Be your army.

Two tall men lay flat and a bruised girl half their size was standing with a gun pointing at them.

Our sudden appearance diverted her focus and Azam took it as an opportunity and snatched the gun from Pri. "Stay there else I will shoot her." He came near Pri and grabbed her from behind.
I don't know if Goddess Durga entered inside Pri, she elbowed him in his stomach and Azam fainted instantly. "Get up you, bastard. I am not done yet," she shouted in anger.

Badal was trying to get up but Praneet caught him before he could run. He punched him left-right on his face, chest, stomach. He was not even looking where he was hitting him.

"How dare you touch my wife? How dare you think of harming her?" Praneet was looking so dangerous. He was madly in love with Pri. I hoped he realised it soon.

Ragini separated Praneet from Badal who was half dead. I hugged Pratima but she collapsed in my arms.
"Pri..." I screamed and Praneet pushed me aside.

"Pratima, get up Pratima." He shook her but she was struggling to breathe.

Praneet was crying in grief when Ragini prompted, "Give her mouth to mouth you, idiot."
She opened a few buttons of her shirt for comfort.

Praneet hesitated. "You have kissed before, don't hesitate. Else move I will give her. She is collapsing, Praneet." Ragini was so impatient. I was just sitting there crying. I was terrible in crisis management, I realised. Thankfully, Ragini was not.

Praneet blew air in her mouth. It was a romantically sad scene. Pri's breathing became normal after a few attempts but her eyes were closed.

"Let's get her out. This place is suffocating." Ragini suggested and we came out from the main door. All the elders were standing outside. They probably figured out we were inside. I could see all of them were happy to see us. Granny breathed a sigh of relief.
The first ray of sun graced us and I prayed for better days.

"Pratima please get up, Pratima. I can't see you like that. I LOVE YOU." Praneet touched Pri's cheeks with love and confessed. Sadly, Pri was unconscious.

We took her to the nearest room and Praneet's father called a doctor. But before the doctor arrived Pri gained consciousness.

"Granny," was the first name she called out in a feeble voice. Had to be. Granny was the parent every child deserved. Granny hugged her and Pri sobbed in her arms. "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I got carried away, granny. Please forgive me."
Pri's apology made me feel guilty for planning the entire switch. I was not guilty of duping my parents though.

Granny consoled her and comforted saying, "Life is an adventure, my child. You just proved you have the blood of the Runaway Princess."
She gestured me to come and I sat near her, "besides, I met my reflection in Chaya." Granny saw my father and said, "she is also a Runaway Rogue Princess, Abhimaan."
Granny got up and addressed everyone in the room. "Giving birth to a child does not mean you get the right to exercise control over them. Guide them, tell them what's right, what's wrong but let them fall, make mistakes. No one is perfect. Your child is also human and to error is human. We have done mistakes and don't want our kids to repeat them, agreed. But how will they learn? Don't expect your kids to be Bhagwan Shri Ram when you are not Darshat and Kaushalya." I clapped after Granny's speech.

She bow like a lady accepting my appreciation.

"Brilliant speech. Now leave and take away your deceitful granddaughter with you. There is no space for her here. We call off the marriage." Ragini's grandfather still played the villain.

"Yes, you must leave with this cheat. Raja Saab, I hope you can forgive and accept my real daughter as your daughter in law." My father proposed. How did I survive all these years with a bunch of selfish, emotionless people?

"It is only wise to do that. No one will know about the idiotic move of Princess Chaya. She will be married to Praneet, soon." Ragini's grandfather suggested.

"Chaya will become the bride of this palace but she will be married to me. Yes, Chaya and I love each other. Whether or not you accept us, we will live together with or without your consent." Ragini was on fire.

"Ragini.... what are you saying?" Her father raged.

"We are lesbians and are proud of it. Our love is pure and special." Ragini held my hand and I felt honoured to be loved by a girl who was fighting for our love.

A slap landed on her cheek.

"Dada Saab," Praneet shouted at his grandfather and jerked his hand away.
"You... You are the one who has filled this none sense in our children's minds? Just leave before we kill you." He accused Granny.

"Was she the reason you being Gay, Dada Saab?" Ragini said aloud and I gasped. She just blurted everything in anger.

Ragini's grandfather looked at her furiously but she didn't fear him and said, "Dada Saab, let us live. You were brave enough to sacrifice your love, I am not. I won't be able to survive without Chaya. Accept our identity and yours too. It's not taboo. It's as natural as the sun and the moon. Cupid knew who was best suited with who. You and Dadi Saab lived separately since the start. What has that relation given you? I understand you fear the people, the society but if we are confident and have faith in love, these people, this society will have to bend itself and its rules.
Who makes these rules anyway? Us? So, if we can make, we can renew too." Ragini took my face between her palms and I widened my eyes.
She can't kiss me in front of everyone.
She can.
She did.
I dived into the kiss and I could hear everyone gasping.

Ragini went down on her one knee and popped the question, "Princess Chaya, will you accept me without my title and riches?"

