"Hukum! Hukum!" A soldier came running to the palace as Raoji walked out followed by a frowning Kunwar Pratap. " Fire!""Where?" Raoji asked worriedly."Bairam Khan... Chittorgarh..." The soldier went on in a hurry as Raoji calmed him down."Tell us in detail.""Bairam Khan was in Chittorgarh for a peace treaty with the Mughals.""Ranaji didn't agree right?" Kunwar Pratap said a small prayer as the Soldier replied positively making him smile."But...Bairam Khan was going back to Agra and he burnt down a village." The soldier's words made Kunwar Pratap fume."Send help at once," Raoji ordered. "Are you sure it is the Mughals?""Yes, Hukum.""I should then inform Ranaji," Raoji said absentminded." No..." Kunwar Pratap stopped him, "There is no concrete proof." Sakhaveer doesn't need proof the Royals do.That Night, Bairam Khan woke in his tent coughing. He ran out seeing the smoke engulf the tent. He came out as the soldiers shouted running for their lives. He looked around in suspicion at what caused the fire.Atop the hill, from where they watched Baijilal smiled at Sakhaveer. He nodded his head watching her eyes fill with a smile."No one can harm us and get away with it..." He spoke up."As long as we are here, no one will harm Mewar." She added. "But... after us...""After us... there will be a hundred more...Bravehearts who would fight for rights and justice. Don't worry Baijilal. Good people never perish." She nodded in approval as they watched the smoke rise.At dawn, Ajabde was walking down the dark corridor absent-minded, when she bumped into someone. Water from her Lota, fell on his feet as she looked scared fumbling "I....""It's all right; I was not watching my steps too." He smiled. She was about to pick up the lota and he too bend down when their heads hit each other."Sorry." They said in unison as Kunwar Pratap laughed out amused. She stared at his carefree laughter, it was indeed so "unprincely" of him. He stopped embarrassed as she smiled." I..." Both stared in unison then walked past each other. Kunwar Pratap stopped to turn as she walked away, her anklets making music he never noticed before.In her room, Ajabde closed her door and opened her trunk. The Dupatta with the torn end needed to be replaced. A leaf fell out of the pocket of the warrior attire as she frowned picking it up. There was a note written on the side in red."Stay safe from our own. And hope to see you tonight. S"A smile appeared on her face. When did he do this? She unknowingly was eager to see him tonight. No matter if there was a mission or not, he wanted to see her, and so did she. He looked at the blood-soaked strip of white cloth as he remembered her worried eyes and taunts, her riding, her sword skills, her bravery. A smile appeared on his face as he waited for the night.Hansa Bai had suddenly had a high fever from late evening. Ajabde was in charge of the household running about, making dinner and managing her siblings. Kunwar Pratap sat with a book as he watched her run to and fro across the palace and her voice rang, breaking the silence and putting the Daasis to work. At dinner, as they sat she served tired and Raoji said "Ajabde, tonight do stay with your mother, she will need you.""Ji." Her voice spoke disappointment. He would wait.At half past midnight, Ajabde saw her mother's fever decrease. Opening her eyes and seeing her daughter sited Hansa insisted she goes to her room and rest. Ajabde obliged.Sakhaveer was staring at the forest again and again as he sat on a rock and threw stones randomly at the waters of the Bhimlat creating ripples. Sarang neighed restlessly due to the lack of action tonight, as he reassured " She will come, Sarang." To himself.Have I actually offended her? Wanting to know who she was and dragging her like that? Asking her to meet me like this? His mind travelled to the moments her eyes held his captive. He had never seen a braver girl and a simpler... No ... there was Ajabde.The sound of hooves made him turn with a smile as he was surprised to find not her but Mewari Soldiers and Raoji. He stood facing them sword out, tonight, he had no option." Oh no... Sakhaveer! Don't hurt Daata.." She whispered a small prayer from behind the bush as she spotted them and stopped right on time.He looked straight at the bush making her heart skip a beat as a smile appeared on his face. He defended the soldiers one by one as Raoji pointed his sword at him."Rao RamRakh Punwar! Neither Sakhaveer nor Baijilal is your enemy! We are Mewaris who don't wish to fight our own." He said trying to put off the father figure."You are just people who want to be heroes by taking the law into your own hands. I am here on order."Sakhaveer stared at the bush again and said "You know this jungle, it has a lot of climbers, climbers can be ropes too..." The one it was for smiling."What are you saying? Where is Baijilal?" Balwant spoke up appearing proud on his horse. Twelve years old and he stood taking a position with the sword like his father."Get him and she will come after him," Raoji instructed. "They are partners."" So this child will fight for you Raoji?" All I need to do is wait for her to come back." I am not a child, I am Mewar's future Samant." Balwant roared angrily." Really?" Sakhaveer taunted as he made a swift move and Balwant's sword swung up in the air and fell two feet away as he held his injured hand in dismay."Daata!" He shouted as Raoji became visibly angry. The sound of hooves made Sakhaveer smile as he pushed Raoji against the nearest tree. Surprised he was with his back to the trunk when she threw a pile of climbers at Sakhaveer. They lost no chance to tie him to the tree as he kept shouting for help from his injured soldiers and scared son.As they ran to their horses, he shouted " Why don't you fight?""Because we are not enemies." Baijiilal looked at Sakhaveer as they rode away.At the temple beside the Jheel, they got down to rest the horses."He will come back again, behind us, stronger, I feel," Sakhaveer spoke up."Yes, we angered him." She agreed. "Let's stay put until we are needed.""So you are saying if there are no crimes we don't show ourselves?" She nodded." Then... how can I recognize you?" He smiled."You don't need to, crime won't stop, and neither will Baijilal." She seemed stubborn."Let's make a deal." He got up. "If one day you come to know my reality, you will come ahead and tell me yours, and I will do the same as well. All right?""Yes! If I