It was 3 : 00 am in the morning and Anika along with Diya went out of the palace secretly.

Anika: Bahar toh aa gaye. Ab kya?

Diya: gadi tyar hai aur zyada dur bhi nahi hai. Chaliye.

She nodded and sat in the car. Anika was happy, nervous and sacred a bit. She was watching the veiw out from the window. She slide down the glass shield to let the cool breeze kiss her face and allow her smooth locks to fly free in the air.

She closed her eyes and replayed the conversation between her and Diya just a day before they came to Rajasthan.

*Flashback*

Diya pulled her to a corner.

Anika: Diya Baisaa kya hua? Aap mujhe aise cone kyu leke aai hai?

Diya: Jiji Sa hume aap se bohat important baat karni hai.

Anika: haan boliye.

Diya: Jiji Sa kya aap ne woh letter padha jo Raghu Bhai Sa ne aapko likha hai?

Anika(with a bit sad face): haan kaash main unhe bacha paati. You know maine pata lagane ki koshish ki ke kya sach mein sare attacks unhone hi karvaye hai. Agar haan, toh unhone yeh apni marzi se kiya hai ya unhe koi force kar raha tha. And guess what wahi hua unhe force kiya gaya tha.

Diya(shocked): kya?? Kisne?

Anika(fuming in anger): Arpita Rathod Sa ne

Diya: Aprita Rathod Sa? Raghu Bhai Sa ki wife haina?

Anika: haan.

Diya: par kyu?

Anika: property ke liye aur kya? Unhe Keasr Mahal ki Thakrani Sa banna tha...... Iss chakkar mein mere Raghu Bhai Sa.... aaj woh humare saath....

Diya: hai

Anika(shocked): kya??

Diya: haan Jiji Sa woh zinda hai

Anika(happy beyond anything): sachii??

Diya: haan Jiji Sa

Anika hugged her tightly with happy tears in her eyes. Then something striked her and she broke the hug.

Anika: par aapne toh kaha tha ke unka encounter.....

Diya: haan par woh police ne galati se nakli goliyon wali gun utha liye jo wahan rakhi thi. Raghu Bhau Sa ne Kaaki Sa ko marne ka sirf natak kiya tha aur sari goliyan nakli thi. Jisse woh sirf beshosh hue the.

Anika: toh ab woh kahan hai?

Diya: woh abhi toh jail mein hai.

Anika: aur aapne kaha tha ke woh smuggling.....

Diya: woh sare allegations galat hai. Raghu Bhai Sa nirdosh hai. Par jab tak yeh saabit nahi ho jata, koi proof nahi milte woh unhe jail mein hi rakhenge.

Anika: toh hume sare proof jald se jald dhundhne honge.

Diya(smiled): sare proof humare pass hi hai.

Anika: toh aapne woh police ko kyu nahi diye?

Diya: kyu ke Raghu Bhai Sa chahte hai ke pehle aap unhe maaf kar de phir hi woh jail se bahar aayenge.

Anika: toh der kis baat ki hum kal hi Surajgadh jaiyenge aur aap bas sare proof police ko de dijiye aur main bhi Arpita Bha.... matlab Arpita Rathod ke khilaf sare saboot de dungi. Aur apne bhai pe lage kalank ko humesha humesha ke liye mita dungi aur asli mujhrim (culprit) ko jail bhijwa dungi.

Diya: hum aapke saath hai Jiji Sa.

Anika(holds her hands): Diya Baisaa hum aapka kis muh se sukriya adaa karen. Aapne humare aur humari family ke liye jo kuch bhi kiya hai woh koi aur nahi kar sakta.

Diya: humne kuch nahi kiya Jiji Sa. Jo aapne aur Maan Datahukum ne kiya humari jaan bacha kar kiya hai uske aage yeh kuch nahi hai. Humari jaan bacha ne ke chakkar mein Maan Datahukum ne apna ek pair gava diya. Nakli pair lagake chalte the woh.

Anika: aapki jagah aur koi bhi hota toh bhi hum wahi karte.

Diya: hmmm.... acha ab chale?

Anika: haan.

Anika's POV

I am coming Bhai Sa your bachu is coming to set you free and sent the real culprit behind the bars. I swear.

POV ends.

*Flashback ends*

The car stopped and anika came back to reality.

Anika: kya hua?

