Abhimanyu was lying on the bed lifelessly. Pradyuman, Rajatsubhra, Taravati, Divyalakshmi and the ministers of the royal court were in the room. The ladies were in tears and all were praying to the Almighty. The royal healer came in and sat on the bed beside Abhimanyu. He checked his pulse and he became worried. His face became pale. He pondered over something and brought out a medicine from his bag. He applied the medicine on his wound and said to Pradyuman in an anxious tone, "Maharaj, jis saanp ne kunwar sa ko kanta wo bohot hi vishera hai aur humein lagta hai ki vish poore sharir mein phelna shuru ho gaya hai".
"Kya kehna chahte hai aap vedji?" Pradyuman roared.
"Humne aushadhi toh de diya hai parantu - " the healer couldn't finish as his words were cut by the king. "Parantu kya vedji? Jo kehna hai saaf saaf kahiye".
"Baat ye hai maharaj ki yadi vish poore shareer mein phel gaya toh ye aushadhi kisi kaam ka nahi. Har ek paher mein ye aushadhi inhe lagana hoga. Tabhi vish ko poore sharir mein phelne se roka ja sakta hai", he explained.
"Theek hai! Iss baat ka hum swayam khayal rakhenge ki har ek peher mein kunwar Abhimanyu ko ye aushadhi lagayi jaye". He ordered some handmaids to stay with Abhimanyu and also asked the healer to visit Abhimanyu in every half an hour.
"Daajiraj, hum yahan rahenge kunwar Abhimanyu ke paas. Hamari karan unhe ye peeda sehni padh rahi hai toh hum hi unka dekhbhaal karenge", Taravati uttered, her voice was barely above whisper.
"Theek hai aap yahi rahiye", Pradyuman agreed and so she stayed with Abhimanyu and everyone had left the room. She was standing beside his bed. She slowly moved forth and sat beside him.
.
Collecting the water from the bowl in the cup of her hands, she carefully washed his face. It took her a few tries before he opened his eyes and a few more minutes passed before he regained any sort of coherency.
He tried to speak but she silenced him by putting a finger on his lips. The feel of cool water on his face awakened him from his unconsciousness. He could feel soft hands on his face wiping away the foam at him mouth. The hands were replaced by a soft cloth and Abhimanyu mourned the loss of human touch. Even in the state of semi-consciousness, he knew the identity of the person nursing him. Slowly he opened his eyes to look at the beautiful face hovering over him.
She noticed his consciousness and opened her mouth to speak but she silenced him asking him to conserve his energy. He looked at her silently. He knew that he had hurt her badly and still she was there for him. He felt drowsy but wanted to keep his eyes open. Abhimanyu was silent but she could understand his silence. She knew he was sorry but he had hurt her.
For Taravati at that moment it was not important that he had hurt her but it was important that he needed her. "Aap apni ankhein bandh kar lijiye", she said softly. Her voice gave him peace, comforted him. He let out a sigh of relieve. But she was worried, anxious and restless. "Kariye apni ankhein bandh", she again said and he did the same.
.
Two days had passed. The royal healer came and checked Abhimanyu several times and confirmed that he was alright but was still quite weak. So he had to rest. And a messenger also came from Ahmadnagar with the message to Pradyuman that Rana Rudra Pratap along with her younger daughter Princess Purvana was on her way to Bijapur in order to meet her daughter. Getting this news, Pradyuman ordered the officials to start preparations for their welcome.
.
Taravati was in Abhimanyu's room. He sat on the bed with a pillow supporting his back. Taravati walked all over the room and lit up the oil lamps and Abhimanyu kept staring at her. She lit up the last lamp when Abhimanyu spoke up with hesitation.
"Hum jante hai ki apko thes pouchi hai. Parantu hum dono ki madhya jo kuch bhi hua hai ushe sudhara jaa sakta hai, yadi aap chahe. Tarabaiji hum jante hai ki humse bohot badi bhool huyi hai. Jo ho gaya use bhulakar age badhne mein hi samajhdaari hai. Hum aur aap milke ek naya aarambh karte hai". Taravati was standing with her back towards Abhimanyu, She looked at him with the corner of her eye.
"Kitni saralta se keh diya na apne ki bhula do sab kuch! Parantu humari liye yeh tanik bhi saral nahi hai. Abhi bhi apki wo karwe bol hamare kaano mein gunj rahe hai", she paused. "Apne hamari atmasammaan ko thes pouchayi hai jiski kaaran hum shayad apko kabhi kshama nahi kar payenge", a drop of tear sprinkled at the corner of her eye and she walked out swiftly.
.
"Sach! Purvana aa rahi hai?" Taravati exclaimed.
"Haan. Kabhi bhi pouchti hongi ve. Aur apki daata bhi aa rahi hai", Divyalaxmi informed.
