The group of Varsha reached the Singhgadh shortly after 10:00 in the morning. This journey of the bus was of about 1 hour and the girls enjoyed it. Varsha again became the kittenish girl along with Swati forgetting everything.
After disembarking from the bus, girls saw the majestic mountain in front on which they could see the famous fort of Singhgadh. Varsha felt awed by the beauty of this scenery.
She murmured "It is so beautiful. Clouds all around make it seem like some castle coming down from the sky."
"Castle coming down from the sky? I can certainly say that it's not coming down. It is stuck on top of the mountain. Haha." Swati heard her and made fun while laughing.
Varsha replied annoyingly "You know very well how to spoil a perfect mood." and said walking ahead "Let me enjoy. Keep away from me."
Ira ran behind Varsha and said "Sister-in-law! Wait for me." Swati also ran while laughing.
And thus the trekking of girls to reach the top of the mountain started. But the person who is really sweating in this trekking is Akshay because he is the porter of food and water bottles. Girls are running up on the mountain path and Akshay is following them steadily.
Almost one hour of trekking when they finally reached on top of the mountain, they could see the entrance of the famous fort. But girls and even Akshay were so tired that they had to take a rest stop on the side of the pathway to drink some water and regain their breaths.
Swati pointed toward the fort entrance and said "There was a famous general of King Shivaji whose name was Tanaji. He sacrificed himself but was able to win this fort. Shivaji named this fort Singhgadh is his memory. Singh means lion."
Varsha already has read the board which is put in front of the fort entrance. She laughed and said, "Oh, I thought due to some elephant it was name Singhgadh."
Swati tapped on her head and said "Are you taking revenge on me for the previous time when I made you speechless? Don't forget that I am the tenacious one. I won't let you go."
Annoyed Ira said, "Let us go enter the fort first, please. You both are more childish than those kids." she pointed toward some kids who were walking while holding the hands of their parents.
Varsha and Swati both laughed and they each held one hand of Ira and walked toward the fort. Akshay also followed them.
Girls enjoyed wandering and bantering inside the fort. Natural water springs on top of mountain felt very wonderous to Varsha. They also enjoyed the passing of clouds. When clouds will pass, everywhere it will become cool and misty and after a few minutes, it becomes normal again.
After one hour or so, the group took one table in front of a stall to eat some snacks. Inside the fort itself, there is a large area assigned for snacks stalls and some other sellers. Many people are sitting on tables placed in front of stalls.
Akash has told Varsha to try the spiced buttermilk and onion pakoda of these stalls when he drove them to the bus stand in the morning. Not due to curiosity but because of her love for Akash she wanted to try. Maybe in the evening, she can tell him how it was and it will also give her one reason to talk to him more.
While waiting for their order, Varsha though of Akash and smiled. Ira and Swati smiled seeing her dreamy look. Akshay is more interested in his phone and sometime he will look toward stall to check whether their order is ready. Not long after their order came and everyone started eating and resumed their conversation.
Mahat Pawar parked his car in the parking spot at the top of the mountain. He did not have enough patience to climb the mountain, so he drove his car by the road which goes on top of the mountain.
When he got down from the car, Naveen Jagtap said in an annoyed voice "Is this the interesting place you wanted to visit? I have been here many times." He and Ravi Shinde have asked Mahat Pawar many times on the way but he did not reply. Finally, he brought them to this boring place.
"Place itself is not very interesting when you have visited it many times already. People make the place interesting." Mahat Pawar smiled mysteriously and walked forward toward the entrance of the castle.
Mahat Pawar and his friends wandered in the fort for about half an hour. Mahat Pawar is looking around and his friends are muttering among themselves or commenting about what a friend they have got. Ravi Shinde and Naveen Jagtap followed Mahat Pawar dragging their feet. Finally, they found that they are in the open area of the stall and Mahat Pawar is looking toward a group.
Naveen Jagtap, at first did not understand but then he recognized Varsha in the group and then he looked toward Ravi Shinde and both understood finally.
Naveen Jagtap kicked Mahat Pawar jokingly and said "You pervert. Made us wonder for so long and finally this is your surprise?"
"He is infatuated by this girl. Isn't it good? We are three boys and those are three girls." Ravi Shinde looked toward girls and said with a smile.
Mahat Pawar said sternly "But you can't have any thoughts toward mine."
"Yours? You want all the beautiful girls in the world, what would we do then?" Naveen Jagtap said jokingly.
"Let us bet who will get her." Ravi Shinde said.
Mahat Pawar pushed him and said "No. No betting for her. I will beat you up if you make any advance toward her."
Naveen laughed and said "Oh oh oh. Seems like love to me."
"But she is married. Such a pity to be married at a young age." Ravi Shinde said and looked toward Mahat Pawar trying to implore an answer from him.
"Well, I am certain that she and her husband's relation is not stable yet. I still have a chance." Mahat Pawar said while thinking something.
Ravi Shinde looked toward the girls who are eating snacks and talking merrily. He turned toward Mahat Pawar and asked curiously "Don't tell me you have fallen in love with that girl. Is she always on your mind? Do you feel like you have lost interest in other girls?"
Hearing the words of Ravi Shinde, Naveen Jagtap laughed but Mahat Pawar exclaimed internally because he realized that he has lost interest in other girls and this girl Varsha has occupied his mind from many days. He shook his head and removed this thought.
Mahat Pawar looked toward and said to his friend "She hurt my pride. If I could win her, my hurt will be gone. She wounded me but this is also the way of mending it."
