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

35//~a letter from saeebai~

After Kunwar Pratap had proposed and I had said yes, Ranima had gone to Manivati Kaki's house to ask for my hand in marriage. Of course, Manivati Kaki had said yes and the auspicious time for the engagement had been decided for a few days later.

Yesterday was Jauhar Barsi and on this day a lot had happened. We were sitting by the havan kund to pray for the peace of everyone who had sacrificed their lives in the two jauhars of Chittorgarh as well as other jauhars when Kunwar Pratap got up from the pooja and left. It turns out, that the Mughals had attacked the Bhilwara district of Mewar and Kunwar Pratap had lost many friends in the battle.

The Mughals were undercover and they had managed to reach the doors practically undetected. Before leaving, Nasir Khan told Kunwar Pratap that Shiva Raze had given them the secrets to getting here safely.

Ranaji and Kunwar Pratap had come back angry from the battle, ready to attack the Marathas and rumor had it, the Maraths were also planning on starting a war with Mewar. I had on my level tried many times to try to explain to Kunwar Pratap that this was unnecessary and there must be a misunderstanding but they were both so angry that anything I said wasn't getting to them.

So, I had worked my butt off all night to find proof and all I had found was an example but at least the results were scary enough to make them think twice.

Right now, they were in the secret room discussing war strategies with their trusted ministers and district leaders

I hesitated before knocking on the door. A soldier came out.

"Baisa, bethak mein vigna dalna varchit hain," he said.

"Humare pass avarshak suchna hain jo hum sabha mein prastoot karna chahte hain," I said. "Ranaji ko keh dijiye,"

He reluctantly nodded and went inside. A few minutes later, he came back outside and opened the door for me to go inside.

I took a deep breath and went inside. Everybody was looking at me and that made me even more nervous.

"Khamma Gani," I said.

"Kaunsi aisi mahatvapurna suchna hain aapke pass?" Ranaji asked me.

I put forth the book narrating the war between the Vijaynagara and Chalukya dynasties. Kunwar Pratap opened it and then looked at me.

"Yeh kaisa parihass hain Ajabde? Saalo pehle jo yudh dakshin bharat mein hua tha uski granth hain yeh. Isme aise kaunsi such ho sakti hain jo hume vartaman mein kaam lug sakti hain?" he asked me.

"Ateet ki bhulo se jo sikh nahi lete uske liye itihaz swayam ko dhorata hain," I said. "Kuch 50 varash pehle do vishal samrajiye the- Vijaynagara aur Dhalukya. Dono rajiyo ke beech sheet yudh chalta parantu apne aap mein dono sukhi aur sampan the. Badshaah Humayun ne kuch aisa kiya ki dono rajiye ek dusre ke khoon ke pyase ho gaye aur yudh hua. Dono paksh ka bhaari nooksan hua aur kuch hi mahino mein dono rajiyo pe Mughal parcham lehrane lagga,"

"Parantu Baisa, is sabka unn dhokebaaz Marathao se kya sambandh?" Rawatji asked.

"Sambandh hain," I said. "Jis rajiyo ko Babur eetne varasho ke prayas aur nooksan ke uprant na hathiya sakka unn rajiyo ko Humayun saralta se le gaya. Do loggo ke jugde mein labh teesre ka hi hota hain. HUm Maratho se yudh ludte reh jayenge aur voh Mughal dono rajiyo ko apne adhin le lega,"

"To kya hum unn veero ka balidan aise hi vyarth hone de?" Kunwar Pratap asked. "Unn sabke pran Maratho ke karan gaye. Shiva Raze ke karan gaye,"

"Nahi, unke pran Mughalo ne liye. Veh Nasir Khan jo Agra se yaha tak Rajputo ke bhes mein aa sakta hain voh aapse ek jooth nahi bol sakta?" I asked him.