Guesthouse, Irugarh
Piya was sitting curled up on the couch, her chin on her knees and her hands on her toes, looking into space and thinking about the surreal experience that she had in her sleep ' the experience of having Abhay so close , right next to her heartbeat , hugging her , she kissing him, sleeping in his arms and the feel of paradise. She had woken up from her sleep and looked around herself calling out his name. And she realized what had happened. The connection. Abhay and she were connected but since Abhay was the creator of the connection and he was a supernatural being , he had all control over how it worked. He had read her misery and visited her while she slept. He had told her just why they could not be together. Piya remembered his words'. " I am going to take away that every single chance that you have on a happy normal life."' his voice was still echoing in her ears and his breath was still on her neck. But Piya hadn't had much time to mull and ponder over her dream. Because , a shocked and perturbed Misha had come charging towards her , asking her that what did Sam mean by Abhay having fangs? There was no use trying to lie to Misha anymore because as shuddered and shaken as she was by what Sam did to her , she had noticed that Abhay was not normal either, Which normal human being can ward off a carnivorous werewolf just by a glare of his eyes?
Piya , too stressed , too broken and too weakened by the psycho-emotional war that she was fighting against Abhay and herself had looked into Misha's doe eyes and just uttered a monosyllable'. VAMPIRE.
And now''
Misha ( pacing up and down like a crazed woman )- Vampire? Abhay Raichand' you mean OUR Abhay , right? He is a ' is a vampire?
Piya ( tiredly )- Yes.
Misha ( going dizzy and holding a table for support )- You mean he gets dilated colour changing pupils? His canines grow out to become fangs? His skin pales and he' he 'drinks blood? Like that Dracula we read about?
Piya ' Yes.
Misha ( crashes into a couch in horror )- Vampire'. We have been living with' been ' been friends with' a vampire? I have hugged .. and kissed a vampire'.
Piya ( looks at her )- A vampire because of whom I am alive , you are alive. That would sound better ,'. I think'
Misha ( recalling Abhay's kindness and fierce protection of her )- I know' maybe that is why I am'. ( looks at her stable hands )' I am not shivering like a wet cat thinking I am friends with a walking dead'.DAMN! Is ' Is all this real? Werewolves, vampires ! What kind of a world are we living in!
Piya ' The world is a very very strange place, Misha, Let's not go there . We were just meant to crash into the supernatural'.and now, there is no running away'
Misha looks at Piya's face and the faraway look on her face and she shakes her head looking at the reflection of Abhay that she sees on Piya's face.
Misha ( softly )- Abhay is not real, Piya. He is ' I hate to word it like this' but he is not a human being. Yet , you fell in love with him? Did you always know that he is a vampire?
Piya ( smiles with gentle tears in her eyes )- I know I am in love with a distant dream. These feelings , they are nothing but madness. Yet , for me, there is no human being more real than Abhay and no feeling deeper than what runs for him in my blood, heart and soul' (pauses )' no, I didn't always know that Abhay is a vampire 'when I did , I reacted like a scurrying mouse'.i was terrified of his very sight. But there was no use running away from what ran in my own blood'.. it was Abhay, I had to go back to him'It's Abhay , it is always going to be Abhay.
Misha listens to Piya, mystified and starry eyed by the feelings that she sees in Piya's eyes. Loving a human being was normal ' but this chit of a girl had had the courage and madness to fall for a monster and that too irrevocably.
Misha ( blinking her eyes )- Piya, you love a monster'.
Piya ( shakes her head )- No, I love Abhay.
Misha ' He left you.
Piya ' He will come back. He has to.
Misha ( like a curious baby )- What if he doesn't? I am sure he has left because he knows you both are forbidden for each-other'. Damn! I cannot believe myself . I am talking Mills&Boons while I should be dying of a heart attack.
Piya ( looks at Misha with a determined face )- If he doesn't come back, remember me with both the good times and the bad times together. 'and there is a reason that you didn't get the horror attack that I did.
Misha ' What?
Piya ' You have lived the worst possible fear with Sam's werewolf attack. What more can scare you now? You are mentally conditioned now to understand how dark this world can get and how damned and unlucky people like Abhay, Sam and .. ( shuts her mouth )' are.And you've seen Abhay at his most loving and sensitive with you. So, when you know that he is a vampire , even if your mind wants to be scared of him, your heart will give you the courage'.Abhay cannot harm you, Misha. You know it.
Misha listens and understands what Piya is saying and gets up in a thinking mood.
Misha ( looks at her wrist watch )- Sambhav should be coming back by now , with or without Abhay , can't say. I am getting you some coffee and something to eat , Piya. You' seem to have dried out like a nylon stocking in Abhay's memory. And then' maybe we go to the village. Hmmm?
