Prologue

"What's that!" She exclaimed as she picked up the old parchments lying on the floor.

She flipped the pages, some were torn, some crumpled and the wordings obscure.

"Vidhi, I think it's something ancient." Suggested her friend peering into the displaced yellowed half eaten parchments. "But....I can't understand what this is doing here!"

"Neither can I," muttered Vidhi trying to comprehend the letters. "But what's this doing here in Chavand?"

"Look...Vidhi let's not waste too much time, it's going to be dusk soon!" Exclaimed her friend.

Putting the book into her bag pack Vidhi and her friend left the village of Chavand. Sitting silently in the local bus, Vidhi's mind was focused on the book she had found.

"Vidhi," called her friend gently patting her arm.

Turning to her friend she looked at her inquiringly.

"Why don't we take this book to Vikram, he's a historian he'll help us!"

Vidhi shook her head uneasily replying, "I'll try by myself."

"Since the time we've come here to Mewar region you've lost your mind!"

"Yes....I agree Mrinal." She sighed in fatigue. "There's something about this place that makes you want to continue being here."

Mrinal gently pulled her friends cheek exclaiming, "Your first love....umm...."

Vidhi rolled her eyes at her friend and continued looking out at the trees and tiny happy villages they crossed by. The orange hue of the sky was pleasant as the sun sank for a siesta behind the Aravali's.

"Bijolia...next stop Bijolia!" Shouted the conductor.

Mrinal and Vidhi got off the bus and looked around the little village which gave off a pale glow of electricity.

Vidhi looked around and then said, "That's the guest house. Let's go!"



Entering the lodge, the two girls sat down and took out the book. Placing it on the floor they turned the page as carefully as possible.

Mrinal began reading the words....

"Eklinji ra pranam,

Mewari Rana ro sadar pranam!"

The words were in old Rajasthani but luckily for them, both Mrinal and Vidhi had learned quite a deal of the language since both were students of history and archaeology.

Taking the parchment from Mrinal's hand Vidhi continued, "I'm seen as great, as one would term it 'Ajay-Amar', immortal. Let me impel, that just like you I'm a mere mortal and a follower of Ekling Naathji."

Mrinal immediately stood up with a hand on her hip exclaiming, "I hope we weren't conned in an attempt to unravel something new for our project!"



"Well...." Muttered Vidhi with a shrug, "you never know!"

"I told you not to take Maharani Ajabde as the topic! There's nothing written about her!" Exclaimed an exasperated Mrinal sitting beside her friend.

"Yes...but I got carried away,"

Taking the parchment from Vidhi's hand, Mrinal continued reading, "I'm not an author and I've no idea what compelled me to write this. But oh selfish one, since the day you left, I've been lonely!"

"How romantic!" Teased Vidhi with a chuckle. "But whom is the book addressed to?"

Mrinal shrugged and continued, "What better way to narrate then write our story. I hope...if at all you are there somewhere, you'd find this and treasure this book."

Mrinal turned over the page and what met their eyes was a Swastik symbol drawn with a finger on the page.

It was much lighter now and looked more orange than red on the yellowed parchment.



"Continue reading it Mrinal." Said Vidhi, her heart was thumping loudly.

For both the budding historians this would be either their greatest discovery or their biggest sham. Whatever it was they were eager to find out.

Turning over the leaflet, they looked at the date mentioned on it and frowned....

17th May 1540,

"SHAHENSHAH, YOU MUST LEAVE...." Pleaded Bairam Khan slaughtering yet another Afghan, "SHER SHAH SUR HAS AN UPPER HAND!"



"NO...I WON'T..." hollered Humayun slashing his enemies throat. "ABBA HUZUR PUT HIS BLOOD AND SWEAT TO RULE HINDUSTAN..."

Bairam Khan ran towards the emperor and held him by his hands and said, "Shahenshah, if you live you can get back everything. If you die here for nothing...all of this is futile."

