Priority

Summary: Iss janam mein yeh rishta nahi tootne wali. Yeh chunauti hai meri, dam hai toh maan lijiye.

◇◇◇

Anwar has no idea what delays Veer. To keep Chandra Singh Rathod waiting, it had to be something of utmost importance.

The rivalry between the two men, uncle and nephew, king and prince had been legendary.

Chandra is the kind of man who would still be smiling and shaking your hand while his other hand plunges the knife into your back.

Since his birth, in the absence of any heirs of his own, Veer has been a thorn in the man's eye.

All his life, apart from trying to get noticed by his mother Veer had tried not to expose any weakness to Chandra. And perhaps, Anwar thinks as he takes in the scene before him now, he has finally found the crack in Veer's armour.

No, not Amrit, but the baggage that Amrit comes with.

Uday and Vashma had done a well meaning thing. They had seen the shifting tide at the station as the train pulled away and had gotten down as soon as they were able to, to return and aid Amrit.

But instead of helping, they had ended up in hands of blood thirsty Rajghar villages. Anwar sees it in the victorious eyes of Chandra Singh Rathod, this is the fish he had been waiting to fry since forever.

They hadn't taken keenly to Anwar's interference
either. People of Huzenabadh aeren't treated very friendly on this side of the river.

Rajghar especially is in the thick of the marky waters of racism. Chandra only stirred that pot every now and then, hoping to annex the estates of the Nawab to his own, he wanted the Siddiquies gone. Too bad, his time was coming to a close and his successor in title considered the Siddiquies his extended family.

Anwar's blood boils at the sight of blood trickling down Noor's - Vashma's temple. The gale of them! His eyes drifts to Uday, who is equally if not more injured. He is a good man, most importantly the man that Noor wants. This type of treatment towards him is not to be allowed.

Anwar is not a fool to have walked out on his own. He brings with him men of his own estates, knowing full well that one wrong step and it would lead to a huge diplomatical crisis between the two families, yet he dares to push his luck against Chandra Singh Rathod.

A tilt of his chin and his men charges in. They cannot extract the couple from the hands of their attackers but they do stand defending them.

"Yeh duzre mazab ke log Rajghar mein kya kar rahein?" The heaviest built man of the mob addresses Anwar.

"This is Rajghar's problem, we can handle it. No need of Huzenabadh to put their dirty noses in for a sniff!"

Anwar smiles slowly, mirroring the sarcastic grin on Chandra's lips.

"Thank you for saving me the introduction. Jab humein jaante hi hai, toh yeh bhi jaante honge ke humein Rajghar ghoomne ki koi shauk nahi. The moment you dragged our own people into it, this became our problem. Release the girl."

Chandra's smile deepens.

"Inter religious marriages are not allowed in Rajghar. These are my people, my jurisdiction. I shall decide what is to be done with -"

"Vashma Beig is not your people, nor your jurisdiction. Her father has entrusted her to me. In. Writing.

"You have already crossed many a line Rana sahab. Raja ho aap, kudha nahi. Jino ne kudha ke saamne ek duzre ko apnaya ho unhe alag karne ka koi haq nahi aap ko."

In the pause that follows his words Chandra Singh Rathod starts to laugh.

"Yeh achcha chal hai Huzenabadh ki. Apne ladkiya ghussalo humare gharo mein, dheere dheere Rajghar bhi Huzenabadh ban jaaye!"

"Yeh nahi ho saktha!" Shouts the heavily built man. His companions nod along, moving with renewed vigour.

"An example should be made of these two! Thaaki humare bachcha bachcha jaan lei, apne jaat se, dharam se gaddari karne ka anjaam!"

"Haat toh laga ke dikha!" Anwar is no longer calm.

He grabs at the stick the man brings down on a arch to deliver yet another blow and meets Vashma's eye.

"Aap jaiye Noor, apne shohar ko lei ke jaaiye yahaan se," he tells her.

Noor nods once but then her eyes widens and she screams, just as another man's ill intending blow finds the back of Anwar's head.

He reels from the hit, dark patches dance around his vision for a moment and Anwar has to blink to clear his vision.

Elsewhere the Rajghar men are pulling out swords and groggy fingers of his that brush along his hairline comes off with blood.

It is Uday who holds off the next blow aimed at him. The two men, who are the most unlikely allies possible, end up holding each other's back, against the mob that threatened to over take them.

