Chapter 34
Sam told everyone what veer had told her.
Bani was sitting in the room. Markaat had left quickly as soon as he woke up. Veer walked up to the room. Banisat down on the bed, her head in her hand. Almost sobbing silently. She wasn’t crying profusely but the tears fell down her eyes.
“Sweetheart….” Veer felt bad to see her cry. He kneeled down before her. “Bas ek baar feel karke toh dekho. Tumhari har dhadkan mein main apne aap ko main basa lun.”
“Kahan ho, Veeranshu. Abh itna bhi pareshaan kyu kar rahe ho? Bas thodi se der kya laga di maine, tum chal diye akele?” Bani wiped away her tears. She tried not to cry like that but the tears didn’t stop. “Dekhlo, itna rula rahe ho. Adi-Naagin kabhi itna roti hai kya? Kaise prove karu khud ko agar aise rulaoge toh?”
“Sweetheart, main yahin hun. Hamesha tumhare saath hi hun. Bas ek baar aankh band karke dekho toh sahi mujhe. Aankho se kaise dikhu tumhe? Dil se dekhogi toh dikh hi jaaunga.” Veer tried to tell her. He wanted to wipe away her tears but he couldn’t. He looked at the ring she was wearing. He never got to take the ring from her. Veer tried to use his magic and opened the window. The sun was beginning to rise. Bani sighed and got up.
“Abh iss khidki ko kya hua hai. Achanak se khul gayi…” Bani complained. She tried to get the curtains but they just wouldn’t get in her grasp. It opened to make her see sunrise.
“Although I used to like the night sky but I had always been someone who like sunrises more. Something about it was always enchanting to me.”
Bani suddenly remembered that.
“Veeranshu??” She turned around hoping suddenly she’ll see him. “Please kuch toh kaho. Tum ho na yahan?”
Bani’s love was poetic against Veer's crazy love. She held the poetic passion in her love while Veer held the crazy passion. She had the slow burning love. One that slowly engulfs someone. She assumed it was affection, care and attraction but she was slowly falling in love. Veer looked at Bani. He smiled. His sweetheart was falling in love with him. If only she could see it.
“Tum na, mujhe itna pareshaan kar dete ho. Kabhi kuch kabhi kuch. Sir ko toh bata ke kuch karne mein ego aa jaati hai. Kabhi bhi koi kaam seedhi tareeke se nahi karoge. Mujhe na tumpe itna gussa aa raha hai. Tum milo bas mujhe ek baar.” Bani started scolding him. Veer chuckled at that.
“Bas thode din dur kya raha tum toh puri gharwali form mein aa gayi ho, sweetheart.” He teased.
“Zid ki bhi hadd hoti hai. But of course, Veeranshu Singhania toh naam hai hadd paar karne ki. Nahi, bhaisaab toh ko apni manmaani karni hai….”
“O.. excuse me. Bhaisaab mat bolo, yaar. Pati hun tumhara. Chachu dad ko bhaisaab bulate hai. Tum mujhe aise mat bulao.” Veer commented. Bani started pacing around in the room.
“Itna gussa kyu dilate ho? Kabhi chal doge kisi jaal mein. Kabhi kuch bina kahe hi koi bhi matlab nikal lete ho. Kabhi aise hi gayab ho jaate ho. Matlab yeh koi tareek hai kya? Bas kuch pal ki sharafat aur phir se wahi badtameez aur adiyal.” Bani went on with her complained.
“As if tum toh phoolon ki pari ho…” Veer retorted. “Itna zeher ugalti ho. Kya batau.”
“Jis din tum mere saamne aaye na, main bata rahi hun tumhe.”
“Itne pyaar se bula rahi ho toh aa hi jaaunga.”
Bani sighed.
"Tum sach mein ho na, yahan?" Bani asked, her voice breaking. Was she just imagining things.
"Aatma ko mehsoos kar sakte hai. Aankhe band karke dhyaan karogi toh pata chal jaayega."
Bani sighed and wiped her tears.
