Armaan sets off resolutely towards the lights he sees in the distance. He's muttering to himself, "Main jaanta hun yeh koi bhoot-voot nahin hai…..par aakhir hai kaun?"
Meghna shoves aside the terrified Nandu. Grabbing what looks like an incense-burner, she puts some mysterious powder into it till purple smoke starts billowing out. Nandu coughs and makes a nasty expression. "Yeh….yeh kya hai?"
Meg: (irritably) None of your business! Agar tum meri help nahin kar sakte toh koi sawaal bhi mat poocho. Main akele jaa rahi hoon…uss ghost se milne!
Nandu: (panicking) Meghna…..!! Yeh toh "aa baill mujhe maar" wali baat ho gayi! Meri maano….hum dono yahaan se bhaagte hain……
Meghna says nothing. She throws a black cape around herself till she looks almost as scary as any ghost she might encounter.😉 Taking the incense-burner in one hand and a candle in the other, she heads towards the 'apparition', ignoring the blubbering Nandu. She walks on, eyes half-closed, muttering incantations under her breath.
Armaan swoops along the path between the two trees. He is dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, his long hair blowing about his handsome😳 face like a mane. He's holding a powerful torchlight that casts a huge beam and practically dazzles anyone coming directly in front of it. All in all, he looks like a ghost himself.😕
Meghna sees him coming towards her and draws in her breath sharply. She starts reciting her incantations louder and louder. Her eyes are now closed, as she tries to coax the ghost to establish contact with her. Armaan looks puzzled. The smoke from her incense-burner is so strong that he can't see her face clearly. The huge turban and the black cloak mystify him. He yells, "Hey you!"
Meghna squeals in delight. "Oh…panditji ke ghost ko English aati hai!"😆 She starts reciting her mantras louder than ever.
Armaan grits his teeth in annoyance. "Yeh kaun paagal hai? Isse mujhse darr nahin lag raha?"
Then he sees, some distance behind Meghna's cloaked figure, Nandu hastily making his exit from the shelter of the tree. He can't see his face, either, but the sight rouses him to indignation. "Toh yeh ek nahin, do hain? Lagta hai, chori karne aaye hai!"
Uttering a dull roar of rage, Armaan brushes past the eager Meghna, towards Nandu. The latter sees something all in white and with long hair rushing towards him, loses his head, and starts running not towards the house but in the opposite direction—towards the fields. Armaan follows at his heels. Meghna shrieks in consternation, "Mr Ghost….hey, wait Mr Ghost……mujhe aapse baat karni hai!" When he doesn't listen, she makes after him. So the sight we get to see is like this—Armaan chasing Nandu, Meghna chasing Armaan, with neither having any idea whom they are chasing or running from!😕😆
Beauty is stirring restlessly in bed. Finally she sits up with a shudder. She looks towards Meghna's bed. It is empty. Beauty sighs. "Lagta hai, wo le hi gayi Nandu ko….bechare Nandu! Babaji, un dono ki raksha karna!"
Then her eyes fall on Jassi's empty bed. She suppresses a shriek of surprise. "Jassi didi…..wo kahan gayi? Kahin Armaan jeeju ke saath……?"
The muffled screaming from the trees reaches her. She sits bolt upright in horror, asking herself, "Yeh kya ho raha hai wahaan par?"
Bua stirs, mumbles, and sits up too, rubbing her eyes. "Arre….tu kyun jag rahi hai?"
Beauty: (nervously) Wo…wo jhaiji, mujhe pyaas lagi hai…..paani peeke aati hoon…
Bua: Achcha…….par mujhe kahin se chillane ki awaazein aayi thi……issliye meri neend khul gayi…..tujhe nahin sunayi di kya?
Beauty: (quickly) Chillane ki awaazein? N..nahin toh!! Jhaiji, aapne zaroor koi sapna dekha hoga. Ab aap so jao……
Bua nods sleepily and snuggles back into bed. Beauty heaves a sigh of relief. Once she is sure that Bua is back in dreamland, she tiptoes upstairs. She sees Armaan's empty bed and thinks, "Toh jeeju bhi gaye hain unke saath…..lekin yeh chaaron aakhir hain kahaan? Aur wo aawaazein?" She shudders and moves towards Chaman's bed. She gently nudges him awake and explains the facts to him.
Chaman: Beauty, kahin wo kisi musibat mein toh nahin? (indignantly) Hame fauran jake unhe bachaana chahiye!
Beauty nods agreement and they steal downstairs. Chaman heads almost automatically towards Angel's bed.😉 Beauty hisses, "Ab aap kahaan ja rahe hain?"
Chaman: (embarrassed) Kuch nahin…bas deh raha tha ki Angel ji toh sahi-salaamat hai na…..!
Beauty griamces. They both cross the courtyard and pass through the makeshift gate, towards the banyan tree under which Nandu and Meghna had been sitting a few minutes ago.
Under her tree, Jassi is getting increasingly worried. "Armaan, tum kahaan ho😭……kya wo chillane ki awaazein maine sachmuch suni thi ya mera dil mujhe dhokha de raha hai? Babaji, mere Armaan ke raksha karna!"
She sits for a few minutes, praying. Then, unable to bear the suspense any longer, she slowly gets up and starts making her way towards the banyan tree.
Monday: Confusion all around.
Cricket
Udne Ki Aasha
Veer Hanuman
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
