Chapter 8:
2 Years Later-
995, 996, 997, 998, 999, 1000... Sakshi stopped her skipping and sat on the couch to take a breath. She huffed and took a sip from her water bottle. It was 6 in the morning and the blinds were still closed. She went to the window and open the blinds letting the ray of morning sun came inside. In another couch lay a figure with head to toe covered in blanket. Sakshi went to the figure and pulled the blanket away in a jiff revealing Prem Chopra. Prem frowned and covered his eyes with his hand.
Sakshi: Uth! Alsi kahika!
Prem: Ratko chori karne koun jata hai tu ya main! Sone de aab!
Sakshi put her hands of her waist and frowned.
Sakshi: Aaj haam India wapas jaa rahe hai. Plane se haam jaa nehi sakte. Chori chupe choro ki tarah apne desh mein ghussna padega. Issliye jitni jaldi ho sake utna jaldi hamein start karna padega.
Prem sighed but got up in a seating position.
Prem: Tune Khurana uncle se baat kiya?
Sakshi: Haan. Haam border pouchne se theek 10 minute pehle unhe call karenge. Woh waha guards ko busy rakhenge 3 minute ke liye. Iss 3 minute mein hamein border cross karke Deradun mein ghus jana hai. Waha pe ek train hamara intejar kar raha hoga. Uss train pe baithneke baad woh train hame seedha Delhi le jyega. Delhi se haam by road Mumbai jyenge.
Prem sighed again. He got up and went to the restroom to freshen up. After having breakfast they finished their disguise and set out for India. When they started their jeep Prem looked at the house that became home and smiled a melancholic smile.
Prem: Good bye China. Good bye Juarez. Thanks for giving us shelter on your womb.
Per plan after reaching near the border Sakshi called one of her few link Cornel Khurana. Cornel Khurana was visiting the border and he made a huge scenario over a dead mouse that was supposedly found on his bed. Sakshi and Prem took advantage of the distraction and safely passed the border. After a few day of almost non-stop journey they reached their desired city Mumbai.
They went to house Sakshi's grandmother left for her. It was in a very good shape. After a little dusting it became worthy of living. Prem looked at her.
Prem: Yaha tak to safely pouch gye. Aab asli kaam samne hai. Kisi bhi karke hamein kisi bhi tarah uss tak pouch na hai. Aur uss tak pouchne ke liye hamein ETF ki jarurat padegi.
Sakshi didn't reply but kept staring at the wall.
Same time ETF-
Arjun was busy in his cabin when his phone buzzed with an upcoming message. It was from Sameer and he ordered (?) him to be present at the conference room. He kept the file aside and went to the conference room. Other members were already present there including their new member Riya Mukharjee. Well though it's been a year since Riya joined they still refer her as the newest member. Without casting another glance towards them Arjun claimed a chair and shifted all his attention to their chief Sameer.
Riya: Maine ETF join kiya ek saal ho gye likin aajtak iss bande ko haste nehi dekha.
Shree: Arre pehle to phir bhi thoda bohot has lete the. Aab pata nehi kounsi ladki se rejection mila to hasna bhul gye.
Chotu: Aise na bol re! Arjun sir ko koun reject karega? Mar nehi dalega uss ladki ko!
Ayesha sushed them in time and gestured them to concentrate on the discussion.
Sameer: As per our contacts hamein yeh khabar mila hai ki Mumbai se Pune highway pe ek Dhaba hai jaha aaj ek bada lenden hone wala hai. Haamne Com. Sir se iss bare mein bat kiya hai aur unhone hamein waha raid chalaneki permission diya hai. Per usse pehle hamein yeh confirm karna padega ki waha sach mein koi exchange hone wala hai ya nehi. Haam passerby banke sabse ghul mil jyenge. Dhaba hai to koi bhi jaa sakta hai. Charo yor hamari najar hogi. Haamare kuch khabri waha active honge aur jasie hi hame pakki news milega haam raid announce kar denge. Any question?
No one said anything. At the evening everyone got ready and went to the Dhaba. The darkness fall and brought a sad feeling in Arjun's mind. Don't know why but every day in this particular time he gets sad without any reason. They reached the Dhaba at time and took one bench. The Dhaba had a place for dancing just in the middle. After some time an elderly man came there and gestured everyone to be quite.
