PART
24
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In
the camp...
At the magical show
counter, at the gaming counter, near the food-stalls, through the entertainers, through
the dancing and singing women, Chamki tried her best to get away from
Hasmukhlal and made sure that he does not notice her. But he was determinedly following
her. Amrit who was feeling great and smart followed Hasmukhlal and this time he
decided to teach him a lesson; as it is he had nothing better to do there and
was going through boredom before he undertook that unneeded Rescue-Chamki
mission.
Bending down and passing through the queue of dancers, Chamki
escaped towards the shopping stalls again.
How,
Sanjam couldn't answer, but Amrit again reached before him at the bangle shop
where Chamki stepped in. In no time restless Sanjam too went in.
"Chamki, tum thik ho naa?" Amrit asked as soon as he entered
behind her.
"Ha mein thik hu, mujhe kya hua hai?" Chamki said without
looking at him and moved near the desk.
"Tum
phikar mat karo Chamki." Amrit smiled stupidly at her. "Hum sab jaan chuke hai.
Uss Hasmukhlal ko achha sabak sikhaenge, hum jante hai woh tumhe pareshaan kar
raha hai." Amrit assured idiotically standing besides Chamki and gawking at her.
"Nahi
mein thik hu." She tried to ignore his crack brained looks and went on the
other desk.
Sanjam went in and hide behind a drapery near the desk. He was
waiting and thinking of some way to shove Amrit away and talk to Chamki.
"Kaunse
rang ki chudiya chahiye?" Shopkeeper asked her while packing few sets.
"Inhe
toh saare rang ki chudiya dikhao, inpe saare rang ache lagte hai." Amrit said
in a cloying tone.
Chamki
felt like giving him a tight slap. But gathering patience, she again ignored
him.
"Mujhe
hare rang ki chudiya dikhao." She randomly pointed at the bottle green
colored bangles.
Amrit
picked up red set of bangles and smilingly said "Hume yeh lal rang ki chudiya
bahot pasand aayi Chamki."
"Toh aap hi kyun nahi pehne lete?" Chamki riposted.
"He..
he..he.." Sanjam who was hiding behind a drapery laughed uncontrollably and his
laughter was audible. Amrit and Chamki started searching him looking here and
there while louring.
"Aap
phir se yaha?" Amrit spotted him. He moved the drapery and Sanjam in
Hasmukhlal's getup was exposed.
Chamki kept the bangles down angrily with awful looks on her
face.
"Koi baat nahi Chamki" Amrit said in a pride tone looking from
Chamki to Hasmukhlal. "Mein isse achha sabak sikhaunga."
"Tum kya mujhe sabak sikhayoge... " Said Sanjam rolling his
sleeves back out of frustration and that made Amrit positioned himself in front
of him ready to fight.
Tensed Chamki looked around and discovered that people around
were looking at them. She tried to concentrate on the bangles. But in no time
behind her, Sanjam and Amrit held each other by collar.
"Chamki se dur raho..." warned Amrit.
"Pehle tum chale jao yaha se." Sanjam snarled. They started
shaking each other and moving in circles.
"Bas bahot hua." Chamki cried. Sanjam and
Amrit relinquished each other as Chamki angrily paced towards them. "Amrit aap
ki meherbani hogi agar aap meri madat naa kare aur Hasmukhlal..." Raising her
finger she continued "Mere baba se ab aap nahi bachenge." Warning him she went
out.
Sanjam pushed Amrit back with force and he fell on few girls in
the shop. Loud screaming of girls was heard.
Chamki came out when, suddenly, in front of everyone, she was
stopped by her wrist held tightly by a strong but warm clasp having a familiar
touch."Chamki."
Sanjam softly called her name in a normal tone with many emotions reflected
through his eyes. Chamki
as if being hypnotized stared at him trying to find a reason for the state of mind
she was in. Time was passing on very slowly as something in his tone and touch
reminded her of Sanjam.
"Sanjam??"
She said in a serious tone after a long pause. There was a thirst in her
wondering eyes to see him, to talk to him but all she could see was weird
Hasmuklal with mustache and beard. She tried to see Sanjam behind Hasmukhlal's
getup whose curled fingers around her wrist said something different.
People
passing by were watching them with giggles. But Sanjam and Chamki did not wish
to care about them. Taking his sleeves back, Amirt again proceeded towards them and
shook them from their trance.
