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Short Story One Shot.
Jigar is at the office, thinking about what happened overnight how his wife disappeared from their bed and did not return only find her outside at 5 in the morning, with the door locked from the inside............Jigar is thinking how did she get outside.......yes she said through the back door, but why, if the milk man comes in through the front, why did she go through the back way......something is not right. I need to go home, something must be worrying my poor wife, that's why she is unable to sleep at night...he packs up and goes into Aham's office to inform him that he is leaving early.
In Aham's office
Jigar knocks and calls out before he enters "Aham", no-one is in there, Aham's secretary informs Jigar that Aham has gone home for a short while. Jigar frowns, something must be definitely wrong at home, I must rush home immediately. He tries to get Aham on the phone.
Ring ring.
Aham - Hello
Jigar - bhai, what's the matter?
Aham - You called me what do you mean what's the matter (purses his lips) 😆
Jigar - bhai, I just spoke to your secretary she said you rushed home, what's happened bhai, is Rashi okay?
Aham - Rashi? She was prancing around with fumigators and her mother when I left the house, we have cockroach invasion upstairs in Naani's room, come to think about it, I saw a cockroach in our room too.
Aham is thinking Naani is right the MM is a bhootkhana house if he ever saw one 😆
Jigar - Ok bhai, see you later.
Aham - hold on a minute, why are you so worried about Rashi.
Jigar explains about Rashi being restless the night before and her standing outside early in the morning, with a locked door behind her...
Aham - they you go we have our bhoot your wife...........😆 (she went through a locked door)
Jigar - What?
Aham - Never mind, what's on your mind Jigar?
Jigar - I haven't a clue she made up some excuse about retrieving water in the dark, like we don't have running taps in the house, I don't believe her bhai, what sort of eyes she's got to see in the dark...😛
Aham - 🤣, rofl (bhoot, bhoot) ....stutters whilst laughing, this is intriguing, I will just wait for you, I'm just about to enter the car. See you soon.
Jigar rushes home, finds Aham on the phone with a business contact and they enter the house together....before the enter, they decide to tackle the sisters separately, each to their spouse.
Jigar goes looking for Rashi. He hears Khaki (Kokila) shouting what are you doing with my mothers chest...he follows her voice and finds Rashi there. He watches the interaction and when Khaki leaves he approaches Rashi and asks to see her in their room, he goes towards the room, halfway there he realises after Rashi's untruth this morning, she would probably confide in her mother as they were extremely close, so he retraces his steps back to where they were, and hides behind a pillar.
Urmila is smiling and telling Rashi - It's done our plan worked, we have swapped chests and the real chest belongings are ours.
Rashi - Yes Mummy, I cannot wait, i've been dreaming what is in that chest for such a long time, I bet it's some huge gems.
Jigar is frowning listening to all this.
Whilst the other brother Aham, is finding it difficult to approach Gopi, as he never usually speaks to her unless she approaches him first, especially in the kitchen where Gopi was, he never goes in there normally. He decides to cancel his meetings for today, and just observe his wife and see if anything is up at home and if Gopi was involved.
Meanwhile Rashi lures Gopi outside of the MM on the premise that Naani was leaving soon and they were to buy gifts for her leave taking. She makes an excuse about being thirsty and they leave the rickshaw and walk towards the well, Aham meanwhile follows the two of them in his car, at a respected distance, so as not to be noticed by them...he parks the car by the turn-off (tarmac and dust road) and follows on foot, he can see Rashi carrying a huge parcel covered with a gold cloth, his thinking what have these two stolen from the house and where are they taking it, shall he ring the police, no he can't do that, it will be in all the papers, business man catches his wife and sister's theft on the outskirts of town 😆 (police were notorious for tipping off the press), he decided to follow and instead rings Jigar.
Ring ring.
Aham - Jigar, something is definitely up, you should get over here immediately, i'm following them in the busy 😆, i've parked the car at the turn-off (he describes the place) you can't miss it, get over here sharpish.
Jigar - sitting in Khaki's room, where he had been explaining the conversation he overheard is shocked, hangs up and explains all to Khaki and Naani.
Kokila decides immediately, I'm coming with you, Naani said, it's my chest, I'll tag along too.
Jigar drives to the right place, parks his car next to Aham and follows, but there is no-one in site, Naani starts complaining Jiten you have got us lost now, No Naani (Jigar says), takes his cell out and rings Aham.
Aham - Are you here?
