"Rajeev, help me push this!" Gowthami called out, her voice strained as she pressed against the large stone embedded in the mountain.
Without hesitation, Rajeev joined her, pushing with all his strength. Slowly but surely, the stone began to shift, revealing the hidden passageway inside the mountain. But as the entrance opened, they were both taken aback by what they saw.
Massive rocks cluttered the entrance, piled high in what appeared to be a dangerous blockade. The moment Gowthami took a step forward to investigate, Rajeev's instincts kicked in.
"Gowthami, watch out!" he shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her back just in time.
The ground beneath them rumbled, and without warning, a huge rock dislodged from above and came crashing down. In one fluid motion, Rajeev pulled Gowthami into his arms and rolled them both away from the entrance, narrowly avoiding the massive stone. They landed hard on the ground, but safe, with Rajeev's body shielding hers.
The heavy rock slammed into the tree in front of them with a thunderous crack, sending splinters flying as the tree toppled over under the weight. Dust swirled around them as the echo of the crash reverberated through the forest.
Rajeev and Gowthami lay there for a moment, frozen in shock. Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling in the cool night air. Rajeev's arms were still wrapped protectively around her, their bodies pressed close together. His heart pounded against her chest, and he could feel her rapid heartbeat beneath his fingertips.
"Are you alright?" Rajeev asked, his voice low but urgent. He could hear the concern laced in his words as he searched her face for any sign of injury.
Gowthami was breathless, her pulse racing not only from the danger they had just escaped but also from the unexpected closeness. She could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, and for a fleeting moment, everything else disappeared.
"Yes, I'm fine," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
They stayed like that for a few more seconds, both aware of the intensity of the moment but neither willing to move just yet. The world outside seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in the silence of the night.
When Rajeev spoke, his senses were overwhelmed by the alluring scent of Gowthami's natural fragrance, which he found irresistibly charming. Her eyes, framed by their beauty, seemed to strain, and her red lips quivered. A sense of dread settled over him. Her lips were clearly visible, and he moved towards her with a gentle eagerness, yearning to taste them.
Gowthami closed her eyes, trusting Rajeev's intentions without hesitation.
Rajeev kissed Gowthami's lips with meticulous care, their connection deepening as he pressed his lips firmly against hers. He became lost in the sensation, realizing only after a while that she was struggling for breath. With tenderness, he finally pulled away, parting her lips gently.
As Rajeev released her, Gowthami took a deep breath and lovingly caressed his chest, the intensity of the kiss having drained her energy.
In a soft voice, Rajeev asked, "How was that?"
He brushed his fingers across Gowthami's flushed cheeks, his concern evident.
The sudden crackling of breaking branches jolted Rajeev and Gowthami from their intimate moment. They sprang to their feet, their eyes darting through the dense jungle for the source of the noise.
As they pushed the stone through, the entrance in the center of the mountain opened, but it was totally covered with stone, making it impossible to enter.
Gowthami stared at the blocked path in shock. "Why is this road closed off?" she wondered aloud.
Rajeev, his brow furrowed, looked around desperately. "Do you know of any other way into the mountain?" he asked, his voice tinged with urgency.
"No, Rajeev. This is the only entry that I am aware of, based on my memory."
The words of Rudra echoed in Rajeev's mind: "I have to come to you myself before you can reach me." It was clear now that Rudra had deliberately sealed the entrance to prevent anyone from finding the community
Yes, all of this was done by Rudra; once Rajeev, Ram, and Gowthami left, he filled the way with stones and barricaded it so that no one could find the community.
Gowthami's frustration was palpable as she struggled to recall any possible solutions. "We have to find another way," she said, her voice filled with determination despite the hopelessness of the situation.
Rajeev sighed, his face etched with despair. "Gowthami, we can't reach them; perhaps all of our avenues are closed."
Gowthami remarked, "Rajeev, let me think. We could figure out a method."
"Gowthami, it is pointless since we are unable to contact them because all paths are closed."