"Aapki
itni himmat?" He pushed Sanjam and looking at Chamki said "Tumhare baba ko hum
bula late hai, ab yeh nahi bachega." Amrit tried to unwrapped Sanjam's fingers
coiled around Chamki's wrist. Keeping his eyes on Chamki, Sanjam again pushed
Amrit forcefully with his free hand. Amrit fell backward on the same group of
girls who too came out. Again there was chaos and girls started giving disgust
looks to Amrit.
Chamki realized that Hasmukhalal was still holding her wrist.
She tried to free it and said "Hamara haath chodiye warna achha nahi hoga." Ignoring racket around, Sanjam added in a sober tone "Meri ek
baat sun lo, phir mein tumhe tang nahi karunga.... mein Sanj" His words were
mixed with the noise of the girls shouting at Amrit who tried to get up with
the support of the desk thus falling and breaking the bangles kept on it.
Chamki
tried to retract her hand rudely "Tumhari itni himmat ke mera haath sabke samne yun
pakda."
Others were observing them.
"Haath chodo HASHMUKHLAL" Chamki turned red with embarrassment
and anger. She then successfully freed her wrist.
"Mein Hashmukhlal nahi hu. Mein.. Sanjam hu..."
Without
hearing his last amendments, Chamki ran away from there feeling abashed when
people began to gather.
"Kaun
ched raha hai ladki ko?" Shopkeeper came out lazily.
Amrit
went near Sanjam and Sanjam quickly held him out of wrath and told others with
serious expressions "Yeh ched raha tha."
Shopkeeper
reacted ready to fight "Kya?"
"Ha...
aur aapki chudiya bhi isne todi." Sanjam snapped.
"Nahi
mein nahi.. yeh.." Amrit tried to unloose himself from
Sanjam's grip.
"Ha yeh ladka sabko ched raha hai.." one among the group of
girls yelled.
People
gathered. Sanjam saw a stout woman who was ready to hit Amrit along with
others. While Amrit was arguing Sanjam hooked the point of the stout woman's
veil in Amrit's cloth-belt and escaped. When Amrit started running behind him,
the women was pulled by her veil towards him. With one more attempt of Amrit to run away from there, veil came
off and fell on the woman's shoulder and everyone gasped.
"Hai hai yehi hai woh
besharam.. Hamara dupatta kicha... pito isse."
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In
Sangam Nagar..... on the hill
"Payal... kaha ho tum?"
Payal heard Pundir's voice from above. Quickly planning something she climbed
the hill and reached the top surface coming face-to-face with Pundir.
"Waha niche kaha chali gayi thi tum, weh dono dikhe waha?" He asked hopefully examining the path from where he saw her
coming.
"Aaa... nahi ... woh dono kahi nazar nahi aa rahe... tum chalo toh yaha
se, yaha koi nahi hai." She started pushing him with a fear that he might
spot them.
"Yeh kya kar rahi ho tum?" He asked confusedly and stumbled back with her push.
"Chalo naa, kahi aur dhundate hai unhe." She moved ahead and was
successful in pulling him away from the edge.
"Payal?? Kya hua tumhe?
Aur tum waha niche kya karne gayi thi?"
"Hum.. hum Woh.. woh
phul dekh rahe ho?" In panic-stricken manner she pointed in the direction opposite
of the place from where Prithvi and Sanyogita were visible. "Hume woh safed
rang ke phool bade sundar lage, hum woh todne gaye thhe."
"Phool toh waha hai,
phir tum iss taraf kyun gayi?" He asked suspiciously.
"Hume laga yaha se
rasta hai... Woh sab chodo, tum hume woh phool tod ke doge Pundir?"
"Yeh samay phool
todne ka nahi hai. Tum chalo pehle."
"Do naa." She
pleaded in a sweet tone.
Pundir eyed her surprisingly "Hume
Prithvi aur Sanyogita ko dhundna hai, bhul gayi?"
"Phikar mat karo weh
yudh nahi karenge" She said mockingly with grin but watching his frown she
further added in a pleading tone. ".. humare liye tum itna bhi nahi
karoge?"
Pundir did not argue further. He kept quite by folding his hand.
His scarlet face was reflecting colors of skepticism and irritation.
"Thik hai mat do par
hum toh woh phool tod ke hi rahenge... chahe waha niche jaate jaate hamara
paair hi kyun naa phisle aur hume chot hi kyun naa aaye..... hum saare musibaton
ka samna karenge Pundir." Payal challenged herself, swung around and started
climbing down.
"...... aakhir humare andar bhi toh woh rajputonwala khun
bheta ha...." She gesticulated raising her right hand "Ab hum mar jayenge par
woh phool tod ke hi rahenge..... Hamare shaan ka sawal hai."
