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Love is a relationship based on trust and understanding. It is also a bond that is made up there. People often ask, "Why them?" I end up telling them some folklore. I end up telling them about how she actually was his shadow in the forests, in bad times. Because love passes all its tests in the worst times when you don't give up on each other. So, here's to My Pratap and His Ajabdeh!
Ps. This is about the show Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap on Sony by Contilloe Starring Faisal Khan, Roshni Walia, Sharad Malhotra and Rachana Parulkar. This is NOT their real story. The show aired from 2013 to 2015.
Ajabdeh, the simple, strong yet gentle samantputri, was starstruck seeing the down-to-earth Kunwar Pratap, the crown prince of Mewar. She was clueless that he held the key to her heart, her lost mala that destiny had chosen him for. Na na na na na Chan Chan Chan Chan na na na na!
A comedy of errors followed, as she threw the pail of water on him, fumbled at his presence, bumped into him with Flowers, mistook her for a maid and lastly, his clash with her best friend. Amidst this, Kunwar Pratap found himself looking at an exact reflection of his mother in awe. He had no idea that someone else like his mother could exist in flesh and blood. Pata nahi kyun aap ko dekh ke hum e apni Ranima ki yaad aati hai. As she lit up his room with the lights, she lit a small lamp in the corner of his heart, too. Unknowingly, He had smiled at her more than once, proved her intelligence and defended her in front of his best friend, saying Rajkumari hai who Bijolia ki...He unknowingly started listening to her advice and suggestions to get his friend married. So much that he told her friend Kabhi sikhiye apne saheli se kuch...
And Ajabde? She was always mesmerised by the Prince, like most others in her country. His simplicity moved her. And when he started trusting her so much that her best friend said Mil gayi hum e Kunwar Pratap ko manane ka chabi, aur usska naam hai Ajabde! She was sure she made a difference. The way he chose to shower his anger on her, choosing to drag her away from the Afghan attack, holding her hand with authority like she was his, she knew they had more than just a connection. She could read his face and mind. And he knew her soul. So much so that when her friend passed her cooking as her own, his inner self made him say Aisi kaamo mein toh Ajabde ... A grand wedding and a series of eye locks later, when her mother asked Kya aapko Kunwar Pratap acche lagte hai? Her confusion knew no bounds. She was a samant putri; her dreams were meaningless. But God showed her it was not wrong. That too, how? By making him choose himself unknowingly for her. He made her father praise her efforts to save Bijolia, and for the first time, someone made her feel she was not unlucky.
The realisation of love is always a difficult part. A snakebite and a stab of a dagger later, he visualised a life with her, a life where the two people who mattered were there with him. Ajabde and Ranima. His illness and fight with life brought out a strong Ajabde, her inner self, that was exactly like his outer one. She fought for him, as he fought for life. When he regained consciousness, knowing her struggle, she was not there. She was fighting her inner self. She gathered the strength to walk up to him and tell him Aap Bijolia chorke jald se jald chale jaiye...
What followed was a series of teary separations, where her own best friend and her pure soul were a catalyst. Kunwar Pratap was strong enough to let his feelings be known to her through words and expressions. Hum e mil chuki hai... aur humare samne khadi hai... She decided that the only way to convince him of her best friend was to tell him the truth. Hum e aap acche lagte hai... He made his world stop before he realised she did this to convince him to leave her. They decided to sacrifice their feelings for the motherland. A sacrifice that none cared for or knew. Hume nahi lagta Guruvar, Hume punah oi aise milegi jinme hum itni spastta se humari atma dekh pae.. She, however, was doing it gratefully for the only friend she ever had. He couldn't hold back the feelings. Jab hum aapke bina chain se nahi jee paenge to humara yeh balidaan humare matribhumi ke liye kya labh ho sakta hai Ajabde.
Months later, they meet again in Bijolia, where the love, the connections and the inner struggles were stronger than ever! She landed on his arms while attempting an escape, and he caught her red-handed. They were lost in each other more than once, and anyone could see how well she knew him and his habits. Sharing a dinner, taking care of her in sickness, moved by the way she took the pain for him, like his father said Kunwar Pratap aur Ajabde pehle se hi ek dusre ko pati patni maan chuke hai...
Her determination to get her best friend married to him made him more determined to win over what was rightfully his. He succeeded. Because love always wins.
A grand wedding and a few aww moments later, he got the greatest shock of his life! Apparently, his wife, the girl he had known and loved blindly, was the reason for his mother to leave him and the palace. He really couldn't believe it. His inner self knew her well. He went to find the answers from his mother. But her refusal to meet him made him angry. The only person he had the authority to shower this anger on was his wife. His anger made him spell out the words he never expected to say. Ab humare mann mein apke liye sirf ghrina hi rahegi Ajabde, prem maar chuka hai, maar chuka hai humara prem. She made a promise. Hum ne toh apse prem kiya tha Kunwar Pratap toh hum prem hi karte rahenge.
