Lachi's mind twigged twice and she stopped looking behind the army that was approaching closer to the caves. Her heart struggled with her mind, without giving another thought she reached near the caves.

Everyone seems to be sleeping, her mission was to pick the influential weapon that was recently made by the goons to spread the danger across the entire village. Sneaking towards the right side of the cave she saw Lotiya putting bullets in his gun,

He smiled at her "Lachi, this time. What happened?"

"I wanted to give you a prize" she retorted back

"Prize?" Lotiya gave a complete puzzled look at the dark girl who no doubt looked angry

"Prize for ditching me and making love with Kasturi" she shouted

Lotiya immediately tried to embrace her "no, you're thinking wrong Lachi..."

"I have seen with my eyes. Stop fooling me Lotiya" she said without responding to his embrace and instead pushed him away...

Her eyes fell on the weapon,

Lotiya never wanted to loose Lachi in any way "Kasturi forced me but you know I love you"

"Really?" she yelled in anger and picked up the side of the weapon and threw the box away

"Lachi, what have you done" Lotiya angrily stared at her then rushed outside to looks for the part of the weapon

The moment he stepped out his eyes fell on the army standing out...Veer scowled at Lotiya who almost stood still at the scene...

"Sometimes freezing is the best of the choices, and let's face it" Veer said smirking at his face

Lotiya's body wanted to either run fast for the hills to find weaponry, but instead he stayed right where he was...

Lachi wanted to quell the hammering in her chest, as to close her eyes before looking at the blood all around.

She was advised to move away from the area... while Veer hit him with tight punches all over his face and chest. Adrenaline coursed through his system as a fight or flight instinct.

Gunshots rang out from all around him, his heart beat in his chest, pounding, banging, and trying to get out. He tried to run forward but failed as Veer's tight grip didn't let him nudge away.

For Lotiya every second was facing death, he felt as though his blood were on fire. His limbs were moving on their own. He was disconnected from everything but the ever present sound of his drumming heart.

It didn't take much time for the army to get rid of the goons...

Lachi walked down the hill... The gunshots cracked into the air as loud as thunder but without the raw power of a storm. In comparison they were tinny and small, coming from one direction only, the caves. The noise reverberated in her ears and rang out far over the hills.

With moist eyes she kept walking back to the village. Finally the villagers got their independence. She smiled.

-------------------------

Aarti was still standing in the queue to meet the collector in the town. She had heard a lot about him from the people muttering from all sides... plus the morning sun was not leaving a chance to throw the heat on her fair face.

After sweating for some time she looked back at the files and then spoke to the head of the village about certain changes that need to be made...

Her eyes fell on the poor people standing in the long queue that actually starts in the morning. These people with their problems never got a solution, was the government sleeping she frowned.

Unable to see the condition of the people mostly standing with their cattle and small kids who rarely went to school she wanted to yell at the collector sitting in the nice big room taking massive time to arrange himself for these people.

"Aarti dear...."

Aarti turned around at the voice of the aged man standing behind him "yes Kaka..."

"Please don't get angry, this is how we have to do the work" said the man standing in white dhoti kurta...

Aarti profoundly pity his condition but this was definitely not the way to work "don't worry Kaka...everything will be fine" she tried to console the man from any undesirable decisions that might end up providing very less or no relief for Chakkittapara... perhaps this was the last time should would stand in the queue.

"You come in, which village?" said the man in his thirties sitting on a chair with a huge register kept on the desk

Aarti looked at him with raised brow "do you write this?"

"Yes madam..." replied the young man with beetal leaves in his mouth that he must be chewing since morning...

"Why?" she asked crossing her arms and handing over the files to Kaka...

The man looked carefully at Aarti... "For records"

Aarti smirked at him "your records don't record the condition of the villages, its people and how they are living."

"You can complain to the collector sahib, don't waste my time" said the man

Aarti shook her head "of course, you are kept here to eat this box of beetal leaves and writing with stupid handwriting on this pruned register..."

Kaka gave a pleading look to Aarti then looked at the man "we are from Chakkittapara village"

The man angrily wrote on the register "go in" and waved his hand towards the next door...

Kaka asked Aarti to leave and move towards the door... crossly Aarti walked away

The man sulked sitting on the chair "ruined my mood" he picked up another beetal leave from the box and put in his mouth...

Aarti looked at a huge table on the center with an old man who looked so preoccupied with numerous files around him and his PA standing on his right side guiding the man with big specs falling over his nose...

"So what's the issue with Chakkittapara?" asked the collector

Aarti took a deep breathe to avoid getting angry "well, Sir Chakkittapara needs a proper path connecting with the main road as its very difficult for the people to go on boats every time. If a path is connected from the main road touching the outskirts the village, that would make the villagers life a lot simpler"

Aarti then watched the collector putting his nose on the files and the PA showing him some paperwork.

After searching and thinking for few minutes the collector looked at Aarti "this is not possible, as it's a hazard for the Kinori River that's passing through the main road..."

