Sidharth kick started the bike and Sana sat behind him. Her heartbeats were exceptionally high as she slid her hand to hold him by his tummy.

"Chale?", He asked and she nods her head. They start their journey towards her village.

Sana slept off by placing her head on his back while hugging him within 20 minutes they spent in the traffic. The road was clear and had no traffic as they reach outskirts of the city.

His bike comes to halt with a jerk making Sana bump into him all of a sudden, waking her up.

"Pahuch gaye ke?", She asked rubbing her eyes.

"Nahi.. gaadhi kharab ho gayi.", He says.

"Huh? Ib?", She looks in shock.

"Waise gaon bahut dur nahi hai. Par yaha mechanic kaha milega?", He asks.

"Apne gaon mein ek make-nic se...", She says.

"Achcha? Bike ko waha ek chota sa dhaba hai, waha chodd dunga. Paidal chal paaogi?", He asks.

"Gaon ki chori su.. manne thaare shehar ki chalti seedhiyan aur ghanton tak udhnewali lifat ki aadat na se.. chalne ki bahut se.. par tum chal na sakoge.. main chali jaungi aur make-nic bhej dungi..", she said.

"Aise kaise? Itni raat ko akele..", he is interrupted by her.

"Manne khusti ladna aave se..", she says.

"Haan, pata hai. Main apni baat kar raha tha. Main dhaabe ke paas akele kaise rahunga? Kisine mujh abla mard ko akele dekh ke mere izzat pe haat daal diya toh? Main toh kisiko muh dekhaane layak nahi rahunga.. phir tum shaadi ke liye bhi mana kar dogi.. Nahi.. aisa nahi ho sakta.. isiliye.. tumhaare saath chaluga toh safety ki chinta toh nahi hogi..", he suggests.

She rolls her eyes, stares at him for few seconds before smiling subtly.

"Chalo..", she says.

He parks the bike and locks it near the dhaba and start walking silently in the moonlight leaving a little space between them. A truck passes by making him walk closer to her. Their hands brush with each other. She stares at him.

"Woh.. woh.. truck..", he said gulping his saliva fearing her wrath.

"Manne kuch bola?", She asked.

"Huh?", He looked at her in shock.

"Raaste pe math chalo, yaha se bahut truck guzare se..", she said when he tried leaving the gap again.

He nods happily and walks closer to her. Their hands brush yet again every now and then. Soon their fingers spontaneously interlocked with each other's and they walked hand in hand. She bit her lips while her head was glued on the road ahead. He subtly smiles while watching her from the corner of his eyes.

I wish this road and the journey never ends. Tumse dur jaane ka mann nahi kar raha tha toh bike bigadne ka bahana bana liya taaki tumhaare saath aur thoda samay guzaar saku. Jhoot se main tumhaare itne kareeb aa gaya par darr lagta hai yeh soch ke ki tum sach saamne aane par kaise react karogi?

"Sidhaaarth", she pulled him closer to herself avoid the speeding truck. She hugged him tightly imagining the consequence of what might have happened if she hadn't acted quickly.

"Kaha dhyaan hai tumhaara? Kuch ho jaata toh?", She scolds him by pulling his ear and gritting her teeth.

"Aahhh.. Sana.. Sorry..", he shrieks holding her wrist to stop her from pulling his ear but she pulls him closer by his ear and quick pecks his lips.

He was taken aback for the first kiss initiated by her. She leaves his ear and tries to resume walking but he tightens his grip over her wrist and pulls her closer to himself and kisses her lips passionately.

The bold Sana was all shy at the end of their proper first liplock. She hugs him to hide her shy face from him.

"Haaye.. kaisa chamatkar ho gaya? Sana, tum thik toh ho na? Mujhe tha ki iss harkat ke baad tum mujhse dangal karogi. Kyuki isse pehle toh maine jitni baar kiss kiya tumne mujhe chaate se reply diya..", he teases her. She punches his gut.

"Ouch!!!", He shrieks scaring her.

"Manne toh bahut dheere se maara..", she said with puppy eyes.

"Par manne toh zor ki lagi..", he says.

"Sachi?", She asks innocently.

"Haan.. ab mujhse chalna nahi ho raha.. toh yahi bait jaate hai ped ke niche subah tak. Okay?", He asks.

She suppresses her smile.

"Ek aur maarungi toh thik ho jaayega", she says sarcastically.

"Okay okay.. please mujhe math maarna.. main toh tumse bahut pyaar karta hoon.", He confesses.

