It was one of the rarest times that Pragya had asked Abhi to fulfill her wish. She wanted Abhi to take her to Himalayas. She wanted to spend some time with him. Abhi was initially hesitant with her choice of Himalayas. He asked her why she didn't choose Kashmir or some other hill station. But he went on to fulfill her wish even though he didn't get a convincing answer. They had been staying in a hotel. It was the third day and they decided to go sight seeing. It was almost evening when they were returning by a local bus. The bus broke down in the middle. Pragya leaned over Abhi whiled he was happily looking outside the window. He was happy that she was with him. He was happy that she was his. He was happy that he was hers. Abhi pulled Pragya closer to him and leaned over her head.
Almost 15 minutes had passed by. It seemed that there was some problem with the engine of the bus. The bus driver informed the passengers that the bus won't go any further. There were no other buses coming in the route and it was time for sunset. Passengers started hitch-hiking but Abhi or Pragya couldn't compete with people and get inside a vehicle. It was getting darker. Pragya held Abhi's hands tighter. Fortunately, a van came by and Abhi was able to get inside the vehicle. It was not a small vehicle but there were more people in it than it could naturally hold. The vehicle started running and Abhi asked Pragya whether she was fine. He realized that Pragya was not holding his hands and looked for her. She was not in the vehicle.
Pragya started crying as she couldn't run behind the van anymore. She was holding her knees while wishing that the vehicle would come back. She was shouting for help but nobody was there. She saw a vehicle coming through its headlights. She tried to ask for help but the vehicle didn't stop. After 15 minutes, she sat on a milestone nearby and was looking for vehicles to show up. She was so exhausted that she missed another vehicle passing by. When she noticed the vehicle, it was too late to stop it.
Abhi asked the driver to stop. People were talking among themselves and it was too noisy for the driver to hear him. Abhi shouted, "Stop". He informed the driver that his wife was missing. The driver asked him to check properly. Abhi shouted that she was not there. He started panicking. He asked the driver to return. The driver told him that he cannot go back as it was not safe to drive to the place after sunset. Abhi told him that his wife was there and he should return immediately. The driver said, "Listen! I am not your driver. I just help people out of humanity". Abhi's eyes were filled. He requested the driver to return and he would give whatever money the driver wanted. He added that he would do whatever he asked. The driver said, "I know how you feel. But its not safe to go there at this time. The roads are not safe and animals would start roaming freely after it gets dark. I can't risk everyone's life by going there now".
The driver's words scared Abhi even more. Someone in the crowd suggested him to call his wife. Abhi called her only to realize that she had left her phone in her purse which was with him. Abhi decided to get down from the vehicle and search Pragya on his own. The driver told him not to go. Abhi didn't listen to him and started walking. The driver told him, "Brother, didn't you see some other vehicles overtaking us. What if your wife had gone in those vehicles? You can't risk by going there now".
Pragya saw someone coming that way with a torch in hand. It was an old man. He asked her the reason for being at the place at that time. She asked him whether there was any mode of transport available. He said that they can go out of the place only between a sunrise and sunset. Buses would come only after sunrise. Pragya felt hopeless. He asked her to come and stay in his home which was only half a mile away as it was not safe for her to stay there alone at night. Pragya said that she was waiting for her husband.
The driver's scenario of the place had terrified Abhi so much that he believed she would not be there as he boarded the van. He was wishing to see her in the hotel. As soon as he entered the hotel, he asked the receptionist whether his wife had come to their room. The receptionist told him that no one came till that moment. Abhi wanted to prove him wrong. He badly wanted to see Pragya at the room. He didn't even wait for the lift but ran to his room via the stairs. He opened the room and repeated Pragya's name for few minutes. He understood that Pragya was not there. He sat on the bed with hands over her head. He thought that he shouldn't waste another minute and should go to the place immediately. The hotel authorities told him that they didn't have any mode of transport to the place at that moment.
