Chapter 10:Delhi to jaipur

Sanjay chuckled and said, "And the words that do come out, nobody understands their meaning."

Manoj replied, "If you have the guts, then go and talk to them."

Sanjay said, "Yeah, I can do that too, what's the big deal?" Then he got up and started heading towards their table, circling around it and then returning.

After Sanjay sat back down, Manoj chuckled and said, "What happened, did you also chicken out?"

Sanjay replied, "Alright." Then he placed 500 rupees on the table and said, "If anyone goes there and eats a samosa from any of their plates and drinks juice from any one glass, these 500 are theirs."

Vayu said, "Are you trying to get us into trouble for 500 rupees? If they get angry, who knows what they'll do. When girls are in a group, you shouldn't even accidentally wander near them, or else who knows what they'll do to you."

Ravi and Tarun, who were sitting with him, also said together, "Yes, Vayu Bhai is right."

Sanjay said, "Okay, then just go and take the number of only one of them. They won't create a scene over that."

Vayu said, "Okay, but who will go?"

No one moved from their place.

Vayu asked Abhimanyu, "Would you like to give it a try?"

Abhimanyu said, "No, I get nervous talking to any girl myself."

Vayu said, "Alright, being the leader of all of us, let me try."

Vayu then got up and went to the Kishori Girls' table and came back with the number of a girl named Roshni. It was visible to everyone from a distance that he was getting something written by that girl on his hand.

When Vayu returned to them, he said with a smile, "Here's the number." Then he picked up the 500 rupee note from the table, put it in his pocket, and said, "So now this 500 is mine."

Manoj asked, "Bro, how did you get the number, tell me, I'll try the same way."

Vayu said, "Look, bro, every girl is different, so the way to ask for a number was also different, so there's no point in telling you my method."

Abhimanyu had already asked Karishma what he was saying to them, so she messaged him and told him that he was asking for an autograph from Roshni.

Abhimanyu thought to himself, "And after taking the autograph, he wrote some number on the other hand, but he didn't reveal Vayu's trick."

Abhimanyu whispered in Vayu's ear, "Bro, cheating isn't a good thing."

Vayu said, "You understood, but don't worry, I'll be the one to pay the bill."

Manoj said, "Bro, call her to confirm, I had some doubts."

Vayu made an excuse, saying, "Not now, if we bother her, she might block us, it was so difficult to get her number."

Manoj said, "I can't believe you actually got her number."

Sanjay also said, "Yeah bro, we need to see if this number is really hers or not. We saw you standing there and writing something else, what did you write?"

Manoj immediately grabbed his hand and started dialing Sanjay's number. The number he dialed was indeed someone else's number. When Sanjay showed him the number, Vayu's phone started ringing.

Sanjay said, "Bro, what's this? Do you take us for fools? Come on, take out the 500 and put it back on the table."

Vayu then placed the 500 rupees back on the table.

Sanjay said, "So, someone else needs to try now, it's the last chance. Okay, let's forget about the phone number, just talk to Aliya, however you can."

But hearing Aliya's name, nobody dared to step up. Seeing this, Sanjay started reaching for the note, but Abhimanyu grabbed it and said, "I'll give it a try."

Sanjay said, "Yes, so talk first and then you'll get the note."

Abhimanyu said, "Don't worry, this one's mine now."

Abhimanyu then stood up and started approaching them.

Sanjay said, "He seems confident, after that, everyone started looking at him."

Abhimanyu went up to them and said, "Hello." Everyone present there greeted him back with a hello. Payal said, "Seeing you here was a surprise for us. Aliya told us that you've joined our school in Delhi, we couldn't believe it then, but now we do."

Karishma asked, "So, you guys placed a bet, didn't you?"

Abhimanyu replied, "Yes, it was for 500."

Karishma inquired, "And what was the task?"

Abhimanyu explained, "Initially, it was just to eat a morsel from any plate here and take a sip of juice, but that escalated. They decided to only ask for a phone number, but Vayu cheated. He pretended to get Roshni's autograph but ended up showing his own phone number. Then he got caught, so now it's just about talking to Aliya."

Aliya said, "You guys come up with all sorts of bets. Anyone can talk, it's not a big deal."

