Hey lovely people.

आपको और आपके परिवार को मेरी और मेरे परिवार की ओर से
शुभ दीपावली 🪔🪔

I am back with a new and long chapter, earlier than expected. *pats myself*

Happy Reading!

Disclaimer - The scenes from Ramayan written here are not my work. They are taken from different sources and I do not claim any of them to be true. All the scenes of Ramayan are for entertainment purposes only.
The dialogues and scenes in italics are taken from my fav Ramayan depiction, 'Siya Ke Ram' aired on Star Plus. And I do not claim any of those dialogues. And I don't intend to hurt any religion or feelings of anyone through this chapter.

The day was unusually sunny. The heat of the sun was at its peak. At Maheshwari Mansion, Ramdhari was alone in the house as his Malik and Sameer baba were gone to PVKM. They will be back soon, he thought. Therefore he decided to water the plants in the garden, as after they'll come he will not get time to water the plants in serving them lunch and preparing for dinner and supper.

He couldn't skip watering today as this much amount of sunlight was not good for plants. 'Agar in paudho ko kuch ho gaya toh bade malik mujhe chhodenge nahi' he thought to himself.

Normally, at this time, his 'Bade Malik' waters plants but in his absence it was his duty to do it.

When he was watering the plants in the garden, he heard the voice of the bike. 'Lagta hai Sameer Baba aa gaye' he figured out.

"Jaldi Jaldi ye nipta deta hu, Sameer Baba ke khane ko der nahi honi chahiye." He said to himself.

In a minute or two he saw Sameer going inside with eyes blazing like the sun with an expressionless face. He decided not to ask him for lunch now, or else, he'll be out of this house the very minute he did so.

After a few minutes when he was done with the watering and was about to go inside he saw his Bade Malik entering the gate in a hurry with a worried face, when he saw Ramdhari.

"Sameer kaha gaya?"

"Bohot gusse mein lag rahe the Sameer baba...abhi thodi der pehle upar gaye..."

"Theek hai.." He started to move when Ramdhari interrupted, "Malik, Khana?" Jaiprakash showed his hand "Abhi nahi" and moved inside the house.

**

Their classes were over, when Khushi and Naina decided to roam out for some time today, as it was end of their first semester exams today.

They came outside their hostel building, when Khushi twirled widening her hands, "Aha Naina, kitna achha lag raha hai na? Aisa lag raha hai kisine aazad kar diya ho...kitabo se...kamre se...tension se..."

"Par ye aazadi sirf kuch dino ki hai Khushi Madam..." Naina sniggered.

"Kya yaar Naina, meri do pal ki shanti nahi dekhi jati tujhse?" Khushi crossed her hands.

"Chal ab, drama mat kar..." Naina was still laughing and pulled Khushi out of the hostel gate.

They had reached the gate when Naina heard some bells ringing with a loud voice as if someone was chanting in a mic.

"Ye awaz sunai de rahi hai tujhe?" Naina asked Khushi to confirm that she heard a voice. 

"Haan..."

"Aisa lag raha hai kuch chal raha hai uss side" she pointed to her left where the road was vanished after some metres behind some large trees.

"Mandir hai na waha...wahi se toh aa rahi aawaj" Khushi shrugged.

"Mandir?"

"Haan, Gauri Mata ka mandir hai"

"Hamare hostel ke itne paas ek mandir hai aur tu mujhe abhi bata rahi hai?" Naina was not happy. She used to think that she would not be able to go to Mandir every Monday because it must be situated out of her limited reach.

"Aree!? Meri kya galti...tune kabhi pucha kya?"

"Theek hai...chhod iss baat ko...chal abhi mandir chalte hai...waha kuch ho raha hoga.." Naina's excitement was evident in her voice.

"Yaaar...mandir? Seriously?" Khushi was not at all happy with the idea of going to any religious place right after having a tiredful week of exams.

"Haan! Main ja rahi hu...tu bhi chalegi!" Naina didn't say that to Khushi, she ordered her and Khushi had no option but to obey.

**

"Sameer, Darwaza khol!!" His nanu knocked for the fourth time.