"Princess Ragini, will you let me treat you like a princess without her crown? Will you create a new world with me?" I proposed to Ragini as well and her eyes welled up. We hugged each other and two hands joined us. We took Pri in our hug forgetting about others. I felt one more hand on my back and Ragini took her brother in the hug as well.

"Ragini, will you let your brother do the honour of marrying you to the one you love?" Praneet requested the rights for marrying his sister and we shouted in glee and pounced on him. Except for Pri. She stood next to granny smiling.

"Is this a joke? Chaya, come with us." My father pulled me but I released my hand from his grip.

"I am sorry papa, I know you hate jokes but my life has been a joke, I intend to do a stand-up, now." Ragini looked at me with amusement. She could never imagine nor did I ever think, I had the guts to tell my father about my sexual desires.

"I Abhimaan Dheeraj, disown my only daughter, Chaya." Papa's words didn't hurt me.

"Thank you, papa. You no longer own me. I will live my life on my terms." I told him with conviction and he left smashing a glass.
What was with men smashing glasses?

"Ranjeet, I expect you to understand their love and embrace it. Make a move. Make the world a happy place." Granny made her last request but he walked away.

"I don't approve of this either," Ragini's father left the room with a disappointed look.

Pri ran from the room and we ran after her. She went to her room covering her mouth. "Pratima, Pratima, what happened?" Praneet was banging the door.

Pri came out of the washroom and Praneet pulled her. "What happened?"
Fear on Praneet's face but the expressions on Pri's face, could not be deciphered. They were both looking into the eyes of each other.
Aww! What a moment. When it was over a minute but none of them blinked granny remarked, "Pri, don't tell me you are pregnant, already."

They both blinked and exclaimed, "WHAT?"

"I mean according to Hindi serials, one vomit post-marriage and a cry after nine months, that's the chronology, right?" Granny said with a tease, Ragini and I were laughing hard.

"Granny. I don't even like this man." Pri affirmed and Praneet gulped hard.
Oh! I love the drama.

"You don't necessarily have to like someone to have sex with them." Granny made a valid point.

Pri threw her towel on granny and declared, "Chaya, I think this brings us to the end of this switch. I want to leave this place."

Praneet turned Pratima to face him and asked her, "What do you mean leave? You will stay here. You are my wife."

Pri released her hand and said, "You consider that a marriage? Just putting saffron on my parting? No Mr Kesari. Marriage is much more. You are no one to stop me. I have decided to leave and I am leaving right now."

"Yes, Praneet. Learn lessons about marriage, do a diploma at least. Then she will take your exam, theory and practical both, if you pass, maybe..."

"There is no maybe granny. There was nothing between us nor there will be, ever." Pri cut her granny in the middle and moved out of the room.

"Praneet, she is very angry. Give her time. I think you have hurt her somewhere. If it's nothing major I support you but if it's something unforgivable, I suggest you forget her." Granny patted Praneet's head and left the room.

"Pri, let's pack your stuff." I tried to stop Pri for a while.

"I came here empty-handed Chaya, I have no rights on anything," Pri said with finality and I knew there was no point arguing.

Ragini took out her car and drove them to the bus stand. Pri was adamant about not using royal luxuries, like their plane, anymore.

"Pratima, you don't want to use anything related to us, at least think about granny. Travelling for six hours on a bus is good for her?" Where did Praneet come from?

"Yeah, I am already so tired." Granny dramatised pain perfectly.

Pri agreed half-heartedly and we left with them in the charter. Pri did not spare a glance at Praneet while leaving. What had this boy done?

"Granny, can you let us stay with you for some time? Till things settle here. Which I doubt ever will." I felt sad that our parents chose to throw us away than accept us.

"Our doors are open for you. Live life as you want." Granny assured us and we couldn't be thankful.

"Goodmorning folks. This is your captain Praneet. We are about to take off and are expected to be in the air in approximately seven minutes. I request you to fasten your seat belts and since none of you have any luggage please take care of yourselves.
We will reach the city of love Dehradun in about an hour. Till then sit back, enjoy some scrumptious meals and these songs from our in house radio." Praneet was the pilot? I didn't want to die. All passengers that are us, had a similar fear.

"He is trained. Don't worry." Ragini informed us and we relaxed.

Pri looked worn out. I felt sorry for her. In this journey, she has suffered the most. What has she even gained from the switch?

We landed safely in Dehradun and thanked captain Praneet for a safe flight. When we were getting down Pri told Praneet, "Listen, this drama that you are doing to kill your guilt is not required. Please don't waste time. You have other important things to do. Still, if you wish to stay here, just stay away from me." Pri warned him very rudely.

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Dear Readers
Time we change the notion that women need men for protection. With girls like Pri who tackled two men single-handedly, we have a hope that no girl is weak.
Pratima is annoyed with Praneet. Will he be able to confess his love and will it be accepted?

Find out!

Stay hooked!
Lots of love.