"Oh c'mon rey its gonna be fun" Vicky tried pulling him out of the couch but it looked like his life depend on it. He pushed vicky off him.
"Hell no!! Give me 100 reasons but I am not gonna leave this couch." Now he was no more the bachelor Reyaansh Singhania, he was most mature kid you can see.
"Have you lost it. There's a troop of French girls in the hotel and you wanna stuck with this' baba adam ka sofa' " Nil said shrugging off.
"I am happy with my comforter, hot chocolate mug and the fireplace giving me warmth in this cold shimla winter. Can't you guys see its 31st of december and its freakin' cold."
"That's what we are saying. Its 31st of december. We are here to celebrate New year, not to listen your 'oh I wanna cuddle like a girl' thing." Swayam pushed him out of the blanket.
"Swayam, I thought you would understand. But you too!!" He gave him a disappointing look.
"Listen rey! Its all in your mind. Aisa kuch nahi hai." Swayam tried persuading him.
"No man!!! Something is wrong. Terribly wrong. We are here since three days and all this time a weird feeling is empowering me. It feels strange. Every place I step in this city seems too known as if I have been here before." His face looked completely drained.
"But rey this is the first time you are visiting shimla. How can that ever be possible?" Vicky tried to put logics.
"I don't know vicky! I don't know. I just can't understand it. This city is damn creepy. It always feels like someone is watching me. Everytime I feel the cold wind on my face, it feels like someone's touch." As he got reminded of the touch a smile came on his face.
"Guys kahi rey ke piche koi Bho..Bhooo...Bhoot to nahi." Amar started shivering.
"Stop it yaar! Bhoot jaisa kuch nahi hota. I think you need rest rey. Tu aaram kar hum chalte hai." Nil said.
"If you want I can stay with you." Swayam said with concern.
"That's completely fine yaar. Tu jaa!" Rey said with a smile.
The clock struck 12 and Rey who was busy in switching channels held straight as he heard the sound of clock. He immediately kept down the remote and picked up his phone to wish his girlfriend, Tanya. Though she would shout on top of her lungs on him for leaving her alone and going to a bachelor holiday with his friends, he was ready for everything. After all two years of friendship and six months in the relationship turned him expert in dealing with her.
He started dialing his number but was distracted in middle by a strange sound. It was jingling sound of the anklets. His ears tried to find the source of sound and he realised it was coming from outside his room. An unknown curiosity to see the girl who was wearing these anklets arose in him and hence the guy who was minutes before clinged with his blanket left it immediately and walked to the door. He was somehow hynotised by the continuous jingling voice. His phone which was in his hands a few moments ago was now lying on the couch with 'Tanya calling' flashing on the screen.
As he opened the door, he was shocked as there was noone. His eyes searched the owner of those anklets but all he could see was the empty corridor of the hotel.
Play the song---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL1sV3YCLns
Finally Quitting, he was about to close the door when he again heard the same sound, his eyes swiftly moved to the source. All he could see was a girl's back wearing a white gown and running down the stairs away from him. He felt an urgency to follow her. And following his curiosity to see her face he ran behind her.He stepped out in the chilling cold. All thanks to this stranger, he was standing alone in the cold night of shimla with soft snow flakes falling from heaven. His eyes searched her. He saw her going to the dark forest. She stopped for a moment and looked in my direction. In the feeble moonlight he captured a glimpse of her mesmerising eyes and instantly his legs followed the direction.
phirta rahoon dar badar
milta nahi tera nishaan
hoke judaa kab main jiya
tu hai kahaan main kahaan
teri yaadon mein khoya rehta hoon
mujhko dasti hai tanhaaiyan
phirta rahoon dar badar
milta nahi tera nishaan
hoke judaa kab main jiya
tu hai kahaan main kahaan
He started following her like his life depends on him. With every step she takes away from him he feels an urgency to run faster but no matter what he was not able to catch her. The mist was growing covering almost all his vision. The moonlight was penetrating the thick forest through some places making feeble light available. Having seen only her eyes, he badly wanted to see her face. A gut feeling within him was telling him that he had seen those eyes before. While his legs were completely concentrating in following her, his mind was solving the puzzle of her eyes. His quest grew as he found her suddenly disappearing in the fog.
