Reflection of Passions

Reflection of Passions

Pratap smiled as he gulped down another laddoo in one go, it was his third. The mukh dikhai went great with Champak Lal only staring at ripples of water he created by throwing pebbles into the kund but more than Rao ji being able to watch Hansa bai I’s reflection, he was happy that he had seen Ajabde’s reflection and not Jalal.

He hid behind one of the pillars of the room when two servants came carrying an open vessel filled with water. Both of them were talking to each other when the words hit him,

“Jalal bhaijaan wishes to see Ajabde baisa’s reflection in the water” the servant holding the vessel told his peer. “He intends on watching her while she waits for Ranisa outside of the room.”

Pratap frowned on learning his adversary’s plan, “how dare he think of watching his Ajabde’s reflection?” He needed to come up with a plan that would allow his to stop both Champak Lal and Jalal.

“Dadabhai you seem very pleased” Shakti commented as he joined him on their way back to the west wing. Pratap gave Shakti his signature smile, the one in which his eyes twinkled, and mischief clearly showed. It was the smile that everyone thought had gone away with Ajabde’s departure.

“I’m happy,” Pratap told him, “I’m pleased with the outcome of our plan.”

Ajabde hid in her room unable to conceal the redness of her face. Leave it to Pratap to make her lose her line of thought and sense.

She smiled on seeing the ripples in the kund; Champak Lal ji gave her a thumbs up as he walked out without any expression on his face. She would have a hard time hiding her happiness- she had to admit her foolish siblings had grown up a little. She turned around to walk back only to see Pratap blocking her way.

“What” she looked down at the vessel he was holding and gasped upon seeing his face light up. He had seen her reflection on the water, their eyes met, and she lost all thought and coherence. His dark orbs are drowning her in them, making her forget everything.

“Baisa” a maidservant called her, “you are being called in the kitchen to take a look at the evening feast preparations.”

Ajabde gestured for her to leave as she played with the pebbles in her hands, “Kunwar Pratap Singh see you are making me forget my work” she giggled as she walked out towards the kitchen.

Pratap sat in his room going over the small moment he had with Ajabde. He loved it when she went red like a tomato, the way she would fiddle with her thumbs or play with the corner of her chunar, her incomplete sentences

He looked at her amused as she stared at her reflection worriedly.

“It's you,” he told her “not anyone else.” She looked up her eyes filled with questions,

“What” she began only to stop as he placed his finger on her lips. He shushed her and turned her hand so that her palm was upwards,

“Here you go” he placed small pebbles on it, “it’ll come in handy for cooking the evening feast.”

“Poor Jalal,” he thought, “wanting to watch my Ajabde’s reflection.” He ignored his cell that had been vibrating for a couple of minutes.

“Why can’t they let me enjoy my moment?” he wondered, but his small bubble of happiness burst as he read the name blinking on the screen

“Hello,” he answered in a serious voice as a feminine voice spoke from the other end.

Jalal stood on the terrace playing with his cell. He needed to tell someone everything that had happened earlier but knew he had to be discrete otherwise everything would be ruined. He saw the entourage of cars enter the palace complex and quickly typed out a message,

 “Komolika and her entourage have arrived.” He laughed at his creative nickname for Dheerbai Bhatiyani.

“Jalal” Ajabde’s voice made him look up at the girl who seemed very pleased, and he knew the reason for her happiness, but her smile turned into a frown and then an unreadable expression

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he followed her gaze and sighed, for standing together was none other than Kunwar Pratap Singh and Rajkumari Phool Kanwar Rathore.

Ajabde swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, “Mehendi and Sangeet will take place together. I’ll go and make sure everything is ready.”