StoryTime

StoryTime

“My parents eloped, and got married,” Patta told his wife whose eyes went wide with surprise.

“What?” Shakti looked at Heer who furiously nodded her head, “Jagmal and the others came today to speak to Majhli Maasa, and then she told us the story about my parent's elopement.”

“Tell me the story” Jiwa sat cross-legged on their bed as she stared at her husband, “you went without me, so you must share the story with me or else I assure  you for the next couple of days you will be drinking green tea.”

"Would you like to talk about it?" Shakti asked concerned but Heer shook her head. "I'm tired. It's better I go to bed beside tomorrow is going to a busy day again"

Shakti nodded his head quietly, there was nothing he could say to her. If he tried to push then he would be the nagging partner and he didn't want that tag.

Heer lay down her back to Shakti frowning, "why didn't he push for me to tell him?" she wondered. "Maybe he doesn't want to be burdened by my problems" she sighed as tears welled in her eyes. All she wanted was for Shakti to give her sign that he cared and wanted her in his life.

Shakti stared his wife's form sadly, "I wish you trusted me enough to share your problems with me- if not as a husband then at least as a friend"

Jiwa smiled as Patta nodded his head as the story shared by SajjaBai ji came to his mind,

Bijolia was a princely state that served under the Mewar kingdom. The royal family that resided and took care of the state was the Punwar family whose ancestors had been advisors to the Rana of Mewar. In this family, Rao Ramrakh Punwar took birth and was declared the successor of his father. Raoji had started attending to the state affairs from a young age on his father’s and his advisor's insistence even though as a young man, Rao ji wanted to become an entrepreneur and form his business empire. Once he accompanied his father’s advisors to a neighbouring state for business, and it was there he first met his would-be wife- HansaBai Kanwar.

HansaBai was known for her calm, soft-spoken nature and her cooking. She had been visiting the place to perform the Roka Dastur ceremony. Her alliance had been fixed with Champak Lal, son of a prominent businessman who knew HansaBai ji’s family and held both personal and professional relationship with them. Rao ji had felt his blood boil when he had seen the duo together. He didn’t know the reason, but he felt possessive and protective of HansaBai Kanwar. The day he was supposed to leave back for Bijolia, he had searched for her and found her in the cowshed. She was talking to a cow. Her simplicity and down to earth nature had won him over. Back in Bijiloa, he had declared he would marry her and if not her then he would never marry. The family was in a fix and, Raoji’s father in anger had thrown him out hoping that the girl would break his son’s heart on learning that he was a nobody.

Nobody in their lifetime ever imagined that the duo would elope on the day of HansaBai’s wedding to Champak Lal. They married and decided to start their lives together. She was his support through all highs and lows. Rao ji took a job in the Sisodia, and it was after he had established himself as a businessman and earned partnerships with Solankhini and other smaller families that Rao ji’s father accepted the duo.

It is said that Champak Lal was heartbroken as he had fallen in love with Hansabai Kanwar as well.  He refused to marry another and eventually adopted two children whom he raised as his flesh and blood. Together with his children, he started the Champak Lal Mishthan Bhandar, and his most famous dish coincidently happened to be HansaBai’s favorites- khasta kachori, Mirchi bada and Kesar rabri.

On the rooftop of Bijolia palace, a lady sat staring at the cloudless sky. The stars were shining, spreading their light all over while the moon hung on the side, it’s brightness dimmed.

“Ranisa” one of the maidservants approached, “Ajabde Baisa has sent these for you” she placed the tray that carried a kulfi stick with Kesar rabri.

The dish made HansaBai smile, of all her children- Ajabde held a special place in her heart and life. For her, Ajabde was not only her child but her friend. She was the perfect mix of her parents- her looks came from her while her personality was her father’s gift. Ajabde knew of her mother’s feelings, and she would do all the small things that at one time her father did to make her happy.

“If only you could see Raoji,” HansaBai thought sadly, “the similarity between you and Ajab” she smiled as she took a bite of her favourite dish.

The maidservant walked out of sight and hiding in one of the storage rooms; she quickly messaged her boss about the on-going activity of the palace. DheerBai Bhatiyani needed to be informed about the upcoming nuptials as soon as possible was the last thought of the maid before someone hit her from behind and saw her fall unconscious on the floor.