Chapter 17

pretty_mugdha

@pretty_mugdha

Herz the next pat
Soon Dharam and nivi arrived at the temple too.After the aarti,everyone took dinner and went back to their tents.
In the mens' tent
Raksha looked nervous..she had to persue dharam to be a part of her and veer's plan but she didnt know how..also she didnt like sleeping in the males' tent
Dharam saw her nervous face and said:Thodi der ke liye bahar chalo...kuch baat karni  hai
Raksha folowed him.
After they reached a considerable distance from their tent
dharam:Hum ye nahi jaante ki tum pareshaan kyun ho.par itna keh sakte hain ki chaahe kuch bhi ho jaaye hum tumhe kisi museebat mein nahin fasne denge.
raksha(taken aback  with dharam's comforting words):par rajkumar dharam..aap mujh jaisi aam ladki ke liye itna pareshaan kyun ho rahe hain?
dharam:Pata hai raksha hum humesha chahte the ki hummari ek chulbuli si,shararti,par dil se saaf aur sachchi aur ek sahasi behen ho..bilkul tumhri jaisi.
Raksha went speechless.she always felt a brotherly warmth when dharam was around her but used to waver the thought away as dharam was a prince and she was a commoner,but today she was more than delighted to hear dharam's words.

Dharam(smiling):Waise to hum tumhare kuch nahi lagte par hum tumse ye poochna chahte hain ki kya tumhume apna bhai maanti ho?
Raksha had tears in her eyes
Dharam:Kya hua?Kya maine tumhara dil dukha diya...mujhe maaf karna par...
Raksha:Aap doosron ke baare mein itna kyun sochte hain..kaise aap doosron ke dilon mein khushiyan le aate hain phir chaahe aapke dil mein kitna bhi dukh kyun na ho...
Dharam:Agar tum itni hi khush ho to phir ro kyun rahi ho..
Raksha:Aaj tak nivi ke siva kisi ne mujhe apna nahi maana...par aaj..aaj aapne mujhe apni behen maana..ye aasoon to is khushi ke hain ki mujhe itne achcha bhaiya mile..
Dharam:Ab apne aasoon pocho..arrey ye veer aur nivi yahan kyun aa rahe hain
Raksha(wipes her tears and whispers):Veer ko mat kehna ki main roi thi
Dharam(smiles):Jaisa aap kahein  raksha ji..
Veer and nivi finaaly arrive to Dand Raksha
Veer:To raksha ne tumhe sab kuch bata diya na?
Dharam:Kya bata diya?
Veer:Raksha tumne dharam ko kuch nahi batayaa?
Raksha:Vo..asal mein..main..
veer:Tumse ek kaam bhi theek se nahi hota..achcha main hi bata deta hoon
then he whispers something in dharam's ears
Dharam:Nahin..hum aisa bilkul nahin kar sakte
Nivi:Hum bhi to tabse veer ko yahi samjhane ki koshish kar rahein hain
Raksha:Nivi ab maan bhi jaao..maan jaiye na bhaiya..haan kahiye na bhiya
Veer:RAKSHA(then lowers his volume)..raksha pehli baat..maine is yojna ke liya haan keh diya hai aur doosri baat..khabardaar jo mujhe apna bhai banaya
Before raksha could explain anything dharam interrupted:Kyun veer..raksha tumhari behen kyun nahi ban sakti?
Veer:Main yun kisi aaltoo falto ladki ko apni behen nahin maanta
raksha:ALTOO-PHALTOO MAIN NAHI TUM HO..(lowering her voice) samjhte kya ho khudko tum..akdoo
Veer:Main hi nahi poori duniya hi mujhe aur dharam ko sabse kaabil rajkumar maante hain..par tum..
Nivi(interrupting):Ab bas bhi karo tum dono..chalo dharam hum wapas apne tamboo mein chalte hain
Veer and raksha stopped their nok-jhok and started persuading DN..after some time both of them agreed to help VR in their plan
Nivi went to the females' tent
Their she went to riti
Nivi:Riti utho..utho ...
Riti got up
Riti:Kya baat hai maaji aapne itni raat ko kyun uthaya
Nivi:Chupchaap humaare saath chalo aur ek bhi sawaal mat karna...hum tumhe kaali maa ka darshan karayenge
Riti:Kaali maa
Nivi:Haan..maa kewal apne khaas bhakton ko hi darshan detin hain..tum achpan se is yatra mein aati rahi ho..maa tumse prasann hui hain..ab zyada sawaal mat karo aur chup chaap chalo humare saath
Riti(in a devoted voice):Jai kaali maa