Karishma said, "Give me the 500." Abhimanyu questioned, "Why should I?"

Karishma reminded him, "You forgot your debt. You owe me up to two thousand that you haven't returned yet."

Abhimanyu grumbled, "You still remember that, it's been three years."

Karishma said, "Come on, hand it over now."

Abhimanyu, handing over the 500, muttered, "Greedy woman."

Karishma tucked the note into her bag.

Abhimanyu said, "Will you go shopping? I haven't brought any clothes from Delhi."

Karishma asked, "Do you still have money?"

Abhimanyu said, "It's not much. I've been given 6000 from home, and I've been told to manage for the month."

Karishma remarked, "6000, and that too for a month, and that too in a city like Delhi."

Abhimanyu replied, "You know well, I don't get as much money as you do, like you."

Abhimanyu had a habit that whenever he sat down to eat with Karishma, he would start eating from her plate as well, and both of them had gotten used to this habit. Abhimanyu was sitting in the same chair, so he picked up a piece from Karishma's plate, dipped it in ketchup, and while eating, he said, "You've been here for quite some time, so you must know where to find cheap clothes."

Karishma, also eating, replied, "I've never needed it, but I've heard that you can find cheap clothes in Sarojini Market."

Just then, Roshni spoke up, "Sarojini is famous, but nearby there's another market where you can find both cheap and good quality clothes."

While feeding a piece to Abhimanyu, Karishma said, "Forget about the market, I'll give you some clothes designed by my company as samples. I have a lot of them, and some are even designed according to your style."

Abhimanyu, also feeding her a big piece of samosa, said, "You should have mentioned this earlier!"

Karishma asked, "I haven't asked yet, where do you live? I'll deliver some samples to you in a box."

Abhimanyu said, "Do you remember Aakash bhai?"

Karishma said, "Your cousin?"

Abhimanyu nodded and gave his address.

"Okay, I'll go then," Abhimanyu said, heading back to his table.

Everyone was surprised to see Abhimanyu talking to them and eating with them, and then feeding Karishma, while they watched.

Abhimanyu's arrival prompted Manoj to ask, "Bro, what did you do there that you talked and ate with them for so long?"

Abhimanyu replied, "Didn't you see me taking the 500 rupees from them? I told them about the bet."

Vayu said, "Why didn't this idea come to my mind?"

Sanjay remarked, "Because your mind only comes up with ideas to cheat. Anyway, now I understand why you went with the note, but now we have to pay 500."

Abhimanyu retorted, "You were the one who proposed the bet."

Sanjay replied, "Yes, if the note had been with one of us, that person would have paid the bill, but now we have to shell out 500 rupees."

Vayu said, "By the way, who among you is going on the tour?"

Abhimanyu asked, "Tour? Why?"

Vayu explained, "See, when we reach 12th grade, there's usually an educational tour in the starting days where we visit a city or a historical place to learn about its history and culture, but mostly it's for enjoyment. And there's another tour after midterms which is purely for fun, to relieve the stress of exams, but even on that tour, there are some games with prizes for the winners."

Abhimanyu inquired, "So where is this year's tour going to be?"

Vayu said, "This year's tour is going to be in Jaipur, and you know, there's an art museum there, the Victor Art Museum. They're going to showcase a diamond worth 200 crore for the first time, and the day we're visiting, it will be revealed for the first time, and our school is going to be part of it."

Abhimanyu remarked, "That sounds quite interesting."

Vayu continued, "And not just that, there will be a VIP event where auctions for the development and construction of the undeveloped areas near the Rajasthan-Pakistan border will take place, and many VIPs will be attending for investments and other purposes. Our Kishori Girls from school will also be participating, showcasing their performance, and the students going on the tour can also attend."

Abhimanyu commented, "Who wouldn't want to attend such events?"

Vayu replied, "Those who don't have the money. The tour fee is twenty thousand rupees."

Abhimanyu said, "That might be a bit much for some kids."

Vayu added, "For the students on scholarship, though, it's free of cost."

Abhimanyu asked, "So, who among you will be able to go?"

Vayu replied, "I'm going for sure. Manoj said he's not sure."

Sanjay added, "I'm also going. My parents wouldn't miss such an event."

