If Vara were not so distressed and worried, she would have marveled at the hidden village in the forest with a concealed entrance...
Indrajeet was taken to a hut-like home. As the men started to remove his clothing, Vara resolutely looked up... She would have left the tent, but she was not sure about leaving Indrajeet with these unknown men. Though she didn't get any hostile vibes from them...
One man hurriedly pushed a green leaf-like substance down Indra's throat with water, while another man started applying paste-like substances on his injuries. Vara was horrified when Indrajeet started vomiting continuously, even expelling some blood. She tried asking the men who were treating Indrajeet, but they could not understand her and gestured for her to leave the tent. The same woman came and took her out.
Vara tried to ask the woman, but she was taken to another man, who appeared to be in his early 40s. He was the only one who could speak the language that Vara understood. He introduced his parents as the chief of the village and himself as the chief's son, with the woman accompanying Vara being his wife.
They were tribal people with almost no contact with the outside world, known as the Vanyasi. For them, the forest is their only god...
The son had run away during his teenage years and had wandered in the outside world for a few years, hence he knew how to speak Hindi. He returned after some years and was the only person who still rarely wandered outside, except for emergencies; otherwise, the forest was their abode. The village population was below a hundred, with some 35-40 odd hut-like structures.
He informed Vara that his people would help her husband and treat him. In fact, the vomiting was helping them remove the infection from his body. Vara wanted to correct his wrong assumption about husband, but she kept quiet..."
All the people were looking at Vara with curiosity, and understandably so; she was dressed in jeans and a top, soaked and covered from head to toe in mud. The women in the village wore cotton sarees without blouses, adorned with lots of flowers. On the other hand, the men wore half-cotton dhotis reaching their knees, with no clothing on their upper bodies.
She was taken back to the hut where Indrajeet was being kept. He was still unconscious, his torso filled with numerous leafs and paste, and his vomit cleaned up. She was relieved to find him dressed in a cotton dhoti like the men from the village. The man treating him covered Indrajeet with another cotton sheet, exchanged words with the lady in their language, and then left.
The lady spoke to her in broken Hindi, conveying that it would take some time for Indra to regain consciousness. Then, the lady handed her a clothes basket containing Indra's clothes. Vara was led to a large water pond. Through a combination of broken hindi and after another round of damsharas (dumb charades), Vara understood that she was expected to clean the clothes and take a bath...
Only Vara was not ready to bathe out in the open. The lady was not paying no heed to her protests...They were joined by some giggling women...much to Vara's horror, as it seemed they had also come to bathe. The girls pushed her into the hut where she was made to wear a white cotton saree, at least sparing her from being completely unclothed. After some time, Vara realized that none of the men were venturing near the pond, which made her relax a little. The girls kept petting her hair and examining her earrings and the clothes she was washing, seemingly fascinated by her. They continuously asked the lady to translate their questions, and Vara made sure to answer whatever she could.
Vara had only seen this kind of communal bath in old movies, never in real life. Even in her own village, young boys wouldn't mind taking a dip in the open, but it was definitely not acceptable for ladies. She hadn't been to many beaches, aside from their own.
Somehow, Vara managed to clean the mud and blood from her and Indra's clothes by washing them. His vest was burnt, and his jacket was lost during the attack. Luckily, his shirt was tied around his waist, so it was saved. She blushed when she noticed his underwear included in the basket, but without touching it, she cleaned his other clothes...
At the end of the ordeal, she was famished. The ladies provided her with lots of fruits. She took the clothes inside the hut and hung them on the available rope to dry. After all of this torture, she hoped that they would manage to reach home safely...
*****
"Indra ji..." He sat up with a gasp, experiencing the same vision once again...
'Where is Vara? Where am I? Why am I half-naked? What is this paste? Why am I on the floor?' The answer to his first question lay near his feet. Vara was sleeping, with her head resting on her knees. She looked serene in that red saree, with a cloth tied like a tube top around her breasts instead of a blouse....his mouth felt dry looking at her delicate neck and shoulders inviting him to....But why is she wearing this type of clothing...
Then memories rushed to him. The attack, him asking Vara to leave, her assurance that all would be fine, and the strange men carrying him away flooded back into his mind...
"What the fuck?" His shout startled her awake.
Vara stood up with a gasp, her face breaking into a relieved smile. She quickly snatched the cotton sheet beside her and wrapped herself in it.
"Where are we? Where did they take us? And most importantly, why the fuck are you wearing this..." His tone was accusing as he fired one question after another at her.
Her smile dropped. "Hum, yaha ek gaon mein hain. Kal jungle mein kuch log mile. Unhone humari madad ki..."
(We are in a village. I met a few people in the jungle. They helped us.)
"KAL?" His eyes narrowed as he cursed and started looking for his mobile phone. "Where is my phone?" He muttered angrily.