Piya's mind is elsewhere but she nod at Misha nevertheless. Misha turns to the kitchen and then, thinking something turns back to Piya with a curious look on her face'
Misha ( clearing her throat)- Piya'. Ummm' how 'how old is Abhay , really? D-Does he just pick up people off the streets and drink their blood?
Piya ( inattentive but listening )- He is 200-250 years old'..and no, he doesn't drink human blood now'.
Misha ' Now?
Piya doesn't answer and gauging her lost state , Misha sighs and goes into the kitchen wondering if all this meant that she too was joining the supernatural map of the universe? A sadist werewolf and a mysterious angelic vampire'. EEEEEEEEKS! What the hell is happening in my life? Am I still on earth or the middle earth?
Thinking about Sambhav and Abhay ,Misha makes coffee and sandwiches for Piya. Still settling her mind that has gone into a flurry of thoughts after these revelations of the supernatural, she turns back to the hall but what she sees there , gives her a blackout!
PIYA IS NO LONGER THERE . The front door is open. The food tray drops from Misha's hands..
Misha ( hunting around )- Piya? Piya! '. ( comes out in the front portion of the guesthouse )'. PIYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....Damn! I thought she was ..normal now! What do I do now'. ( takes out her cellphone and frantically dials a number )' making calls to supernatural animals! I should be working for 'Believe it or not'!.... ( the call is picked on the other end )' Sambhav! There is' there is a problem!
Deep Woods, Marwaa
Maithli's face appeared so wickedly beautiful as her laughter echoed , cutting through Anushka's ears. Maithli was gloriously happy and Anushka was on her knees , her face in her hands and crying. Crying, not looking at Maithli and asking her to go away'..
Anushka ( scared )- Go away, Maithli! I am not going to do anything of that sort I cannot do this to Abhay. I cannot'.
Maithli ( laughing )- Oh yes, you can ! You have betrayed him before for a good 100+ years when you made him believe that there was no way to revive me back! Betray him again. You have practice.
Amidst this , comes a voice from the deep tunnels of her mind. It is a familiar , friendly male voice. It is calling her'
Voice ( anxious and concerned )- Anushka? Anushka, wake up! 'What happened? Why are you lying here?
Anushka suddenly opens her eyes and sees a tall trees and the sun-gleaming blue sky above. She lets out a breath as though she is glad that the nightmare is over. She sits up with a start and sees a worried and anxious Kabir holding her on his arms with an equally worried Angad breathing in relief while a catty eyed Natasha scans her with her big cat eyes.
Kabir ( holding her face concernedly )- Thank God that you are okay! 'What.. what happened to you, Anush? And what are you doing here? ' ( she is looking around as though searching for someone ).. Anush? You listening to me?
Anushka gets up on her feet with Kabir's support and looks around '
Anushka ( anxiously )- Where did she go? D-Did you see her?
Kabir ( confused as Natasha enjoys the fun )- See who, Anushka?
Anushka ( screams )- MAITHLI! Who else? Did you see her around? .. She was here'. ( begins to cry holding her mouth )' she was here'.
Angad (puzzled )- Maithli? Maithli who? There was nobody here.
Natasha ( tongue in cheek )- Anushka , I think something happened with you in the forest, babe. Did you run into a ghost or something?
Anushka has the urge to set Natasha afire there and then but she controls herself . Kabir does the job for her.
Kabir ( raising his hand up to shut up Natasha )- ENOUGH NATZ! Don't scare her' ( goes and puts his arm protectively around her shoulder )' can't you see how scared she is! '( turns to Anushka and looks at her worriedly, calming her by holding her close and easing her shoulders by rubbing them)' Anushka, tell me, what happened? Did someone scare you? Some village woman by the name of Maithli ?
Anushka looks at his warm and compassionate face and bursts into tears , holding his shoulders'
Anushka ( sobbing)- You don't understand , Kabir' I ' I have lost my way back. I am lost in these woods '.i cannot find my way back home'what am I going to do ' what am I going to do'
Kabir cannot understand what she is saying but her pain gets to him and he feels a lurch in his heart. He instinctively pulls her into his arms and shushes her like a baby while a worried Angad comes and gently pats Anushka's head.
Angad ( clueless but anxious for her )- Anushka, don't cry. See, we are here with you, right? Nobody can scare you and nobody is going to hurt you'Hmm?
Kabir moves her hair and tucks them behind her ear and wipes her tears until her sobs subside. He gently kisses her head and hugs her closer to normalize her first.
