IN THE THUNDER OF DELUSION

 

It was getting late enough to be worried. I once again stepped into the balcony & looked down. Except for a drenched street dog that was lying down miserably near the gate, there was not a soul to be seen anywhere. Rainwater had puddled under the lamp post. A breeze ruffled the mango tree in the courtyard & a few twigs fell and broke. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Did I hear a soft knock at the door? I turned back; it was my daai-ma Jaishree. She looked concerned & asked me, "Do you believe he will reach on time? The ceremony is about to begin." I was firm outside but broken inside. With firmness in my voice, "Yes, I believe he will reach here on time. He will have to reach here on time. I have to protect my father's dignity." Jaishree ma came up to me & put her hand on my head, "God bless you, my child. And I pray your belief never breaks." And she left.

I sat in front of the mirror, gazing at myself all dressed up. I could not decide whether to love Shiven or to hate him. Shiven, my husband, a brave-hearted warrior & known for his quick-wit & intelligence, was to be crowned to the throne. It's the 21^st  century & yet the legacy continues to choose its heir to the throne.

I stood up & once again stepped out into the balcony. There was another knock at the door. I turned to look at the excited & proud to be crowned prince Shiven. He came close to me, “Hey, love, you look beautiful as always. It seems you are all ready to be called Ranihukum.” And he tried kissing me. I moved back hesitantly. Once immensely loved fiancé had now become the most hated Prince. I had to be with him as I was now married to him. Shiven was too happy to be annoyed with this gesture of mine. Shiven had a lot of patience, “I know you are angry & upset. But I only took what belonged to me. I never loved you at first. I was to leave you at the wedding ceremony to fulfil my avenge. But your simplicity, intelligence & bravery made me fall for you. I knew it, you would never accept me if I revealed my secret before the wedding & I did not want to lose you. So I married you first & then revealed my true identity. I love you madly. And I will wait for you to love me the same. I don't hate your parents so much as I love you. And that's why I am not filing any case against your father." Those words tore me apart. Had it not been for my father, I would have punched him right on his face. But for now, I chose to be quiet. Shiven broke the silence, "I'll leave you alone for a while. But I expect you to be at the ceremony right on time."  I had no option but to agree, "Yes, I will be there." And he left. I sat on my bed with a sigh, recalling when all of it began. 

 My father, Pulkit Kumar & mother Dayawanti were Rajasaheb & Ranisahiba of Mount Abu though they never proclaimed the throne. He always knew he was not the biological son of Rajmata Kaladevi & hence he never added Singh to his name, nor did he let my mother be called Dayawantidevi. The villagers called them Rajasaheb & Ranisahiba with love & respect. My elder brother Daksh was called Yuvraj Daksh by the villagers. And then I was born. Dadi said, after a decade, a girl child was born in the family & hence I was loved and pampered a lot. And the villagers always called "Maa ka avatar" as after I was born, the villagers' problems started reducing. Hence I was named Havya, which meant Maa Parvati. Though we were treated royally, our parents never let the pride ride our minds. Our father kept giving us a reality check. He always told Daksh that he shall never be crowned to the throne & Bhai always took that sportingly. We never faced gender inequality. Bhai & I were very well educated in our fields of interest. Also, we were sent to a warrior school as Rajputs. It was there that I met Shiven for the first time.

 I had been learning fencing since childhood & had won many trophies for the same. The final matches were fixed with surprise opponents. It was for the first time in five years that I lost in fencing. And my opponent was none other than Shiven. He was simply superb at fencing. Everybody in the hall was stunned by his moves & so were my parents. Every year a party is held after the fencing match & everyone is invited to the party. So it goes without saying that this year too a party was held. But of course, it couldn't be my victory party.

 As soon as the match was over, my parents came up to congratulate my opponent. Dad turned towards Shiven, "Congratulations, young man! You played marvellously!" Mom came up to me & hugged me & then turned towards Shiven, "Oh yes! You gave a tough competition to our daughter. We are impressed." I gave a smile at him & shook hands to congratulate him, "Congratulations, Mr.?" He instantly replied, "Shiven Rajput..."  After a pause, "Thank you very much. You too played very well Rajkumari Havya." And then turned towards my parents, "Thank you very much, Rajasaheb & Ranisahiba. It's a pleasure meeting you." And he bowed down. He seemed very much disciplined & courteous. And that's what impressed my parents more. So my father went forward & invited him to the party, "Young man, why don't you join us for the party tonight at the Haveli?" Shiven joined hands in respect, "The pleasure shall be all mine, Rajasaheb." We threw a short glance at each other, shook hands & dispersed, "See you at the party tonight, Mr Rajput."

