Blast from the Past

                                                    Blast from the Past

The three of them were walking back to the car when Ajabde saw a familiar face in the crowd. She excused herself under the pretence of visiting the ladies room and followed the figure. Inside the ladies room in a corner Phool Kanwar was trying to stop the bleeding that had re-started from the cut given to her courtesy of Kunwar Jagmal.

“Rajkumari Phool?”

Phool turned hurriedly to see her ex’s present fiance standing with a concerned look on her face.

“Aap theek hain na baisa?” Ajabde touched her hands with her own and they were stone cold.

 “Haan…hume kya hua hai…Am fine” she looked uncomfortable clearly.

As Phool turned back to the mirror her scarf fell from her head exposing the wound. She found herself being turned and instead of hearing fake concerning words of comfort she found Ajabde treating her wound with wet tissues. Phool didn’t realise she was crying until she saw Ajabde hold out a tissue for her to wipe her tears off.

“Thank you” she fumbled.

“Ek kaam hai usko karne ke baad boliyega. Abhi aap chaliye humaare saath…” Ajabdeh held her hand.

“Kahan?” Phool asked surprised.

“Sab pata chal jaayega aap bas chaliye…”

 Phool could feel the tension inside the car earlier Heer had tried her best to engage in small talk only to see her fiance respond in sounds such as mmm, hmm. She then turned to look at the girl who had brought her along with them –Ajabdeh. Such a strange name and the girl was surely strange especially when her eyes landed on the building the car had stopped in front of “We are here Ajabdeh Jija.” Shakti spoke tersely looking at Phool on his rear view mirror as if wanting her to get out from the car as soon as possible but it was Ajabde who responded

“We’ll be back shortly. Come with me Baisa.” She kind of took Phool’s hand and dragged her out.

Shakti saw the two girls walk across the glass doors of the building. He couldn’t understand why Ajabde wanted to help the girl who had hurt his Dadabhai and that too after knowing everything. Maybe he should leave both of them here and go back home she could surely manage to get home on her own but he knew he wouldn’t leave her alone after all he was his Ranimaa and Majhli Maa’s son who was taught to treat ladies with respect and live up to his expectation as a Kunwar.

“What’s taking them so long?” He thought aloud not aware that Ajabde Punwar was teaching an unforgettable lesson to Uday Singh and DheerBai Bhatiyiani’s offspring. Phool was shocked to see herself standing at the doorstep of the very man who had hurt her but what shocked her to the core were the actions of her companion. As soon as Jagmal opened the door for them he was greeted with a punch straight on his nose followed by another one in the abdomen area and currently he stood in the corner cowering like the coward he was while Ajabde’s glare scared her a little.

“Aage se agar tumne Rajkumari par ya kisi pe bhi haath uthaaya toh accha na hoga tumhaare liye. Samjhe?” Jagmal shook his head like an obedient child.

“Shama maangiye inse.”

“I…I’m so sorry Phool…I mean Rajkumarisa aage se aisi mistake na hogi mujhse.” He didn’t look either girls in the eyes.

“It’s okay” Phool looked away as Ajabde held her hand in hers tightly.

Ajabde took her hands and gestured her to walk out of the room and followed her only to stop and turn back at agmal who was dialling a number on his cell.

“Agar apni mummy se tumne ek word bhi bola na toh I promise you jo hoga that would not be good for you samjhe!” Ajabde’s cold stare shocked Jagmal as he gulped.

“Nahi bolunga kisi se, nahi bolunga… please mujhe mat maaro” he begged

 Shakti was stunned to see both of them return back together and he was further shocked when Ajabde told him to return to Songara haveli. He looked at the back-seat to find Phool Kanwar looking out of the window and her unreadable expression gave him stress. 

At the haveli Sajja Bai was stunned to see Shakti carrying a passed out Phool Kanwar Rathore but she was more worried when Ajabde told her about the wound. She was glad that Pratap had gone to the office for work and was not present otherwise even Ekling ji wouldn’t have been able to save Ajabde Baisa from his wrath. They laid Phool in one of the guest rooms where she along with Ajabde tended to her wound.

“Ekling ji ki kripa hai ki cut zyaada deep nahi hai warna stitches ki zaroorat padhti” Sajja spoke while applying the haldi paste on the wound. She looked at Ajabde who looked lost in thoughts

“Baisa? Ajabde baisa aap theek hai na?” Her worried call startled Ajabde.