(Yesterday?)
Vara got scared, looking at his angry form, but she handed him his phone. "Battery is dead," she replied timidly.
"Shit!" He cursed, and his furious gaze turned on her. "Humne aapko kal chale jane kaha tha. Hume nayi musibat main fasane ke liye nahi. Koi bhi aake kahega ki vo madat karega aur aap unki baat maan jayengi? Kya hota agar vo log humare dushman nikalte?"
(I asked you to leave yesterday. I didn't ask you to create new problems. Anyone will approach and offer their help and you will listen to them? What would have happened if they were our enemies?)
"Par vo gunde nahi hai. Acche log hai..." she replied timidly.
(But they are not thugs. They are good people.)
Indra was not ready to listen to anything. If anything her response made him more angry. The only thought of her safety was running at the forefront of his mind. He had been unconscious since yesterday. If something had happened to her under his watch, "Aapko kaise pata ki vo log acche hi the? Aur kya hota agar voh aapke saath kuch galat karte? Jab hum kuch aadesh dete hain, toh sab humari baatein mante hain. Aap apne aap ko samjhti kya hain?"
(How do you know they were good people? And what if they had done something wrong to you? When I give orders, everyone listens to me. What do you think of yourself?)
"Aap bohot bimar the..." She said in the lowest voice, staring at the ground as tears pooled in her eyes.
(You were very sick.)
"Exactly. Aur humne aapse kaha tha ki Hume chod ke jane ke liye. Agar aap humara aadesh manti toh shayad aaj aap apne ghar pe safe hoti," He snapped at her.
(Exactly. And I told you to leave me and go. If you had followed my order, maybe today you would have been safe at your home.)
There was a movement at the door. Indrajeet turned to the door and stood in a protective stance as Vara quickly wiped her eyes.
It was the chief's son and his wife. The couple smiled cautiously at Indrajeet. The man introduced himself and his wife. The lady took Vara outside. Indra was not comfortable letting her leave, but Vara willingly stepped out.
The chief's son narrated the same information to Indrajeet that was given to Vara yesterday. Indrajeet relaxed a little. Additionally, he casually commented that his wife took good care of him. Surprised, Indra remained quiet. Another man came and checked Indrajeet's wounds.
Indrajeet thanked the chief's son and requested that they need to leave immediately. The chief's son guided him to a nearby water pond to freshen up, where Indra got ready in his old clothes. They looked a little cleaner... but who washed them? Vara? Shaks, his underwear was also there...
Indra felt immensely guilty. He hadn't listened and had shouted at Vara.
He tried to be a humble man, but he couldn't deny that there were some hardcore behavior traits that he had inherited from his ancestors plus over the period of time as he got older. One of them was that as a prince and future king, once he ordered something, it was always followed. Another trait was never being refused for anything...
By the time he returned, Vara was already ready in her jeans and top. She was sitting with some giggling girls and looked uncomfortable with the attention they were giving her, as they were tying flowers in her hair.
The chief's son introduced Indrajeet to his parents. They were given a few fruits to eat. This time Vara was sitting with him.
Before leaving, they were taken to the goddess whom the villagers followed, Vana Devi. Vara offered her gold earrings, whereas Indrajeet placed his gold ring at the goddess's feet. It was a miracle they were leaving the jungle alive after all the mishaps. They took leave of the villagers with a small fruit basket and a flower tiara for Vara.
A few village people dropped them off some distance away from the main road. Indrajeet thanked the chief's son and asked him what he could do as a gesture of gratitude. The chief's son refused any help and further informed Indrajeet that they rarely stay in one place for long...
The road was almost visible to them. Vara had not spoken a word to him, but at least she didn't refuse when he held her hand.
"I am sorry, Vara," Indra turned to her.
"Koi baat nahi," she said quietly.
(No problem.)
"No, I am really sorry. Hum dar gaye the agar aapko kuch ho jata..." He tried again.
(I was scared if something had happened to you...)
"It's okay. Hume chalna chahiye," Vara replied quietly, still not meeting his gaze.
(We should leave.)
But it was not okay, and he could see that. Vara was clearly upset with him.
"Vara... I know you may think I overreacted. I did, I know that. Hume apki baat sunni chahiye thi. Lekin humne vo sab apki fikar me kaha. Humne duniya dekhi hai. Yaha pe madat karne valo se jyada aapke majburi ka fayda lene vale log jyada milenge. Hum ye nahi kahenge ki humari galti nahi thi bas ummed hai ki aap humare gusse ka karan samjhne ki koshish kare. You are my responsibility. Please forgive me."
