The Wish

The Wish

A part of the garden was renovated for the special occasion that he had planned for her. A table for two had been set in the center with fairy lights on the shrubs around them. It had been a long time since he had arranged for a special meal for her. Dressed in his best suit he admired the freshly plucked flowers tied together with a string and ribbon. The gardener would surely come after him with his tools upon learning of act.

“Love. It makes you do things such as these,” he caressed the ribbon design. He heard footsteps and a smile came upon his face

“You made me wait a long time,” he spoke up. “Today is the anniversary of the day when I first saw you. Surrounded by those flatterers you looked so stunning and ready to kill them all….”

He turned around and bent down and raised the flowers in his hand, “I only wish I had come to rescue you early but today I confess that I fell in love with…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud laugh erupted and Udai Singh found himself staring into the eyes of his father’s butler. Sangram Singh cracked up watching his son’s failed attempt at romance.

“Celebrating the anniversary of the day you first saw her,” Sangram Singh shook his head, “did you forget your actions on that first meeting- broke the ancestral vase gifted to the family by British historian, destroyed her painting that she intended to gift her elders and best of all, you completely ruined her favourite saree by….”

“I got her a new saree,” Udai Singh interrupted, “that too from Chandini Chowk- it was a complete 100% fake original piece. Cost me nearly 1200Rs.”

Sangram Singh tilted his head as Udai Singh corrected the price, “fine I bargained and got it for Rs800 but I sold two pieces of his” He recalled his experience of a salesman when he draped a saree for two customers.

The guard announced Jaiwanta Bai’s return and Udai Singh looked at his father, “please do not tell her about my failed attempt at romance with your butler.”

The elderly man nodded his head, “go make tea for us and I will keep your secret”

London

The sun hid amongst grey clouds as winds picked up the pace. She sat near the London Eye looking at all the happy faces as they enjoyed themselves. Families surrounded her as they went their way of making merry and living every moment. It had become a daily thing for her to come and see happy strangers around her.

“Mum!! Look at me mum”

“Mom smile,”

“Mum wait for me”

“Hey Mum, look at me and grandfather”

“Grandpa!!!”

Her ears seemed to only care about one word. The word that meant the world to her, it was her beating heart and soul.

“On the day of birth, your father left you and today your mother left you too. Now, your decision will cost Kunwarsa his life. Don’t you see Ajabde” she stressed on her name, “everyone close to you, whom you claim to love and cherish- dies. Your Nanosa, Maasa and next in line would be Kunwar Pratap”

Her body trembled as those words came back to haunt her. Six months had passed since her mother left her alone,26 weeks she walked the doors of her home, 182.5 days she last heard her mother’s voice, and 4380 hours since she walked out of his life.

“I love you, Pratap” she confessed her truth as they stood on the terrace. “Every moment I spent with you has been beautiful and full of love and laughter. I have no regrets of falling in love with you but I need you to be strong. I wish for you to become the person you want to become- fulfil your dreams. Make your parents and grandfather proud of you. Be the good son. If possible, then do forget about me. I’m not worth it”

He stood watching her sit alone in her pain and despair. Six months since he last laid his eyes on her,  4380 hours since he started stalking her through every channel possible, 262800 since he decided to become the successor of his family and work on his dream project and after all this time, he found her hiding place. Only she would manage to hide in plain sight. Her confession had given him a glimpse of the breaking point she had reached and it was all because of that woman

“It’s not as if I lied to her, Meera defended herself. She chose to become the head of the family- fine. Then she should lead her family. Patta, my son is the successor of Punwars, not some fling of yours that resulted in a child”

The sound of a slap echoed in the hall of old Punwar house as Ramrakh Punwar’s patience was finally crossed. He glared at the woman who stood before him

“Patta will never be the successor of Punwar family. A successor is the child of the family, that child is of one’s blood. Patta is neither my blood nor does he carry Dadabhai Jaimal’s blood. We all know the identity of Patta and Heer’s real father. Their father was not of royal blood- he was a simple man who fell in love with the wrong person”

Meera looked at him scared as the hidden truth was reminded to her. Ramrakh looked at her with eyes blazing with anger,

“Just because you pleaded innocence in front of my father and twisted his words of promise does not make your child the successor. Ajabde in every aspect is the true successor and she did the right thing by assimilating Punwar household into the main family- Chauhan.”