"Tumhare chakkar mein na main dehydration se mar jaaungi. Bata hi nahi sakti kitna royi hun..." Bani complained cutely. Veer smiled at how adorable she seemed in that moment. She couldn't hear him or see him but she still was talking to him like she could hear him.
"Ek kaam karo. Tum anulom vilom karo. Tabh tak main tumhare liye paani laata hun" Bani remembered Veer's antics and laughed.
She drank some water.
Sitting back on the bed with her legs crossed, she breathed. Inhaling and Exhaling.
"Ek toh mujhse yeh meditation and all nahi hota. I know it sounds really odd kyuki main Bholenath ki bhakt hun toh sabh assume karte hai yeh toh mujhe aata hi hoga. Par nahi hota, yaar." Bani complained.
Bani inhaled and exhaled again. Calming down herself.
"Tum na itna pareshaan karte ho mujhe. I swear. Kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki kis pagal se pala padh gaya hai mera." Bani complained.
She inhaled and exhaled again. Veer looked outside at the sky, as if it listened to his order, the soft cooling breeze flew into the room, letting Bani calm down.
"Aankhen band kar ke apne dil mein dhundhogi na, Bani, toh main mil hi jaaunga. Tumhari har dhadkan mein meri zindagi hai." Veer told her.
Slowly, after a few moment, Bani felt something so familiar to her. Veer's aura.
"Veeranshu?"
Veer smiled.
"Bas. Don't open your eyes."
"Aankhen band karke kaise dekhungi? Sirf andhera dikh raha hai."
Veer chuckled. He sat before her. As the air softly brushed on her cheeks.
"Mehsoos karo. Hawa dikhti nahi hai, Bani, but you can feel it. Now, stop crying and calm down. Bola na maine tumse. Chahe tum mujhse dur raho par main humesha tumhare paas hi rahunga. Jahan tum, wahan main.
Bani soon called up Vanshika and told her.
"Bani, I think I can manage that. Like Takshak vansh ka jaadu hai jo aise saare cheezein kar sakta hai. I'll get some books and get it done." Vanshika assured her.
"Perfect. Yeh bata do ki tumhe kya kya chahiye."
"Some blood, ashes and vodka."
"Vodka? For the spell?" Sam asked confused.
"No. That's to make me feel about doing dark magic that is technically illegal." Vanshika answered.
"I don't think anything about everything that is happening around us for a few days is legal." Bani commented. The boys all laughed at that. "These people are smuggling dead body. What makes you think that is anything legal?"
Once the day fell, Balwant and Pawan went to the caves without any news to Markaat at all. In the caves, there were certain caves were the bodies of the cheels were preserved. They were all cheels who were related to royal familiesof the cheels. Related to the Cheel Rajkumar. Since Monil was cousin to Veer, his body was preserved and kept there.
No one could do such work better than Balwant and Pawan. They were good at smuggling stuff from a place without anyone knowing. Daksh, Ponky and Sam went up to distract the Parikshit Family and Markaat, acting like they were looking for some clues. While that was there, Pawan and Balwantescaped through the cracks. They found Monil’s coffin and started dragging.
“Uda ke le jaana padega. Aise ghaseetenge toh milega nahi. Koi sun lega.” Balwant commented. Vanshika and Bani took Balwant and Pawan’s form out so they didn’t doubt the two heads of the family were.
The two changed into eagles and picked up the coffin, noiselessly taking it into the forest. To help them in the task, there seemedto be a dust storm. It gave them enough cover to escape with the coffin. It was difficult weather to escape but they were glad for the cover.
The moment they reached the jeep, Tapish texted the boys to take leave. The sudden leave made Markaat doubt. He sent cheels to check. Then they saw, Bani and Vanshika change into their real forms. The cheels tried to attack and cause troubles for the Singhanias.
“Aap sabh aage jaao. Main sambhal lungi in sabh ko.” Bani suggested. She changed into her snake form and attacked the cheels. Her venom and strike were fast. She tackled all the cheels behind them together. A few cheels tried to escape and win but Bani caught them and finished them. The coils were impossible to escape from. She dragged them through the ground, irrating the feathers through the ground.
