Yeh Kya Ho Gaya

Part 8

It was a new day in the neighborhood, when Sumedh went for his early morning jog. He came across Samarth playing cricket with other boys.

"Hey bro! Wanna join?"

"Sure!" Sumedh replied with confidence. This is my opportunity to meet new people.

He walked up to them with a bright smile.

"Ok toh mere ko kya karna hai? (What do I have to do?) Batting? Fielding? Balling?"

"Wanna show off your batting?" Samarth said with a challenge.

"Why not?!" He said and grabbed the bat. He leaned in his position, hitting the bat on the ground 2 times, and scrunched his eyebrows in concentration. The bowler came trudging with full swag, overconfident with his skills, and flinged the ball towards Sumedh. Sumedh, still with high concentration, looked at the bowler's hand. Hmmm based on the bowler's style, this is definitely going to be a spin ball. Sumedh smirked as the ball came closer, and swung the bat with precision, making the ball fly into the air.

"AND THAT'S A SIX!!!" Samarth yelled, as the bowler stood there scratching his head. Everyone ran up to Sumedh, giving high fives and pats on the back. But their celebrations were interrupted by a loud voice.

"AYYYY!! WHICH WASTE RASCAL BROKE MY BEAUTIFUL POT?! YOU KNOW I GOT IT FROM BHUTAN! ANYBODY KNOWS HOW FAR THAT IS?!"

Everyone turned around to see a plump aunty coming out of her house. They gave each other looks of nervousness, as she approached closer and closer.

"WHO IS IT?! YOU...YOU....OR YOU?!" she said pointing to individual boys.

Samarth tried to pull Sumedh to the back of the crowd to hide him, but then the aunty saw the bat in his hand. "AYYY! YOU CURLY HAIR BOI! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"

The bowler, taking the chance, joined in. "Ya ya, it was him Mumma. He hit the ball to your pot and broke it." The aunty gave Sumedh a deadly eye stare and grabbed his ear.

"YOU DID IT HUH?! I NEVER SEEN YOUR FACE BEFORE?! ARE YOU FROM THE OTHER COMMUNITY?! I KNEW THEY HAVE WASTE FELLOW LIKE YOU!"

Sumedh gulped. CBI officers can deal with deadly criminals but never scary aunties like these. He Narayan , please help me.

"Uh-um-uh, s-sor---"

"AEYY! SHUT YOUR MOUTH! COME WITH ME RIGHT NOW! I'LL WALK YOU HOUSE TO HOUSE ASKING FOR YOUR MOTHER!!! THEN ONLY YOU WILL UNDERSTAND...YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO BREAK MY POT FROM BHUTAN HUH?!"

"Au-aunty, ouch, p-plea---"

*Mallika's POV*

She took the bucket of washed clothes out onto her terrace and started hanging them. She looked down to see someone being pulled by Arjun's (the bowler) mother. This waste fellow's mother is yelling at someone again?! Who could it be? Let me go see...

She quickly made an excuse and went downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. When she got down there, she saw that it was Sumedh that was in trouble. Oh god, it hasn't even been 2 days and he has already gotten in trouble. I have to do something before she shames him in front of the whole community...

She quickly interfered with the way of the aunty. Seeing her, the aunty said, "Mallika, you don't know what this boy has done!? He broke my pot from Bhutan!"

"Are are please, aap shant ho jay ye. Please, yeh abhi abhi is mohole me shift hua hai. Chod dijiye na. (Please calm down. Please, he has just moved here. Please leave him no.)" Mallika said, trying to save Sumedh.

"Mere raste se hat jao. (Leave my path.) I've had enough with these boys. They are always breaking things. Only my Arjun is good. He never gets in trouble!"

Mallika knew not to talk back to adults, but she was getting annoyed by the brags about Arjun. "Speaking of YOUR nice, kind boy, Arjun, you know how many times he has broken things this past month? He broke my mother's clay figure on the windowsill this past week. And he broke the Mandavi aunty's window pane the week before that and ran away. He cut the wire and dropped all the hanged clothes on Shushila aunty's terrace. Should I count more?"

This left Arjun and his mother flabbergasted, while everyone else held back their temptations to laugh out loud. "Uh-umm, no that's okay beta. Actually, I left something on the stove...let me go take care of that." She started to walk away at a fast pace but then suddenly turned around.

"Arjun Srivastav Muthuswami...." she said in a threatening voice as her son gulped. "Tu chal mere saath, ABHI ISI VAKTA! (You come with me right now, at this very moment.)"

"Don't worry bhai, I'll pray for you..." Samarth said in a serious voice, which made Arjun look at him like he gonna murder him.

Mallika, seeing that the whole situation was back under control, let out her breath and slowly turned around to head back home. But before she could step forwards, she felt someone grab her hand. She suddenly turned around by this sudden gesture, and looked up at the face she expected to see.

"Hey," Sumedh said casually, as he let go.

"Hi," she replied, starting her walk towards her home. Sumedh joined her steps. They walked a few steps and Mallika noticed that Sumedh kept staring at her.

"Are you gonna say something or just keep staring?"

Sumedh stumbled on his step and suddenly looked up at the sky, "Uh just wanted to say thanks, I guess..."

"For what?" she replied with a casual voice while still looking straight ahead, trying to get the proper words to get out of his mouth. Mallika took a quick glance and noticed how he always puts his hand around the back of his neck in awkward situations.

"For helping me out..."

"For helping you out in what...?"

"For helping me escap--wait a minute!" he looked at her face as she bit her bottom lip. "Are you trying to make me say the whole thing again?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Mallika slyly said, smirking.

Sumedh let out a laugh while rolling his eyes and the two continued walking until Mallika turned around suddenly. "Are you going to follow me to my home now too?"

Sumedh looked, startled, to see that they were already at her house. "Well I'll, uh, get going now." He turned around and started walking back the way they had come from. Suddenly, Mallika didn't want him to go yet. She opened her mouth to say something but then suddenly stopped herself. Arey, what are you doing Mallika?!?!! What happened to you all of a sudden!? He's your enemy and you still saved him from Arjun's mother? What did you just do!? She turned reluctantly to go back into her house, when his voice came from the back.

"I don't know if you did it with enmity or to owe me back for yesterday, but I'll accept it. See you again, Toofan."

Mallika stopped in her step but didn't turn around. For some reason, this time she didn't feel that rising anger when he spoke. It seemed as if he was genuine about it. A smile crept on her face as she shaked her head and went inside.

How was this rescue? Do you notice any changes between them? Do comment down below (and vote)!