Opposite Poles..Part 56

Part 56

He looked around.  There was a tea stall.  He got down and walked up to the tea stall.  A group of people was talking and taking the survey of the situation. 

“Oh! Hello, Mr. Raizada..!” Mr. Dhingra shook hands with him. 
“Stuck up now!” he said hopelessly.  “We won’t be able to make it to the conference!” he said shaking his head.  His driver came and said “Sir, he says, we have to walk a kilometer uphill, to his brother’s dhaba and we will get a vehicle there.  His brother is a fleet owner…!” Mr. Dhingra thought for a while and said..
“Yeah! I will walk up the hill.  You be here, take the vehicle when this clears!” He looked at his colleagues and they all nodded.  Four of them left hurriedly since the rain had stopped completely.  

“Saab.. AGAR  AAP  KO  BHI  JAANA  HAIN  TO  ABHI  CHALE  JAIYE..! VARNA  PHIR SE  BAARISH  SHURU HO  JAEGI..!” “You have to hurry up, if you too want to go. It will start raining soon!” said a person.  Arnav looked around.

“Oh! You can park your car here, behind this! It will be safe!” said the tea stall owner.  He went back to the car.
Both the girls were waiting with bated breaths.  

“ASR! We are going back..!” declared Lavanya.  Khushi anyway, had no say! She kept looking at ASR.
“We got to walk uphill for a little while and we will get the vehicle there.  He glanced at people taking the cattle route in the jungle. 
“No!” Lavanya screamed.  “No way, ASR! I am not coming..!” she said.  He glared at her.
“Ok! Take the car and go back!”he said.  “I am going!” he turned his back to open the dikki.  Khushi didn’t know where she was supposed to go.  With her Sir or her Madam!.  She sat there waiting for the decision. 
“ASR!” Lavanya rolled down the glass and called out.  “What?” he asked bending down to take out his bag.  

“CHALIYE NA LAVANYA JI! It’s a very little distance” Khushi suggested.  Lavanya looked confused.
“I am going Lavanya..What do you want to do?” he asked her looking at Khushi.
“No! wait..!” Lavanya was taking time to decide.  He grew angry.  Khushi had got down from the car too.  Lavanya opened the car door.. She still was not ready looking at the jungle, the tall trees, the rainwater rippling down, the dripping trees, lush green grass everywhere!  She wore a disgust.  

“Look Lavanya! We have to reach there by noon.  The inaugural ceremony would start at four.  I must reach there!” he said since he had to deliver the keynote address. 
She got down and Khushi gaped at her.  “Lavanya ji, will you be able to walk?” she looked at her stilts.  Lavanya looked down.
“Oh! God! How am I going to manage!” she looked at ASR helplessly.   He was not bothered. 
“Do you have another pair? A comfortable one?” Khushi asked her. 
“No! I have three in my bag, but all are matching accessories like this..!” she said helplessly.  Khushi thought for a while.

“You can wear mine!” she said brightly.  “What?” Lavanya screamed in disgust.  The thought of wearing Khushi’s footwear made her wince in disgust.  He looked at Khushi with a question on his face, “And what are you going to wear? Lavanya’s stilts?”
“No! I mean I have one more pair, my slippers..!” she said as if she understood him.  He looked away.  “Decide Lavanya!” he barked.  She agreed.  Khushi happily gave her chappals to her muttering..

“Put yourself in my shoes..!” and grinned at him.  He raised his eyebrow. She winced. He walked away.
She came around and rummaging in her bag took out a plastic bag containing her sleepers.  She picked up her hand bag also and looked at Lavanya’s huge luggage.

“Take the minimum required, Lavanya! The driver will bring the rest!” he said looking at her.
She opened all her bags to take the minimum required.  He was frustrated.  “Hurry up!” he snarled.  Khushi winced and bent down to help Lavanya.  She made it into one bag and ordered

“Carry my bag, Chamakili!” Khushi gaped at her and then nodded.  After all she was her assistant.  ASR parked the car at a secure place, called up his driver, gave him instructions and came back. He looked at the duo and snatched both the bags from Khushi.

“No I will carry them!” Khushi was embarrassed.  “Ok!” he thrust the bags in her hand and started walking. She hurled her bag on her shoulder and lifted Lavanya’s heavy bag in her right hand.  He already had started walking into the jungle.

“Tea?’ She badly needed tea.  “No!” he barked.  She twisted her nose, “Laad Governer..!”
“I heard it!” he barked back.  She looked at Lavanya startled.  She was not in this world.  She was looking at the jungle frightened to the core.  

“CHALIYE, LAVANYA JI!” Khushi said and followed him.  Lavanya tried to keep pace with them.  Khushi looked up.
“We have to hurry up, Lavanya ji! It will start raining anytime..!” she said holding Lavanya’s hand.  Lavanya held on to her.  “Chamakili, help me!” she ordered.  Khushi nodded.  Now she had three luggage, two bags and one Lavanya!

Khushi was enjoying walking in that jungle.  The gurgling sound of water enticed her to dance… She looked around brightly.  “This is so beautiful..!” she forgot that she was to help Lavanya and ran forward to splash in the waterfall erupted from rains. 

