Winner or Loser

Winner or Loser

Dheerbai ji wanted to celebrate her success as she had turned the night of celebration despair. The hurtful words could still be heard and felt in the grand hall and the girl they were targeted to had been missing ever since. 

Through sources she had found out the real family of the child Ajabde had brought home and invited them to the celebrations. The baby belonged to a royal family who desired for a male heir and as soon as Ajabde saw the man who had discared the child, she had gone into her protective mode only to be reminded by the Rajmata of the family who she(Ajabde) was in reality,

“If you are such an amazing daughter then ask Rao ji why did he keep your birth a secret for years?” the woman snarled at Ajabde whose hold tightened on the child in her arms.

“Do you what you wish” she stared right into Ajabde’s eyes, “but everyone knows your truth- killed your brother at birth, your engagement did not even last for a year and now you are using this child to trap Kunwar Pratap into rekindling your dead relationship.”

Dheerbai ji looked at the mother who seemed calm and composed, must be due to the shock she thought to herself but Dheerbai knew she needed to maintain her cover,

“Poor Ajabde” she lamented, “it seems everything she worked was for nothing. She lost in the end.”

SajjaBai ji glared at the woman and was about to give her a good sounding to but was stopped by her elder sister.

Jaiwanta Bai shook her head in denial, “ it is not our place to speak up, behena.”

Hansabai ji smiled as she looked at the fake woman in front of her, “it is your perspective that everything was a waste, not for me. You see Dheerbai ji, last time when my daughter left no one stopped her or went after her and today all of her siblings including your children are out looking for their jija. Besides I don’t know whether Ajabde lost or won but as a mother, it is a victory for me.”

Pratap parked the car at the entrance of their old secret meeting place,  hoping he would find his Ajabde there. It was her hiding spot which he had turned into theirs, “I’ll never leave you alone neither in happiness nor in suffering” he recalled his promise, “please be here Ajabde. Let me at least keep one promise to you.”

He walked through the dirt path as the memory of the morning hit him,

“Na na na.”                                                                                          

“Haan haan haan.”

“Na na.”

“Haan haan.”

Ajabde and Pratap were engaged in a war of words holding two dresses glaring at each other. They turned to look at the lady who sat in the garden,

“Ranimaa” both of them spoke up in unison

  “Ranimaa, tell him my baby is not wearing that pink dress” Ajabde demanded while Pratap refused to budge,

“Ranimaa, tell her the baby is not wearing that blue dress either.”

“Her name is not pinky” Ajabde stared straight at Pratap, “that she’s going to wear the pink dress.”

“It’s baby pink with bandhini work” he corrected “besides her name is not Neelu that she’ll wear the blue dress.”

“It’s prussian blue with golden zardosi work” she corrected him back.

 “Quiet down both of you” Jaiwanta Bai ji took away both the dresses, “the baby will wear one of the old dresses as per the custom.” “Now” she looked at them, “we will make a schedule divided amongst the two of you, and in your time you can dress the baby in any colour you want- agree?”

Both of them nodded their heads in agreement.

Hours later all the children returned back sad and lost. They had failed in locating their sister. The sister who loved them unconditionally, reunited the family, gave them the happiness that otherwise not have reached them. She made them won in front of the world when in reality they had lost miserably. Heer and Patta couldn’t meet their mother’s eyes, they didn’t have it in them anymore. Chand, Maan and Jagmal were glaring at their mother for ruining a happy day for everyone. They had refused to listen to her and joined the search as well. Their eyes turned towards the door as Pratap walked in- alone.

“Maybe we should file a police complaint,” Dheerbai ji spoke up making everyone glare at her. “I mean who knows what happened to Ajab…”

“What happened to me?” Ajabde Punwar entered the house with not one single scratch on her body or any signs of grieving.

She walked towards her mother holding a file, “I just signed a 100crore deal. Here are the papers. I’m tired and going to bed.”

She looked at the startled faces, “goodnight everyone.”

In his study, Rao Ramrakh Punwar signed the papers and placed them in the file. He handed the folder to his butler who knew very well the next steps. He might not be the head of the Punwars but his signatures were still required for paperwork to be completed. Those who had dared to insult the Punwar name would be punished severely.

“Remember, this is highly confidential” he reminded the butler who nodded his head in agreement.