Times Intertwining Destinies (On Hold)

1. Some Unusual Happenings

So I write this story to fulfill a request by one of my most supportive readers who have been constantly by my side since I wrote my first stories "Elements of Fire" and "Different Yet Pleasant" on Wattpad- @ariaa156 

Hope I have been able to live up to your expectations :)

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"The train tea is always so bad"

A young girl with thick black curls hanging down almost till her waist, said with a disdainful look at the small paper cup she was holding.

"Just gulp it down Shaks!" her friend replied, her shoulder length, wavy hair messily falling around her roundish face as she took a deep sip from her own cup. The smile on her chubby cheeks gave her a childishly innocent look. But her two friends knew she was far from "childish innocence" but a loyal friend.

"It is just leaf water Shaks" came another voice, the owner of which was lazily reclining on her seat. Her thick curly hair also reaching till her shoulder contrasted sharply with her skinny form and the rather oversized but obviously comfortable t-shirt and jeans.

Shakthiselvi rolled her eyes. If only she had a friend with a good taste in tea and its subtle varieties, aroma distinctiveness... she sighed. Her two friends she held dearest to herself would just gulp down tea as though it were mere sugar syrup to lubricate ones throat while having food other than water.

"I don't like this tea" she retorted slowly "But if both of you say another word against tea I have a good mind to throw it on you. Heard me well, Preets and Dhaar?"

Shaktiselvi gave a final look of rejection to her tea cup as her two friends, Dhaarya and Preethika tried to stifle their laughs. She smiled arranging the folds of her long kurti neatly. They had already drawn enough attention from their co- passengers since morning with their youthful vigour and fun. When the three of them were together, anything could go wrong yet everything would be so beautiful and joyous.

A sudden round screech brought the merry banter of the three girls to a halt. It seemed as though some invisible had flung the train compartment in the air after which there was only plain confusion and chaos along with pained screams laced with fear and a desperation to survive.

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The peaceful environment of the ashram nestled in the laps of the jungle was certainly disrupted and that too for good reasons. Two ascetics gone out to collect wood had returned with a plump young girl, dressed in unusual clothes which although covered her well, was bereft of any layers and clung to her body leaving nothing to the imagination and her hair was shorter than even most of the men folk. But what made the simple ashram dwellers cast aside her peculiarities almost immediately and rush to her aid, was her battered look and blood still flowing out from her left ear.

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The serenity of the dense forest was disturbed by the clattering of hooves of horses. Judging from the noise they produced, they were not many in number, probably around 10 or so. At the head of the group, a well built, handsome young man rode his white horse gracefully. He exuded an aura around him, a golden glow. His eyes were effortlessly scanning the surroundings when to his great surprise, a ragged bundle of soft pink fell a little distance from his horse.

Trotting closer he quickly jumped down his horse. It was a sight he had least expected to see in the midst of the forest. A young girl, her long black hair loose, attire disheveled and breathing ragged had just fallen on the forest ground in front of his eyes. He looked around. There was not another soul to be found.

There were no female servants accompanying him. He gently lifted her bruised form, instinctively covering her with his angvastra(upper garment). Doing so he heard a gasp and some painfully muttered words.

"Help me. Please help me."

Mounting his horse and carefully placing her in front of him, he looked up at the sky as a whisper left his lips.

"Bhagwan Surya- Narayan, what kind of a day are you showing me."

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"Who do you think she is, Swami?"

A middle aged woman sat gently stoking through the short curly hair of a young girl, her injuries, apparently sustained recently, cleaned and bandaged with some green paste.

"She was probably attacked by bandits while travelling, Nandidni" said her husband thoughtfully fingering his graying beard.

"But why would she travel alone? We found nobody else with her. And other than her unusually short hair and clothes, she is so thin. Do you think she might have been starved at her home and she ran away."

"Could be Nandini. It appears she has been through a lot. But we can't do anything until she regains consciousness."

He sighed. He was a simple innkeeper in the outskirts of Hastinapur living quietly with his wife and he was more puzzled than ever before.