Episode 31
Its Dusk and Sanskar and Rohan were near the Forbidden Forest at lake side preparing for Rohan and Aisha’s date… All the setup was done with a small platform just enough so that the two of them could dance around when needed… In the centre lay a small table and two chairs… The whole setup was in white colour, Aisha’s favourite,the pillars of the platform were decorated with white orchids and roses… The roof had numerous white and transparent balloons stuck to it with white ribbons hanging down and two violins were hanging in the mid air to act as musicians just on a flick of the wand…
Rohan “Ah!! Now it’s perfect… The colour,the stage,the flowers,the clothes everything… Right Sanky??”
Rohan says while checking out himself…
Sanskar “No bro… The table!!”
Rohan looks at the table… It looked empty…
Sanskar signs him to wait…
He flicks his wand and a glass pensive appears in his hand… He goes and fills it with the lake water and puts few small water lilies in it… He keeps it on the middle of the table and looks at Rohan…
Rohan “Wow!! Now absolutely perfect… (Sanskar nods) but there’s still time for Aisha to come… We have to wait a little more…”
Sanskar “I have an idea… (Rohan looks at him… He picks up a water lily from the pensive and gives to him) hold this… And let’s find out what all this water lily has seen till now…”
Rohan frowns “Really?? How come these types of ideas walks into your brain?? You want me to use this power for your prank??”
Sanskar “Come on bro… We do the pranks together… Just think… This flower may have witnessed something of our use… We can use it to irritate others… It will be fun… Come on yaar… Please na…”
Rohan “You are never going to change…!! But I hope this is gonna be fun!!!”
He holds the flower properly in his hands and looks at it concentrating on it… He gets visions… It’s blur… Slowly it gets clear… His eyes widens in shock as he watches everything as a film…
Sanskar studies his expression and gets worried… Rohan lifts his head and looks at Sanskar in shock…
Sanskar “What is that I am missing???”
Rohan “Lucky proposed Ragini!!!!!”
Sanskar “Oh!! So what?? Old news!!”
Rohan looks at him in disbelief… Sanskar also realizes that he got a bait to catch RagLak..!!
Rohan and Sanskar together “WHAT!!!!”
Sanskar “What did you just say!!! Here!! How??”
Rohan “First answer me!! You knew it from before and hid it from me!!! You knew that Lucky and Ragini are in relationship!!”
A voice “Oh My God!! You got to know it!!”
They both turn and look at Swara who stands there with her gaping mouth covered with her hands… Beside her Aisha was standing all ready for her date looking at Swara in shock!!
Rohan looks at Aisha mesmerized as he mouths her stunning but her mind is somewhere else…
Aisha “And no one told me anything!! Not even Ragz!!!”
Rohan “So you also knew it!! You both hid it from me!!! I am miffed!!”
Aisha “Me as well!!!!!”
SwaSan “But we got to know it today itself… And we were about to tell you tomorrow coz today it was your date!!”
Rohan and Aisha normalize their expressions…
Rohan “Alright… Accepted!! But I am not going to forgive those two for hiding it…”
Aisha “Me neither!! She claims me to be her best friend and hid it from me!! How come I couldn’t notice their proximity during classes!! I was with them all those times!!”
Swara “They didn’t even told us!! We are their siblings… This time Ragini and Lakshya are going to have a real tough time !!”
Sanskar “But Rohan tell us!! What you saw in that flower?? You said Lucky proposed Ragini… That means he did it here! I want the details!!!”
Aisha “First you both tell how you found out??”
SwaSan narrates everything to both of them… They both are amazed listening to it…
After that Rohan tells how Lakshya proposed Ragini and what all he did from the flower’s point of view upto they sat on his broom and went up…
Sanskar “After that???”
Rohan “Of course that which every intelligent couples do except for you both who took a whole six months to do that!!!”
SwaSan turn red… Aisha glares Rohan and smiles embarrassedly…
Aisha ” And Ragz told me that the ring was actually the crown!!”
Swara “She said the same to me!!”
Sanskar “Now I know where they used to be and what they used to do!”
Rohan “And why these days he was extra cautious with me… He never let me touch him you know!!”
