The morning in the Pink City of Jaipur is always like an old, timeless poem. When the sun's first rays fall on the vast gates of Amer Fort, its stone walls gleam, as if narrating tales from thousands of years.
Today, standing before this very historical beauty, was Jayveersinh Chauhan. He was twenty-nine, a talented architect who had completed most of his education abroad. His face carried a subtle shadow of Jaipur's royal grandeur, but his eyes sparkled with modernity. He wore a grey shirt and dark trousers, reflecting his professional approach.
Jayveer pulled out a large roll from his pocket. It was the blueprint for a mega-project – 'The Heritage Hub'. His vision was to transform the area near Amer Fort into a high-tech, attractive tourist centre with modern amenities. The contrast between the magnificence of history on one side and the modern glass and steel structures on the other, he believed, would put Jaipur on the global map.
"Nice... perfect!" Jayveer muttered to himself. "A blend of marble and glass... it will give new life to the old charm."
Suddenly, a ray of sunlight directly hit the map, forcing him to close his eyes. He slightly bent over to adjust the map, and at that very instant, he collided forcefully with something.
Thud!
The roll of blueprints from his hands and a small wooden box from the other person's hands both fell to the ground.
"Oh, excuse me!" Jayveer immediately bent down.
"Don't you look where you are going?" a voice, filled with anger but sweet, was heard.
Jayveer looked up. Standing before him was Mamta Rathod. Mamta, around twenty-seven years old, was wearing a hand-woven salwar-kameez and carried a large canvas bag on her shoulder. Her face reflected an honest love for the soil of Jaipur, but her large eyes, at this moment, held indignation. She was an Art Conservator, on her way with a box of special chemicals for the preservation of an old painting in Amer's Diwan-e-Aam.
"I am sorry," Jayveer said politely, "My attention was on my work."
Mamta quickly picked up the fallen box from the ground. She examined it very carefully. "Was your attention on your work, or on changing the entire world? What are you doing here with blueprints in a place like Amer? We are not here to build structures; we are here to save history."
A slight tension appeared on Jayveer's face. "Who are you? And about saving history... I haven't come here to merely save history, but to bring it to life. Modern tourists don't just come to see old stones."
Mamta glared at him with fury. "Oh! So you are the one who wants to create a concrete jungle next to Amer's ancient heritage? I had heard some NRI architect was coming to ruin this area."
Jayveer stood up and smiled proudly. "Not ruin, Miss. I am Jayveersinh Chauhan. A native of this city. I'm here to build 'The Heritage Hub'. This project will increase employment and strengthen Jaipur's identity. Do you understand how much the world has changed?"
"I understand everything, Mr. Chauhan," Mamta pointed towards Amer Fort, "And I also know that the soul of Jaipur resides in these stones, not in your glass buildings. Development is necessary, but not by killing identity."
Mamta adjusted her canvas bag on her shoulder and walked away. As she left, she delivered one last line: "Your project's blueprint is still lying on the ground, just as your idea is worthless compared to the height of history."
Jayveer was burning with anger. He picked up his blueprint from the ground. Mamta's anger and the intense love for Jaipur in her eyes were firmly imprinted in his mind. He felt that this was just the first clash, and this story was far from over.
He muttered to himself: "Mamta Rathod... this is just the beginning."
In anger, he opened the map again, but this time his gaze was fixed not on his project, but on a corner of the fort opposite, where Mamta was visible, meticulously working on an old wall