First Victory

First Victory

Pratap stared at his brother who gulped down another beer on the rooftop of their home.

“ Dadabhai meri shaadi ho rahi hai. Aap ne dekha kitne impress huye Heer ke baapu.... mere hone waale sasur” He laughed amused at his own words taking a sip.

“ Shakti aajke liye kaafi ho gayi hai. Chalo sone” Pratap tried to take away the bottle in vain.

Shakti pouted like a kid at his brother. “Par mereko na sona. Aaj na main dance karunga mera bada mann....”

“ Dance baad mein karna Pehle you need to sleep. Pata hai na kal aapke hone waale in-laws aa rahe hain....”

Shakti appeared thinking. “ Haan kal mereko dekhne aayenge ladkiwaale ... Hahahha!”

Pratap shook his head as he went to help his brother who leaned against him for support to stand up.

“ Kal unse milna hai hume

Kal unse milna hai hume

Thode kaju katli lete aana

Thodi bhaji takari lete aana

Aa rahe hain sasur mere!”

           

Pratap smiled a little as he tucked his brother into his own bed as there was no way he could have managed to take Shakti to his room without waking up Majhli Maa. Switching off all the lights except for the small bulb in the corner he walked out of the room and started walking back to the roof top.

The gala night was a success on all fronts as the Songara project led by Shakti won an award, he received the business man of the year award and both brothers were received accolades for their late mother who was honoured during the night. But for Shakti’s happiness was everything and the way Raja Hemant Solankhini looked at Ajabde he knew things were going to be fine. She had won over the traditional man and cleared all of his doubts. Thinking about her interaction with the people at the gala night Pratap’s mind raised a million doubts about her identity. She behaved like a proper royal lady, from addressing him as Kunwarsa to patiently listening to everyone and he had a huge smile on his face when she put DheerBai Bhatiyani and Phool Kanwar in their place. He found himself smiling at the words again. He somehow doubted she knew about his and Phool’s... maybe she did... with all the tabloids gossiping over the Phool Kanwar wedding and her list of ex’s... he was just one of them... She had been his one... what irony! But Ajabde’s words of confidence in his mind made him smile.

“My relationship with Kunwarsa is based on respect, trust, faith and love. It is not a show for media personnel or anyone who wishes to stay in the limelight. Both of us know the importance of relationships and ours is not a business deal that we would make a big issue of it. Besides our family and loved ones have been aware of our relationship since the beginning so I don’t understand why we have to bother about a few outsiders on not getting their dose of gossip.”

As he stepped on to the roof he saw her sitting on the ledge with her cell phone. She was staring at it very intently.

“ If you want I can call and speak on your behalf to your father...” His voice made her stare at him.

“ Accha aur kya bologe unko? main aapki bhaagi hui beti ka fake fiance bol raha hoon??” She laughed at her own joke as he stared at her giggle.

“ Touche!” He smiled making her stop as she stared right in to those dark brown eyes for a few mere seconds with a lingering smile.

Pratap Singh was a charmer in the way he talked on stage, spoke of his mother, handled his associates and enemies and also ignored the rumoured ex. She had seen him look away from her more than once, it clearly hurt him still. She had also seen him stare at her proudly when she gave them a much needed speech. It surprised her as she thought she had taken the fake fiancé thing to a new level interacting with his step mother but when he smiled a genuine gratitude smile Ajabde felt content.

Ajabde took the beer bottle kept on the other side and took a big gulp as she placed her cell phone back. Pratap joined her with a bottle as he sat beside her. She was staring in to the clear night sky.

“Heer ki family aa rahi hai for lunch... kal...” He spoke trying not to stare at those eyes again.

“I know…mereko WhatsApp kiya Heer ne.” She spoke without looking back at him taking another sip as he realized he was staring again and looked away. 

This saree and jewellery made him... remember Ranima? Yes Maybe!

“ Can I ask you a question?” He asked in a low voice not looking at her again.

“ Depends!” Ajabde replied plainly.

“ Why are you helping us? I mean tumhe mil kya raha hai in return...”

“ Roti, kapra aur makaan. Agar main help na karti toh would you have let me stay? Well main khud hi na rukti as I don’t like to be in anyone’s debt so I help you out and you help me out it’s a mutually beneficial decision...” She smiled at him as he nodded.

“ Tumhe ladka pasand na tha ya koi aur hai life mein?” He regretted the minute he asked the question as she got up to leave.