“Do not push our buttons, Meera” Jaimal stood by his brother, “consequences will never be in your favour.”

Drops of rain brought him out of his thoughts as he looked back at the girl he had spent searching for since her departure from everyone’s lives. His eyes softened as he walked towards her,

“Make sure you get the files from the HR department for my next meeting,”

“I neither like sunrises nor do I like sunsets- I love the night because then I can see all the shining stars that twinkle like diamonds in the sky”

“Parle G is my absolute favourite. If not Parle G then I can go for either 50-50 or Milk bikis”

“Only you would climb up a tree to steal fruits from his personal orchard. You could simply ask the gardener to give you some”

“Just tonight and then we go our separate ways.”

“No regrets”

Memories hit him as he walked closer to her. With only a few steps away he remembered her last words before the disappearance

“I love you, Pratap. Forget about me, I’m not worth it”

She felt her heart thump faster and louder like it used to in his presence and closeness. Her heart, unlike her mind, still kept a ray of hope alive of his image. She knew better than her heart who refused to give up or lay down in battle. Her mind, on the other hand, reminded her of the truth- her Nanosa, and Maasa was gone and they would never come back. Pratap needed to stay away to stay alive because she won’t be able to bear losing him.

Rains drops fell heavily as she sat uncovered from their wrath. She didn’t care that her clothes were getting drenched or that she had started shivering because of the cold. She had become habitual of the cold for she forgot the essence of warmth. Suddenly a figure moved to the front holding an umbrella on top of her.

“You plan on catching a cold and then making me serve you,” Pratap spoke as he covered her under the umbrella. She tilted her head to look at the one person who always made her feel warm and fuzzy. His eyes softened watching the drop fall down her face as she continued to stare at him. He pushed the umbrella in her hands as he quickly took off his overcoat and covered her with it

“You fall sick from a slight cold breeze and here you are getting drenched in the rains,” he grumbled as he closed the buttons and tied the belt around her thinner waist.

“Are you on some crazy diet” he teased as he pushed her a little back and checked her out from head to toe. “London food is not suiting you at all, you need some samosa, kachori, and jalebi to live well.”

Her fingers trembled as she touched his face while he talked of samosa and jalebis. Her imagination had gone wild to conjure him in front of her. Maybe she had passed out and was dreaming or maybe she was dead. There was only one to check if she was dead – in one swift move, she pulled him close to her and planted a kiss on his lips. His hands tightened around her waist as the umbrella fell down and flew with the wind as they stood underneath the falling drops of rain lost in each other’s embrace

My only wish is for Ajabde to live life and experience love. I want my little girl to come back to me and only you can do that

Will you fulfil my wish, Kunwar Pratap? Will you love and cherish my Ajabde and bring her old self back  - Hansa

The Promise

The Promise

Jaimal Punwar smiled watching his brother stare at his reflection in the mirror. His younger brother was finally out of bed rest and slowly getting better post the accident. His refusal for the liver transplant surgery was still a matter everyone wished to discuss but Jaimal knew that his younger brother would never agree to it. He walked downstairs to watch Heer instructing the servants to place the gifts, baskets in the cars. The twins had matured after learning of their father’s sacrifice for them. Patta had given up his title and position in the company. He wanted to prove himself by starting from scratch. Heer finished her apprenticeship early and was planning on going for higher studies.

“Bade Papa everything is ready,” Heer spoke to him with a smile. They were all taking a special road trip. A trip that would be the beginning of correcting the wrongs that had happened all those years back.

“Let’s get this old guy to his destination,” Jaimal teased his brother who shook his head as they all walked out the doors.

The road trip felt like a lifetime to Ramrakh who reminisced about the old days. Laughing with his elder brother as they shared childhood stories, the twins learning about their elder uncle who was an army officer. They only took two breaks- one for refilling the tank and the other was for tea.  Post the tea-break, Jaimal took over driving while Patta and Heer fell asleep in the backseat. Ramrakh Punwar took out a pouch caressing the gift that was kept inside it.

What do you want as a wedding gift? Ramrakh asked completely clueless as they sat on the porch after a tiring day. They were in Mandalgarh for their upcoming nuptials. As per traditions, they could not meet for 10 days after the Roka Dastur ceremony but Ramrakh and Hansa were not ones to follow the rules. They were going to the registrar’s office with their loved ones instead of a full-fledged ceremony. Hansabai smiled as she looked at his tired and confused face. Only he would ask his bride to be her choice of a gift a day before the wedding.