"Aa.. aaa... Woh make-nic.. gaon.. ghar..", she mumbles nervously at his sudden confession.

"Haan haan.. thik hai.. samajh gaya..", he said.

"Huh? Ke?", She asked confused.

"Yahi ki tumhe mujhse pyaar nahi hai.", He said.

"Kisne bola?", She asked.

"Huh? Aaj subah ke akhbaar mein likha tha.. aur TV pe bhi news aaya tha.", Says Sidharth sarcastically.

"Aisa kuch nahi se..", she uttered..

"Toh kaisa hai?", he asks

"Manne bhi tum pasand ho..", she said.

"Haan, waise hi jaise tumhe khushti pasand hai, teekha khaana pasand hai.. waise hi.. haina? Pyaar toh bilkul nahi hai.. right?", he smirked.

"Hain? Nahi.. mhaara matlab pyaar se..", she lowered her eyes and resumes walking quickly.

"Yippeee!!!", He jumps in joy and hops behind her like a little kid in excitement.

"Sana.. jab pyaar hai toh bhaag kyu rahi ho? Mujhse dur jaane ki itni jaldi hai?", he asks holding her hand and interlocking fingers again.

"Mujhe lajjaane ki aadat na se par aaj thaare saamne bahut laaj aave se..", she spoke straight forward.

"Sana.. mujhe kuch kehna hai..", he said nervously.

"Hmmm.. bolo..", she said.

"Woh.. woh.. woh meri koi bike kharaab nahi huyi.. mujhe tumhare saath aur time spend karna tha toh maine jhoot bol diya..", he confessed his mistake.

She stopped at glared at him with her hands on her waist.

"Sorry..", he made a puppy face.

"Hmmm...", She shook her head in disbelief and resumed walking.

"Sana.. mujhe tumse aur bhi kuch kehna hai..", he talked under his breath.

"Ib aur ke jhoot bola?", She sighed.

"Pehle wada karo meri puri baat sunogi..", he said forwarding his hand.

She places her palm over his and he holds it firmly before telling her the truth. She froze in her place as if she was struck by a lightening.

"Sana.. I am sorry..", he says feeling guilty. She gives him a tight slap on his face, he doesn't move an inch from his place. A drop of tear escaped from his eyes.

"Sana.. Main tumse pyaar karta hoon..", he said cupping her cheek with his one hand, which broke her into tears.

"Manne thaare shakal tak na dekhni.. Durr reh mhaare se..", She pushed him far and went away towards the village.

.
.
.

"Chori? Tu thik se?", Sana's mother ran and hugged her as soon as she got a glimpse of her daughter.

"Haan Amma, manne ke hoga?", Said Sana.

"Tu uss chore, Sidharth ke saath, mujhe bataye bina gayi thi na? Woh paakhandi hai. Usne aur uske do doston ne milkar hum dono ko thagha se...", Cried her mother

"Thaare ko kaise pata?", Asked Sana in shock

"Mhaare ko uske maa-baap ne phone kiya tha. Mhaare se unhone bahut moti rakham dahej maangi. Manne thaari badi behan ke saath huya zulm yaad aayi toh manne unki shikhayat police mein kar di. Police ne jab un dono ko dhar dabocha toh woh dono uske dost nikle. Do chaar dande padhne par unhone bataya ki tune kisi Akram naam ke ladke ko maar ke uske daant thoda tha toh woh uska badla lene aaye the..", said Saraswati.

"Manne kisi Akram na maara amma..", said Sana.
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.
.
"Kya? Akram naam ka koi ladka tha hi nahi?", Said Manohar in shock

"Haan.. Maine toh aise hi ek kalpanik naam bata diya tha.. mera ek Australian friend, Steven, Indian Village Life par documentary banane yaha aaya tha.. usne mujhe apni documentary dikhaayi jaha maine Sana ko pehli baar dekha. Woh dekhne mein sabhi ladkiyon se bilkul alag thi. Steven ne bhi mujhe uske baare mein bahut kuch bataya ke woh kaise bold aur no nonsense nature ki ladki hai.

I was curious to know more about her and I took instant liking for her. Par usko ladko se nafrat thi toh main usko aise hi nahi mil sakta tha. So I lied to you both and asked you to act like my parents to revenge Akram's insult. Believe me mujhe sirf usko janna tha.

Initially woh jab apni maa ke saamne sharma ke kone mein khadi thi, I thought I got a wrong information but jab main usko akele mein mila aur uska sassy attitude dekha na, I was smitten. So I kept acting along and I realised how much I love her.", Said Sidharth.