Jigar - Yes, but we can't see you.
Aham - We?
Jigar - Yes, Khaki and Naani are with me.
Aham - (curses under his breath) Jigar why did you do that.
Jigar - bhai they insisted what could i do...😆
Aham - Okay, Okay, follow the dust path, and I have opened my fountain pen and left ink spots on leaves/branches and tree trunks as we turned off the path. You can't miss it, as it's hundred yards from the dust path.
Jigar - Okay bhai, i've found your first ink stained branch, i'm behind you. 😉
Meanwhile at the well, all is playing out as we saw in todays' episode. Gopi is about to go down the well.
Aham observes with a beating heart as Gopi goes into the well, she starts making sounds of distress, the clenches his teeth, he felt it was about time to alert them of his presence.
As he was about to step out, he sees a flash of his Mum's and Naani's bright saree's. He turns to wait for them to plan they approach of the trio by the well.
Kokila asseses the situation and stops Aham speaking, she doesn't want to risk Gopi getting hurt going into the well, as her screams could be heard of spiders and possible snakes in the well.
She marches over there and challenges the trio, the guy a passer-by quickly announces he doesn't know the ladies and leaves, Rashi and Urmila quickly make up a lie about Gopi having stolen the chest and dropped it into the well.
Kokila says - is that so, Gopi Vau are you okay.
Gopi - Yes mother i'm fine.
Kokila urges Aham to pull her up, meanwhile she confronts Urmila and Rashi.
Jigar's face is also stone faced (resembling thunderous facial expression).
When the UrShi duo continue to lie, Naani takes her slipper and starts wacking Urmila over the head and shoulders. 😆 😆 Saying all the while, she's your daughter what example are you stating that it's okay to steal from your elders and lie about it. On seeing this Kokila instead of stopping her mother, takes her own slipper out and starts hitting Rashi😛
By this time Gopi is out of the well but she has scratches on her arms where the branches in the well have punched her arms slightly. Aham grabs her and is looking for serious bites on her from scorpions/snakes etc and keeps asking her if she is okay, as he heard her terrified screaming.☺️
The UrShi duo seeing Aham attending Gopi requested Jigar to help them, Jigar said on one condition you admit you stole this chest, as I overheard to speaking about earlier today in the hallway, I heard everything (he explained their conversation) The UrShi duo looked at each other realising the Jig was up and accepted they were the ones that stole the chest.
The all turned away from the scene and returned to the MM, Rashi and Urmila looking like ragamuffins, with tattered sarees dust all over them, Gopi shaken after her ordeal in the well, Aham carried her to the car, once in the car he left her in the backseat with his mother and drove the car home. Jigar put the chest in the trunk of his car, guided the rugamuffins into the back seat and Naani also sat in that car, Jigar locked the doors in the back, from the drivers side incase of any escapee attempts...😆
Aham arrived at the MM first and carried Gopi upstairs, his interest in the chest minimal, he was more concerned with his wife and needed to tend her wounds before infection set in. On entering their room he set her down on the bed and went into the bathroom for a basin of water a washcloth, savloy etc. He tended her himself, with some minimal protest from Gopi, who was hearing lalala in her ears and was very happy to see Aham showing so much concern for her wellbeing.
Jigar arrived in the hall and explained all that happened to his mother, Hetal, they had a long discussion as what should be done, Naani made the final decision as the belongings stolen were hers, she felt the lure dangled in front of Rashi was very strong by herself and she understood what the driving force behind the theft, she decided that Urmila was a bad influence on Rashi and this plan came from her, it was her decision that the police should not be called as long as Urmila was to no enter the MM again and Rashi was to be watched closely by all family members as she had an itchy fingers syndrome 😆, Jigar was unhappy with Naani's decision and he went up to their room, Urmila left the house, looking down and ashamed. Rashi also ashamed having been caught, followed Jigar up to the room.
Jigar said to Rashi, get yourself cleaned up, I can't stand to look at your devious face, in the future I would like you to wear a pallu and hide your face from me, when you see me. Now go away from here. Rashi took a change of clothes, and went into the bathroom, she had a wash and changed clothes (it was evening now), she walked into the room, Jigar said, without looking at her, I'm going to the kitchen for a glass of milk, don't expect me to get you a glass, don't do anything for me and I won't for you, remember Rashi you are on a trial period, if I see you step out of line you will be banished like your mother........by the way take some new bed linen and lay it on the floor, I don't care to share my bed with a thief.😆
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