Aarti wasn't happy with the response "but sir, this river will still not be affected. The path can be created on the other end of the village"

"We will think and let you know next month" said the PA.

------------------------------

Few days later....

Kavita looked at Arjun while driving towards the valley "do you think he will come?"

Arjun smiled at Kavita "first learn to drive, then talk. I told you not to hire a car and get a taxi...but you don't listen"

Kavita fumed at him and stopped the car "you silly man, I am asking you about your dumb friend who is sitting in this beautiful valley. He and you actually deserve a barren land where there's no water and food"

"Kavita, enough" Arjun shouted back

Kavita hopped off the car and started walking towards the steep path...

Arjun knew it's not going to be easy to make her understand and on top of that he has to convince Veer to attend his wedding...

"Ok Kavita, I am sorry. Come you drive" he said lovingly making her turn back

Arjun cursed himself under his breathe for the day he proposed her...

Kavita happily looked at him and smiled...

Soon they reached near the cottage... Veer came back from the mission two days ago. This was best time when he was not on duty...

They knocked at the door ... Yashpal offered them seat "Veer Sir is coming..."

Kavita quickly took out Aarti's picture and placed it on the nearest table...

"What the hell are you doing?" Arjun hissed at her...

"Sssh...I am doing the right thing" she said making him quiet

Arjun worriedly looked at the door in the hallway that was still closed "remove this picture before we have to face the nuclear bomb" he whispered

Kavita frowned at him "you are a rat....a scared dead rat..."

Arjun wanted to run from there...he knew the moment Veer will look at the picture he will throw them out, forget about accepting their marriage invitation...

Kavita calmly crossed her legs "just relax Arjun..."

Arjun wanted to escape from there...he recalled last time when Veer and Aarti had a fight...

"Hi Arjun...Kavita"

Veer came in his casual jeans and denim shirt, he was about to sit when his eyes fell on the picture on the front table... Aarti's picture, he remembered this was the marriage time, she looked extremely beautiful. Same innocent smile, same glowing skin and a charming smile. With hands colored with henna and so many red bangles... he smiled a little...

Kavita pinched Arjun's arm "see" she whispered...

"Ouch" Arjun said moving away from her a little...

Veer looked away from the picture and as usual he looked with knitted brows "what happened?"

"Nothing...we came to invite you" Kavita took out the wedding card

Arjun gave the card to Veer... "Please do come..."

Veer silently looked at the card "ok"

Arjun's eyes almost opened wide "what? Thanks"

Kavita gave a broad smile "thanks Veer...and"

Veer looked at them "and...?"

"And we want you to bring Aarti along" Kavita said softly

Veer gave a thoughtful look followed by an angry look "you know she's with her parents. Go invite her"

"She's left from there. She's in some village from past two months" Kavita said looking at Veer's changing expressions

Veer immediately stood up "is she alone?"

"Yes" said Kavita... "She won't come back. Actually I went to get her back but you know she's so stubborn and..."

"Stubborn my foot" Veer shouted making Kavita and Arjun scare "what does she think of herself..."

Kavita smiled a little watching Veer getting impatient

"Which village?" he asked

"Umm... Arjun what was the name...I forgot..." Kavita rubbed her chin...

Arjun shook his head "it's a weird name... umm..."

Veer looked at their faces

"Chakkittapara" Kavita said

"What?" Veer asked in shock... "Is this a name?"

"Hmm...yes" said Arjun "and this village doesn't have electricity...and moreover you have to sit in the boat to reach the village..."

Veer after listening to both stood up "fine...now just shut your nonsense..."

"So will you bring her back?" Kavita asked curiously

Veer glared at her picture "yes, she will attend your wedding"

Kavita smiled happily and hugged Arjun "I knew only Veer can bring her back..."

"If she doesn't agree then?" Arjun asked

Veer looked at him angrily "then I have different options for her...you just worry about your marriage"

--------------------------

Aarti spoke to the villagers about the project they discussed with the collector...

Standing in blue suit and salwar with a thin dupatta around her shoulder and a long plait she was explaining them the benefits of sending the kids to school...

It was late evening and people had already lit lamps in their houses...

After eating her meals at Kaka's house Aarti walked to her small house and sipped some water... she wiped her tears thinking about the condition of the villagers in the area. How they were meeting only with few necessities of life.

The weather was pleasant....due to the nearby forest and the river the nights were always cold. She couldn't sleep and stepped out of the house walking towards the river.

It was only few minutes when she saw someone crossing the river sitting in the boat... not anyone would come so late at this hour in this village... she walked little closer to check...

Her heart thumped against her chest the moment she had a little glimpse of him coming out of the boat...

She could recognize him in the moonlight while he stood there watching her...

He looked at her from top to bottom, was this the same Aarti who was so immature and now she looks so different. He glanced around the quiet village and her lonely heart...

"What are you doing here?" he asked stepping closer not taking his eyes off her...

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