He looked at her with a smile upon learning her choice of gift. “I will make sure you get the gift you desire” he promised her.

It was already dark when they entered the borders of Bijolia. They would soon reach their destination and hopefully, they would be successful in their mission. Ram felt uneasy on seeing the Chauhan haveli as memories of bitter past haunted him. Even his elder brother had gone completely quiet on approaching the palace.

Every step Ram took towards the door the uneasiness increased and a sense of dread set in his psyche. Something was wrong but he could put his finger on it. The guards were absent from their positions which increased his worry. He knocked on the old heavy door praying that she would come to greet him.

Panna Dai walked with heavy steps towards the door. Her age catching up to her as events of the day made her numb. Opening the door, she lost her composure on seeing Ramrakh dressed in the same attire he had worn on the day he had come to Chauhan haveli for the first time.

“Panna Dai ji, I’m here,” Ramrakh told her with a small smile that turned to frown on seeing the old lady shed tears. He held her by the arms as she wailed,

“You came too late, Ram” she sobbed. “You came too late”

Jaimal Punwar stood shocked on seeing the sight that welcomed them in the grand hall. The mortal remains of Hansabai Chauhan were laid on a bed with flowers, incense and diyas around her. Dressed in her bridal attire it seemed like she was in a deep slumber. Ajabde sat by her mother’s side holding her cold hands while Jaiwanta Bai Sisodia instructed the maids to prepare rooms and meal for the guests. Patta and Heer paid their respects before sitting down alongside Pratap, Shakti, Jiwa and others. One side was filled with children who used to come and play with their Rani Hukum. They refused to go home as they wanted to be for Hitler Jija. Jaimal felt his brother brush past him as he walked towards the woman who now lay in an eternal sleep.

Ramrakh sat down by her legs as reality crashed hard on him. All he ever wanted was to live a happy and content life with Hansa and their child but that dream had come crashing down. He looked at her peaceful face recalling the time they had met on top of the bus and then later on several times she had used him as a pillow. He didn’t realise the amount of time that had passed but suddenly he found himself alone with Hansa. He took out the pouch from his pocket and smiled as he looked at her,

“I got you the toe-ring you wanted as a wedding gift,” he showed off the flower-shaped toe-ring that was encrusted with gems. 

She had asked him to buy her a toe-ring because in the Chauhan family toe-ring was the present a groom got for his bride. Tears flowed down as he made her wear the toe-ring while humming the melody she used to sing all day long.

Ajabde recognised the song for her Maasa would hum it to her as a lullaby. She walked slowly towards the hall unable to fall asleep only to find Ramrakh Punwar placing a toe-ring on her mother’s feet.

“Maasa wanted me to give you her message,” she spoke up from behind as Ramrakh Punwar stilled. She looked at his back and then at her mother’s face,

“Her message was, Shama Kijiye but I’m breaking my promise. I'm going away before your arrival. Your Hansa”

The Perfect Match

The Perfect Match

Heer watched as the doctor took her father’s vitals and took notes. Ramrakh Punwar had moved back home after his elder brother’s arrival who had taken charge of the family as well as the business. Ramrakh knew Heer was hiding something important the way she was fussing about every tiny little thing. She had screamed her head off at the maid assigned by Meera for being careless with the pillows after Ram had felt a little discomfort. She had taken charge of everything from his comfort to his food, medicines, clothes and schedule.

“Heer” he called out to her and patted the space beside him with a smile. She sat down making sure everything was in place- a glass of water, fruits and his medicines.

“So, what did you do?” he asked warmly as she looked down instead of meeting his eyes. 

“Remember the time you decided to bring home a stray cat and hid it in your bedroom” he recalled the moment a black cat perched itself top of Patta’s head as the young boy screamed his lungs off.

“Patta was at fault he decided to check my room,” she looked up and met his eyes. Ram placed his hand on top of hers, “so who are we hiding this time- I hope it’s not a boy”

She shook her head and then looked at their hands, “I went to Ajabde baisa’s office to meet her. I begged her to perform the transplant as she is a perfect match for you.”

 Jiwa kept the broom down after realising that the person on her doorstep was not media personnel. After the sudden appearance of Heer Punwar at the office everyone was talking about the Chauhan-Punwar connection. She had been dealing with journalists and media channels hounding her for some insider scoop.