"Nanu...please jaiye aap...mujhe kisi se baat nahi karni" he replied in a flat tone.

"Ek baar baat toh sun le meri..." he was about to knock again when the door opened.

"Sameer!" Nanu walked inside the room. The condition was room was not good, as he expected. Everything was on the floor, which he knew, was an agressive reaction of Sameer since childhood - to throw everything that comes in his hand.

He made him sit on the bed and he himself sat beside him.

"Sameer, kyu itna gusse mein hai? Haar jeet toh lagi rehti hai na? Mujhe khushi iss baat ki hai ki tune puri mehnat ki aur puri koshish ki..."

"Kya hua uss koshish ke baad bhi Nanu? Haar gaya na main headboy competition...Itni mehnat ki...din raat ek kar diye...sab kiya...in do teen mahino mein jitna padha hai na maine...puri zindagi bhi nahi padha hoga..."

Nanu laughed, "Ye baat pata hai mujhe beta...par...

"Par kya nanu? Aur ye kya aap has rahe ho..." He moved his face away.

"Are...tu ab bhi bachhe jaisa ruthta hai...mujhe laga thodi akal aa gayi hogi sahibzaade mein..."

There was silence for a minute. Nanu made him look at himself and said, "Tu toh nahi tha na aisa...tujhe toh aaj tak farak nahi padha exams se...phir aaj kyu?"

"Mujhe exams se farak nahi padta tha...but baat iss baar competition ki thi...ye competition hi eklauta rasta tha mummy ko ye prove karne ka ki I am deserving...I am better than Rohan..." He looked down at his foot.

"Hat pagal...prove kyu karna hai? You are already deserving...you are already better than him beta..." He smiled and tried to cheer him up, but the attempt went futile.

"No I am not...I am not. Agar aisa hota toh aaj meri mummy mere paas hoti...mujhe support kar rahi hoti...uss Rohan se compare nahi kar rahi hoti..." Nanu's smile faded and he hugged Sameer only to find him crying on his shoulders.

He rubbed his back slowly. He was not wrong. This was normal. He deserves to be loved by a mother. But he is a motherless child despite having a biological mother. And he was helpless about it.

"Shant hoja Sameer...kitna royega..." Sameer was crying for a long time.

Sameer parted away and wiped his tears. He looked down and said, "Itni mehnat ke baad bhi kuch nahi mila mujhe...sab waste chala gaya..."

"Nahi...aisa nahi bolte...kuch waste nahi jata samjha?" He cupped Sameer's face in both hands.

He looked at him in questioning eyes when Nanu continued, "Principal ne bataya mujhe, ki tumne bahut mehnat ki thi iss competition ke liye...aur tumhare marks bhi pehle se kafi better hue the...par wo bhi majboor the beta...headboy toh koi ek hi ban sakta tha na...unhe bohot dukh tha ki pariksha mein Arjun se, sirf dus marks kam aane ki wajah se tum headboy nahi ban paye, toh unhone kaha ki wo tumhe ek inaam dena chahte hai..

"Inaam? Kaisa inaam?"

**

Naina and Khushi walked inside the temple. It was a very beautiful mandir with a very beautiful Parvati(Gauri) idol. The background was decorated with flowers with all the necessary pooja material around the idol. Overall the whole scenario looked divine and surreal.

Both of them joined her hands and moved inside. After offering their respects to the Parvati Mata idol, they had parikrama (rounds) of the idol.

That's when she saw a Pandit ji sitting chanting something with two people, each on his sides, playing harmonium and tabla. A large group of people were surrounding them.

"Ye kya chal raha hai yaha par?" Khushi was confused to see so many people.

Naina waited for some time to hear what they were chanting and her eyes lit up as she understood.

"Ramayan ka path ho raha hai yaha par...wo jo pandit ji hai na wo Ramayan ki chaupai sunakar uska matlab samjha rahe hai..." Naina took her in the corner and explained.

Khushi made an oh face and asked, "Lekin tujhe kaise pata?"

Naina hit her in the forehead and asked, "Tune Ramayan suni nahi hai kya? Dekhi toh hogi kamse kam TV mein?"