A leap and a few years later, they lived like Ram and Sita, away but in each other's hearts. He knew she was not wrong, but his brain spoke otherwise. She religiously touched his ring on her forehead, thinking she was touching his feet. He kept away a gift on every occasion, thinking he was giving it to her. Yet the egos were too much. Bijolia was in danger again, which required the rise of Baijilal. Baijilal was the strong inner self of Ajabde, which she brought out to help her motherland. After all, she had held his hand and made a promise. Hum apne matribhumimanage aur apne Praja ko sarvapari manenge ... Fate was playing such a cruel game with her.
They met, and swords clashed. He had once told her he would teach her some sword fighting, and now she had taken his advice. Eyes met as the soul spoke I know you! Who are you? They felt a strong attraction and connection. Kunwar Pratap was never really attracted to anyone except his wife. Who was this girl who claimed to be Patta's Jija? She was in a fix. How could she be attracted to this man who was her husband's namesake? He saved his ring for her from Nilami. The truth was revealed harshly courtesy of Badshah Khan. She was injured. He was scared of losing her. But as she regained her consciousness, he drew himself away. He remembered his promise to his father, Na hum waha kisi visesh se milenge... He was about to leave when she came to seek his father's blessings. The confrontation clearly gave her the hope she looked for in his eyes.Kya aapko nahi lagta ke hum apko pehchaan nahi paye? Humara antaratma humse baar baar yehi keh rahi thi ke yehi humari Ajabde hai...
She was dreaming of him everywhere around her again; after all, she couldn't deny the fact that they were part of the same soul. Mere kann kann mein ho tum...A Gauna and a revelation later, she made a promise to herself to protect him with her heart and soul and never leave him, even if he left her this time. A siege and some hard times were predicted. Kunwar Pratap was in a fix. But Ajabde's luck was always with him. Their consummation was like their love, deep and emotional. A few months hence, Ajabde Punwar was the mother to the heir of Mewar, Amar, the first sign of their love. A siege was underway, but she refused to leave his side. She was ready for a Jauhar if that was needed. He couldn't love her more. He was full of guilt when she reminded him that he was always a hero to their son; he needed to be an example for him. He always told her Apke bina hum kuch nahi Ajabde... Humare saath dene ke liye... She always thought it was her Dharma as a wife.
After the establishment of Udaipur, he held her hands, saying Aapko jitna bhi dhanyavaad kare kam hai, humare saath dene ke liye... Another marriage was about to break her heart, but he didn't let that happen. Aap ekbar kehke toh dekhiye, hum koi dusra vikalp dhoond lenge Ajabde. He wished she would protest, shout and claim him to be hers. But she was Kunwarani Ajabde Punwar; she was aware of her responsibilities. As she helped him with the sehra, carefully avoiding glances, he held her hand, saying Aap humara sab kuch thee, hai aur hamesha rahenge. He refused to acknowledge her friend as a wife, no matter how much she tried. She always was his ardhangini, sat on his left, even on his coronation. She was his Maharani. He liked her simple choices of clothes and refused to let her walk away from him. When she refused to give him the first colours of Holi, he walked away from his court to her, and reminded her, Koi bhi aupcharikta humare prem pe upyukt nahi hai, hum apke prem mein pagal premi thee, hai aur rahenge... He fondly coloured her cheeks red.
Good news awaited as she pushed him to her friend once again, and he responded by walking up to her and making her his, once again. Her illness always made him weak; she was his weakness and his strength. A sudden attack, and he was moved to see the love of his life in a pool of blood. Hum apse bohot prem karte hai. She managed for the first and last time! Yes, she left with her unborn baby, a lot of unfulfilled dreams and desires, leaving a huge void in his life. She died young and untimely.
We know that History was otherwise, she fasted in exile with him and controlled his wives and children with authority (9 wives that too!) Loved and supported his subjects and, most importantly, was his shadow. She supported him even when he considered giving in to Akbar, reminding him of his promise to free Mewar. She sent her son to Haldighati fully aware he might not return, but proud that he was part of his father's most important war. She was the inspiration for his poetry, the voice of his heart. She, being a Mewari, was as strongly connected to all the things that mattered to him as he was. She didn't die this soon. She was the mother to Bhagwan Das, eight years younger than Amar Singh and also most probably a daughter too. She died 7 8 years before him, after Haldighati. Maharana Pratap was left empty after the demise of both Chetak and Ajabde in a span of a few years.
Keeping aside history, I have been moved, touched, sad and devastated in the journey. Our PrAja. They taught us to love, sacrifice, pain, understanding and much more. They taught us never to give up without trying! They taught us how two souls could really connect. I miss you, Ajabde. I respect the perfect woman behind the successful man, the girl who turned the boy into a man, the woman who fought for the truth. I miss my Pratap and his Ajabde.
Because they were much more than love.
