|| Carefree For The Moment. ||

|| Part Twenty Three. ||

Abeer was about to answer the phone when Mishti took his hand to stop him. "Abeer-" she began. "What are you going to say?" She asked him & he sighed.
"I don't know. Let me just see what he says first" he told her, about to answer it.
"Just." She began & he looked up at her. "Be careful" She added slowly, worried for him & he nodded before answering.
"Hello? Baba?" He tried his best to sound like his normal self. "Yeah, I'm fine Baba. Yeah, I am with Mishti" He added. "No, we're just-" he paused to think of something to say then Mishti mouthed the word surprise to him. "We're just sorting something. It's a surprise for you & the rest of the family. Yeah. Oh..." He paused, pulling a face so Mishti gestured to ask him what was up. "Really? How did your friend know who we are though, Baba?" He asked, subsequently answering Mishti's question for her as her eyes widened when she caught on. "Aaahh. The photos on your phone. Okay" he nodded. "Well, now that you know we're here. We might as well tell you why..." he trailed off & gave Mishti a look as she shrugged her shoulders, clearly beginning to panic. He held up a finger to tell her to wait.

"Baba, do you remember when we said we wanted to have the Gordhana in Rajgarh? Do you remember?" he asked & Mishti sighed quietly, relieved. "We just wanted to see if it was possible, at all. So we came to see for ourselves. Yeah" He pretended to smile. "Yes Baba. Oh. Really?" he asked, skeptical as & raised his eyebrow, pretending to sound surprised at the same time. "Okay... Sure Baba. Well, why don't you let me know when you're near & I'll tell you where to meet us." He said & Mishti's hand went to her face. "Oh. Okay" He said & Mishti paused. "Okay, that's fine. Send me the address & we'll both meet you there. Okay. Okay Baba. Not to worry. I'll talk to you soon. Okay. Bye Baba" he said then sighed once he ended the call.

"He wants us to meet him at his house. He said he'll send me the address" He said & Mishti paused before answering.
"I've been there, I know where it is" She said & he sighed, recalling the last time she was in Rajgarh & how they had argued. "Now's not the time to open old wounds, Abeer" She warned & he pulled a face at her.
"Fine" he sighed. "We'll go there" He said. "We'll use this oppurtunity to find out what we need to know, indirectly."
"Abeer, do you really think that'll work? Your dad's smart-" she said then paused, turning to look around her. "Wait, how long did he say he'd be?" She asked & he shook his head.
"Not sure. He said he'd let us know when he was near. That could be any time."
"Hold on" She said looking towards the Mandir & he followed her gaze. "Abeer, come with me" She said & he followed her up the stairs, into the Mandir.

"Mishti-" he called after her as she rushed into the Mandir, spinning around to check for someone's whereabouts. "Mishti, who are you looking for?"
"Pandit Ji!" She exclaimed. "Where's Pandit Ji gone, Abeer? He was just here" She sighed, her hand to her mouth."Wh-" He said, confused. "He said he had a pooja-" He trailed off then paused, turning to face Mishti.
"Mishti" he began to follow her train of thought as she turned to face him, pulling a face. "You're not really thinking what I think you are, are you?" He asked.
"Abeer! You just agreed that something wasn't right"
"Yes! I meant as in they were behaving differently. Not that they are-" he sighed, not even sure what word he would use that would sound appropriate.

"Abeer, Pandit Ji has been acting suspiciously since I first met him. He remembers some things, then forgets others. He disappears one minute, then reappears again. It can't be a coincidence!" She sighed. "& now Mehul Uncle knows we're here. How!?" She demanded & the thought began to click in his mind.

She had a point. How would Mehul have known where they were? They hadn't told anyone & Kunal sure as hell wouldn't have let it slip. Not when Abeer stressed how important it was that he kept it to himself. So that left only one person...

"Let's look for him" He said & the two of them scanned their surroundings. The Mandir wasn't that big but there were plenty of places to look.
"He said he had to do a Pooja, with Lalita Aunty-" Mishti began, turning to Abeer."Check at the back" Abeer told her & Mishti rushed over to the back, behind the monument of Ambe Maa.

"Pandit Ji!?" Abeer heard Mishti exclaim so he rushed over to see a Pandit turning to face them from the floor.He had the same hair line as the previous Pandit. The same stature. But it wasn't him. It would have been easy to mistake him for the previous Pandit. Perhaps that was the plan. "Pandit Ji, the other Pandit Ji, where is he?"
"Which other-?" He asked then paused. "Oh, him" He recalled. "he had to go Beta. Why? Did you need him?"
"Yes! He said he had to do a Pooja"
"Oh, did he?" He said, genuinely surprised. "I'm not sure about all that Beta. He said he had a family emergency. Said he had to leave right away"
"Family emergency!?" Mishti exclaimed. "Wh-"
"Yes Beta. I got the call about an hour ago. He said to come as soon as I could. So I'm here" he shrugged.

Mishti turned to Abeer. "Abeer, we were with Pandit Ji half an hour ago..."
"So why would he call-"
"Unless he knew he wasn't going to be here before hand?"
"Because he told Baba, who told him to make himself scarce?"
"Exactly""We need to find out where your Baba is" Mishti said "Thank you Pandit Ji" She turned to take blessings from the Pandit, as did Abeer, quickly. Before following Mishti towards the exit of the Mandir."I'll call him" He said & Mishti stopped at the top of the stairs & nodded as Abeer got his phone out as it beeped. "It's Baba" he said, not looking up.

