While everybody else were leaving Sanskar, Ragini and Laksh had to stay to clean the whole academy.

Swara: “Ragini… you can’t stay here! You didn’t do anything!”

Ragini: “It’s ok Swara. Don’t tell Maa Papa about the fight, they will worry for nothing. Tell them that I am in punishment because… because I didn’t do homework! And don’t worry about me… You know I don’t mind doing works…”

Swara sighed: “Ok… I swear I won’t spare that Karishma!”

Ragini shook her head chuckling and hugged her. Swara hugged her back.

Laksh, Sanskar and Karishma were having an argument.

Laksh: “Karishma couldn’t you shut your mouth? Bloody hell! We are stuck in this punishment because of you!”

Karishma: “I just wanted to teach Ragini a lesson! After all it was her fault! I didn’t mean to drag you guys inside the matter!”

Sanskar: “Wow! What a lesson you taught Ragini and us too!”

Karishma: “Ok, look… I’m sorry!”

Laksh looked away.

Karishma grunted and left from there.

The professor came to Laksh and Sanskar and said them: “By the time you guys will have finished cleaning the academy, everybody will have left. The peon has the keys, remember to ask him the keys before he leaves too or else he will lock the academy since I couldn’t get time to inform him that you are staying here. Ok?”

Laksh and Sanskar nodded: “Ok Sir.”

With that the professor went out.

After Swara left too, Ragini came to Laksh and Sanskar. The three looked at each other.

Sanskar: “So let’s start. What do we have to do?”

Ragini: “Clean floors, benches, blackboards and take out the trash from dustbins.”

Laksh made a disgusted face: “Eww! I will not clean the dustbins!”

Ragini and Laksh looked at Sanskar.
Sanskar: “No ways!”

Ragini: “We can do everything together! We will start from classrooms, labs, teachers’ offices, then hall and corridors.”

Sanskar and Laksh nodded obeying her.

The three entered in a classroom.

Ragini: “We need brooms…”

Sanskar: “I know where they are… wait, I’ll get them and come.”

Saying that he went out of the classroom.

Ragini: “And I should go to take some wet rags…”

She went out of the classroom too.

After a while, when she returned with the rags, she saw Laksh sitting on a chair with the headphones on and his mobile in hands. Ragini looked at him angrily. She thought that he is waiting for the brooms so she kept quiet. She tied her dupatta around her waist taking one rag and keeping the others on a bench.

Laksh looked on and scrutinized her from bottom to top. She was wearing a fitting blue kurti with white leggings. He stared at her while she was gathering her hair in a loose bun. A rebel hair strand was covering half of her right eye. It was disturbing more Laksh than Ragini herself.

Ragini started to clean the benches with the rag and as she moved, Laksh took off his eyes from her returning in reality.

Laksh (sitting on a chair) placed his feet on the bench in front of him and he indicated a desk to Ragini: “Ragini someone scratched that bench with the pen. Do clean it!”

Ragini snorted and went to clean it.
When she finished she was about to return on the bench that she was cleaning before when…

Laksh: “Don't you think it will be better if you clean first the teacher's desk?”

Ragini looked at him angrily but she didn’t want to discuss with him after what happened the last day so she agreed and went to clean it. Once it was done…

Laksh: “I think you should clean the blackboard too first!”

Ragini threw the rag on the floor stomping and looked straight at Laksh putting her hands on her wast: “I think it would be better if you start doing something!!”

Laksh looked at her. He removed the headphones and put them in the pocket standing up. He picked the rag from the floor.

Ragini raised her eyebrows surprised that he actually listened to her.

But Laksh had something else in his mind.

He walked towards her and seeing him getting closer, Ragini stepped back. She kept backing off while Laksh was moving ahead. Just then Ragini hit the blackboard with her back. She looked at Laksh who was coming closer to her. Laksh moved his hand towards Ragini’s face and she looked at him confused. He finally moved that rebel hair strand behind her ear. Ragini closed her eyes feeling the touch of his fingers on her face while Laksh looked at her satisfied.

Ragini opened her eyes as Laksh grabbed her wrist and raised it up. He put the rag in her hand and entangled his fingers with hers keeping the rag between their hands. He pulled her closer and then brought his face near her ear whispering: “I… will… not… do anything!”

Saying that he left her while Ragini glared at him.

Laksh: “Rags and brooms look good only in girls’ hands not in those of a handsome hunk like me!”

Ragini: “Ha ha ha!” – She sarcastically laughed – “Who said you’re handsome?”

Laksh: “The world says so... So I can’t deny that !”

Ragini stomped looking at him angrily: “You are a hopeless case!”

