✔️Tale as Old as Time (Kunwar Pratap/Ajabde [Praja])

46//~vrindavaan~

"Palki nikaliye, shigra!" I said. I hadn't even gotten the chance to change out of my vivaah joda when once again I was insulted and told to get out.

"Hume Vrindavaan jana hain. Palki le chaliye," I said.

"Baisa aise aap Vrindavaan?" the soldier said.

"Humne kaha Vrindavan le chaliye. Abhi aap krupiye utna hi kare jitna aapse hum kahe," I said.

The soldier nodded and the palki started moving. I needed to meet Ranima and apologize. Everything I had said wasn't intended that way and she knew that. I know she knew that.

I got out of the palki as we reached Kahna mandir. I knew she was there. I hurried up the stairs where I found Kunwar Pratap standing there. Thank god he was alright.

"Kunwar Pratap kya Ranima-" no I was wrong. The anger was evident in his eyes. He too didn't believe me.

"Kaunsi Ranima Ajabde? Humari Ranima ko aapke liye humare prem ne chhin liye. Yadhi hume patta hotana Ajabde ki humara prem humse etna bada muliye lene wala hain to hum kabhi prem hi nahi karte," he said.

I looked at him. He had done it too. Every minor inconvenience and everybody blamed me.

"Aapko bhi lagta hain ki hum apradhi hain? Humne vivash kiya Ranima ko mahal chhod ke jaane ke liye? Bus eetna hi vishvas bana paye hum a-"

"Vishwas to bohoth tha hume aap par Par aapne humare saath vishwas gaat kiya hain," he accused me. Hume aapne liye rakhne aap itni swaarthi ho gayi ki aap ne humari Ranima ko badha samjha? Aapko saat phere yaad reh gaye kintu vachan nahi yad rahe?" he asked. "Humne kaha tha na Ajabde ki humare liye aap humari Ranima ke baad hi rahengi. Kaha tha na? Vachan liya tha na humne?"

"Itni shigra kaise bhul gayi aap?" he demanded.

"Jab aapke maan ne hi hume apradhi maan liya hain to kisi aur ki gavayi kya many rakhti hain? Prem ko to vishwas ki kasoti pe khara uttar na tha-" he cut me off again.

"HUme apni baato mein ulja ne ki jestha mat kijiye Ajabde. Aapne humari Ranima ko humse chhina hain. HUmare Dajiraj ko dukh pohchaya hain aur iske liye hum aapko kabhi kshama nahi karenge,"

"Grina karte hum aapse. Grina!" he said.

"Grina?" I asked. "KOi baat nahi. Humne to aapse prem kiya hain aur ajeevan karte rahenge kintu humari ek baat avashya yaad rakhiyega. Hum aapka prem tab tak nahi swikarenge jab tak aapke maan mein humare liye vishwas nahi lautta," I said and I knew he wanted to say something but I ignored him.

I walked towards the door and knocked.

"Ranima..." I said and broke down into tears. The anger, the hatred, the insult that I had experienced in what was supposed to be my house forever before my mehendi even wore off.

"Kholiye dwaar. Ek baar baat to kariye humse," I cried and fell to the floor.

"Kya swang kar rahi hain aap? Nahi kholengi dwaar aapke liye jab unhone humare liye nahi khola," Kunwar Pratap said holding my wrist to make me stand up.

The door opened and Ranima stepped out.

"Aise baat karte hain apni patni se?" she asked him and then glared at his hand holding my wrist. He let go.

"Issi kshan kshama mangiye Ajabde se," she orderred. Kunwar Pratap glared at me.

"Kshama kar dijiye," he said and joined his two hands and looked away.

"Humare kehne par aapne uss din dwaar khola to uska samaan karne humne khola abhi dwaar," she said. "Aap dono jaiye either se. Humne saniyas le liya hain,"

"Ranima- Ranima kya humse bhool hui hain? Aap aise achanak kaise hume chhod ke ha sakti hain?" I cried before she left again. "Yadhi aap humari vajayse gayi hain, humara woh earth bilkul nahi tha-"

"Humara patra nahi mila?" she asked me. I was shocked- she actually left cause of me. KUnwar Pratap glared at me.

"Hume kshama kar dijiye. Humne aj tak aisa kabhi nahi chaha ki huma apke putra par apna huk jataye. Such mein Ranima, hum aapka kabhi bhi sthaan lena nahi chahte," I cried folding my hands in front of her. I had never imagined what I had said.

"Yadhi humse kuch bolne mein bhul hui ho to aap hume daat dijiye, dandit kar dijiye kintu aap aise kaise hume mahal mein chhodke ja sakti hain?" I asked her.

"Aap kya keh rahi hain? Aapke vajayse hum maal kyu chhodke jaiye bhala? Apne putra ki bindini se hume kabhi bhi irsha ho sakti hai?" she asked.

Kunwar Pratap did a double take.

"To phir aap kyun chhod ke aiye sab kuch?" Kunwar Pratap asked. "Hume aap kaise chhodke aa gayi aise samay par?"

"Apradh hua hain humse. Apne se chhoti rani ka huk chhina hain humne," she said. "Uska prayashchit hum yahin kar sakte hain,"

"Ranima aap aise nahi ja sakti. Aapko hum swaarthi lage to hain hum swaarthi. Nahi hain humara aur koi iss sansar mein. Jinko humne sab kuch de diya veh grina karte hain humse. Nahi hain aur koi iss sansar mein humara. Aap bhi hume chhodke mat jaiye," I said.

"Ajabde humse apradh hua hain," she said holding my hand. Her eyes welled up and I was already crying. "Hume prayshchit to karna hoga,"

"Nahi hain yeh uchit samay Ranima. Aapne jo humse kaha tha, jiske karan hum vapis aiye mahal mein vahi aapko bhi sochna hoga. Aap unki mahatvakanshao ko kaise saphaal hone de sakti hain?" I asked.

She closed her eyes and went back into the mandir and stood in front of the deity. She came back after a few moments.

"Chaliye," she said.

"Dhanyavaad Ranima," I said touching her feet. Kunwar Pratap did the same and we went back to the mahal together. I didn't talk to him once.