Kabir ( reassuring her )- You are not lost, Anushka. Look, we found you, didn't we? And' ( makes her look at him)' I am taking you home, okay? I will guide you home.
Angad ( seeing that Anushka has at least stopped crying now )- Phew! Finally, the beauty is not weeping. This calls for a group hug!
Both Angad and Kabir hug Anushka and she cuddles up and clings to both if them. Yet, her eyes are on Natasha who is smiling and taking a picture of the group on her cellphone.
Natasha ( pointedly to Anushka )- Babe in the woods rescued by the heroes!....( the boys laugh)'. And now, your own 'heart' shall guide you home, Anushka'..
Anushka turns her head and keeps it on the other side of Kabir's shoulder as Angad and Kabir , holding Anushka's hands take her back to the guesthouse while Natasha revels in her bitch-fiend glow.
Kabir ( wondering in his head )- What happened here with Anush ?... and ' Maithli' who is Maithli?
Outside the guesthouse, Irugarh
Misha is pacing around like a roadrunner in front of the guesthouse waiting for Sambhav to come. She had called him up and told him that Piya was nowhere to be found. He had said nothing except ' I AM COMING. And then, he had ended the call. On top of that , Tracker was making these irritating calls , one after the other ' where are you guys? Why haven't you arrived yet for the workshops? T is doing her job with frigid efficiency and she looks scary to me. Are you guys shirking from work? Ughs! Misha had never wanted to stitch Tracker's mouth more than this ever before. Here , the situation was so tense with both Abhay and Piya missing , Sambhav , a danger to everyone's life, especially to her's and all these supernatural revelations that were making her brain delirious! Misha wanted to scream ut loud and wake up with her bugs bunny toy in her bedroom right now.
Misha ( holding her head )- Don't do anything stupid to yourself , Piya! I hope your head is in place! Be Elena and don't insult my intelligence by going the Bella way' ( rolls her eyes )' humph! Misha, shut up!
Just then, she sees Sambhav coming from front ' rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt , his grey eyes cast downward and his face grim. Over stressed by Piya's disappearance and all the tension in her head, and having faced Sam post-trauma rather bravely, Misha goes rushing over to him without a second of hesitation.
Misha ( anxiously )- Where's Piya?
Sambhav looks at her as though she is out of her mind and he has this urge to whack her.
Sambhav ( throwing up his hands )- In my pocket!
Misha ( steps away from him )- What do you mean?
Sambhav ( glares at her )- What I mean, madame is that I DON'T KNOW! I cannot read people's location or round them up like sniffer dogs as vampires can!
Misha ( disappointed )- Yeah, I forgot. You can only shapeshift into a monster and bite people's heads off!
Sambhav ( stung )- Not to forget killing vampires in a jiffy , supersonic speed, erasing memories of attack and fixing teenaged kids who interfere in what is not their business'( shuts up Misha even before she can open her mouth )'.. and what about you?,' ( holds her by her shoulders and she recoils a little fearing he will attack her )' what did I tell you before going? LOOK AFTER PIYA! And look at you, chica! The girl , Abhay's girl has gone missing because of your carelessness and you are expecting me to work miracles!
Misha ( looks timidly into his grey eyes )- But you knew where to find Abhay'
Sam ( shaking Misha hard )- You fool! That is because I know Abhay! I have known him for a freakin' period of 200+ years! I know how his mind works but I don't know Piya!...( leaves Misha with a jerk and she gets her breath back )' all I know is that she has gone to do something stupid! I told Abhay that she is going to do something to herself but he' ( looks at her )' he is just like you! Both brain and heart water logged!
Misha ( her face falls )- You' you are not serious about this, right? Piya' do you think Piya has actually gone to take ' take her life? But she appeared normal to me when she woke up. We talked. She told me that Abhay was a .. a vampire' all appeared okay.
Sambhav ( getting angrier with every passing moment)- Misha, what the hell is wrong with you? You know Piya's insanity for that vampy, don't you? Abhay did not come with me and Piya loves him ' she knew in her heart of hearts that Abhay will NOT come back! That is why she didn't wait for my return.
Misha looks shocked and shattered at this revelation and almost stumbles on her feet , tears welling up in her eyes. Sambhav notices her crumbling face and his livid muscles relax a little. He shakes his head, rubs his eyes in exhaustion and puts a hesitant hand on her shoulder.
Misha ( looks at him )- Piya'..she won't'I d-don't want to even think about it.
Sambhav ( quietly )- The wolves are looking for her. They are hunting her down and she is only human. She has her limitations , Misha. Before she hurts herself, someone will find her.
Misha ( looks at Sambhav with tearful doe eyes )- She believes that Abhay loves her and he will come back .