"I will apologise properly," Uday throws over his shoulder. "If we ever make out of this alive."

"Oh we will," Anwar assures him. "I have a knack of getting out alive." He wipes at the blood dripping over his brow and gestures with his chin. "Woh dekhiye, the godsend..."

Veer doesn't bother with words. He simply aims his rifle into the air and fires.

It takes two shots to the sky for the mob to dissipate somewhat.

Anwar feels like grinning at the sight of Chandra's face. The old man looks like he had a slug in his mouth and did not know if he should retch or swallow.

"Bass!" Veer says now, his voice carrying over the forceful silence. "Bohut hogaya. The next one to move will get shot and I mean it."

"Kuwar Sahab aap -" the men begin, Veer simply glowers at them, cocks his gun and turns to point it at the man who spoke. He blanches.

"Put the gun down Veer," Chandra sounds annoyed. "Aap ko yaad dila dein ke Rajghar abhi aap ka Hua nahi. Rajghar ke maamlon mein hastakshep mat kijiye."

"Yeh Rajghar ka mamla nahi hai. Uday Kishor Sahani humare Saale sahab hai. The moment you touched him it became a matter in my jurisdiction."

For a moment Chandra says nothing. But in the gleam of his eyes Anwar reads the victory.

"Kuwar sahab," Anwar says quickly. "Don't involve yourself in this!"

"Dekhiye," Chandra speaks before Veer. "It's a good thing that the decisive members of panchaayat are present here. Look where the loyalties of the man you want as your future king lies. Inko na humare maan ki chinta hai na humare dharam ki, na aap sab ki."

"We have no enmity with Huzenabadh," Veer bites out. "In four hundred years we've never been on opposite sides. It is you, who have a problem with them uncle. That is your personal issue."

"Haan! Haan I have a problem with them! Huzenabadh! Jaha ek nachnewali ko sar par bithaya Hua hai woh buddha Nawab. Aur woh nachnewali hum sab par raj karne ka khaawab dekh rahi hai -"

"Humare Ammie ke baare mein ek aur lafz nahi!" Anwar growls.

"Nahi toh kya? Kya? Nachnewali ka beta Nawab ka bhi ho, uss ka koi izzat nahi reheta!"

"Chandra Singh Rathod." Veer takes his name with venom. "Aap ko tukhrane se kissi ki izzat kam nahi hoti. Jiss aurat ko aap itna zaleel kar rahein suna hai kabhi unse mohabbat ki bade daawe kartete aap. Toh aap karein toh sahi, koi aur karein toh daram ka apmaan?"

Chandra splattered.

It was an age old matter. He did not expect Veer to pull it out let alone know of it.

Meanwhile, Veer watches him with the same cold bitterness of his father. Oh how Chandra hated that face, that look - especially in those eyes.

He had quite a reputation as a womaniser in his younger days, a reputation he had worked hard to eradicate from the hearts of the panchaayat. Years he had spent manipulating these men and this Veer, with that sharp unforgiving tongue of his father in him, had reminded them all that in a matter of few words.

"Teek hai," he says. "Hum behek gaye the. Sahi galat bhool gaye the. Pachtawa hai humein uss baat ka. Jaise aap ko bhi aage jaa kar honga -" shrewdly Chandra turns the conversation.

"Aap ko kya lagtha hai Veer, humein Shrighar ke baatein pata nahi chalti? Humein yeh kabar nahi mili ke aap ek daagi aurat ko Shrighar ki Rani banana chahte hai? Suna hai badi kubsoorat hai aapki baazaar se laai hui Dulhan, kabhi humse bhi milwaiye, hum bhi toh dekhe -"

The man is cut off mid sentence when the barrel of the rifle presses intentfully against his throat. He swallows forcefully.

"Choose your next few words very wisely Uncle. Humein log jaanvar yun hi nahi bhulathe. Humari patni ki ruzvaai humse bardaash nahi hongi."

Uday too opens his mouth to protest, Anwar stops him with a look. Neither Uday nor Vashma could afford to get into anymore conflicts with these people.

Anwar helps her up, Vashma is still wobbly on her feet. Anwar ignore the awe in her face. If she had taken so long to understand him, realize that he had meant no harm, perhaps she is not the right girl after all.

