Arjun and Raghav went for a stroll in the orchards post dinner and the girls retired to their room. The boys were both quite and kept on recalling Ammaji's words...Arjun couldn't comprehend it all..it was just too soon! Raghav was in a different phase however...he was as it is always different!
Back in the room
Pallavi: "Yaar 2 saal me humari shaadi ho jayegi kya?"
Aanchal sighed! "Pallavi..relax! Kya sochne lagi tu bhi!"
"Arre sochna toh padega na!" Pallavi however was restless
"Tu so ja baba..." Aanchal tried pacifying her
"Tujhe tension nahi ho rahi, Aanchal?"
"Tension kyun? Meri nahi hogi itni jaldi shaadi" Aanchal laughed out
"Kyun nahi hogi?" Pallavi got irritated
"Kyunki mujhe nahi karni"
"Arre! kyun nahi karni"
"Main nahi jaoongi Bhaiya ko chhod ke" Aanchal suddenly whined and Pallavi raised her eyebrows and gave her a sweet smile..."Achha! Bhaiya!!"Pallavi was surprised, she had only heard once Aanchal referring to Arjun as Bhaiya! Although Raghav did tell her that Aanchal, had done the same once before as well but they were sure this would still take time!
However still somewhere in her mind Pallavi felt relieved! The Aanchal she knew, she had grown up with; couldn't have replied more than "Mujhse kon shaadi karega?" But the one sitting in front of her now...how much she was loving this version of hers!
"Haan bhai, ab toh Bhaiya hai na...aur ek minute...Tabhi toh ! Kya keh rahi thi tu flight me....yeh humare saath nahi hai...batau tujhe main!" Pallavi started tickling Aanchal who laughed out loud! She threw a pillow on Pallavi and the war started...the girls started giggling and threw pillows on each other and running around the room. Arjun and Raghav had returned and heard the noises and went up to check. Just as Arjun peeped inside the room, Pihu ran upto him and hid behind.
"Kya kar rahe ho dono??" Arjun too was ecstatic, seeing Pihu happy, he too was gleeful. He suddenly realized Pihu had been hugging him tightly and teasing Pallavi! Seeing the girls playful Arjun and Raghav couldn't stop smiling!
"Ab na raat bahut ho gayi hai, jaldi se so jao..abhi pata nahi lag raha hai, lekin bahut thakaan hogi...Chalo, jaldi se in your bed! Good night" Arjun caressed Pihu's face and put her to bed.
"Achha kal na, tum dono ko gaaon dikhane le chalenge, aur parson Manali chalenge" Raghav told the girls
"Chalo, good night" Arjun kissed Pihu's hand and patted her forehead, she too smiled and kissed his hand! "Good night" Pihu replied.
"Phirse ek baar Bhaiya bolna Gudiya...us din ke baad se phir nahi suna" Arjun thought in his mind! Though Pihu was getting free with him as the days passed, looked happier and was really trying hard to involve herself in his life, there were still a few battles yet to be won! Bhaiya still was very occassional or rather a slip of tongue! But still the two were in a far easier space now!
"Tum dono ka Bharat milap ho gaya ho, to sone chale please...subah Laxman aa jayega sar pe baithne!"
Raghav was irritated and frustrated now! It was getting beyond him...he was truly, deeply, madly already in love but now.... He desperately wanted Aanchal to be a part of his life completely! He badly wanted confess his love...but just wasn't sure of the siblings! Forget Arjun...he didn't even know if Aanchal loved him or not!
The boys went in their room and lied down, a few tears escaped Arjun's eyes...but they were tears of happiness and solace.. he was loving this part of his life...he got his little doll back, he brought him to the place and to people he grew up with, he saw her getting amazed, he got the opportunity to provide her for once and among all this.. she looked so happy.. finally.. laughing and giggling! Life was definitely getting better and beautiful.
The next morning, the kids left Laxman in the boys room. Laxman jumped on the bed an crowed loudly! A sleepy Raghav snuggled out of his blanket..."Saale tumahri inhi harakaton ki wajah se tumhare khandaan ka tandoori banta hai..Bhaag yahan se!" and just as he tried to shove the rooster away, Laxman bit him..."Ahh..Kutta kahi ka" Raghav yelled only to have Rufus jump onto him and growl..."Abe tujhe nahi bol raha bhai!" The two hovered on to Raghav and Arjun laughed out loudly from the corner..."Tune kiya yeh na sab!" Raghav agitated threw the blanket ran after Arjun! Their laughs echoed in the neighbourhood.
The boys took the girls around their village, the area being hilly, Pihu would often get scared and it only made her cling to Arjun more! He showed her his favourite spot, the river, the streams, the orchards, library.. Both Raghav and Arjun told Pallavi and Pihu about their anecdotes, their childhood memories..