Diya: hum pohanch gaye Jiji Sa

Anika looked at the police station. She sighed high and got off the car. Both the girls enter the police station. An inspector approached them.

Inspector: (to anika) khamma dhani Hukum (to Diya) khamma dhani Diya Baisaa Hukum.

AniYa(anika and diya): dhani khamma.

Inspector: jab hume pata chala ke Anika Baisaa Hukum zinda hai aur yahan aa rahi hai. Toh aapke liye hum sab ke taraf se ek choti si bhet (gift)

The rest of the police persons came with two small gift boxes for them. They gave them the gift and the two accepted happily

Inspector: zyada bada toh nahi hai par....

Anika: aree toh kya hua? Aap sab ka pyaar hi humare liye kafi hai.

All of them smiled.

Anika: Inspector Vijay. Kahan hai Bhai Sa?

Vijay: Hukum woh bahar nahi aa rahe hai.

Anika: kyu?

Vijay: woh keh rahe hai ke jab tak aap unhe maaf nahi karti woh nahi aaiyenge.

Anika: toh kya hum jaa sakte hai unke pass?

Vijay: haan kyu nahi? Chaliye

Anika: Diya Baisaa aap yahin rukiye hum unhe leke aate hai.

Diya nodded and Anika left with Vijay. In one of the jail a man was sleeping on the floor. She entered in and asked Vijay to leave. As he left she slowly she went to him and sat down taking his head on her lap. She stroked his head with tears in her eyes.

The man was her elder brother Raghuvendra Bhuvan Singh

Anika pecked his forehead and he smiled in his sleep. She was crying silently and a tear drop fell on his face breaking his sleep. Anika saw him opening his eyes and immediately wiped her tears and wore a great smile.

He opened his eyes and looked at her and smiled.

Raghu: bachu aap phir se humare sapne mein aa gayi. Pareshan karne

Anika frowned and pinched his arm and he hissed

Anika: sapna nahi hai yeh. Sach hai.

Raghu was shocked and immediately got up. Happy tears started to flow from his eyes.

Anika: kya Bhai Sa hum aapko pareshan karte hai? Jaiye hum aap se baat nahi karenge (like a kid)

Raghu smacked her head and pulled her into a hug and she nudged into him like a child buries her head into her father's chest.

Raghu: aap abhi bhi waisi hi hai na. Bikul nahi badli

Anika: humne aapko bohat miss kiya Bhai Sa.

Raghu: humne bhi princess

He kissed her forehead and anika sobbed hugging him more tightly.

Raghu: nahi bache nahi rote. Aapko pata hai na hum aapke ankhon mein anshun nahi dekh sakte.

Anika: toh aapne hume rulaya kyu?

Raghu broke the hug.

Raghu: humne kab rulaya?

Anika: aap hum sab ko chhod ke chale gaye. Aapko pata hai hum kitna roye the (extending her hands showing 5the amount like a kid) itna sara.

Raghu(chuckled): I am sorry humne apni jaan ko rulaya. Par ab aur nahi.

Anika: bikul nahi.

They chuckled. Raghu then hold her face.

Raghu: kya aapne humne maaf kar diya?

Anika: kis baat ki maafi Bhai Sa? Jab aapne kuch kiya hi nahi hai. Sab Arpita Rathod ne kiya hai. Sare attacks bhi unhone hi karvaye the. Aur aapka iss tarah brainwash kiya ke aapko bhi yehi lage ke sare attacks aapne kiye hai.

Raghu: kya??

Anika: haan Bhai Sa hume pata hai aap aisa kuch nahi kar sakte. Aap hum sab se bohat pyaar karte hai.

Raghu: haan pyaar toh bohat karte hai.

Anika again hugged him tightly.

Anika: aur ab hum aapko kahin nahi jaane denge. Ji haan

Raghu: hum pagal thodi hai jo ab aap se dur jaiyenge.

Anika(breaking the hug): ab chaliye ghar chaliye.

Raghu: nahi yahan sab....

Anika: humne pata hai Bhai Sa hum aapki insult nahi hone denge. Jab tak Arpita Rathod jail nahi chali jati tab tak aap emergency room mein rahenge.

Raghu: par kya sab hume maaf karenge?

Anika: bikul karenge. Jab Arpita Rathod ka sach samne aayega tab woh zarror maaf kar denge. Abhi aap chaliye.

Raghu: theek hai.