Swara “Ok… Now that we know how it happened… I have a plan… But will tell you all later as now it’s your time…”
Sanskar goes to Swara,Holds Aisha’s hand and makes her stand beside Rohan and himself goes beside Swara putting his arm around her…
Sanskar “Exactly… Now you be with your girlfriend and I will be with mine… And don’t forget to clear it all before leaving…”
Rohan and Aisha giggle and nod… SwaSan go from there…
Rohan forwards his hand,Aisha willingly holds it… He takes her to the alter specially set up there for their date…
He makes her sit and flicks his wand… The violins start playing…
Aisha “Not bad…”
Rohan “More is yet to come…”
Aisha “I am waiting…”
They both smile at each other…
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Ragini and Kavya follow Sharmishtha and Annapurna to the Forbidden Forest…
Sharmishtha “Now both of you… We are searching here for scarab beetles so that it can be dried, coarsely ground and used for potions… Be careful and attentive while finding them coz they are really witty insects and can hide very well…”
Annapurna “The reason why they are used in the Wit Sharpening Potion… The one who collects more number of beetles will get 15 points for their house… So girls,be ready… Now choose with whom you want to go??”
Kavya and Ragini look at each other…
Kavya (in mind) “VP Maheshwari is strict… And she doesn’t likes me… And moreover I can’t let this girl to be with her mother… What if Professor Gadodia’s motherly emotions awakens seeing her daughter working!! I will have to do all the work! No… I won’t let this happen…”
Ragini frowns as she reads what Kavya thought…
Ragini “Really… You are so pathetic!! VP Maheshwari,I will go with you… Coz Ms. Kavya Arora is again insecure that what if Professor Gadodia suddenly transforms as Mom and stops me from completing the detention… Then she has to work alone!!”
Both the Professors look at Kavya… Kavya is beyond shocked hearing Ragini as she was cent percent correct… She was indeed thinking that…
Annapurna “It’s useless to make Ms. Arora understand anything… Anyways… Come Ms. Gadodia,we will go towards the south-east…”
Ragini nods… She raises up her wand “Point Me..!!”
Her wand acts as compass… Annapurna smiles at her intelligence and raises her wand as well “Lumos Maxima..!!!”
They both go in their direction as the tip of her wand throws out a fire acting as torch for them…
Sharmishtha “For once,try to obey me… This is neither your house hostle nor the college campus where you can roam around freely… This is Forbidden Forest and one literally needs to do nothing to get into trouble here… Am I clear??”
Kavya gulps and nods… She also raises her wand…
Kavya “Lumos Maxima..!!”
There is light around them… Sharmishtha makes her wand as compass and they both go in East to search…
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Rohan and Aisha had Lasagna and tiramisu as food…
Aisha “I don’t believe this!! How could you arrange Italian at such place??”
Rohan “Well,you see sweetheart,I know how much you love Italian… So I had to arrange it for our first date anyhow…”
He smiles as he wipes the cheese on the side of her lips…
Aisha “Rohan (he looks at her) I have tasted your handmade Italian food… And you know what? Today’s taste was nothing in front of that one…”
Rohan smiles sheepishly as Aisha caught him… She looks at him lovingly… She gets up and goes to him… Sits on his lap and wraps her arms around his neck… He hugs her back…
Aisha “I love you Rohan…”
Rohan “You can’t imagine how desperate I was to hear this from you!! I love you too…”
He buries his face in the crook of her neck inhaling her smell…
The violin changes it’s tune… They hold their hands…
Sapna jahan dastak na de
Chaukhat thi woh aankhein meri
Baaton se thi tadaad mein
Khamoshiyan zyaada meri
Jabse pade tere kadam
Chalne lagi duniya meri
Rohan “You know what… I was just six years old when I my parents left me… I was told that left me due to an accident… I just remember their faces and nothing else… I have lived with Maheshwari family since then… It’s not that they loved me less than Sanskar and Lakshya… They treated me as Sanskar’s twin brother along with keeping up my own identity… For Anu Maa,I am her second son and then there is Lucky coz Sanskar is two month elder to me (he chuckles among tears… Aisha just looks at him sitting on his lap) But,a place for a loved one was always empty in my heart… I have a perfect family… DP uncle like father,Anu Maa like mother, Sanskar and Lakshya as best brothers just one place was empty… And you filled it the moment you entered my life… (Aisha’s eyes well up… She looks at him lovingly) Now I feel complete…”
Aisha wipes his tears and hugs him… He hugs her back…
Mere dil mein jagah Khuda ki khaali thi
Dekha wahan pe aaj tera chehra hai
Main bhatakta huaa sa ek baadal hoon
Jo tere aasmaan pe aake thehra hai
He breaks their hug and makes her stand… He also stands… He flicks his wand and the table and chairs disappear… She looks at him… He forwards his hand and she willingly takes it… He slides his hands to her waist pulling her close to him while her arms are wrapped around his neck… They both merge their foreheads and dance lovingly with each other…
Tu rooh hai toh main kaaya banu
Taa-umr main tera saaya banu
Keh de toh ban jaaun bairaag main
Kehde toh main teri maaya banu
Tu saaz hai, main ragini
Tu raat hai, main chandni
Aisha looks at him,her arms still acting as his garland… She looks into his eyes which reflects immense love for her… It makes her overwhelmed…
