Dark Secrets

2

TOSH,HIMACHAL PRADESH

The thin mist suspended in the chilly air seemed to deaden sound,engulfing from the foggy mantle of darkness like a figment of someone's lucid dream.

He headed to the cottage where a gleaming name plate read:Srivastavas. He opined the gate cautiously, taking care not to make any unnecessary noise as he stepped into the premises. Dude ,the golden retriever he had bought as a puppy for her, now fully grown ,came running over,wagging its plume - like tail. It licked his shoe. Yuvansh knelt and latter the dog's beautiful head before making his way to the front door.

The main door was kept unlocked as usual for whenever he was due to visit. Stepping inside,he locked the door from inside and walked over to the dining table. He dumped his bag on the sideboard and then went up to the second floor to Shrestha's room with dude still at his heels.

In the light of the table lamp that was still on , Yuvansh could see that she was asleep on the bed, a book on her bosom ,her spectacles askew on her nose and her lips,parted. Her phone was getting charged on the bedside table. He picked up the book and placed it on the table ,careful to mark the page that she had been reading with the cardboard bookmark. He gently removed her spectacles, folded them and put them on top of the book. He sath down beside her to admire her beauty.
If ever a dream had a face ,he thought,this was it.
He loved gazing at her when she was oblivious of his presence. It wasn't solely to appreciate her beauty;he did this to convince himself that everything had gone according to plan. He was deeply grateful that it did. He bent close to her open mouth and inhale the air she exhaled. A profound relief came over him and he stood up. He had reached for the switch of the table lamp to turn it off,when he noticed the note stuck on her cork bulletin board. It read:

Dear Mr Boyfriend

Dil ka sukoon teri aankhon mein ..
Ishq e junoon teri chahon mein mahiya..
Jaan toh aap ban gaye humari shabdon mein jan bharte bharte ..
Toh janab humara kaha aap kyun nhi sunte..
I told you you smoke a lot. One cigarette, they say ,reduces,five minutes of your life. How about every time you feel the urge to smoke,you think about me instead? I dont take life.

Yuvansh smiled,peeled off a fresh post - it from the little pad on her study table and wrote:

Dear Ranisa

Aapka yun daat na tokna acha sa lagata hai....
Isse dil bacha sa lagta hai...
Rahat si de dun tujhe dil kahe ..
Adat sa tu ban gaya hai ye dil ka zarra zarra  kehta hai..
Your wish ,my destiny. BTW,I ve restocked your medicine cabinet with medical supplies including sanitary napkins; the fridge with your favourite beer and macroons.

He pasted it right beside her note,peeled off another slip and wrote:

This isn't merely a nose stud; its a part of a story-your story,my story-our story. Wear it tomorrow and meet me by the Tosh river. It's a date Ranisa.

From his pocket ,Yuvansh extracted a small box containing an exquisite jewel embedded in a tiny nose stud and put it on the study table with the post-it pasted across it. He covered her with the thick duvet lying at the foot of her bed and switched off the table lamp. Before turning away to leave,he kissed her forehead fleetingly. Thus touch was what he had craved for. Itv wasn't merely a touch; it was life whispering to his soul.

An hour later , Shrestha awoke with a start. One glance around and she knew someone had been there. She didn't need to guess the intruder's identity. Shrestha clambered out of bed and ran into the balcony. Despite the night,shrouded in silence and misty darkness, she sensed his presence. Her heart told her he was lurking somewhere at the edge of the darkness.

'Yuvansh Singh Thakur, I love you,', she called. Nothing stirred, so she returned to the warmth of her room.

At some distance from the house , a flame from lighter lit up a part of his face. Yuvansh pulled out his box of cigarettes and set fire to the entire packet,cigarettes and all.

'I love you more,Ranisa,'he murmured. Yuvansh vanished into the mist as if he were never there.

Shreshtha retrieved her book and glasses from the bedside table and carried them over to the study table,pulling a face. Why dont he lete me know when he comes over to visit?why is it so hush-hush? At the table,she noticed something and switched on the lamp . A smile appeared on her face as she read his note. She opened the little jewel box ,gasping at the beautiful ornament. She re-read the note about the date night. Every word in the note escalated her excitement.
'This man!' She blushed. How did I get so damn lucky?