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

34//~she said...?~

I looked around, what did he need to say to me now? Maybe he wanted to apologize for Totta-Torunmal? No, that could never happen. Pratap Singh would never apologize for doing that.

"Hume aapse ek avarshak baat karni hain," he said.

"Ji, kahiye," I said.

"Hume...ab...uh..." he couldn't find the words.

"Jaldi kijiye, hume vilam ho raha hain," I said.

"Ab uh.. Kya hain na hume uh.." he looked up at me. "Aap hume ek baat bataiye Ajabde...apne kanhaji ke pass aap ghanto bita sakti hain aur humari woh baat jo hum aapko mahino se kehna chahte hain uss baat ko sunne tak ka dheriya nahi hain,"

"Aapse to baat karna h-" he held his finger up on my lips. I was startled for a second and didn't even get to react. He continued looking at me and I looked at him until he realized and moved his finger away.

"Aaj tak aapne bola hain aur humne sunna hain. Ab aap sunnengi aur hum bolenge," he said.

I was taken aback by this sudden change in his tone. It was so different from his casual tone of voice, it had a lot more depth and emotion to it.

"Thik hain?" he asked. I nodded.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself. I had no idea what he wanted to say but even I could tell, it was probably sensitive.

"Humne jabse aapko pehli baar dekha tabse ab tak humare sambandh mein ghane uttar chadhav aiye. Pehle ajnabi the hum, uske paschat mitra aur humari mitrata ne bhi to kayi roop dekhe hain," he said.

I quietly listened to him taking in every word he was saying.

"Kitni baar aapse door jaane ka prayas kiya humne par har bar aap humare aur nikat aati rahi," he said. "Kabhi kabhi hume aisa lugta hain ki...yadhi Meerama hoti to veh humare bich jo hain...voh apne aradhya kanhaji ke liye apne bhav jaisa pratit karti,"

I looked up at him, his eyes were glossy as he remembered Meerama.

"Aur yeh hum matra apne man ki baat nahi keh rahe hain Ajabde," he said. "Hume dhrid vishwas se kehte hain ki aapke man ki stithi bhi kuch aisi hi hain,"

I opened my mouth to protest but he spoke again.

"Smaran kijiye woh sabhi kshan jo humne saath vyatit kiye hain," he said.

Immediately the memories of us together flashed in front of my eyes. Stargazing, making rangoli together, the water pit, the ring searching, when he had fought the afghans and Akbar, winning the couple competition, the radhe krishna painting, when we had gotten stuck in the rain together, did aarti together, him catching me falling from the balcony, eating together. I couldn't help the huge smile that took over my face.

"Sochiye, jab kuch kshano ka smaran hi eetna alokik ho to pura jeevan kaisa hoga?" he asked.

He pulled out the rose from the hem of his kurta and held it out for me. My heart fled with happiness at seeing that rose.

"Prem ka pratit mana jata hain isse," he said.

"Jab humne bhi pehli baar dekha ta tab hum bhi vismit ho gaye the," he said. "Iski sugandh dekhiye,"

I moved a bit closer and the smell of the flower gave me a serotonin boost. I looked back up at Kunwar Pratap.

Our eyes met and as he continued, we didn't break eye contact once.

"Hum aapke jeevan ko aise hi sugandh se bhar dena chahte hain Ajabde," he said. My heart skipped a beat.

I felt torn once more. Every moment I had spent with him was unforgettable but what Dheerbaiji had said? How long could I remain desirable for a prince that every princess wants to marry?

"Apni antar aatma ki avaaz suniye Ajabde," I heard Ranima said.

I closed my eyes and let my heart guide me and the memory of us winning the tournament floated to the top.

"Radha Krishna ki jodi hain," he had said.

I had my answer. Every moment with Kunwar Pratap was special and if my entire life was filled with them- what more could I want? Dheerbaiji's words held no meaning. even to this day anybody could tell that Ranaji loved only Ranima and what I saw in Kunwar Pratap's eyes wasn't lust. It was love. The bond we shared could never ever break.

I opened my eyes to look at him, for months I had been denying what I had felt for him because I knew that it was wrong. I wasn't allowed to but how could something be wrong if it felt so right? I couldn't keep fighting it anymore, I could no longer deny it.

I loved him.

The moment I let myself accept that, the inner turmoil disappeared.

This couldn't be wrong. I accepted the rose blushing furiously.

At that moment, I looked at him and smiled. His face changed as he realized I had agreed but no, he would never ever let me be. A mischievous grin replaced his genuine smile.

"Aapke mann mein humare prati jo bhavna hain woh to kahiye," he said.

I was blushing furiously, I looked at him and he looked back at me. He knew what he was doing and the power he held over me like that.

"Har baat kahi jaati hain bhala?" I asked him turning around smiling.

"Yeh wali baat to kehni padegi anyatha hume kaise samajh mein ayega. Vaise bhi kitne papad belvaye hain aapne ek haan sunvane" he said. I turned to run out of there but he grabbed my hand and pushed me toward a pillar forcing me to stay there, and then he came dangerously close to a point where I could feel his breath on me. I looked around to make sure no one was watching.

"Koi nahi dekhaega mahal ke iss bhag mein," he said.

"Hume jaane dijiye, hume bohoth kariya hain," I said barely being able to look into his eyes. My heart was pounding against my chest, I hoped he couldn't hear it.

"Pehle aap hume aapne maan ki baat kahiye aur phir aapko jaane denge hum," he said.

I looked at him and my stomach flipped upside down.

"Karte hum aapko pasand," I said in a tiny voice.

"Sunai nahi diya," he said raising his eyebrows and smiling. I closed my eyes.

"Are, Haan! Haan! Haan! karte hum aapko pasand! Aur aaphi ke sang vivah karna chate hain," I exclaimed, and then closed my eyes embarrassed.

He slowly let go of my hand and moved his hand. I stood there in place until he left my path.

Then, I realized I couldn't leave before him because there was only one way out of this garden and so we both had to go out together. This was perhaps the most awkward walk in my entire life. For being as bold as he was before, he said nothing and I had no idea what to say. So we walked in silence but my smile refused to leave my face. And every few seconds as I stole a glance at him, I could see the smile prominent on his face too.

So, we walked through the hall quietly until we reached the skylight window.

As soon as I stepped into the skylight, I was showered with flower petals. I looked up to see everyone there. Heer, Phool, Saubhagyavati, Ganga, Maan, Chand, Kunwar Shakti, Sujamal, Chandrasen and Chakrapani. They were all laughing and tossing flowers at us. I turned around wide-eyed at Kunwar Pratap who shrugged.

"Ajabde, unhe kuch nahi pata hain," Heer said. "Ganga ne aapko dekh liya tha aur unhone hume bata diya to tayari to karni hi thi hume,"

I was probably redder than a tomato at this point. We were going to get married but this was embarrassing. I had to run out of there but before I could, Kunwar Pratap took a hold of my hand for the second time that day but this time it was a lot more gentle. He pulled it closer motioning for me to come closer. So, I took a few steps toward him completely forgetting that we had an audience. He picked me up and spun me around while we were continuously being showered with more flowers.

I was at the top of the world, it didn't matter what Dheerbai or anyone for the matter tried to do, I will marry this man and live the rest of my life with him.

A/N: Sappy? Yes. Am in love? Also yes. Do I wish I wasn't a single loner? Another yes.