CHAPTER 9. RESENTINGLY YOURS
"Arre! Yeh Geet aur Maan' nahi aaye neeche khaana khaane ke liye?", Rano wondered as she served Khushi, Maan and her husband. Khushi glared at Maan who was focused on eating and did not notice her glare. "Khushi puttar? Geet kahaa hai?", Rano asked Khushi. Khushi smiled uneasily. Ab inhein kaise bataayein ki humaare saamne jo insaan baitha hai usne inki bachchi ka dil toda hai?
"Use sardard hai! Isliye aaraam kar rahi hai! Jab uthegi toh hum use khaana khilaa denge!", Khushi replied.
Rano smiled, "Achcha theek hai beta!" Then she turned towards Maan, " Arnav' bete! Aapne bataaya nahi ki Maan' bete kyun neeche nahi aaye?"
"Use office se phone aagaya tha! Office ke kaam se busy hai!", Maan replied. It was the excuse Arnav gave Maan when Maan called Arnav for lunch. But Maan knew something else was going on. Arnav looked too sad to be alright. And since yesterday he was not loosing a single chance to get a glimpse of Khushi. So why this sudden need to stay behind then? No! Something else is wrong. But Maan was a reserved person who did not poke into others' lives till it was necessary. So he planned to wait till Arnav opened up to him or if Maan's intervention was needed. Till then, Maan pretended that Arnav's every excuse has been bought by him.
It was in the tea time when Geet and Arnav finally decided to come out of their room. Maan noticed Arnav's dull face but remained silent. Khushi noticed the redness of Geet's eyes but said nothing except giving her silent comfort by squeezing her hand once Geet sat down beside her.
"Ma! Main soch rahi thi ki main aur Khushi mandir ho aayein?", Geet mumbled out her request.
Khushi frowned at Geet's request but did not comment.
"Puttar! Mandir? Nahi puttar! Aise kaise hum dono ladkiyon ko bhejein ? Kal jo hua uske baad? Nahi puttar! Tu rehne de!", Rano spoke.
"Haan! Puttar!", her father spoke, "Teri Ma ne aur maine toh soch liya hai ki kuch dino mein tujhe Dilli bhej denge! Yahaan rahi toh pata nahi woh Daaku kab tujhe utha le jaayein! Wahaan chain ki saans toh le sakegi!"
"Par Pappaji...", Geet trailed off in distress. She wanted to get out of the house. She needed distraction. She needed something to forget that the man she liked crushed her heart brutally.
"Auntyji! Uncleji! Ek kaam karte hain! Main aur Arnav' saath chale jaate hain! Kuch hua toh hum sambhaal lenge!", Arnav replied and Maan looked at him in shock. Subah toh yeh sad tha? Ab kyun jaana chaahta hai? Aur yeh toh Bhagwan pe vishwas bhi nahi karta! Yeh kyun mandir jaa raha hai?
Arnav looked at Geet's father as her father looked at Rano with worry. Arnav only wanted to get out of the house. And if he can do that while letting the girls go to some other place then he did not mind it. As long as he got out of the house and away from the memory of Khushi saying harsh words about him he would be alright.
After talking to each other, Rano and Mohinder allowed them to leave for the Mandir. Fifteen minutes later, all four walked out of the Handa Haveli. All four were quiet and pensive as they wondered about the eventful mornings and their friend's brooding natures.
In half hour they were at the Mandir which was at the center of the village near the market. Soon Geet and Khushi were done with their pooja and both girls descended the stairs where Maan and Arnav waited for them.
Just then Khushi squealed, "Geet! Chudiyaan! Chalo lete hain!"
Geet smiled uneasily, "Rehne do Khushi! Mujhe nahi lene!"
Khushi pouted. She wanted her best friend to cheer up, "Chalo na! Mazaa aayega!"
Geet bit her lip and then nodded, "Theek hai!"
As they reached the boys, Khushi announced her wish to visit the bangle stalls. The men folk agreed to come with them and all four set to the stalls. As Khushi stopped at the first stall, Geet lost in her thoughts walked a little ahead and started to blankly look around.
Few minutes passed with Khushi looking at the bangles with Arnav and Maan standing nearby and Geet wandering around when they heard the distinctive sound of hoofs. Maan and Arnav's eyes widened as they looked at each other in shock. Not again! Both thought worriedly. None of the sellers or the buyers of the market had yet to hear the hooves' coming towards them but both the men knew that the situation would change in split seconds. They had only few seconds before being either trampled and pushed around by the crowd or coming face to face with one of the sword wielding Daakus.
