Food plates were placed before them, with vegetarian options for Vara and non-vegetarian for Indrajeet.
"I can't eat all of this," Vara exclaimed in shock, staring at the 'Bahubali Thali.'
"Eat what you can. I'll handle the rest," Indra nudged her towards the plate.
They hadn't had a proper meal in three days, and by the time they reached home, it would be past dinner time.
'Will he eat from both our plates?' She looked at him dubiously.
She began eating with her hands, while Indrajeet, who was using a spoon, looked pleasantly surprised. He set his spoon down and joined her in eating with his hands.
Her eyes widened after her first bite of sabji and roti. She could feel her ears growing hot and tears welling up in her eyes. The food was incredibly spicy. "Ahh...W... water, please," she managed to say in between gasps. In her haste to grab the bottle, the fingers of her left hand got coated in curd.
Indrajeet hurriedly opened the bottle and held it before her. Confused, he thought, 'The food isn't that spicy.'
With both her hands coated in food and the glasses appearing unclean, she opened her mouth, expecting him to give her water.
An unfamiliar warmth gripped his heart as he poured a small amount of water into her mouth. She drank and then opened her mouth again, eagerly. He gazed at her adoringly as she quenched her thirst.
"Nahi...main nahi kha sakti ye," Vara pushed her plate away.
("No...I can't eat this.")
"At least eat some items," Indra cajoled her. "It may take a few hours to reach home."
Vara selected a few items: curd, plain rice, gulab jamun, and salad.
"Can we pack the remaining? I don't want to let it go to waste," she said, looking guilty.
"Voh hum kha lenge. Aap bas itna hi khaegi?" Indra frowned at the selected amount.
("I will eat that. Will you only eat this much?")
"Ha...ye bohot hai," Vara replied.
("Yes...this is enough.")
"No...take some more from my plate. Whatever you like," Indra pushed his plate towards her.
After a lot of insistence, Vara realized he was not going to back out, and she was hungry. She sheepishly picked up a gulab jamun from his plate.
He waved off eating his own food. "Take it. I don't like sweets much."
Vara had underestimated her own hunger. After a while, she had taken salad and curd from his plate, while transferring some of the food like sabji and roti to his plate. Throughout, she made sure not to touch the non-veg food on his plate. In that moment, she almost forgot that the person sitting beside her was not her sister or father, but the dangerous-looking man who scared her.
Vara had this habit of sharing food with Tarini. Whatever she didn't want to eat, she would transfer it to her father's or sister's plate. She had picked up this habit in childhood, never eating a lot of food at once. She always preferred eating small bites of food with a few hours of gap time in between. Her Nana and Baba disapproved of this habit, expecting her to finish her food like an adult considering she was an adult now...
Indra was once again gazing at her in awe. 'Who would have thought that sharing food could be so satisfying?' He had never experienced this with anyone before.
"Aapko jyada toh nahi na ho raha?" Vara asked, shocked to find his plate almost empty.
("You're not feeling too full, are you?")
Indrajeet grinned at her. "Not at all. If you don't want that, I will have some..." He pointed at the biryani on her plate.
"Yes...sure," she replied, trying to hide her astonished expression.
'Bapre, Kay bakasura sarkha khat ahe ha manus?' she thought, still reeling from the shock of his huge appetite. ("Oh god, he's literally eating like a Bakasura.")
Indrajeet kept looking at her while eating his food. She looked like a fairy with all the flower hairstyles. She had removed her flower tiara on the way, yet she still attracted looks from the nearby crowd. They were sitting out in the open on a jute cot
*****
Suddenly, a huge crowd entered the dhaba. Indrajeet tensed. He felt Vara moving closer to him. To his relief, it turned out to be a wedding procession heading to the nearby village. The crowd was making loud jokes and poking fun at each other. Suddenly, a few girls noticed Vara's hairstyle and started questioning her...
