Chapter 11

5.

"Lakshman! Zara yeh bag bhi rakhdo!" Lakshman heard Sumitra call out to him. He came to her, took the bag and asked, "Maasi, what is there in this bag?" Sumitra said in a hurry, "Food. Abhi jao, keep it in the car." Lakshman laughed and said, "Maasi, Janak uncle ne kya khaana dene se inkaar kar diya hai? This is the second bag of food you have made me keep!" Sumitra shook her head in disbelief and said, "Last time we went on a road trip, tune aur Shatrughan ne gaadi mein 1 hour mein hi ek khaane ki bag khatam kar di thi. Ram ne mujhe bataya tha. Aur waise bhi you kids didn't have proper breakfast." Lakshman wisely left with the bag without saying a word more, knowing Sumitra would get angry. 

After he kept the bag, he saw Ram walking towards the car in which the four brothers were going to go, with a suitcase. He ran there and took the suitcase from him and said, "Aapki seva karna mera dharm hai." Ram frowned and said, "Now I don't even have the strength to drag a suitcase or what!" Lakshman smiled and said, "Agar aapko seva se pareshaani hai, consider this a punishment. For telling maasi about me and Shatru finishing the food in ek ghaanta in the gaadi, last time jab hum Lonavala road trip pe gaye the tab." Ram smiled and said, "Maine sirf isiliye bataya taaki we would have enough food this time." Lakshman rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever!" Ram patted his head a little and went to check if anything was left.

"Ahhm... ahhm... looks like you love doing seva! If that's the case, apne doosre bade bhai ki bhi seva kardo!" Bharat teased Lakshman, standing at the doorstep with his suitcase. Lakshman walked up to him without saying a word. Just as Bharat thought Lakshman was going to approach him, Lakshman walked right past him and appeared back again after a while with his own suitcase in his hands. He dropped it in Bharat's hands while Bharat stood shocked. "Agar seva pasand aayi ho, then please give me a 5 star rating." Lakshman said with a smirk as he looked back at an annoyed Bharat. Bharat dropped Lakshman's suitcase down on the ground, dragged his own suitcase to the car and said, "I hope aapki rating service mein minus stars ka option ready hoga toh phir." Lakshman shook his head in disbelief as he went to get his dropped suitcase to put it in the car.

"Wow... what did I just witness!" Shatrughan said as he came with his suitcase. "Sarcasm ka exchange." Bharat said. "Huh? Mai toh maa aur papa ki baat kar raha tha. Jis tarah se maa papa ko order de rahi thi, sarcasm ka exchange toh nahi lag raha tha." Bharat and Lakshman shook their heads in disbelief and lightly smacked the back of Shatrughan's head. 

"Chalo sab abhi! Kids get inside your car. Sumitra aur tum apni gaadi mein andar baitho, I will join you in two minutes." Dashrath said to the kids and then to Sumitra and Kailashi and he went inside to check if anything was left. Ram came out with his laptop bag and Dashrath smiled and said, "Ram, I appreciate your work ethics. Lekin chhutti mein thoda kaam se break le lena chahiye. Har baar kaam ke peeche lage rehne se you will become a workaholic. Tum chain se jee nahi paaoge phir." Ram warmly smiled and said, "I understand papa. Mai poora samay kaam nahi karne waala. This is just for backup and safety." Dashrath patted Ram's back and they both exited the house. Dashrath went and sat in his, Kailahi and Sumitra's car while Ram sat with his brothers in their separate car. 

Off they went to Panvel! A new journey they were unknowingly going to begin...

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"Saari taiyaari ho gayi hai?" Sunaina asked Janak, Kaushal and the girls with Chandra by her side. "Haa!" everyone collectively replied. "Very good! Unhein aisa nahi lagna chahiye ki we don't know how to show hospitality to our guests. Samjhe?" Chandra asked this time. "Haa!" everyone again replied collectively. "Aapne call kiya unhein? Did they leave? When are they coming?" Sunaina asked Janak, who calmly replied, "Don't worry! Maine unhein abhi paach minute pehle hi call kiya tha. Dashrath said they just left. Thode zyada traffic ki wajah se they will reach after after approx one hour and ten to fifteen minutes." Sunaina nodded at that. 

"Oh no! Papa, bade papa... mai bhool hi gayi. That Bhima client was going to come today from America. Humne special case basis pe unke saath aajki, in fact abhi ki meeting fix ki thi!" Janak and Kaushal looked at each other in realization. "Humein jaana padega. But as far as I know, ghanta toh nahi lagega meeting ke liye." Kaushal spoke to Sunaina and Chandra. Chandra said with a smile, "It's okay, you can go." Sunaina also smiled. Janak, Kaushal and Manvi left immediately for their office. "Actually mai soch rahi thi, since all preparations are done... hum aadhe ghante, forty five minutes around, Shagun ke yahaa jaa sakte hai na?" Chandra asked Sunaina. "Oh haan! Usne satsang rakha tha na... Why not? In fact, Siya tu bhi aa. I will introduce you to Shagun aur humaara jo ladies circle hai un sab se bhi milwa dungi tujhe." Sunaina replied. Siya smiled and said, "Sure, mai thodi der ke liye aaungi. Phir actually mujhe bhi yaad aaya, there is a head staff meeting in school. I know weekend aur chhutti, woh sab hai. Lekin exams bhi baad mein shuru ho rahe hai toh it's regarding that. Toh mai baad woh meeting ke liye chali jaaungi. I think papa aur chachaji ne kuchh mention kiya tha while leaving, regarding some work jo unn dono ko karna tha. Manvi cafe jaayegi shayad se. Toh mai Manvi ke saath jaldi ghar aa jaungi."

"Tum dono, ek bhi shararat ki toh guests ke saamne bhi maar padegi!" Chandra warned and Sunaina nodded, looking at the silently standing Urmila and Shrutika with suspicion. "Nahi karenge hum kuchh!" Shruti whined and Chandra rolled her eyes. "Hum itne bhi bure nahi hai!" Urmila added and Sunaina's eyes narrowed even more. "Unhein chhodiye, aap dono chaliye. We'll get late." Siya told the two mothers who realized and left with her.

"Toh pyaari behna, plan ka execution phase start karde?" Urmila asked Shruti the moment Chandra, Sunaina and Siya left. "Why not didi!" Shruti replied in equal mischief. They hi-fied and began. They didn't know that their wonderful planning may backfire into some other direction. Perhaps create an enmity they would enjoy?

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Here's the update! I hope you liked it. Stay tuned for the next one.

Love,

MusicOfGrace