(Vara... I know you may think I overreacted. I did, I know that. I should have listened to you. I said all of that because I was worried about you. I have seen the world. Here, you will find people who prefer to take advantage of your helplessness rather than helping you. I won't say that I was not wrong in shouting at you. I just hope that you understand the reason I did it. You are my responsibility. Please forgive me.)
He heard a soft sniffle before Vara started saying, "I understand Mr. Chauhan. Main manti hu ki aapne mujhe apni jaan bachane ke liye kaha tha. Par main kisi injured insaan ko ignore karke nahi ja sakti. Aap ne parso se meri help ki hai or rather should I say, you have saved my life since we have fallen from that cliff. Toh aap ne kaise soch liya ki aapki jarurat ke waqt main selfish banke chali jaungi? Aap ko chot bhi toh bhi mujhe bachate waqt hi ayi thi. Aur let's just say ki main aapka 'Aadesh' maan leti" she intentionally stressed on the word Aadesh "aur chali bhi jati toh kya aap ye guarantee de sakte hai ki main beech me kisi aur musibat me nahi fasti?"
(I understand, Mr. Chauhan. I agree that you told me to save my life. But I cannot ignore an injured person. You have been helping me since the day before yesterday, or rather should I say, you have saved my life since we fell from that cliff. So how did you think that I would leave selfishly when you needed me? I was there to help you even when you were injured. And let's just say that I accepted your 'order' and left, can you guarantee that I wouldn't encounter any other trouble along the way?)
"I..." Indra cleared his throat. This was the longest speech he had heard from her since the wedding. However, she was not speaking directly to him. Her head was bowed, and she was staring at her shoes. "No. You are right. I didn't mean that. I know you saved my life, and I am grateful to you. Toh aap ne hume maaf kiya?"
(So, am I forgiven?)
"Mafi ki toh koi baat hi nahi hai. Hum dono musibat me the aur humne ek dusre ki madat ki. Baas agli baar mujhe aise dantne se pehele ye yaad rakhiye ki aapke aadesh manane ke liye nahi toh aap mere Raja hai aur nahi toh main aapki Praja" Vara finished mentally congratulating herself for her clear speech. A while ago when he had scolded her, she felt bad. He was very rude. She cried.
(There is no need to ask for an apology. We both were stuck in a problem, and we helped each other. Just remember, before scolding me next time, to listen to your orders. You are not my king, and I am not your subject.)
She usually faced difficulty in giving responses on the spot. When outsiders spoke rudely to her, she would not know what to say immediately. She would cry, then think of numerous replies, and finally settle on what to say. Sometimes, the best responses stayed in her mind. She wished she had her Tarini Tai's ability to take people left, right, and center according to their rudeness and attitude.
Now that she had given her peace of mind, she realized he may have felt offended. He was deathly quiet, which made her feel nervous and scared. He is a dangerous man, and she is not even completely out of the jungle yet. Her sister had told her that he did not tolerate disrespect. Tentatively, she took two steps, intending to start a journey towards the road and hoping he would follow.
She got pulled back, colliding with a strong torso. He held her by her arms. Shocked, she looked up.
His eyes twinkled. "Jaban toh bilkul kaichi jaisi chalti hai apki, Madam," Indra looked amused. "Ek kaam karna, agli baar ye sab zameen ko ya apke shoes ko nahi humare aankhon mein aankhein daal kar bolna. Aur ha, ye toh sahi kaha aapne ki aap humari praja nahi hain, par hum Raja zaroor hain. Aur jab ek Raja itni baar aapse maafi maang raha ho toh maafi de deni chahiye. Pata nahi kab accha bhala Raja Sanki Raja ban jaaye... toh ab bataiye, kiya na hume maaf?" He grinned at her.
(You have a sharp tongue, Madam) (Just do one thing next time, speak to me while looking in my eyes, not facing the floor or your shoes. And you are right, you are not my subject. But I am definitely a King. And when a King is apologizing to you so many times, I think you should forgive him. You may never know when a good king may turn into a psycho king. So tell me, have you forgiven me?)
She tried to come out of his hold, gazing at him in fear. "ma..main...ha...ha...ki..kiya maaf" She replied hesitantly.
(Yes...yes...you are forgiven)
Reluctantly, he let her go. He was stunned when she swiftly ignored his apology and gave him a long lecture, especially the part about not being her Raja (King).
"Chaliye," he said, taking hold of her hand once again.
(Let's go)
*****
Fortunately, they got a lift from a truck, which dropped them near a highway dhaba. It was almost evening. Indra ordered food at the dhaba and borrowed a mobile phone from the dhaba owner with the promise of paying back double. However, he could not remember a single phone number.
Vara observed his frustrated face as he tried to remember a phone number. Finally, she couldn't control herself from commenting. "Aapko ek bhi phone number yaad nahi?" Her tone was almost admonishing.
(You don't remember even a single phone number?)
