RUINS

2. ACCUSATIONS AND... ACCUSATIONS!!

The moment Balaji Patel saw Agastya running somewhere like a mad man, and then two others running behind him, almost as if they wanted to kill Agastya, his brain went on an overdrive. He had been waiting for an opportunity to bring Raghav down for all his life now. He was presented with such opportunity 9 months back and he almost succeeded but then Agastya came into the picture, spoiling his once in a lifetime plan.

Balaji Patel never hated anyone as much as he hated Agastya from then. His tiff with Raghav's family since generations, also felt very small in front of the colossal hatred he felt for Agastya. He made it his life mission since then to find loopholes in a machine like man called Agastya, but the machine was too perfect to his liking. Always so calm, composed, smiling, every time ready with the right words to say. Balaji Patel hated such machines naturally, but Agastya being such machine is just a bonus.

Now that he saw his calm and composed machine being chased by 2 anonymous visitors, He just knew he had to cash the opportunity. 

A few minutes later....

Raghav was perplexed, shocked, and eventually worried. He was peacefully sitting with his youngest one, who was ranting on how strict Agastya was with the studies, while his wife was all relaxed beside him, cutting apple. His eldest was sitting at a distance from them. And his middle child was in her room. Overall, his family was peacefully sitting in their home, enjoying the simple pleasures of life, when Balaji Patel, almost ambushed with a group of villagers. 

Raghav was asked about Agastya and when he replied that he didn't know, a sea of accusations poured in. 

Apparently, Balaji saw Agastya getting chased by some unknown very sophisticated looking people - which Raghav didn't believe at all - and Balaji 'assumed' that Agastya is doing some fishy business. Their village never suffered with short circuit before and this had to be the first power cut which prolongated until 2 days. 

Raghav wasn't very shocked with Balaji's accusations, because he knew what kind of a man Balaji patel exactly is. What shocked Raghav is the villagers agreeing with this man and accusing AGASTYA! 

The Agastya who did so much for the village.

"Yeh aapne theek nahi kiya Raghav ji.....ek behroopiye ko hamare gaanv mein ghumne diya humne aapke bharose pe... Ab aap hi ko nahi pata woh kaha hain?"

"Ladke ke paas mobile bhi na thi. Woh hi dekhke shaq hogaya tha mujhe toh....."

"Gaanv mein samasya anek per samadhaan sirf ek - Agastya.....jaadu tona kiya hain usne lagta hain"

"Patel saab ne use bhaagte hue dekh liya. Pata nahi kaha bhaag gaya ab? Hume shak hone hi lagi.. ki vo bhaag gaya! Ghaanv mein 2 din se Bijli nahi hai."

"Humein Pehle hi samajh jaana chahiye tha ki ladka sahi nahi hai, jab usne, ..."

Harika, who was waiting for her father to speak something, had enough. If her father didn't have it in him to stop their utter nonsense, she will do it for him. She cut the villager off, but not rudely, "Bas kijiye Kaka. Kya bole jaa rahe hai? Vo aise kyu karenge? Agastya Anand ne hum sab ke liye kitna kuch kiya hai, yeh hum sab bhi jaante hai. Aap unhe kis baat pe shak kar rahe hai, jab kuch hua hi nahi hai." She wasn't rude, but her voice was very firm. Firm enough to be heard in a group of elderly villagers. 

"Toh phir kaha hai Agastya? Agar usne kuch kiya hi nahi, toh kyu bhaag raha tha. Uska peecha kaun kar raha tha? Subah se gayab hai. Ab aadi raat hai. Ab tak kaha hai voh??"