Midday rolled around as the heat steadily increased. A procession consisting of 3 palanquins, a dozen soldiers and a couple of daasis made their way through the heat. “Ohfo! Ye garmi toh badhti hi jaa rahi hain! Bhopi! Hume pankhe se hava do!” A childish voice called out from one of the palanquins. The daasi hurried to comply. The occupants of the remaining palanquins laughed. “Phool, aap bhi naa, itni bhi garmi nahi hain. Kuch nahi hoga, chintit kyu ho rahi hain aap.” A second voice called out. “Ajabde! Aap nahi jaanti humari tvacha kitni mulayam hainn. Aap chodiye. Aanchal aap samjhainye inhe.” A third voice, clear as crystal, spoke up. “Jaane dijiye Ajab, aap Phool ko toh jaanti hain naa, ve aisi hi hain. Phool, hum kehte hai sainkio se khaime lagvane hain. Suniye!” A soldier turned to her. He folded his hands and bowed. “Ji baisa?” He questioned. “Hum vishram karna chahenge, Jalam Singh ji se kehke khaime lagva dijiye.” The soldier nodded. “Jo aagya baisa.” He replied once again walking off to inform of the order.
With the tents set up, the three girls decided to step out. Phool Kunwar, the princess of Marwar was the first one out, followed by Ajabde, the lady of Bijoliya. “Areee Aanchal jaldi kijiye! Hum aur pratiksha nahi kar paayenge.” Aanchal, the princess of Mewar, laughed while urging them to go on ahead. As she stepped out, the rays of the sun illuminated her face, causing her to smile. Unknown to her, a figure watched from nearby, entranced with her beauty, her grace. The figure watched as her kohl-lined eyes took in her surroundings. A man stepped up to her and she focused her attention from her surroundings on to the man in front of her. “Ji Jalam Singh ji, kahiye.” Jalam Singh wrinkled his nose before speaking, “Phool Kunwar baisa pratiksha kar rahi hain aapki. Aapko shighrati shighra khaime mein chalna chahiye.” She sighed, her friend was so impatient. “Ji aa rahe hain, dhanyavaad.” She then proceeded to walk towards the tent, her payal tinkling melodiously.
The figure watched as she made her way into the tent before turning around and heading to his own. As he reached the tent, a boy his age came out. “Are mitra, kaha gaye the aap? Aap hi ko dhund rahe the.” He hesitated. “Vo humne ek naya khaima bante dekha, toh vahi dekhne gaye the, aap ko hona chahiye tha. Kya nazakat thi, kya khoobsurti thi vaha. Jo humne dekha vahi agar aap dekhte toh zaroor khush hote, vaah!” The other boy frowned. The two boys walked a little ways off their tent. Over the edge of the cliff, they could see the luxurious tents erected. The other boy’s eyes fell on the flags hoisted on the tents. “Are, ye toh Marwar ka dhwaj hain. Yaane sambhavta Marwar ke raj parivar se koi hoga. Chaliye chodiye, humne suna hain ki paas hi ke gaav me haat mela laga hua hain, vaha chalte hain.” He walked off. The boy sighed as he made his way back as well.
“Khamma Gani baisa.” The group of daasis greeted. “Gani Khamma.” Ajabde smiled. “Baisa, hum paas vale gaav ke haat mele mein jaa rahe hain, aap ko kuch chahiye vaha se?” Ajabde and Aanchal shook their heads while Phool yelled out. “Haan haan! Hume chudiya chahiye. Par hum swayam jaana chahenge! Ajabe, Aanchal aap bhi chaliye naa humare saath.” Phool looked at the other two girls, pleading with her eyes. “N-Nahi nahi Phool, Jalam Singh ji nahi jaane denge." Ajabde stuttered out. “Ajab, Dadabhai ko hum aur Aanchal sambhal lenge. Aap bas humare saath daasi vesh dharan kijiye.”
The girls got dressed and were about to leave when Jalam Singh, Phool's elder brother figure and bodyguard stopped them. "Kaha jaa rahi hain aap teeno. Kahi haat Mela jaane ka toh nahi soch rahi? Aapke bade daata ne mana kiya hain naa aap ko yaha vaha bhatak ne se? Jaane nahi denge hum, sir uthake. Jalam Singh hain hum." Jalam Singh spoke sternly, his attitude grating on Aanchal's nerves. "Agar aap Jalam Singh hain, toh hum bhi Mewar ki Rajkumari hain, aur apne dadabhai ki choti behen, jaante hain apni aur apno ki suraksha karna." Aanchal bit back, her fingers deftly grasping the hilt of her dagger, hidden inconspicuously between the folds of her simple lehenga. Jalam Singh stared down at her, hate burning in his eyes. She started back, her eyes hard and anger simmering in her chocolate coloured pools. "Marg chodiye humara." Her voice rang out, eerily calm. Jalam Singh didn't budge. She glared at him, her hand tightly gripping her blade, "Humne kaha marg chodiye humara." Her eyes burned holes into Jalam Singh's soul, and he backed off, slight fear evident in his eyes. "Dadabhai, kaha tha pehele bhi aapse, Aanchal se mat ulajhiye, ye Kunwar Pratap ki choti behen hain, inhe shastra abhyaas hain." The girls walked off in the hot climate, not realising the walk to the village was a long one.