 It was 8 pm & the Haveli's party hall had started to fill up. All the reputed families & even the commoners had been invited. I chose to wear a black embellished Lucknowi sari. And I knew I looked good. My parents started introducing me to different reputed families & their eligible bachelor sons. I got the idea that my parents were groom hunting for me. And the party was all about that. I was greeting everyone present there, but my eyes were searching for someone else. Oh! Don't get me wrong; my eyes weren't searching for Shiven; instead, my eyes were searching for Gyan, my childhood best friend. Gyan was Jaishree Maa's son. We went to school together, college together, warrior classes together. My parents had sponsored his education but never had they made him realise. He was like their third son. Oh, not to forget, he was like an all-time personal bodyguard to me. It was due to him that my parents never cared to hire a bodyguard for me, unlike other royal families.

"Searching for your handsome opponent?" a sudden voice from behind startled me. It was none other than Gyan. I turned towards him, "What nonsense! Why would I search for him? I was searching for you, dumbo. Where were you during my match? I lost the match today." Gyan consoled me, "That's sad! Better luck next time. You forgot I was to go to Jaswantgadh with Dakshbhai for our new project." I reciprocated, "Yes. I forgot. So any good news?" He was about to reply when my father called for us through one of the attendants. Both of us went to him. He was standing with our new guests Mr Shiven Rajput & Dakshbhai. My father turned towards Gyan, "Gyan, meet this gentleman, Mr Shiven Rajput. He fought marvellously against Havya." And then he turned towards Shiven, "He is Gyan. He is like my third son."

Shiven & Gyan shook hands with each other. While they were greeting each other, I was glancing at Shiven unknowingly. He had worn a black tuxedo & it was for the first time I realised he was very charming. My brother broke my glance, "So Havya, I hope you bear no grudges against your opponent?" I smiled, "Not at all, Bhai. I am never afraid of getting defeated. A defeat gives you encouragement & ignition to do better the next time." And I glanced at Shiven & he smiled at me, "I appreciate your sportsman spirit Rajkumari Havya. I am impressed."

While saying that, he outstretched his hands, "May I have a dance with you, lady?" I looked towards my father for his permission & he nodded in affirmation. He held my hand & took me to the dance floor. As we were dancing through the tune, we talked about each other. It was Shiven who broke the silence, "You look beautiful, Rajkumari. And not to forget, you fight very fiercely." I smiled at him & answered, "Thank you very much. You fight flawlessly. And I should not forget to mention that you are very gracious & handsome." Shiven gave me a flirty look, "Oh! So finally, I got some compliments from the Rajkumari. I am glad that you like me." I was stunned by his words, "Wow! You are fast. When did I say I like you. And believe me, flirting with me shall be a waste of time. It won't work." Shiven instantly replied, "Ok ma'am, I shall take note of that. You didn't say you like me, but your eyes did. The way you looked at me while I was talking to your brothers." I corrected him at his last word, "Ummm, not brothers, brother. Gyan has been my best friend since childhood." Shiven reciprocated, "Oh, ok! Good to know. Tell me one thing. Those inspiring words of defeat were real or show-off?"

I smiled & replied, "We were never taught to show off. My defeat matters to me but not my ego." Shiven did not pull off his eye contact from mine for a second, "So what do you think of me ?" I went closer to his right ear & whispered, "It's over, Mr Rajput." He looked perplexed & I smiled at him & said, "The music! The music is over, Mr Rajput." he flushed at his absentmindedness & smiled at me.  Just then, my father came up to us, "May I?" I smiled at him & wound my hand around his,  "Of course, Dad!" He turned to  Shiven, "Mr Rajput, why don't you proceed for dinner with us." And he nodded in affirmation. During the dinner, we kept stealing glances at each other. I had never felt such jitters for anyone I had met in my life. There was something about him that attracted me to him. It was time to call it a night.