Sambhav ( nods and slowly removes his hand from her shoulder )- I believe the same , Misha. If they are truly as connected as they believe themselves to be , Abhay will find her. She is his destiny and he can no longer run from her.
Misha sits down on a bench- her body language tense and nervy. Eyes tearful and lips quivering. Colour draining out of her face. As much as she wanted to believe in what Sam was saying and what Piya had believed, her heart was sinking inside.Sambhav was looking at her and he felt bad for her. She looked so worried and helpless at this point ' and come on, she was just a 17 year old child running her 18th. She was worried for her best friend who was berserk and on the brink of death. Sam knew deep down that Abhay wouldn't let a bruise touch Piya's skin but how was he to explain all this to a human being. He wanted to comfort and console her at this moment , no matter how much bad blood was there between the two. But how? They were not friends anymore and she hated him , feared him, was disgusted by him.
Misha ( looks up at Sam )- Are you sure she is going to be okay? Shouldn't we ' we go and look in the jungle?
Sambhav ( sitting next to her at a safe distance )- I told you. The wolves are looking for her. There is no point in you going into the woods because you don't know the jungle'. ( she looks at him).. yeah, even after last night, you don't.
Misha says nothing but still looks all jittery. Sambhav thinks for a while and then, extends his hand to her.
Misha ( looks at his hand and draws back a little )- What?
Sambhav ( with stone cold but genuine kindness )- Hold my hand. It is a human thing. Calms you down.
Misha ( puzzled )- You are not human.
Sambhav ' Minus the monster period, I am usually a human being .
Misha ' You hate me.
Sambhav ' But we both are worried for Piya.
Misha gingerly lifts her hand but is hesitant of touching Sambhav because his lycanthrope cruelty is still oven fresh in her head.
Sambhav ( calmly )- I am not going to hurt you'. As of now.
Misha doesn't look at him but delicately holds his two fingers like a child holds those of an elder.
Sambhav ( reassures her )- Piya will be okay, Misha. If in nothing and nobody else, trust Abhay''
Misha nods , looking into his limpid grey pools that threatened to drown you into an ocean.
Cliffside , Jungle, Irugarh
Piya was not insane or pathologically obsessive as everyone liked to believe. Infact ,she did not understand the meaning and application of these words to an emotion as deep, as indelible , as eternal and as universally resounding as LOVE. Love was just love and as dumb as it sounds, Piya didn't think that she or any person irrevocably in love in this world can put into words what one feels for their true love , their soulmate. Piya was not crazy about Abhay ' that stage was long gone ' that first flutter of the heart , the moon eyes and the long nights. She may be a teenager but her love for Abhay was of a woman who had seen and accepted all the shades of the man she loved. With whatever that she and Abhay had been through , Piya had come to the realization that she is forever hinged with Abhay. So much had happened between them. Attraction, repulsion, hatred, obsession, separation , devastation ' yet, Piya had only gotten more and more drowned in her soul bond with Abhay. Everytime , he pushed her away or she herself ran away from him ' she had found herself coming back to him with double the velocity and unfathomable emotion. Piya was tired of thinking and analyzing that just why she was more Abhay than Abhay himself was. Now, she lived with the fact and decision that whatever life she has left , it has to be with Abhay. Whether Abhay liked it or not, he had to love and be with Piya as long as she was alive'.
And , now, she was nearing the waterfall , not because she was some rejected scorned woman in love who had decided to end her life. No. She was here to give herself and Abhay a new life. To make him understand that he cannot hide in the shadows with Piya alive. To make him realize that if he was so scared of a future that has not even come, she can end everything right here by giving up her life. To put it across to Abhay that they both have come so far together , that she no longer knows how to live without him and neither does he. Above all , it was the final step that she was taking in Abhay's direction. He believed that they could not be together because she was human? That she was alive and mortal? Well then'.
No, Piya was not insane and anyone who has loved someone with that purity and selflessness would know that what exactly went on inside this girl when she looked down at the raging rapid river'.
The water looked so blue and the sound of the waterfall was like music to her ears. There was no sadness or any of the tragic anxiety that we had seen on her face last night when Abhay had left her. There was peace and a small smile on her face as Abhay's face swam into her vision.
Piya ( closing her eyes )- I told you, Abhay. Didn't I? It's you and me, forever. And if there's no you''''how can there be any me?....
And then, the fragile , petite curly-haired girl , with stars glittering through her soul, released her body and merged into the waterfall'..
TO BE CONTINUED''''''.
Edited by Pocahontas - 14 years ago
Anupamaa
Pocket Mein Aasman
