Chapter 15
Veer was horrified by what he saw. Arjun had tied the ropes loosely, and the sticks had come loose. Now, Arjun was backing away from the big, fat sticks that were rolling towards him.
Veer and Sandhya ran to Arjun.
Veer pushed the sticks back, while Sandhya grabbed Arjun.
Veer wound the rope around the sticks and tied a firm knot.
Sandhya hugged Arjun.
Sneha and Dharam entered the scene. Sneha had heard Sandhya's scream.
Sneha ran to Arjun and hugged him.
Sneha: (Worried) Tum theekh toh ho na?
Arjun: (Irritated) Haan didi.
Sandhya glared at Veer.
Veer smiled nervously.
Veer: He....hehe?
Sandhya took a deep breath and turned around.
Sandhya: (To herself) Main Veer par nahi chillayungi.....main Veer par nahi chillayungi......main Veer par......
Sandhya swerved around and started shouting at Veer.
Sandhya: (Shouting) TUM EK NO SAAL KE LADKE KA KHAYAAL NAHI RAKH PAAYE?!
Veer: Main....main.....mujhe....
Sandhya held her hand up to silence Veer.
Sandhya: (Icily) Tum kar kya rahe the?
Before Veer could reply, Arjun replied for him.
Arjun Yeh rassi lene gaya tha. Hai na Veer.
Veer nodded.
Veer: H….haan….main rassi lene gaya tha.
Sandhya raised her eyebrows.
Sandhya: Kamaal karte ho tum. Pehle toh mere bhai ko dost banaate ho, aur phir-
Arjun: (Interrupting) Galti iski nahi hai didi.
Sandhya glared fiercly at Arjun and continued as if he hadn't said anything.
Sandhya: Aur phir uska khayaal bhi nahi rakh sakte ho.
Veer: (Angrily) Meri galti nahi hai ki tumhara bhai theek se rassi nahi baandh paaya.
Sandhya stepped closer.
Sandhya: Voh no saal ka hai.
Veer: Jab main no saal ka tha, tab main theek se rassi baandh sakta tha.
Sandhya blew her hair out of her face angrily and stepped closer to Veer again. Now the two almost had their noses touching each others.
They glared fiercly at one another.
There was a cold silence.
After a few minutes, Sneha tugged at Sandhya's arm.
Sneha: Chalo Sandhya.
Sandhya stepped back.
Sandhya: Chalo Arjun. Yahaan aur der rahenge toh pata nahi kya ho jaayega.
Sandhya grabbed Arjun's hand and walked away.
Arjun: Phir milenge Bandar.
Arjun waved at Veer. Veer looked taken aback.
Sneha: Aise nahi kehte hain Arjun....
Arjun: (Confused) Lekin didi to ise yahi bulati hain.
Sandhya smiled smugly.
Sandhya: Arjun sahi toh keh raha hai.
(Afterthought) Vaise yeh accha naam hai, Veer ke liye….
Veer remained silent as Sandhya, Arjun and Sneha walked away.
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Caller: Saare yaatri taiyaar hain?
Everyone shook their head.
Sneha: (To Arjun and Sandhya) Is yaatra par hume bohot saari masti karni hai. Taaki yeh yaatra hume hamesha yaad rahe.
Sandhya smiled.
Sandhya: Aisi baat hai toh is yaatra ko main tumhe kabhi nahi bhulne dungi. Sandhya ka vaada.
Arjun: Haan! Is yaatra mein bohot saari masti karenge.
(Afterthought).......Aur dher saare aam khayenge!
Sandhya raised her eyebrows.
Sandhya: Aam?!
Arjun: (Denfensively) Kya? Mujhe aam pasand hai.
Sneha shook her head, while Sandhya gave Arjun a weird look.
Meanwhile, Veer was firing Agni with questions.
Veer: Tum kal kaha the?
Agni raised his eyebrows.
Agni: Main....pandit ji ke paas gaya tha.
Veer: Kyun?
Agni fiddled with his fingers.
Agni: Main......main......kuch.....kuch puchne gaya tha....
Veer: Kya?
Agni gave Veer an angry look.
Agni: (Angirly) Meri har baat ki khabar chahiye tumhe?
Veer gave Agni a smug smile.
Veer: Haan. Kyun? Tumhe koi takleef hai.
Agni: Haan hai.
Dharam: Hume toh yeh lagta hai ki Agni koi pyaari si rajkumari ko chupke se milne gaya tha.
At this comment Veer started laughing like a maniac.
