Originally posted by: Sabdabhala
WHAT A COINCIDENCE, LASHY SAHIBA, 😉 YOU ASKED FOR IT...AND HERE IT IS...
SO GIRLS, I AM NOW READY WITH THE NEXT PART OF AJNABI. THIS DEALS WITH THE HAPPENINGS AFTER THE PHANTOM ARCHER, INCLUDING THE QUITE DISASTROUS CAMEL RIDE. HOPE YOU ENJOY IT
AJNABI. PART 31
AGLI SUBAH JAB KHAN SAHIB JAAGE, SABSE PEHLE UNHE AAYA VICHAAR
GEHRI NEEND MEIN SOYE THHE WO, RAAT NE UNKO KIYA DULAAR
(When Khan Sahib awoke the next morning, the first thought in his mind was that he had slept soundly. The Angels of the night had coddled him)
UTHNE KI CHESHTHA MEIN BAGAL MEIN LETI HARKHA PAR UNKI PADI NAZAR
UNKE KANDHE PAR SAR RAKH KAR, SO RAHI THHI WO, BEKHABAR
(While he was trying to get up, his eyes fell on Harkha, fast asleep, beside him. Her head was on his shoulder and she was oblivious to this reality)
SAHIB KE MAN KE TAAR CHHID GAYE, ICHHAAYEIN UNKI JAGNE LAGI
BIKHRE VASTRA AUR KESH DEKH KAR, AGAN SI MAN MEIN CHADHNE LAGI
(That sight tugged at his heart strings and his desires started to build up. Seeing her clothes and hair dishevelled, a fire started raging in him)
KHOOB NIHARA APNI HEERA KO, CHHOONE KA JAB PRAYATN KIYA
USS TAK HAATH PAHUCH NA PAAYE, EK ADRISHYA DEEWAR NE UNKO ROK LIYA
(He started at his Heera to his heart's content, but when he tried to touch her, he could not. It was almost like an invisible wall had stopped him)
PATLI SI DEEWAR THHI WO, KUCHH HEERA KI RESHMI ZULFON SI
TOD NA PAAYE SAHIB USKO, CHAHA BAHUT, THHI ABHED SI
(The wall was thin, just like e silken strands of Heera's hair. But Sahib could not break it however much he tried. It was unbreakable)
APNE HRIDAY PAR DHAIRYA SAADH KAR ICHHAAYEIN NIYANTRIT KARNE LAGE
PATNI KAB PRIYATAMA BANEGI, MAN MEIN UNKE YE PRASHN JAGE
(He controlled his desires with great effort. The question is his mind was when would his wife become his lover?)
KAL RAAT KI BAAT HUI SMARAN PHIR UNKO, JAB THHA HARKHA NE UNSE KAHA
'KUNWARSA SE AAPKO HARTE DEKHNA, MERE LIYE ASAHANIYA RAHA'
(He then recalled sir conversation of last night when Harkha had said to him, 'It was no joy for me to see you losing to the Kunwarsa)
HARKHA KI SABHI DAASIYAAN BOLI, 'BAISA YAHAN HAI AISA MANNA
MANDIR KI PARIKRAMA OONTH PAR BAITH KAR KARNE SE POORI HONGI KAAMNA'
(Harkha's maids said to her, 'Baisa, if you take a round of the temple on a camel, all your wishes will come true. That's what is said about this temple')
'JAADUI SHAKTI HAI ISS MANDIR MEIN, KYA AAP NAHI KAROGI PRAYATN?
YA PHIR HIM YE MAAN KE BAITHEIN KI HAMARI BAISA KA HAI JEEVAN SAMPANN?'
('This temple has magical powers, Baisa, would you not like to try? Or should we just believe that our Baisa has nothing to wish for?')
