Part 27 New Experience

Arnav was looking at his surroundings without blinking. He could not believe they really came to somewhere else. Though he was not sure whether they were in 2023 AD he was sure they were not at Maurya Empire. He looked at Khushi and asked,

"Are we really in the future?"

Khushi nodded yes.

"We are in 2023 AD"

Arnav looked at the light posts and vehicles dumbfounded.

"Khushi..."

"Mmm?"

"How are these vehicles running without hours or bulls?"

"It's running with the help of ENGINE"

"Engine means?"

"Machine, invented by human... it's all SCIENCE"

"Oh... Who will put oil in those lamps?" He asked pointing at the lights.

Khushi chuckled.

"This kind of lamp doesn't need oil but current"

"Current means?"

"It's an energy, also invented by humans. Nowadays, everything is working with current only"

"But, how could they light it? There is no ladder near the posts..."

"Just a switch is enough to light it"

"Switch?"

"Yes... I will show it to you later"

"Where is the switch?"

"I will show you but you should not touch it"

"Why?"

"We will die if we touch it"

"Whaaat?" he was shocked.

"Yes..."

"Will we die if we lit the lamp?"

"No... we will die only if we touch the current"

Arnav frowned. He didn't understand what the current was. Khushi understood it.

"Let's go..."

"Where?"

"We have to buy clothes for you"

"Do you really want me to change?"

"You have to change. To avoid people's odd gazes, you should wear our era dress"

"I'm not used to it, Khushi..."

"Adjust it... just for a day..."

Arnav sighed and asked,

"Will I look good?"

"Who will look good if Prince Aparajith doesn't?" Khushi asked.

Arnav smiled.

They came to the nearby shop. As Khushi expected, the shop owner looked at Arnav weirdly. Without giving heed to him, Khushi went inside, pulling Arnav with her. Taking a measurement tape from the shopkeeper, she measured his hip size and shoulder size. Arnav saw everyone having the MAGIC BOX in their hands.

"Khushi"

"Mmm?"

"Everyone is doing something in the magic box"

"It's a mobile"

"Don't you talk through it?"

"As of now, I have no reason..."

Khushi selected blue pants and a black T-shirt for him.

Khushi noticed the calendar. It showed a one-week later date from when she vanished through the sand clock. She confirmed that the time didn't stop there where she left it. She didn't come at the same time but one week later as she spent one week in the Maurya kingdom.

"Let's go"

She took him to the trial room.

"Change this"

He looked at the T-shirt oddly.

"Should I wear them?"

"Mmm"

"You taught me to wear the pants but this..." He pointed to the T-shirt.

Khushi hit her own forehead. How did he know to wear it? She took him inside the trial room.

"Remove your clothes"

"Whaaaat?"

"To wear this..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

"Close your eyes"

"How will I teach you if I close my eyes?"

"How will I remove my clothes in front of you? Before marriage?" He added.

"Remove only your top. I will make you wear this T-shirt and go outside. Then, you can wear the pants"

"Mmm"

Arnav removed his top while reading her. Khushi looked down not wanting to embarrass him. She made him wear the T-shirt. Arnav observed what she did.

"It's so simple"

Khushi nodded yes.

"Now, remove your bottom clothes and wear the pants. I will be waiting outside"

She went out. As she taught him to wear the pants already, Arnav wore it. He peeped out slowly. Khushi again came inside the trail room and was awestruck, seeing him looking handsome. She turned him towards the mirror. Arnav was enthralled to see his image.

"Am I looking good?"

"Dashing... girls are going to ogle at you and you are going to forget me"

Arnav folded his hands and looked at her shrinking his eyes.

"Ok... you won't do that... let's go..." Khushi said joining her hands.

"That's it..." He said looking in the mirror. Khushi smiled at his image in the mirror.

Arnav folded his old clothes. Khushi took them from him. They came out and Khushi paid money through Phone Pay. The shopkeeper gave her a bag. Khushi put Arnav's old clothes in it and came out of the shop with Arnav.

At the same time, two girls crossed them, talking in English.

"What are they talking?" Arnav asked.

"It's the English language"

"Won't you guys talk Prakrit?"

"No... Prakrit is not in use now. There are many languages in India now"

"Won't they understand my language?"

Khushi nodded no. As of now, they came under the metro train bridge. At the same time, a metro train crossed.

"Oooiii..." Arnav shouted, touching his head in shock.

"What?"

"What's that?"

"Train..."

"It's running above our head..."

She nodded yes and said,

"They are designed like that"

"Won't it fall down?"

"Won't..."

"I can't believe this" he huffed.

