Next day morning, Kumud got up remembering how last night Saras had hugged her, and started smiling to herself. Kumari noticed this and asked her, " Kumud didi, why are you smiling so much? Day dreaming about jija ji?" Kumud blushed and said no. "Kuuumud, come here now!", she heard badimaa call out for her.
"Yes badimaa, you called?", Kumud asked. "Yes, where were you the entire night? You came back home at 12. Is this the time to come back home. Let me remind you, it's not good for you to spend so much time with Saras. You haven't married him yet, so don't trust him blindly. I don't want your heart to be broken just the way mine...", realizing that she had already said a lot, Badimaa walked off. After listening all this, Kumud hit the reality and thought, what am I doing, he doesn't want to marry me. With this, all her anger and frustration for him came back. But she still decided to help him, not because she had a soft corner for him, instead because she knew he wasn't at fault.
She went to him straight away after having a bath. She was determined to avoid him as much as possible, but as soon as she met his eyes, all her anger melted away. She remembered about the last night, and her cheeks turned red. Even Saras had a flash back, and shared an awkward silence with her.
Inorder to break the silence, Saras spoke, "Kumud, I sat the entire night and managed to make 10 more pots". Trying to not sympathize with him, she asked "Only 10? Why not more?" To which Saras replied, "Actually the mud got over, and I did not know where to get it from." "Okay, I'll get it, wait here". Kumud did not want to take him along as she knew that it was the same place where Saras's mom had died. The lake was pretty far from Ila Behen's house. Saras asked her, " Can I come along too? Just to help you carry the mud." "No need, I can do it myself.", snapped Kumud. With this she walked away, and Saras just admired her from the back, mesmerized by her beauty and innocence.
On Kumud's way to the lake, she came across a group of drunkards. She fastened her pace, as she wanted to avoid them. But unfortunately, they took notice of this beauty and wanted to have a piece of her. "Hey beautiful, where are you going? Want to take a lift from us?", the guys asked her laughing. She just kept walking faster. They noticed this, and started running behind her laughing and cracking dirty jokes. "Honey stop. We won't hurt you.", they said. They kept running behind her, and soon caught up with her, and encircled her. "Let me go, please.", Kumud pleaded. "Hahaha, yeah sure. But after some fun." With this they started touching her, and pulled out her dupatta, while she kept crying and pleading for help.
They were about to touch her face, when suddenly a hand stopped them.
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