They left the police station. Raghu was set free with due respect. They reached Keshar Mahal by 4 : 30 am. Raghu went to secret emergency room and AniYa to their respective rooms.

After sometime all of them were ready for their dayout. All gathered in the hall after the breakfast.

Anika: sab ready hai na?

All: haan.

Anika: toh pehle ghar dikhati hun phir hum bahar jayenge. Veer aap bhi humare saath yahin rukenge.

Veeranshu: par....

Anika: no par war. Humne ke diya toh keh diya aap yahin rahenge. Ji haan.

Veeranshu: okay. As you say sweetheart.

Shivaay(murmuring): yeh anika ko sweetheart kyu bula raha hai? Aur anika bhi kuch nahi keh rahi mujhe toh (imitating her) Shii... don't call me that, kar ke chup kara diya tha.

Anika: aap ne kuch kaha kya shivaay?

Shivaay: nahi, kuch nahi.

Anika: then let's move.

All agreed and anika gave the tour of the palace to them.

Rudra: aisa lag raha hai hum kisi school tour pe aaye hai aur bhabhi maa guide bani hai.

All chuckled. Then shivaay spotted a locked room with many spider webs on them.

Shivaay: anika ek minute ruko

All stopped

Anika: haan kya hua?

Shivaay: woh kya hai?

He pointed there only to scare anika.

Anika(avoiding it): aap sab ko hum arm room le jate hai. Wahan sare hathiyar hai jo wars mein use hote the.

Shivaay: anika maine pucha woh kya hai?

Anika: aap kyu uss bandh room ke peche pade hai.

Ratan: Jiji Maa Sa mujhe bhi jaan na hai ke woh kya hai? Diya ne toh kabhi nahi bataya.

Diya: kyu ke iss room ke baare mein hume bhi nahi pata hai. Hum kaise bataye?

Om: bhabhi hume dikhaiye na kya hai woh?

Anika: guys wahan kuch nahi hai rehne dete hai.

Tej: par problem kya hai bache?

Anika: woh bade papa....

Rudra: bhabhi maa please chaliye na

All insisted her and finally she has to agree.

Anika: okay fine par dar mat jana.

Saying so she moved forward while the rest followed her. She went near the room and took out the keys from the table kept there.

Anika: pehle aap sab apne phone ki torch on kar dijiye andar light nahi hai.

Mahi: kyu light kyu nahi hai?

Anika: kyu ke yeh room saalon se bandh hai.

Mona: theek hai hum karte hai.

They entered in with torch lights of their phones.

Anika: be careful guys. Aur rudy tum mera haath pakad lo.

Rudra: kyu?

Anika: dar jaoge

Rudra: main koi darta warta nahi bhabhi maa. Don't worry

Pinky: oh my mata anika yeh jagah kya hai?

Anika: aap chaliye sab pata chal jayega.

All took the steps slowly as the place was very haunting.

Then they heard a scream. All got scared except anika and looked back. It was Priyanka she was sweating and panting heavy because she was frightened. Anika came to her and rubbed her back and she hugged her tightly

Shivaay: kya hua prinku?

Priyanka(panting): woh..... bha....bhaiyaa woh dekhiye.

She pointed foreword and all turned their faces only to be shocked as there were numerous skeletons. And the ladies ratan and rudra screamed

Anika: aap sab dariye mat.

Rudra: aree kya mat dariye bhabhi maa?

Anika: maine toh pehle hi kaha tha nahi jate aap sab hi force kar rahe the.

Ratan: aree galati ho gayi

Veeranshu: lekin annie yeh sab hai kya? Kiske hai ye skeletons

Anika: prinku please daro mat kuch nahi hoga haan. Badi maa..

Jhanvi nodded and took Priyanka out from the hug. Anika moved forward

Anika: shayad in sab mein main bhi hoti

Shivaay: what kya bol rahi ho?

Anika: aur aap bhi hote shivaay

Rudra: aree bhabhi maa kyu dara rahi ho?

Anika: main dara nahi rahi rudy fact bata rahi hun.

Mahi: yeh kaisa behuda fact hai tera?

Shakti: exactly

Anika: papa yeh sare jo skeletons dekh rahe hai yeh sare iss gharane ki rajkumariyon ke aur unke lover ya husbands ke hai.

Soumya: matlab?