"Suni toh nahi hai but dekhi thi...kuch saal pehle aati thi na shayad tv par?"

"Haan.." Naina was clearly frustated with her lack of knowledge.

"Chal abhi sunte hai...pata hai Chachaji ham sabko Ramayan ke path par le jaate the jab bhi kahi hota tha toh..."

"But mujhe kuch samjhta hi nahi hai yaar Naina..."

"Samajh jayega...achhe se sunna..chal"

They sat behind a group of ladies, in the ladies section. Today was the third day of Ramayan path, they got to know from the ladies.

Pandit ji started his path, "Ram ji aur Sita mata ne ek dusre ko dekh liya, wo aankhen, wo mukh, un dono ke hriday mein ek dusre ki chhavi bas gayi thi. Mata sita unse pehli hi mulaqat mein prem kar baithi thi...par kuch hi dino mein unka swayamvar tha..."

"Bolo Siya Var Ram chandra ki...jai!" Someone shouted from the crowd.

Naina felt relatable. She was also in love with Sameer in the first meet only.

"Sita mata dero tak Shri Ram ke baare mein hi sochti rehti thi...vah khana peena sab bhul chuki thi...unki yah halat unki choti behen Urmila se na chhup saki...

"Didi", Urmila ne Mata Sita ko prashn kiya, "Aap bata kyu nahi deti pitashri ko? Ki aapke man mein koi aur bas chuka hai...aap jinse prem karti hai...aap unhi se vivah karna chahti hai...kal aap ka swayamvar hai didi...aapki apni ichhayein...apni bhavnaein...mahatvapurn nahi? Iss tyag ki avashyakta kyu?"

Sita mata ne bade hi namrata se uttar diya, "Tyag? Kaisa tyag? Tyag toh apno ka hota hai na...mere paas toh keval anubhuti hai...anubhuti wo sirf ek kshan ki...jisme main ek vyakti ko samarpit ho gayi...mujhe toh svayam ye nahi pata ki main kisise prem karne lagi hu...mujhe toh ye bhi nahi pata ki mere man mein jinke liye bhavnaye utpann ho rahi hai...wo mere baare mein kya sochte hai."

Sita smiled, "Aur yadi meri anubhuti mein satyata hai...toh vo meri niyati bankar apne aap pratyaksh hogi...ye mera vishwas hai!"

"Uske baad Mata Sita ne, Gauri Ma ke mandir jakar aarti ki.." Pandit ji continued and sang the first few lines of Aarti.

जय जय गिरिवर राज किसोरी।
जय महेस मुख चंद चकोरी॥

जय गजबदन षडानन माता।
जगत जननि दामिनी दुति गाता॥

देवी पूजि पद कमल तुम्हारे।
सुर नर मुनि सब होहिं सुखारे॥

मोर मनोरथ जानहु नीकें।
बसहु सदा उर पुर सबही के॥

"Mor manohar janahu nike, basahu sada ur pur sabahi ke...arthat...aap to mere man ki baat janti ho ma...ab sab aapke haath mein hai...", Pandit ji explained further, "Ye aarti aaj bhi kuwari ladkiya gaati hai, manchaha var paane ke liye, jaise Sita ji gaya karti thi, Shri Ram ko apne var ke roop mein pane ke liye..."

"Bolo Siya var Ram Chandra ki Jai" everyone hailed Ram and Sita.

"Naina...Naina sun na" Khushi was calling her when both were coming out of the mandir. "Kaha khoyi hui hai?"

"Kahi nahi, bol?" Both were descending the stairs.

"Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aaya...wo kaunsi bhasha thi yaar?" Khushi scrunched her face.

"Pagal...wo hindi thi...original wali...pehle ke zamane mein aisi hi hindi ka prayog hota tha..." Naina laughed.

"But mujhe matlab hi nahi samjha, jaise koi koi shabd the na...anbhut..."

"Anubhuti" Naina corrected her.

"Haan wahi...uska kya meaning hai?"

"Anubhuti matlab feelings"

"Aur wo niyati aur ek tha na prat..."