Aisha “I know it’s strange but I was five when I lost my parents… I am also a pure blood you see… My parents one day left for their work leaving me with our caretaker… They promised me that they would return with my gift… It was my birthday that day… I loved them the most in this whole world… I waited for them… Seconds changed to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to weeks… But they didn’t returned… Even the ministry couldn’t trace them… Some said they disappeared suddenly… Some said they vanished while most of them said they were cursed to death… I was too young… But I understood the meanings of these things… We shifted from there but never left the city…. I lived with my caretaker… She took care of me like my own mother… I loved her very much… When I was sixteen, some wizards and witches entered our house… They made both of us their hostage… They wanted something from my parents which they themselves didn’t have them… They thought that I had it… In order to threaten me and get the things, they killed my caretaker… I somehow saved my life and ran from there… I lost another person whom I loved… I always loose the ones whom I love… I am the one who is curs—”
Mere dil mein jagah Khuda ki khali thi
Dekha wahan pe aaj tera chehra hai
Main bhatakta huaa sa ek baadal hoon
Jo tere aasmaan pe aake thehra hai
Aisha is unable to complete her words… Rohan seals her lips with his… She became really emotional while recalling her childhood… She needed support and Rohan gave her that… She also reciprocates to his kiss… Their soft kiss turns into a passionate one and they only part when they felt the need to breath…
Rohan cups her face “You are made for me… You are my girl!! And my girl can never be cursed… Don’t you dare say that again… I promise you… No matter whatever happens… I will never leave you and will always stand by your side in every situation… Not just as your supporter but also your protector… I will always come back to you…”
Aisha nods and hugs him “I will never let you go away from me like Mom,Dad and Nanna!! I will pull you back to myself if you dare to go away..!!”
He hugs her back chuckling at her possessiveness…
Hum pe sitaaron ka ehsaan ho
Poora, adhoora har armaan ho
Ek dusre se jo baandhe humein
Baahon mein nanhi si ik jaan ho
Aabaad ho chota sa ghar
Lag na sake kisi ke nazar
Aisha and Rohan continue dancing while talking…
Aisha “Rohan… I really want to know what happened with my parents… Why they disappeared suddenly?? What they did that Nanna had to loose her life..?? And I am on my quest since I lost my Nanna… And that’s when–”
Rohan “You met me?? (Aisha nods putting her head on his chest… He tightens his grip around her) The moment I saw you,I felt my heart skipping a beat… Those two months which I spent with you,I thought them to be the best days of my life coz I fell for you during that time… But I was wrong (she suddenly looks up at him… He cups her face lovingly) I was wrong because every moment spent with you is the best… They cannot be compared with one another… They are priceless… You are priceless… My priceless possession…!!”
Aisha “Me too Rohan!! I also fell in love with you at that time… Though I didn’t wanted to for I feared that I will loose you also which I never wanted… But you,your charm,your selfless nature… They made me yours forever with my heart and soul!!”
They both smile…
Mere dil mein jagah Khuda ki khaali thi
Dekha wahan pe aaj tera chehra hai
Main bhatakta huaa sa ek badal hoon
Jo tere aasmaan pe aake thehra hai
He swirls her around holding her one arm and again pulls her to him… She dashes onto his chest… He merges his forehead with hers…
Rohan “After we will solve your mystery,I will talk to Anu Maa… Though she knows about us but formally… We will live together and forever… Such that no one can separate us… And even if anyone will try,I know,we will fail them together…”
Aisha smiles as she nods… They both stop dancing… Rohan looks at her… She blushes under his gaze… He lifts her face by his chin… She tip toes as he leans in towards her lips… They both kiss passionately making a stamp and giving formal acceptance to the promise they just made to each other… They stand there after they part for breath embracing each other while the violins continue to produce a melodious music…
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Here Annapurna and Ragini are searching for the beetles… They are walking on toes so that they do not alert the beetles… Suddenly Ragini feels someone holding her waist…
She turns but sees Annapurna almost two feets away from her…
Ragini prepares her fist to hit the invisible person when she hears a whisper…
“Calm down my baby doll!! It’s me!! All were busy with their girlfriends and I am so habitual to you from past one month that I couldn’t stay away from you…”
Ragini widens her eyes… She looks at Annapurna tensedly then at the direction of the voice…
Ragini (whispering) “Lakshya!!! What are you doing here??? What if you are caught! What if we are caught!! And what was the need of coming to Forest alone!!! This is Forbidden Forest!! It’s troublesome!!”
Lakshya “By God I will kiss you again to shut you then you only think what will Mom think seeing you in that position coz I won’t be visible!!! I just now told you why I am here..!! BTW,why you chose Mom!! You should have sent Kavya with her… You know your Mom isn’t partial!!”
