* Serenity *
After 11 years,
Kriyal bowed down her head to the revered idol of Krishna worshipped him and then worshipped the shivaling next. Everything was as calm and serene as it could be.
Suddenly then-
"Kriyal!!!"
"Uff, har din ki tarah. Pata nahi aaj kya hua hai...?" she thought.
"Aaye Kunwar sa!" she shouted back, almost running to see what had happened. But she almost knew what the cause was.
"Kriyal! Humme toh laga tha ki aap aayengi hi nahi. Aap pata nahi humaari cheese kaha rakhti hai. Dekhiye, hum pichle aadhe ghante se apni moti ki maala dhundh rahe hai, parantu humme mil hi nahi rahi..." he began speaking as soon as he saw her entering. All she could do was smile at his antics.
"Aap hass rahi hai?"
"Toh aur kya kare hum Kunwar sa, aap humme bolne ka avsar toh dijiye!"
"Aap bas humme hamari maala aur talwar dijiye." He said, stretching out his hand to her.
She went towards a shelf and took out the pearl necklace, embellished with jewels. Then she bent further down to take out the heavy sword, representing a bizarre mixture of gold and other colored jewels.
Giving both the articles to him, She raised an eyebrow and said, "Kunwar sa, ab bataiye"
"Woh, hum..." he began.
"Aap rehna hi dijiye. Hum aapka karma theek karte hai tab tak aap sab ko suprabhat bol aaiye. Aur haa, Kunwar sa aaj hum aapke saath ghudsavaari ki shiksha lene nahi aa
payenge. Humme aaj bahut kam hai." Kriyal spoke, almost getting hyperactive.
"Parantu Kriyal, aap ratri mai toh aa hi sakti hai na?"
"Haa hum aa toh sakte hai..."
"Toh taye raha. Aap ke ghar ke peeche, nadi ke kinare hum abhyas karane ke liye pahuchenge. Theek hai??"
"Jo hukum." She said with a smile.
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They both finished their respective tasks and left for their scheduled meeting. After an hour of practicing and masti, they sat down at a rock, sinking in the beautiful scene in front of them.
"Kunwar sa"
"Hmmm"
"Aapki aur humaari iss mitrata ko aage nahi jaana chahiye"
"Parantu kyu?" he said, quite startled.
"Hum ek daasi hai. Aur aap Marwar ke..."
"hone wale Rana. Yahi kehna chahti hai na? Humme farak nahi padta Kriyal ki koi bhi hummari iss mitrata ke bare mein kya kehta hai. Aap humaare liye aap bahut mahatvapoorn hai. Hum bas yahi jaante hai."
"Parantu Kunwar sa agar aapki rani maa ko isse dukh ho toh humme bilkul bhi yeh mitrata uchit nahi lagti."
"Rani maa ne aapse kuch kaha?"
"Nahi."
"Phir aap chinta mat kijiye"
They sat silently for some moments, grasping their conversation and thoughts.
Suddenly Reyaansh spoke, "Acha Kriyal hum chalte hai, bahut ratri ho gayi hai."
And he went away riding on his galloping horse, and she watched him go away with an uneasy feeling of being watched hovering in her head.
Little did she know she was being watched by her own mother.
_____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
"So Rey and Kria," their boss' voice boomed, bringing them out of their cute session and making them come out of their chairs, their bodies quickly going near the destined place.
"So as I was saying, you have got the most luckiest place! You know, its very rare for beginners to get forts as their sites. There are only two problems. First being, its location. Its located in the small but thick forests of Chittorgarh. The second being the myths, of it being haunted." He paused, to see the effect it had created on his employees, especially Rey and Kria.
"But no worries, it's just a myth. And then you will only get its haunted or no if you are able to open up the fort. Well, my suggestion if you get such sites, is to examine the exteriors and back off." He said while lazily sitting in his chair, and handing over the file to Kria.
"But Sir," Rey spoke up, almost startling everyone, "I think that there must be a solution to open up that place, sir. We can't just examine the exteriors and make a report."
Kria too joined in. "Yes sir, there must be some solution. We never know, there must be a hidden treasure inside, within our reach."
With Kria's response, their boss suddenly cracked up and sank back a few more into his chair. While sipping some tea, he said, "You are just a kid now, what do you actually know about this profession?" he then grew a bit serious. "If you think this is some old rajput treasure that must be inside, you are wrong kiddo. It's all lost" He sipped onto his tea some more making a horrible queasy sound. "The British took it all. And now on please I don't want any lost money' idea. I am not gonna waste any time on these idiotic not possible ideas. Now everybody, please begin completing your report. I'll leave for my next meeting. "
He soon left, after collecting his belongings, only to leave an enraged and shocked Kria behind.
____________________________________________________________________________
Soon they had a break, and Kria was cursing her boss like anything near the coffee machine. And the sole witness to this was Rey.
"I mean how that asshole can say that to me!" Kria spoke.
"Calm down, Kria"
"No, I can't calm down. You have a problem? Then go and make a shit of my opinions in public. Talk about work ethics!"
"Kria, *sigh*. I get it. Let's talk about our assignment. Kay? "
"Well, it's quite an interesting one, if we hadn't got that deadline."
"Don't worry. We'll complete that in time... Most probably."
"I wonder how you remain so calm and unaffected. Really a quality to admire Rey, trust me."
"I know that. I am a star after all." He said, while straightening his collar, with a very rare twinkle in his eyes.
"Let's eat something first? I am damn hungry."
"Okay baba, lets go to the canteen. But pay tu karegi."
"Par kyu??"
"Itna gussa jhela tera, tu pay nahi kar sakti?" he said in a dramatic tone.
She laughed with a sweet melodic sound, leaving Rey dazzled.
"Haa bhai, pay kar dungi."
"Bhai mat bolna mujhe aage se."
"Kyu?"
Well here he himself couldn't imagine why he stopped her, but making up an answer he replied, "Bhai banayegi toh tujhe har rakshabandhan gifts dene padenge."
"Baat toh sahi hai, gifts toh mai lungi."
"Now enough of this nonsense, lets go."
"Yup!" she said.
With this they left.
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