Rajat nod in response and moved aside to give them way to go. When they left, He slapped his mouth repeatedly in embarrassment and regret. "Idiot! You are too nosy Rajat! Huh! I shouldn't have asked about his family."
"Are all the people in Aaro so nosy?" Ankush asked, already feeling frustrated by people's same question again and again.
Agastya chuckled "It's not like that. They are asking about you because you are with me. If you were alone, they wouldn't have showed so much interest. They want to know who you are. What is our relation? And you are good looking too, that's why women are looking at you."
Ankush's eyes widened in shock and he quickly looked around, just to see so many women staring at him, making mistakes in their works because of a handsome distraction.
His cheeks flushed red in shyness and embarrassment to see women falling and bumping into each other but still staring at him.
He shifted his gaze away from them and mumbled "Are they crazy or what? Going crazy over a man. Behaving like this is stupidity! Shameless!"
Agastya laughed to see his reaction and patted his back "It's normal for men to behave like this over a girl. But it's weird to see women doing this. You are lucky that so many women are going crazy for you. Look how excited they are just by looking at you."
He pointed with his eyes towards a group of girls standing on the terrace of a house and smiling uncontrollably at Ankush.
"I don't want to! You look if you are so interested. I will inform Mukta about it for you." Ankush said with an annoyed look.
"Hey! I am just joking! Don't go so far. Don't tell her anything. She will beat me if she get to know." Agastya requested with pleading tone.
"Then move fast and make way for me to enter in the palace." Ankush said with straight face and walked fast.
"Hey! Don't lose your character. Act shy and innocent." Agastya reminded in low voice and realisation hit Ankush. He quickly slowed his steps and went towards Agastya to stay close to him.
"Don't leave my sight. Act a little clingy towards me."
Ankush nod and wore his shy character.
They entered in palace and found so many people standing outside the door of main building.
"Have they all come here for jobs?" Ankush asked, pointing at the mob of people outside the door.
Agastya nod "Yes. Every year, so many people come here for job, just like today." He patted Ankush's shoulder "But don't worry, your job is already secured. Because you lost your family in landslide and didn't get the compensation, her highness is giving you the job."
"She is giving me job because I lost my family and didn't get any compensation." He repeated understandingly.
"Agastya!" A young man came towards them running.
They looked at him and Agastya approached him.
"Niraj, you are here? For job?" He asked confused.
"Yes. For job." Niraj answered.
"Didn't you wanted to work in field? You wanted to be a farmer, right? They why you want this job?"
Niraj clicked his tongue in annoyance and replied "It's my old man, he is forcing me to work in palace. He is threatening me, saying that he will leave the house if i refuse to work in palace because he think palace job is more secure than being a farmer. The crops can be distroyed because of heavy rain or famine but palace job will be stable and I can have stability."
"What about you? Do you want to work here?" Agastya questioned in concern to see his friend giving up on his dream.
Niraj smiled weakly "As long as I can live with my old man and keep him happy, I don't mind working in palace or anywhere else he want."
Agastya nod with a faint smile, knowing how painful it can be to give up on your dreams for your family. His wife have gone through it already.
Niraj tilted his head a little to look at Ankush who was standing behind Agastya.
"Who is he?"
Agastya looked at Ankush and pulled him a little forward to introduce.
"He is my cousin, Ankush. He is also here for job."
"Oh, nice to meet you Ankush." Niraj said with a smile and Ankush replied in low voice.
"Nice to meet you too."
"Oh, he looks shy. Why? You are a man, you shouldn't be shy infront of other men." Niraj said teasingly and Ankush again hided behind Agastya.
Agastya laughed and replied "He feel shy infront of new people. He has not been around many people so he is not used to it. He is just a little shy but he is friendly too. You will know as time passes."
"Ok, i will wait then. How old is he? He looks quite young."
"Ah yes, he is 21 only." Agastya replied.
Ankush wondered how Agastya know his real age because he never told him.
"Not that young but because he has not been arround people much, it's understandable." Niraj tilted his head to look at Ankush and smiled politely "Now you have to get used to it. You will work in palace so you need to come infront and talk. You can't always hide behind your cousin."
Ankush nod with s slight smile but cursed Niraj in mind 'Urghh! I am not a kid! Stop treating me like that!' he looked at Agastya 'let us reach your house, I will show you then!'
Sensing Ankush's gaze and knowing what he must be thinking right now because of his bad-temper and can get easily irritated, Agastya changed the topic.
"Well, Niraj, we should leave. I have work and I have to introduce Ankush to her highness for job."
"What? You are going to introduce him personally to her highness? Isn't it a special treatment? It's unfair to us." Niraj said dramatically.
Agastya chuckled "No it's not. Her highness herself want to meet him. She have already decided to give him job."
"Why?"
Agastya sighed, now he is done with the same excuse too.
"He lost his family last year, in the landslide that happened in East Village. He didn't got the compensation for it so her highness want to give him a job in exchange." He held Ankush's hand and walked away with him without letting Niraj respond.
"Will they hate me in the future?" Ankush asked in low voice.
"Who?" Agastya asked, walking inside the palace while holding Ankush's hand.
"The people who have come for job. They might think I am getting this job because of you and will create problems for me in future. It can affect our mission." He asked concern.