In the next five minutes, they found themselves surrounded by a small crowd. A few men were trying to engage Indrajeet in conversation about the weather, traffic, and whatnot. Indrajeet replied in monosyllables. He enjoyed the feeling of Vara sitting close to his side, scared of all the attention, seeking protection from him. Though there was no need for protection, it stirred some primal instincts in him. In those moments, Indrajeet couldn't shake off the primal urge to shield her from the world's gaze. It was as if an instinctive need to safeguard her had awoken within him, heightening his awareness of her presence and his protective instincts. Discreetly, he kept a hand behind her on the cot.
One of the ladies made fun of Vara, stating that even the bride was not as shy as her...
The crowd started singing songs as their ordered food was taking time. Someone loudly played the song, and the majority of the crowd left to dance. Finally, Vara was relieved, but Indrajeet felt disappointed as Vara moved away from him.
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
Sara din ghunghate mein band gudiya si
Oyer oye oye oye oye
Sara din ghunghate mein band gudiya si
Akhiyon mein ghulati hai
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Sara din sadkon pe khaali rikshe sa
Haaye sara din sadkon pe khaali rikshe sa
Peechhe peechhe chalta hai
For Vara, her relief was short-lived as both she and Indrajeet were dragged by the crowd to join in the dance. To her utter embarrassment, someone pushed her into Indrajeet's arms.
Oye hoye kori hai karaari hai
Bhoon ke utaari hai
Kori hai karaari hai
Bhoon ke utaari hai
Kabhi kabhi milti hai
Ho kudi meri
Ho kudi meri
Ve ooncha lamba kad hai
Chauda bhi to had hai
Ooncha lamba kad hai
Chauda bhi to had hai
Door se dikhta hai
Ho munda mera haan haan haan
Ho munda mera
Arre dekhne mein tagda hai
Jangal se pakda hai
Seeng dikhata hai
Enjoying her mortified looks, Indrajeet drew her into his arms under the pretense of being pushed.
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
Hey paaji hai shareer hai
Ghoomati lakeer hai
Chakra ke chalti hai hoye
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
Vara tried to find a way out of the crowd, only to be pushed back into Indra time and again. He gladly held her waist as she stumbled into him, and she apologized shyly.
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Arre kachche pakke beron se
Chori ke sheron se
Kachche pakke beron se
Chori ke sheron se
Dil behlata hai
Ve munda mera
Ho munda mera
Munda mera
Normally, Indrajeet stayed away from all of these things as he considered them utterly silly. However, on this occasion, he found himself actually enjoying his time amidst the festivities.
Haaye gora chitta rang hai
Chaand ka palang hai
Gora chitta rang hai
Chaand ka palang hai
Chandni mein dhulti hai
Ho kudi meri haan..
Ho kudi meri haan..
Doodh ka ubaal hai
Hansi to kamaal hai
Motiyon mein tulti hai
Not finding a way out, Vara turned to Indrajeet in frustration and annoyance. She realized he could easily navigate their way out with his height and presence, but he wasn't attempting anything.
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Neem shareefon ke
Aivein lateefon ke kisse sunata hai
With a tongue-in-cheek expression, Indrajeet acknowledged her accusing glare and stifled a laugh when her eyes widened comically at his mere shoulder shrug.
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
Sara din ghunghate mein band gudiya si
Akhiyon mein ghulati hai
Sara din sadkon pe khaali rikshe sa
Peechhe peechhe chalta hai
Sapne mein milta hai
Ho munda mera sapne mein milta hai
Sapne mein milti hai
Ho kudi meri sapne mein milti hai
As the crowd dispersed, Vara gasped and happily pointed towards Bajrang and his team of guards standing near the car. "Your friend...vo dekho vaha pe hai..."
(Your friend...look they are here.)
In her excitement, she almost started running towards Bajrang, only to be pulled back by her wrist.