Abhi went to the restaurant and invited people's attention. There were only 7-10 people. He asked whether any of them had a vehicle. Everyone just looked at him but none of them replied. He said that he needed a vehicle to travel but he was ready to pay the vehicle's price. He also added that he would also return the vehicle after he came back. A guy came forward and gave his motorbike key. In the parking lot, a teenage boy asked him to take him along as he knew the local routes very well. Abhi told him that he didn't want anyone to accompany him. The boy told him that it was very dark and he can't travel without a local person's help. He added that he would need only 500 rupees for that. Abhi took the boy with him and started riding towards the place where he missed Pragya.
The old man told Pragya, "No one would come here now. I am advising you not to stay here. Please come with me. You look like my daughter. That's why I am not able to leave you here". Pragya told him that he need not worry as her husband would come. The old replied her, "I understand that your husband might try to come. But child, no vehicles would agree to come here at this time. The roads are not safe. Wild animals are prone to roam here. No one would agree to bring him here. Come with me now. You can board the first bus tomorrow and your husband would be more than pleased to know that you were in a safe place". Pragya didn't want to go but the old man was persistent and she didn't want to be rude. She wished she reached Abhi soon. She walked with the old man to his home.
Abhi was thinking about Pragya while riding the motorbike. How would Pragya be feeling? Would she be scared? Did anything happen to her? His thoughts were wandering around Pragya and her state. The image of Pragya getting scared by wild animals horrified him. He went to the place and shouted Pragya's name repetitively. There was no trace of a human being. Abhi waited for 15 minutes and started walking away from the road. The boy tried to stop him but Abhi told him that Pragya might be near. They heard sounds of a black bear and the boy pulled him towards the bike. The boy said that there was no one around and asked him to start the motorbike. Abhi returned to the hotel as he had no other way.
The old man took Pragya to his home. He introduced Pragya to his wife and daughter. His daughter took her inside and asked her to eat dinner with them. Pragya signed to them that she didn't want to eat. The old man's wife ensured Pragya that she would return to her hotel the next day morning. She asked her not to worry and sleep well. Both Abhi and Pragya couldn't sleep that day.
"Suniye, where are you? Please come to me. I won't leave your hand ever again", thought Pragya. Pragya was thinking about Abhi's state. She wanted him to know that she was safe. She was worried about what he would have done after finding that she was missing. Tears were flowing down uncontrollably from her eyes. Abhi wiped his tears. "Pragya, where are you? Please come to me. I won't ever let you leave me again", thought Abhi. Abhi was demented with worries about Pragya. He badly wanted her to be safe. He was waiting for the sun to rise. He took the first bus and asked the conductor to stop at the same place where he saw Pragya for the last time. He stood at the place and started calling out Pragya. He started searching for her in the nearby grassland.
Pragya thanked the old man and his family. She started walking out of the house until the old man's wife stopped her. She asked Pragya to wait as her husband would accompany her to the nearest bus stop. Pragya said that she would manage. The old man said that she was likely to get lost again and asked her to wait for few minutes. Pragya felt bad that the old man didn't even have breakfast as Pragya was hurrying. But her mind didn't want to give importance to anything other than Abhi at that moment. He walked with her to the bus stop and stood there till she boarded the bus. He gave her little money for the bus ticket. She thanked him heartily. Pragya was hoping that time went faster and she could see Abhi as soon as possible.
The sun started shining brightly and Pragya's eyes narrowed against the glare of the sun. She felt that she missed something under the sunlight. She peaked through the window of the bus and turned her head back. She saw something that gave light to her eyes. She was watching him search for her. She stood up and went to the stairs directly. The conductor stopped the bus seeing her trying to get down. She got down. The scoldings of conductor and driver didn't reach her ears. "Suniye! Suniye!", shouted Pragya.
"Suniye", Abhi said to himself. "Did I just hear Suniye?", he thought. He turned around in a jiffy and saw Pragya running towards him. He opened his arms for her with a big smile plastered on his face.
Note: I realized that I missed to tell this. I was inspired to write this story as I remembered an advertisement I saw in TV few years ago. It showed a foreigner missing the last bus in Himalayas but getting comforted by a lady in the locality.
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