Dark Secrets

Prologue - I

TOSH,HIMACHAL PRADESH

Sometime ago

It was an important day for her . Very important. He was coming down to meet her after....in fact ,she had been counting six months, twelve days,nine hours and -as she left her house -exactly fifteen minute . She had told her parents that she would stay with her best friend from college--Sanam that night .Sanam ,obviously, had no idea about her subterfuge.

He had selected the venue for their clandestine meet. It was only two blocks from her house to the small tea shop that would have closed for the day by then.

Despite the several layers she had on,Shrestha's teeth chattered as she cycled towards the tea shop. The shiver was partially due to the unseaonal cold wave that had gripped the Himalayan town;she trembled more in anticipation of the impending rendezvous.  "Should I launch into his arm as soon as we meet ?or should i stand back and simply admire him for a bit ?" With an avalanche of thoughts crashing through her mind ,she finally reached the location for their tryst. She stopped her cycle as soon as she saw the silhouette of a man in the blinding headlight beams of the car parked in front of the tea shop. He's  here ! Her lips went dry ,her throat, drier,and a flock of butterflies invaded her tummy. He had always been unpredictable.

The car's engine was abruptly switched off,simultaneously killing the headlights and plunging the deserted lane into a darkness which was underpinned by an eerie silence. Shrestha could still make out his blurred outline as her eyes adjusted to dark. He was waiting for her. She hurriedly dismounted from her bicycle and Let it crash on its side on the tarmac. She ran to him and embraced him. He could feel her pulse racing and her heart pounding in her slim body as she held him close and burrowed her face against his chest. He realised that she had missed him badly. He had missed her too,way more than she could imagine, but he didn't show it. Shrestha felt hus strong and steady heartbeat against her face. He held her close to his chest for a moment before he scooped her up in his arm and carried her into the car. No words were spoken as he sped off down the lane. After driving foe ten minutes or so along the winding mountain road ,he pulled into a soft shoulder. The narrow mountain road was flanked by the steep rise of the mountain face on one side and a sheer drop on the other. He reached under the seat and adjusted the incline of his seat to a comfortable angle. Shreshtha moved across to straddle his lean lips. Their eyes locked and she leaned forward until she could feel his breath tickle her chin . He was so much about silence- it drew her like nothing else. Most couples chatter nineteen-to-the-dozen. Only the rarest find their harmony in silence. They were rare,she knew.

She cupped his jaw in her long fingered hands and caressed his three day old stubble with her thumbs. He stretched out an arm to flick the switch on the car stereo. Shreya ghosal's sweet and soft voice softly permeated the interior of the car with one of her favourite tracks :'jadu hai nasha hai '. Shrestha leaned in ,but before their lips could touch .he gripped her waist and stopped her descent.

'Not so quick ,Ranisa',he whispered.

She loved it when he called her by that name ,'Ranisa' meant queen- his queen. If there was one thing she absolutely loved and could not quite define ,it was his enormous respect for her . It was se deep - seated that often wondered whether she deserved to be placed on such high pedestal.

'You always say this ',she whispered petulantly.'Dont you want to kiss me ?'

He stared at her beauty ,her dark hair cascading like a cloud around her shoulders. Her eyes didn't reflect pain,they carried a complaint.

'Do you honestly believe that I don't want to kiss you ?' He asked.

'Then why don't you ?' She sulked.' Also',she dismounted from him and scrambled back to her seat.' I hate it when you leave me and go away'. H sensed the flood of tears about to burst through the dam at any moment.

"Why?" He asked softly.
'I feel insecure about you ,about us',Shrestha choked.

An ironical smile touched his face." You know this thing we call love ,it's like a dense forest . As you enter,you hear the growl off several wild beasts. At times ,you may even encounter them. Insecurity is the most ferocious beast in this jungle. Whether to fall vinlctim to it or vaniquish it to continue one's quest to unearth the greatest treasure ever ,which is also hidden in this very forest ,is lover's call. I have taken mine. What's your call ,Ranisa?"