HIMMAT JUTAAKAR HARKHA BAISA TAYYAAR HUI CHADHNE KO OONTH
PAR PATAAKHON KI TEZ DHWANI KO SUNKAR, OONTH BECHARA EKDUM GAYA ROOTH
(Gathering her wits, Harkha decided to try the camel ride. But alas! The loud noise from the crackers got the poor camel upset)
VICHALIT HOKAR BECHARE PASHOO NE TEEVR GATI SE PHIR DAUD LAGAAYI
AISI STHHITI MEIN SEHMI SI HARKHA, KAISE BACHE YE SAMAJH NA PAAYI
(The disturbed camel then started running in great speed. Poor scared Harkha had no idea, whatsoever, about how she should save herself)
VYAST THHE KHAN SAHIB APNE KAARYA MEIN, JAB SAYYID NE UNHE YE SUNAYI KHABAR
'KHO GAYI SAHIBA' YE SUNTE HI EKAAEK VE HUE BEKHABAR
(Sahib was busy with work when Sayyid came to give him the news that the Sahiba has gone missing. As a fist reaction to the news, he turned numb)
SABHI LOG PHIR HARKHA SAHIBA KI KHOJ KARNE KO NIKAL PADE
ANDHERE SE PEHLE UNHE KHOJNA HOGA, YE SOCH KAR SAHIB AAGE BADHE
(Everyone then gathered to start their search for Harkha Sahiba. Sahib started off with a resolve in his mind to locate her before dusk)
OONTH KI CHHALAANG SE HARKHA BECHAARI, DHAM SE DHARTI PAR AAKAR GIRI
MOORCHHIT HOKAR KUCH SAMAY TAK JYON KI TYON WO PADI RAHI
(A nasty jump from the camel caused Harkha to come falling to the ground. She lay unconscious for a little while)
CHETNA JAB AAYI TO USNE PAAYA KI LAGE HAIN USKO ANEKON GHAAV
AANKHON KI ROSHNI BAHUT HI KAM THHI, MOCH NE JAKDA THHA USKA PAANV
(When she regained consciousness Harkha realised that she was badly hurt. Her vision had deteriorated badly, and she had twisted her ankle)
CHHADI KE SAHARE KHADI HUI WO, SAHIB KO LAGATE HUE PUKAAR
SHEEGHRA HI SAHIB DHOONDNE LEIN USKO, MAN MEIN BAS THHI YAHI GUHAAR
(She got up with the aid of a stick and started calling out to the Sahib. Her prayer was that Sahib find her as soon as possible)
PRABHU KI DAYA THHI KI SAHIB NE SUN LI HARKHA KI LAGAYI DHEEMI PUKAAR
SWAYAM SE CHALTI HUI HARKHA KO DEKH KAR AAYA UNKE DIL KO KARAAR
(It was God's gift that Sahib heard Harkha's feeble cries. Once he saw Harkha walking by herself, he heaved a sigh of relief)
JHAT SE ASHVA SE UTARKAR SAHIB BHAAGE TURANT HARKHA KE PAAS
APNE SEENE SE LAGANE LAGE THHE TAAKI UNKE SHAREER MEIN AAYE PHIR SHWAAS
(Sahib ascended his horse and hurried to Harkha's side. He would be relieved of his breath stuck in his throat only after feeling her near his heart)
TABHI UNHE PHIR SMARAN HO AAYA KI VAADIYON MEIN HUA THHA KYA
BAS APNE BADAN SE SHAWL NIKAALKAR UNHONE HARKHA PAR LAPET DIYA
(At that moment he stopped, as he was reminded of the incident that took place in the valleys. Hence he just took out his riding shawl from his person and wrapped it around Harkha)
BAHUT HI PYAAR SE HARKHA KO UTHHA KAR BAITHHAYA UNHONE BAHADUR PAR
PHIR KHUD USKE PEECHHE BAITH KAR VAAPAS JAANE HO HUE AGRASAR
(He gently picked up Harkha and placed her on Bahadur. Then, he too, ascended Bahadur and started their return journey to the camp)
SAHIB KE BAAHON MEIN AISE SIMAT KAR, HARKHA KO SURAKSHIT ANUBHAV HUA
KYA YEHI THHI MANDIR KI JAADUI SHAKTIYAAN? HARKHA KE MAN NE YE PRASHN KIYA
(Sitting securely between the strong arms of her Sahib, Harkha felt safe. While her mind put up the question, 'Was this what the magical powers of the temple were all about?')
'KISKI SHAKTI, SAHIBA?' SAHIB BOLE, 'KYA SWAYAM SE BAATEIN KAR RAHI THHI AAP?'
'ADRISHYA TEERANDAAZ KI SAHIB' HARKHA BOLI, 'JISKI HAR KOI KAR RAHA HAI JAAP'
(Hearing her mumble to herself, Sahib said, 'whose magical powers are you referring to Sahiba?' To which she replied, 'The invisible archer's', Sahib, the one who everyone is talking about')
'EKDUM HAIRATANGEZ NAMOONA APNE SHAURYA AUR SHAKTI KA USNE DIYA
PAR MAIN KHAFA HOON KI KUNWARSA KI HAAR KA DRISHYA USNE MUJHE NA DEKHNE DIYA'
( 'He has given an amazing sample of his valid and skill. But I am angry with him, since he stole my chance of seeing Kunwarsa's face and gloating')
'VYATHHA NE KAREIN AAP BEGUM SAHIBA, ISKA BHI AAPKO MILEGA AVSAR
APNI KAVAYITRI BINDIYA SE KEHNA KAVITA LIKHEGI WO ISPAR'
(Begum Sahiba, do not despair for this. I am sure your trusted poetess BINDIYA will help you do the needful by creating a poem on this')
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