“Shama kijiye” she kept the broom down seeing the startled look on his face, “I thought you were somebody else.”

He nodded his head, “I came to meet Vajra Singh ji. If he is not here then I can come back later…”

She shook her head, “Baba is on his way back. You can wait inside.”

The small two-floor house felt cosy, warm and welcoming as he looked around while she prepared tea for them. On the walls were pictures of her parents, childhood but there were two pictures that stood out. He took off the picture and stared at the young man dressed in a simple white shirt tucked in the trousers with his hand around a young woman dressed in a red saree with a simple gold set. Standing beside the young man were two army men and by the woman stood an elderly man may be the father and another young man.

“That’s Ramrakh ji and Hukum’s wedding picture,” Vajra Singh spoke up. “They opted for a registered marriage instead of full-blown ceremonial one as we were hit with famine and they decided to donate the money to the farmers. Beside Ramrakh ji are his elder brother Jaimal and one of his closest friends Hemant. That is Hukum’s father and me by her side”

Vajra Singh looked at the young man who stood before him warmly and affection because he knew that the young man was ready for the truth. “Come sit down and let’s talk.”

Pratap greeted Panna Dai as she guided him to the master bedroom. He was surprised by receiving a message from the matriarch of Chauhans who wished to meet and talk with him about something very near and dear to her. Post the royal ball everyone seemed to be investigating the truth behind Chauhan-Punwar connection but one step from Ajabde had stopped it all. She had sued media platforms for defamation and won, individuals who were posting about it and claiming it was inside information suddenly found themselves in police station facing charges under cybercrimes. She had sent out a loud and clear message to the people and they had to listen. His eyes widened on seeing Hansabai who seemed to have aged and appeared frail than the last time he met her

“Hukum,” he walked towards her but she smiled at him. Pushing the photo-albums away she made space for him to sit beside her,

“So, Kunwarsa what are your intentions with my daughter” she asked the guy who had managed to break down her daughter’s defence system.

 Ajabde came home to the sound of her mother playing the piano. It had been some time since she last played the piano kept in the ballroom of their haveli. The song transported her back to childhood pyjama days when her mother would play the piano and Nanosa sing. She entered the room and stood in the back taking in everything happening in the ballroom.

Her mother was playing the piano while Pratap sang alongside as the children, employees and other servants of the haveli listened to the duo attentively. Ajabde’s eyes were fixed on her mother’s fingers as they ran smoothly over the black and white keys.

“Welcome home, Ajabde” her mother spoke up without looking at her. “Come play with me” she called out for her and Ajabde couldn’t refuse.

Pratap was stunned to see the jugalbandi between the mother-daughter and their instruments. While Hansabai’s instrument was the piano her daughter knew two – the flute and sitar. Ajabde chose to play the flute because it was her Nanosa’s favourite instrument. For five minutes everybody sat spellbound as the mother-daughter played music for their audience. 

Perfect harmony, symphony and synchronisation between the duo had everyone enjoy the music

“They are a perfect match,” someone spoke up, “the mother-daughter duo is the definition of a perfect match.”

The FairyTale- I

The FairyTale - I

The first time Ramrakh met Hansa was on top of the bus going to Mandalgarh. He was on his way to prove his worth as a son of the family. Six months he would live as Ram a young man who has come from a nearby village for a job. When he had left his home, he was sure of making it through the six months but six hours into the journey on top of the bus travelling through the dusty roads had him wishing to return home.  He acknowledged her because of one single thing- she was using his shoulder as a pillow. He sat straight refusing to move an inch scared of disturbing the sleeping beauty. She had climbed on the top without any hesitation or concerns and sat by his side using him as a physical shield against the gaze of the other commuters.

“Bhaisa, wake your wife,” the conductor told him as they came to their destination. “This is the last stop for us.”

He eyed the girl who ate with gusto as they sat in a dhaba after being declared as husband and wife by the conductor and co-passengers.

“It’s better to be disguised as a married couple,” she spoke up with a smile, “as in a small town like this one people will trust us better and we will have access to the facilities easily.”

He looked at her shocked as she smiled back at him, “do not worry I will protect your honour from all the wandering eyes of the town.”

