Opposite Poles..Part 5

“Don’t!” she screamed turning back.  “I told you not to follow me…!” she reprimanded the dog.  She ran through the woods to reach the Mazaar.  The dog kept the safe distance but followed her though. 

“Di, please! I don’t believe in these things!” Arnav protested.  His Di had brought him to Mazaar against his wish!  

“No Chote! You have to… Its my wish!” His Di emotionally blackmailed him.   He looked away in frustration.

“Ok Di.. your wish! Go ahead!” he said throwing his hand in the air.  His Di smiled.

“That’s like a good boy! Go get a lock and key.. and don’t forget to pray!” she ordered him and turned to enter the Mazaar.  He walked away…. He saw the patch of lush green wilderness… he was drawn towards the periphery of the woods.  He saw the stone bench beneath the banyan tree.  Inadvertently sat there looking lost.  He heard the rustling sound and came back to his senses.  He entered the Mazaar covering his head with his kerchief.    

“Bhai Jaan,  Ek Mannat Ka Taala Dijiye! Give me one lock and key!” she requested putting  her hand in her bag.  The feel of the coat stuffed in the bulging bag sent hatred through her spine.  “I… I will not spare him…!” she muttered clenching her fists.  “Hey Devi Mayya… Ek baar Mil Jai!  I should see him  once… I will show him who am I”  she bowed down to enter  the mazaar from Janani, Ladies side.  She had covered her head with her dupatta.

“Aree? Aap Aa gai?” Khushi was surprised to see Anjali already there.

“Haan! I came in a Car!” she replied. Khushi smiled and sitting down on her knees started praying..

“Moula.. Please… set right everything.  Please .. Please give all the hardship to me, not to my Jiji… Moula.. Please.   I have bought the lock and key also.. Please lock all her sorrows  and throw the key away… Please…!” She finished, got up and sat down again…

“And one more thing… Moula… Teach him a lesson…A lesson for his life…!  Please.. do this for me! I will not spare him.  Give me strength.. Moula..!” she prayed muttering.  Anjali looked back in amazement.

“This girl thinks aloud!” she smiled at her innocence.  Khushi had got up by that time.  Anjali tried to get up.  Khushi looked at her and understood her problem.  She helped Anjali get up and smiled.

“What were you asking for?” Anjali asked with a twinkle in her eyes…

Khushi felt embarrassed.  “You heard?” she asked sheepishly.

“Yeah! And  your Moula and everyone else too!” Anjali said laughing.  Khushi turned her flushed face. 

“What did you ask for?” asked Khushi.

“Happiness for my younger brother..!” said Anjali in a calm voice.  Khushi had bowed down to accept blessings from the peer. 

A gust of wind blew her dupatta from her head.  She held it with her left hand and looked around.  She could see a tall muscular figure getting out from Gents side. 

“You…!” Khushi’s anger went out of bound.  She ran out in search of him…!  Anjali gaped at Khushi’s changing Avatar…! She too bowed down to accept blessings…! She had a lot to pray..!

“I know he is here! Ek baar mil jaye .. bass!” she muttered furiously searching for him. 

“Now why are you following me? Just go away… I am not in a good mood today to pamper you!” she said shooing away the dog and she saw him….!  He was tying the lock.  She remembered.  Rummaging in her bag she took out the lock and key and tied it on the fence.  she closed her eyes praying… “Please… lock her sorrows and throw the key away, Mere Moula..!”!  A key hit her and broke her prayer.  “You threw away, already? She blurted happily looking around, smiling! She looked at the fallen key and picked it up.  “This key?  But my key is with me!” she wondered.

“Oh Moula… whose key you threw at me?” she asked looking up in the heaven.  She looked around and saw him striding away.

“Oye… Hello! “ She called from behind.  He turned to face her.  Looking at his face her anger went over the edge.  Flaring up her nose she came…

“You..! No wonder..! Only you can do this…!” she started off pointing her finger at him.

“Haat neeche karo..! ” he threatened glaring at her pointed finger.

“What?” she immediately took her hand back.

“You threw the key? “ she asked.  “So?” came a challenge. 

“Its an insult to GOD!” she said angrily.  “I don’t care!” he said.

“You don’t care? You don’t care for God?’ she came on to him angrily.  He stood his ground.

“If you don’t care, why did you hang the lock?” she asked puzzled.

“That’s none of your business..!” he turned looking at her smugly.

“Oh! Wait a minute..! No.. you can’t throw this… At least not in my presence!!” she came to face him authoritatively, pulled his hand and kept the key on his palm to his annoyance and looking down in her bag, took out his coat.

He stared at her and pulled her hand and kept his key on her palm and said “Keep it, throw it, or swallow it… I don't care!” he turned.

“Wait!” she yelled.  He turned again.

Throwing his coat on his face she said… “Take this back!” he pulled the coat from his face and stared at her spitting anger. Then he came on to her like a leopard, gripped her shoulders for a second and pushed her away.    

 She lost her balance and paced backwards hitting the earthen water pot kept on the tripod.  The earthen pot lost its balance too! … she gained her balance and saw the earthen pot falling.  She held it with all her might and stopped it from falling.  “Watch it!” he blurted raising his hand!  He stood looking at her and the earthen pot she had embraced.  She looked at him with hatred and blew away a strand of  hair sprawled on her face, pouting her lower lip.  His eyes locked on her face.  She neatly kept the pot on the tripod and  turned to leave.  She saw the dog coming towards her wagging its tail.  She stopped.

“Kutte ji, I had told you not to follow me!” she said bending down to pat the dog.. but the dog went past her and jumped merrily licking Arnav’s hand.

“What? ” her mouth fell open in disbelief.  “Ahesaan Faramosh! Ungrateful!!”  She blurted looking at the dog.  Arnav smirked.  She jerked her head back and turned her back on him.

““Hope you reach home safely…!” He called out from behind.  She flashed an angry look at him and vanished from the scene.

Arnav turned to leave stroking the dog.  

“She is the same girl… we saw on TV.  Kya mast item hai…! I wish she fell in my arms!!!” a group of Road Romeos followed her.

Arnav heard this and froze!

Khushi,  oblivious that the storm had already reached her home,  started walking down the road towards her house.  The group followed her keeping a distance, whistling and jeering!

Arnav saw Anjali.  He took out his phone.. “Aman, pick up Di from Mazaar…!” he ordered.

Arnav came forward and said “Di stay here! Aman will pick you up! .. I will be right back!” He vanished in no time.

Khushi felt uneasy.  Passersby were staring at her.   She touched her cheeks, her nose, her ears to check everything was in place.

“What has happened to these people!” she blurted wondering what was wrong with her.

A white car far away was following her.  She reached home and saw her neighbors and relatives waiting for her.   Everyone looked very serious.  As she entered,  her babuji closed the door shut with a bang.

The car took a U turn once she reached home.