The others chimed in, "We won't be able to go. The fees are too high, and we're not sure if our parents will agree or not."

Vayu asked, "Abhimanyu, what about you?"

Abhimanyu responded, "Well, I'm on scholarship, so I'll be going."

Vayu remarked, "So, you're quite smart. Every student who gets a scholarship tends to excel in some field or the other."

Abhimanyu asked, "By the way, when is this tour going to happen?"

Vayu replied, "Oh brother, we're leaving by bus two days from now on Saturday evening. The number of buses will be decided based on the number of students, but usually, only two buses go."

Abhimanyu said, "Alright, see you all tomorrow then." Everyone's discussions were over. Vayu made the payments for everyone, and then everyone left. A while later, Karishma came out with her friends.

Abhimanyu asked her, "Did you know about the tour?"

Karishma replied, "Yes, didn't you?"

Abhimanyu said, "Well, I just joined the school today."

Karishma said, "Oh, then you're going, right? You can go for free."

Abhimanyu said, "If you're going, then I'll go too."

Karishma said, "Yes, so I'm going too. The Student Council members also go for free, after all, we have to manage things there too."

Abhimanyu spent a few hours examining the new clothes, understanding their features and quality. Then he chose an outfit from them and tried it on. It fit perfectly, and the design was exactly as he expected. He carefully placed his new outfits in his wardrobe and waited for the next day.

Two days passed, and Rohit still hadn't shown up for some reason. Abhimanyu had to pay attention to keep an eye out everywhere and find out if something was wrong. .

Abhimanyu sensed that something was wrong. Once, he had seen Shalini talking to a man outside the school, who seemed suspicious. Shalini had handed him a packet, and then they had left together. Abhimanyu tried to follow the man, but he lost him in the crowd.

Another time, Abhimanyu teamed up with Karishma to play a prank on the principal to teach him a lesson. He had put a chemical in his lunchbox, causing it to explode when opened, splattering food all over his face and clothes. When he reached the staff washroom to clean up, he found that the water was shut off. He attempted to use the students' washroom, but it was also out of order. His clothes were completely soaked, so he left the school in frustration.

Abhimanyu and Karishma's playful conversations allowed them to relive old memories. Remembering the moments spent with Karishma filled Abhimanyu with a unique happiness and smile.

Karishma's words reassured Abhimanyu that he was not alone, bringing peace to his soul. Abhimanyu also shared his inner thoughts with Karishma, deepening their bond.

During their conversation, they discussed places to visit in Jaipur. Karishma, skilled at managing everything, provided Abhimanyu with all the information.

By 6 p.m., all the students scheduled for the tour were standing in a row at the school ground. Deen Trilok Chowdhury was explaining all the rules and giving a speech, accompanied by the principal and four teachers who were also going on the tour.

Apart from Kashmira, Sangita, and Sudhir, a judo teacher named Paras was also selected for the tour.

In Abhimanyu's row, Rohit and Sahil were also standing, along with Varun from the same class, who was Abhimanyu's friend.

Along with the teachers, the students from the Student Council were also present. Among them was Sarthak, a commerce student who was also the president of the Student Council, and Karishma was the vice president. Along with them, there was also a boy and a girl who were part of the Student Council. The boy had slightly long hair, and his eyes were hidden behind the hair, suggesting he might be an introvert. His name was Roshan. And there was also a girl named Raakhi.

All the children were divided into four groups, each group led by all four teachers and co-led by Student Council member Karishma, who was in charge of Abhimanyu's group.

Two AC buses were booked for the tour, with each bus carrying two groups. All the children lined up according to their groups near the bus gates. Karishma and Sarthak stood near the gate of the bus, watching as the children boarded the bus line by line.

A boy standing in front of Abhimanyu remarked, "Does he always stay with Karishma? Are they dating?"

Another boy replied, "It's better if they're not, or else my heart will break." The boy in front of him added, "Bro, apart from the student president, do you think anyone can get to know her?"

In front of them, Sahil and Rohit were standing. Upon hearing their conversation, Sahil said, "Hey, how dare you say that?" The boy quickly apologized, "Sorry, bro, I meant you only. Apart from you, who else can make Karishma bhabhi his girlfriend?"

