A Royal Accident

Baisa Aane Wali Hai

The dawn broke in Surajgarh with the sounds of conch shells and Nagadas. Yes, it was the day Surajgarh always waited for ever since a baby was born in the Royal Family, the Royal Wedding. This one was special for the Surajgarh villagers as they already knew and loved their crazy commoner Kunwarani in all her antic, pure ways.

Ajabdeh was awake with the first lights of dawn. To tell the truth, she hadn't slept so much at all, maybe a small nap or so. Her heart was pounding with jitters she wanted to shake off. Even playing ball with Brownie at 5 AM only woke up Heer, but didn't help her at all. Her hands were cold, her face a little pale. Heer sat up sleepy, watching her Jija in her Pink overall, playing ball with her dog. " Jija, it's 5 AM you were told to wake at 6!"

" I Know... woh..." She decided against speaking her mind, " I felt like playing  with my Jaan!"

" Jija are you okay?" Heer looked shocked at her touching her stone-cold hands. Pratap was riding Chetak, in the chills of dawn as Shakti walked out looking for him. " Dadabhai!" His call stopped Pratap. " Badima is looking for you!" He nodded as he got down and patted his friend before handing him over to the stable boy. Shakti walked up to him.

" Are you all right?"

" I dunno Heer, am shit scared all of a sudden! Kal tak sab thik tha... am behaving like a specimen..."

" A... what??"

" Rehne do! Tum nahi samjhoge. I feel like ... I dunno... do mahine pehle main jab Surajgarh aa rahi thi... I ... was pretty sure he was not here... 5 10din ka plan tha mera... mujhe toh yakeen tha ke he won't even remember me." A confused Heer was looking at Ajab hearing all this for the first time.

" Mujhe toh pata bhi nahi tha why I missed her, why I was so angry she never came back or contacted me... and two months later I am standing here!"

" Dadabhai, are you thinking this is a mis..."

" NO! No No. It's just that... It happened too fast."

" Dadabhai, a decade is not fast, and the way you used to talk of her all this while to me or Rosalina we knew what it was even when you didn't. Bhabisa is a little... er..."

" Mad..." Pratap smiled.

" Unpredictable..." Shakti smiled back, " But you will do fine... am sure... ''

'' She would say I am behaving like a specimen!" Pratap managed a laugh.

" What's a specimen?"

" Never mind! Ranima called?"

" Yes yes, time for you to get dressed for Haldi."

Ajabdeh was dressed in a bright yellow lehenga with orange floral designs and an orange dupatta. Jasmine flowers made a pretty mang tika, neckpiece, earrings and bangles for her look, she wore a red Chandan bindi and her hair was braided and bunned. Fresh in the morning with a simple kajal and gloss Ajabdeh looked simple yet pretty. The house was full of guests in yellow and white attires. Heer chose a yellow Saree belonging to her mother teamed with silver jewellery and a black bindi. Mahek and Rohan were both in white, she in a saree and he in his kurta and blue jeans.

At the Palace grounds, Pratap came in a white dhoti and a yellow Kurta looking rather uncomfortable as his Ranima, as well as Kakisa and all the other guests, were smiling and teasing him. Ranima stepped forward to apply the first Haldi, on his cheeks and his shoulders, knees and feet in all smiles.

" Dekhiye Jija iss haldi se beta paraya ho gaya!" Shakti's mother giggled.

" Nahi Behna, Iss Haldi se toh meri beti aur apni ho gayi." Ranima smiled at a blushing Pratap. One by one all the married women were applying Haldi on him.