Markaat and Chandrakala showed up together. Markaat was in complete possession of Veer’s body now but she couldn’t attack him because it still looked like her Veer. It made her feel like she was attacking Veer. Chandrakala always made the mistake of attacking Bani first. Bani fought back with the same vigor.
“Tumne jo kiya hai, Chandrakala. Uski bharpaayi toh tum karogi.” Bani warned her. Markaat got out his talons and attacked Bani. Bani only dodged and played defense. He grabbed her throat. If she wasn’t going to attack, he wouldn’t blame himself. If she didn’t fight in a war, it was natural to end up dead. Markaat tried to attack her but she was also Adi-Naagin.
Chandrakala and Markaat attacked together. Bani was feeling difficult to deal with them together. Bani hissed aggressively. Markaat was nothing like Chandrakala. The talons cut through Bani’s scales. Bani winced in pain. She dodged the next attack. Chandrakala jumped up and grabbed Bani in a headlock.
“Aaj aayi hai Adi-Naagin mere haath.” Chandrakala laughed. Bani tried to kick away Markaat using her tail but he dodged skillfully. Bani had never fought a cheel that well trained. His talons made a gaping gash though her. How is she to fight someone who occupied Veer’s body? Markaat stood before her. The eyes she couldn’t escape. Although the physicality of the eyes was still the same yet, the deepness that his eyes carried for her was absent. Bani only saw anger and hatred in those eyes of his around this time. She was weak against him. She dodged and defended herself. His eyes reflected the hatred that Bani herself once bore for Veer.
“Tumne Aakesh ko maar ke meri 2000 divya varsh ke intezaar ko ek pal mein vyarth kar diya. 12,000 divya varsh ke liye main jalta raha, bandhi bana raha, sehta raha kyuki tum apne gusse par kaabu nahi kar paayi.” Markaat growled at her.
“Main sirf tumse nafrat karti hun. Tumhe 1000 maut dena chahti hun. Tumhare saath rehna kaid jaisa lagta hai. Jabse tumhe dekha sirf burai burai hai tum mein.” Bani remembered how she had spoken without athought to him. “Tum bas isi nafrat ke laayak ho. Tumse koi bhi pyaar kaise kar sakta hai? Tum ho wahi. Khooni, katil, shaitan, sirf dard de sakte ho kisi ko.”
Bani laughed at herself mentally. All the pain she had set him through was coming back to her. Karma existed. If the Gods were true, then so was karma. What goes around comes around. What you give comes back to you.
Markaat took a dagger and stabbed her. It wasn’t a regular dagger. The blade was dipped in poison. Her own venom was power but this was a different kind of poison. It was taken from vultures. It started degrading the tissue.
“Aaj tumhe khatam karke kahani khatam kar dunga main. Abh main azaad hun. Woh sabh mil gaya jo mujhe chahiye. Abh Veer tumhare saath mar jaaye toh bhi koi parwa nahi.” Markaat said.
“Aaj tu bachega nahi, cheel. Aaj tujhe main maar ke apne pyaar ki maut ka badla lungi. Tujhe 1000 maut dungi. 1000 maut.” She heard her own voice as Nageshwari.
She felt Chandrakala grab her.
“Yahin maar ke khatam kar dete hai.” She suggested. Markaat fought her. Breaking through her bones. She couldn’t fight back against someone who took Veer’s physical body. The talons cutting through her.
“Aaahhhh….” She winced in pain. She saw the vultures flying above them. Markaat had called them.
“He fell through the rocks and was impaled on a sword. 4 din aur 5 raaton ke liye uski body wahin padi thi. Koi bhi use lene nahi gaya. Giddho ne aadhi body kha li jab tak woh waha pahuche.” Bani remembered Tapish telling her.
