TOGETHER... FOREVER!!
CHAPTER 1
At Shamsher Villa- Lahore,
"Did you get any information about them?" "Ji Janaab!! Hussain informed me few minutes back, they have finally been seen yesterday in Amritsar (Capital of Punjab, India)." Informed Akmal Khan. Hearing this, Shamsher's calm face turned red in anger and he threw the paper weight he was twisting in his palm a while back, on the glass window. His sudden reaction terrified his men for a moment. Shamsher turned to the terrified Akmal and held his collar irately and shouted in glare, "And you are telling me now!! What were you waiting for all these minutes, Khan?? You idiot!!!" He pushed him back in rage. "Now what are you looking at me for, morons!! Go and leave for Amritsar NOW!! I want them at any cost!! Get out you all!!" "Janaab! If we see him, we will kill him right there!!" Khan spoke. "NO!!" Shamsher replied loudly, "Don't kill him!! Don't even give him a scratch!! I want them... ALIVE and sound!! You just get them here and rest... I will see!! I have already planned what I have to do!! Now leave for Amritsar immediately!!" Soon, his men left from there for Amritsar. After they left, Shamsher mumbled furiously, "We are going to meet soon!! My men will be there within hours, my children!!!" And he laughed out loud evilly.
In Mumbai,
"Any development, Khurana?" "Yes Sir! My sources informed right now that they have been noticed at Amritsar Railway Station yesterday!" "What?? Is it true??" Mohan Kundra asked astonished. "Yes Sir!" "Then what are you waiting for? Leave for Amritsar right now, with your men and get them here!! I am sure they would be there only!! Now it's enough!! GO!!" Khurana nodded and left from there. "You have played enough games with me!!" Mohan mumbled angrily, "Now it's my turn! I'll get you back at any cost!!"
In the same day evening at Amritsar,
"Give me the bag and walk fast!" "I can't!" she said weakly and sat on the stair step of a roadside shop in a busy street. She was sweating profusely. He weakly smiled at her and took out his sort of soiled handkerchief from his pocket and soaked her sweat drops lovingly. "We have to go from here as soon as possible. Madhu!! We can't spend much time here like this. C'mon, gather some strength!" Hearing this, Madhu started nodding in negation and whispered weakly, "I can't!! I just can't get up!! My feet are paining badly." "Madhu, gather some courage baby!! I know you can do it!! Please!!" "I can't Rishabh!! I really can't help it! It's been two days since we are walking like this from one place to another in Amritsar!! Now I have given up!!" And she hid her face in between her knees. Rishabh lovingly caressed her head, "It's just a thing for few more hours Madhu! The moment we reach airport, everything will be fine after that!! Trust me!! Please!" Till then, some passers-by started staring at them suspiciously. "Madhu, all are staring at us!! C'mon!! I am with you Jaan!! C'mon get up!" He helped her to get up and they moved from there slowly. In between, Rishabh bought her a water bottle to make her feel better. All their way, Madhu was frequently looking at her back while walking for if someone was following them or not. After a brief walk, Madhu again stopped in between while Rishabh moved ahead a little. He turned back and saw her weak starving face. "I am hungry, Rishabh! My bile is aching due to hunger!!" Rishabh affectionately kissed her forehead and looked around for a restaurant or any food stall. "There it is!! Come." And both of them entered a motel. An old cooler was running near a table. Seeing it, Madhu immediately ran and occupied that table. She slid her dupatta off from her head, which she was wearing all her journey to hid her face, and wiped off her sweat. Rishabh was simply smiling at her actions. A waiter came, "What would you like to have Sir?" "Amm... Tandoori Chapaati and Dal makhni full plate. Get it fast please. We are getting late!" Rishabh ordered. Madhu was less interested in his order. All she needed was some food- after all she was going to have a meal after more than 24 hours. Waiter nodded and left from there. Rishabh turned to see her, still busy in taking in the cold air of the cooler as much as she can, childishly. He chuckled and wiped of the dirt from her cheeks. Madhu looked at him and smiled. She saw his pale face, donned with the dirt too but he was still smiling- as she was there with him. It's been so many hours that she couldn't look at him properly. Madhu lovingly wiped off his face with her dupatta and kissed his cheek, "You are more tired than me, Rishabh!! And still you are supporting me all way!!" "Because YOU are with me, Madhu!! It's enough to energise me." "How much money is left, Rishabh?" "It will be enough to feed you, Madhu. Don't worry about that. I'll manage." Madhu rested her head on his shoulder. Meanwhile, the waiter brought their meal. The moment she saw the food, Madhu attacked on her plate. After few minutes, when she felt her tummy satisfied, she slowed down her eating speed.
Both of them were eating peacefully when Madhu's eyes noticed somebody. Two men sitting lazily one table far from them, was staring at them continuously. Seeing them, her eyes widened in shock and the morsel fell from her fingers. Rishabh noticed it and looked at her and got more confused to see her shocked expressions. He was about to turn back, trailing her eye sight when she whispered strongly, "Don't turn back Rishabh!! They are here!!" Rishabh too looked at her shocked. Madhu signalled him through her eye wink. After few minutes, Rishabh caught his bag tightly and went to the counter to pay his bill. In between, Madhu walked outside. Seeing both of them, those men too got up. Rishabh hurriedly paid it and walked out- Madhu was waiting for him under the street light. Both of them started walking as fast as they could, holding each other's hand tightly. The men followed them with the same pace. They were matching them with their growing walk pace. As they were amidst a busy street, they could not even shout as it might create hassle there. An auto rickshaw passed by. Madhu stopped it with her shout. Both of them almost ran and went inside it. Seeing them running, those men too hired another cab and started following them.
