it with water and splashed it on Ajabde's face. 

With a slight groan Ajabde opened her eyes and blinked to clear her disoriented mind. Gently helping her sit up, Saubhgyavati rubbed Ajabde's shoulder and placed the glass of water near her lips for her to drink. 

"How did you just collapse like that!" exclaimed an astonished and anxious Heer. 

"Because she hasn't eaten nor drank anything since yesterday." Replied Saubhgyavati sounding irritated. "She has been in the hospital throughout the day, studying and practicing."

"Ajabde the world isn't coming to an end!" growled Heer in anger. "Before taking care of anybody you must learn to preserve your health."

"I know...I know...relax both of you." Grumbled Ajabde. "And Bhago, you know I didn't have the luxury to eat a meal yesterday. There were too many patients!"

"What a stupid excuse!" snapped Heer. "You yourself look like a patient!"

Hearing that Saubhgyavati burst out giggling resulting in Ajabde's frown. After they had eaten, they stepped out of the sarai and stared at the scene in front of their eyes. 

"NOW!" Roared an Afghan soldier whipping an old man. 

"How dare he..." muttered Heer fiercely under her breath and was about to step into the scene when a sharp pull tugged her wrist. Turning around she found Ajabde simply holding her hand and watched the man being beaten. "Ajabde, leave my hand."

"Look around, there are more than fifteen men here. How many are you going to fight with?" asked Ajabde glancing at her friend. 

"Then should we just watch that poor old man die like that? It's adharm to be a bystander when something is wrong. We are literally behaving like Bhishm who did not say anything when Draupadi was being humiliated." Said Heer in agitation.

"We don't have a choice." Replied Ajabde without a flicker of emotion on her face. "We can't draw attention to ourselves."

"TELL ME...WILL YOU PAY JIZYA OR NOT...TELL ME..." Roared the soldiers as he lashed the man even harder. 

The poor old man rolled in the dust, bleeding from thousand cuts as the sharp, horse skin whip; cut through his wrinkled loose skin and bled. 

He joined his trembling palms and was pleading and crying making Heer feel not only melancholic towards the man but also tremendous rage towards the Afghan's. 

She tried to free her hand from Ajabde's grip but was unable to do so. 

"I can't believe you're being a part of this adharm only because you are afraid that we'll be caught and killed!" exclaimed Heer in sheer repugnance. 

"What is it with us Rajputs enjoying suicide?" asked Ajabde in a taunting voice. "Everyone wants to die for their motherland; nobody wants to live. What's the use of you dying?"

"Ajabde, that old man is dying there...and we are here watching this drama unfold without doing anything at all." Said Heer in a loud voice. 

"Huzur, that old man is dead." Said one of the soldiers seeing the man lying cold on the ground, bleeding and disfigured beyond recognition. 

"LET THIS BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU'LL. IF ANYONE FAILS TO PAY JIZYA TO SHAMSHER KHAN FOR YOUR GOD'S. I WILL KILL YOU'LL THE WAY I'VE KILLED THIS MAN." Saying this the horse rider galloped away leaving a cloud of dust behind him. 

Heer ran towards the old man whom no one bothered to either pick up from the ground nor shed tears nor cremate. Ajabde stood silently along side Saubhgyavati and kept staring at the horse riders despite them being long gone. 

"Kazi Khan," came Aacharya Raghavendra's voice from behind them. 

Breaking her revere of thoughts Ajabde and Saubhgyavati turned and greeted the guru. "That was Kazi Khan, Shamsher Khan's tax collector. A dangerous murderer and rapist."

"Which means...I was right in stopping Heer?" asked Ajabde, to which Aacharya Raghavendra gave her a nod. 

"Shamsher Khan is...Shams Khan's brother." Said Aacharya Raghavendra with a straight face. "Shams Khan is here, seeking refuge after he was defeated."

Ajabde sighed and shook her head asking, "And...now...is it safe to continue being here?"

Placing his hands behind his back he replied, "Things aren't too bad for now. Just remember not to make any rash move." 

"Guruji as long as you are here, there isn't much to be anxious about." Said Saubhgyavati with a smile to which Ajabde nodded her head vigorously. 

"But Guruji, if there's a chance that we encounter something like this again; should we...simply be bystanders or..."

"Neither should you be a bystander nor should you simply be foolhardy just to save someone." Came the gurus reply. "Know to judge the strength of your enemy by just looking at their physic. As girls, it's the most safest way to understand when to attack and when to defend."

"Then...during such times what exactly should be done?" Asked Ajabde pulling her brows into a frown. 

"Focus." Came the reply. "Focus on your strengths and use that in such a way that your enemy finds you tenacious and either gets fearful or simply runs away."

