Chapter 12

6.

In the boys' car:

"To not make this trip boring, we have to play something." Shatrughan said, after which he yawned soundly. "Baat toh sahi hai." Bharat replied. Ram nodded from the driver's seat while taking a sharp turn. Suddenly, Lakshman cleared his throat, "Ahhm... ahhm... Baithe baithe kya kare, karna hai kuchh kaam! Chalo khele antakshari, leke prabhu ka naam." Bharat rolled his eyes and said, "Not again! Tu humaari singing ko already bohot exploit kar chuka hai." Shatrughan said, "Yeh hi toh hum jaiso ke liye mauka hota hai, apni non-existent singing skills ko flex karne ka!" Saying so, he hi-fied Lakshman who laughed with him. Ram said, "Because it is the worst case scenario to avoid an hour's worth of boredom, mai antakshari allow karta hu." Ram said and Bharat groaned.

"Can we do it in teams? Pleasseeee..." Shatrughan asked in a heavily sweet and innocent voice. "Yes, considering ki mai drive aur participate - dono saath mein kar raha hu. Bharat, tu meri team mein." Bharat smiled widely and nodded. "Par bhaiyyaaaa...." Lakshman whined. "Tere saath team up karke mai hi phasta hu." Ram replied. Shatrughan said, "Koyi baat nahi Laksh bhaiyya, we'll show them who are the real kings of antakshari." Lakshman made a determined face and nodded. 

They did the baithe baithe kya kare thing again to decide who will start first. It ended on Bharat and Ram who started singing with M. The whole antakshari continued for the ride. 

"Ismein we will not have any result. Both teams are too good." Lakshman said ultimately. "Badhaale apna self-confidence, but you can't change one thing. The team which has Bharat in antakshari, hamesha best hi hogi." Ram said, smiling at Bharat who was sitting on the seat next to him. Bharat looked flustered and said, "Bhaiyya please..." "Yeh laal tamatarji always best hi nikalte hai." Shatrughan said in annoyance and huffed. Bharat frowned and said, "Aye khadoos, at least I have some talent in me. Tu shararat ke siwa kuchh karke dikha, then we'll talk.

"Chhoti-chhoti baaton pe, stop fighting. We have almost reached, just five minutes more." Ram said sternly, calming the storm that was going to rise. 

There were just five minutes left to a meeting that would change their lives. Just five more minutes...

~~

"Hello!" Shrutika said sweetly as she spoke on the phone to Siya. "Accha? You and Manvi didi will reach early together? Koyi baat nahi." She responded to Siya. "Hum acchi bacchiyon ki tarah hi rahi hai, matashree." Shruti spoke faking childishness. "Everything is just the way it was. No tension. Urmi di also didn't do anything." Shruti replied, assuring Siya. "Ok bye!" Shruti said and she hung up the phone.

"Everything is ready!" Urmila proclaimed in excitement. "Agar sab kuchh plan ke according hua, we'll be done and dusted with this. Raghuveers ke aane ke paach minute pehle, everything will be back to normal." Urmila explained to Shruti, who nodded with a michievous smile. Suddenly Shruti made an expression of distress and asked, "What if maa, papa, tauji and taiji come before Siya di and Manvi di?" Urmila just put her hand on Shruti's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. They won't arrive before Siya di and Manvi di." 

Suddenly they heard the sound of the bell and fell silent. The adrenaline of a plan well-made caused a brain freeze for some moments. But that freeze was broken by the bell ringing again moments later. Shruti stood holding her phone and scrolling through it, acting all normal. Urmila went and opened the door from a little far. The two people on the other side took one step ahead and all hell broke lose. 

Urmila's eyes widened in horror. No, it couldn't be! Shruti looked up as well and looked like she would faint. The two people standing in front of them were most definitely not Siya and Manvi or Sunaina and Chandra or Janak and Kaushal. These two people stood drenched in red water from top to bottom. They had stepped on a string which triggered two packets of water with gulaal in them to break on top of them. 

There was the sound of a lock opening from the back door. "Those two are not trust-worthy. Kuchh bhi kar sakti hai woh dono shaitaan." a voice which Urmi and Shruti recognized as Manvi's said. Siya's voice followed, "We'll go to the hall. Humein ensure karna hoga na ki unka kaand galat wakt pe activate na ho jaaye." Siya and Manvi came walking into the hall and then went near the doorway. 

"Urmi, Shruti, I hope tum dono ne-" That was the exact moment when Manvi nudged Siya's shoulder and she looked up. The both saw the sight at the main door. Another pair of two people was approaching from behind who looked a little confused. 

"Urmi, Shruti. Tum dono marogi. Woh bhi mere haathon." Siya declared in anger that she never showed that often. "Yeh kya ho raha hai!" One of the two people loudly screamed. "Humaare acche khaase kapdo ko bhigakar laal kar diya!" The other person said. "Calm down." One from the two dry people who just came said. 

"Marr gaye." Shruti said. "Sacchi mein. We're dead." Urmi responded.

------

Take a guess. Who were the two people who got drenched and the two people that emerged from behind? It's quite obvious, but still.

I'm so so sorry for such a late update. I was very busy and didn't even get time to log onto indiaforums. Please forgive me! 

Hope you like the update! Stay tuned for the next.

Love,

MusicOfGrace