“Chamakili..!” Lavanya screamed.  “Oh! Sorry!” Khushi came back to hold her hand. 
“Don’t worry, Lavanya Madam..! It’s only for few minutes..!” Khushi said optimistically wondering how long it will take if they go by Lavanya’s speed.  Her mini skirt and the skintight top was a big hindrance.  She couldn’t even walk properly.  Khushi was carrying the entire burden and Lavanya was panting in just five minutes.

“What the hell? What are you two doing?” he had come back searching for them.
“Can’t you see? Walking!” she retorted angrily.  He glared. Lavanya still was struggling.  Khushi tried to help.  “Give those bags”.  Khushi immediately handed over Lavanya’s bag.  He snatched her bag too.  Carrying the two bags on his shoulders and holding one in hand, he walked ahead.  The girls followed.  

“You know? This is like monsoon trekking; we used to do in school.  I used to be always first in cross country!” Khushi’s chatter began.  Lavanya was so exhausted, she couldn’t even stop Khushi’s nonsense talks.  Khushi went on happily. ASR was frustrated with their speed.
“Can’t you walk faster? Damn it!” he barked at Khushi as if she was lagging behind.
“I can, but who is going to help her?” she retorted.  He came back and stared at her.
“Ok.  Go ahead.  I will be with her..!” he challenged.
“Ok! Fine!” she said and dashed forward and Came back running immediately. 
“Give me the bags..!” the duty exchange was to be done.  He glared at her angrily.
“No need!” he made a favor.  “Fine!” she was angry.  She was muttering furiously and climbing the slippery slope.  He had held Lavanya’s hand.  She was trying to walk fast and keep pace with him failing utterly.  His frustration level mounted.  Khushi had gone ahead in a fit of rage.   

“ASR! I have had enough.  Let me catch up with my breath for some time..!” she sat on the rock pressing her bare legs.  He kept the bags and called out “Khushi..!”  He went ahead in search of Khushi.
“Khushi..!” he called out loudly.  “Yeah! I am here!” she said from somewhere above.  He climbed the steep slope in one breath.  She was standing at the top.  He came up.  

“Where is Lavanya ji? Where did you leave her?” she asked angrily seeing him alone.
“Oh! Shut up! She is down there …! I came in search of you, damn it!” he hissed at her.
“Lavanya ji? You left her alone in this jungle?” she yelled at him and ran past him towards Lavanya.

“Auw! She turned abruptly.  He was close behind.  She screamed bumping on him.
“What the..!” he looked ahead holding her in a hug.  A giant serpent had coiled expanding its hood within striking range…!
He held her tightly whispering... “Don’t move!” he kept an eye on the snake... and started moving sideways holding her tightly in his embrace.  The hood moved in their direction as they moved.  He bent down picking up a stick.

“Khushi, we have to move backwards!” he said under his breath. He stood like a statue and then moved back taking small steps.  Khushi moved with him.  The hood did not move but the hissing was audible.  They were still within the striking range of the snake.  He did not take his eyes off and kept moving backwards.  Khushi couldn’t see anything as she was in his embrace.  She could only hear the hissing and his pounding heart.
He threw the stick away and the hood moved in that direction.  This was there last change. One step back he took and they both came sliding down the slope.  Khushi couldn’t even scream in fright.  She landed on top of him. 

“Oh!.. Wait..! He helped her to get up..!” she stood there panting. They were safe.  He looked at her and then holding her shoulders tightly, pulling her closer in rage yelled “What the hell were you doing up there?”

“What? you asked me to go ahead!” she said angrily.  He gazed at her.  

“Sir, please don’t tell this to Lavanya madam.  She will get scared… There is a little distance left..!” she urged moving away from him.  He gaped at her.  She came back with him.  

“Chamakili, where were you?” Lavanya asked angrily.  She glanced at him and said 

“I was waiting for you up there!” Lavanya looked up.  “What? Are we going to climb up there?” she screamed. 
“No! There is a way up from behind..!” Khushi said smiling.
“But before that, eat something..!” She rummaged in her bag and took out Tiffin. 
“Here, have something..!” she held out sweets.  Lavanya took one.  Khushi looked at Arnav.
“Its sugar free!” she said.  He refused still enraged with her.

“Come on Lavanya ji.. Let us go!” she held out her hand and he picked up the luggage removing his mud soaked coat and jacket, stuffing it in his bag.  

“CHALIYE LAVANYA JI!” Khushi held her hand.  Lavanya got up with effort.  Khushi tried to make her walking easy pushing the stones away from her path, even pulling the thorny bushes aside and getting scratches on her hands and shoulders.  Her palm was bleeding but she kept on encouraging Lavanya.  ASR had moved ahead not bothering what these girls were doing.  Khushi had assumed the responsibility of Lavanya.  

And they saw the tar road, the Dhaba and some human beings, after what seemed like an year.  The distance they could have crossed in half an hour, took more than one hour with Lavanya’s speed and grumbling and grousing.  

“Aahaa! Finally..!” Khushi was victorious.  ASR was talking to someone standing in the middle of the road. It had started drizzling .. they had reached in time.