BUNDELKAND:

Monami sighed, as she kept her bags in Karan's jeep, and he looked down at her, flicking his eyebrows up in question.

"Kya hua?" He asked, adjusting the bags. The two were alone in the jeep, courtesy to Karan and Faizi, of course.

"Sanju apni marzi se shaadi nahi kar rahi hai, Karan", she said. "Aur Sid..."

He sighed. "Monami, Sanju beshak shaadi ke liye poori tarah ready naa ho, par yeh uska choice hai. Hume use respect karna chahiye."

"Waise, jaise humne Koel ki choice respect kari thi, jab wo Abhay ke saath waapas ghar gayi thi?"

"Monami, Koel ki baat alag thi. Aur tumhaari bhi. Abhay use Nikhil ke naam par blackmail kar raha tha, aur tumhaare Dad tumhe. Use Sanju ke saath compare karna sahi nahi hai. Sanju hamesha se jaanti thi." He kept a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. His hands trailed up to her face, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I know tum upset ho, but I promise agar Sanju sach mein shaadi nahi karna chahti, toh main use bahar nikaaloonga. Okay?"

She nodded, resting her head on his chest, as she hugged him. He moved his hand along her spine comfortingly, kissing her head.

"Chalein?" He asked, and she nodded, getting into the passenger seat.

"Waise, tumhe pata tha?" She asked, as Karan started driving down the road. "Ki Sanju engaged hai?"

He nodded. "Haan. Mission se pehle sagai thi uski. Par usne mujhe kaha tha ki wo ek saal ke baad shaadi karegi. I am pretty sure uske to-be in-laws ne force kiya hai pehle shaadi karne ko."

"And tumhe sach mein lagta hai ki use yeh shaadi karni hai?" Monami asked.

He sighed. "Monami... Inn baaton ka koi faida nahi hai."

She turned her head, watching the trees pass by in silence. He glanced between her and the road, sighing a little again. He reached over, clutching her hand, and she looked up.

"Monami, I know tum iss shaadi se khush nahi ho. Main bhi nahi hoon. Par yeh Sanju ka decision hai."

She sighed, nodding. He lifted their hands, kissing the back of hers.

"Maine humaare liye kuch plan kara hai", he said.

She looked at him, surprised. "Kya? Aaj?"

"Haan, 19 ghante ka rasta hai. Toh, obviously raat ko beech mein rukenge. Toh... Monami Mahajan, mere saath date par chalogi?"

"Aur baaki sab?" She asked.

"Faizi hai, na? Wo sambhaal lega. Kahega ki jeep kharaab ho gayi toh hum kahin aur ruke hain. Haan samjhoon phir?"

"Yes, mere Khadoos Shergill", she said, giving him a flying kiss. "Waise, kya plan kara hai?"

"Wo aapko wahin jaakar pata chalega, Rani Sahiba", he said.

She gave him a surprised look. "Rani Sahiba? Kaafi time ho gaya yeh sune." She eyed him playfully. "Waapas mujhe 'rich, spoiled brat' waali category mein toh nahi daal rahe the tum?"

"Bilkul bhi nahi. Pehle, sarcastically bulaata tha, ab aapko sach mein Rani ki tarah treat karoonga main."

Monami looked him up and down playfully.

"Kya hua?"

"Nahi, soch rahi hoon ki tum mere Khadoos Shergill toh nahi ho sakte. Kaun ho tum aur tumne mere Karan ke saath kya kara hai?"

He rolled his eyes, but a small smile pulled through. "Ho gaya? Aise kehti ho ki main khadoos hoon aur phir, jab main nahi hota, toh aise behave karti ho."

"Tum mujhe khadoos bhi pasand ho, aur aise bhi", she said. She leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Aise mat karo. Tum itni paas hoti toh dil out of control chala jaata hai. Accident ho jayega", he warned, a smile on his face.

She bit her lip shyly. "Phir date ke liye bacha kar rakhein sab kuch, Agent Karan Shergill?"