Veer: (Between laughs) Isse....isse koi.....pyaar kyun karega?
Agni glared at Veer. Dharam couldn't help but smile.
Veer always did this to Agni, bringing a guilty smile on Dharam's face.
Agni: (Icily) Accha.....aur.....aur tumhe kaunsi ladki pasand karti hai.
Veer: Mujhe.....
His eyes lingered to Sandhya.
Dharam caught him looking. He smiled smugly.
Dharam: Rajkumari Sandhya.....?
Veer stared at Dharam, horrified.
Veer: NAHI! Nahi, nahi nahi! Voh meri dushman hai!
Dharam: Phir use kyun dekh rahe the?
Veer: Main.....main use nahi dekh raha tha.
Dharam gave Veer a 'yeah sure, of course you weren't looking at her' look, but remained silent.
....................................................................................................................................................................Sandhya: Uski himmat kaise hui tumse baat bhi karne ki.
Sneha smiled. Sometimes.....just sometimes, Sandhya could be very protective about her.
Sneha jumped onto the bed. The yaatri's had reached their first stop.
Sneha: Chodo na Sandhya.....
Sandhya: MAIN IS MAAMLE KO NAHI CHOD SAKTI HOON!
Sneha: Chalo, kuch masti karte hain...
Arjun interrupted Sandhya and Sneha's conversation.
Arjun: Aur aam bhi khaate hain.
Sandhya glared at Arjun.
She grabbed a basket and threw it at Arjun.
Arjun caught it.
Sandhya: JAAYO! AUR TOKRI MEIN BHARo APNE AAM! AUR USKE BAAD SAARE AAM APNE MUH MEIN THOS LO!
Arjun looked hurt.
Arjun: Theekh hai.....agli baar seedhe seedhe keh dena ki mujhe kahin aur jaana chahiye.
With that, Arjun walked out of the room.
Sneha: Chalo, kuch khel khelte hain!
Sandhya: BAAT KO TAALNE KI KOSHISH MAT KARO!
Sneha: Bhagwaan ke liye chillana band karo.
Sandhya took a deep breath.
Sandhya: Tum theekh keh rahi ho.....mujhe itna gussa nahi aana chahiye.
Sneha smiled, relieved.
Sneha: Chalo, yeh gussa toh thanda ho gaya. Ab socho hum kya kare? Kaunsa khel khele?
Sandhya: Dharam ko tang karne vaala kehl.
Sneha shook her head.
Sneha: Aisa khel, jisme Dharam ko shaamil na karna ho.
Sandhya: Kyun? Aam ki tokri uske sar par phekne ke baad man bhar gaya?
Sneha looked taken aback.
Sneha: Tumhe kaise pata chala?
Sandhya folded her arms.
Sandhya Maana ki mera dimaag zyaada kaam nahi karta hai, lekin mere paas aankhen to hain .
Sneha: Maine gusse mein kiya tha….varna main nahi karti….
Sandhya: Matlab ki ab bhi use tang karna chahti ho?
Sneha shook her head in exasperation.
Sandhya Jaante hue bhi anjaana kar deti ho. Dimaag hai, lekin istimaal nahi karti ho.
Sandhya: Theekh hai, theekh hai. Tum tang mat karo. Tumhare hissa main le lungi. Vaise bhi, aadat si ho gayi hai.
Sneha: (Pleadignly) Bhagwaayn ke liye us Dharam se dur raho. Pehle se hi usne mujhse shaadi karne se mana kar diya hai.
Sandhya shook her head.
Sandhya: Toh kya main us se pyaar karti hoon?
Sneha folded her arms.
Sneha: Bas.....us se dur raho.....
Sandhya: Jo bhi ho. Use maafi toh maangni padegi. Mera vaada hai. Gidgidate hue voh tumse maafi maange ga.
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Veer: Toh, Rajkumari Sneha ne kya kaha?
Dharam sat on his bed, not facing Veer.
Dharam: Zyaada kuch nahi kaha.
Veer: Lekin phir bhi.....kuch toh kaha hoga.....
Dharam fiddled with his ring.
Dharam: Bas....kaafi zor se puchi ki main us se shaadi kyun nahi kar sakta.
Veer raised his eyebrows.
Veer: Matlab.....voh tumse gussa hai?
Dahram got up. He was now facing Veer.
Dharam: Nahi, voh toh khushi ke vajah se hum par chilla rahi thi.
Veer: Usne tum par chillaya.
Dharam: Nahi Veer.....voh chillayi toh galti se thi. Aur phal ki tokri bhi mere sar par galti se pehki.