“ Good night Kunwarsa” Her words seemed colder than usual as she walked away.

Toranmal sat in the corner of the cheap bar drinking cheap desi daaru listening to Kumar Sanu’s songs that were being played on the dilapidated music system. Ever since she had run away from their so called destination wedding all the money lenders had been after him. The wedding was his last try in getting his hands on the money that he could return to the money lenders and also use for his business.

“ Gayi toh gayi meri 50lakh ki ring bhi le gayi”

Baadshah Khan, one of the money lender knew he would find ToranMal in the bar and so he quietly crept up to him without letting him know of his presence.

“ Miyan tumhaari halaat toh badi kharaab hai. Kahan ek Rajkumari se nikaah kar hume humaare paise dene waale the aur dekho toh tum yahan...”

“ Bhaijaan maine toh poora plan kiya tha…aapko card bhi bheja tha...”Toranmal sipped on his drink again.

“ Haan bade se kisi mahal mein ho rahi thi tumhaari shaadi...”

“ Kya shaadi…sangeet waali raat sabko chuna laga ke bhaag gayi “

“ Tumhaari dulhan ko pata chal gaya hoga shayad tumhaare baare mein waise kaun kahan bhagaa isse hume koi matlab nahi. Mujhe aur baaki sabko unka paisa waapis chahiye bas” He looked angry.

“ Paise ke liye hi shaadi kar raha tha na…par ab kahan se leke aaunga main...” He looked distraught. 

“ Ramrakh ki beti se kar rahe the na shaadi toh unke uss bade project mein partner ban jaao. Suna hai crores lage hain uss project mein waise bhi shaadi se bhaagi ladki hai tum nahi....”

ToranMal looked at him in awe and hugged him tight.

“Jaisa aapne bola waisa hi karunga. Historical Tourist Spot project sirf mera hoga !”

Rani Meera couldn’t believe her eyes as she took in the view of her private rooftop garden. It was decorated with fairy lights and lanterns hung from the branches, the gazebo was filled with her favourite floral arrangements and there stood her husband wearing the same attire he had worn when he had proposed her for marriage.

“ Aap late hain poore 30seconds” Hemant smiled at his queen.

“ Ji jaante hain par kya kare aapki beti hume chodhe tab na”

“ Meri beti aapka matlab humaari beti.. Hemant + Meera se hi toh Heer aayi na?”

Meera blushed looking around. “Aaj itne romantic ?”

“ Hum jaante hain aap naraaz hai humse and aap sahi hain par kya kare Meera hum pareshaan thee...”

“ Aap apni pareshaani humse share karte na phir. Hum aapki patni hai aapki har cheez par adha adhikar humaara hai-pareshaani par bhi...”

“ Meera uss din office mein pata chala ki DheerBai ji ne koi contact nikaala hai jiske through uss new project ko she plans on getting for Jagmal. Agar aisa hota hai then Sisodia + Rathores will in a way hold the keys to almost all of the historic sites and jahan tak hume pata hai they would never focus on the smaller towns bas apne areas mein hi kaam karenge....”

“ Isse Kunwar Pratap ki shaadi ka kya connection Raja ji?” Meera looked worried.

“ Agar yeh project Jagmal le jaata hai then jitna hum US aur Maldev ko jaante hain they would appeal ki Jagmal becomes the crown prince for Sisodias and ...”

“ Yeh ho gaya toh sabke liye problems khadi hongi...” Meera looked troubled.

“ Haan but as long as Pratap is present aisa na ho sakta “ Hemant smiled.

“ Isiliye aap Pratap ki shaadi ko leke worried the??”

“ Main Heer ki khushi chaahta hoon... beti hai humaari but aur bhi cheezein hain jinko dekhna hoga”

“ Aapko Ajabde Baisa kaisi lagi?” Meera smiled at her husband victorious.

“ Samajhdaar hain, responsible bhi and aapne dekha Heer bhi unko jija bulaati hai. Pratap aur Ajabde ek saath acche bhi lag rahe thee”

“ Haan…jaise dono perfect fit ho ek dusre ke liye”

“ Humaari tarah” Hemant held out a box “…yeh hum laaye”

Her eyes went wide....

“ Malai ghevar…idhar dijiye”

Like a kid she took the first bite and offered some to her husband

“ Sorry” He smiled. 

“hum bhi” She blushed.

Heer smiled as she saw her parents patch up with the ghevar with her binoculars.

“ Ajabde jija aapka jaadu chal gaya....” She smiled grateful.