Later that evening Ramrakh lay on the floor looking up at the ceiling thinking about the story that she had told everyone

“We got married at the Gauri temple,” she told the elderly landlord lady, “the families were against the alliance because of his monetary stature. He wishes to prove his worth and wanted some time but a wicked uncle of mine wanted access to the small treasure my parents had set aside for me”

Ram smiled recalling the way she had turned teary-eyed and added the right expressions. 

“She should be an actress or in the theatre,” he thought and the cherry on the cake was that everyone including the landlady fell for it. So, here he was with a roof, job and a wife who seemed to be hiding secrets of her own but he was no one to question her after all he had a secret to protect as well.

As time passed Ram found his partner interesting, amusing and mysterious. She knew all the rituals of performing the prayers, could recite the Gayatri Mantra as well as Durga Chalisa without any hesitation. She refused to let anyone bully her and taught bullies a lesson- the poor ration shop owner would not dare to cheat the customers and loved playing with kids. But the best was her culinary skills he was shocked to see the blackened shapeless roti that looked more like a pappad and the watery concoction that at one point in life could be considered as daal.

“I’ll cook from now onwards,” he told her as they sat down for their simple meal of khichdi. 

“You can help me with the dishes or prepping the meal.” She quietly nodded her head and agreed to it without any fights. 

The next morning, he found a piece of paper in his work bag and realised it was a list of dishes- favourite, preferred and manageable. Underneath was a note that read:

I hope you can make dishes from the first two columns as I do not like the last one- Hansa

Ramrakh contacted his elder brother when he felt unsure of his feelings. As instructed by his brother, he went around doing things to understand his feelings for his fake wife. From pretending to be angry, to treating her like a pure stranger he did everything as stated by his brother only to fail miserably. For she had not paid attention to any of his mood swings rather she was busy with her own struggles

“If you want to say something then say it,” she told him exhausted. “You must have noticed by now that I’m not good at puzzles. They confuse me so whatever it is just say it.”

He looked at her for a minute before uttering out the words,

“I think I’m in love with you and want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he told her without breaking eye contact.

 “Also, I’m a Kunwar who is in disguise to prove my worth to my father.”

"You are still cooking, Kunwar or not,” she told him with a smile as she walked around him towards the bedroom.

As the six-month neared to an end Ram felt agitated over the thought of leaving Hansa behind by herself. He had seen the way some men would eye her in the bazaar and it took all of his restraint to not beat them to a pulp. He smiled as he read her diary while she slept soundly in the bedroom looking at the several things that had a tick mark against them. The List of Firsts was her idea of bucket list. He was happy that most of them happened with him by her side. At the moment of farewell arrived, Hansa promised him,

“I will wait for you as long as it takes”

With a last glance at her smiling face with teary eyes, he bid her farewell. Keeping her words in his heart, Ram stepped on to the bus going back to his home to declare his intention of marrying the woman who had taught him the meaning of life- Hansa.

A Worthy Successor

A Worthy Successor

Meera sat solemnly hiding her happiness as the men gathered to announce the next successor of the Punwar family. Ramrakh Punwar was physically unable to carry out the duties thus a successor needed to be announced quite soon. 

Once her son was announced as the successor, she would take the title of Raj Maata of the Punwar clan.  She glanced at the two men who were a thorn that needed to be picked out- Sangram Singh Sisodia and his grandson Pratap. The former was the one responsible for her apology that was broadcasted for weeks and the latter was said to be involved with the Chauhan princess.

Sangram Singh Sisodia kept sneaking glances at his phone as if waiting for an important call and give him a reason to leave the place. Pratap looked at him two times for the same but his grandfather assured him that everything was absolutely fine.

“Fine” Pratap thought a little irked as he had been hearing the word on a regular basis for the last couple of days. Ever since the Royal Gala, everything and everyone seemed to use the word ‘fine’ in every possible way. Ruqqaiya was fine after dropping the pregnancy bomb on him, Shakti was fine being single though he had been seeing Heer on several occasions, above all, she was responding to all of the texts, calls, and queries with the word fine.

“How the hell could she be fine?” he wondered but greeted the gentleman properly who had walked over to meet his grandfather.

“How are things Kunwarsa?” the man asked him.

“Well, everything is fine” he responded with a smile. “I think they are about to announce the successor” he looked towards the front where the men had taken their places.

Outside two cars entered the premises one with Indian Army flags and insignia visible and the other had Chauhan family insignia. The people who got down from the cars looked at each other before walking to the announcement area.

