Lekha is an orphan who has quite a fascination for all things connected with Rajasthan(India). The fascination comes to life as she is pulled into the century when the Mughals and Rajputs are in a tussle over Rajwara (Rajasthan of today). The story...
After lunch, we were informed that there was going to be a puppet show for the people left behind in the palace. We got quite excited at the prospect. It was to be held in the Baradari (the central courtyard in the jenana for all ladies to gather). We ran to take our place, as it was bound to get crowded, with so many people who had come for the marriage festivities.
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Rajasthani puppet show
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Baradari( Jenana (ladies) section ), Amer fort
No matter how fast we tried to reach the place we were quite far from the stage made by the puppeteer. Somehow we managed the seats at the corner of the fifth line formed after asking some kids to squeeze in and a little bullying by Vasundhara. Along with that we had placed three kids on our respective laps. We sat on a huge woven carpet made from old cloth shredded into stripes. It's called a durrie. I was sat in the middle with Vasundhara on the inner side and Gayatri in the end.
There was excitement buzzing in the air. Gayatri after a little while asked us to shift a little more and I saw that Vikram had joined us. He was allowed in the jenana section of the palace as he was related to the royals. He passed us some roasted salted wheat to eat which almost reminded me of the popcorn we had in the movies. It was first time I had them and found them quite tasty.
The play was a local story of war and love. People were enthralled by it all. Especially when they played a sad scene, I could sense both Gayatri and Vasundhara sobbing their hearts out.
The music was so soulful that it even moved my heart. Though I didn't feel quite so involved in the other parts of the show because the language was slightly difficult for me to understand especially when they sang to describe the scene. Puppets for me were for the children and not for the adults to cry over. I might have looked like an emotionless person to them, but I couldn't fake tears for things that didn't move me. The least I could do was act serious and not laugh at the way the puppet died shaking all over.
It was a great diversion for the ladies who had nothing else to do but stay inside the luxury of the fort most of their life. The show made me realize that I had to start learning their language fast, since it was getting irksome to get stares the moment I opened my mouth to speak.
It was getting tedious too, to explain to all and sundry why my language was so odd. I again thought of the leaflets I wanted to distribute before with my story in it, and with it came back the memories of those chocolate brown eyes. They were stuck in a little corner of my mind, I didn't know how to react to them. Should I be scared, intrigued or what, because the first two I already was. The "what" I had to still figure out.
My thoughts were interrupted by everyone rising.
"I think Lekha was the most touched, look she didn't even know when the play ended" laughed Vikram.
"Surely not "I said "Vasundhara and Gayatri were howling their eyes out" .
This got the ball rolling away from my me as Vikram started teasing them both, by acting out a few tragic scenes in a funny manner. He got a light bashing by both his sister and cousin for this, but it elevated the mood. I realized it was getting dark as a few servants started lightning the lamps everywhere.
The nights here always distressed me, maybe because I was so use to having electricity.
The maids got our shawls for us as it was getting cold.
I asked "What do we do next, since it's almost dark now?".
"We can tell stories, sing songs after dinner ... what do you have in mind?" said Gayatri.
"No I just asked because its a first time I have ever visited a palace, so was just curious as to what all did at night during festivities" I said feeling like a fool for not knowing this.
"We can join the ladies here after dinner... there is going to be song and dance celebrating the wedding" Vasundhara replied smiling.
"I too will join you in the celebration" quipped Vikram wiggling his eyebrows.
"You will not be let inside, it's a ladies only thing" said Vasundhara teasingly.
"Then I will not let you girls go too" he said in mock menace.
"What will you do to stop us, we will tell maasa that you were bullying us, or better still tell Rudra bhaisa" smiled Gayatri at her brother's dilemma.
"Didn't Rudra bhaisa tell you, that you are not supposed to trouble us" she added. The realization dawned on me that my nemesis's name was Rudra.
