NIGHT
Swara turns her side and tried to sleep then gets up,frustrated like hell.she looks at ragini,she was sleeping peacefully.
“ragini ji!!!!…”swara tried to awake her but she was in deep sleep.she makes face and looks aound,everyone was sleeping.her eyes beamed seeing two guards.
“in pehradaaron(soldiers) na poori raat pehraa dena hoga….shukar ha, hum sa koi baat karnea wala to hoga…..(these soldiers have night duty…thank God, i will get company)”swara muttered in thoughtful tone,gets up and walks toward them.
“ya to soo raha han…(they are sleeping).”swara said,looking at them with wide eyes.they were dozing in standing position.
“aap log so kun raha han?….(why you two are sleeping?..’swara said patting at their shoulder.soldier gets scared,the javelin fell down from his hands.
“tum…tum yahan kia kar rhe ho…(wha…what are you doing here?)”soldier said and gulped hard to make his throat wet.
“hum aap ka sath batien karna aien han…humen neend nhe aa rhe…(i came here to talk with you….i am not getting sleep)”swara said making cute pout.soldier greeted his teeth,hearing her reason.Swara starts talking and soldier pulls his hair.
“aap phir so raha han…(you are again sleeping)”swara said shaking him but he was dozing,keeping head on rod of javeline.
“humara sath batien karen warna hum aap ki shikayat karen ga….(talk with me otherwise i will complain against you)..”swara said in threatening voice but soldier behaved as he didn’t listen.
swara holds her lengha,gets up and start finding someone.
“sunain…..(hello..)”swara shakes sanskar from one hand and with other hand she was holding her lengha. sanskar looks at her and gets up and removes her hand from his shoulder.
“kia ha?…(what?”
“aap sardar han na yahan ka…..aap ka pehradaar so raha ha…(you are the leader….your soldier is sleeping)”
“aap ko kun jhaag rhe han?….(why are you awake?)”
“humen neend nhe aa rhe….aap unko danta jaa kar….wo pehra dena ki jaga soo raha han……(i am not getting sleep……you go and scold him why is he sleeping instead of doing duty)”
“aap jaa kar soo jain…..or isko bhe soona daen…(please go and sleep and let him sleep also)”
“kis kisam ka sardar han aap…..agar kisi na raat ko humla kar diya…aap logon maara jain ga(what type of leader are you….if someone attacked at night….we will also die with you)”
“aap ko is baat ki fikar karna ki zaroorat nhe ha…..(you don’t have t worry about that)”sanskar said chuckling.
“arra aap samjhta kun nhe han…wo jaggan ga to humara sath batien karanga….(why don’t you understand…if he will stay awake then i will get company)”
“tauba ha….”sanskar muttered and gets up.
“tum pehra dena ki bajai soo kun raha….(you are sleeping on duty)”sanskar said in strict voice.
“inka lehja ko kia howa ha….abhi to theak tha…(what happened to his tone….just now he was fine)”swara thought and bites her bottom lip,seeing sanskar’s angry face.
“maafi chaata han sardar…pata nhe kab ankh lag gai…(pardon me….don’t know when i fell asleep)”
“jhoot kun bol raha han aap….aap ko hamna kitna jaagaya….(why are lying…i tried to wake you up so much)’
“aap chup rahen….darmiyan main mat bolan…(you keep silent…don’t interfere in between)”sanskar scolded her.swara covers her mouth with one hand and looks at him with wide eyes.
“kitna ajeeb han aap….(you so strange)”swara said in scared tone,holds her lengha and turned with jerk to leave.her long hair strikes at sanskar face. he saw sitting on her ground and keeps her pouted face on her palm.sanskar shakes his head and went back to his place.
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MORNING
“ragini ji…uth jaiya…subha ho gai ha…..(ragini ji wake up….it is morning)”swara said shaking her vigorously.ragini blinks her eyes rapidly and gets up.
“aap itna jaldi uth gai?….(you woke up so early)”ragini asked in confused voice
“kun hum nhe uth sakta jaldi….(why i can’t wake up early?)”
“aapka subha subha uthna….koi aachi illamat nhe ha…aapka baal kun gilla han(when you wake up early then its not a good sign..why your hair are wet)”ragini said and looked at her face,she was looking so fresh as she taken shower.
“raat ko barish hoi the…(it was raining last night)”
“sirf aap par hoi the…(it rained only at you?)”ragini asked with narrowed eyes.
“aapko kaisa pata hoga…aap to soo rhe the maza sa wo bhi moun khool ka….sari raat to hum jagta rha han…(how would you know….you were sleeping peacefully with open mouth…i didn’t sleep whole night)”swara said making face.
“hum moun khol ka nhe soota….(i don’t sleep with open mouth)”ragini said angrily.
“sooti han…jhoot mat bolan…dekha ha hum na aapko…(don’t lie…i have seen you)”swara said in scolding tone and put a big green leave on ground,many fruits were placed on it.ragini looks at fruits and opens her mouth to ask about it but close it and muttered something under breath.