Maan and Arnav looked around towards the girls and were shocked to notice that while Khushi was still in their line of sight Geet was nowhere to be seen.
"Geet!", both whispered in alarm. Maan took charge, "I will find her!"
"I will take Khushi!", Arnav ordered and both men split.
Khushi was about to pick up another set of bangles to try on when someone grabbed her arm and held it in a tight grip. Khushi turned around and saw it was Arnav. She opened her mouth to lash at him for holding her like that when she heard the distinctive noise of hooves. Her eyes widened just as unrest began in the market. People had noticed it too. Arnav dragged Khushi and a scared Khushi allowed him to knowing that he was taking her to safety.
Geet was wandering around listlessly when people around her started to run. She came out of her thoughts and looked around in confusion. That is when she heard it; the noise of horses coming near. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and turned her around. She opened her mouth to scream only to feel a hand close on her mouth. Her eyes widened as she took in Arnav' standing in front of her. She felt her fear vanish. He would save her, she knew that. He dragged her away and she followed him.
As the couples tried to make their way out of the now running in panic crowd, they went separate ways. But the couples managed to find themselves in the wilderness surrounding the village. As Maan and Geet took a break from their running, Maan mumbled as he continued to look at the way they came, "Yeh Daaku aaj phir se aagaye!"
"Haan! Ajeeb hai! Aise yeh baar baar nahi aate! Achanak se aate hain aur phir kuch mahino tak gaayab rehte hain! Isliye koi unhein aaj tak pakad nahi paaya!", Geet replied while looking towards the area they came from.
Maan looked at her in shock. She actually speaks! Wow! Kal tak toh haklaaye baghair kuch bol nahi paa rahi thi! Aaj ise kya hua? Geet did not notice the appraising glance Maan gave her. Her eyes remained looking around in panic. That is when they heard the horse hooves' again.
"They are coming this way!", Maan commented in alarm. He turned towards Geet and grabbed her hand. Looking into her eyes, he ordered, "Run!" They started to run through the wilderness still hearing the hooves' following them. They could not see them yet but they were sure that due to the speed of the horses the horses will soon come into their view. And if they did not find a place to hide, the Daakus will catch up with them soon.
"Yeh kahaan aagaye hum log? Hey Devi Maiyya! Humein toh bahut darr lag raha hai? Upar se Geet aur Arnavji' se bhi alag hogaye! Pata nahi, woh dono theek hain ki nahi?", Khushi mumbled as they stopped running to take a breather. Arnav had his eyes stationed on the path they came from as he concentrated on what his hearing senses were telling him. He was trying to discern if the Daakus had actually followed them or not.
Khushi continued to mumble, "Hey Devi Maiyya! Agar dono ek doosre saath nahi hai toh? Humaari Geet ka kya hoga? Woh gunde toh use le jaaenge! Hey Devi Mai..."
"SHUT UP!", Arnav roared as he glared at her. Khushi jumped in surprise. Seeing his pleasant nature for last two days, this angry avatar was a shock to her.
"Main yahaan sunne ki koshish kar raha hoon ki whether we are being followed or not! And you are distracting me! So kindly shut up and let me focus!", Arnav spat and tried to focus.
Khushi felt tears well up in her eyes. He never spoke to her like this! She sniffed. Just then Arnav spoke, "We have to get away from here! Uncleji bata rahe the ki woh log Jungle mein rehte hain! In a way, we are in their domain! Better get away from all this wilderness!"
Arnav grabbed Khushi's hand and started to walk away. Khushi stared at him, shocked at his serious avatar. Where has the sweet guy gone? She wondered as she followed him.
As they ran the wilderness ended abruptly and they reached the road. As Maan and Geet ran hand in hand, they came across a truck parked in front of them, facing other side, with the owner on the road talking in the phone, "Achcha heeriye! Main phone rakh raha hun! Phir Amritsar bhi toh pahunchna hai!", the man mumbled into the phone. Maan and Geet looked at each other, both having the same idea. They ran to the truck and without the knowledge of the driver, they started to climb into it. Maan helped Geet first and got in himself just as the driver started the truck.
Just as the truck started to move, both were shocked to see Arnav and Khushi emerge from the Jungle. Both spotted Maan and Geet and started to run towards them just as Maan and Geet leaned over the truck to pull them in. Arnav climbed in just as the truck caught speed. And all three grabbed Khushi's hand and pulled her in just as the truck drove off in full speed. They were safe!
How is that twist people?
Did not expect it right?
Funnily neither did I when I was about to write this update!
Next up, Dilli chalein?
Good comments are welcome, bad comments unwelcome till February ends!
Thank you, take care and have fun,
Kalpana
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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