"Rukiye, are rukiye toh, hum thak gaye hain, aur nahi chal paayenge." Phool gasped out, her legs giving way beneath her. Ajabde managed to catch her before she hit the ground, effectively preventing injuries. "Ohfo Phool! Abhi aur chalna hain haat mele tak jaane ke liye. Aap itne mein hi thak gayi?" Aanchal laughed. "Has lijiye Aanchal baisa, baadme aap bhi aise hi haafengi." Phool shot back, the girls dissolving into peals of laughter. The two girls looked up at Ajabde who was staring off into the distance. Aanchal placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kya hua Ajab? Kaha kho gayi aap?" Instead of answering, Ajabde pointed at something. Phool and Aanchal turned to see a bullock cart going along, two boys being the only people riding on it. "Aree, rokiye unhe, haat mela le jaa sakte hain ve hume!" Phool yelled. "Rukiyee, aree rukiyee!" The three girls yelled in unison as the bullock cart slowed to a stop.
Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar was on a mission, not a war or strategic mission, but a mission nonetheless. He and his new found friend, who he encountered while visiting Meera Bai, a renowned Krishna bhakt. Jalal didn't know who this boy travelling with him was, but he knew that he could forget the responsibility of being Shenhshaa-e-Hind with his new friend. He didn't need to know his friend's identity. As the two boys engaged in a race to see who would reach a bullock cart they found abandoned first, Jalal smiled serenely. This was a good day. His friend beat him to it and Jalal couldn't help but say, "Shaandaar! Aisa lagta hain jaise ki aap ko iski aadat hain." He laughed but failed to notice the sudden paleness of his friend. "Ji haan, aap ko dekh ke bhi vaisa hi lagta hain mitra!" His friend replied after a short pause. The two boys began their journey towards the village when they heard voices yelling. "Rukiyee, aree rukiyee!" His friend slowed the bullock cart as three girls ran up. "Aap haat mela jaa rahe hain?" One of them asked and Jalal nodded his agreement. "Kya hum aapke saath chal sakte hain?" The same girl continued. His friend nodded, "Haan haan kyu nahi, aayiye. Baith jaayiye." The girls offered their thanks as they climbed up into the cart. "Aree! Hum mein se kisi ek ko aage baithna hoga." Another girl said and Jalal couldn't help but think that the voice was childish. "Koi baat nahi, hum baith lenge, aap dono peeche aaram se baithiye." It was the same voice that talked to them first. "Suniye? Zara sahayata karenge humari?" She asked and Jalal agreed. He extended his hand and the girl grasped it. A current like feeling passed through his arm and his eyes widened. He helped her up quickly and dropped her hand. "Dhanyavaad, humari sahayata karne ke liye." The girl smiled. Or he thought she did. He couldn't really see her face because they had pulled their veils up to their lips. "Ji shukriya kis baat ka, madat karna toh achcha hi hota hain." He replied and the cart fell into silence.
Pratap was worried. He knew that voice. It was his sister. He knew she had seen him. She must have kept his secret because she knew the importance. He didn't really like how his friend acted around her all of a sudden. But he knew she'd handle herself. She was Aanchal Singh, Mewar's Princess and his dearest sister. The cart ride ensued in silence and they soon reached the village. "Abb hum pohoch chuke hain, aap yaha utar sakti hain." He started but as he looked back, he realised all three of them were gone. "Are kaha chali gayi ye teeno, abhi toh yahi thi." He asked looking around, confusion gracing his features. "Pata nahi dost, lekin chalo hum pohoch gaye, abb dekhte hain mele me chalte hain."
The three girls ran out and Aanchal sighed in relief. Her Dadabhai was alive and well! And undercover apparently. She was shaken out of her trance by Ajabde, "Kya hua aapko? Aap khoyi khoyi si lag rahi hain." She shook her head. "Kuch nahi bass mann thoda vichilit hain, Dadabhai ki fikar sata rahi hain hume kabse." Phool laughed. "Aapke Dadabhai Kunwar Pratap Singh hain, ve toh avashya thik hi honge. Abhi hume chudiya leni hain! Chaliye naa!" Phool tugged on their wrists. The three girls split up, Ajabde heading towards the store that sold books while Phool dragged Aanchal to the bangle shop.
"Phool! Hum kya kare chudiyo ka? Hume toh shastra dekhne jaana hain." Aanchal whined. She was a princess yes, but she was also a warrior, she didn't like to dress up a lot, but royal responsibilities required that. "Haan haan jaante hain, lekin aapko humare saath rehna padega. Ajabde toh granth dekhne chali gayi, abb aap hi hain humare saath." Phool replied and Aanchal snorted. "Aap chudiya dekhiye hum abhi aaye." She walked off, sighing to herself. She wanted to look for her brother and possibly talk to him. It had been so long since he went to bring Meera maa back and Aanchal missed him. They were twins after all, literal halves of a whole. Lost in her thoughts, Aanchal didn't notice her surroundings and slipped. Arms slipped around her waist and steadied her. "Are sambhaliye! Abhi girr jaati aap." She looked up to see the same boy from the bullock cart. Her eyes roamed over his face, taking in the smoothness, the sharpness of his features. She finally made contact with his green eyes and found herself lost in their beauty. He was beautiful. She didn't notice that his arms were still around her waist and hers were still grasped onto his chest. The boy cleared her throat and she snapped back to reality, jerking back suddenly. "Kshama chahte hain, hume aise dekhna nahi chahiye tha." She folded her hands in apology. "Koi baat nahi. Ho jaata hain." He smiled and started to walk off. "Are suniye!" Aanchal called. The boy turned around and looked at her questioningly. "Woh, woh hum aapse dhanyavaad kehena chahte the, aapne fir ek baar humari sahayata ki." She stuttered out. "Aur humne bhi aapse kaha tha naa ki shukriya mat kahiye, isme shukar guzar hone ki baat nahi, madat karna toh farz hain." He smiled at her and she felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't understand this feeling. Just before she could reply, a messenger came up to her. "Khamma Gani Baijilal, Mewarnath ne sandesa bhijvaya hain aapke liye." And before she could control her tongue, she blurted out, "Daajiraj ka sandesa! Laaiye. Dhany
avaad sandesh vahak ji!" She smiled, before remembering the company she had. "Toh aap Mewar ki Rajkumari hain?" The boy asked. "Woh hum, ji haan. Parantu aap kisi ko batayega nahi. Hum vinati karte hain aapse." She said, and the boy laughed, "Aap itna bharosa kar sakti hain hum pe, nahi kahenge kisiko. Abb chalte hain." And he left.