She stopped and
loudly announced blowing her nose proudly in the air, making yet another
attempt to break his pigheadedness. "Hum dikha denge ke rajput ladkiyon mein kitni
himmat hai."
"Jarurat ke waqt apna dimakh kahi chod aati hai yeh." Pundir
irately murmured to himself.
Not ready to let her take any risk, Pundir accepted defeat by making face and snarled "Ab tum apni yeh nautanki
band karo, phool mein laake deta hu."
She chortled silently and stopped quickly. Then she spunned
slowly and with grave looks, stuttered "Ab tum itna keh hi rahe ho toh - " She
shuggered her shoulders "hum tumhe yeh bahadduri ka kaam karne ka avasar pradan
karte hai, tum bhi kya yaad rakho ge."
"Ha sach mein.." He sighed and made his way down towards
the edge " .. itihaas mein mera naam amar hone wala hai."
She smiled enthusiactically when he was nearing those beautiful
white flower bunches.
"Aur ab iske baad tum chup chap Prithvi aur Sanyogita ko
dhundogi, samjhi?" Tilting his head up, he ensured loudly before plucking
the flowers.
"Pehle itihaas mein apna
naam amar toh karo" Payal cried.
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In
the forest adjcent to the Goddess Santoshi's camp''.
"Bachaooooo.... Koi
hai." Hasmukhlal succeeded in removing cloth stripe from his mouth and
he shouted on the spur of the moment.
"Chudao mujhe yaha se.... koi hai..... sipahi.."
His yelling spread in the enviornment and fell on the ears of
the soldiers who were fortunately searching for him in the same area. They came
running following the noise and were shocked to see Hamukhlal lying under a
tree in a pitiable condition.
"Hasmukhlalji..... Hasmukhlalji... aap yaha? Iss halat
mein?"
"Kholo pehle rassi..."
Hashmukhlal irately shouted.
One soldier went behind the tree and tried to release the knot.
Impatience growing in Hasmukhlal and nature's call made him pull the rope in a
wild manner. "Kya kar rahe ho, jaldi karo.....
ek rassi nahi khol sakte?" He
screamed.
When that soldier panicked, other soldier went to help him.
Knots were tight, but finally they took the sword and cut the rope. Hasmukhlal
somehow got up. "Mujhe sab dhund rahe
hai aur mein yaha?? Nahi chodunga mein unhe."
Hasmukhlal somehow got up with the support of the soldiers and started running with stumbling steps and others followed
him.
"Kisne kiya yeh sarpanchji? Delhi ke jasuson ne kya?"
Hasmukhlal suddenly tumbled as he heard the question and falled
down. Instead of getting up on his own, in a reposed state he turned slightly
at back and stared at that soldier with lurid looks, while that soldier scarily
told him "Woh Maha Mantriji ko
Madan naam ke ek bande se pata chala, ke Delhi ke jasus hi hai jo yaha aatang
phaila rahe hai." Ignoring the fanatic looks of
Hasmukhlal, Soldier moved forward and helped him to get up.
Hasmukhlal continued staring him with traumatizing
expressions as soldier made him stand. "Madan
aur Maha Mantri??" He mummered.
Soldier: "Ji Madan humare kaid mein hai."
"Kya !! " Hasmukhlal
exclaimed shockingly and got lost in thoughts.
"Mujhe Madan ke pass le chalo." He softly whispered.
"Maf kijiye Hasmukhlalji, par Maha Mantri ka aadesh hai ke
aapko pehle unke pass laya jaye." Said
soldier with frightened looks as Hasmukhlal was staring him with crumpled
brows.
The frightened soldier made his mind to hear the berating of the
sarpanch, but Sarpanch simply stood planning something while his eyes were
still fixed on him.
After a brief pause, Hasmukhlal slowly said "Pehle mein snan
ghar jana chahta hu. Tum log jao, hum khud Maha Mantri se milne jayenge."
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In
Sangam nagar., in the Mustard fields..
Half consciously and
unflaggingly, with inebriated expressions on their visages, Prithvi and
Sanyogita wandered more than half of the mustard area with bunk and squabble. They
reached that part where group of farmers were working, cooking and ploughing.
No sooner they were invited by farmers for the brunch which was followed by
their funny introductions.
"Yeh Nandini .. aur mein
Surya.." Prithvi confided trying to keep his eyes steady.
"Nahi .. Hum Nandini aur yeh Surya.." Sanyogita cut him across,
giggling.
Feeling irate suddenly, Prithvi turned at Sanyogita and said
"Nandini tum kabhi kisi ki baat nahi sunti ho..."