“Kitni ajeeb baat hai… hum log 21st century mein rehte hain aur aaj bhi ladkiyan are getting beaten at the hands of the men who are supposed to be their life partners.” Ajabde sounded distant.
 “Khoon kholta hai mera yeh sochkar ki society kya kahegi iske baare mein zyaada tension hota logon ko jabki they should focus on the abuse the girl is suffering!”

“I understand beta but kuch log hain jinke liye society mein appearances are more important” Sajja spoke up seeing Phool lay unconscious as Ajabde stared at her.

“Aur aapke liye?” She asked even though she knew the answer Sajja smiled.

“Majhli maa, kaka bole aap yahan…” Pratap stopped mid-way as he saw his ex-girlfriend sleeping peacefully in one of their guest rooms. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the girl sitting beside the sleeping one. He knew who brought her here

“Kunwar Pratap aap humaare saath chaliye.”

Sajja promptly took him with her to the study where Shakti was already waiting for them. Shakti heard the conversation not able to believe what he had missed. Rajkumari Phool Kanwar Rathore the girl who had destroyed his Dadabhai’s happiness and life was recovering from a superficial head wound that was given to her by none other than the man she was supposed to marry. In his anger and resentment towards her he had failed to notice the signs Ajabde Baisa had noticed- the scarf, her losing consciousness in the car and the look of fear when he had parked the car in front of Jagmal’s apartment building.

“Hum jaante hain aap dono nahi chaahte thee ki Rajkumari Phool yahan aaye but unko aisi situation mein kahin aur chodd dena was not correct. Ajabde ne jo kiya theek kiya she got her help and when Phool wakes up I will make sure she goes back home without bothering you.”

“Majhli Maa I will be in my study and I don’t want any disturbances” Pratap’s face was unreadable as he walked away from the duo.

Sajja nodded her head as she walked out but Shakti stood back hoping to talk to him only to leave as his cell rang. Pratap sat in his chair trying to figure out his feelings knowing fully well that he felt numb. He had been numb ever since he had learnt of the truth and then he had focused all his energies on making the Songara name and now she was here in his home. There was a time he wanted her to be in his home, family, life but her words that night.

“You are a fool if you believe in love Pratap.”

It had been more than two hours since Pratap had locked himself in his study and ordered everyone to leave him alone. In the two hours he had managed to edit the final draft of the historical tourist project proposal and even sent it to them but more importantly he managed to find out something about the musibat that had entered his life. He walked in the corridor smiling over his feat only to see Phool Kanwar walking towards him. His smile faded at her stare

“Hi Pratap” she seemed weak, scared and unhappy.

“Rajkumarisa” he acknowledged her presence wondering why she was still in his haveli and looked around for the one who brought her here in the first place. Phool Kanwar saw Pratap standing a few steps away from her maintain distance as per the royal code of conduct but she still wished and hoped that he would maybe hug her. She sighed. Pratap… the one she knew and… was not this one. She was the cause of it.

“Do you need something Rajkumarisa? “He asked her with his voice neutral showing no emotions and she realised her predicament.

“I wanted to say thank you for everything that your family did for me today. I couldn’t go home in the situation and I’m grateful that…” she stopped mid-way realising that Pratap was not even paying attention to her instead he was staring at the girl who was playing marbles with the servant’s children in the corridor downstairs.

“Pratap?”

“Hmm?” Pratap realized he was staring at the foe and had lost attention.

“Please say thank you to her as well. She did something I never expected.” Phool managed a smile.

“She always does the most unexpected things” He smiled unknowingly.

 A smile that made Phool realize something she hoped she was wrong about. Ajabdeh ruled his heart now. Something about the way he spoke of her made Phool feel a hint of jealousy.

“Anyways, I forgot her name”

“Ajabde. Her name is Ajabde” he smiled once again stealing a glance at her.

“Bada hi ajeeb sa naam hai- Ajabde “ Phool forced a smile.

“It’s not ajeeb rather it is an unique name Rajkumarisa. Ajabde means unique soul. It’s getting pretty late I will inform the driver to drop you home. Please tell him the address and he will drop you. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

Pratap walked away without letting himself be affected by the girl who once held a hold on him but now meant nothing. Phool Kanwar stood seething with remorse as she saw Pratap leave her behind only to go to Ajabde. She turned to find a servant waiting to escort her out. She now wanted to befriend Ajabde after all she wanted to make sure Ajabde knew about her and Pratap’s past.