Prologue

Hi everyone,

It's been a really really long break since Monsoon Rain. Ihad been contemplating whether I should continue or not and finally succumbedto the bug. I have decided to give in another go. I am not sure how regular Ican be this time, but I will see this as an attempt to keep in touch with youall.

I think all this is warning enough. So read at your own risk 

Wish you all a very Happy New Year!!! 

Harvest Moon- Prologue

ARNAVSINGH RAIZADA sat at the wheel of the Jeep, looking forward to the two hour roadtrip from Faridkot to Jalandhar. As the Jeep glided smoothly on the road, hecould see lush green fields criss- crossed by canals, merging into the distanthorizon.

Thefeeling of wind blowing his hair helter-skelter, the scent of fertile soilfilling his nostrils was as intoxicating as a glass of vodka, he thoughtsmiling to himself. When he had first moved to his grandparent's house afterhis parents' death ten years ago, he had no idea that he would take to the landof five rivers like a fish to water. Now it was his haven.

"Thanksfor coming with me today, Arnav." His grandmother's words broke into histhoughts.

Hisgrandmother and he were going to a funeral today. He didn't want to go but healso knew that if he refused she would have to go alone. His sister Anjali wasaway at college in Delhi while his aunt, uncle and cousin Akash were holidayingin Shimla. His aunt always planned all her trips around the time he came homefor his semester holidays from Chandigarh where he was doing his final yearengineering course in the Punjab Engineering College (PEC). He was glad of herabsence which gave him a respite from all her caustic comments reminding hissister and him that they didn't belong in the Raizada house.

"Nani?"He said with a sudden urge to change the subject, "why are we going to MrsPatial's funeral? Didn't nanaji have a fall out with her husband SatyaprakashPatial?"

"Thatwas a long time ago," Devyani said with a faraway look in her eyes. "On hisdeath bed, your nanaji told me that he wanted to reconcile with Satyaprakash."

Ashis grandmother fell silent, lost in memories Arnav turned his attention backto the road. He was curious about the relationship between his grandfather andhis friend Satyaprakash Patial who belonged to a royal Rajput clan, but he knewbetter than to push his grandmother to talk. She would tell him in her owntime.

Anhour later, they walked through the ancient gates of the imposing Patial haveliand for a brief moment Arnav forgot that he was on Punjab soil. The tallbiscuit coloured structure probably made of sandstone, resembled a typical Rajasthanihaveli with a huge ornately carved main door. Above it was awidewindowtypically known as jharokha almost the size of a small balcony, flanked by two smalljharokhas on either side and one medium sized jharoka even above it which wasprobably the second floor. He wouldn't be surprised if there frescoes paintedon the walls.

Thehigh walls of the haveli looked forbidding enough to stop him in his stride."Yougo ahead Nani," he said grimly. He had no intention of seeing a lifeless formorthe inevitable gloom surrounding it. "I will meet you back here in an hour orso." Glad that his grandmother didn't question him, he walked into the gardenson the right.

Forsome reason the garden seemed to beckon him, with its lush greenery of shrubs,creepers and trees, including flowering and fruit laden ones. There were differentvarieties of Jasmineshrubs, Yellow flowered Laburnum tree, Frangipani withflowers in red, white and pink, Myrtle tree with purple flowers and so many hecouldn't even recognise. A little further there was an orchard with Pomegranate,Chikoo, Guava and Mango trees to name a few.

Ashe walked deeper into the garden, it grew wilder and wilder and he felt aprickle in his spine.He shook his head to clear himself of the feeling. Henearly jumped out of his skin when a bird flew right above his head."F@#$!" heswore loudly.

"Issomeone there?"

Arnav'sheart skipped a beat as he couldn't see anyone. "Hello?"

"I- I am in here!" A voice echoed from not too far away.

Arnavwalked further but still couldn't see anyone. "Where are you?"

"Overhere --- in the well." The voice was closer now.

Hiseyes fell on moss covered bricks which he realized was a well. He hadn't beenable to see it earlier as it was camaflouged by overgrown creepers. He slowlywalked up to the wall and after taking a deep breath he looked down.

Khushisquintedher eyes when she saw a head appear at the mouth of the well. She couldn't decipherhis features but he seemed to have a thin face and slightly long hair and a haloaround his head. Was he an angel?

"Howthe f -- hell did you get down there?" He demanded.

Shecame out of her daze when she heard his voice. No. He couldn't be an angel. Hehad used a swear word and he sounded very rude. Well, she could also be equallyrude. "Get me out first!"

"Itwould be easier for me to get you out if you told me how you got in there inthe first place," Arnav grated out an answer to the girl who seemed to bebehaving like a dimwit.

"Iclimbed down using these," she said pointing to the ladder on the wall of thewell.

"Climbback up the same way then."

"Don'tyou think I know that?" the girl screeched, "While I was climbing down, some ofthe bottom rungs broke and I fell. I can't climb back up."

"I'llgo get some help."

"No!Wait!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "No one can know I am in here."

"Whatthe ----?" Arnav stopped himself. "Why the hell not?"

Hermom would have her hide for this but he didn't need to know that. "Just get meout of here!"