 At the breakfast table, everyone, including mom, dad, Daksh Bhai  & Gyan, was staring at me. I looked at them puzzled, "What!? Why are you guys staring at me with some hope?" My father broke the silence," So, do you like him already?" I looked at him, stunned," Dad? What are you saying? It seems you like him already. It seems all of you have made up your mind to get me hooked with Mr Rajput, isn't it? So cutting a long story short, Mr Rajput is a friendly, responsible, brave & quick-witted man. Not to forget he is well mannered & good looking too. So basically, he is a suitable match. But the only problem is I don't know whether I want to marry him or not." So my mother replied with a smile, "Then confirm it today whether you want to marry him or not. We have invited Shiven & his father over lunch." I was dumbstruck and could not speak anything after that. My parents were groom hunting. I looked at Bhai then at Gyan & to my surprise, both of them denied help.

Lunchtime struck too fast & I was ready to meet my future husband. Shiven & his father seemed to be very punctual. They reached the Haveli sharp at 12:30 p.m.  My father was very much delighted to meet Shiven's father. They greeted & hugged each other as if they had known each other for ages. Finally, he disclosed the suspense, "He is Rajansingh, Indra's wife Keyuri's brother. I bowed down to Mr Rajput with respect. Indra and Keyuri were none other than Rajmata Kaladevi's actual son & daughter-in-law. My father turned towards Mr Rajan Rajput, "I'm so glad to meet you, Rajan. Rajmata will be so glad to see you. I didn't know Shiven was your son. But now I know where he has got bravery & quick-wit. By the way, where is Shiven?" Mr Rajput replied, "Oh! He is just outside on an important call. He should be here any minute." And just then, Shiven entered. We threw a glance at each other & settled down at the dining table for lunch. Mr Rajput turned towards me to talk, "Havya, you seemed to be a charming, smart & sensible lady as per your talks from Shiven. And I witness it today myself." I reciprocated with grace, "Thank you very much, Mr Rajput. That's very kind of you. I'm glad to hear."

 After lunch, everyone settled down in the lounge & Shiven & I was left alone in the garden as per age-old tradition. It was Shiven, as usual, to break the silence, "Rajkumari, both of us know why we are meeting today. I fell for you at the very sight I saw you. But your feelings for me & you're your decision matters a lot. I don't want to get into this relationship forcefully." I looked at him & smiled, "Very few men impress & attract me. You are one of those --- Shiven." And we looked at each other. Shiven understood my answer was yes. So we decided to break the news to the elders.

It was like a laughter riot as we entered the lounge. Shiven broke the news, "We have decided to tie the knot." Just as they heard this, everyone was overwhelmed with joy. My parents were very much in a hurry of getting me married. So they decided the nearest possible mahurat for the wedding & that was Basant Panchami, only a month & a half for all the wedding preparations.

Days & weeks passed so quickly that the wedding day had arrived in no time. It was the grandest wedding in the city. All the renowned royal families & commoners were invited. The happiest amongst us all was Rajmata. I was sitting in my room fighting with my thoughts when she entered, "So my beautiful granddaughter is ready for her big day?" She came up to me & hugged me. I told her about the weird feeling, "Grandma, I'm feeling jittery inside. I don't know about this feeling." She smiled & replied, "It's the feeling every girl experiences. Don't worry, my child, Rajputs are great people. They will always shower lots of love on you." We hugged each other & an attendant came to inform us, "Rajmata, the bride is called for." My grandma & I stepped down to the hall where my friends & brother were ready to escort me to the mandap. For the entire ceremony, Shiven & I didn't look at each other even for a second. Perhaps he was going through the same feeling as I was. Or should I say his evil mind was running with a plan? Yes, his evil plan. After the wedding ceremony was over, this evil plan was waiting to be revealed—something neither of us ever had expected in the wildest of our dreams.

I was hugging my parents for my vidaai, and my parents were preaching to me, "Child, today you are going to your place. We bless you with all the happiness & prosperity." Just then, Shiven came up to us, "Yes, we are going at our place ---Abu Haveli. This place is ours. Guards – bring them to the courtroom, not forgetting Rajmata Kaladevi." Before we could understand & digest whatever was going on, a few men in uniform grabbed my parents & my brother. Gyan tried to defend but in vain.