Laksh sat on a bench using her mobile with an amused expression on his face.

Ragini was cleaning the backboard with the wet rag when she suddenly heard music playing. She turned around just to see Laksh playing it on his mobile.

(The song is the following one)

Laksh leaped off the bench he was sitting on standing straight in front of Ragini who winced a bit.
Laksh started to sing while walking around a confused Ragini with a smirk on his lips:

“Ladkon ki ungli pe naache hai zamana…”
(“The world dances on the finger of boys...”)

He held Ragini’s hand and twirled her a bit far from him keeping a hold on his hand and then pulled her closer again making her dash into her chest and encircling her waist with his arms.

Ragini struggled in his arms to free herself while he sang smiling:

“Oh Ladkon ki ungli pe naache hai zamana…”
(“The world dances on the finger of boys...”)

Laksh freed Ragini but, before she could move, he held her by her shoulders and made her turn around taking her in front of the blackboard. He signed her with his eyes to clean it with the rag she was holding.

Laksh:
“Simple yeh funda hai ladkiyon ko batana...''
(“This is a simple thing, the girls have to be explained this…”)

Laksh surrounded Ragini’s one arm and her waist with his hand from behind and merged his chest with her back while placing his palm on the back of Ragini’s hand which was free and was holding the rag. He forced her to clean the blackboard with the rag tightly holding Ragini’s hand and moving it on the blackboard against her will.

Laksh:
“Lute nahi lut jaaye,
Jeete nahi pat jaaye..“
(“They (girls) don’t rob they get robbed,
They don’t conquer, they get flattered…“)

Ragini angrily looked up at Laksh who was still caging her in his arms and he looked at her. Their faces were inches apart but they didn’t realize their proximity though Laksh lost himself in her eyes for a second while singing:

“Kudiyaan hai jebon mai rakhle…”
(“These are just girls, keep them in pockets...“)

Laksh pulled Ragini’s dupatta away from her waist where she had tied it and wore it around his neck placing it on the back of the neck.
He looked at Ragini’s angry bird face smiling while singing:

“Kudiyaan nu thug le, thug le
Kudiyaan nu thug le, thug le..”
(“Rob these girls, rob them
Rob these girls, rob them…”)

Laksh raised his eyebrows twice looking at Ragini with a smirk and then winked.

Laksh:
“Thug le thug le thug le...''
(“Rob them…”)

Ragini gave Laksh a death stare while he went back to sit on the bench chuckling but she calmed herself taking a deep breath and then went back to clean the blackboard.
After finishing with it, she turned around and was about to move towards the remained benches when she saw Laksh making the “perfect gesture” joining her index and thumb.

It was enough of getting mocked now. Ragini fumed with anger and threw the rag on Laksh’s face removing that smirk from his face. Laksh looked at the rag fallen on his lap and then at Ragini who placed her hands on her waist and started to sing:

“Ladkon ko lagta hai easy jeet jaana…”
(“Boys think that it is easy to win…”)

Ragini walked to Laksh and, after giving him a challenging glare, she slightly pushed his shoulder making her lie flat on his back merged to the bench he was sitting on. She bent on him while he looked at her with big eyes and she sang:

''Oh Ladkon ko lagta hai easy jeet jaana…”
(“Boys think that it is easy to win…”)

Ragini held the two sides of her dupatta which was still around Laksh’s neck and pulled him up making him sit again. Laksh’s stunned face was now very close to Ragini’s one while she was singing:

“Iss baar unko hara ke hai dikhana!”
(“This time we will make them lose!”)

This time it was Ragini who put the rag in Laksh’s hand and then indicated him some benches. Laksh glared at her.

Ragini:
“Badi badi haanke hai...”
(“These are big hypes...”)

Ragini showed him a fist with such an angry face that he stood up going towards the benches.

Ragini:
“Yuhi hawa phaanke hai…”
(“Which are just like thin air...”)

Ragini pulled her dupatta away from Laksh and smirked when he glared at her.

Ragini:
“Jebe bhari khali hai aqle!”
(“Their pockets are full but brains are empty!”)

Ragini sang this slapping Laksh’s forehead.

Laksh started to clean the benches while Ragini sat on the teachers’ desk with a victorious smile on her lips and sang:

“Mundeya nu thug le, thug le
Mundeya nu thug le, thug le
Thag le thag le thug le..''
(“Rob these guys, rob them
Rob these guys, rob them
Rob them!”)

Laksh was working while Ragini was sitting with a leg on the other and blowing on her nails when Sanskar entered in the classroom and got surprised seeing the two in that state. Had they reversed their roles?