She foolowed nivi to the nearby woods..
Riti:Maaji aap humme kahan le aayin hain..devi maa
Nivi:Shhhh..ab bas tum yahin ruk jao..devi maa padharengi..hum abhi mandir se aate hain
Riti tried to stop nivi but she left..
Riti began chanting:Jai maa kali...
Suddenly she heard a thundering voice"TUMHARI ITNI HIMMAT KI YAHAN DEVI KI PRARTHANA KARTI HO"
Riti turned back to find a lady clad in white sari and flowing blacj hair with the face under the veil..moving towards her
Riti:K...kaun
a dog's cry was heard
the lady spoke agian"Murakh tu mujhse mere hi ilaake mein mera naam poochti hai..main tujhe jaan se maar daloongi"
Suddenly the tree below which riti stood started shaking...as the lady started coming closer to riti..her fear grew..
when the lady was just a few steps away from riti..riti fainte out of fear..
Then veer jumped from the tree..and dharam and nivi came from behind a bush..raksha removed her veil
All of them were laughing..
Dharam:Raksha..kya khoob natak kiya tumne
Nivi:Aur veer tumne ped ko badi hi khoobsoorit se hilaya..ek pal ke liye to hum bhi darr gaye the
Raksha:Aur dharam bhaiya ne jo awaaz nikali vo?
All of them laughed
suddenly an arrow came and struck raksha right on her foot
Raksha:aahhhh..mera paanv
All the four of them turned to the direction from where the arrow had come but there was no one to be seen
Suddenly veer spotted a man running away from them
Veer:Dharam vo dekho vo aadmi..chalo uska peecha karte hain
Nivi:Par raksha ko to chot aayi hai..
Dharam:Aap dono wapas chale jaiye..
Raksha:Nahin main kahin nahi jaaongi main theek hoon...
dHARAM:dekho raksha
Veer:chodo na dharam ye humari koi bhi baat nahi maanegi..chalo hum aage badhein
All four of them started moving in the direction where the man was spotted last..
Raksha was limping
Nivi was supporting her..
Veer:Agar itne dheere chalte rahe to shayad agle janam tak hi hum us aadmi ko pakad paayenge
Raksha got furious with veer's comment and started moving without nivi's support..also she increased her speed to over take veer but her leg was in terrible pain and could no longer hold her and she fell
Veer:Mana karne par bhi aayi..kitni ziddi ho..ab wapas bhi nahi jaa sakte..
Raksha(furious):Tum jao main aa jaoingi..
Meanwhile dharam had holded nivi's hand to help her walk faster on the rogh forest land.
Dharam:Veer tum yahan..raksha tum theek to ho na..
Veer:Tum dono aage badho hum abhi aate hain
Nivi:Nahin tum dono aage badho hum raksha ke paas rukte hain
Veer:Nahin bhabhi aap aur raksha k saath mere ya dharam ka hona zaroori hai
Dhara:Veer theek kehta hai nivi..is jungle mein  ladkiyon ka akele rehna theek nahin..behtar yahi hoga ki hum aage badhein..veer par bharosa rakh..
nivi agreed and DN started moving ahead
Raksha:Tum kyun yahan ruke ho..tum bhi jaao..akdoo
Veer without speaking a single word picked raksha in his arms and started walking
Raksha was in his arms..she  thought"Main akele chal sakti hoon...raksha ko kisi ki madat ki zaroorat nahin hai...par phir bhi najaane kyun is lamhe ko khud se alag nahin karna chahti
Veer looked once towards raksha...the jet balck hair was flowing over her dusky face..she looked so very beautiful in that white sari..how can anyone get scared of this gorgeous girl..
After some time they reached the bushes behind which dharam and nivi were already hidden
Veer let raksha down and she sat with nivi
Dharam:Veer vo aadmi us jhonpdi mein gaya hai..
he pointed towards a hut...
Veer:To chalo dekhe ki andar kaun hai
both the boys climbed up a tree and then from one of its branch they could easily see everything through the window
Dharam:Ye.to..
Veer:Par ye yahaan.....???
hoped u lykd it
sorry for the typos and please comment

Raksha in her thoughts"nivi ko kitna achcha chahne wala mila hai..