A JUDGMENTAL MEETING:

Note: This is part 2 of 5 of the 'Bundelkhand' series. In the one hour that the cadets spent without Karan-Monami, I imagined something like this happening...

Faizi hopped down from the jeep, stretching slightly, sighing as his bones popped. It really was a long journey.

"Yeh Sanju madam ko itna door kyun rehna tha?" Suman ji said, groaning a little. "Suman ji toh gaadi mein baithe baithe tang ho gayi hain."

"#Me too", Chitra said.

The sound of an anklet made them look up, and they saw Sanju running up to them, wearing more make up and jewelry than they had ever seen her wear.

"Kya baat hai, Sanju?" Faizi said. "Itne gehne?"

She rolled her eyes. "Kya bataye, Faizi Sir ji?" She said, scratching her wrists. "Hum tang aa gayo hain in sab se. Par humaari saas kehto hai ki yeh sab suhaag ki nishaani hoto hai. Pati se badhkar ke suhaag ki nishaani? Wo hogo, na?"

"Chalti phirti gehnon ki dukaan alert", Bala said, and they all turned to see a middle aged woman and a young man following. The man, Faizi recognized as Kundan.

"Yeh humaari saas hogo, Bala", Sanju said.

"Lag toh dukaan hi rahi hai", Suman ji said. "Shaadi aapki hai aur gehne unhone zyaada pehne hain."

"Namaste, namaste", she said, as they reached closer. "Modhi bahut baat karto hai aap sab ke baaro mein. Iske Faizi sir ji aur Karan Sir ji ke baare mein toh sab se zyaada."

"Amma ji, yeh Faizi Sir ji", Sanju said, pointing to him, before pausing and glancing around. "Karan Sir ji kahan hogo?"

"Wo Monami madam ke saath apni jeep mein aa rahe hain", Bala said. "Wo raat ko tyre puncture ho gaya tha toh thodi der ho jayegi."

"Sirf wo dono?" She asked.

The cadets and Faizi looked at each other, before nodding, confused at her strange reaction.

"Haan, #sirf wo dono", Chitra said.

"Haaye, Ram. Poori raat wo maura aur mauri ek saath? Shaadi shuda hogo ka?"

"Nahi, nahi", Suman ji said. "Monami toh Karan Sir ji ki cadet hai."

"Waise, thode time mein ho jayenge", Faizi muttered to himself.

"Aur poori raat akele? Haaye, Ram! Shehar ki hawo mein hi kuch aiso hogo ki saari mauriyan bilkul besharam ho jaato hai."

"Humaare TV serial 'Maa ke Poot' mein deshpremi ki maa bhi aise hi pichde khayalon waali thi."

"Aur phir unhe ek shock laga aur unke khayalat badal gaye", Suman ji completed.

"Hain?" Bala said. "Shock laga aur khayalat badal gaye?" He looked at her. "Inhe lagaakar dekhein?"

"#Fiction, Bala", Chitra said.

"Je mauri", Amma ji said, pointing to Chitra. "Je ke kapde pehen rakho hain tune?"

Everyone looked at her clothes. "#Problem kya hai?"

She covered her arms and neckline with the dupatta, looking her up and down. She shook her head. "Yeh shehar ki mauriyan bhi na! Naa kapde pehne ki akal, naa baat karne ki. Ladke phasa lo bas inse."

"Wahi toh #phaste nahi, Aunty", Chitra said. Faizi chuckled along with everyone else, as Chitra smiled slyly at her.

"Haaye, Ram! Badtameez. Tu", Amma ji said, pointing to Suman ji. "Shaadi ho gayo teri?"

"Haan. Suman ji ke pati, Rajesh ji, bade hi nek insaan hain", Suman ji said, sighing dreamily.

"Toh sindoor kahan hogo tera?" She demanded.

"Aap in sab ki inspection kyun kar rahi hai?" Faizi asked, confused. "Nahi mann kara hoga lagaane ka. Is mein kya badhi baat hai?"

"#Why?" Chitra agreed.

"Chup reh, mauri", she scolded, and the academy people scowled. "Je shehar ke logon toh hum sehen naa kar sakto hain. Ay mauri, inki aadatein naa paal le tu", she said to Sanju. "Batere kaam hogo hume. Apne saathiyon ko andar le aa."

"Humaari aadatein?" Suman ji asked, after the two were out of hearing range. "Inhe pata chala ki Sanju madam kitno ko peetti hain, aur academy mein shorts pehenti thi, toh kya hoga?"

"Sanju, tumhaare iss Kundan ka toh pata nahi, par aisi saas ke saath reh logi?" Faizi asked. "Hum galti se goli woli chala de inpar?"

"Sir ji", she protested. "Aap mat shuru ho jaiye. Please bol raho hain."

"What's wrong with my #clothes?" Chitra said grumpily.

"Karan Sir ji ko aane do", Suman ji said. "Wahi inki akad set karenge."

Note: I'd love to hear your thoughts, so consider dropping a comment. If you like my work, do check my other works out.

Also, this was based on a request and can be treated as a filler, rather than a full-fledged chapter. The next chapter will pick up where the first one left off.