Even if Markaat couldn’t fly because of the burnt feathers,he was still a powerful opponent. Bani tried to save herself from the constant attacks. He couldn’t completely turn into a cheel or actually fly up but he was still a vicious enemy. The only thing that would take off all the powers of a cheelfor a particular amount of time was water. It was close to impossible that inthat moment, she could get rains. Only one who can control the sky like thatwas Veer. Now, she had idea if it would listen to Markaat who was in Veer’s body.
Chandrakala was about to stab Bani when someone stopped her. She saw Monil. Bani realized it was Veer in Monil’s body. Monil was dead. So, this was the only logical explanation. Markaat was about to attack Bani when a large tank of water was poured over him. Even Veer’s body, which was the body of acheel Rajkumar, was vulnerable against water. Especially when the water was salty.
The cheels as flown ahead towards the sea and managed to get sea water. Sea water makes them weaker than regular freshwater. The property of salt in sea water does the part of taking away all the powers of a cheel for a while. All they rest on is their own physical strength and human form’s strength to fight and save themselves.
Markaat was never human. The whole concept of how regular humans save themselves was a knowledge absent in him. He never bothered to do that. He was up against 5 cheels and two naagins while being human without cheel powers. What Markaat had was his ability to think. Only thing he could rest on.
Markaat looked around. He couldn’t fly. He couldn’t use his cheel powers. Solely resting on thought. He gave a displeasing look. In a few moments, The Parikshit Family showed up. All of them stood against the cheels.
Chaos broke out. Everyone fighting in the whole place. Markaat took advantage of the situation and started running away from the center of chaos. Just as he reached the end of the forest, before him was Veer in Monil’sbody. Even with Monil’s body, Veer was presently stronger than Markaat in Veer’s own body.
“Veeranshu, aaj tum mujhe marne ki koshish ki toh shayad tumhe tumhari body kabhi nahi milegi.” Markaat tried to remind him. Veer chuckled.
“Waise, ek baat toh tumhe pata chali hi hogi ki meri body khud kamzor pad chuki hai. Thoda sa waqt bacha hai. Itne din hum dono they wahan andar aur body stressed ho gayi hai. Isiliye, kaafi weak ho chuka hai.”
Veer turned to fight. Markaat tried to fight Veer but the cheel powers still in Monil’s body made it difficult for Markaat. Even in someone else’s body, Veer was still Veer. He almost was about to punch Markaat in the face but stopped.
“Ek toh shakal bhi meri hai. Kharab bhi nahi kar sakta.” Veer stopped and gave a distasteful look.
“Veeranshu….” Bani ran up towards him. Veer turned to look at her. Markaat took off in that moment. She was injured slightly but was healing herself. The stab wound from the poisoned dagger was not something she can heal with her own magic. The poison degrades tissue.
“Sweetheart, tum theek ho na?” Veer asked. Bani winced slightly as she heard the word sweetheart.
“Bas yeh sweetheart aur gharwali mat bolna. I swear iss voice mein bohot ajeeb lag raha hai.” Bani complained.
“Really?”
“Kya? Obvious si baat hai. Even if tum Veeranshu ho, yeh body toh Monil ki hai and …” Bani shook distastefully. “I just don’t want to hear the same things from you as of now.”
“Kuch waqt pehle tak toh bohot romantic ho gayi thi. ‘Veeranshu, agar tum aaj bhi mere saath rehna chahte ho’ and all that…” He commented.
“Listen, waise toh main bhi bohot kuch bol sakti hun. Aisi badi badi baatein karte ho par kiya kya? Chal diye khud?” Bani argued.
“Yeh baad mein kar lein? Kaafi odd lag raha hai ki Bhabhi ke saath Monil hai. Then this lovers spat ajeeb lag raha hai.” Daksh commented. Bani crossed his arms and pointed to hiscomment.
“Sirf main nahi hun. Sabh ko odd lag raha hai. So, tum zara control karo. Ek toh hume yeh sochna hai ki Markaat ko waha se bahar kaise nikale.”
