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

6//~first day~

her angel eyes saw the good in many devils

✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧

"Aap?" Ajabde asked wide-eyed staring at Kartikey.

"Ji hum. Aur humne sab sunn liya hain," he replied smirking and taking a few steps forward so he was out of the bushes.

"Kartikeyji, aap galat na samjhe kyunki aap jo samjh rahe hain vaisa to kuch hain hi nahi," Saubhagyavati tried to cover up for Ajabde.

"Achha? To aap hume bataye ki sahi kya hain," he replied raising his eyebrows and lowering his head to make eye contact with Ajabde. He was a lot taller than Ajabde and handsome too. Ajabde knew he liked her and she did not return the liking but the fact that he looked good was not debatable.

He was well-built unlike all the 'sukhi sukhi lakdis' around the village. His skin was dark, similar to the color of coffee and he had a boyish face even at nineteen, but Ajabde thought it suited him. Especially the way he did his hair, it was heavenly to watch the messy black strands of hair fall to his face. Long haired guys were most definitely her type-

He snapped his fingers at her, literally snapping her out of her thoughts. She was utterly stupid to be thinking about his looks- of all things- while she had literally been caught planning to sneak into Kunwar Pratap's training classes...and learn sword-fighting...as a girl!

"Yeh kya tayari ho rahi thi Ajabde? Ya mein kahu Ajab...hmm?" He asked giving her a knowing look.

"Ji?..." Ajabde acknowledged him and quickly tried to come up with a way out.

Ajabde debated on what she should do. Lying was out of the question but accepting her ruse?

She remembered when she had gotten caught secretly learning how to read and write. The villagers had called a Panchayat- a meeting and they stood her in front of the Mukhiyaji (Kartikey's father). A lot of them were inclined to severely punish her for such a deed...after all, how dare she compete with boys?

Ajabde was ready to become a Krantikari at that point to fight for her right and to fight for the right of all females but Kakisa had bound Ajabde with an oath of her sake. She had to stay quiet during the hearing.

At the time she was young, only eight and upon Kakasa's request and assurance that she would never do anything like that ever again, she had gotten away with a stern warning.

She highly doubted that upon her second offense she would get away scot-free again. This time though, she wouldn't let an oath bind her. She was going to fight for rights but she did prefer to do this in secret. After all, it was just her: an orphan living with the widow of an army general. She had no social standing or the power to fight for her rights.

Whatever that was, she was never going to compromise her principles. Lying was not an option. The most she could do was request him to remain silent on the matter but even then she doubted he was going to listen. She had rejected his marriage proposal, he would most definitely wish for revenge. Right?

"Kartikey dekhiye. Yeh sab to bus ek khel tha. Ajabde ko talvaarbaazi nahi sikhni hain, veh to keval parihass kar rahi thi. Hain na Ajabde?" Saubhagyvati elbowed her, urging the girl to roll along with the lie.

"Saubhagyavati, Mere karan juth bolne dungi kisi ko? Paap na chhudega hum dono ko?" Ajabde replied to her friend.

"Kartikey," she said turning toward the boy. "Aap ne jo sunna woh sahi hain. Mein sikhne jaane wali hoon talvaarbazi woh bhi Kunwar Pratap se hi. Aur aapse binti karti hoon ki aap yeh suchna apne tak hi simit rakhe parantu yadhi aap batana chahte hain Mukhiyaji ko aur pure gaon ko to mein aapko nahi rok sakti,"