He does not want to spend his life trying to make another person understand him. He offers her hand to Uday, who supports her wordlessly. His heart clenches at the sight of them together. But he stumps on that feeling. It does not matter anymore.

"You wrote to my father?" Vashma asks him, words chosen carefully.

"Yes," Anwar tells her. "I wanted to marry you properly. But instead he told me about you and Uday. Things you could have told me yourself."

He bites his tongue at how admonishing those words sound.

"Nawabzade -"

"Aap humara istemaal kar rahi thi Noor," now that he has said it Anwar pushes it through.

"You wanted power, you wanted resources. I understand your reason. Par humein bhi samajhlijiye. Insaan hai hum, kuch dein, aur kuch milne ki umeed na karein itna bada dil nahi hai humara."

He shakes his head.

"You could have set me straight. You could have just told me what your problem was. Aap ki kamoshi ne, bohut saare logo ko mushkil mein daal diya. Ab bass. I have your father's permission and blessing, I will give you in marriage to the one you wish. Aap ki nikha karwa denge hum, aur ruksati bhi. Koi kami nahi chhodenge. Shaadi ho chuki, nikha bhi kar lijiye, phir kissi ko koi shikayat nahi rahengi."

Anwar turns away from them before the two could work out a reply. He had had enough of them, his concern is instead Veer, who has no reason to pay for this entire fiasco, but is engaged in a fight with Chandra Singh Rathod's personal guards by then.

Those men as dishonourable as their master had aimed from the back, to Chandra's delight blood drip from Veer's forehead.

Anwar steps in just as Veer send one of the men down with a well aimed punch, he tackled the other and as a third approached Veer pulled himself straighter.

"I want no bloodshed here. Aap khoon ke pyaase honge hum nahi. Par agar koi humare kuwar Rani ki baizzati kare humse bhura koi nahi honga. Chahe woh Rana Chandra Singh  Rathod hi kyun na ho."

"Par yeh toh galat baat hui Kuwar Sahab," the heavy man who now Anwar realized was a member of panchaayat, is saying. "Aap aise kissi se bhi shaadi kaise kar sakthe hai?"

"Haan," another pitches in. "Suna hai, uss ladki ko bhatware mein kissi aadmi ne uttah kar legaya tha, ke uss ke naam ka mohor lagaya hua hai usski haat mein. Duzre mazab ke aadmi the, dono ka nikah bhi hogaya tha? Aise ladki ke saamne humein sar jhukana honga ab? Joh pata nahi kaha kaha apna muh Kala karke -"

"Sita ma ko bhi toh uttah kar legaya tha Ravan ne, roz sar nahi jukhate unkhi saamne?"

"Aap baat ko kaha se kaha le jaa rahe ho?"

An older man who hasn't spoken all this while speaks up now.

"Kuwar sahab, we have great respect for your father. We hope you will carry on his good name. Yeh joh aapne naye rishte banaye hai, humare sehemati nahi hai unmein. This wife of yours has fingers being pointed at her character, and then this brother in law, trying to marry a Muslim woman. Never has such things happened in the royal household. Agar aap Shrigar ke gaddi par beithna chahte hai toh -"

Veer chuckles, the ending of this long winded move suddenly dawning upon him.

Oh, his uncle and his mother had always been a good team. Only, he had no wish to drag on this game anymore.

"Perhaps I took the wrong example after all," he says, a bitter smile twisting his lips.

He had great respect for this man, who is the head of Panchaayat. But if it comes to that he does not truly care. All these men knowingly or unknowingly are pawns of the aristocracy.

"Humare patni Sita ma ho ya na ho, hum na toh Shri Ram hai, na kabhi banenge. If you give me a choice between my wife and my birthright, I'm not going to let her go and choose the higher duty. Kissi aur raja doondh lijiye aap log. Bohut miljaayenge, gaddi par bithane ke liye, humein ek aur Amrit nahi milengi poore zindagi dundh ne par bhi."

Veer pauses, suddenly going still.

He knows it the minute Amrit has alighted from that jeep, with Shravan Singh behind her, Amrit comes running, but her scent of sandalwood and Jasmin comes leisurely, in heady waves.

Veer bites the inside of his cheek. It is too late to take those words back. He had not intended her to hear them, but along with Amrit the people he wanted to brand this truth upon also have heard him well.

