Wherever You Stray, I Follow (Kunwar Pratap/Ajabde [PrAja])

7//~guilt~

Aware that Ajab still hadn't had a glass of water, Kunwar Pratap decided to take him inside. He took him by the arm and led him into the palace where he was sure to find some water and perhaps get the boy to rest for a bit before everyone returned home.

He made sure his grip wasn't too strong. He wished not to further hurt the child more than he already had. Kunwar Pratap led him into the palace and just a few steps in, the boy knocked over the copper vase.

'BANG!'

He turned around to make sure that Ajab had not hurt himself and was shocked when something else caught his eye.

Bloody footprints lay systematically one after the other from the entrance all the way to where they were standing.

"Paer pe chot luggi hain?" he asked Ajab.

"Voh...to bus," Ajab gave an unsatisfactory answer.

"Dasi!" He called out. A maid rushed to attend to him.

"Humare kuksh mein pani aur pati karne ka saman shigra bhigwao," he commanded.

The maid nodded and hurried away to fetch the supplies he had asked for.

"Samasiya ho tum." Kunwar Pratap said picking him up in his arms as if the boy weighed less than a feather. Frustration boiled inside of him, what had he done? And what was he feeling?

Guilt?

Not possible! His mother, his Ranima had walked away with every feeling he had. Now he was just a robot who did whatever was expected of him. He hated his child even more for evoking feelings buried deep within him.

"Samasiya," he repeated carrying Ajab in his arms to the room.

"Aapko you kusht uthane ki koi avarshakta nahi hain. Khud chal sakta hoon main," Ajab said.

"Achha? Pure mahal pe apni chhap chhodni hain tumhe? Aur kusht to ho raha hain par tumhe uthane mein nahi...kele ke chhilke se bhi kum hain vazan tumhara. Kusht ho raha hain to tumhari baatein sunne mein. Kya chup nahi beth sakte ho?" Kunwar Pratap asked him.

"Ji? Beth to sakti- matlab sakta hoon par phir aap ubh nahi jaiyenge? Aur yeh gusse ki lakire to dekhiye apne mathe pe. Meri Kaki kehti hain ki main jab bolti hoon to sab khush ho jate hain," he added.

"Pyas luggi thi na? Phir etna chapad chapad kaise kar rahe ho?" Kunwar Pratap asked him as he walked along the corridor.

"Voh to dhoop mein luggi thi. Ab nahi. Matlab luggi to hain par eetne tivre bhi nahi ki bol na payu," Ajab replied happily.

"Bus! Kitna bolte ho tum!" he exclaimed.

Finally, they reached Kunwar Pratap's room. Kunwar Pratap placed the boy on his armchair and a few seconds later the maids came in with the supplies he had asked for along with thandai. Kunwar Pratap first poured out a glass for the kid.