"Love is the way of mending all the hurt. She is the love of my life. She is my pain reliever. She is the balm to apply to my heart." Naveen said in a sing a song style jokingly and earned a kick from Mahat Pawar while later said: "My head is now hurting from you brassy voice."
Mahat Pawar and his group walked toward the group of Varsha.
Girls are laughing and talking. Even Akshay is giving comments in between. The atmosphere is jolly until a voice from the back interrupted them "What a coincidence?"
Varsha looked on the side and saw Mahat Pawar and his group standing and felt rigid subconsciously. Swati is sitting beside her and seeing the stiff expression of Varsha, she retorted to Mahat Pawar "That is such a bad accident. We are really unlucky."
Mahat Pawar and his group stood in front of the table of girls. Mahat Pawar laughed and said, "It's me who gets unlucky when I meet Miss Varsha every time."
"She is not Miss Varsha but Mrs Varsha," Ira said. Ira did not know the event in the party but her response made Swati laugh. Even Varsha could not help but smile.
Naveen Jagtap and Ravi Shinde looked at each other amusingly. Mahat Pawar ignored the comment of Ira and looked toward the Swati who is laughing and said mockingly: "It seems you got yourself a golden thigh after all."
Swati smiled and said "Well, yes. Do you have a problem? I can see you are also waging your tail to cling to the same thigh."
Mahat Pawar got angry by Swati's argument and said: "I don't want to talk to insignificant people." Then he looked toward Varsha.
Varsha ignored Mahat Pawar and said to Akshay "Go and pay the bill." Akshay nodded and went toward the stall.
The indifferent attitude of Varsha made his friends entertained but Mahat Pawar felt irritated and said: "What is so wrong in saying hello?"
Ira murmured "Shameless."
Varsha also felt helpless and looked toward Mahat Pawar and said "Do we know you? Do you own me? Why don't you let us be? We don't want to associate with you."
Not just his friends, even Mahat Pawar got speechless at her response. This girl is so direct. Thankfully she did not shout as she did in the shopping mall making him embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Akshay came back and Varsha stood up and without paying any heed to Mahat Pawar and his group tended to leave. Other girls and Akshay also joined her to leave there.
Mahat Pawar looked at her back who is ready to leave and said "There is a big hotel deal coming for your family. They are the family of my friend. I am only asking for a talk of 10 minutes. It's not an issue in this public place, right?"
Varsha gets surprised and she remembers that Akash mentioned that important deal and he also has said that one of Grandpa's dream of extending family business in hospitality business depends on this deal. The meaning in words of Mahat Pawar is clear that he will disrupt the deal if she ignored him. She felt a bit hesitant.
Now his friends could join all the pieces together and understood the plan of Mahat Pawar and gave a thumbs up to him silently. Naveen Jagtap and Ravi Shinde both looked toward Varsha who has stopped her feet from moving and felt pity in their heart for her.
Swati looked toward the hesitant Varsha and said: "What is a big deal?" And she pulled the hand of Varsha and said: "Let us go." But Varsha could not move.
Varsha felt apprehensive because she knew the expectations of Grandpa and even Akash in morning discussion on breakfast. And now Mahat Pawar knows about this business deal and said so confidently that he can spoil it if he wants. Suddenly she felt like talking with him for a few minutes is not a big deal.
Seeing that Varsha did not buzz from her place where she is standing, Mahat Pawar gave a look of ridicule toward Swati as he knows the importance of the deal for Patels. Then he looked toward Varsha who is looking toward him questioningly and pointed toward a table out of the hearing range of the group and said: "Just give me 10 minutes to talk." And then he walked toward that table.
Varsha thought for few seconds and then looked toward Swati and took her hand back and said "There is nothing to worry." and then she nodded to Ira and Akshay and walked toward the table where Mahat Pawar has already occupied a chair. Naveen Jagtap and Ravi Shinde stood at the same place and watched the happenings while feeling awed at their friend.
Varsha went and took the opposite chair to Mahat Pawar and said directly "What is it that you want?"
"Is it always about wanting something? It is simply that I liked you when I saw you and wanted to talk a bit to you." Mahat Pawar smiled and said. He felt calm and happy because he knows that things are in his control now.
Varsha felt apprehensive at his shameless response and did not know what to say. Mahat Pawar looked at her expression and felt like it might go in the wrong direction and corrected himself "Isn't it a common thing? When you like someone, you want to know about them and wish to make friends with them."
Varsha looked at him and said again "What do you want then?"
"Nothing. Just not the rude response like last two time." Mahat Pawar smiled and said.
Varsha felt speechless at his same type of answers but she has heard about him from Swati and Ira. So, she won't get fooled and think he is some good guy to befriend with. She asked, "So, just for this you wanted to spoil the business deal of our family?"
Mahat Pawar laughed and said, "Well, I did not have any other reason to make you talk. I just wanted you to come for deal signing." He looked toward her and before she could think anything, he added "It's nothing serious. If possible I want to make more chances to interact with you. Your husband will also be there. Isn't it an ideal situation for you as well? And I promise not to use the deal to reason with you again."
Varsha thought for a few seconds and did not think it's a big deal because Akash will be with her at that time. She thought "What is a big deal about attending an event with my husband." and then she looked toward him and said "Okay."
"It's a deal then." Mahat Pawar smiled and said.
Varsha looked at his arrogant expression and then she stood up and left to join her group without saying anything else.
Varsha joined her group while the friends of Mahat Pawar joined him. Varsha and her group walked farther away.
Ravi Shinde curiously asked Mahat Pawar "I wonder what did you talk with your dream girl?"
Mahat Pawar looked toward the group of girls leaving and said while smiling "Just made a small deal to make a big deal from. Haha"