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

8//~childhood stories~

meeting you was
like listening to
a song for the first
time and knowing it
would be my favorite

"Ajabde, aap yaha kya kar rahi hain?" Kunwar Pratap asked Ajabde who was walking back to her room. The day had just started and she was already feeling exhausted.

"Ji-woh," she turned around but Kunwar Pratap's face instantly changed.

Her face looked extremely dull. Her eyes were glum, her lips were chapped and her skin was pale. Kunwar Pratap put a hand on her forehead and realized she had a high fever.

"Hum woh thodi der vishram karenge to swast ho hi jaiyen-" Before she could complete the sentence, her body gave in.

She had been trying to hide her sickness for 2 days now. She hated being sick for many many reasons. The main one is medicine and getting others worried about her.

Kunwar Pratap picked her up before she could completely lose consciousness and fall over. As he rushed to her room, he saw Ganga on the way.

"Jaiye, Ranima ko suchit kijiye. Ajabde ko juar hain," Kunwar Pratap said.

She nodded and rushed out of the way. Kunwar Pratap walked into the room with Ajabde in his arms and laid her on the bed. She was still partially conscious.

Ranima walked in a few minutes later. Raj Vediyaji walked in after her with his ayushadhi and began the diagnosing process.

"Sadharan sa juar hain. Vishram aur ayushadhi piyengi to kuch dino mein swast ho jaiyengi Baisa," he said.

"Dhanyavaad," Ranima said taking the ayushadhi Raj Vediya prescribed.

"Kintu enka swast bigda kaise?" Manjrima asked. "Voh bhi juar chad gaya,"

"Kunwar Pratap?" Ranima asked.

"Humari bhul hain. Hume gyat nahi tha ki yadhi yeh bhig jaiyegi to enka swast etna bigad jaiyega," Kunwar Pratap said with his head lowered. He felt horrible. She must be in so much pain and all because of his stupid joke. He looked at her forehead, the red stain had in her mang had nearly faded away.

:~:~:~:

Ajabde woke up to see Ranima right there making ayushadhi with a mortar and pestle. Ajabde debated whether going back to sleep was a better idea or waking up and drinking whatever Ranima was making was a better idea. She chose the first option and pretended to be asleep.

A few minutes ranima arrived by her bedside.

"Nidra ka swang mut rachiye," Ranima said. "Kunwar Pratap bhi suphalta purvak hume murkh nahi bana paiye aur aap bhi nahi bana payengi,"

She opened one eye and then the other and slowly got up. She felt a lot better than before but there was still a soreness in her throat.

"Yeh pijiye," she said handing her a glass full of dark green, disgusting-smelling liquid.

She looked at Ranima silently pleading for her to show mercy and not make her drink this. That too so much.

"Pijiye," she repeated sternly.

Ajabde gulped it all down and then suppressed the urge to vomit. It was so disgusting.

"Ab yeh ayushadi bhi pi jaiye," Ranima said.

"To voh kya tha?" Ajabde asked.

"Neem aur Karela ka ras. Swast ke liye phyademan hota hain," Ranima replied. "Aur kadachit aapko yeh sikh bhi milegi ki yadhi aapka swast thik na ho to pehle upchar karvana anivariya hain,"

"Hume nahi pasand pure din bistar mein lete rehna, humare karan dusra ko kusht dena aur sabse adhik yeh kadvi kadvi ayushdhi," Ajabde replied.

"Yadhi swast bigade to upchar karvana mahatvapurna hain, essme aapki pasand na pasand maine nahi rakhti. Aap pehle upchaar karva leti to baat juvar tak pohoch to hi nahi," Ranima said.