"Sab samaan rakh liya ke chhorri?", Asked Iravati

"Haan amma.", Prerna answered.

Shehnaaz looked at Prerna in confusion.

"Maahre didi aur jija ke ghar jaa rahi hoon. Unke gaon mein mela lagane wala se. Har saal lage se aur manne harr saal wo apne ghar bulaave se.", Prerna exclaimed excitedly to Shehnaaz.

"Kitne din ke liye jaa rahi ho?", Shehnaaz asked looking at the heaps of bag.

"2 hafte ka bola se par maahri didi manne ek mahine se kam mein na bhejne wali. Par yeh saara maahra samaan naa se, yeh toh maahri didi, jija aur unke ghar walon ke liye bhet (gift) se.", Prerna giggled

"Oh wow!! Enjoy..", Shehnaaz said.

"Ye le chhorri, mele ke liye..", Sidharth gave some money to Prerna for her shopping. Prerna smiled from ear to ear looking at the money.

"Thaare liye kuch le aau mele se?", Prerna whisper asked to Shehnaaz. Shehnaaz smiled and nodded her head in denial. She waved at Prerna, who then left.

A tear drop escaped Shehnaaz's eyes automatically. This was the first time she shed tears for someone else than her family. Prerna had become quick friends with her. She had been extremely helpful to Shehnaaz. She would secretly help Shehnaaz to draw a few buckets of water from well to take bath since two days saving her pain. She would also sneakily teach Shehnaaz milk the cow while Sidharth was in his akhaada. With her being gone, Shehnaaz was stranded. Though she could milk the cow with some kicks, drawing water was still a nightmare for her.

In order to escape drawing water from the well, Shehnaaz skips bathing and wipes herself with wet clothes. Sidharth on the other hand kept busy with his panchayat work. They both met briefly only during dinner before he slept outside on the chaarpai as usual.

The next two days the same routine continued and by now Shehnaaz was irritated because she didn't get to bathe properly especially when the weekend episode was to be shot the next day.

"Aaj manne khet jaana se.. dopahar ka khaana Bhola ke haaton bhejwa dena amma.", Sidharth said.

"Thik se chhorre..", Iravati nods.

"Aur haan amma, pass ke panchayat se ek aadmi avega, usko mhaari mez pe rakhi huyi laal file de dena.", Sidharth instructs before leaving.

.
.
.

"Kya hua aunty, aap pareshaan kyu ho?", Shehnaaz asks looking at Iravati standing near the door in tension.

"Bhola ki lugaai ko prasav ka dard (labour pain) shuru ho gaya se, toh woh ghar chala gaya se. Ib Sidharth ko khet mein khaana bhejna se. Prerna bhi apni didi ke ghar gayi se. Pass ke panchayat se koi aana wala se kuch kagaz lene, warna main khudh le jaati khaana.", Said Iravati.

"Main leke jaa sakti hoon, par mujhe khet kaha hai woh nahi pata.", Shehnaaz said.

"Ghanni meherbaani (Huge help) hogi chhorri je tu khaana le jaavegi.. Main thaare ko apne khet ka raasta samjha deti hoon.", Iravati said and explained her the route. Shehnaaz went to get ready while Iravati packed the tiffin.

"Thaare liye bhi issi mein khaana rakh diya se chhorri. Aate aate dher ho jaayega, toh tu bhi utte khaa lena.", Iravati said giving her the bag.

"Okay Aunty, bye..", Shehnaaz waved happily and left in the direction as instructed by Iravati.

On her way, she saw a big haveli. She wondered who it belonged to when she heard a lady's voice. To her annoyance, she saw Dia Dutta flirtatiously teasing Thakur Vikram Singh and laughing.

"Aap saatt (60) ke lagte nahi ho Thakur. Kisi bhi hero ko takkar de sakte ho. Agar aap film industry mein hote toh sabse bade super star hote.", She praised.

"Ke majjak kare se chhorri..", Vikram Singh smiled twisting his moustache.

"Aur yeh aapki muchche bahut hi sexy hai.. aapke saath romance karne mein bahut maza aata..", Dia winked making Vikram Singh blush.

Shehnaaz made a disgusted face looking at Dia flirting with a married man of her father's age. This was Dia's strategy to keep her host happy. Shehnaaz sighed and continued to walk as she didn't want Dia Dutta to taunt her.

Her legs were hurting walking so much so she waved at the bullock cart and the man instantly allowed her to sit at the back which was stacked with hay. She shook her legs playfully enjoying the village tour.

The bullock cart stopped as the man driving it decided to volunteer to be an audience to a loud quarreling sound coming from nearby. There were few people gathered around. Shehnaaz looked curiously to her left and saw the transgender contestant of GGSC, Ashima Riyaaz, fighting with her hosts neighbours in her hoarse voice.