Rohit added, "Keep control over your tongue next time." Then, looking towards Sarthak, he said, "Let him do whatever he wants, but Karishma will be mine."

Meanwhile, Karishma was talking to Sarthak, "Are you telling the truth? Will there be a hiring auction at the event?" Sarthak replied, "Yes, it's going to happen, but I don't know how many wealthy people will be there, who will participate in the auction to buy a share in the 200 crore hiring auction."

As Rohit and the other kids boarded the bus, they glanced at him, and finally, Abhimanyu was there, hesitating. Sarthak said, "Why are you stopping? Come inside."

Abhimanyu replied, "You go first, I'll come after you."

Sarthak told Karishma, "Let's go inside."

Karishma said, "Go ahead, Sahil," and boarded the bus, followed by Karishma.

Abhimanyu followed behind her. When they all reached upstairs, almost all the seats were occupied, except for one in the front reserved by a girl for the student council, and the seat next to the driver's cabin.

Sarthak said to Abhimanyu, "You sit in the seat; we'll take the cabin."

Abhimanyu replied, "Mr. President, how can I inconvenience you? If I sit in this seat, that girl will eat me alive. I'll sit in the cabin, okay?" He patted Karishma's back, indicating that he was there to support her.

Karishma said, "Yes, he's right. You sit there, President," and then she headed towards the cabin. Abhimanyu also went into the cabin, and Sarthak took the seat. There was a door to enter the driver's cabin, beyond which one couldn't see what was happening inside, and the cabin had reclining seats. Both of them settled in that seat, and then Kashmira and Paras also joined the cabin because they couldn't find seats elsewhere. The cabin was meant for four people, and after everyone settled, the bus started moving slowly on the streets of Delhi.

Abhimanyu asked Paras, "Sir, how many competitions have you won?"

Paras replied, "Well, throughout my life, I've won a total of 10 state-level tournaments and 2 silver medals at the national level."

Abhimanyu inquired, "Sir, have you practiced any other martial arts?"

Paras said, "I've tried other martial arts as well, but only reached a basic level of expertise. Judo is my forte. Are you interested in martial arts? Would you like to join my club?"

Abhimanyu replied, "Oh no, sir, I'm good from a distance. I'm more of a spectator and enjoy watching their moves."

Paras said to the driver, "By the way, Ramesh, weren't you interested in judo too?"

Ramesh replied, "Oh no, brother, that was just in the past. Now, I'm only interested in watching."

Kashmira could sense Abhimanyu's strength, but she knew he wanted to keep it a secret.

They were all conversing like three of them were from the same generation. Kashmira and Karishma were also engaged in the conversation with them. They had just reached near the Delhi-Haryana border when the driver stopped the bus.

Ahead of them, some wealthy youngsters were racing their sports cars when suddenly, after crossing a certain line, they all stopped their cars and stepped out, creating a commotion.

These 25 to 26-year-old men were wearing tight jeans that reached their knees, flower-print shirts, gold chains around their necks, and their hair dyed in various colors—typical rowdies.

In reality, they were unemployed locals who didn't have much money but had a flashy appearance. They roamed around like open challenges due to their connections with local gangsters and politicians, which made it difficult for the police to control them properly.

A man named Harbhajan exclaimed, "Brothers, I won! Bring me my prize!" Another man handed him a stack of 500 rupee notes and said, "Here are your twenty thousand. But what about us?" Then, another man named Sandeep said, "Brother, the entire stock is in the trunk. Let's have a drink first."

However, Ramesh had been honking to get them to move for quite some time. Harbhajan exclaimed, "Hey, this guy has been irritating us for so long! Now, po po po po, get him out of here!" There were more than 30 of them, armed with hockey sticks, chains, rods, and Harbhajan even had his father's pistol.

A man approached the bus and gestured to Ramesh to lower the window. As soon as Ramesh lowered it, the man angrily said, "Hey, don't act too smart! Since when have you been po po po poing? We are deaf to your taunts. Stand here quietly for 10 minutes, or take the other side road if you're in a hurry, but don't mess with us!"

The other side road was on the wrong side, and there were vehicles coming from there as well. After saying this, the man returned to his friends. Ramesh was about to close the window when Abhimanyu stopped him.