“hum na socha pata nhe ya log nashta main kuch deta han ya nhe…islya ya la ae….aap sa bhook pardhast nhe hoti na….(don’t know whether they give us breakfast or not therefore i thought to bring these….i know you can’t stay hungry)” swara said and put one slice of apple in mouth.ragini looks at them sadly but turns her face.
“aap hum sa kisi baat sa khafa han?…(are you upset from me)”
“nhe…hum kun honga khafa aap sa…(no…why i will be upset from you?)”
“phir kuch kah kun nhe rhen…(then why are you not eating anything)”
“aap hmarai itni tareef jo kar rhe han….(you are praising me so much therefore)”
“abb aap moun khol ka jo soti han is main hamara kia kasoor ha…..(you sleep with open mouth what is my mistake in this)”swara said while giggling.
“aap naha kar ain han…..or ya phaal kahan sa ain han? apna chori ki ha?…..(have you took shower and from where you got these fruits, have you steel them?)”ragini asked putting one apple in her mouth.
“aap ak shahzaadi par itna behodha ilzaam laga rhe han…sharm nhe aati aapko?…(you are blaming a princess….don’t you feel shame)”swara said,looking at her with narrowed eyes.ragini bites her tongue.
“kahmosh rahen…abhshar(lake) ka sath ak phaal ka darakht tha wahan sa tor kar laen han…(stay quite….there was fruity tree near lake,i have plucked these from there)”swara scolded ragini when she tried to say something.
“aap bahir gain the?….(you have went out?)”ragini asked with wide eyes.
“ji…hum pora din nahai bagir kaisa rahta…(yes…how would i have spend whole day without taking shower)”
“aap bhaghi kun nhe yahan sa…..(why didn’t ou run away from here?)”ragini in frustrated tone.
“ragini ji lagta ha aap abhi tak soo rhe han….itna bara jungle ha,humen rassta bhi maloom nhe han,kahan jaata hum…..ya hamara saltanat ka jungle to nhe ha…jis ka humen chapa chapa maloom ho….(ragini i think you are still sleeping…such a vast forest it is,i don’t know anything about…it is not forest of my country who’s every path i know)”
“bahana mat banain…aap bhi jaanti han or main bhi…agar aap bhagna chaati to aap bhag sakti the….kuch na hota aap ko….(don’t make lame excuses…you and i very well know,if you wanted to run you would have run away…nothing would have happened to you)”
“chup kar ka kahen…aap bht ghustak ho gain han…(eat silently…..you have become very immodest)”
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“aap hamari pazeeb wapis kar den na….(please return my anklet)”swara said in pleading voice.
“aap ja kar lakshah sa kahen…humen kun kah rhe han….(you go and ask from laksha…why are you asking from me?)”sanskar said in annoyed tone.it was fifth time she as coming to him.
“aap sardar jo han….jo sab sa bara hota ha,har koi us ka hukum manta ha…hamara yahan bhi,hamen koi bhi massla hota hum abba jaani sa kahta han….(you are the leader….everyone will listen to you…..in my house,whenever i have problem i tell to my father)”
“aap ko pata ha jo shakas mujah passand nhe hota…main us ka sath kia karta hon…(do you know what i do with the person whom i don’t like?”sanskar said through gritted teeth.
“kia karta han aap…(what you do?”swara asked innocently.
“main ussa ka hath pair bandh kar usko kaali gaar(cave) main band kar deta hun….(i tie his hand and feet and put him in dark cave)”
“ya aap humen kun bata raha han…(why are you telling me this?)”
“agar aap mera pass ak or dafa ain na….main aapka sath ya sab kuch karun ga…..(if you came to me again then i will do all this with you)”
“kun aap ko hum passand nhe han…(yu don’t like me?” swara asked sadly,blinking eyes rapidly.
“aap mera demag kharab na karen….jain yahan sa…(don’t eat my brain…out!”sanskar said in furious tone.
“ja raha han…khafa kun ho raha han…(i am going…why are you getting so much upset)”swara said with pouted face,turns and leaves.sanskar released a frustrated sigh.
“ye hota na mugal saltnanat main…is ka hum sar kalam karwata….(if he would have been in mughal country then i would have cut his head off…)’swara muttered in annoyed and sad tone.
“tum sardaar ko kun taang kar rhe ho…(why are you teasing leader?)” a girl of swara age came i front of swara.
“hum kahan taang kar raha han…wo hi baat baat par barakh huthta han…(when i am teasing him…he only gets angry at every thing)”swara said making face.
“sardar sa door raho….(stay away from him)”girl said in anger filled tone.
“aap un sa kahen hamari pazeeb wapis kar den…hum dooba un ka pas nhe jain ga…..(you tell him…return my anklet…i will not go to him again)”swara said with cute puppy face.
“agar main aapko pazeeb da don…to tum doobara tang nhe karo gi ussa…(if i will return your anklet then you will not tease him)”girl said,looking at her with narrowed eyes.swara nodded vigorously.girl takes swara with her and ask her to pick her anklet.swara quickly finds her anklet and wears it happily.
“sukriya….aap bht aachi han….(thank you….you are very nice)”swara said while hugging her and leaves from there happily.girls smiles at her madness and leaves.
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