And took a small amount of gulal. Ab inke thodi pta, uss waqt gulal humne hi lagaaya, ab ek baar aur laga dete hain. (They don't know, but it was me who put the gulal on them at that time. Let's do it once more.)
I went near him, and he was totally engrossed in his food when I colored his pink cheeks. "Abey yeh kya bol rahi?" (What is she saying?) Matlab haan, laal toh tha hi, na gulal ka asar pakka wala tha vo bhi. (It was definitely red, and the effect of the gulal was totally visible.)
First, I saw his reaction-completely shocked. Then, I told him who I was, "Miss Trishika, of course!" while my hands were confidently placed on my waist. But my eyes? They were fixed on the jalebi. Without thinking twice, I took it directly from his plate. I knew it must have seemed rude, but what could I do? I just couldn't resist that jalebi; it had stolen my heart. I couldn't just leave it there.
Vaise bhi ek jalebi ke liye konsa swarg aphocha denge ye hume? (After all, what heaven would they grant us for one jalebi?) Phocha bhi denge to dekh lenge hum. (Even if they do, we'll handle it.) Aisi news banayenge na inke liye, inki saath pushte yaad rakhegi. (We'll create such news for them that people will remember it with them.) Lekin ye toh shaadi kiye nahi. (But they haven't even gotten married yet.)
I was thinking to myself when I felt something was wrong. It was like a shift in the air, and I looked up, only to find those eyes on me. The intensity of his gaze caught me off guard. When I looked at him, I noticed he was also looking at them-those eyes, as if he was trying to protect someone, like rescuing a bird from being caught and thrown into a cage. The expression on his face was so intense that it made me pause for a second, wondering if I had done something wrong.
I quickly said sorry to him, feeling awkward, but he still asked me about the jalebi. His question made me realize how much attention he had been paying to the situation. But I, being Trishika, knew how to shift the conversation. Likin hum bhi Trishika hain, baatein ghumana khub jaante hain. (But I, too, am Trishika, and I know how to divert a conversation.) I wasn't going to get stuck on the topic of jalebi. Isliye CM ko bhi na chhode aur bhaag gaye wahan se. (So, I didn't leave the CM out of it and ran off from there.)
I quickly turned and hurried away, feeling a sense of freedom. But just when I thought the whole thing was over, I turned back for a second, and there it was-a faint smile playing on his face. It was subtle but genuine, like a quiet acknowledgment of the whole incident. I couldn't figure out the reason behind it, but somehow, it suited him perfectly. It was as if that smile made him seem more human, less like the powerful figure he was known to be. That fleeting moment stayed with me, a simple smile that held so much more meaning than I could understand at the time.
As I was walking toward my friends, I realized, I think I've seen him before too... It just... ohh, yeah, he's PA of CM Sahab.
He approached me and said, "Ma'am, could you please come with me?"
"Why?" I asked him, confused. "Mujhe kya kaam hai? Abhi toh iske boss se milke aayi. Agar unko kaam hota toh khud kahete." (What work do I have? I just met his boss. If they needed something, they would have told me themselves.) Pehli baat, mujhe koi kaam unhe hoga hi kyu? (First of all, why would they need anything from me?)
He replied while 3 or 4 guards came to him, moving closer like they were preparing to trap me from all sides. The tension in the air grew thick. "Ma'am, I am requesting you to follow my instructions without any question."
"Ohh bhai... mai kyu sunu tumhari ha?" (Oh, why should I listen to you?) "Kya kiya maine?" (What have I done?) I asked him, feeling more confused and frustrated. But he didn't answer me. Instead, he pulled out his phone and showed me something on the screen. The moment I saw the footage, I could feel my heart drop. It was like I was watching my own doom unfold in front of me. The video was crystal clear, and my face-Oh my god-the expression was enough to send chills down my spine. My eyes were wide with panic, my face contorted in horror as I threw the color on him. I was done for.