"Hum bhi hai yaha. Saath chale?" he asked, a bit annoyed at her eagerness to go away from him.
(I am also here. Can we go together?)
He didn't release her hand even as she pointed out that they were not in the jungle anymore.
As they reached the car, Bajrang gave Indrajeet a quick hug, and then nodded at Vara. Indrajeet opened the back door of the car, asking her to sit inside. He instructed Bajrang to pay the hefty amount to the dhaba owner and ordered another guard to bring Vara's flower tiara and the small fruit basket which was left on the small jute cot.
Vara gladly took a seat, relieved to be going home to her sister and her family. But then it hit her—did her family know about this fiasco? Did Tarini Tai tell them? God, she had broken their trust. It would be a miracle if they ever believed her again. How was she going to face them...
She was surprised to see Indrajeet sitting in the back with her as Bajrang began to drive, with two other cars following them, one in front and one behind.
*****
Bajrang stared at his Boss from the rearview mirror. Now that they were returning home, his Boss should look happy. Instead, his Boss looked grumpy. The girl beside him was continuously staring out of the car window even though it was closed. Bajrang averted his gaze as his Boss frowned at him. What's with the fruit basket? Their car smells like a flower garden. Hmm, it seems like finally he will get his 'Bhabhisa'.
The car came to a halt. Indrajeet got down, telling Vara that Dhruv was waiting for him with additional security.
Gulping his emotions, Dhruv hugged Indrajeet. "Welcome back."
"It's good to be back." Smiling a little, Indrajeet returned the hug, then teased, "Do you need a tissue?"
"Not as much as you need a bath." Smiling playfully, Dhruv replied.
The guard sitting beside Bajrang left to join another car, while Dhruv took his seat.
"Hi Vara," Dhruv greeted her warmly, then raised his brows at her hairstyle but refrained from commenting after seeing Indrajeet's glare.
"Hi," smiling shyly, she greeted him back.
"Oh, fruits...but what types of fruits are these? Some I know, some..." Dhruv keenly observed the fruit, and just as he was about to eat, Indra stopped him by slapping the back of his head.
"Ouch, what was that for?" He frowned at Indrajeet.
"Those are gifted to Vara," Indra replied.
"Gifted??? You guys were stuck in a jungle, right? Who gave you gifts in the jungle? And what are these flowers?" Dhruv began.
But another serious look from Indra, and he turned quiet after muttering, "You are no fun..."
Vara thanked god. She didn't wish to answer any questions, and Dhruv seemed to be a guy who liked being extra funny.
"Oh, by the way Vara," Dhruv called out. "Your sister's phone. I kept it with me, you know, just in case you guys needed help before Bajrang reached, and the phone's password is..."
"It's okay. Mera fingerprint add hai Tai ke phone pe." She opened Tarini's phone and didn't notice Indra's amazed look or Dhruv's low mumble of "wow."
(My fingerprint is added on my sister's phone)
Vara quickly checked Tarini's and her father's messages. She almost winced as she saw her father asking Tarini to make sure Vara calls him back and if they are okay. Or are they hiding anything? First things first, she would have to call her father once they reach Chauhan Bhawan. Then she would have to return to her own home. Hopefully, these messages and the absence of her family meant they didn't know anything yet.
*****
Indrajeet slowly guided her head to his chest and kept his arms around her lightly. He observed her face; while sleeping, her face emitted the innocence of a baby. Her mouth was slightly open. She looked cute. Finally, she was sleeping after a lot of yawning and stretching her eyes to keep them open. Most probably because she didn't wish to sleep with three strangers in the car. But he wasn't a stranger anymore, right? After spending three days together, she could at least trust him as much, Indra thought a bit sullenly.
With a fake cough, Dhruv drew his attention away from his adoration of the girl.
"If you wish, we can leave the car to give you guys some privacy," Dhruv smirked.