Humayun sighed and nodded reluctantly. Helpless and defeated, he dashed away from the battlefield and together with the rest of the family; his wives, aunts and relatives left Agra.

He swore to return. Return, and take back what belonged to his father Babur.

The battle of Kannauj was won by Sher Shah Sur, an Afghan general who now proclaimed himself emperor. Defeated, the Mughals had to escape and seek shelter in Umerkot.

***

"Girja daai I can't understand why he's been whaling since so long!" Sighed a helpless mother in the room. "I even nursed him!"

The old wet nurse sighed and took the nine day old infant in her arms and tapped his belly to check his health. "Kunwarsa is completely healthy..."

"Then why is he crying?" growled a frustrated Jaivantabai.



"Maybe he's sleepy..." Suggested the wet nurse.

"He isn't sleeping either Girja daai!" Exclaimed the exasperated mother.

Jaivantabai, also known as Jeevant Kanwar before her marriage to Udai Singh was the princess of Jalore and the daughter of Ake Raj Songra Chauhan.

Her husband, Udai Singh, the rightful heir to the throne of Mewar was immersed in battle with his usurper uncle Banbir, an alleged brother of his father Rana Sanga.

The day Jaivanta married this young prince of Mewar, his fate had magically changed. The chieftains and people began accepting Udai Singh's authenticity and his claim to the throne.

On the 9th of may, born to him and his wife was their son. Predicted to be auspicious, lusterious and great, Udai Singh found it favourable to go and challenge Banbir for a war.

The boy was fair skinned, was taller and much more well built. Nothing about him seemed normal and it radiated from the child. His unusual strength, his sharp features and his calm face were the prominent marks of a great king.

With final whimpers, his cries ceased and his face was calm once more. His tiny eyes shut in deep sleep. His mother stared at the child and asked, "Girja daai, what happened to him now?"

"Looks like..."

"Khamma ghani...Baujiraj Udai has won the war. He has killed his uncle!" Exclaimed a servant from the threshold of the room. 

Jaivantabai's face lit up like a beautiful lamp. Tears of joy moistened her eyes as she shut them praising and thanking her Giridhar Gopal. 

"Ranaji has won jija!" Shrieked Sajjabai Solanki, Udai Singh's second wife. 

"Careful, you are pregnant." Warned Jaivantabai smiling at the bubbly woman. 

"Has kunwarsa slept?" She asked sitting down beside Jaivantabai. 

"Just now." She replied glancing at the sleeping infant. 

A slight frown made Sajjabai's brows pull downward as she said, "There's also another news, Humayun has fled from Agra."

Jaivantabai nodded thoughtfully and replied, "After all Sher Shah Sur had been behind him since the ninth of this month."

"Jija it looks like kunwarsa is a bad omen for the Mughals." Chuckled Sajjabai.

Why hadn't I thought of that, wondered Jaivantabai glancing at the sleeping child. Why not? You shall be kaal only on the Mughals...

Thus was born the future of Mewar, in the bastion of Kumbhalghar on a day which shook the Mughal empire from it's foundation's, rendering them helpless, so as to flee the very land of Hindustan.

Two years hence was born in the house of Rajputs in Umerkot was his biggest enemy, Jalaluddin Mohammed. 

Only time would tell what the two would do to each other. For both fought to survive and thus came the birth of an entwined destiny which awaited the two to grow.

***

Silence.....

The two girls gaped at each other in horror and excitement. 

"I lOVE YOU VIDHI!" Screamed Mrinal jumping up and hugging her friend. 

Vidhi hugged her back with similar delight and said, "Whoever wrote this book I adore them."

"Yes but we'll have to carbon date this first!" 

"No. Let's finish reading the book, most probably we'll get an insight into what Mewar was many years ago." Insisted Vidhi, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Though there was no proof that the book they had found was authentic, Vidhi simply felt that it was true and Mrinal firmly believe in Vidhi's intuitions. 

Together they peered over the book and began the journey which took them back 500 years ago to Mewar....