“You will wait outside,” the girl informed the officers. “We will call for you indoors within five minutes.”

Inside the venue, everyone was stunned at the decision of the committee. Patta was not declared as the successor neither was Heer leaving the position completely open.

“Why is my son being denied his right?” Meera asked angrily as she stood in the center after the declaration. 

“Patta is the male heir to the Punwar family. Ramrakh Punwar is unable to take charge due to health issues thus the responsibility falls straight to my son. Yet you say that he is not the successor. I ask you why?”

“Because he is not a worthy successor,” the girl spoke up creating more buzz than the declaration. 

Saubhagyawati walked past Meera to the committee and handed over a thick folder along with an aged letter. She turned towards the audience,

“Greetings everyone, I’m here as a representative of the Chauhan family and I will answer all of your questions. The letter I have handed over was sent to the Chauhan family by the Punwar family patriarch who has given the Chauhans full authority to decide the next successor of the Punwars.”

Gasps rang out as Meera looked shocked at the new turn of events. Saubhagyawati continued, “as per the letter, the patriarch calls upon the history of the two families and reminds him that Punwars are a branch, a tertiary clan that came out of the main family-Chauhans.”

Meera had enough interference, “a successor is needed as we all know Ramrakh Ji unable to fulfill his duties. In his absence, who will take on the responsibility if not his son” she asked the people refusing to meet Saubhagyawati's eyes. She turned around to see the young woman,
 “Why should we believe that the letter is from our family head and not a forgery?”

Before Saubhagyawati could respond the legal head responded, “the letter is not forged as it carries the Punwar seal. Only a family member could have access to this seal and not an outsider”

Saubhagyawati smiled and gestured for the officers to enter the room. Meera gasped as she took a couple of steps backward on seeing him alive in flesh and blood. The person who had been declared dead upon her insistence, the one person on whose sake she had blackmailed the Punwar head and forcibly married Ramrakh Punwar.

“I present to you General Jaimal S Punwar eldest son of the Punwar family” Saubhagyawati introduced the officer with a smile.

An hour later, a nurse walked out wiping off her tears on seeing the two brothers unite. Hemant Punwar fed his younger brother and gave him a Cadburys éclair on finishing the soup. The duo recalled their childhood when the elder brother would reward the younger one with toffee for all of the finished tasks, full marks, or a prank pulled off.

Jaimal looked at his younger brother with guilt and shame, “you paid a heavy price for my shortcomings, Ram but I promise you that I will set everything right. This is your Dadabhai’s promise to you.”

The Talk

The Talk

The couple sat reminiscing about the old times, of a love unfulfilled, of the what-ifs and of the present.

“She is a perfect mix of her grandfathers,” he spoke up, “and I could see a bit of Dadabhai in her.” He held the glass of tea in his hand tightly scared that if he kept it down then his hands would seek hers.

“She takes after her father too especially in the anger-department,” the woman smiled, “and just like her father she likes to keep everything organized.”

They sat with smiles on their face trying to hide the pain that lurked inside their hearts. Fate had played a cruel game with him, first, it put distance between him and his child only to make them meet as strangers. Earlier that night he had shared a dance with his child and throughout the dance all he could do was take in as much as he could of her features, imagine her as growing up into the wonderful young woman and even glared at the Sisodia prince whom he had seen sneaking her out.

“You gave her the name I suggested,” he teased recalling their conversation about names. She nodded her head,

“I realised that it was better than some of the names I had seen on the list.”

They fell silent again looking at the traffic passing by on the highway. Holding on to the tea glasses even though they were empty in the fear that their hands would seek each other for comfort.

“This is for you,” she took out two receipts from her handbag and extended them towards him.

“The imaging lab would have tonight’s pictures ready within a day and you can collect them from it by showing this receipt,” she gave him the instructions as he stared at the receipt. The receipt was from earlier in the night around 30mins before they met at the dhaba.

“I took some pictures of you dancing with her and thought maybe you would like to have them as well,” she looked at the receipt unable to meet his eyes.

“The second receipt is for a photo-album” she continued, “it had all of her pictures from birth up to tonight arranged in your favourite style. It has all of her achievements, milestones as well as some of the fun ones that I have with me.”

He looked at her bowed head, “why?” his voice choked as he held onto the second receipt tighter.