see that you are worth reaching out to..." She taunted. His heart skipped at the thought, She hates the royals it seems. Will she hate me knowing I am Kunwar Pratap?" What if ... you find out I am a princess?" She asked amused."I will surely reach out to you then, but you are not..."" I am not? Why? How are you so sure?""Princesses have no time away from their pieces of jewellery and lehengas to be brave." He chuckled."They can do the Jauhar!" She protested. "You seem to know a lot about princesses!" He looked at her narrowed eyes and changed the topic."Tell me one thing that I can recognize you by," Sakhaveer asked again."No!" She was stubborn."Fight me! If you win, you don't tell, I will tell you mine. If I win you will, and mine will be secret." He smiled knowing she couldn't refuse a challenge.She picked up her sword. "No attacks on the face "She warned. "You won't either." He said.Swords clashed as eyes smiled."You know I never lost," Sakhaveer said defending."Well, you are too vain about it." She replied not pleased. Three minutes of a duel and Baijilal knew she was no match for him, but a true Rajputani never gives up. He was amazed at her strong self-esteem. He smiled.She sat defeated as her sword fell."You lose!" He seemed happy. "Now say.""I... have a ... mole on the left side of my nose, a small black one." She said thoughtfully."That's cheating! No one sees a Stranger's nose!" He protested."I should go." She got up."Next time we meet here, the waterfalls are not safe anymore."His words made her agree before she rode off.Balwant was fuming from his insults and Raoji had sent more men to the Bhimlat and the Jungle to search for the two. Ajabde was serving them food when Kunwar Pratap entered and she looked at him with a gentle smile and told him to take his seat with the gesture of her hand." I can't believe they got away even without a fight," Raoji spoke up as Kunwar Pratap and Ajabde stared at his face."Who Raoji?" Kunwar Pratap asked as Balwant stormed. "That Sakhaveer! He called me a child."" Raoji, keep the mission on hold and talk to Ranaji once. I don't think they are worth wasting your time on..." Kunwar Pratap decided to give him some advice."No! No! We can't!" Balwant interrupted surprising his father and sister."Balwant."She scolded. "Don't talk in between..."" No Jija no! They... I wonder who they are... brother sister it does not seem..." He thought aloud." If we know how they are related that might help." Raoji agreed as Balwant kept thinking."Husband and wife?" He asked his clueless father, not noticing how two pairs of eyes went wide and cheeks red and warm."They certainly complement each other in every possible way." Hansa Bai's comment made her husband frown as Ajabde murmured "I...will...see the..." and left in a hurry." I am done." Kunwar Pratap took leave and walked to his room.That night Kunwar Pratap and Ajabde Baisa were sleepless. They knew Sakhaveer and Baijilal were not needed, the soldiers were searching and going out was not safe, but both hearts wanted to. He smiled at her stubbornness and she smiled at the leaf he had written his message on."What am I thinking? She will hate me if she knows who I am." He shook his head. "Besides I don't know her at all...""...Yet it feels I know him so closely that I can read his thoughts, why Kanha ji?" She was in a dilemma.In the palace corridor, Ajabde ran out of her room as he heard the sound of a familiar Payal and stopped to turn before she appeared before him. " Kun... Pr..." She stopped as he smiled amused." I have left all tries to make you call me by my name." He said shaking his head and asking "Ajabde Baisa needs me today?""Actually yes I...""At your service!" He bowed making her blush. "Tell me how I can help."" Can... Can you convince... umm... Daata... that Sakhaveer and Baijilal shouldn't be caught?" She spoke a little scared."Pardon?" He narrowed his eyes as she spoke."The people love them, they need them and... and... you are... so... he will listen... you have the authority...""I am sorry Ajab but ... It's the king's order, I can do nothing. But trust me when I say I also want this like you do, I also think they are not bad." He spoke genuinely, happy that she supported them. She nodded and turned to leave when he said "I also have something to ask."She stopped as he looked away and said "Suppose... someone you...umm... li... know... doesn't know you... and suddenly they know I am Kunwar Pratap. Will they hate me?"A smile appeared on her face as she said "If they are Mewaris, or Rajputs, or Princesses, or someone who appreciates the brave, they can never hate you. They will admire you.""But then, we won't be friends..." He thought aloud. "Like I am here, a normal commoner, and then suddenly I go back home and...""And we can't be friends anymore..." She completed his sentence as he stared back at her and she looked away."No Ajabde, that's not what I mean, of course, we can be friends...""Kunwar Pratap Singh! He has braver friends than Ajabde." She smiled."Not nicer ones, with hearts as pure as Ajabde Baisa's" He replied smiling as she felt something in her stomach and looked away."Jija! Come here! I need you!" Ratan's shout made her run as he watched her go. Something in him felt odd but he couldn't place it, there was a hint of disappointment in Ajabde's voice when she talked of not being friends. Was she aware of their social differences suddenly? It made him feel... sad? He shook his head to shake off the strange empty feeling reminding himself that he had a lot more days to spend in Bijolia. He felt at home here. It was strange because before coming here he missed home like hell, but Raoji's family was always like his own. Raoji and Hansa Mausi's pampering. Ratan and Balwant's naughtiness reminded him of his siblings. And there was Ajabde. Even her smile could put worries to rest. He smiled absentminded at the thought.Two days passed as Sakhaveer missed Baijilal and she missed him. Kunwar Pratap however found solace in Ajabde's granths. He sat listening to her read out moral tales to her siblings wondering about his mother back in Chittor would be doing the same to his siblings and Ajabde's added knowledge always made him smile. Nights, were sleepless, lost in thoughts of adventure yearning for more and days in each other's stories and moral debates as two souls unknowingly entwined like never before.

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