Ajabde nodded thoughtfully as the guru continued, "Remember, strike hard on the pressure points of the body. Master that, and no enemy can do anything to you."

"Teach me." Smiled Ajabde to which the guru replied, "Learn archery first. I don't understand why you are unable to learn it."

Ajabde groaned and looked away. She was too fedup with the everyday archery lessons in which she had no progress whatsoever, since the day they began studying in Kashi. 

Though Ajabde and Saubhgyavati had basic knowledge of pressure points in the body, the method to strike it still had to be learned. 

***

"There's Kashi!" exclaimed Kunwar Pratap pointing to the huge gates at a distance. 

All through the journey, Kunwar Pratap was asking his mother about Shastras and how to chant mantras. Initially Maharani Jaivantabai hesitated but finally she gave in. 

Kunwar Shakti had drawn his inference that his brother had lost his mind due to emotional trauma. Knowing well that reasoning about taking sanyas with his older brother would lead to nothing but arguements, he decided to simply shut his mouth and enjoy his holiday. 

Along with them tagged Chakrapani, Kunwar Pratap's friend from gurukul and also the son of the kulguru of the royal family of Mewar. Chakrapani himself had a mild cardiac arrest when he heard that Kunwar Pratap had decided to take sanyas, from Maharani Jaivantabai; who had long given up on her son. 

As soon as they entered Kashi, they found a place to stay which Chakrapani's parents had arranged before they could leave for Kashi. 

"I'm going for Ganga snaan." Said Kunwar Pratap taking the copper pot in his hand. 

"Pratap it's afternoon, you can't..."

"Ranimaa...I'm taking sanyas anyway, so why does it matter if I do a Ganga snaan in the morning or afternoon?" asked Kunwar Pratap with a smile and walked off. 

Kunwar Shakti's mouth simply fell open at a loss of words for his brother. Maharani Jaivantabai turned towards him and asked, "Now what happened to you?"

"Badi maa...from what I remember is...that Aachrayaji is here. Maybe he can convince dadabhai." Suggested Kunwar Shakti, quickly recovering from his shock. 

"If that's the case then I'll accompany you and speak to him myself." Insisted Maharani Jaivantabai. The anxiety on her face was clearly visible. 

She just couldn't believe that such family mishaps could break her son so much. He was way too sentimental than she thought.

"Let's go." Said Kunwar Shakti and left the house in Chakrapani's care. 

***

"Ganga snaan now!" exclaimed Saubhgyavati smacking Ajabde's head. 

"I couldn't go in the morning, so I'll go now." Said Ajabde and dragged her friend along with her. "Where's Heer?"

"She's studying." Replied Saubhgyavati. "Let me also..."

"No, no...you come with me." Ordered Ajabde and dragged a reluctant Saubhgyavati along with her to the banks of the river Ganga. 

Descending down the stairs and down into the cool waters of the Ganges, Ajabde toddled her way into the water and began her prayers.

With that she took her first dip in the water while Saubhgyavati watched her shaking her head mumbling, "God knows what's wrong with her."

Coming out of the water she chanted another mantra and took the second dip. The rudraksha she wore around her neck slipped out, to which she remained completely oblivious. 

The rudraksha flowed far away from her and neared the area where Kunwar Pratap was praying, "Hey Eklinji give me a sign that I may know that you have chosen me to take sanyas."

With that he bent his knees and took his third dip in the water. Coming out of the water, the rudraksha slipped into his neck.

Unaware of the fact that a thinner rudraksha necklace had slipped into his neck. He continued to pray until he finally finished them and decided to come out. 

Ajabde stepped out from the water and looked at Saubhgyavati saying, "Let's go."

"One moment, where's your rudraksha?" asked Saubhagyavati pointing at Ajabde's neck. 

Immediately Ajabde's hand went to her neck and gasped aloud, "WHAT THE HELL! WHERE IS IT!?"

"Raoji had gifted to you when you were six! He bought that from Somnath for you, right?" asked Saubhagyavati. 

"Yes..." mumbled Ajabde searching the stairs for the necklace. "Oh Lord! how could I be so careless..."

"Ajab, it never fell from your neck over here right?" asked her friend joining her in the rudraksha hunt. 

"I don't know..." mumbled Ajabde going down on her knees to check where the necklace had fallen. "Oh no!" She gasped suddenly and stood up making Saubhgyavati look at her. 

"Did you find it?" asked her friend. 

"No...it...slipped from my neck while taking a dip!" Exclaimed a horrified Ajabde who pat her forehead. "Aaargh.....my rudraksha...."

Seeing the rudraksha on his neck Kunwar Pratap smiled thanking Eklinji for giving him a sign that he was eligible for sanyas. 

Little did both Ajabde and Kunwar Pratap know that, the rudraksha would change both their fates, twisting it into one fabric which could never be ripped apart.