Everyone in the courtroom needed an explanation for such a mean act. It was then Shiven revealed, "I am Shivensingh Rathod. Yuvraj Shivensingh Rathod. Late Raja Indrasingh Rathod & Late Keyuridevi's only son & sole heir to the throne. This man is a fraud & a murderer. He murdered my parents for the throne. Mr Rajansingh Rajput, being my mama, rescued me & brought me up. We lived away from them to protect me from these demons. So ideally, I'm the prince of Abu Haveli & I should be crowned. After two days, its Guru Pushya Nakshatra & I shall be crowned to the throne. Each one of you present in this courtroom is invited for the crowning ceremony." Everyone in the courtroom was shocked, especially Rajmata. She could not decide her feelings happiness, sorrow, anger—all of the feelings emerged. She could not speak a word & left the courtroom. Before my parents could talk about anything, in their defence, they were forced to leave & were escorted to the guest house. Everyone left in silence. My eyes met Gyan's & he instantly understood my gesture. He flew away without Shiven's notice. And I, I was taken aback by this devilish move of Shiven. I chose to stay away from Shiven & went to my room where Gyan was already waiting.

I scorned Gyan, "What the hell just happened, Gyan? This should not have happened. How dare he insult my parents! How dare he accuse them of such a devilish act?" Gyan calmed me down and suggested talking to Grandma regarding this, "Rajmata can help us with this matter. Listen, I can't be seen; otherwise, I shall be captivated. You go & talk to Rajmata & call me for further action. We shall prove Rajasaheb's innocence before the crowning ceremony  & that's my promise", And Gyan left. I changed into my regular clothes & headed towards Grandma's room. When I reached her room, I saw Shiven coming out. He came up to me, "I understand what you must be going through. And I won't disturb you. Once everything is settled, I shall explain everything." Without a word, I left & got into my grandma's room & locked the door behind.

I ran towards Grandma & hugged her tight. I cried & cried a lot while hugging her. She calmed me down & asked me to stop crying & clear my thoughts, "Calm down, Havya. We have to be strong." I asked, "Dadi, you too believe that Dad is a betrayer & murderer?" She was quiet for a while & then, in a firm voice, "I don't know my child, I don't want to believe what Shiven said. But one thing is true, my son & daughter-in-law died & it was not an accident. We couldn't find the betrayer & the murderer as he fled away. We tried to search for him, but he disguised himself. The only way to find the truth is to find that man. We stopped his search once you were born. Pulkit was also like my son & had always treated him the same as Indra. Never had I been biased towards one. I have brought him up since childhood & hence I know my Pulkit can never plot such a devil deed.  But Shiven is my grandson & I can't even ignore him. Now only you can do justice to your parents. Find the truth if you can otherwise live with it." I replied in a low stern voice, "I will do justice to my parents & shall not stop until I find that man. And that's a promise. But for that, I need to know what exactly happened that day." Grandma started to tell me the story in brief, "Pulkit was my sevika & your grandfather Keshavsingh's sevak's son. As my sevika was not married yet, I adopted his son. Pulkit & Indra grew up together, studied together & learnt political science & fighting skills together. They got married to the brides of their choice. Both of the brides got pregnant almost at the same time. Both of them gave birth to sons with a difference of three months. First, Daksh was born & then Shiven. It was time for the crowning ceremony of Yuvraj Indra. He was to be crowned to the throne on Guru Pushya Nakshatra. But just before the day of the ceremony, their room caught fire at midnight. Your grandfather caught hold of the person who was trying to escape & fought with him. And other attendants tried to extinguish the fire. But the fire was too massive. Your grandfather died in the duel with the man. And he managed to escape. The other day both the Rajsevak & Rajsevika were missing. So they were the obvious culprits. We searched them for years, but they were nowhere to be found. Your father knew they were his parents & started hating & cursing them & treated them dead. The floods destroyed the place where they were last seen & the entire village with the villagers died. So we considered that they died too. And the case was closed." I listened to the story very attentively, not missing any minute details. I cleared my confusion to Grandma, "But if they are dead, how will we prove my father's innocence?" My Grandma gave me hope, "They might be alive, my child. Jaswantgadh is the place where you can find them. My sevika always mentioned that place." Before further talking to her, she asked me to leave for my safety. I understood her gesture & left for my room. On my way to my room, I texted Gyan to meet me at our private meeting spot, which luckily was through my room & no one had any idea about that secret passage.