“Tumhe bohot jaldi hai…”
“You best shut up kyuki jis din tum wapas aaoge na Veeranshu banke, I swear. Tabh main tumhe bataungi….” Bani warned him. She turned and started walking back towards Singhania Mansion.
“Waise bhi body kaafi weak ho chuki hai. Markaat would want to find ways to make it better and stronger. We’ve got to act fast.” Veer pointed out.
“Par karenge kya? Mujhe nahi lagta kisi bhi halat meinMarkaat apne haath se jaane dega ise.” Sam pointed out. Veer turned to look at Bani. Bani raised an eyebrow.
“Main koi stupid act nahi karne wali.”
“Bohot hi easy kaam hai. Because tum Adi-Naagin ho, kisi ko tumhari scent nahi aayegi. Markaat ko bhi nahi. Hum Shukla ki jagah tumhe wahan bhej dete hai. Tum bas itna karo ki thoda thoda zeher dena so that it stays weak even with his tries to strengthen it. Phir when it seems to him that this is beyond repair now, he’ll leave the body and I can get it back.”
“Isse tum weak nahi ho jaaoge? This is the craziest idea I’ve ever heard.”
“Bani, main manage kar lunga. I’ll find ways to strengthen myself. Pura cheez ek saath plan karogi toh beech mein kahin atak gayi toh pura plan phir se banana padega. Go step by step.”
“Are you mad?”
“Totally. Abhi tak tumhe yeh samajh nahi aaya? Veeranshu Singhania is nothing if not crazy.”
Bani threw her hands in the air exasperated.
“Kis pagal ke saath mera pala padh gaya hai…”
“Abhi itna bhi mat itarao, Bani. Tum bhi mujhse pyaar karti ho regardless of my madness.”
Bani sighed. Looking at him was like looking at Monil. Nothing was same about it. Bani walked up to the verandah and sat on the swing.
“Kya baat hai?” He asked.
“Bas kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai. Everything is a mess. Aur aisa lagta hai ki kahin na kahin main pehle hi baat ko sambhal leti toh yeh sab hota hi nahi. I feel like every time I think I’m doing something right, it turns out to be wrong.” Bani confessed that she felt like she was failing at everything. Veer looked at her.
“Bani, aisa kyu soch rahi ho? It is not your failure. It is just a part of a situation.”
“Veer, mujhe pata nahi main kaise samjhau. Yeh darr ki shayad kabhi main Adi-naagin banne ke kaabil thi hi nahi humesha rehta hai. Jab tak yeh realization nahi hua tha, I felt like I could manage myself even with my fear of failures. Par jabse yeh pata chala hai, yeh darr aur bhi zyaada ho gaya hai. I am supposed to be so much better. Tumhe dekho. Everyone keeps saying ki tumse better koi nahi tha. Sabh tumhe pasand karte hai. Main…” Bani’s fear of her failures grips her into being stoic. She had spent all the time blaming Aakesh that when she finally has to face that Aakesh did what was his nature but Nageshwari failed in her duty, she didn’t know how to deal with that.
“Bani, tum aur main, we’re different people. We have out similarities but we’re also different. Why do you want to be me? Be yourself.”
“Mujhe toh khud nahi pata aisa kya khaas hai mujh mein….”
Veer couldn’t understand how did someone as strong as Bani suddenly have these issues.
“Achanak se kya hua, Bani?”
Bani stared at the ring on her finger that Veer used to wear.
“Pata hai. Bas us thode se waqt ke liye jab I had become Veer, alag hi feeling thi. Like everything was light. I actually felt what flying would feel like. Free from everything and worryless. I just end up wishing that I had been more like you.”
Veer sighed.
“Bani, khud se pyaar karo. It is important to love yourself just as much as it is important to love someone you care for. Jab tak khud se pyaar nahi karogi, tabh tak kisi aur ka pyaar apne liye accept kaise karogi. You shouldn’t have to ask yourself why someone loves you.”