"It's a deal, Cadet Monami Mahajan."

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Karan pulled over to a small coffee van, getting out of the jeep. Monami got out as well, and he handed a cup of coffee to her.

"Zyaada kuch plan nahi kara hai", he admitted. "Toh kuch expect mat karna. Road par hain, toh isliye kabhi bhi kuch bhi change ho sakta hai, toh isliye..."

She clutched his arm, smiling up at him. "Haan, toh maine kab kaha ki chand taare todh kar lekar aao. Tum ho, na? Toh bas!" She leaned up, pressing a kiss to his cheek, and he smiled down at her.

"Waise, sone ka plan hai tumhaara?" He asked. "Mera nahi hai."

She raised her eyebrows. "Haww, kya soch rahe ho tum?"

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Tum kya soch rahi ho?" She looked down, inspecting her coffee. "Monami... kaisa ladka samajh rahi ho tum mujhe?"

"Maine kuch nahi kaha", she defended, chuckling. "Maine toh bas poochh rahi hoon."

"Main bhi toh wahi poochh raha hoon."

"Kya poochh rahe ho?"

"Jo tum poochh rahi ho."

"Main kya poochh rahi hoon?"

"Wahi, toh main poochh raha hoon. Tum kya poochh rahi ho?"

"Main..." She paused, and Karan laughed, seeing the lost look as she tried to get back to what she was trying to ask.

"Tumhaara kuch nahi ho sakta hai", he said, pressing an affectionate kiss to her head. She smiled up at him, and Karan titled his head, smiling back at her cute antics.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Karan pressed down on the breaks, sighing slightly in relief. He looked over to the passenger seat, smiling slightly. His girlfriend was sleeping peacefully, curled up in the seat like a baby.

His eyes traced over her sleeping features, smiling slightly. 'Kitni cute hai yeh', he thought, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Monami", he said, shaking her a little. She moaned a little, batting his hands away sleepily.

They had barely slept the night before, Karan catching just a little over an hour when the two had finally returned to the hotel rooms at around 4, just wandering around the town. Monami had dozed off a little while back after struggling for quite some time to stay up. But it was worth it.

"Monami, Sanju ki shaadi bhi sote sote bitaane ka iraada hai kya?" He muttered.

"Bura sapna samajh loongi main", she muttered back, but straightened up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. They both got down, greeted by some grumpy cadets and an equally fed up Faizi.

"Hume yeh Sanju ki saas bilkul pasand nahi aa rahi hai", Faizi said, as soon as they halted.

"Kya hua?" Monami asked.

"Karan Sir, aap hi bataiye, mere kapde kya #theek nahi hain?" Chitra asked. He titled his head. She was wearing a suit, of all things, and he vaguely remembered her being excited about wearing a ton of traditional clothes during the wedding.

"Mujhse kya poochh rahe ho? Aur theek hi hain", he said.

"Shehar ki hawa kya hota hai?" Bala said grumpily. "Wahan sirf pollution zyaada hota hai. Itni achhi lag rahi hai yeh aur yeh sab kaha unhone ne."

"Monami, agar Chitra ko yeh kaha toh tujhe kya kahenge?" Suman ji asked.

Everyone looked at her clothes. An off shoulder top that showed her collarbone off, a half-zipped jacket and a pair of jeans. She really hadn't thought this would be an issue. She zipped up her jacket to her throat.

"Hum nahi kuch kehne denge", Bala said, frowning. "Doctor madam itne dhaansu lag rahe hain."

"Tum bas unse door rehne ki koshish karna", Faizi said.

Karan grabbed his bags, handing Monami hers, and he leaned down as the others led the way.

"Bahut achhi lag rahi ho", he muttered. "Aur koi kuch toh rukna mat, seedha jawaab de dena. Zyaada koi kuch kahe, toh mujhe bataana, sab ko ek minute mein set kar doonga."

