OS- TheMidnight Cry.
"Saras, I am really scared." Kumud said while she was shivering and she clutched the brown leather jacket which were around her shoulders. Saras took her in his embrace and whispered in hushing tenderness," Don't worry baby, it's going to be alright, we are together in this...". And he placed a kiss on her forhead and hugged her. They both were sitting bundled up together in a cottage in the middle of the jungle. The temperature was dropping every hour and they could not think of what to do next and it was really late at night.
Saras and Kumud had been camping in the jungle with a group of friends since the last two days but earlier in the day, both Saras and Kumud were separated from their other friends as there was as there was a storm. They both had been trying to get back to their group but they had not been able. The jungle in which they were was well-known...there was an area in the jungle which was cursed and it is claimed that a spirit resides in it...and those loitering around this part of the jungle would be tortured and killed by the spirit.
Kumud was normally a really brave person but all of this scared her but luckily, her boyfriend Saras was there to comfort her.
Saras was now lighting up a fire from a log of woods and both Kumud and Saras sat by the fire, warming up their wet clothes as they both had fallen into a lake previously. Kumud suddenly let out a little scream.
"What happened?" Saras said alarmed as he rushed by her side.
" I..I am feeling something burn on my back..." she said while closing her eyes and biting her lips. Saras gently rubbed her shoulder and slowly removed his oversized coat off her and asked her where. Kumud hesitantly responded that it was on her lower back. Saras slowly removed the thin top that Kumud was wearing and Kumud felt goosebumps when she felt Saras's cold fingers on her bare skin. It wasn't that they weren't physically close before, they certainly kissed and had their little moments but they never exceeded their limits.
"Looks like you got bruised when we fell into that lake..it doesn't look that serious...I'll clean it and bandage it.." he said. Kumud nodded and Saras took the water which was in a pot in the corner of the cottage and cleaned Kumud's injury and took a piece of cloth and bandaged it around her waist. Kumud was in a sitting position and Saras was kneeling next to her with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair was slightly disheveled. When Saras finished bandaging Kumud's wounds, he noticed that she shivering, not only because she was scared but also because of their proximity...Kumud was having difficulty in controlling her beating heart. She was taken aback when she felt Saras press his chest to her bare back and he let his lips linger over her back. His hands were gently caressing her tummy. Saras slowly traced her back with his lips, leaving her breathless and making her forget her fear...He reached near her earlobe but he did not carry on, in fact, they stayed in the same position for a moment. They both contemplated each other's presence...Kumud slowly turned towards Saras and hugged him, he hugged her too and they both slowly laid on a blanket placed on hay...
Kumud's hands were resting om Saras's chest feeling his pulse...Saras smiled and removed the strand of hair which veiled her eye. Saras was still cressing her tummy and he brought his other hand to her cheek and he slowly ever brought his lips next to hers...Kumud felt Saras's lips on hers and she started responding to the kiss too after a while... The cold seemed to not exist as things were getting heated between SaMud...
After some minutes, Kumud winced a bit... the injury on her back was hurting her. Saras noticed her anguish and he got up. Kumud also got up with his help and he handed her top back to her and she quickly wore it. Both did not know what to say... Saras spoke up first," Is your back hurting you a lot?" Kumud shook her head in disapproval as a slight tint of pink was visible on her cheeks. Saras held Kumud's hand and said," You know that I love you a lot and as always, I have no regrets for whatever happened between us..." Kumud spoke after a long pause," I love you too Saras and I don't regret anything..", she looked into his eyes as she finished speaking. Both of them hugged each other and they sat down in each other's embrace. They both dozed asleep.
The dry leaves rustled outside, the wind howled as if announcing that something bad was about to happen. It rained out of nowhere and thunder crashed as some dogs could be heard howling faraway...A sharp cry was then heard...
Kumud and Saras woke up...Saras looked at his watch...it was midnight! There was a real storm outside...Kumud clung onto Saras..she was paralyzed with fear... Animals were making different types of sounds and the cottage threatened to collapse. The howling of dogs became louder...Nothing was happening yet.
Is the spirit really wandering? Is the curse real? These questions were going on in Saras and Kumud's mind. However, they drifted back to sleep...
Saras stretched his arms and yawned. It was morning. Kumud was still fast asleep. H e sneaked out of the cottage while she was asleep, not wanting to wake her up and he removed his mobile phone to attempt to get a signal. He was close to the cottage and he atlast managed to make a phone call.
Kumud woke up after some time and as soon as she woke up, a jeep was waiting for Saras and her..he had contacted their friends and they had come to rescue the two lovebirds. The jeep vanished from the jungle and soon reached the highway. Saras and Kumud did not know whether the cry they heard at night was really there or was it just their imagination...
However, as they left the jungle, a pair of eyes was watching them...was it the spirit...or ...was it just an owl?
Aami Daakini
Book Talk
Cricket