Anika: humare gharane mein ladkiyon ko pyaar karne ki ijazt nahi thi. Agar kiya bhi toh samne wala Rajput ke alava nahi hona chahiye. Agar unhone kisi se pyaar kiya specially agar woh Rajput nahi hai toh undono ko iss room mein pack kardiya jata tha yahan hum zyada nahi reh sakte kyu ke yahan oxygen milna bohat mushkil hai. Yahan woh main door ke alava koi aur koi door ya window nahi hai. Issiliye yahan unko tadpa tadpa ke maar diya jata tha

Dadi: haaye rabba. Par kya abhi bhi...

Anika: nahi dadi yeh toh barsho purani pratha hai. Jo humare Dada Sa, Purva Datahukum Jai Singh ne ban kardi thi. Itne saalon se yeh room bandh hi tha. Mujhe bhi pehle isske baare mein nahi pata tha. Woh toh ek din iss ghar ke baare mein padh rahi thi humari library se tab pata chala.

Mona: bhabhi chalo na chalte hai mujhe bohat dar lag raha hai.

Anika: haan chalo.

They all went out and anika locked the room.

Anika: aap sab dariye mat koi bhoot nahi aayega.

Ratan: chalo na aage chalte hai.

Then the moved to another closed room

Jhanvi: anika yeh bhi uss room ki tarah toh nahi hai na?

Anika: aree nahi nahi

Rudra: haashh

Anika: chalo.

They enter in and there deadly equipments were kept.

Shivaay: yeh kya hai anika?

Veeranshu: yeh yatnaghar hai, right?

Anika: right yeh yatnagahar hai The Torture Chamber. Yahan criminals, war prisoners aur spys ko torture kiya jata tha taki woh sab sach bolde. Yahan sare equipment jo hai woh sare purane hai par abhi bhi waise hi chalte hai. So be careful

Ratan: bohat dangerous jagah hai

Anika: kisi bhi chiz ko haath mat lagana. Lag sakti hai aapko

All were exploring the room then Mahi sat on the death chair. Above it there was a wax container though it was empty but as Mahi sat it started refilling.

Mahi: bhabhi yeh kya hai?

Anika: yeh death chair hai. Aur uper jo container hai woh main boiling wax hoti hai. Jo jis kisi ke upar padegi woh ek wax staute mein convert ho jayega. Straight away to death.

Mahi: yeh balti (container) ulta kaise hota hai?

Ratan: woh iss rassi (rope) ko untie karne se.

Mahi pulled the rope by mistake. Anika forgot to mention that as anyone sit the container starts filling. She saw the container falling down she got horrified and immediately pulled Mahi as she pulled him the wax fell. Some amount of wax fell on her hand too.

All were horrified to see that. Anika turned to Mahi.

Anika(angrily): mana kiya tha na haath mat lagana. Kyu khichi woh rassi?

Mahi: aree maine jaan ke nahi kiya galati se ho gaya

Anika: galati? Teri iss galati ka anjam kya ho sakta tha tujhe andaza bhi hai? Jam jata ek second main chikhne tak ka time nahi milta.

Shivaay saw her hand on which some wax was freezed.

Shivaay: anika tumhara haath (he hold it and she winched)

Shivaay: sorry sorry.

Anika: it's ok let's move out first.

All moved out. All came to hall where shivaay was aiding anika's hand.

Ratan: Jiji Maa Sa mujhe ek baat samjh nahi aai yatnaghar itne saalon se bandh hai toh woh wax bari kisne?

Anika: it's automatic jaise mahi betha woh bharne lagi.

Bhuvan: par Laado aapko yatnaghar jane ki kya zarrorat thi?

Anika: Kaako Sa hum sirf dekh rahe the

Mahi: uncle galati meri hai main hi beth gaya tha. Jab ke bhabhi ne mana bhi kiya tha.

Anika: aage se main jo kahun woh maan na warna aaj toh bach gaya agli baar pata nahi kya hoga

Shivaay did the first aid.

Shivaay: tum bhi dhyan rakha karo apna.

Anika: chalo ab bahar chalte hai.

Shivaay: koi zarrorat nahi hai pehle hi chot lagva ke rakhi hai.

Anika: haan theek hai kal jayenge.

******

Sorry for the delay guys. Par kya haina diwali aa rahi hai toh ghar ke kaam karne padte hai. Mummy zabarjasti karvati hai toh time hi nahi milta likhne ka. Hope you understand.