"Lekha...?"

"Lekhaa!!..."

Two different yet familiar voices called my name, one concerned and the other quite surprised.

"OMG... it's true..." I recognized Vaishali's voice as I opened my eyes. Disappointment filled in them as I saw both Anil and Vaishali peer down at me with concern. I had been unsuccessful it seemed.

"Are you alright Lekha?" asked Anil while Vaishali looked quite taken up by someone behind me as she gaped like a gold fish.

I nodded my head as Anil helped me stand.

"Lekha...!" exclaimed the voice which I had lost all hopes of ever hearing again.

I slowly turned around.

"Rudra sa ...!!" I whispered unable to understand how my present and past were all together.

"Who are you?" asked Anil looking annoyed.

"Who are you?" Rudra questioned back looking equally irritated, as I found his gaze linger at Anil's hand on my shoulder. I reacted instantly by quickly sliding away from Anil's side towards Vaishali with a big show of comradeship in order to defuse the situation with as little suspicion as possible. I wondered at Rudra's reaction but didn't want to test any theories regarding this. I had come to give my message and that was it.

From my safer haven I introduced both the men.

"Rudra sa ... this is Anil a good friend of mine..." seeing his brow raise at the word 'friend' I quickly added "and ... this is Vaishali my best friend... just like a sister". I had tried to introduced a false cheerfulness in my introduction but it all seemed like a dud as both the men kept on glaring at each other.

Vaishali rolled her eyes at me as she observed the interaction from the side lines and whispered "Men... I told you so", all in one breathe.

"Who is he?" asked Anil with a thumb gesture which took me by surprise. I had never seen Anil so rude. In my eyes he had always been the epitome of politeness and calm no matter what the situation.

"I am Rudra... her fiancé... Lekha's would be 'husband' " Rudra spoke like a typical alpha male wanting to stamp his possessions, before I could even think of an introduction.

I wondered why he was still stuck on to the same story despite me having run off and he having an open field to marry Roopmati. It must have something to do with his male ego I concluded and he did have a big one.

I saw Anil gape at that and then looked at me for confirmation. He must have felt my confusion so he suddenly stood even more straight and smirked.

"...From 'Would be' to 'husband' ... you still have a long way to traverse..."

I closed my eyes suddenly feeling quite out of place in this conversation, as I had seen Rudra clench his fists tightly by his side. I wanted the earth to swallow me at that moment so that I could escape this ego match. Both moved towards me in concern but luckily Vaishali who was by my side covered for me.

"She is alright" she said gesturing them to stay put.

"How did both of you follow me?" I asked suddenly realizing what had happened, as I gathered my wits around me and straightened up. This wasn't a time for self-pity.

"Follow you ... where? We were right beside you and then suddenly you looked faint and I..." Anil looked at loss of words as it dawned on him that something was definitely wrong with the scene. He seemed to have missed the most obvious first clue due to his concern for me and secondly due to his fight for one-upmanship with Rudra.

"O God...! What is this place? How did the furniture come here...? I mean ... I remember it being empty... its suddenly dark here..." he looked around actually observing all for the first time in the dim light of a single lamp in the room.

With all the surprises lined up one after another even I came to the realization that the time here was different from the place I had left behind. He looked at Rudra as if he was somehow responsible for all the deception.

"He is creating hallucinations... Did you girls hire him"

I slow clapped for him silently in my mind, as his imagination seemed to be much wilder than mine when compared to the time I had woken up to all this during my first visit. Vaishali was the only person who genuinely seemed quite excited at the situation and looked unbothered by the drama.

"No Anil ... you won't believe but we have time travelled to the Maharana Pratap era. Remember Chittorgarh... Maharana Pratap" I felt piercing eyes stare at my hand where I touched Anil's arm to comfort him. I had also seen Rudra raise his eyebrow slightly when I had used Anil's name so informally. This time I didn't remove my hand as no matter what Rudra 'claimed' his position was in connection to me I wasn't going to abandon my friends because of him. Right now, my priority was to make my friend gently come out of the shock of having time traveled.

"It is a dream right... "

I shook my head at that.

"Alright pinch me..." he said still looking around distracted.

I grinned at the opportunity and pinched him hard.

"Ouch ... girl that hurts" he frowned at me.

"You asked for it" I said giving him an innocent smile.

"Shit ... shit... this is ...it... I mean ... wow... but how?" exclaimed Anil switching to English like a true 'English medium' Indian.

"Alright enough of the drama... let's make a move... is this boy also coming with us" interrupted Rudra sounding irritated. I wondered if he was bothered by the fact that Anil was speaking a language unknown to him and he felt it as a blow to his superiority. He wasn't that bothered when I had spoken few words in English during my stay.

"I had a message to give to maasa and baapusa ... I will pass it on to you and you can convey it to them. Then we can move back while the portal is still open" I said half-heartedly sounding like a practical person.

Seeing Rudra had opened old sores and although I wanted to go 'home' to meet everyone, but this time I didn't want to visit as an unwanted person especially where he was concerned. My hurt ego, pride and all of my being was stopping me from begging to him to take me back.

"Your message ... you deliver it. I am not a mere delivery boy" he said arrogantly. I saw him retreating back to his same arrogant self with an impassive face.

"But... it's very important. It's about the whole family's safety. Are you not concerned?" I looked at him with surprise filled with annoyance.

"Your message..."

"I heard you the first time, but I don't want to go back"

"What would you have done if you had not met me?"

"That is different... but I have met you.... so, it would be better for everyone that you convey it..."

I had slowly started getting angry at not being able to come out of the situation unscathed. Meeting everyone again would complicate situations and I didn't want the man standing in front of me to know that his and Roopmati's relation had affected me.

"Enough... you shall convey your message on your own. Those people had adopted you unconditionally when you had needed a home and now you plan to run away without even a proper goodbye. Did you ever think how worried they had been? I ..." he growled at me.

"Maasa sent you ...?" I asked softly as I felt concerned and guilty at my selfishness.

"... yes..." he said after an awkward pause and turned around as if disgusted by me.

"What about my friends... I can't abandon them. They hardly know this place or the culture. They..." I had a feeling that he might just leave them here defenseless especially by the way he acted out with Anil.

"They can go back the way they had come here..." he said with his back still turned towards all of us as if he had already discarded them.

"I won't go without Lekha. She is my responsibility. "Jumped in Anil before I could protest.

I saw Rudra's hand clench in a tight fist as if he was barely controlling his anger.

"I want to stay too. I want to attend the marriage too" barged in Vaishali enthusiastically, winking at me. I face palmed myself in my head. This was all I needed, as if I hadn't been embarrassed enough.

"What marriage...?" frowned Anil.

"Alright you take your friend here and go to Rano's aunt, while I look for some clothes for this person here..."he said turning a little towards Anil and giving him a look which conveyed 'you are such a burden'.

"But ... but...who is getting married? Lekha...?" Anil looked at me bewildered still unable to put two and two together.

"Anil... I want..." I tried stuttering out the truth but was interrupted by Rudra as usual.

"Go fast now girl... we don't have much time before the guards start getting suspicious. Are there more people coming out of this alcove?"

I shook my head but advised him to place an object there to stop further infiltration even if by accident. We didn't want any other innocent people to be trapped here, since 'the spies' would face death penalties if caught.

I looked towards Anil and said a silent sorry to him, as I hurried Vaishali out of the room praying that they don't end up fighting again. This time I would not be there to act as a referee.

I could hear the mumbled voices of Anil and Rudra arguing about something.



So what do you think of this chapter :D.

Not that big a surprise for you :D Ruechari