"I know", she said, smiling at him. "Par main apne aap ko handle kar loongi."

"I know", he said back.

"Haaye o rabba", a voice said, and they all looked up.

"Ya Allah, ek ghante mein hum tang aa gaye hain inse", Faizi said, sighing as a middle aged woman lathered in jewels came closer to them. A man followed, which Karan vaguely remembered as Kundan, Sanju's fiancé, and behind them, a few other people following that he didn't recognize.

"Yeh ke kapde pehen rakho hain tune, mori?" She asked, looking Monami up and down.

Monami pointed to a man, who was walking by, shirtless. "Usne shirt nahi pehni hai. Usse toh aapko problem nahi hai. Maine sab kuch pehna hai. Mujhse kyun ho rahi hai?"

"Maura hai wo", she scolded.

She held her hands up in a t shape. "Time out, please", she said, before looking at Karan and Faizi. "Yeh mau- whatever kya hota hai?"

"Maura matlab ladka", Karan said.

"#Sexism", Chitra said, scowling.

"Sharam naa aati tujhe? Aise khule aam chote chote kapde pehenkar ghoom raho hai."

Monami let her hands fall back, and she smiled at her sweetly. "Sharam toh bilkul nahi aati mujhe. Aur yeh chote nahi hain. Aapko chote kapde dekhne hai?" She asked, unzipping her jacket.

Karan's eyes widened, and he stifled a laugh at the look on her face, as Monami whipped her jacket off, revealing her bare arms and shoulders.

"Waise, yeh bhi zyaada #chote nahi hain", Chitra said, resting her elbow on Monami's shoulders. "#Legs toh covered hain. Hum dono change karke aaye? #Shorts?"

"Haaye, Ram!" She said, looking at them wide-eyed, particularly at all the skin Monami was exposing. "Besharmi ki bhi hadd hoti hai."

Kundan held out a hand to Karan.

"Hum academy mein mile the aapse", Kundan said.

"Yaad hai mujhe", he said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks bol raho hain", he said. "Aaiye."

"MONU!" A voice called out, footsteps running up and a mass hit her, as Sid engulfed her in a hug.

She squealed, as they both tumbled to the ground, Sid atop her, and the academy people chuckled.

"Haaye Ram", Sanju's mother-in-law said. "Yeh mori toh ladkon ke saath aise khullam khula... Humaari toh bardasht se bahar ho raha hai yeh."

"Aapko itni jalan kyun ho rahi hai? Aapke bete ya pati ke saath toh nahi kar rahi", Suman ji said.

"Saari moriyan aisi hi hain yahan par", she said.

"Aunty ji bro!" Sid said, getting off Monami. Karan pulled her up, and she dusted her clothes off, a big smile on her face. "Monu, not my girlfriend. Best friend. Behen types? Ab behen milegi, toh ek hug toh banta hai. And Monu? Wo best hai, Aunty ji! Bahut respect karti hai. Wo kya hai Sanjana ji iski roommate thi, toh thoda sad hai ki ab nahi rahegi. Trauma."

Karan leaned over to Faizi, shaking his head in exasperation. "Yeh apne sautan ki maa ko bro banaakar baitha hai", he muttered. "Kya banda hai yeh?"

"Waise Kundan bro", Sid said, and Karan's eyebrows raised. "Abhi bata nahi rahe the tum ki tumhe bahut kaam hai."

Faizi chuckled. "Janaab, yeh apne sautan ko bhi bro hi banaakar baitha hai. Bas ek Sanju iske liye bro nahi hai."

"Iss mori ke kapdon ke chakkar mein hum toh bhool hi gaye", she said. "Chal, Kundan. Shaadi ka ghar hai, batere kaam hogo."

Sid rolled his eyes as they walked off, before engulfing Monami into a hug again. "Bro!" He said. "Tujhe bahut kuch bataana hai mujhe. Aur tujhe bhi bataana hai, na?" His eyes flicked to Karan, and that was all the confirmation he needed that Monami hadn't hid about their relationship.

