Kanha
Chapter 1
“She did not understand where was she but from where she could see, it looked like there were drawings similar to the Farsi language she is now familiar with. As she walks to the entrance and looks around the room, she could make nothing out. Slowly, a sliver of light appears in front of her, and she walks towards the light. Suddenly, her feet hits something and she is surprised to see a basket when she looks down. She picks up the basket and finds it heavy. The basket is covered with a cloth. A sudden fear, she feels in her heart as if the basket held something that she dreaded. But taking a deep breath to stem her courage, she opens the cover the basket. And the next second, a scream comes out of her seeing the baby’s lifeless eyes.”
Jodha wakes up a scream present in the throat. Her hands trembling, she is covered with sweat and shakes. Moti runs into the room, and seeing Jodha shaken up , she said “Jodha Kya Hua? Bura sapna dekha.” But Jodha is just staring at her hands, as if she had seen something. Moti cautiously puts her hand on Jodha’s shoulder, shaking her slightly. Jodha snaps out of her reverie and looks at Moti. Moti could see her mind is somewhere else as if, she could not bring herself out of the nightmare. Shaking Moti’s hand off her shoulder, Jodha threw the stifling blankets off of her and said “Hume abhi Rukaiyya Begam se milna hai.”
Sleepless nights for Jalal was not something he was not used to. He had sleepless nights lots of time, reason being state affairs, war strategies etc. But for the first time, his sleepless night was because of one Begum. The only Begum which always provokes one reaction from him. And that reaction was not anger as everyone expected from him, but it was excitement. Excitement of what she would say next, how she would meet him in war of words. Excitement of what her next step would be. He always thought, he had her figured out but her next move always ends up surprising him. Even though he could not read and write, however his memory made him recall the every word of the poem she wrote. But for the first time, he was not able to understand the meaning. What did the poem mean?. He remembered the words of the poem again:
Ek Nanha Munna Lal Dega, Sabke Hoto pe Muskaan,
Iss Kilkari Gunjan Ke Liye, Ishwar Shat, Shat Tumhe Pranaam,
Tumpe Barse Amrit Bankar,
Jeevan Ka Har Kshan, HarPal
Surya Chandrama, MaateChamke,
Naina Bane Kamal,
Tumpe Nyochavar Ho JagSara,
Gun Gaye Har Disha Tumhara,
Ujjval Bhavishya KareBhagya Pradhan,
Jodha Maange Ye Vardhaan,
Jalal said to himself, “Har baat kuch naya kar deti ho Amer ki Shehzadi. Hum tumhara baare me nahi sochna chahte, par hume sochne par majboor kar deti ho. Tum hamare Khushi jatane nahi aaye thi, par humare bacche ki Khushi jatane ke liye aa gaye. Ye baat hume choo gaye.”
Suddenly, Jalal’s sharp ears caught the same music which always, indicated her arrival. Her payal.
In the outskirts of Amer, Shaguni Bai laughs at how fate plays a role. She said “Wah Kali Maa Wah. Aaj teri Leela bhi dekh liya. Ab aage kya hoga, Mughal Saltanate me, dekhte jaayenge, dekhte jaayenge.”
Chapter 2-4- Pg 1
Chapter 5-6- Pg 2
Chapter 7-8- Pg 3
Chapter 9- Pg 4
Chapter 10- Pg 5
Chapter 11- Pg 5
Chapter 12- Pg 12
comment:
p_commentcount