Asthe head vanished from her view,Khushi sat back on a stone that had served asher seat for the past hour or so. She was sure it was past five o clock as shehad left the house a little after four. The angel had probably decided to runaway from her screeching voice. Her mother had warned her to tone down hervoice but she never listened to her. Tears welled up in her eye when shethought about her mother. She seemed to be in some sort of stress since themoment they came here. Her mother's uncle didn't seem to be too happy that hermom had come for her aunt's funeral. He had been cold toward her as well. Shewondered why.

Suddenlyshe saw a weird contraption dangling in front of her face and when she lookedup, to her big relief she saw her angel was back.

"Putyour legs through the openings," he commanded.

"Whatis this?" Khushi asked looking curiously at the rope braided into some sort ofa harness.

"Wearit around your waist quickly," he said impatiently."I have fastened a rope toit which I will use to pull you up."

"Youcan't!" Khushi said panicking, "I am too heavy."  She looked at herself self-consciously.

"Willyou let me finish?" He barked. "You try climbing back using the availablerungs. I am only going to pull you up the ones that are missing. Do youunderstand?"

"Yes."

Itwas a test for his entire upper body strength as he ended up pulling her almostall the way. His rigorous training for the trekking trip had come in handytoday.

Asshe reached the mouth of the well,Khushi looked up into the most mesmerizingchocolate brown eyes and she felt a bewildering sensation akin to a somersaultin her stomach.As he leaned down to wrap his hand around her waist,she felt theroughness of his cheek against her own smooth ones and as he pulled her up inone sweep into his strong arms, her heart began to beat an erratic pattern.

Hecarried her and put her down under the shade of the Tebubia tree, in full bloomwith pink flowers. He stood up and began dusting his navy blue t-shirt and bluejeans. Feeling a little flushed, she began toslide the harness down her legs. Shewinced with pain as the rope scraped her ankle.She pulled up her white salwarbottom to see that her ankle had a deep cut and was bleeding. "I think Iscraped my ankle on the broken rungs."

"Doesit hurt?" He squatted on the ground looking at her feet. His long locks fell onhis forehead masking his eyes while sweat shone on his sharp patrician nose.Suddenly those brown eyes trained on hers. "I am asking you if it hurts."

 "No." She shook her head nervously.

"Wewill need to stop the bleeding," he said and then with no warning he whippedher white cotton dupatta off her neck.

"Youcan't use that!" Khushi exclaimed, flustered that the scoop neck of the kurtawould expose a wise expanse of her neck and chest.

Heignored her and dabbed the wound with the white cloth.

"Iam going to bandage this wound to stop the bleeding," he said briskly. "Whenyou get home, make sure you go to the doctor and get a tetanus shot. I am surethe ladder is rusted."

Ashe tied the dupatta deftly around her ankle,Khushi couldn't help noticing thelean musculature in his sinewy arms.

"Wheredid you learn to make the harness?" She enquired.

"It'scalled a Swiss seat." He looked up at her. "I learnt it during a trekking tripto Sikkim, last year. It's simple once you practice it a few times."

Thetimbre of his voice was husky and for some reason Khushi felt tingly all over. "I- I have heard Sikkim is a beautiful place." She brought her loose hair to thefront and began running her fingers through it, detangling the knots. Suddenly,straightening her appearance was of foremost importance to her.

"Yesit is --" Arnav's eyes were drawn to her hair. Straight silky hair fell downher shoulder while shorter strands of hair partially covered her luminousalmond shaped eyes.Bright spots of red adorned her cheeks contrasting with hersnowy white complexion.

Hestood up and took a step back, curbing his train of thought in an instant."Whatthe hell were you thinking climbing down a well?"

Khushiwas startled by his rough tone. Her eyebrows twisted in annoyance but she couldn'thelp giving him an answer."It was too -- suffocating inside the house," Shesaid with hesitation. "So I decided to explore this lovely old garden -- Ithought it would be adventurous to go down the well."

"Youare lucky that there's still some light today because of the moon," hecontinued his tirade.

Khushilooked up and squealed in delight. "Oh my God! The moon looks so beautiful."

Hersmile was radiant --  pearly white teethwithin lips that were naturally rosy --- almost the same colour as her kurta.

"It's...it's the Harvest Moon."

"The..what?"

"Oncea year, on a full moon night, the moon turns the color of honey. It's a naturalphenomenon."

Shekept staring at the moon in awe. "Oh."

Ashe stared into her resplendent face, a doubt assailed him. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen?You are just a kid!" He had been ogling at a mere child, he admonished himself.

"Iam not!" She shot back angrily. What had gotten into him all of a sudden?

"Youare too young to be out here all by yourself," he continued ignoring her,"Especially since you don't seem to be from our country. Where are you from?" hesaid, "America?"

Sheshook her head. "Canada," she informed him.

Justthen they heard a muffled voice calling out. Arnav couldn't decipher the word.

"Oh!"She exclaimed standing up, "Amma is calling. I will have to go." She turned toleave and then turned back with a hand on her head. "I completely forgot  --ThankYou!" She broke into a smile.

Then,with no warning she stepped closer and rising herself on tip toes, with handsbraced on his shoulder, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Iam not a kid!" she said defiantly.

She turned around and ran as fast as her injuredleg allowed. Within moments she was completely out of sight and in the eeriesilence that followed, Arnav touched a finger to his cheek wondering if it was realor just a manifestation of his subconscious.