She finally looked up with tears in her eyes, “because we promised to gift each other on our special days. Happy Anniversary, Ram”

Ajabde sat in her office going through the paperwork that the legal department had sent her. They were suing news channels, magazines and certain outlets who had created a scene in the past few days. Everything looked in order and as she was about to sign on them her cabin door opened with a force and standing on the doorstep was none other Heer Punwar.

“Hukum we tried to stop her,” one of the guards spoke up but she gestured them to leave. Heer walked towards her holding a file tightly in her hands,

“I know you do not wish to speak to us but please hear me out,” she spoke with fear in her voice. “I’ll accept any punishment you give but please I beg you to hear me out, Baisa Hukum.”

Pratap walked past the media frenzy in front of the hospital as he escorted his mother inside the building. Shakti and Sajjabai were waiting for them indoors and greeted them as they walked towards the room. Patta was outside greeting the guests who were coming regularly to check up on the patient. He greeted the ladies with a small smile his eyes clearly showing fear and pain of having a loved one in the ICU.

“Doctor said he needs a transplant,” he told them, “and turns out neither Heer nor I am are a match.”

Sajjabai seemed shocked but Jaiwanta Bai maintained her composure as Patta shared the rest of the diagnosis with them. 

“Papa is on the transplant list but there has been no update until now”

Half an hour later they walked out from the back entrance as to avoid the media but one guy caught up to them. He used to work with a channel but had recently turned into a freelancer

“Rani Hukum,” he called out to Jaiwanta Bai who recognised him. He hurried towards her and passed on a note. 

“Please give this to Sangram Singh ji,” the guy said while looking behind his back. “Sangram Singh ji will know the next steps.”

Pratap stared at his mother who calmly took the note and sat in the car. 

“Pratap, I need to go back to the apartment to prepare your grandfather’s room. You will be staying with either Sajja or Shakti when he arrives.” She quickly texted her father in law before dialling the housekeeper to give him instructions.

Ramrakh Punwar and Hansabai Chauhan in an illicit relationship. Sources confirm the duo were together before the tragic road accident. Meerabai kept silent for the sake of her children….

Meera gloated on watching herself portrayed as the victim. She considered herself a victim, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage for the sake of her children, carrying responsibilities and duties of a title that was only in name.

“You are my elder only in age,” the young Rajkumari had told Meera. “Neither in stature or position are you my equal.”

Her eyes narrowed as they were the same words that her mother had told her,

“You might be equal to me in age but when it comes to stature and position there is no match between us.”

“Hukum, Vajra Singh is here” the maid informed her. Meera walked down with her head high and nose higher on hearing that Chauhan family's right-hand man had come to visit her.

 “Must have come with an apology,” she thought to herself with a smile.

10 minutes later, Vajra Singh walked out with a signed apology from Meerabai Punwar. As he walked out of the place, he sent out a text to Sangram Singh Sisodia. 

Apology signed and received. She has been warned

Meera locked herself in the bedroom as she opened the file. It contained evidence that she was the one who filed the bail plea for Raimal Bhatt, paperwork tracing the transfer of money from her personal account to media personnel’s accounts and the script that had been running on the channels. But above all, it was the last words that threatened her the most- a note from the Indian Army confirming that it was Meerabai who had stopped the search a letter from to the Indian Army requesting to close the search for their missing officer.

Ajabde walked out of her office with nothing in her hand as the conversation with Heer Punwar played in her mind  

Heer looked at the other girl who was a year older to her,

“This is from our first birthday,” she showed her a photograph that had a young Ramrakh Punwar holding the twins as they blew out the candles. She kept another one, “this is from our first horse-riding lesson and this one is from our first dance performance”

Ajabde looked at the young girl confused, “I do not understand the reason for all of this, Heer” she told her formally.

Heer took out a file and placed it on the table, “Papa needs a liver transplant as his was severely damaged in the accident. My brother and I are not a match.”

Ajabde felt bad for the girl as she could see Heer loved her father dearly, “I’m sorry to hear that but I’m still not sure what I can do in this situation”

“Ajabde baisa, only you can help me because you are a perfect match for my father,” Heer looked at her with tears rolling down her eyes, “you see I’m not his biological daughter but you are- you are Ramrakh Punwar and Hansabai Chauhan’s daughter.”

Ajabde’s eyes widened as Heer knelt on her knees and joined her hands, “please save my Papa, Jija.”