Without wasting any minute, I narrated the entire story to Gyan. Both of us were pondering over the same confusion & reached the same conclusion. But to prove that, we needed proof. Gyan broke the silence, "I'll head immediately to Jaswantgadh & will find it out."

We parted ways from that instance. A thunderstorm had struck in Abu as well as in my mind. Never had it rained in January in Abu. I was still waiting for him to appear with the proof. There was pin-drop silence in the room. All I could hear was the ticking of the clock & my heart pounding with the rhythm of the ticking clock. The clock struck 10:00 AM with a knock at the door. It was time for me to leave for the ceremony. The attendant entered with permission, "Rajkumari, Yuvraj Shivensingh has called for you. The ceremony is about to begin." I stood up & nodded in affirmation. A continuous prayer ran in my mind for Gyan & his safety.

The courtroom was not even half-filled. The only people present were my parents, Dakshbhai, Rajmata, the Brahmins, Rajansinghji & his family. We were showered with flowers as soon as we entered the courtroom. Though I was physically present there mentally, I thought about Gyan, hoping my telepathy would work. And it worked. My phone rang & hopefully, it was Gyan. It was a missed call & I understood he was here with the real culprits. I turned towards Shiven, "Shiven before the ceremony begins, may I ask for a small favour?" As per his generous nature, he nodded in affirmation, "Sure, Havya. You are going to be the queen. You have all the rights to ask for anything from me apart from your parents' freedom." I replied calmly, "Don't worry! I am always taught of justice & I would not ask for anything without its justification. I only have one plea. There is someone at our doorstep with the justification. Could you hear them once before we begin with the ceremony?" Shiven looked perplexed, "Who is it, Havya?" he looked at me for an answer, but I kept silent. "Okay! Call them in!"

I gave a missed call to Gyan. And he entered with an old couple. They were none other than Rajsevak & Rajsevika. Everyone in the entire courtroom was stunned to see them. Shiven was furious to see them & so was my father. Shiven controlled his anger & asked me, "What is happening, Havya?" I replied calmly, "You'll know it soon. Shall we start with the explanation?" Shiven had no other option but to say yes.

I stepped down towards the old couple & Gyan. I asked Gyan, “Are you ready with the proof? I hope you have come with all the justifications.” Gyan reciprocated, “Havya, you can’t distrust my detective skills. I am all ready with my explanations.” I was thrilled to hear those words, “Then what are we waiting for?”

Gyan stepped forward & started speaking, "Yuvraj Shivensingh Rathod, I know it's difficult for you to digest, but Rajasaheb Pulkitkumar is innocent. He is not even 1% guilty of your parent's murder & the proof is these people. These are none other than Rajsevak & Rajsevika of this family & biological parents of Rajasaheb Pulkitkumar. They were considered dead, but they had managed to escape & had stayed in disguise for 26 years. Now they will enlighten us with the truth." Rajsevak stepped forward, "Hukum, this boy is telling the truth. Rajasaheb is innocent. He wasn't even aware of this devilish act. The real culprit is none other than your mama Rajansingh Rajput."  Those words were like a sword that pierced Rajansingh's heart, "Mind your tongue, you old man. Do you even know what you are speaking?" I stepped forward, "Shiven, let him finish with his explanations. Then ask him to come to conclusions." Shiven gestured to Rajansingh to be quiet & sit down. "Rajsevakji, please proceed without fear & hesitation." He continued his speech, "Rajansaheb was 12 years old when he came here with Keyuridevi. They were rich & not royal. He always aspired to become a king. He was always like a son to Indrasinghji & Keyuridevi. Very brave at heart & sharp at mind, Rajansaheb always tried to impress Rajasaheb always tried to impress Raja Keshawsingh. In the meantime, Shiven was born. He saw his aspirations drowning. He tried to filth our minds to kill Indrasingh & his family so that our son gets throne & further his son. But our loyalty towards the family did not let us do this deed. Instead, that night we were going to tell Indrasingh & Keyuridevi about his devilish mind at midnight. But Rajansingh came to know about our plan. He had not thought of such betrayal from us. And at midnight, before we could tell them, he spilt madira all over their room & abducted Shiven. But before he could escape, Keyuridevi saw a silhouette carrying her child & she shouted. With the fear of being caught, he pushed her, and the candle stand fell & the whole place caught fire. While leaving the Haveli, Rajansingh slipped madira bottle into my room. I picked up the madira bottle & ran towards him. The guards saw me running with the madira bottle, so I was thought of as guilty. We didn't want to face punishment, nor did we wish to disclose the devil. Being servants, no one would have believed us. So both of us fled away."

