Chapter 8| Pursuit of Freedom

"I'll kill him myself!" exclaimed Shams Khan, the moment he heard that Kunwar Pratap was in Kashi. 

"Not now Shams, not now." Replied his brother Shamsher Khan with a wicked grin on his face. "Let's lure him and then trap him." 

"What do you plan to do?" asked Shams Khan impatiently. 

Shamsher Khan simply smirked at his brother in response without giving a definite reply. 

***

"I shouldn't have spoken to you like that." Muttered Ajabde sitting opposite him in the temple. 

The night sky was filled with the chirping of crickets and the gentle swish of the waters against the rocks. The waves of the Ganges were like a music that prevented the night from being eerily silent. 

"Ajabde!" he exclaimed peering in the darkness. "Why are you here? At this time?"

She looked away and muttered, "Woh...umm...I...was quite rude..."

Kunwar Pratap broke into a slight chuckle taunting, "So you came all the way to Vishvanath Mandir only to apologize!"

"Umm....I...yes...umm....I was quite straightforward and..."

"And you think I felt hurt." He completed grinning at her. 

The full moon shown from behind the clouds and flooded the temple with an angelic glow. Ajabde glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes and nodded in agreement. 

He leaned against the pillar and smiled replying, "You were overthinking."

"But...I doubt anyone has ever spoken to you like that..." She replied apprehensively. 

"That's true," he agreed nodding his head, "but...no one has been able to tell what I feel on my face."

She looked at him with a slight frown and immediately looked away wondering what he meant. Kunwar Pratap narrowed his eyes and replied in a firm voice, "You shall be chastised for your audacity to speak to the prince of Mewar so contemptuously."

Her eyes went wide in horror and her mind raced with thoughts, giving advice to royals is like signing your own death warrant and wah! Kunwar Pratap is called a Rajput with a large heart. 

Kunwar Pratap couldn't help but laugh at Ajabde's expression, startling her even further. 

"Did you actually believe that?" he asked holding his stomach. 

"The way you said it...sounded pretty serious." She replied.

"Your punishment is that, I'll always ask for your help." 

"WHAT!?" She hollered standing up immediately. 

The rest of the brahmins sleeping in the temple complex woke up and began shouting at them. 

"HEY YOU TWO KEEP IT DOWN!" Shouted one of the Brahmins.

"I apologize," said Kunwar Pratap immediately and looked at Ajabde saying, "let's talk somewhere else."

She nodded silently and followed him to the Ganga ghat where they sat down enjoying the breeze that carried the moist mist of the river. 

"So...you want to convince me to pick up my weapons?" he asked expecting a yes in reply. 

"No." She replied making him frown. "That's your choice."

"But...did you not...convince me out of my self-reproachful behaviour?" he asked immediately. 

Glancing at him she shook her head in denial replying, "Kunwarsa...neither the way of a warrior nor a sanyasi is easy. A warrior must not only save and protect but also live according to his values and...if at all you're taking sanyas; you must leave behind every relationship, every friend, every foe and everything that you cherish or detest."

Kunwar Pratap exhaled sharply and continued looking at Ajabde asking, "What should I do?"

Ajabde continued looking at the waves in the river and then back at him replying, "The answer always lies within you." Saying this she stood up to leave. 

"Have we finished speaking?" He asked in discombobulation as he looked up at her. 

"Hmm..." She nodded and was about to leave but he stopped her saying, "I never understood what you meant by- the answer lies within me."

Ajabde turned around and said, "Ask yourself what is the right thing to do. Take sanyas or...be a great warrior and one day a king. Kunwarsa, whichever path you choose to trod on, nothing will be easy."

Kunwar Pratap sighed and nodded and then said, "It's late...I'll drop you back."

She simply shook her head to a no saying, "I, Saubhgyavati, Chakrapani and Kunwar Shakti are going to the hospital."

"Who's sick?" he asked, his eyes eager with concern. 

"No one," she replied, "I and Saubhgyavati have few patients to treat."

Kunwar Pratap smiled replying, "Then...I'll reach you..."

"Kunwar Shakti and Chakrapani are there." She replied and turned around to leave but turned back and said, "Shubh ratri."