Taravati was extremely happy to get the news. "Ek kaam kariye, kuch daasion ko saathe le jaaiye aur shigra jaake daata aur Purvana ki swaagat ki vevasthaye kariye. Aur unki roochi anusaar unka kaksh bhi prastut kariye. Shigra jaaiye", Taravati ordered.
.
Within a while Purvana and Rudra Pratap arrived in Bijapur. Abhimanyu was still weak so Rudra Pratap and Purvana went to meet him in his room. The next morning Rudra Pratap left for Ahmadnagar and Purvana stayed there with her sister.
.
It was just after sunset. The weather was getting worse. The wind started blowing from the north-west. Black clouds were fast moving in the sky. Dayanand stood by the window and glared outside. Soon the ran had set in. He stood numbly there as Taravati's words still echoed in his ears. He couldn't believe that Taravati was happy without HIM. His heart was broken. He knew that he had hurt her too but she moved on so fast. He just couldn't bear it. He hid his face in his hands. In the meantime Shamsher Singh entered in Dayanand's room. He got the news that Dayanand went to Bijapur in disguise to meet Taravati. He was in rage and asked him angrily, "Kya yeh sach hai kunwar ki aap rajkumari Taravati se milne gaye the bhes badal kar?" Dayanand gave a nod which earned him a tight slap from his father.
"Apki inti dussaahas!" he yelled. "Hum ashcharya chakit hai kunwar. Apne humare adesh ka ulandhan kiya hai. Humne apko mana kiya tha ki aap nahi jayenge Bijapur parantu apki liye humse adhik wo rajkumari Taravati priya ho gayi!" his voice rose. "Ab toh unka vivah bhi ho chuka hai phir kya avashyakta aa padi unse milne ki? Bijapur ki Maharaj Pradyuman ne sandesha bheja hai. Apki iss karname pe ve bohot krodhit hai aur humein...Rana Shamsher Singh ko unhone ye chetawni di hai ki yadi aisa dobara hua toh phir yudh ki liye hum taiyaar rahe", he added shaking his head.
"Daajiraj, kshama kijiye parantu ye jo kuch bhi ho raha hai wo sab bas apki aur Rana Rudra Pratap ki shatruta ki waja se. Humein aur rajkumari Taravati ko iss hi shatruta ki waja se alag hona pada. Ek baat bataiye humein daajiraj, wo shatruta kyun jo apki santaano ki sukh-chain cheen le?" Dayanand said. "Hum iss shatruta ko mitrata mein badalte dekhna chahte hai. Hum jaante hai ki yadi aap age badheinge toh Ranaji bhi iss mitrata ko swikar lenge".
Dayanand knew the only person who could help him then was Maharani Niyanta bai. He decided to ask for help and wrote a letter to her. Niyanta bai got the letter and was in dilemma about what to do. But at last she decided to help Dayanand to solve the issue once and for all.
.
Few days later, Abhimanyu was absolutely fit by then. He was walking through the corridor which led to the royal courtroom. On the way he saw Taravati, going somewhere by the same way. He went across her. He didn't know if she was still angry at him. Abhimanyu had no idea what he would say but he went close to her. It was a restless moment. She had kept her head lowered... to give him a chance to come closer as she was not angry with him anymore. But he could not, for lack of courage. He turned and walked away. Taravati stood there as she was before. He slowly went across the gate of the royal court and paused. He turned back to look at her. They both were silent but their souls talked.
"Kuch kehna nahi hai apko?"
"Kehna toh bohot kuch hai apse parantu ab hum mein wo saahas nahi hai Taravati ki hum apse kuch keh paye"
She laughed, "Saare Rajputane mein apki shoor-veerta, apki saahas ki charche hai aur aap apne ardhangini se apni hriday ki baat kehne se ghabra rahe hai!"
"Wo iss liye Taravati kyun ki humse bohot badi apradh hua hai. Adharm hua hai ki ek stri ki pavitrata pe humne prashna kiya, jabki humein apki samman ki raksha karni chahiye thi. Iss baat ka dand toh humein avashya milna chahiye. Aur humara dand yahi hoga ki jab tak aap swayam humein ye nahi kahengi ki aap ne humein kshama kiya, hum apki saamne nahi ayenge."
"Ye dand keval apka nahi humara bhi hoga kunwar. Kyun ki apno na dekh paana hi humare liye bohot bada dand hai. Aur jab humne koi bhool ki hi nahi toh phir humein kis baat ka dand kunwar Abhimanyu? Hum toh apko kshama kar chuke hai, phir ye kyun?"
A drop of tear sparkled at the corner of his eye and he went inside the court and she left the place for mandir. That was the only place which gave her peace then.
.