“Tumhare liye asaan hai, Veeranshu. Mere liye nahi. Tumne kabhi bhi failure face nahi ki hai. Uss din meri aankhon ke saamne kitne saare naag-naagin maare gaye the. Mere aankhon ke saamne Hriday mar gaya. Meri responsibility thi ki sabhko bachana hai aur sabhko sahi rakhna hai. Meri responsibility thi ki main Hriday ko bachau. I failed at that. It proved jab Bholenath ne bhi mujhe shraap diya. Phir se wahi baat aayi. Meri responsibility thi ki uss din uss baarudi surang ke paas saanpo ki jaan bachau but I ran away. Jay ne bhi dhoka diya. Somewhere it has to be my failure that everything is going wrong. Tumhe acche khaase the. Almost impossible to break and unable to be controlled by anyone par abh dekho. Apne khud ki body wapas paane ke liye khudki body ko zeher dena pad raha hai.”
Bani hid her face in her hands. Veer held her hand.
“Bani, agar tum ise failure samjhogi toh yeh failure hi hoga. But if you try and change your perspective, you’ll see that you’ve been taught something. Life lesson koi sikha nahi sakta. Khud seekhna padta hai. The whole thing about you starts with a part where tumhe lagta hai ki sabh tumhe khud karna hai. Sabh responsibility tumhari hai. Ek cheez hoti hai team work. Tum naag-naagin iska T bhi nahi samajhte. Saara bhoj akele leke chalogi toh natural hai ki thak jaaogi. Zara ruk ke saans logi aur kisi se help maang logi toh tumhari ego hurt ho jaati hai. Pehle bhi aisi thi aur abh bhi aisi ho. Uss din naag mandir mein us sabhki jaan bachane ki responsibility sirf tumhari nahi thi. Hriday bhi tha jiski responsibility thi. Saanpo ko wahan baarudi surang se bachna agar tumhara kaam tha toh iss sabse pehle yeh Jay ki bhi responsibility thi. Hriday ko Aakesh ne maara because that is what Aakesh wanted to do. Jab ladai hoti hai do natural enemies ke beech toh kisi ek ka marna confirm hota hai, Bani. Either the eagle dies or the snake. You can't save both. Nature doesn't choose, it lets the situation choose. Uss situation mein Aakesh ka jeetna decide hua. Aur dhyaan se socho toh samajh aayega ki tumhare bholenath ne tumhare failure ke liye shraap nahi diya. There is some other reason. If he wanted to punish you for failure toh dursa mauka nahi dete tumhe. Yeh choice offer hi nahi karte ki tum phir se janam lo. Na tum janam lene ka decision leti, na main janam leta, na hum milte, na Markaat azaad ho jaata. There is a reason why we're all born.”
Bani looked at him.
“Bani, saath rehne ka matlab hai ki tum sabh share karo apne saathi ke saath. Yeh nahi ki bas keh diya tum saath dogi aur sabh akele karne chal di.”
Bani moved to rest against his shoulder but after a moment moved away.
“What?”
“Ek toh tum yeh…” Bani pointed to how he was in Monil’s body.
“Itna bhi bura nahi dikhta Monil.”
“Haan but its not the same. It doesn’t feel the same. It isn’t same comfort.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I thought the comfort you felt was the comfort of my love.”
Bani chuckled.
“Woh hai but there is also something about the way I have you in my mind. Jaise. If I say food, the first thing that would come to your mind is chicken because its your favourite. If I say drink, you’ll think of scotch or whiskey. If I say friend, you would think of Sam. If I say colour, you’ll think of black. Waise hi, when I think of Veeranshu, kuch cheezein hai jo bohot specific hai.”
“I knew you find me hot. Pata tha mujhe.”
Bani laughed.
“Sabse pehle kya sochti ho?” Veer asked her.
“Hmm… The way you smell. Like there is an odd blend of your cologne with the smell of forests and whiskey. Your smile. You have the kind of smile that makes people think you plan so much before you do. Your confidence. Badtameez. Ziddi. Way too carefree to care about anything.”
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Bindi
