Pratapgarh Diaries

Pratapgarh, we are coming!!

Dimpana's POV
The next morning...
The first period we had our History lesson. Mahima and I went in the classroom. Mahima found a seat in the first row. I looked here and there and then finally saw a hand waving from last row. I went towards the last row and found a seat. I sat and proudly smiled as I was sitting in the last row. Someone gave me a nudge, I looked towards him: oh no! For God's sake, not again!

"Hey Sweetheart!" Kabir said. I rolled my eyes. "Jab tak 'Hi' nhi bologhi, me ese hi bolta rahunga...Hey Sweetheart" He said. I ignored. "Hey Sweetheart" He said again. I looked towards him. He was about to say it again but I spoke. "HI!" I said raising my voice. He chuckled.

The lesson started.

Sir was speaking from almost ten minutes. "So students, Ashoka The Great had many wives. Pehli thi Devi, then Kaurwaki..." Sir explained.

Kabir wasn't speaking from some minutes and that was a surprise for me. When Sir talked about Ashoka's wives, he spoke. "Sweetheart mujhe to samajh nhi aata, purane rajao ki itni biwia kese hoti thi? Yaha ham ek bhi nhi pata pa rhe" He whispered coming close to me. "Pehle to mujhe Sweetheart bulana band kro! Aur rahi baat larkia patane ki to yaha tumhari daal nhi galne wali...jaake kahi aur try kro!" I said. He chuckled.

"Kabir and Dimpana, woh raha darwaza, chalo niklo bahar!" Sir said. "But Sir, baate isne shuru ki!" I said. "Shut up! Jaao jaake bahar ishq ladao!" He yelled. How embarassing! I rolled my eyes and we went out of the class.

We were walking when Kabir started singing. "Chalo ishq ladae, chalo ishq ladae..." He sang. I stopped and gave him a death glare.

"Aaj tumhari wajah se Sir ne mujhe class se bahar fenk diya!" I yelled. "It's ok Sweety. Chill! Mera roz ka kaam h, tumhe bhi aadat ho jaeghi" He said. I wanted to beat him up, right there.

We decided to wait for Mahima and Sumedh. In that half an hour he spoke about every possible thing: from what he has in breakfast and what he does before going to bed.

Finally the bell rang and the lesson was over.

Mahima's POV
Our lessons were over. "Dimpana, tu yahi ruk me car leke aati hu" I said and went towards the parking lot. When I was walking, Sumedh came from nowhere and was about to collaps with me. He then smiled. "Sorry...by the way I'm Sumedh" He said. "To me kya karu?" I said trying to ignore him. "Nhi me to bas yeh keh raha tha k we are classmates, friends abhi ban gey aur aage shayad pya..." He was saying but I interrupted him. "Listen Mr whatever-your-name-is, I'm not interested in you! Toh door raho mujhse!" I said. "Kal takk to thi..." He whispered. I cocked my eyebrow. "Haan to thik h! Me bhi koi mara nhi jaa raha tumse dosti krne k lie! Aur bhi boht larkia h Gurukul me" He said and went. I shook my head in irritation and went from there.

In the evening...
I was sitting on the couch, watching tv. My phone rang. It was a number not saved in my contacts. "Hello?" I said. "Hi, Sumedh bol raha hu" He said. I widened my eyes and mouth. "What-the-hell!!! How did you get my number? You stalker!!" I yelled. "Hey hey!! Hold on lady! Gurukul se hi mila h. Class ka head-boy me hu aur head-girl bimaar h. Yeh call head-girl ko krni thi, abhi me kar raha hu. Kal subhah assembly hone wali h. It's important, last minute fix hua sab to pehle btane ka time nhi mila. Aa jana, yaad se" He said. "Aa jaunghi, thanks! Bye!!" I said in ended the call. "Dil pe patthar rakh k thanks bola by God!" I thought.

Kabir's POV
The next day, we went to the assembly hall. Everyone was there. We sat on our respective seats, and the assembly started. It was about a project that Gurukul was starting.

The Principal started his speech. "Good morning students. This year Gurukul is starting a very unique and important project. We will send groups of students in different cities of India, for a month. You will explore those cities and make a documentary. The best documentary will be telecasted on Indian tv. The groups will be decided by you and your teachers" He said. How cool! No Gurukul for a month! Isse accha aur kya ho sakta h!?