Laksh saw Sanskar and looked at him with a desperate face indicating Ragini with the chin. Seeing that, Sanskar went to Ragini and held her elbow pulling her down the desk.
Sanskar started to sing too:

''Jitni ghaas daalo, taarife nikaalo
Utne hi inke bhaav badhte hain...''
(“The more you pay attention on them, the more you praise them
The more (these girls) increase their pride…”)

Ragini crossed her arms and faced him straightly with challenging eyes.

Ragini:
''Mauka taadte hain chauka maarte hain..
Haath pakda do sir par chad te he...''
(“They look for a chance and try and woo us
If you give them hold of your hand, they’ll sit on your head…”)

Sanskar held Ragini’s wrist and spun her on herself leaving her hand as she went a bit far and held her head feeling a bit dizzy due to the twirl.

Laksh looked on while Sanskar walked to her singing:

“Tode inki chaaley…”
(“Let’s break their tricks…”)

He held her shoulder and pinned her against the wall singing looking straight at her:

“Shey maat de dale!”
(“Let’s give them the check-mate!”)

Sanskar smiled and, while keeping her eyes on Ragini whose back was merged to the back and body was covered with Sanskar’s one, he grabbed one of the brooms he had laid near them on the wall and gave it to Ragini singing:

“Yeh maza maza le ke chak le...''
(“Take this fun and taste it!”)

Sanskar moved away from Ragini and gave a broom to Laksh too and kept one for himself while Ragini threw some rags to both of them… and the three started working together while singing.

Ragini:
''Mundeya nu thug le, thug le
Mundeya nu thug le, thug le
Mundeya nu thug le, thug le
Thag le thag le thug le...”

Laksh and Sanskar:
“Ho Kudiyaan nu thug le, thug le
Kudiyaan nu thug le, thug le
Kudiyaan nu thug le, thug le
Thug le, thag le, thug le...''

Surprisingly, all of them were enjoying working together. They were having fun actually while singing, dancing and playing.

They were so busy with each other that both Sanskar and Laksh forgot to go to the peon to get the keys and the peon shut the doors of the academy locking it with the keys and then left from there. But no one noticed anything.

In the evening, when Ragini, Sanskar and Laksh finished all the work, they looked around impressed by what they had done. They had a smile of satisfaction on their faces.

Ragini, who was standing in the middle of the two Maheshwari brothers, raised both her hands and Sanskar and Laksh gave her a hi-five. The three looked at each other smiling.

Something had changed between them that day. Their bond had turned stronger. Also Ragini and Laksh seemed to have forgotten their differences.

Ragini: “Ok, now we can finally leave! We are so tired!”

Laksh and Sanskar agreed and the three walked to the entrance of the academy just to see that the door was closed.

Ragini: “Seems like it’s locked from outside.” – She realized when she tried to open the door – “Does anybody of you have the keys?”

Laksh and Sanskar looked at each other and their eyes widened.

Laksh: “Professor Tiwari had said to get them from the peon...” – He said still looking at Sanskar with big eyes.

Ragini: “Ok, so who have the keys?”

Sanskar: “I didn’t… take them…”

Ragini looked at Laksh who just gulped down and shook his head showing his teeth.

Ragini looked at them numb but then chuckled a bit: “It’s a joke, right?”

Both Sanskar and Laksh shook their heads.

Ragini hit her forehead with her palm out of desperation.

Ragini: “Now what to do! I even gave my phone to Swara!”

Sanskar: “But I have mine and I can call someone for help!” – He said taking out his phone from the pocket.

But his hope broke down when he saw that there was no network.

Sanskar: “Oh no! No network…”

Laksh tried too but no positive results.

The three started to think for a solution and were walking left right when…

Sanskar screamed loudly and hid behind Ragini’s shoulder.

Ragini and Laksh turned towards him.

Laksh: “What happened Bhai?”

Sanskar indicated something on floor trembling. Ragini and Laksh looked at it, and then they looked at each-other… and started laughing: it was only a cockroach!

Sanskar: “Someone please do something! I hate cockroaches!”

Ragini and Laksh couldn’t stop laughing.

Suddenly lights turned off and darkness reigned all over.

Ragini immediately stopped laughing and screamed. She turned around and hided herself in Sanskar’s chest since he was standing behind her.

Laksh turned on the torch of his mobile and saw them. He felt his heart pinching.

Ragini had closed her eyes tightly and was hugging Sanskar shivering a bit: “I am very scared of darkness!”

Sanskar tried to calm her down placing her hands on her back but also his heart had started beating fast when Ragini had hugged him and he could feel that.