Veer looked amused.
Veer Kaunse phal the?
Dharam pulled at his hair.
Dharam YEH TUMHE EK MAZAAK LAGTA HAI?!
Veer: Main toh bas puch raha tha.....
Dharam: AAM THE! AUR KUCH?
Veer: Arrey vah! Aam! Mujhe aam bohot pasand hain. Koi bache hain?
Dharam: NAHIN! AB MERI BAAT SUNO!
But Veer wouldn't listen. He was determined to eat a mango now.
Veer: Yahaan aam ka ped kaahan hai?
Dahram took a pillow and threw it at Veer.
Veer: Arrey! Itna gussa kyun?
Dharam: VEER!
Dharam ran after Veer. After a few minutes of chasing, Dharam finally caught hold of Veer.
Dharam: Ab dhyaan se suno.
Veer: Sunta hoon. Sun hi toh raha tha. Maine kab tumhaari baat nahi suni hai…..
Veer went blabbering on.
Dharam: CHUP!
Veer nodded his head.
Dharam: Dekho, Rajkumari Sneha humse bohot gussa hain. Ab hume unhe khush karna hoga.....aur Is kaam ke liye hume tumhari madat ki zarurat hai.
Veer: Bolo, tum jo bhi kahoge, vahi main karunga. Bas hukum do, mere Maharaj.
Dharam: Abhi nahi. Baad mein. Jab hume ek yojna soojhegi.
Veer: Theekh hai. Tab tak......main Agni ko tang karta hoon.Vaise voh hai kahaan?
Dharam: Pata nahi, humne use nahi dekha.
Veer left the tent to find Agni, and Dharam sat on his bed again, thinking of different ways to charm Sneha.
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Arjun dropped the last mango in his basked , picked it up and started walking away with it.
He was too busy arranging the mangoes (so they wouldn't fall) that he didn't notice the person walking towards him, and there was a crash.
Person: Dekh kar nahi chal sakte?!
Arjun: Agar tum dekh kar chalte toh yeh sab nahi hota! Ab main aam kaise khaaunga?!
Person: Mujhe kya pata? Dho dena, viase bhi, tumhe toh gande cheeze khaane ki aadat hogi.
Arjun: Nahi hai. Bolo, kya kar loge?!
The person glared at Arjun.
Person: Jaante ho main kaun hoon?
Arjun: Haan. Ek aisa ladka, jise logo se theekh se baat bhi karna nahi aata hai.
Person: Main Aryanagar ka Rajkumar Agni hoon.
Arjun: Tum Veer ke bhai ho?
Agni: Tum Veer ko kaise jaante ho?
Arjun: Voh mera dost hai.
Agni looked smug.
Agni: Mujhe pata tha, yaatra par aa kar Veer tum jaise logo ke saath mil-jhul jaayega.
At that moment, Veer walked towards Arjun and Agni.
Veer: Accha Agni, toh tum yahaan ho.
Agni: Haan. Tumhe mujhse kya kaam tha.
Veer: Bas....aise hi....arrey Arjun! Tum yahaan kasie?!
Arjun: Bas....aam tod raha tha....
Veer: Arrey vah! Aam! Kahaaan?
Arjun: Phir tumhare bhai se takraar hui, saare aam gir gaye.
Veer turned to Agni and glared at him.
Veer: Har kaam ko bigaadte ho. Tumhe is bacche se maafi maangni chahiye.
Agni: Main ek aam insaan se maafi nahi maangne vaala hoon.
Veer raised his eyebrows.
Veer: Yeh koi aam insaan nahi hai. Yeh ek Rajkumar hai.
Agni: Bade chote rajya ka Rajkumar hoga.
Veer: Yeh Sumaina ka Rajkumar hai.
Agni: (Scared) Rajkumari Sandhya vaala Sumaina?
Veer: Vahi.
Agni gulped.
Agni: Mujhe…..mujhe maaf kar do….m…..main …..
Veer turned to Arjun.
Veer: Maaf kar doon?
Arjun: Ek shart par.
Agni: Kuch bhi....
Arjun picked up the basket and handed it to Agni.
Arjun: Is tokri ko aam se bhar do. Phir mere aur Veer ke paas aa jaana. Hum tumhe maaf kar denge.
Veer: Chalo! Accha hua, mujhe aam toh khaane ko milenge. Ab.....jaayo Agni.
Agni left with the basket, dreading what would happen next.
PRECAP: Sandhya and Veer were being dragged away....
So sorry for the delay.....
CID
14