"What did he say?" She asked "He said that his taxi's broken down." Abeer said looking up to meet her gaze as she looked at him, cautiously. "He wants me to come & get him from the highway-"
"No, Abeer" She warned him. Not a chance was she letting him out of her sight.
"Hold on" Abeer told her. "One second. Let me check something" he said opening an app on his phone & Mishti leaned over to see he was opening his Tracking App.
"When did you do this!?" She asked, shocked."Last night. Not important." He dismissed it. "It says here that he's just by the highway. Which could mean he's telling the truth. For once"
"It could also be a trap, Abeer!" she sighed."I know it could. But we have no other way of finding out. Come, let's go."
"No" She told him & he raised his eyebrow. "I'll go to his house. & wait for you there. I might find some clue whilst you're gone."
"What!?" He exclaimed. "No way, I'm not leaving you here by yourself"
"Abeer" She said taking his arms. "If it's okay for you to go there on your own, it's fine for me to go. Alright?" She reminded him & he sighed.
"You just told me that it could be a trap & now you want to go on your own??" He asked & she sighed.
"Please Abeer. One of us needs to be here. What if there's something I missed last time?"
"Mishti" He said, his tone stern. "I am not leaving you, not when it's dangerous"
"Abeer" She sighed. "You know I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I'm your Angry Chorni, remember?" She said proudly & he sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this round.
"But-"
"I know you're worried. But I promise, as soon as I sense any kind of danger, I'll get myself out of there"
"Really?" He scoffed, not believing her.
"I swear!" She told him & he sighed, this time more frustrated. "Please? I need you to distract him long enough. Just until I message you"
"Mishti" he said, really not wanting to listen to her.
"Please Abeer. For me?" She said & he closed his eyes, taking a minute before nodding then opening them to see her smiling softly. "Thank you. For trusting me"
"I trust you... until you find yourself in danger & I have to come & rescue you" he taunted & she pretended to glare at him.
"Ajeeb Rajvansh!" She exclaimed, folding her arms.
"I'd better go..." He said innocently, backing away from him & she gave him a fake smile.
"Yes, you had. Off you go. I'll walk down" She said & she watched as he shook his head at her.
"Any problems. At all. You'll message me. Promise?"
"Promise" She assured him, tilting her head at him as he sighed before turning to leave, half-heartedly. He made his way to his car & got in as Mishti made her way out of the Mandir's grounds, both of them going on their separate missions.

Mishti made her way to the house, about to let herself into the house when she heard someone from behind her, in the distance. As if she was being followed. She paused before swinging around to see that nobody was there. She kept her ears open as she turned to face the door again, but her phone interrupted her. She saw the caller ID. "Badi Maa?" she said, letting herself into the house.
"Mishti, beta. I was getting worried. I had to call you. Is everything okay?" She asked & Mishti sighed, closing the door behind her.
"No Badi Maa, nothing is alright" she sighed & informed her Badi Maa on the events that had unfolded since they last spoke a while ago.
"Where are you now, Mishti?"
"Badi Maa-" she began, pausing to think what she could tell her mother without worrying her. "Badi Maa, Abeer & I have just left the Mandir. We're about to meet his Baba before we go home"
"Mishti, I want you both to come home. Right now. There's no need to meet Mehul Ji. He can meet him at home"
"But Badi Maa-"
"No Mishti" she said sternly. "Enough of walking into danger, without a care!" She exclaimed & Mishti sighed.
"Okay Badi Maa" she said softly. "I'll tell Abeer & we'll come home"
"Tell Abeer, meaning?" She said & Mishti's eyes' widened.
"T-tell him. Meaning that he's just gone to ask for directions"
"Oh, okay" she sighed. "I thought he wasn't with you"
"Badi Maa, I'll see you soon"
"Okay, call me when you get close. Okay?"
"Will do Badi Maa" she said then ended the call.

Mishti paused. Her mother was right. She wasn't just putting herself in danger. Abeer was also in danger, with his father. She dialled his number, turning to leave, when she knocked into a table, by the door, causing a drawer to open, her eyes falling onto it. Abeer Rajvansh. It said & Mishti's eyes widened when she grabbed it, ending the call on her phone.She skimmed through the paper quickly & saw it was a name changing affadavit that had been all but filled out, except the section where Abeer's signature was required was empty. Mehul was moving towards some kind of plan. She just didn't know what.She got her phone out to call him, her eyes constantly falling to the sheet in her hand.

"Pick up, Abeer!"
"Yes Mishti, what's up?"
"Abeer, where are you?" She asked desperately.
"I'm just coming up to the highway. Why? What is it?"
"I just saw an affadavit with your name on it"
"What!?" He exclaimed. "Mishti, my name?"
"Yes! Your Baba wants to change your name. Remember he told you?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Abeer!" She exclaimed, interrupting him. "Just come back here. Please"
"No Mishti. I can see him by the taxi. I'm going to talk to him. Enough's enough"
"Abeer! Please!" she pleaded. "Just leave it. Let's go home then we'll confront him there. In front of everyone"
"Mishti, I'll come get you in a bit. Go back to the Mandir. Now." he told her.
"Abeer-"
"Mishti, get out of that house & go to the Mandir. I'm telling you. Okay?" He said & she sighed, frustrated.
"Fine!" She exclaimed folding the sheet to put it in her bag. "Just. Be careful"
"I'll be fine. Just get out of there" He told her & she sighed.

"Okay, I'm going" she said, opening the door to leave when she saw a couple of men approaching the gate, making their way towards the house, her eyes widening as she slammed the door shut.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, I just shut the door behind me" she lied. "Abeer, I'll call you back" She told him, "Okay" he said. "Take care of yourself"
"You too" she said then ended the call, resting her back against the door, trying to work out her next move. How was she going to get out of this?

Abeer parked up by the taxi. Watching as his father got up, a smile on his face as the taxi driver worked underneath the hood of the car. Abeer undid his seat belt & got out of the car, closing the car door behind him.