Indra threw one small fruit at him, which Dhruv caught with quick reflexes. Dhruv was expecting another glare from his friend, but then Indrajeet surprised him as he relaxed his posture, extending his legs and adjusting Vara's hair behind her ear.
"I won't mind, but I believe she will have problems with it." The sly grin that followed said much more to Dhruv.
Dhruv's eyes widened with excitement; however, he kept quiet after Indra shook his head, glancing at the sleeping Vara...
*****
A rhythm of steady heartbeats is what she heard as she started waking up. Confused, she looked up from her comfortable position only to come face to face with the dangerous-looking man who was gazing at her...shit, she was sleeping on his chest. Her face turned red in embarrassment as she hurriedly moved back, apologizing. Turning to look out of the window, she saw that their car was entering the gates of Chauhan Bhawan...
The moment the car came to a stop before their mansion, Vara threw the door open and ran to her sister who was waiting outside for her. Both sisters hugged each other and cried as Indrajeet's family surrounded him. He held both the crying ladies in his arms, his Dadisa and Buasa. Girish phuphasa patted his back while Raina stood at a distance wiping her eyes and waiting for her turn to get a hug. Daksh fist pumped his Dada and turned to greet Vara, and soon his Buasa and Phuphasa joined them...
After performing a quick aarti, Indrajeet was ushered into the home followed by Vara.
Indrajeet briefly recounted their jungle adventures. His family, being a good audience, gasped at the right intervals and gave appropriate reactions.
As the story came to an end, the discussion moved to a doctor's check-up. Tarini and Narmada were observing the flower hairstyle and flower tiara. Vara had politely handed the basket of fruits to Tarini. She couldn't take that back home. She would face unnecessary questions.
"I wish I had something like this for my marriage. Mine was not this beautiful," Tarini commented sadly.
"Ha, tumhara hairstyle was not less than a wild jungle head. When I saw it at first, I thought you had attached a flower bouquet to your hair..." Daksh said, making everyone laugh and Tarini glare.
(Yes, your hairstyle looked like a wild jungle head)
"At least I didn't wear feathers in my cap which looked like a horse tail on your head," Tarini taunted back.
"Hey, I thought you said that I looked dashing," Daksh mocked.
*****
Finally, Vara felt clean after a proper bath. Today she would be sleeping with her sister. Tarini had asked Daksh to sleep in the guest room for a day. Tarini had refused Vara's request to go back to her own home. Narmada aunty and Girish uncle agreed with her. Vara could go to her office from here tomorrow. At least Tarini had Vara's bag from their trip. Vara had spoken to her father and felt immense guilt when once again she lied, saying her purse with her phone went missing. Her father sounded upset with her careless behavior but relieved that she was okay... Her jiju thought that since everything was okay, there was no point in telling the truth and getting scolded...
A while back, the Chauhan family doctor had come to check on her, asking if she had a headache. Vara was surprised. He left her, giving her medicine for her headache and acidity.
*****
After the doctor checked Indrajeet's wounds and commented that they already looked better, he bandaged them. He was surprised when, for the first time, Indrajeet Chauhan asked him to check a girl's health who was not his family.
Dhruv and Raina were badgering him for all the details, but Girish and Narmada intervened. "It's already late. He is tired. Let him sleep. You guys can discuss everything tomorrow."
Tomorrow morning, he was going to see her face again. Tomorrow, Vara would be leaving for her office. Before that he had a chance to meet her once more. So close yet so far... Four nights in a row they had spent under the same roof... This trip had made him realize, not just attraction, he actually liked her a lot and would not mind sharing the rest of his life with her. Indrajeet recalled his recent vision. No, he wouldn't let things go that way. If she is bound to be his wife, then he will date her and then marry her. She is very shy, and they will need to spend a substantial amount of time together to make her comfortable with him. With time, he may fall in love with her... Indrajeet closed his eyes with a satisfactory smile...
*****
Note:
Here is the Sunday update. Hope you enjoy the story...