"Correct, bro", she said. "Tu theek hai, na?" She looked past him.

He glanced around, his face falling into a serious one. "Yeh... yeh Kundan, he's not a good guy. Iski already shaadi ho chuki hai. He's married!"

"Kya?" Karan asked, the words like cold water over to him.

"Clinic mein yeh ek ladki ko lekar aaya tha saath mein, jise yeh apni wife bataa raha tha. Maine doctor se bhi confirm kara tha. Kundan ne uss ladki ko uski wife hi bola! Par Sanju ko lag raha hai ki main jhooth bol raha hai because main chahta hoon ki uski shaadi ho."

"Siddharth... tumhe pata hai, na, yeh bahut badhi baat hai?" Faizi asked.

"I know! Aap sab ko pata hai Monu mere liye kitni important hai." He kept a hand over Monami's head. "Monu ki kasam khaata hoon ki this Kundan guy, he's not a good man. He's not clean!"

---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Bro, tujhe sach mein lag raha hai ki Kundan married hai?" Monami asked. Night had fallen, and they were both sitting on the terrace, eating an ice cream.

"Bro, uss doctor ne khud kaha tha. Apni wife ka khayaal rakhna. And Kundan ne bhi nod kara, aur phir chala gaya."

"Ho sakta hai doctor ko koi galatfehmi ho", she proposed.

"No, bro. Maine confirm kara tha. Usne kaha ki 100% wo uski wife hai", he said. "Aur doctor ke paas thodi na koi wajah hogi mujhse jhooth bolne ki. Par... Par agle din usne Sanju ko bola ki Kundan akela aaya tha. Why would he do that?"

She bit her lip. "Aisa ho sakta hai ki usne jhooth bola ho? Doctor ko? As for Sanjana, shayad agle din tak yaad naa ho."

Sid paused. "Par wo jhooth kyun bolega? Bro, tu bhi mujhpar vishwaas nahi kar rahi?"

"Nahi, Sid! Aisa nahi hai!" She said. "Main bas har ek possibility explore kar rahi hoon. Yeh chota sa village hai, yahan toh pata hoga ki Kundan ki shaadi ho gayi hai ya nahi."

Sid sighed a little. "Bro... yeh Kundan sahi nahi hai. Bas... prove nahi kar paa raha hoon."

"Hum sab sochte hain kuch. Karan ne bhi promise kara hai, na, ki wo iss sab mein dekhega. Tu jaanta hai, na, ki Karan Sanju, Faizi, hum sab ko lekar kitna protective hai? There's no way ki wo bina confirm kare aisa insaan se Sanju ki shaadi hone dega. I trust him."

Sid leaned back a little, staring at her with a smile. "Sirf trust nahi, ab toh train aage chali gayi hai. Pyaar par." She blushed a little, and Sid's smile widened. "Blushing and all, Monu. Not bad. Waise, tera yeh Khadoos achha kisser hai kya?"

"Sid!" She said, her cheeks turning redder. She hit him on his arm, and he laughed. "Mujhe nahi pata."

"Matlab, tune use abhi tak kiss nahi kara? Bro! Jump up aur muaah. Ab toh waise kiss dega tujhe", he teased.

"Bro!" She said, and he laughed, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer.

"Achha chal, sab kuch bata. Kaise bola, kya bola, kya hua? Everything, bro!"

Note- This is a five part short series, serving as a parallel track to the village track in the show. This will focus on Monami-Karan through the track rather than Sid-Sanju. This was a request series that I had written mostly out of fun, and might not be accurate to logic or some facts.

I love to hear your thoughts, so consider dropping a comment. Also, if you like my work, check my other work out as well.

Also, I uploaded a new work called 'Emotions Unsaid' which is a drabble collection of a bunch of diary entries written from the point of view of Karan Shergill. If that interests you, please go and check it out.