"Aap toh aise bol rahi hai jaise apko sare phone numbers yaad rehte hai," he mocked.
(You talk as if you remember all the phone numbers.)
"Saare toh nahi, par at least 2-3 important numbers toh easily yaad rehte hai. Jaise ki Nana, Baba, aur Tarini Tai," Vara replied back proudly.
(Not all, but I remember at least 2-3 important numbers easily. Like Grandpa, Dad, and Tarini Tai.)
"What? You know Tarini's number, toh pehle kyu nahi bataya?" He asked, shocked.
(Why didn't you say so before?)
"Aapne pucha nahi na," Vara shrugged.
(You didn't ask.)
Indrajeet's eyes widened comically before he thrust the phone to her. "Ye lijiye, call kijiye aapki behen ko..."
(Here, take this and call your sister...)
*****
Tarini was gazing at her father's phone number. For two days, Daksh had managed to lie to her family. Yesterday, her father sounded upset on the phone when he informed Daksh that as soon as Vara got in touch with them, ask her to call her father back.
Now that she knows that Bajrang had found a few burnt things, including some belonging to a girl and Indra's dagger, there is a chance that Vara will probably be hurt and injured. She refused to believe Vara could be dead. Even though Rajpurohit said all those positive things looking at Vara's horoscope, Tarini would not believe it until she sees her sister. She can't hide this anymore from her family. She deserves all the backlash she was going to get. A sob escaped her. As she was about to dial, her phone started ringing. It was an unknown number. Doubtful that it could be spam but not wanting to miss if it's her sister, she answered the call.
"Taru Tai..." Vara spoke.
"V..Va..Vara. Is that really you?" Tears streamed down her face. "Oh my god. Are you okay? Where are you? Tell me, I am coming," Tarini almost shouted down the line in happiness.
"Tai...Tai...Tai...me bari ahe. Apan nantr bolu. Ek kaam kr patkan phone Jiju or Indra ji chya friends na de please. Indra ji na bolayche ahe..." Vara stopped her sister's frantic calls.
(I am okay. We will speak later. For now, quickly handover the phone to Jiju or Indra Ji's friends. He wants to speak with them...)
"Indra Dada? Te tujha sobat ahet? Ha...ha ata dete...thamb ha. Daksh khali living room madhe asel." Tarini got up from the bed, hurt her toe and knee by bumping into a table. "Phone thevu nako ha Varu."
(Indra Dada? He is with you? Yes...yes..wait. Daksh is probably downstairs in the living room.) (Varu, don't disconnect the line.)
*****
Everyone was gathered in the living room. Girish suggested they should probably publish the news of Indrajeet being missing officially. As rumors had started circulating, it may negatively impact business. However, once the news is broadcast, there are more chances of finding Indrajeet and Vara.
Since the family got to know about the burnt items, the atmosphere of Chauhan Bhawan had turned mourning. Bajrang was still looking for them, and their choppers were still making rounds, but they were not found.
"DAKSH... DAKSH!" Tarini's shout left everyone startled and brought Narmada out of the Puja Room.
"Tarini, kya hua?" Daksh stopped her by holding her arms.
(Tarini, what happened?)
"DAKSH... VARA ka call hai. INDRA DADA wants to speak..." She handed him her phone with happy tears in her eyes.
(Vara is on the call. Indra bro wants to speak.)
"What?" Everyone gathered around them as Daksh took the phone still in disbelief. His eyes widened. "Vara?"
"Ha, ek minute ha Jiju," he heard Vara say.
(Yes, one minute jiju.)
"Hello Daksh," Indra spoke.
Everyone held their breath as Daksh whispered, "Dada."
(Brother)
The phone was snatched from Daksh's hand as Dhruv took over. "Indra... where the fuck are you?" Hearing Indra's voice, he let out a string of curses, not caring that he was surrounded by his family members, until Raina pinched his arm.
"Ouch, woman," he glared at Raina, but happiness was visible on everyone's face and no one really paid the heed to cursing.
"Dhruv, I am talking from someone else's phone. I have to give it back, and listen to me. We are here..." Indra gave him the location.
******
After disconnecting the call, he looked at everyone and announced, "Indra and Vara are safe, and they will be with us in a few hours." Everyone started celebrating. Dadisa and Narmada were asking Tarini what Vara said and if they were okay.
Dhruv happily called Bajrang, who was nearest to Indra. Indrajeet had specially asked Dhruv not to make too much noise upon their return, as he still suspected someone might attack them. Bajrang would collect them by car, and Dhruv would meet them halfway with extra security...
*****
Note:
Finally they are out of the jungle. I know this chapter contains a lot of pictures. I was not sure if I had explained everything hence the pictures...plus I like them
So what are your thoughts on Vara and Indrajeet as separate people? Let me know.
Hope you like the update.