Ragini (her mouth forming an o shape) “How do you know it!!?? You were with me since beginning and I couldn’t find you!! And BTW, you don’t know my Mom! In order to teach me discipline, she will make me search beetles as well as ginger route for the Wit Sharpening Potion!! The other one being special punishment from her side coz she is my Mom!!”
Lakshya suppresses his chuckle “BTW,I am impressed my baby doll,you are really improving in potions… After all most of the time you be with me…”
Ragini “I will hit you Lakshya!!”
Lakshya “You can’t as you can’t see me!!”
He kisses her cheek and moves aside on time as Ragini moves her fist swiftly to hit him but misses Lakshya…
Annapurna “Ragini?? What happened?? Why are you moving your fist as of hitting someone??”
Ragini “Nothing VP Maheshwari,it’s just some honey bee howering around me (Lakshya looks at her narrowing his eyes… Ragini feels it and smirks)… You know na,I am not less than a flower… So I was just moving away that insect…”
Lakshya feels his jaw getting dropped… She just called him an insect!! This girl!! She really hit him hard without really touching him…
Annapurna smiles “You are a unique piece!! If I would have a daughter,I would want her to be like you (Ragini smiles,so does Lakshya…) But on the other side, I pity that guy who will fall for you, he is really going to have tough time handling you and your different personality shades….”
Ragini giggles whole Lakshya vigorously nods while pouting and wiping his invisible tears… He again whispers in Ragini’s ears…
Lakshya “My innocent mother doesn’t know that the one she is pitying, he is her own younger son..!! Oh Mom!! I wish she doesn’t gets a shock learning this…”
Ragini (chuckling soflty) “Ssshhh..!!! Let me do my work…. And plz be by my side and let me also know while you are doing that….”
Lakshya comes closer to her and holds her waist protectively with his hand… She smiles and they walk ahead searching for beetles…
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Rohan and Aisha are still embracing each other… Two silhouetted shadows with their faces covered, looks at them from far from behind a tree…
Sujata “Ram ji, look… Our child..!! Our child has grown up in these 13 years!! I was dying to get a look of our child,but the circumstances!! I will just go,get a hug and come back!!”
Ramprasad (stopping Sujata) “Sujata no… Stop!! Look there!!! Our child is not alone and moreover already embracing someone..!! I know it’s tough but you have to control your motherly emotions..!! Did you forgot?? We are dead in our child’s eye and for the world as well… We have waited a lot… We have faced a lot!! After lots of struggle,we are near our mission!! Today,we climbed one more step and entered Hecate!! Again!! After 13 years!! It was an exile for us!! Now it will end we will seek justice!! For us… For Jaan Di… For our child… Just a little more patience Sujata and after that,we will be United with our child and then no one will be able to separate us..!!”
Sujata nods but she stumbles being emotional and steps on some dried fallen branches… It makes a sound…
Rohan and Aisha at once part and looks in the direction…
Ram and Sujata hide in the nick of time but escaping Aisha’s special eyes is impossible…
Aisha “Rohan!!! There’s someone!! Someone is hiding… I think we should go there…”
Rohan nods and they both run in the direction… It’s dark as it’s evening but Aisha sees two shadows running away with full speed and then apparating at some distance…
Rohan “We missed them!! Damn it!!”
Aisha “Who were they?? Were they looking at us?? Coz I saw them hiding the moment I saw them!! Rohan,lets go to the tree,we might find something!!”
Rohan nods and they both go there… Rohan finds a parchment paper there…
He picks it up… Aisha looks at it…
Aisha “Rohan!! Use your power!! See what it saw a few times back…”
Rohan “Good idea… Wait!!”
Rohan looks at the paper and concentrates… He gets his visions…
Aisha “What happened??”
Rohan “I couldn’t see the faces,but there were three people… Their faces were covered with hoods and masks… Only eyes were visible!! And they were studying it very carefully… As if finding something!!”
Aisha “Rohan,do you remember,the attack on RagLak at the alley was also done by a silhouetted hooded person!! I am afraid that what if they have entered here!! It means RagLak are in danger!!! We need to tell this to our friends!!!!”
Rohan “I know Aisha!! You are right… But before that,we have to know what’s in this paper!! What if it’s important and acts as a clue??”
Aisha takes the paper and opens it… It’s blank… She looks at Rohan…
Rohan takes out his wand and points at it…
Rohan “Revelio…!!! ”
And the contents of the paper start revealing itself!!! Aisha and Rohan looks on shocked at the paper and then at each other…
Rohan and Aisha together, looking at each other in shock “THE MAP OF HECATE!!!”