Old Man: Aaj hamare paas aapko dene ke liye ek buri khabar hai aur ek acchi khabar hai. Buri khabar yeh hai ki aaj hamari Chameli nach nehi payegi.. (everyone groaned).. Aur acchi khabar yeh hai ki haamne ek nyi nachnewali ko rakha hai aapsabke manoranjan ke liye.
The lights went off and an intoxicated music started. Soon a ring of light appeared in the middle revealing a beautiful girl in a teal colored choli and hot pink dhoti. She had colored her face with golden color. She was looking like a diva. And then she started dancing.
Hai Rat Mai Yeh Nasha Tera tera
Dil Ko Tere Pyar Ne Ghera Ghera
Hontho Se Hontho Pe Koi Nishani Tu De Jaa De Jaa..
Mujh Se Hi Mujh Ko OOO Yaara Chura Ke Tu Le jaa Le jaa..
Just then a man entered in the dance floor wearing a black dhoti and open chestchest sleeveless shirt. He had colored his face with black color. He captured the girl by her waist and twirled.
Manohari
Manohari
Maan Le Ye Man Le Teri Ki Baaton Ne Kiya
Bin Piye Mujhey Sharabi Re
Tu Hi Kholey Saarein Taalein Sun Le Jaaney Jaana
Tu Hi Mere Dil Ki Chaabi Re
Pyaalein Ye Tan Ke Aa Peelu Mai Jamkey
Tu Mera Mera
Both of them danced with such harmony and passion that every single person at the Dhaba got captured at the performance.
Hai Rat Mai Yeh Nasha Tera Tera
Arjun was feeling strange. He felt as if he knew that girl. Something no everything about her felt strangely familiar. Suddenly her eyes fall on him. Did she shivered a little? She came to him dancing and keeping her balance she arch at his arms. And then suddenly went away.
Dil Ko Tere Pyar Ne Ghera Ghera
Kya Baaju Hai Tere Mujhko Inme Jeena
Jo Jaadu Hai Tujh Mai Hoga Wo Kahi Na
Tu Hai Sehera Jaisa Mujhey Tujh Mai Hi Kho Jaana
Maira Tu Ho Na Ho Mujhey Tera Hi Ho Jana
Mazey Le Le aaa.
Manohari
Manohari
Pyar Ke Ye Teekhein Meethein Teer Na Chala Re
Jaan Meri Jaan Maan jaa
Pyaalein Ye Tan Ke Aa Peelu Mai Jamkey
Tu Mera Mera
Hai Rat Mai Yeh Nasha Tera Tera
Dil Ko Tere Pyar Ne Ghera Ghera
Suddenly every lights went away and by the time the lights came the dancer girl and that man was already gone. Everybody started talking at once. They never saw such raw dancng at the Dhaba before. Arjun went to the old man who announced and hold him by the collar of his shirt.
Arjun: Koun this woh ladki? Tum janti ho usse?
Old man: Nehi sahib. Main usse nehi janti. Aaj dopeherko woh dono mere paas aye aur bole ki aaj raatko dono yaha nachna chahte hai. Aur koi paise bhi nehi lenge. Kal hi Chameli ko paid mein moch aya. To hame thoda sukun mila. Par tab bhi undono ke chehre pe yehi rang the.
Arjun: Kuch naam batya undono ne?
Old man: Nehi sahab. Undono ne apna nam nehi batya.
Arjun: Thik hai. Tum jao.
The team found him at the back of the Dhaba with a deep frown at his face.
Sam: Kya bat hai? Tu yaha kya kar raha hai? Waha raid bhi ho chukka hai aur sab pakde bhi jaa chukka hai?
Arjun: Kuch nehi. Chal chalet hai. Sam mera tabyat kuch theek nehi lag raha hai. Main ghar chala jata hoom. Kal mlte hai.
Sam detected a strange yearning at his friends face so he let him go.
That night Arjun sat at the chair at his room. He hand a locket at his hand. He kept watching the locket intently and murmured.
Arjun: How is it possible? How is it possible?
Lady dancer's dress-
Male dancer's dress-
Locket in Arjun's hand-
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