We happily went to our classes where we had to make groups. Everyone was in the class. "Kabir, tum kisiko choose krna chahte ho Sumedh k ilava?" Ma'am asked. "Dimpana!" I said immediately. "Oh great, Dimpana tum Kabir ke saath jaoghi" She ordered. "But Ma'am..." Dimpana said helplessly. "Koi problem h?" Ma'am asked in a witchy look. Dimpana shook her head. "Me bas yeh keh rhi thi k me Mahima k saath jaunghi" Dimpana said. "Thik h. Kabir, Dimpana, Sumedh aur Mahima tum chaaro ek group me ho. Ab dekhte h tum log jaa kaha rhe ho" Ma'am said. She had a bowl that contained some chits. Cities' names were written on those chits. She picked one of them. "Ohh wow! You guys are going to Pratapgarh!" She said. Sumedh and my smile vanished in a second. Like seriously? Pratapgarh? We were about to speak when the bell rang and the lesson got over.

After a couple of boring lessons, we went home.

I jumped on the couch. Sumedh sat down, on the carpet. "Yaar hamare saath hi hona tha yeh?" Sumedh asked. "Haan Bhai. Like India itni badi Country h aur hame mila h Pratapgarh! Waah re hamari kismat" I said. Sumedh shook his head in disappointment.

We spent the rest of the day cursing the teacher who picked the chit with Pratapgarh.

Sumedh's POV
The next day teachers told us some other information about our trip. "Aaj ka din h tum sabke paas. Aaj tayaari krlo, kal tum logo ko jaana h" Sir said. Other students were damn excited about it.

Mahima came to me. "Accha listen..." She said. "I have a name!" I said. "Sumedh listen, tum dono aaj hamare ghar aa jana. Wahi packing kar lenghe" She said. We nodded. She texted me her address.

In the afternoon we went to her place. Our luggage was almost ready. Dimpana gave fresh juice as it was damn hot outside. Don't know why, but she was sweet with me. "Teri Sweety mere saath zada sweet h, notice kiya tune?" I whispered to Kabir. He nodded.

Mahima and Dimpana started their packing. "Vese itne kapdo ki zarurat nhi h" I said. "Kyu? Waha tumhare Pitaji hame kapre denghe?" She asked. Kabir and I looked at each other as we knew what's gonna happen there. "Ab rakh hi rahi ho to thore sardiyo wale kapre bhi rakh lo" I said. "Dude, it's 45°C outside. Tumhara dimaag to thikane par h na?" Mahima asked. "Mahima hame pta h waha k weather ka" Kabir said. "Kese?" Dimpana asked. "Woh...ham...hamne research ki thi" Kabir said. They ignored us. Fine. Who cares? They will regret.

"Sweety Pratapgarh me gao bhi h. Waha yeh skirts nhi pehni jaati" Kabir said. I chuckled. "Lekin me pehnunghi!" Dimpana said. "Are waha saza ho jaati h skirts pehn-ne pe!" Kabir said. "How do you know that?" She asked. Kabir and I looked at each other. "Hamne research ki h!!" We said in unision.

Ok, so their packing was done. We were about to leave. "Are ruko! Yeh lo, tumhara rumaal gir gaya tha" Dimpana said to Kabir. "Mera nhi h yeh, me ese simple se rumaal nhi rakhta" Kabir replied. "Kyu? Kahinke Shehzaade ho tum?" She asked. We were shocked when she asked that! "Umm...haa...nhi...me Shehzaada to nhi hu lekin...umm, yeh rumaal mera nhi h" Kabir stammered. "Are woh kal mujhe chahiye tha aur mere paas tha nhi to mere friend ne de diya" I said and took the handkerchief.

We finally left.

It was night.
We were laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Kese jaenghe waha?" Kabir asked. "I have no idea dude. You know na waha jaane ka matlab kya h? That too with Mahima and Dimpana...bhagwaan ab to tum hi ho hamara sahara" I said.

Somehow we fell asleep.

*******

Uff, such a long chappy. Anyways, enjoyed? How was the nok-jhok? What do you think, what's in Pratapgarh that Kabir and Sumedh don't wanna go there? Something related to their past? A 'karvi yaad'? Or something else? Kya ho sakta h?

Keep thinking! See you next Saturday with the next chapter of Pratapgarh Diaries!!