"Ke hua?", Asked the bullock cart driver to an fellow spectator.

"Do din pehle, kutte ne uske kapde pe mooth (urinated) diya tha.. ib do din baad camera ke saamne uss bichaare Shankar se ladh rahi se..", the man replied.

"Tera kutta ne mere dress pe peshaab kar diya.. tu tere kutte ko sankal se kyu nahi baandke rakhta? Saari raat bow-wow bow-wow karta rehta hai.. sone bhi nahi deta..", Ashima yelled right on Shankar's face invading his personal space.

"Bawli booch.. thaare se jyada akkal toh maahri bais mein se je pooch uttake gobbar karne se pehle ek baar aage peeche dekh leve.. aur tune maahre se ladne se pehle yeh tak na socha ki woh maahra kutta hai ki na.. Sunn le, woh maahra nahi, gali ka kutta se..", Shankar chastised.

"Jhoot, woh tumhaara kutta hi hai kyuki maine tumhe usko roti dete huye dekha tha..", said Ashima.

"Roti daalne se woh maahra kutta ho gaya ke? Ib yeh Hariya, jinke ghar tu reve, woh thaare ko roz roti khilaawe se toh tu ke uske ghar ka kutta ho gaya.. waise bhi tu toh iss kutte se bhi jyada bhonke se..", asked the man.

"Oh my God!! He just called me a kutta. He called me a BITCH!! Cameraman record kar rahe ho na?", Ashima cried for sympathy playing victim in front of the cameraman.

Shehnaaz shook her head in disdain as the bullock cart moved ahead. A few more distance away, the cart stopped.

"Pahuch gaye kya?", Shehnaaz asked.

"Na chhorri, manne iss taraf jaana se aur thaane uss taraf. Iss kachche paidal raste jaavegi toh 10 minute mein pahuchegi aur iss pakke raaste jaavegi toh aada gante lagega.", Said the man.

"Achcha? 10 minute ka raasta thik rahega.. thanks..", Shehnaaz said and starts walking into a narrow and muddy area. Just after two minutes, the thin straps of her sandals break.

"Rrrrrr... Kya manhood sa gaon hai.. ek hafte abhi do hafte nahi huye aur meri dusri footware toot gayi..", She curses while taking off the sandals.

"Aaahhh.. Mummy!! Mera pair..", as soon as her bare feet come in contact with the ground it burns. She immediately puts on the footware again and trues dragging it but it was of no use.

"Iss khadoos ko khaana khilaane ke liye mere bichaare pair ko kya kya sehna padh raha hai..  upar se bhook lag rahi hai woh alag.. gaon mein bhook itni jaldi kyu lagti hai? arggghhh..", She takes off the shoes again and starts running, jumping and hopping to reach as quickly as possible to the field. Finally, she had made it to fields.

"Sidh... argghhh.. iss khadoos ko izzat se bulaana hai.. Rrrr... Thaakur..", She calls loudly.

"Kaun? Tu? Maahre khet mein ke kar rahi se chhorri?", Sidharth asked from far.

"Huh? Tumhaare saath sarso ke khet mein romantic sa duet gaana gaane aayi hoon..", Shehnaaz said sarcastically walking towards him.

"Ouchh..", She shrieks hopping on her foot as a thorn pierces on the other.

"Achcha? Ye ke? Gaana gaana shuru bhi na kiya aur thanne naachna shuru kar diya?",  Sidharth replied walking close to her.

He gets stunned when she snakes her arms around his neck to balance herself on one foot.

"Yeh.. k..k..ke kar r..r..rahi se chhorri? Manne laga.. tu.. ib tak.. manne.. taane m..m..maar rahi thi..", Sidharth fumbles with a blush due to her sudden embrace.

"Arrgghh.. chhupp.. kaanta laga hai.. ", she yelled

"Huh?", He looks at her still trying to get control over his emotions due to her closeness.

"Sunaayi nahi diya kya? Mere pair mein kaanta laga hai.. meri madad karo khadoos Thakur..", she cried.

He picked her up immediately in bridal style without uttering any words. His sudden action made her gasp. He walked to the shade under the tree and placed her down. He instantly grabbed her foot and inspected the thorn.

"Aaaahh..", she gasped as he pulled the thorn out of her feet. He looked at her soft but now red and burnt feet.

"Yeh thaara shehar ka baagicha na se jeh tu nange paau ghoomne aa gayi. Thaare jutte kaha se?", He scolds.

"Toot gaya raaste mein.. aur yaha ghoomne nahi aayi thi.. tunhaare liye khaana leke aayi hoon..", she yells back pointing at the bag.

