Hearing Aakash's words, Mala's eyes widened. Her breath suddenly stopped, and a mixed expression appeared on her face—surprise, happiness, and relief. She bent slightly, staring at Aakash, as if she could hardly believe that this boy had really come to help Vaidehi.
Mala said softly, "What? Thakur and Thakurain are your uncle and aunt! That's wonderful! They are very kind people. And today, meeting you has made us so happy."
Hearing this, Aakash smiled. Mala continued, "Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Mala, I work here in your uncle Randhir Thakur's haveli. He is such a noble man. He has helped me and my family a lot. And this is our girl, Vaidehi!"
Vaidehi's cheeks turned slightly red. Shyness and sensitivity reflected in her eyes. She gently held the corner of her dupatta and lowered her gaze.
Aakash looked at her softly and whispered—
"Vaidehi?"
Vaidehi slowly lifted her eyes. Shyness and curiosity gleamed in them. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and took a light breath.
Aakash folded his hands with a smile and said,
"Namaste, Vaidehi ji and Mami ji, it's such a pleasure to meet you both!"
Mala quickly folded her hands too. There was a sparkle in her eyes—relief and gratitude. Vaidehi also folded her hands, but her eyes still lingered on Aakash with hesitation.
Aakash's gaze remained fixed on Vaidehi. He noticed every little movement of hers—sometimes she adjusted her dupatta, sometimes she tucked her hair behind her ear, sometimes she nervously shifted her eyes around. In each little gesture, Aakash saw her innocence and sensitivity.
Then, with a soft smile, Aakash said, "Mami ji, let me drop you both home. Now that we know each other, I can at least do this much, right?"
Mala thought for a moment, her face showing a blend of seriousness and contentment. Then she smiled and said, "That would be no less than a help for us."
Smiling, Aakash led them to his car parked a little ahead. He opened the back door, and Mala got inside.
Vaidehi hesitated. Aakash smiled and said, "Please don't worry, Vaidehi ji! I am not that kind of boy."
Vaidehi lowered her eyes again. Her breaths grew faster, her heartbeat raced. Slowly, she chose to get inside the car.
Aakash looked at her and smiled gently. Then he sat in the car too and signaled the driver to move.
The car rolled forward slowly. Vaidehi kept looking out of the window. Her eyes reflected a mix of nervousness, curiosity, and a hidden fear. Aakash noticed that she kept glancing back at Mala, as if to reassure herself that Mala was safe.
Aakash said in a calm voice, "Vaidehi ji, don't be afraid. This road is safe. And I promise, there will be no danger."
Hearing his words, Vaidehi felt a slight relief. Lowering her eyes, she softly said, "Thank you… you… you have helped us a lot…"
Aakash smiled and said, "No need for thanks, Vaidehi ji. It was my duty. Helping others like this should be everyone's responsibility."
Tears welled up in Vaidehi's eyes. Her innocence and gratitude touched Aakash's heart deeply. From the rear-view mirror, he secretly kept looking at her.
---
Meanwhile, inside the army camp,
Raghav and a few other soldiers sat on either side of a long table. In front, the Colonel pointed to a map of Jodhpur projected on the screen and spoke—
"We have received reports that in this area of Jodhpur, people are smuggling illegal weapons and drugs. Your mission is to go there, keep surveillance, and capture these people alive to hand them over to the law. Especially you, Captain Raghav!"
All eyes turned toward Raghav, who stood focused at the front. Looking at him, the Colonel said—
"Raghav, this time I want no mistakes from you. Remember what I told you earlier. Got it?"
"Yes sir," Raghav replied.
The Colonel continued—
"Good! By the way, I heard you were born in Jodhpur? Then you must know every part of the city well, right?"
At this question, Raghav paused for a moment and then replied quickly—
"No sir, when I was 8 years old, I moved to Jaipur with my father. It's been many years now. The memories have faded."
The Colonel sighed deeply and said, "Anyway! You all will leave for Jodhpur tonight!"
Everyone responded together, "Yes sir!"
The Colonel dismissed them, and the soldiers saluted before walking out of the camp. As Raghav was about to leave too, the Colonel stopped him—
"Raghav!"
Raghav halted and turned back. The Colonel came closer and said—
"For this mission, I want an information report and those men alive and unharmed—not an encounter report and not their corpses! Do you understand what I mean?"
Standing tall, Raghav said firmly, "Don't worry sir, this time there will be no mistakes!"
The Colonel nodded, "Good." Raghav then walked out. Outside, he saw his teammates already preparing for their departure to Jodhpur.
---
Meanwhile, Aakash's car stopped in front of Vaidehi's house. Vaidehi stepped out. Mala looked at her and said—
"Vaidehi, stay at home and don't be afraid. If there's any problem, call me!"
Vaidehi nodded, "Yes, Mami ji, don't worry. You go safely."
Mala smiled and left for the haveli to resume her work. Aakash looked at Vaidehi and said—
"Bye, Vaidehi. We'll meet again."
Vaidehi glanced at him and then quietly went inside the house. Aakash watched her until she disappeared inside, then asked the driver to move the car forward.
Moments later, the car stopped at Thakur Haveli. Aakash, Mala, and the driver stepped out and entered. In the courtyard, Randhir Thakur and Shalini Thakur sat on sofas, talking with some men.
The moment their eyes fell on Aakash, both became delighted. Shalini exclaimed—
"Oh Aakash, it's you!"
Aakash quickly went to them, touched their feet, and said,
"Uncle, Aunt, how are you both?"
Randhir blessed him warmly and said,
"We are absolutely fine. If we had known you were coming, we would have arranged a grand welcome!"
Smiling, Aakash replied,
"If I had told you earlier, how would I have surprised you both?"
Randhir and Shalini laughed.
Mala stood aside, watching everything. Aakash's respectful nature impressed her deeply. She grew emotional seeing his manners. Stepping forward, she said—
"Thakur ji, if it weren't for Aakash today, disaster would have struck!"
Randhir asked in confusion, "Mala ji, what do you mean?"
In response, Mala narrated everything in detail. Hearing her words, everyone was stunned. Shalini came closer, worried, and asked—
"What? All this happened? Vaidehi didn't get hurt, did she? Is she alright?"
Mala reassured her, "Yes Thakurain ji, Vaidehi is perfectly fine. Thanks to Aakash, those goons couldn't harm her. We are grateful to him."
Randhir smiled proudly and said,
"This is the strength of our family's children—they face every challenge with courage. Aakash, today you have made us even prouder."
Aakash smiled. But Shalini seemed lost in thought. She looked at Mala, then at Aakash, and an idea formed in her mind.
With a smile, Shalini said—
"It seems our Vaidehi has found her prince charming!"
Everyone was shocked to hear her words. Especially Aakash! But Mala seemed to understand a little of what she meant.
Randhir asked in astonishment, "Thakurain, what are you saying?"
Shalini smiled, stepped closer to Aakash, and said—
"Thakur ji, I mean that for Vaidehi, there could be no better life partner, no better companion than Aakash. Isn't that right, Mala ji?"
Everyone grew even more astonished. Especially Aakash, who was left speechless.
To be continued..