His eyes pondered everywhere just to get a glimpse of her. But the ever growing fog was making it difficult for him to find her. Finally he heard the same sound coming from a direction. He looked in the direction and found her walking away from him. Without wasting another moment he ran to catch her.
tu jo judaa ho gayi
teri sadaa kho gayi
dekh le phir zindagi
haa kya se kya ho gayi
jab se bichdi hoon
rab se kehti hoon
kitna suna hai tera jahaan
phirta rahoon dar badar
milta nahi tera nishaan
hoke judaa kab main jiya
tu hai kahaan main kahaan
He was trying his best to run faster but the cold was gripping his legs making it difficult to walk. He somehow managed to walk though. Finally he felt her pace getting slow. It was then he realised he was standing a few steps away from a lake. The nature was showing its magnificent beauty with moon's reflection shining at the lake's surface. He looked at her again. She was getting inside the lake. Everytime she steps forward a part of her body disappears inside the water. She was almost fully submerged with only her face and her upper shoulders beaming in the moonlight when she turned to see him. The moonlight fall on her face making it completely visible. As for him, the moonlight never feels so good. He was looking at her deep brown eyes. They had so many dark secrets. And he wanted to unfold all of them.
Call him a cheater but he didn't care. There was something in her which was pulling him. He had never felt this way. He didn't knew if it was love but he was sure he was getting mad for her. His eyes were stuck on those lips. For a moment he forget everything and started moving towards her inside the lake but as soon as he was about to step in, the fog grew taking her out of his sight. After a lot of struggle he finally got his clear vision only to find her lost, again.
kaise kate zindagi maayusi bebasi
raahen sabhi kho gayi
roshani de roshani
main toh rehti hoon teri raahon mein
bekhabar mujhko dhunde kahaan
phirta rahoon dar badar
milta nahi tera nishaan
hoke judaa kab main jiya
tu hai kahaan main kahaan
teri yaadon mein khoya rehta hoon
mujhko dasti hai tanhaaiyan
He panicked and his eyes roamed to every part of the forest they could see in the feeble moonlight. Suddenly he found her towards other side of the lake entering a shabby cottage. And soon he followed. He was standing at the main door of the cottage looking at the old piece of art. The garden inside was covered with snow giving it a landscape look. He reached the doorstep following the odd sounds from nocturnal animals. He grabbed the door and opened it. The shrieking sound of the door made his heartbeat go faster. The moment he stepped inside the aura of the house made him lose his senses. His legs automatically moved to the stairs that lead him to a big sitting area. It had luxurious sofa which was torn with time due to disuse, a big fireplace above which a bookshelf was hanging. On the front wall he saw a life size portrait and his heart skipped a beat. It was hers. She was standing magnificently like a princess in her gown. The painter had done phenomenal job painting her beauty. But what catches his attention were her eyes. Even in the painting they hold a glimpse of sadness and a lot of secrets.
His hands roamed on the portrait trying to feel her. With his fingertips touching the creation of that painter, he felt a jolt in his body. His hands moved to her lips and started caressing them as if for real. Suddenly his eyes moved to the lower right corner of the portrait. In a very small handwriting, was a signature, might be of the painter. He tried reading it. They were the initials. R.S. Before he could think of anything out of it, he was pulled out of his thoughts with the same jingling sound. It came from outside the cottage. He looked outside the window and found her leaving. Without wasting a moment he ran to catch her but as soon as he found himself outside, she was gone. He lost all his hopes to meet her. He was about to leave when he noticed an unusual shining thing on the ground. It was beaming in the moonlight. It was her anklet. He picked it up and automatically a smile crept on his face. He was lost in her dreams to notice the calls for him.
"Rey...Rey..." Swayam was calling him on the top of his lungs.
"Arre yaar ye rey kaha chala gaya?" Nil asked.
"Manager ne kaha tha, usne rey ko forest mein jaate hue dekha. He must be here only. Itni raat ko this place is not safe. We have to find him." Vicky said.
"Ya!! Lets look in that direction." Swayam said. He headed while everyone else followed.
They reached the cottage only to be welcomed by a lost rey.
"Rey..What are you doing here?" Swayam asked him. It was then he realised where he was.
"Huh..Mein vo..aise hi...walk." He didn't had any answer. He had questions. Swayam understood something was wrong. But he avoided asking it in front of everyone.
"C'mon, its getting cold. Lets go back guys." Swayam told everyone. Rey moved with them with a heavy heart. He really wanted to meet her. He turned back to have a last glance of the cottage. She was not there. But he was sure that he'll come back. To meet her. She was a mystery and he'll resolve it. He looked at the anklet again with a smile of hope. It was then he noticed an unusual thing in it. At the back of anklet was scripted something. He narrowed his eyes to read it correctly.
"Taani.." He murmured. He smiled. "I'll soon find out who are you."
Little did he knew, she was a mystery unsolved.
P.S This os is dedicated to Riddhi on her b'day. Happy b'day Riddhi
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