"Niyati matlab destiny aur Pratyaksh matlab visible...aur koi word?" she corrected her because she knew if she started to pronounce the word, no one knows if they'll be able to go back today on time or not.

Khushi scratched her head, "Nahi abhi toh yaad nahi aa raha, badme aayega toh puchungi"

Naina laughed at her and shook her head in reminiscence, again.

"Kya hua madam? Muskura kyu rahi ho?" They entered their hostel and school boundary. "Kisi ki yaad aa gayi kya?"

When Naina didn't reply Khushi laughed aloud and moved to her room not before hugging Naina.

Naina was in deep thought after two hours of coming back. She was thinking deeply about the Ramayan Path she heard today.

"Main itne dino se mandir jana chahti thi, par aaj hi mandir ja payi, aaj hi waha Ramayan ka wo path ho raha tha jisme Mata Sita ka dharam sankat dikhaya gaya hai...kya ye mujhse kuch kehna chahte hai? Gauri ma ka mandir...manchaha var..." everything was making sense to her.

"Jaise Mata Sita ki uljhan thi...vaise meri bhi hai...sirf ek anubhuti hi toh hai mere paas...aur mujhe bhi nahi pata wo kya sochta hai mere baare mein...Then she remembered the exact words of Mata Sita, 'Agar meri anubhuti mein satyata hai, toh wo meri niyati bankar apne aap pratyaksh hogi.' Matlab mujhe bhi Sameer mil sakta hai...par kaise?"

**

"Inaam...kaisa Inaam?" Munna and Pandit were seated at his bed while Sameer was in a deep thought playing with a football across the room.

"Haan Inaam. Principal sir ne mujhe Banasthali Vidyapeeth mein admission offer kiya hai..."

"Kya?" Munna and Pandit stood up in concern.

"Haan...wo bhi on merit..." Sameer stopped playing.

"But kaise? Aadha semester toh ho chuka hai na?"

"Bhaad mein gaya semester...mujhe usse kuch lena dena nahi hai..." Sameer was not at all happy with the proposal. "Baat ye hai ki mujhe waha phirse akela nahi hona, waha na toh Nanu honge na tum dono, kya karunga main? Isliye maine mana kar diya Nanu ko.."

Pandit grinned, "Sahi kiya tune Sameer..."

"Tu chup kar Ponga" Munna calmed him down "Dekh Sameer thande dimag se soch, ye mauka har kisi ko nahi milta..."

"But mujhe nahi chahiye ye mauka...iss mauke ke liye maine mehnat nahi ki thi...headboy competition ke liye ki thi..." Sameer sat down on the bed.

"Sameer, baat toh Munna sahi keh raha hai..." Pandit chipped in.

"Tum log nahi samjh rahe ho...main abhi abhi Nanu ke paas aaya hu...mujhe fir se wahi hostel life nahi jini...aur Nanu ko bhi meri zarurat hai..." Sameer rubbed his forehead.

That's when Nanu's voice announced his presence, "Bachho..aakar khana kha lo."

When Nanu saw the three of them sitting in silence he said "Ye kya...itne serious hokar kyu baithe ho?"

When no one replied he understood the situation. He signalled Pandit to move aside and sat beside Sameer.

"Mere hisab se tujhe jana chahiye...itne achhe mauke ko mana karna ek bewakoofi hai.."

Munna intereupted, "Hum bhi isko itni der se yahi samjha rahe hai..."

Nanu smiled, "Dekh ab toh tere dosto ko bhi koi problem nahi hai, aur main tujhe kaunsa bol raha hu zindagi bhar ke liye permanently shift hoja...sirf dedh saal ki baat hai...half semester toh ho hi chuka hai tera yaha.."

Sameer looked plainly at Nanu, "Achha theek hai bhai...bas ye semester chale ja...agar tujhe pasand nahi aaya toh aa jana eleventh ke baad...ab theek hai?"

Sameer nodded reluctantly. But still, it was difficult to live alone, again. These months will be the longer ones.

I have tried something new, hope you like this concept. Don't forget to tell me how you feel about it. Waiting for your response on this.

Thank you so much for reading.