That was when a girl came opposite them checking something on her mobile. She didn't notice the drainage that was being opened. Arnav saw her and rushed to her. Before she stepped into it, he stopped her showing his palm. The girl jerked, seeing him. Arnav pointed the drainage to her. He didn't talk as Khushi said people wouldn't understand his language.

"Oh... I didn't see that" the girl said.

Arnav frowning because of the drainage smell.

"Thank You, handsome..." She caressed his cheek.

Arnav moved back shockingly.

"What?" The woman laughed.

Khushi came to them and pulled Arnav back.

"Oh... is he your boyfriend?"

Khushi gazed at her sharply.

"That's why he pretended like that..." She walked off.

Khushi sighed.

"What did she say?" Arnav asked.

Khushi nodded no.

"She said something"

"Leave it, Arnav"

Taking her hand, he kept it on his head.

"Promise... you should answer my questions..."

Khushi rolled her eyes.

"Tell me, Khushi. then only I could understand this era"

"She said you pretended like you hated her touch because I'm with you"

"How dare she?"

Khushi scratched her forehead smiling slightly.

"Wait... why did she say so? Why did she caress my cheek shamelessly?"

"Some girls are like that..."

"Means, touching men is casual here?"

Khushi was silent. Arnav hit his cheek as a mosquito bit him.

"Men would let other girls touch them?"

Khushi sighed. What could she tell him?

"Is our kingdom changed so badly?"

She controlled her smile.

"By the way, what smell is this?"

"Drainage..." She looked at the open drainage.

"It's too horrible," Arnav said walking away.

Khushi followed him.

"As you came to my era and saw how it is... shall we go back?"

Arnav looked at her tilting his head.

"Won't you take me to your house?"

Khushi sighed and nodded ok.

"Would you like to eat something?" Khushi asked.

"Are you going to cook for me?"

"My house condition is not up to cooking level. We will have in the restaurant"

"Restaurant means?" he hit the mosquito again that bit his wrist.

"Means, they will provide food if we give money"

"Are people selling food too?" Arnav asked unbelievably.

"It's a large-scale business in India"

"Have people forgotten humanity too? In our kingdom, people will not get money for food"

"It's because you guys hardly travel. But nowadays people travel a lot. Providing them food freely is not possible"

Arnav frowned and tapped his hand as a mosquito bit him.

"What's this...?"

"Mosquito..." Khushi said, controlling her laughter.

"But, there is no forest range nearby? Insects live in forest right?"

"The mosquitos don't need forest but drainage..." She pointed to the drainage that was being opened.

"Didn't anyone invent something to kill the mosquito?"

Khushi got stuck. She nodded no.

"What big the science is if it could not destroy the simple living thing that bit human?" Arnav asked.

Khushi didn't know what to say.

"Nowadays people have become insane it seems. They invented vehicles without horse and bull, and non-oil lamps but tolerating mosquitos..."

Khushi bit her nail.

"Let's go..."

She took him to the restaurant. They crossed a small lane where a variety of roadside food was available. Arnav saw a boy taking a water glass, dipping his finger in it, and serving it to someone. He gulped hard.

"This is how people serve food?" He asked shockingly.

"No no... not everyone is like this. I will take you to a good restaurant"

"Will the food be clean?"

Khushi nodded yes. They came to a restaurant. Khushi ordered mutton biriyani and chicken sixty-five for them and waited. Arnav was looking here and there as everything looked different to him. He saw a family eating there chitchatting.

"Khushi"

"Mmm?"

"You said travelers would eat in the restaurant..." he asked looking at the family.

"Not like that. If people need a CHANGE, they will come to the restaurant"

"Change from?"

"Day to day life... women cook every day... they too need a change, right?"

Arnav raised his brows.

The biriyani arrived. Khushi served it to him.

"A simple food for the great Prince Aparajith" She chuckled.

Arnav ate it with a smile. He liked it very much.

"How is it?"

"Good..."

Khushi smiled. Thank God, at least he liked it.

They finished eating and came out.

"Arnav..."

"Mm?"

"Is this dress comfortable to you?" she asked.

"It's ok..."

Khushi stopped an auto.

"Laxmi Nagar..." She said.

"Four hundred"

"Yeah..."

Khushi got into the auto and gestured for Arnav to sit with her. After Arnav sat, the auto started. After a while, when the auto came to the lonely place, they heard a scream of a girl. Arnav looked at Khushi who also looked at him.

They saw a few guys misbehaving with a girl surrounding her. One of them pulled her shawl. The girl pushed him hard. The next minute, the guy slapped her hard and she fell to the ground. In no time, one of them pounced on her and others laughed. Everything happened within a few seconds.

Khushi looked at Arnav nervously. As she expected, Arnav jumped off the auto and ran towards them.

To be continued...