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

43//~griha pravesh~

A/N: Heyy!! This story is now complete after all the parts I finish posting. These parts are not edited so you might cringe while reading [sorry :(]

We walked outside together after Saubhagyavati came to summon us. The muhrat for vidaai had started. I went outside to see the ladies had begun singing and everyone was standing looking very sad.

"Rona Na Toh Meri Laddo
Tujhe To Jana Hi Tha
Laddo Apna Dharm Nibhana Sada"

"Tu Hai Ab Ek Bahu
Tu Hai Ab Ek Bahu
Tu Hai Ab Ek Bahu"

They finished their little song while I took the rice out of Saubhagyavti's plate and threw it back for Patta to catch. A vidaai ritual I had to complete.

Then, they all stood there looking at me as if I was going to start crying any moment now.

"Aap sab aise kyun khade hain. Hum rone wale nahi hain," I said to them.

"Vaise bhi hume yeh mahal bilkul nahi bhata tha," I added walking down the stairs. Everyone started laughing. I said goodbye to all my friends who were and once again took blessings from everyone.

Kunwar Pratap sat me in the palki and he got on his horse. The drums continued playing and everybody continued dancing until we reached mukhiye mahal where more people were waiting for us. Ranima, Majrima, Chotima and Dheerbaiji were all waiting for us at the front door.

Saubhagyavati helped me out of the palki before going back to dancing with everyone in the crowd.

Kunwar Pratap came to stand beside me as everyone continued singing and dancing.

We walked up to the entrance where Ranima did our aarti.

"Aisa lagta hain mano humara varsho purana sapna pura ho gaya ho," Ranima said.

"Aaj humari haar hui hain Ajabde kintu pehli baar hume humari haar pe bhi garv ho raha hain Ajabde," Dheerbai said. I controlled the urge to roll my eyes. Find your own truth? Dheerbai was the living, breathing form of a self-absorbed bitch.

"Chittor ki maharani hone ke sabhi gun hain aapme. Bahar khadi ye praja praman hain, enhone bhi aapko apni hone wali maharani ke roop mein dekh liya hain," she added. I didn't bother with her words, it was such a brilliant day. Why ruin it with her? Besides, I could take her words for the surface meaning and find happiness in that.

"Yeh saari baatein to hoti rahengi, jaldi griha pravesh kijiye Ajabde," Manjrima said.

"Rukiye Rukiye," Chand and Maan said. "Humara nek pehle dijiye tabhi bhabhi ke saath andar aane milega,"

"Chand, Maan, yeh sab kya hain?" Kunwar Pratap asked. "Humara rasta chhodiye,"

"Pratap,behno ka Dwar Rokai par adhikar hain. Aap enhe uphar de dijiye phir griha pravesh ho jaiyega," Ranima explained simply.

"Yeh saare uphar humesha behno ko miljate hain," Kunwar Shakti said. "Humare liye kuch nahi?"

"Are, aap sab ko de denge uphaar," Kunwar Pratap said. "Parantu baad mein,"

I realized he had forgotten about this ceremony as I had expected.

"Nahi Dada Bhai, pehle to matlab pehle," Chand said.

I pulled out the pouch from the waist of my lehenga and handed it to Kunwar Pratap sneakily so no one else could see. He looked at me for a second before taking the pouch and opening it in front of them.

Out came two heavy golden bangles decorated with intricate designs and two pearl necklaces with a gold sun pendant.

"Dada Bhai!" Maan exclaimed taking the bangles in her hand and handing one to Chand.