In the cab, "Ri.. RIshabh! What... What will we do now?? They are behind us again!! They won't leave us Rishabh!!" "Relax... Relax, Madhu!! Nothing wrong would happen! I am with you no!! Relax!! They won't catch us at any cost!!" And she hugged him tightly. "Bhaiyaa, Please, speed up! We have to reach the railway station!!" Madhu looked up at him shocked, "Railway station?? But Rishabh..." "We have no other option! They will catch us easily at the airport! Railway station is the safest!!" Rishabh held her face assuring, "You just don't worry! We will be together... always!!" Fear was welling up in Madhu's eyes. She looked back through the window holes of the rickshaw and saw them following their vehicle very closely. She hugged him more tightly. Rishabh could understand her fear, he asked the driver, "Bhaiyaa, is there any other twisted way to reach the station?" "O Paaji!" The driver was a Sikh. "There is one way but it is too long. It will charge you more!!" "You don't worry about money!! Just follow that route, now!!" The driver changed his route with the next road cut. Since, it was a busy street, it became difficult for those men to keep a tab on the rickshaw constantly. They were trying to follow them as closely as possible. After a tough struggle of half an hour, they reached the station. Rishabh and Madhu came out of the auto, paid him and ran inside the railway station fast. Due to increased traffic, it took few more minutes for those men to reach at the station.
At the platform, Rishabh bought two tickets for the very next departure. As there was a huge crowd on the platform, it took a little time for Rishabh to buy the tickets. All the while, Madhu was holding his shirt tightly and looking all around for those men fearfully. Their train was going to depart after 10 minutes. It was already on the platform. Both of them started walking towards the train to catch their seats when Madhu noticed those men entering the platform. "Rishabh, they have reached here!! Now, what will we do Rishabh?? I am scared!!" She cried. "Sshhh... I am here no!! I won't let anything happen to both of us!! Trust me!! Come, we have to get into the train, fast!!" "There they are!!" One of those men shouted, pointing at them. They ran towards them to catch. "MADHU RUN!!" Both of them started running as fast as they could, pushing the other people aside with all their force, just to get into the train, But the huge crowd and the hullaballoo was hindering them a lot. In between all this, Rishabh was holding her hand very tightly. Suddenly he saw the board of the waiting room. "Madhu!! Come with me now!!" Where are we going Rishabh?? Train is at this way!!" "Shut up and run with me fast, Madhu!!" And both of them entered the waiting room.
Those goons finally managed to reach near the train. "Where they must be?" One of them asked, looking all around. "I think they are in the train! What would they do on the platform??" And he was about to enter the train when the other man stopped him, "NO!! I am sure they are still on the platform... trying to befool us!! Come, let's check there first... In the waiting room!! They must have hidden there!!" They pushed aside the crowd with force and were about to enter the room when they got struck with a man at the door- wearing black Sherwaani with a black hat, black shades, black beard and his lips completely red due to tobacco. "Amma Miyaan... Are your eyes for real or are they button??" He shouted chewing the tobacco. "Can't you see such a tall man like me?? Are you walking on the nose line... hainn???" "Sorry... Sorry Janaab!! Asalaam Wal-e-qum!! Actually, we are searching for our relative here... little worried you know that is why we..." "Khamosh!!" The man shouted again, "How dare you to argue with me... Mushtaq Khan!! You don't know me at all!! I will..." "Khan Sahab!!" A female voice interrupted from behind. A woman, covered in a Burqa (a traditional cloth worn by Muslim women.) came from behind and spoke gently, "Calm down khan Sahab! Ignore them, we are getting late!" Those goons were looking at them bewildered. "Begum, they have dared to argue with me... Your Shohar, Mushtaq Khan! I won't spare them today!!" And he was about to punch them when she again interrupted, "Khan Sahab, the train is about to start!! Leave them, please!!" "OK Begum! If you are saying then I would leave them else..." He spit the tobacco aside the wall, "Come Begum!" And they both left hand in hand. The rest of their family members followed them. Those goons stood there still as falters.
The train finally started and left the platform for its destination. In the train compartment, that man landed on his seat with strong breath along with his lady. Till then his kin group too reached there and settled. The man took off his hat, spectacles and finally, his beard!! He was Rishabh!! The lady also removed her Burqa- she was Madhu!! "Thank you so much, Aslam!!" Rishabh sighed in relief and thanked the other man sitting in front of him!! "Don't be thankful bro!! It was my duty to help the two lovers!! So what if we all are the actors in a drama company, we also have heart no!!" His colleagues also nodded in smile. "No Bhaijaan!!" Madhu spoke, "We can't thank you all enough!! We were very scared for if they had caught us!! But thankfully, we met you all in the waiting room and it was your kind heart that you readily agreed to help us!! Thank you so much Bhaijaan!!" Her eyes got wet. "Oho Aapa, (It is an Urdu word for elder sister.) it was a brother's duty, that's it!! By the way, Miyaan Rishabh, you acted really well as Mushtaq Khan... hunn!!! Why don't you join our company!!" Rishabh chuckled, "Thanks bro! I'll do surely... but not now!! We have to go somewhere else!!" "Oh! But what has happened?? Why you both are running like this?? Anything serious??" asked Aslam. That mere question snatched the smiles from their faces and silence was all over the compartment! Madhu caught Rishabh's hand tightly. He assured her and finally spoke out... their LOVE STORY...
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