"Oh God! Aur hum logon ne tera kaam bigaad diya dahejh ki maang karke, taaki teri shaadi toot sake.", Repented Lalit

.
.
.

"Agar tume kisi Akram ko na peeta toh woh log jhoot bol rahe the. Unki asal maksad jhooti shaadi karke dahejh lena hi tha.. maine tumhaari baat na maani chokri.. manne maaf karde.. manne teri zindagi kharab kar deni thi.. tu ib bhale hi shaadi na kare, main tanne koi zabardasti na karungi.. manne tu sahi salamat chahiye bas", cried Saraswati.

"Amma, main thik su.. tu bas rona band kar ib.. main thaare aasu dekh ke hi pigal gayi thi. Thaari aasu mhaari kamzori se, usika unhone fayda uttaya warna main unko jab woh ghar aaye the tabhi mana kar deti.", Said Sana.

"Nahi roungi chokri.. Ib toh woh log royenge. Dhokhadadi ke case mein jail mein saza katenge.", Said Saraswati.

.
.
.

"Humein laga ki woh sirf mana karenge aur shaadi toot jaayegi.. par uski maa ne toh police complaint kar diya.", Said Manohar.

"Mujhe pata hai unhone aisa kyu kiya. Kyuki Sana ki didi ko uske Sasural walon ne dahej na laane ke wajah se zinda jala dala. Woh darr gayi hogi Sana ke liye.", Explained Sidharth

"Hmmm.. Galti toh humne bhi kiya na Sid, phir tune humari galti bhi kyu apne sarr pe le liya? Tumhe toh yeh pata bhi nahi tha ki hum dahej ki maang karenge. Humein pata nahi tha ki tu usko leke itna serious tha warna main saari umar saaree pehenke teri maa banne ke liye taiyyar ho jata.", Said Lalit.

"Aur main bhi apna sarr permanently mundva ke tera baap ban jaata..", said Manohar. Sidharth chuckled at his buddies' words.

"Cartoon ho tum dono... Par nahi yaar, meri wajah se tum log yaha kaise rehte? Tum log apna khayal rakhna bas.", Said Sidharth who was standing behind the bars while his two friends looked at him sadly from outside.

"Chalo chalo.. meeting khatam ho gaya ho toh jao tum log yaha se.. warna tum dono ko phir se andar daal dunga.. phir karte rehna baat tum teeno milke..", said the constable.

"Offer achcha hai.. reh jaaye kya Lalit?", Asked Manohar.

"Tere papa ka guest house hai kya? Jaao kamino.. aur mujhe bahaar nikaalne ka intezaam karo..", scolds Sidharth.

"Hmmm.. Tere mummy papa ko bataye kya?", Asked Lalit.

"Pagalon ke sardaar.. pehle hi meri phatti padhi hai, kyu aur phaad rahe ho? Jao yaar..", said Sidharth.

"Teri toh..", the constable canes their bums with his stick making both Lalit and Manohar jump and run out of police station.

.
.
.

"Oye.. utto.. utto..", constable shakes snoring Sidharth.

"Huh?? Kya hua constable?", Asked Sidharth looked at him in confusion.

"Baaki ki neend ghar jaake karna. Uss ladki ne tumhaara case waapis le liya hai..", said the constable.

"Huh? Kis ladki ne?", He said gulping down his saliva.

The Constable glared at him for asking a stupid question.

"Sorry sorry sorry.. par mujhe laga shayad main neend mein hoon..", said Sidharth.

"Jaa na yaar warna tujhe yahi rehna hai toh bol. Main koi jhooti case banake permanently iss police station ka damaad bana leta hoon.", Said the constable.

"Nahi.. mujhe aapka damaad nahi banna.. bye..", said Sidharth standing up on his feet and running out of the cell. He looked at Sana walking out of the police station.

"Sana.. Sana..", he ran behind her.

She doesn't talk to him neither does she stop.

"Sana.. sorry! Please mujhe maaf kar do..", he pleads but she doesn't pay any heed to him.

"Agar maaf nahi karna toh phir chuddhaya kyu?", He asked.

"Sidharth..", a familiar voice came from behind. It was his father.

"Dad?", Sidharth was shocked looking at his father.

"We apologized her and her mother, that's why she took back the case. Now don't trouble her more and let's go home.", Said his father.

Sidharth nodded and looked at Sana boarding the bus.

___________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️