He smiled back at her and sighed uneasily to himself. He ether didn't want her to leave or he wanted to tag along with her; was something he couldn't comprehend. The 'why' of his loneliness wasn't even thought about. 

What on earth are you doing Pratap? How could you alter your resolution to take up sanyas? He thought lying down on the cold hard floor. 

Staring at the dome of the temple he was lost in thoughts, was I sincerely running away and trying to escape my responsibilities? Rolling over on his side he continued thinking, wasn't Ajabde trying to convince me against my decision? Once more he rolled over on his back and placed his arms under his head thinking, then why was she so straightforward? 

Once again, he shifted to his side and shut his eyes. When the Gaduliya Lohars presented you with that sword, they shouldered upon you the responsibility of their protection. When the army was entrusted to you, each and every soldier in the army surrendered their life into your hands. But what did you do? You ran away. 

Reminiscing her words he opened his eyes in frustration and sat up. Leaning against the pillar of the temple he sunk his head in his hands wondering why he had to face such dilemma. 

***

"Did you manage to convince him out of it?" asked Maharani Jaivantabai with eagerness in her eyes. 

"Maybe..." Replied Ajabde with a small grin as she checked an old woman's pulse. Why am I given this rotten responsibility of convincing him? Just because Guruji saw me scolding him in the gurukul? Wow! How annoying!

Maharani Jaivantabai broke into a huge smile as she gently helped a woman sip water from a glass. "How exactly did you do it?"

"I also don't know," muttered Ajabde in sheer confusion. Ranimaa, I really don't want to convince nor coax anyone, thought Ajabde helplessly. I shouldn't have said anything at all to Kunwar Pratap....Aaargh...

"Oh ho Ajab," added Saubhgyavati as she crushed few herbs, "you know that you can convince anybody on this planet."

"That's true," added Kunwar Shakti joining the conversation as he observed the doctors treating the sick. "I can't believe Ajab even managed to convince me that dadabhai misunderstood our duel!"

Chakrapani grinned adding, "It'll seriously be good to have Baujiraj back! All thanks to Ajabde baisa!"

"But kunwarsa hasn't agreed yet." Insisted Ajabde checking a child's temperature with the back of her palm. Why is everyone thinking that I can convince him? Thought Ajabde once more.

"I'm sure he'll agree." Said Maharani Jaivantabai reclining on a chair. 

"He has to," said Kunwar Shakti, "or else I'll honestly bash the hell out of him."

Maharani Jaivantabai chuckled exclaiming, "By all means!" Ajabde guffawed along with Saubhgyavati and Chakrapani until their light moment came to a crashing end when Afghan soldiers came running in. 

Kazi Khan stepped in and said, "Anyone who doesn't pay double taxes for treatment will be killed. Pay now or get killed right here."

Kunwar Shakti and Chakrapani nearly charged at the man but Ajabde and Saubhgyavati held them back. 

"Since our lord Shamsher Khan is benevolent, he'll give you menial humans time till tomorrow to pay the taxes." Laughed Kazi Khan wickedly and walked out sweeping his hand over the jars and bottles of medicines. 

As soon as they left Kunwar Shakti blasted, "HOW DARE YOU STOP ME!"

"SHAKTI." Warned Maharani Jaivantabai coming closer to Ajabde and Kunwar Shakti who were standing opposite each other. 

"Go." Said Ajabde pointing to the door. "Go and get yourself killed."

Kunwar Shakti wanted to shout even more but Ajabde's calm face simply stopped him from saying anything. He looked away in frustration. 

"For three months you'll have been putting up with the Afghan's. Just three months and your blood is boiling. Imagine these helpless people," said Ajabde pointing at the sick people on the bed. "If we do anything impulsive, they'll be tortured even further."

"Baisa is right," replied Chakrapani. "Right now, it's best to see what tomorrow holds. Also...baisa and her friends are here longer than us, they know the situation better."

Kunwar Shakti looked apologetically at Ajabde saying, "I shouldn't have..."

"Relax," replied Ajabde with a  convincing smile. "There's a lot that has been going on here. Taxes are a lot here, also... Shamsher Khan doesn't treat his people right. If we make even a single mistake now, people will be tortured even more."

"Ajab is right." Replied Maharani Jaivantabai. "We'll have to be careful."