Shiven was burning with fury & turned towards his mama. Rajansingh had no escape plan this time. Tears of shame rolled down from his eyes. I stepped forward, "Gyan & I suspected him the first thing when grandma told me what had happened. Who would fight with Rajasaheb Keshavsingh so well that could defeat him? He was undefeatable & so he defeated him with a coward trick. Now Mr. Rajansingh can you please explain?" Shiven was dumbstruck. It was a massive shock for him. Rajansingh came forward & accepted the accusation, "Rajsevak is right. Every word he spoke is a truth. While I was running away with you, Rajasaheb Keshavsingh caught me. I had to duel with him in order to escape. I knew it was impossible for me to win against him & so I had already bribed a villager to kill him while I fought with him. And then both of us escaped. All of this happened in such an evil situation I could not give myself a second to think what was wrong & what was right. But while I was hiding in a nearby village I realized that I had made the worst mistake of my life. So I promised myself to bring you up like my own son & not get married for my whole life. As you started growing up you started asking us questions. All those years I had hidden the truth from my family as well. To escape the guilt I lied to you about your father's murder. Then you came up with this plan of captivating the Rathod's & getting the throne for yourself & I had to support. I had to support it because it is my debt and I had to pay for you. It was yours & you should get that. I am sorry son for lying to you. I am your culprit son, I am Rajmata's culprit. I know I do not have any right to asking for forgiveness." He threw himself near the feet of Rajamata & begged for mercy. Grandma stood up, "I am glad Rajansingh you accepted your mistake like a real Rajput. All these years I have been waiting for this day. I am proud of my granddaughter & his friend." Everyone was awestruck with these words. She continued, "Yes, I knew it that Rajansingh was the culprit. What do you think Rajansingh you killed Keshav so easily? No, he was alive when you left him injured. He came up to our room & uttered your name. But before he could live to tell the tale, it was too late. He died of an over loss of blood. I knew that my Pulkit was innocent & I chose him to be crowned to the throne. But my son always knew who he was, he took up the responsibilities & title but never got crowned to the throne. And never did he let Daksh get crowned to the throne. He knew my heart cried for justice & he swore to me unless he finds the culprit he shall not accept the throne." And saying that she burst into tears. In all these years I must have seen my grandma cry for the first time. Shiven felt ashamed for his deed. My father stepped forward, "Shiven, this throne is yours & you shall be crowned to this throne son. I am free of my debt." Shiven had tears in his eyes, tears of guilt & shame, "I am sorry to ill-treat you. I do not deserve this throne." My father hugged him & said, "You must accept this throne, my son. It wasn't your fault to be so cruel. You were made to be." Shiven nodded with acceptance, "I shall accept it only on a condition, you remain Rajasaheb & Ranisahiba of this Haveli." My parents accepted his condition & hugged him. He apologized to Daksh, Gyan, Rajmata & finally me, "I am sorry Havya. Please forgive me for whatever I did. I did in hatred but I never hated you. I love you & shall always do. Please forgive me. I don't expect any reply now. Take your time." I simply smiled at him. Grandma cleared her throat, "Come, son, let's finish the crowning ceremony." All of us proceeded towards the throne & the ceremony was followed by a grand party.

Rajansingh was to be sent to jail for his misdeed but Rajmata denied. His only punishment was to be boycotted from the city as well as family & live on his own all his remaining life. I was finally at peace with Shiven & accepted him with love. Mother nature had finally found peace. Dark clouds had disappeared and it was like a ray of new sunshine that arose after the thunderous delusion.