"Ye humara ka favourite spot tha..yahan har shaam aake khelte the" Raghav showed them a tree which had a tyre as a swing in one of its branches.."Ye humara Jhoola" Arjun excited showed them the tyre.. The girls were amused.. "Yeh?" they spoke together
"Baithegi ispe?" Arjun asked Pihu
"Nahi" she was scared and skeptical
"Mujhe baithna hai" Pallavi spoke and tried sitting on it
"Ajju tu isko zor se dhakka de, phir main kulhari se tehni kaat doonga" Raghav teased only to have Pallavi run after him
As they returned Pihu was getting tired, she wasn't used to this type of terrain and would often stop to catch a breath.. "Raghu tu Pallavi ko leke aage jaa, main Pihu ke saath aata hoon"
"Okies" and the two decided to race while Arjun waited patiently for Pihu.
"Thak gayi Gudiya?" Arjun asked lovingly and Pihu could only nod! She was too tired with all the walking through out the day! "Sab log kaise itna upar neeche karte hai din bhar?" she asked tiredly. Arjun smiled and sat down with her on the side. "Baithja thodi der..saans lele" Arjun ruffled her hair, the shades of the sky in the evening were getting beautiful.. Pihu loved the sight and rested ger head on Arjun's shoulder as she let out a deep breath "Ye kitna sundar hai!"
"Haan hai, lekin ab jaldi chalo..ekdum se andhera hota hai yahan"
"Aur nahi... main thak gayi! Kitna chalna hai aur?" Pihu was tired now
Arjun looked at her lovingly, pinched her cheeks and lifted her in his arms "Kya kar rahe ho?"
"Thak gayi na meri Gudiya, yaad hai jab tu chhoti thi, din raat bolti thi Godi lelo...godi lelo..peease" Arjun laughed at carried her till her home "Nahi please...aap thak jaoge...please utar do" Pihu pleaded but Arjun only gave her a deaf ear! Although Pihu secretly loved every bit of it, she was hating to put her brother in so much trouble as well! As they were nearing home, "Main chal loongi, please ab utar do"
"Nahi"
"Please"
"Bilkul bhi nahi..dekh thodi door hi bacha hai"
"Wohi toh main keh rahi hoon...itna main chal loongi..Please"
"Nahi" Arjun wasn't agreeing at all
"Bhaiya please na bilkul nahi sunte ho meri...Utaro abhi..chalo" and Pihu scolded Arjun
He looked at her briefly for a moment, his heart fluttered and a big smile erupted on his face
"Ab toh bilkul bhi nahi sununga" Arjun delighted literally ran and laughed and finally put her down as they reached school and hugged Pihu tightly! Just as he was climbling the stairs, he heard Pihu "Ab itna sa bhi kyun chhod diya hai? Pura upar tak leke jao mujhe!" Pihu crossed her arms, pouted and spoke animatedly, only for Arjun to return and carry her to her room.
"Ab Khush!" He spoke laughing and cupped her face and Pihu hugged him tightly and suddenly shrieked loudly
"Kaan pe kyun chilla rahi hai?" Arjun spoke rubbing his ear
"Kuch kaata pair me..zor se" Pihu looked at her ankle and just as Arjun started rubbing her feet, Gappu came and spoke in his patented boring tone..."Sundar chalo yahan se.." and picked up the rooster and left!
"Ye yahi rehte hai kya?" Pihu asked and Arjun nodded cutely
"Tujhe pata nahi hai, lekin Raghav talks a lot to them!" Arjun replied and the siblings rolled their eyes as Arjun took her out to show Raghav and Pallavi both talking to their entire bunch of kids and animals. Pihu realised that more than kids, the animals were engrossed in mobile.
As they finished dinner and retired to their rooms, it got very chilly suddenly. The mercury dropped down drastically and though the boys slept soundly Pallavi and Aanchal weren't really comfortable. They came out of her room and heard the boy's snoring! Pihu peeked inside to find Arjun sleeping comfortably..."Kitna thak gaye honge!" she thought in her mind, she smiled and went towards the other end. The moon looked beautiful and the sky was full of stars! She found it amazing! Pallavi heard some faint laughter and looked down from the terrace.
Ammaji and few other ladies and kids were sitting beside a bonfire, the moment Gulgule and Pihu saw the girls, they ran up and asked them to join everyone downstairs.
"Ammaji humko kahani suna rahi hai, aap bhi chalo na Didi!" Gulgule said holding Pallavi's hand.
"Chalo na Didi" The younger Pihu too joined as requested them. As Aanchal and Pallavi went down, the warmth of the fire provided them much needed relief!
"Thand lag rahi hai na?? Hota hai, zyada thand ki wajah se bhi neend nahi aati kabhi kabhi! Chachi quipped and Aanchal smiled
"Raghu toh so gaya hoga!" Bua spoke and all the other ladies laughed
"Ajju kahan hai?" Ammaji quizzed
"Woh bhi so gaye" Aanchal replied
"So gaya??"The women exclaimed as if they heard something weird and absolutely unbelievable
"Haan kyun? Kya hua? Aap log aise kyun chaunk gaye" Aanchal asked the two "Unke liye ye jagah unka Ghar hai...aur apne ghar me toh sabko achhe se neend aa jaati hai na" Aanchal spoke with a sweet smile.
All the elderly ladies looked at each other and smiled back and Ammaji caressed Aanchal's hair.
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