"Khaana? Tu leke aayi? Ke? Tu ke maahri lugaai se jo maahre liye khaana leke aayi?", He asked

"Ke ke.. kya hai? Mujhe bhi koi tumhaari biwi banne ka shauk nahi hai. Bhola ki wife ko labour pain shuru ho gaya tha toh maine aunty ko help offer kiya. Ek toh khaana le aao, phir chaar baate suno inki.. pata hai tumhaare liye khaana laate laate mere pair kitne julas gaye.. bhook lagi hai woh alag.", Shehnaaz ranted non-stop which gave him a vibes of desi wife and brought a smile on his face.

He silently removed his slippers for her. She stared at him with a frown.

"Pehen isse..", he orders.

"Kyu?", She asked.

"Maahri wajah se thaara jutta toota na toh tu maahra jutta pehen le..", he gave a logical answer.

"Hmm.. yeh bhi thik hai.. par tum kya pehnoge?", She asked.

"Maahri chinta na kar.. manne bina jutte pehene ghoomne ki aadat se.. ib chal haat dhone..", he said forwarding his hand.

"Hmm..", she held his hand and he pulled her to help her stand on her feet. She wore his big slippers. It looked like a little kid wearing adults slippers. He escorted her to the pump were they both washed their hand. She splashed some cold water on her face which he silently adored while masking his emotions. She ran like a happy child and opened the bag. Pulling out a big silver box, she tried hard to open it.

"Thaare bas ki baat na se.. iddar de..", he said and she frowned and passed him the tiffin box. He opened the big box and placed the curry into two plates followed by rotis. He then smashed the onion with his bare hand into two pieces. He placed one piece into his place and when he tried to place another into hers, she placed her hand to avoid.

"Yew!! Mujhe nahi chahiye. Muh se baas aayega..", she rejected with a disgusted face.

He looked at her lips and smiled subtly.

"Tum muskuraaye kyu?", She asked narrowing her eyebrows.

"Maahra muh, maahri marzi.. ", he said.

"Of couse!! Huh!!", She smirked in annoyance and starts eating her food, while he starts eating his.

After eating she decides to rest a little while Sidharth goes to work. A lady worker in the field comes to have her food. She looks at her Shehnaaz's feet and giggles looking at big slippers.

"Tumhaare Thakur ke hai, mere toot gaye. Mujhe nange pair chalne ki aadat nahi hai.", Said Shehnaaz.

"Maahre pair jab julas jaate hai toh manne gaon ke talab main pair daalke baitne mein bahut maza aave. Je chhotti chotti machli pair mein gudgudi kare tab kitna achcha laage se..", the lady said.

"Hmm.. achcha yaad dilaaya..  talaab kaha hai yaha?", Shehnaaz asked.

The lady pointed her finger and gave her the route. Shehnaaz stood up and walked to the lake. She slowly took off her clothes with a wide smile. When Iravati gave her route instructions, she had mentioned her about the lake and that's when Shehnaaz wore her swim suit under her clothes because she wanted to bathe badly but also wanted to escape drawing water from the well.

Jumping into the lake, she swam happily not caring for all spectators from the field, who watched her in amusement. She belonged to a rich high class woman and it was common for her to enjoy swimming in the pool in resorts or clubs surrounded by people around her.

When Sidharth saw other village men gawking at her and village women gasping in shock, he was fuming in anger. He yelled at them and asked them to get to work. Shehnaaz immediately got out of the water and dressed into her clothes when she heard him yell at people. Though Sidharth didn't utter a word to her, he was burning inside.

Shehnaaz left the place but Sidharth could no longer work in the field as well. He went home before she could reach. Without entering the house, he went straight to the cowshed and dragged her suitcase out before pouring kerosene oil on it and lighting up her luggage.

"What the F? Mera bag..", Shehnaaz cried  the moment she reached home and saw her bag burning.

She ran to the bathroom and got buckets filled with water and splashed on it to save her clothes from burning but was all in vain.

"Kameene.. mere saare kapde jala diye tumne?", Shehnaaz yelled grabbing Sidharth's collar who was sitting on the charpai still raged.

"Sidhaaarth.. yeh ke kiya?", Iravati asked hearing Shehnaaz scream.

"Aunty, isne mere saarevkapde jala diye..", Shehnaaz complained.

"Manne pehle hi kaha tha ki tu maahre ghar mein nikke nikke kapde na pehenegi.. tune maahri baat na maani.. yeh uski saza hai.. ab jab thaare paas nikke kapde na hoge toh pehnegi ke?", Sidharth asked.

"Tumhaare ghar mein nahi pehna tha maine.. talaab tumhaari personal property hai kya? Ab main kya pehnungi?", She asked angrily.

"Maa, isko prerna ke kapde de do.. aur chhorri.. jitna balti paani tune yaha karch kiya se utna paani waapis bharke rakhegi.. aur agli baar manne kameena bola toh iss ghar se kya gaon se bhi nikaal dunga..", he warned.

___________

To be continued ❤️❤️