The Unventured Passions

Star Crossed Strangers

(Contain warning: This part contains portion that may trigger certain dark emotional chords.
Advised to take it as a work of literature).

Only in the blessed black of the starry night, Satyakirth gained a fuller sense of home. He lay composed on the deck of his small boat, tied to the bank of Ganga, hiding from the eyes of the world. His eyes gazed at those bright friends of the moon and their pattern that seemed so fixed and yet ever-changing, distant lights to call his heart, remembering all whom he had lost, to inspire dreams of other worlds.
That night he had felt lonely, a sense of melancholy lingering in his heart, and under the sky of perfect midnight velvet, under stars so brilliant, he drew his eyes heaven bound, the lyrics of his favourite Scottish Ballad hummed softly in his arriving dreams.

Auld lang syne, my dear
Auld lang syne...

He pulled out the soft blue feminine shawl from inside the cane hood of the boat and held it to his nose, it's faint fragnance, lavender mixed with mild sandalwood perhaps, filling his heart and mind with an overwhelming delight.

It's been six months!!

His lips had touched the softness of the cloth, as he sniffed it once again before planting a soft kiss on it. It was held in his arms, closer to his strong, yet weak heart, his chest muscles relaxing at the tender touch.
This was his space, his world, without burdens of the past, or promises of the future. This was his refuge, just him and the thoughts of her, his mysterious princess, the shadowed enchantress who had probably came down to earth for one night, just for him!
The shawl still had her aroma, but Satya was scared to hold it for long, in fear of loosing her smell, the bewitching feeling of her touch.
He got up and sat upright, keeping the cloth to it's safety once again, as he pulled out a sleek bamboo flute from a crevice of the hood and took a deep breath.
Oh! And one last thing...
His fingers found two cotton swabs from his pocket and as he stuffed it carefully to his ears.

Now it's perfect!

Detached from the rest of the world, lost in the rhythm of soundless breathing, blowing life softly into the flute, not knowing how it sounds, and the vast starry sky above head!
Satya inhaled the fresh air of the river, his eyes closed, and his lips kissing a tune in the flute.

Auld lang syne...

................................................

The night was different inside Raimoti's room, quiet and anxious, the long silk sarees had formed knots, tied to each other, and Raimoti took a swift glance at the antique clock in her room.

2 am, and it's time!

She had glued the envelope back and tucked it in her waist. Conscious enough not to make a sound, she had opened the window carefully, overlooking the vast dark greenary at the backyard of the palace, as her soft hands flung the long chain of sarees down the casement, touching the grass of this unguarded portion of the household.

It was probably her only chance!

First she would destroy the letters and then she would find her way to the Roy Chowdhurys!
But, before that, there was one more place that she needed to visit, the place she hadn't visited in the last six months, the place that had made her feel alive for the very first time in life.

The path leading to the river bank, the shortcut route through the estate, wasn't unknown to Raimoti. She didn't wear shoes, infact she couldn't, and her feet had bruised a little from the abrupt jump before her toes could touch the ground. She had tiptoed outside the backyard garden, outsmarting the sleeping guard, her legs carried her as fast as they could, leading her to the dark deserted familiar bank of the river.