1 Maharana Pratap

Rain pours down heavily outside. The pitter patter of raindrops sounds rhythmical in the ears. The outside weather is cool, so also the inside atmosphere of the throne room of royal palace of Bikaner. The royal palace of Bikaner is quite big like any other royal palace of Rajasthan. I am telling the story of 1970's India when the rule of kings and princes were long gone. But unfortunately most of the royal descendents failed to understand that. The person with whom I am starting my story is also one of among them.

The throne room is much bigger than any room of five-star hotel. It is quite dimly lighted too. Only five chandeliers are hanging from the ceiling and in there lights one can see with difficulty that a man is sitting on his royal throne with elegantly dignified manner. He spuns his long mustache. He has no beard, just a mustache. He looks deep in thought. But not worried, mind it. He is the cause of other's worry, so why should he be worried at all? He is Pratap Singh Raizada. He is wearing a black suit which suits his elegant figure very much. He sits by crossing his legs one over another.

Maharana Pratap Singh Raijada is the succesor of the famous royal family of Bikaner. He has been named after the national hero of Rajsthan, Maharana Pratap of Chittoregarh who fought bravely against Akbar, the third and the so called great emperor of the Mughal dynasty. In Rajasthan, rich or poor, all families worship Rana Pratap as demi-god. Pratap Singh Raijada's family was not an exception.

When after ten long years of marrige his parents, Maharaja Vanu Pratap Singh Raijada and his wife Rani Gayetri Devi, were blessed with a son they named him after great Rana Pratap Singh of Chittore. However this Pratap's nature is not at all like that of the great Ranaji. This Rana Pratap is a notorious playboy, casanova, internationally acclaimed golfer, businessman, multi-milionarire, and cricketer turned politician in the later half of his life, intersted in luxurious cars, alcohol and beautiful women.

He is a man of forty. Well built. Stout figure. Astute nature. Cunning mind. Shameless attitude. Everyone is too much scared of him, be it his friends or his foes. Even his wives are afraid of him.

He married three times. His first wife Shakuntala devi, second wife Nayna devi and the third wife Amrita devi all belong to royal families. The first wife belongs to Jaypur family, the second one from Jaisalmer while the third one from Junagarh. All of them are trully memsemerizing beauties. But even after that Pratap Singh has several courtrsans. He likes to play with fire and women as well. His royal blood is not satisfied with only three legal wives. But it does not mean that he does not love them. He loves them all tenderly. But Shakuntala is quite reserved person, while Nayna is very lively but soon going to reach her middle age. King Pratap is not very fond of anything old, be it a car or an woman. The third queen is his life. She is around 20 years younger than him. He just adores her and even spoils her with every luxury of life. Now she is going to have a baby. She will be in labour very soon.

He seems very happy with himself. His royal upbringing made her selfish and unaware of other's emotional turmoils. Pratap Singh smiles himself. "Fools" - he murmurs absent-mindedly. Those who think about others seems nothing but fools to him. His first wife always complained about his selfish nature. He nods his head in disagreement. She does not understand that a sucessor of a Royal family has to be cunning and merciful for his or her own sake. Everyone has the right to live properly, so do he. His ruthlessness is a actually a necessary mask for his self-preservation. He never cared, nor will care about it. He will never change himself. Never ever. With a snort he rubs his chin thoughtfully. He needs another heir of his throne. He is not satisfied with his first-born. He dislikes his 18 years old son Saksham from the bottom of his heart. An worthless and spineless coward he is. Gone after his mother. Bookworm. Loves to live in fairytale. A saliva comes into his mouth but he controls his urge to spit. A royal prince like him is a curse to his gamily. Pratap has more faith on his second-born son, Satyam. Even though he is just seven now but that boy shows promise. He can be easily moulded according to his father's wish. Even if he has a long way to go but that boy can rule over Pratap's dynasty if he wants to. Pratap sighs in satisfaction. That boy would certainly make his father proud one day. And Pratap is eagerly waiting to see those days. However he is not inconsiderate at all. He knows that fathering another child will be better for his dynasty.

"Hail the King" - calls his chief advisor and best friend, Chandra Kant. Pratap looks at him with a jolt. What he wants to say?

"Ranaji, I have a good and a bad news both." Chandra Kant says with a curt bow of head.

"Tell me the good news first." Pratap orders him.

"The good news is that your third wife, Rani Amrita, is in labour." Chanra Kant informs his master.

Pratap is expecting this news. He is waiting to hear it for too long. With a snort of throat he turns back to face Chandra Kant and puts his hand on his right shoulder. "Then what is a bad news."

Chandra Kant closes his eyes for a second. He needs some time to arrange the sentence. With a soft whisper he tells him - "Your child refuses to take birth."

Pratap looks at him with disgust. This news is not new. Most babies refuse to take birth at their pre-arranged time. Some needs around 30 hours. Babies are unpredictable and Chandra Kant should have that knowledge. "What is bad about that?" He asks his advisor.

Chandra Kant looks at him in awe. This man's selfishness is beyond limit. A wife is dying in pain while giving birth to his child and he is making jokes on childbirth !!!

"Ranaji, if she dies in childbed the child will also die in her womb" - Chandra Kant informs him politely.

Pratap now looks more worried. He knows that he can have another wife with ease, but fathering another son at this age is not so easy. "Come on. Let's go to her." He gives order to Chandra Kant.

Chandra Kant looks bewildered too. He knows that according to rituals of 'Atur' (child-birth place) no men are allowed. A husband can enter with special permission, but only when his wife is in death-bed. He nods his head in dismissal. "Sorry, Ranaji, dhai-ma (nurse-maid) will not allow us to enter."

With another snort Pratap drags his friend towards the private chamber of Amrita. "Not you, but I will be definitely allowed to enter." He tells Chandra Kant who quite reluctantly goes with his moody friend, the former king and current MLA of Bikaner.