Sanskar: “Ragini… calm down! I’m here…”

Laksh cleared his throat coughing.
Ragini and Sanskar returned in the reality recomposing. They looked down.

Laksh: “If you both are done… what do you think about looking for a window?”

Ragini and Sanskar nodded without saying a word.

The three looked for a window lighting their way with the torch of the phone.

They found a window but it was too high.

Sanskar: “Ok… let’s do one thing. Ragini I will pick you on my shoulders and Laksh will hold you. Open the window and try jumping out and ask for help.”

Ragini: “Me?”

Sanskar: “Do you want to pick up me or Laksh?”

Ragini: “I can hold one of you... what if I get hurt while jumping out?”

Laksh: “Shut up and do what Sanskar said! Weren’t you singing and trying to prove that you girls aren’t less? So prove that instead of behaving like the typical girl!”

Ragini looked at him angrily and then agreed to follow Sanskar’s instructions.

Sanskar knelt and Ragini stood on his shoulders. Sanskar tried to stand up while Laksh was holding Ragini’s waist. They succeeded.

Sanskar: “Open the window!”

Ragini tried reaching the window but it was still a bit far so she tiptoed and while trying to open the window, she slipped and was about to fall but Laksh saved her as she fell in his arms.
Ragini and Laksh looked at each other.

Sanskar: “Ragini are you…” – But he stopped seeing Ragini in Laksh’s arms and felt like his heart had shivered.

Laksh placed Ragini down.

Sanskar was about to say something when they heard a noise. The three looked at each other.

Laksh: “This noise is coming from computer lab… maybe someone is there and can help us!”

The three rushed towards the computer lab and there was really someone there. Lakhs lighted the lab with the torch and they got shocked seeing someone with the face covered with a black cloth.

Ragini screamed while Laksh and Sanskar backed off.

The man pointed a gun on them: “Don’t move or I’ll shoot!”

Laksh, Sanskar and Ragini stood near each other gulping down the fear.

The thief removed the cloth which was covering his face.

Laksh looked at him furrowing his eyebrows and then said: “Oh my God! Robin The Robber?!”

Sanskar and Ragini looked at him.

Laksh: “Robin The Robber?! The most wanted thief of Mumbai?!”

Robin smirked: “Yes, Robin the Robber, as I live and breathe.”

Ragini: “Troubles were less for us that this robber popped out too!” – She said scared.

Robin: “Shut up you three! Police is looking for me and I had to hide in this academy! I switched off all the lights too. Now don’t make noise until I don’t find a way to escape! I’m not harming any of you but if you try doing anything… One of you will die! Or two… or three!” – He warned them.

Ragini and Sanskar held each other’s hand and Ragini was about to hold Laksh’s one too when he stepped ahead.

Laksh: “Sir! I’m a big fan of yours!”

Sanskar and Ragini’s eyes widened and they looked at him stunned: “LAKSH?” – They said together.

Laksh: “What? Don’t you know who is he? He is THE Robber! You can’t even imagine what he has stolen! Things of inestimable value that no thief in the world could get!”

Robin smirked.

Laksh turned to look at Robin and pleaded him joining his hands: “Can I have your autograph please?! How do you manage to do all this! You are a wonder-man really!”

Sanskar shook his head whispering: “He can’t be my brother.”

Rony: “Yes, of course. Finally someone who understand the art of robbing!”

Laksh took a pen and paper which were placed on the desk and gave them to Robin who placed his gun on the desk taking the pen from Laksh.

Robin was about to sign on the paper when Laksh grabbed his gun and threw it away. Before Robin could do anything, Laksh held his hand and twisted it behind his back. He placed his other hand around Robin’s neck.

Laksh: “Bhai help me! Ragini I need your dupatta!”

Ragini was scared to go near the thief but she obeyed and gave the dupatta to Laksh trembling.

Sanskar and Laksh tied Robin’s hands and mouth after tearing Ragini’s dupatta in two and kept a tight hold on him.

Suddenly the lights turned on and the police came in the lab. They got surprised seeing what was happening.

Laksh, Sanskar and Ragini explained them what happened, about their punishment and then the keys etc.

The inspector shook hands with them: “Thank you very much. You did really a great job! We are grateful to you! I only can’t understand one thing… why didn’t you use the emergency doors of your academy to get out? Those doors can be opened from inside without any key!”

Raigni: “Emergency doors? There are emergency doors in the academy?” – She was new there so she wasn’t aware of them. She looked at Sanskar and Laksh who just looked here and there whistling and pretending to have not heard anything.

Chapter ends.

Precap: A new entry