With foolish grin she counted on her fingers "Hume Sunita ki
baat sun li aur.... Aur Payal ki bhi"
"Aur meri??" Prithvi asked with frown pointing his hand towards him.
"Hum kyun sune tumhari baat,.. Tum toh bigde raiji ho.. aur
tum Payal ke khaas dost nahi ho. Hume pata hai, tum uske saath milke hume chida
rahe thhe.. aur" Suddenly turning
towards the perplexed farmers who were watching them with shocking looks,
Sanyogita said in a cockeyed tone "Isske chaaron chamche hamesha iske agal
bagal ghumte rehte hai..." She made gesticulations with her hands."Yatra mein
yeh apne saare kaam unse hi karavata tha."
"Aur yeh ek jungle billi
hai, jo hamesha mere raste mein aati thi." Prithvi tattled.
"Shhhhh.,...." Keeping her finger on her mouth Sanyogita took few
unsteady steps in farmer's direction and whispered "Hum koi aam ladki nahi hai,
hum uss Rajkumari Sanyogita se jyada khubsoorat hai."
Being fascinated by her beauty and outgoing attitude, farmers
were awesomely listening to her, smiling widly. One of them even approached a
little towards her with popping eyes, which made Prithvi feel uncomfortable
even in his soaked state and holding Sanyogita's wrist, Prithvi gently pulled
her back to his side saying "Nandini,maine kaha tha naa uss dudh mein kuch milaya gaya hai.... ab meri baat mano.... chalo yaha se."
"Nahi.. humne Sunita ki aur Payal ki baat maanli.. aur tum
Payal se dosti badhane ka natak kar rahe thhe hume pata hai." She dusted her
hand from his grip and a brabbling followed between them as Prithvi tried to explain
her what Payal was up to. Though she argued, she could not make out a word he
was telling.
Astounded ladies, draped in white untidy gowns who were cooking
near by, interrupted their fuss and asked them to come with them for the
brunch. When asked where they were heeding, Prithvi and Sanyogita stared at
others... drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Kya Gopal ke yaha se aa rahe ho" A woman asked tittering shyly
who was aware of the celebration at his place.
Suddenly feeling alarmed, Prithivi scanned the area and pondered
on his condition. They were standing beneath the shade open on all sides. In
one corner chullahs were burning and food was cooked.
As if been trapped in something, his brain refused to answer
back and Prithvi stammered "Jaha dharti aasmaan mil rahe hai."
"Ha... ha.." Sanyogita who was misguidedly staring the ground
shouted "Hume waha jana hai..."
"Kuch kha lo pehle, phir Gopal ke yaha wapas laut jana.. varna
kheton mein kho jaoge"
Getting aware of the reasons behind Prithvi and Sanyogita's
deranged behavior, farmers were adorningly watching and helping them, also
enjoying with them and ignoring their irrelevant chatter.. like yatra, jungle,
shivling, billi, khana etc.. which made
no sense to them at all.
"Tumne hamare sabji mein saara namak dal diya tha." Said
Sanyogita who hadn't started eating but was watching him who was merrily pounding a big
red onion with his fist. They were seated facing each
other outside the shade on a smooth stone near the boundary of the field.
"Ha...." Prithvi commented and laughed redirecting his attention to
the food serverd in the leaf in front of him.
"Aur humne tumhari liye roti banayi, woh bhi thukara di tumne."
Sanyogita smattered watching him enjoying the roti.
"Achha??" Prithvi was completely engrossed in eating and ignored
her complaints. Sanyogita frowned
"Tum bahot bure ho.. naa shukriya naa mafi.. Hume nahi khana"
and she was about to get up when Prithvi suddenly said "Achha... achha..
shukriya aur mafi dono.. ab toh kha lo."
He plucked a piece of roti and dipping it in the lentil cury
raised it to her mouth. Gazing in his eyes, Sanyogita ate what he was feeding
before mistakenly biting his finger.
"Sanyogita !!" Prithvi exclaimed confusedly a moment later, as
it took time for his pulses to carry the pain to his brain. When it happened,
her real name automatically voiced on his lips and more than that he came to
know that it is her real name.
She gwaffed when she saw him shuddered and retract his hand with
lour.
He appallingly watched her when she corrected him "Sanyogita
nahi Nandini.. jo jyada khubsurat hai." She laughed.
Soon the ability to understand anything was lost again and he
joined her in gag. "Maine kaha tha naa uss dudh mein kuch milaya hai."
----------------------------------------------------End
of Part 24------------------------------------------------------------
Edited by ppiyu - 14 years ago
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