Amrit's hand slips into his as she comes to stand beside him. Queen or not, his partner and equal in all. Her hand squeezes his.

"Yeh gaddi wali damkhi phir kabhi humse matt kijiyenga. Aur bhi queemti cheezein hain, humare zindagi mein." He turns, meeting Anwar's eye and nodding.

"Chaliyein, Nawabzade, Saale Sahab, humara koi kaam nahi yahaan."

Anwar takes the control of the situation and leads them towards the vehicles parked in distance.

"Huzenabadh chaltein hai," he says. "Waha in dono ke nikah hongi..."

Amrit looks at Veer instead, he is trying to pull his hand free of her hold.

She wraps her other arm around his and leans her face on his bicep instead. For a moment his struggle dies out and he stills.

"Let go Amrit," he says softly. "Log dekh rahein hai."

"I know you don't care about them," her voice is equally low.

"Your problem is something else."
She lets go anyway, as they get back inside the jeep. This time both of them sit in the back, leaving Shravan Singh alone in the front. With gentle fingers Amrit turns his face towards her. Veer tries but fails not to meet her eye and he swallows, trying to hold on to a dissipating resolve.
Amrit doesn't say anything, doesn't question his sudden withdrawal or their circumstances or his silence. She simply dabs at the blood trickling down his temple with the end of her pallu.

"Jaane dijiye," she says in the end. "Jo aap se nahi hota, unke koshish kyun kartein hai? Mujhse door jaana aapse nahi honga," she smiles then, a little wistfully, her eyes touched with pity. "Main hone nahi dungi."

"Amrit," his eyes flutter when she strokes his face. What is she doing? Veer pulls that hand away, gripping it still in his larger grasp.

"Stop."

"I heard everything," she says then.

Veer draws in a tortured breath. Everything? Ever single word? He - what was he to do now?

"Aur main aap ko bata doon. Haan Kahi thi Maine, har baat maan loongi. Par yeh baat nahi maan ne wali main. Aap se na door jaane wali hoon, na aap ko jaane dene wali hoon."

She comes closer with that, taking advantage of the bumpy road to gap the distance between them. Amrit folds herself against him, and his arm she wraps around herself.

"I don't care if it makes me a wanton, shameless woman. I simply don't care. Iss duniya mein, ek aap hi hai meri, mujhse yeh bhi Matt cheeniye."

Veer closes his eyes, sighing. His body relaxes against her, his chin dipping to rest on the top of her head, his heart syncing to the rhythm of hers.

He is so attuned to her, that his body responds to her against his wishes, finding comfort in her arms when he does not want to allow himself such relief.

"We need to talk Amrit."

"Not today," she hums, her voice muffled against him and every fibre of his being agree with her as he sinks more and more into her embrace.

Not today, his heart too begs. Just one more day.

"My birthday isn't over yet," oh this cunning fox, how she plays things to her sweet advantage.

"I want everything to be as it was when the day began. Please, aaj yeh sab nahi sochenge."

"I know what you are doing," Veer tells her. He cannot help his voice from turning deeper.

This Amrit, who wants him, who fights him for himself, is the most intoxicating thing Veer had ever encountered.

"Good." Damn, she sounds just like him.

Veer meets her eye squarely.

"It's not going to work." His words are finite.

Amrit pulls back, tilts her head up. Veer makes an effort to drag his eyes off that soft mouth, offered up as if in a kiss, and meets her dark hooded gaze.

She makes a deliberate movement of tracing her eyes across his face, before flickering back up to hold his eye. Her index finger jabs into his heart.

"Kuwar Veer Pratap Singh - Aap ko mujhse cheenne ka haq aapko bhi nahi hai." Intent burns her words, there is anger, affection and a little appeal.

His choices had hurt her, Amrit makes no effort to hide that. But not enough to change her mind, not enough to separate them.

"Iss janam mein yeh rishta nahi tootne wali. Yeh chunauti hai meri, dam hai toh maan lijiye."

**
I had such a bad day at work, so I'm gonna hit the bed after putting this up. Shower some love so it might heal my currently bruised heart? *puppy eyes*

Also....

We hit 25K!!!!

Second offering of #5for25Party! Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying this bumpy ride of CK? Tell me in the comments below, also whose side are you, #TeamBiwiSahab
Or
#TeamKuwarSahab?
Don't forget to vote and thanks a ton for being here!