The Room of Letters

The Room of Letters

The maid stood trembling as the guards surrounded her and took the poison vial from her hands. Dhaman Singh sat coughing in his cell as the masterminds appeared from behind, Kunwar Pratap and Kunwar Shakta looked at the maid and then Dhaman Singh. Before anyone could say a word, the maid fell on Pratap’s feet begging for mercy,

“I only did it because I was ordered too,” she sobbed, “please spare my life and I will tell you everything I know.”

Kunwar Shakta gestured for the guards to take her away while his brother walked up to Dhaman Singh

“Your execution will be announced tomorrow morning,” Pratap told the man who looked at him scared. “But I’m willing to save you as long as you tell us the name of the person who ordered you to stop Bijolia’s aid and their letters.”

Shakta looked at his brother surprised as Pratap continued, “this is just a one time offer and you do not have a lot of time to think about it.” 

He looked at the man who stood quietly staring at his feet. Pratap gestured for Shakta to leave and followed him when Dhaman Singh spoke up, “I accept your offer but first you need to do a small thing.”

Dheerbai stared in horror as evidence was placed in front of everyone about the recent transgressions. Udai Singh looked at his sons angrily, “what is the meaning of all this?” he demanded from them but it was Rawat Chundawat who spoke up

“According to this royal decree, it was you Rana ji who stopped all aid to Bijolia and asked all of their letters to not be allowed in the court,” he handed him the decree that carried the royal stamp.

Udai Singh looked in shock as he saw the stamp, “I never issued any such decree.”

“But someone did and they had access to the royal stamp, Rana ji” Kunwar Pratap spoke up. “Dhaman Singh told us that all the aid going to Bijolia was diverted and given to dacoits to create trouble for Bijolia and its surrounding areas.”

Udai Singh rolled up the decree and handed it back, “we need to get to the bottom of this. Call everyone to the court- ladies, children, maids, guards and then do a thorough search of their rooms.”

As the men dispersed, Udai Singh glared at his third queen who seemed to be in shock. He had changed the location of the royal stamp and placed it under her care, this piece of information was only known to the two of them. If a third person found out about it, he would be forced to punish her severely. He had called for a search hoping it would give him some time to clear the mess Rani Bhatiyani had created but he was not aware of the storm lying in wait to wreck everything.

All ladies sat worried in the outer zenana heads veiled while the children sat troubled. Young ones were restless and crying for being woken up in the middle of the night, the big ones stood guard over the little ones and the ladies. The princesses sat scared as the guards marched into their rooms and conducted the search.

One of the Rajkumari’s had taken advantage of being out and quietly moved away from the area where all the queens, and children had been gathered. She went peeping into the corridors in search of the one person she missed the most, her dadabhai Pratap. Kunwar Shakta and Kunwar Pratap were overlooking the search when the sound of anklets alerted them. Shakta took out his dagger and was about to throw it when Pratap held his hand and spoke, “come out Chand. Stop hiding behind the pillar we know you are here.”

Rajkumari Chand Kanwar tilted her head out first and then rushed to Pratap who smiled as she gave him a hug. Of all his siblings, Chand held a special place in his heart and life like Shakta. She never left him alone, stayed by his side whenever he was home and persisted on learning the art of warfare to protect him. Someone needs to protect the one who protects Mewar, Dadabhai she would tell him. On her last birthday, she had requested him to teach her to use a weapon. She was already learning sword fighting but wanted to increase her knowledge, but he had given her a white rabbit like the one she had drawn for him. 

As the search continued, Chand stuck to Pratap refusing to let go of him. Listening to him discuss matters with Rawat ji and others was a learning moment for her. He was home occasionally so the little time he was there she would spend it with him.

“As soon as we find the letters we will have strong proof against Dhaman Singh,” she overheard Kunwar Shakta speak. She pulled Pratap’s kurta making him look at her,

“Dadabhai are you looking for the room of letters?” she asked making the three men look at her. Before Pratap could reply another guard entered and diverted his attention.

“If I take Dadabhai to the room of letters then he might agree to teach me using the spear,” she thought to herself and in one move grabbed Pratap’s hand and pushed him after her as she went rushing down the corridor.

Pratap called his sister out in vain, she was a tiny thing but was strong. She literally dragged him to the end of the west wing corridor that led to the store-room only to take a sharp right and tilted the vase kept on the corner to reveal a secret passage.

“Dadabhai at end of the passage is the room of letters,” she told him. “I overheard Dadabhai Shakta speak of it. Is this what the guards are searching for?”

Rawat ji took lead with Shakta as they walked down the passageway to enter the room and gasped, all the letters from Bijolia and nearby areas asking for help were kept there along with blank letters with the royal stamp. They had found the letters that Dhaman Singh had told them during his interrogation.