When Gowthami heard it, she was distraught.
"Don't worry, we'll locate them quickly. Approaching Dharmagiri," Rajeev remarked, "Let's get back quickly before the sun goes up."
With Gowthami's reluctant agreement, the two of them turned and made their way back to Dharmagiri, their hopes pinned on finding a solution in the light of a new day.
..
When Abhi returned to Dharmagiri, he immediately sought out Sashi, his concern evident. "Sashi, I need you to look after Ram," he said urgently.
Sashi followed Abhi into the room where Ram lay, looking unconscious but breathing steadily. She examined him carefully, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What happened to him?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Abhi, looking somewhat embarrassed, replied, "While working push-ups, he felt comatose."
"How are pushups done?, How can he fall comatose for doing pushups?" Sashi said. "What was his number?" glancing over at Ram.
Abhi took a deep breath, his eyes avoiding hers. "Well, he did almost fifty push-ups, and I might have... um, sat on his back while he was doing them."
Sashi's eyes widened with shock and anger. "You did what? You were sitting on his back while he was doing push-ups? Are you out of your mind?"
Abhi shifted uncomfortably under Sashi's intense gaze. "I didn't think it would be that bad. I just wanted to see how strong he really was."
Sashi shook her head in disbelief, her frustration evident. "Abhi, you can't just do that to someone. You need to be more careful. I'll take care of him now, but you better be prepared to answer for this."
Abhi's frustration boiled over as he yelled, "Don't you want to know why I did that?"
Sashi, her expression a mix of curiosity and exasperation, glanced at her husband. "What exactly happened?" she asked, her tone calm but inquisitive.
Abhi took a deep breath and launched into a detailed account. He recounted how Gowthami had left in the middle of the night, how Rajeev and Ram had coerced him into doing push-ups, and the subsequent humiliating demands, including the monkey dance.
As Sashi listened, her initial concern shifted to awkward amusement. The absurdity of the situation made her giggle. "You know, Abhi," she said with a playful tone, "I'd actually love to see that monkey dance of yours."
Abhi shot her a glare, his temper flaring at the reminder of his embarrassing ordeal. But before he could respond, Sashi gave him a brief, mischievous wink.
Confusion crossed Abhi's face as he tried to decipher the wink. Meanwhile, Sashi, glancing at Ram, couldn't help but laugh. "You guys really impressed me. It's so funny; you should have filmed it."
Ram, who had been quietly observing, suddenly perked up. "Don't worry, Sister," he said with a grin. "I did record it. You can watch the video whenever you want."
Ram stood up instantly, which surprised Abhi. Abhi now understood that Ram was only playing unconscious, when before he had thought that Ram was really unconscious.
Immediately, Sashi saw that Ram was behaving as if he were unconscious, and she was wondering why.
Sashi said such things with the intention of demonstrating that Ram was acting after she discovered the true motivation for his performance. Ram got to his feet immediately, as was to be expected.
Abhi and Sashi shot angry glances at Ram.
"Why are they staring at me with anger?" Ram wondered himself.
When he saw the angry look on Sashi's and abhi's faces, he slowly remembered that he had gotten up. "Oh my gosh, I just introduced myself."
He feigned to be unconscious while he experienced depression once again.
Ram reacted funny, so Sashi chuckled and added, "You already got up and revealed yourself, so it won't work twice."
Abhi's frustration boiled over as he reached for a knife lying close by. "Are you kidding me again?" he growled, his anger palpable. "I swear, if you don't get up, I'll kill you right here."
Realizing that further pretense would only inflame Abhi's ire, Ram slowly got to his feet, a quirky smile spreading across his face. Не looked at Abhi and, with a playful tone, declared, "Peek-a-boo!"
The absurdity of the situation broke through Abhi's anger, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. Sashi, already on the edge of hilarity, roared with laughter, her amusement echoing through the room. Ram's comical declaration had diffused the tension, turning their earlier frustration into shared mirth.