Though none of them were comfortable with the thought of letting the Afghan's go just like that, they retired for the night. 

Ajabde tossed and turned on her mat the whole night thinking about the sudden decision of excessive taxes. This is insane! Already the tax on medical facilities is two times more than usual and now they've increased it to 5% more, rendering it practically impossible to avail of medical services. Shifting to her side, with her palms underneath her head her brows pulled into a deep frown, will other taxes be revised as well? 

Just as Ajabde was about to fall asleep, Saubhgyavati tapped her on her shoulder making her sit up wide eyed. 

"What's wrong?" asked Ajabde as softly as possible. 

"Ajab...I'm scared..."

"Of what?" asked a confused Ajabde. 

"I've...got my menses." Replied her friend with a gulp. 

"Don't worry, come on..." Whispered Ajabde with a reassuring smile as she took her friend to a secluded section and helped her freshen up. 

The next day, bought a huge storm for not only the people of Kashi but also for the Mewari group who had been living in the kingdom for quite a while. 

"Tax on water!" exclaimed Kunwar Shakti pacing the floor of the gurukul. "Who does that? And what the hell is tax for cremation of the dead! ARE THEY CRAZY!"

"Calm down Kunwar Shakti." Snapped Aacharya Raghavendra. "There's no point getting worked up about this. Till now I stopped you'll from reacting to anything only because this is someone else's kingdom. But now..." he paused for a breath and then continued, "injustice has reached sky high and if we don't do something now, it'll be against our dharma."

"Let's kill them all." Said Chakrapani in anger. "They've doubled the taxes for everything, those who aren't being able to pay are being killed by whipping them to death!"

"Chakrapani, learn to channelise your rage." Warned Aachrya Raghavendra. "We need a proper plan first."

"Guruji..." called Ajabde with a thoughtful look across her face. "Don't you think this is quite strange, the sudden increase of atrocities on people and Kunwar Pratap coming here to Kashi?"

Aacharya Raghavendra nodded in agreement. He had already smelt something extremely fishy and his pupil was the only one suspecting a trap. "You maybe right that this whole fiasco is to ensnare Kunwar Pratap but...he isn't picking up his weapons."

"That's because he has no idea about the happenings in Kashi!" exclaimed Maharani Jaivantabai. "He's in the temple the whole day."

"You will have to get him out of there, and even if the increase in atrocities is an ambuscade for Kunwar Pratap, he must enter it." Said the guru in a firm voice. 

"But...by doing so, won't Kunwar Pratap's life be at risk?" asked Heer in a soft voice. "Because....at the end of the day this is a trap set by Shamsher Khan for his brother to take revenge."

"Heer, his life if not at risk will lead to nothing but sanyas." Replied Ajabde. "He must take this bait and... he'll know that this is a quagmire; so...don't worry." 

"That's settled," added Kunwar Shakti aloud, "now how do we get him pick up weapons?"

"Umm...I had been pondering on it last night and I have an idea." Smiled Ajabde making everyone sigh in relief. Whatever I'm doing is for ranimaa and guruji...and also the people of Kashi. You have to pick up your weapons kunwarsa.

Explaining the entire gimmick, they all agreed and together in the end hailed, "Jai Eklinji!" They sincerely hoped that Ajabde's plan would work. It all now boiled down to Maharani Jaivantabai and how she'd play her part.

"Till the time maharanisa gets Kunwar Pratap, the rest of us will go and do a through inspection of all the Afghan infected areas." Ordered Aacharya Raghavendra. 

"Guruvar all the areas are infected." Said Chakrapani immediately. 

"Find the worst affected area and begin there." He replied with a firm face. "Encourage the people and give them hope. That's our mission for today."

"JI GURUJI!" Replied everyone present in perfect unison. 

"Kunwar Shakti and Ajabde, you'll are in one team. Chakrapani Saubhgyavati, team two and I and Rajkumari Heer will be team three." Said the guru with a stern face. "I've divided us into two because it's easier for two to hide if something goes awry." 

Looking at everyone's determined faces he asked, "Any questions?"

"No guruji." They replied once more. 

"JAI EKLINJI!"

"JAI EKLINJI!" They hailed and set off on their mission.