The phrases knitted her eyebrows together as she frowned evidently. Another riddle! What a nice game of Treasure Hunt had she been indulged into without her own knowledge! Something at the end of the letter then caught her attention - something written in comparatively smaller letters and a different font.
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'Here's the next surprise for you as promised. Not as lovely as your smile, but special enough to return that very smile to your beautiful features.'
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The words erased her frown a bit, as she slid the card behind the others with a soft smile accompanied by eyes that reflected her excitement to see the next object, only to find another picture - one that once again brought back numerous of nostalgic memories - as she stared at it reminiscing those pleasant moments.
Two opposite souls in a frame again. The time they 'officially' became friends - just to irritate each other. A tangible glimpse snatched from the beautiful cloud of flashbacks that his words had painted before her eyes only seconds ago. Her hands involuntarily moved towards the picture, as she caressed it gently, still lost in her thoughts. Staring at the photograph for a long minute, living those moments and the carefree, light hearted conversations once again, she slowly collected the new picture behind the previous one that was still clutched in her hands, before the card that was revealed now as a result of her recent action once again caught her attention.
The presence of the riddle still being there gradually registered in her mind as soon as her vision caught a sight of the black writing. Rolling her eyes at the paper for its mere existence, she sighed once, before her lips muttered the lines once again. What could this be now?
Prachi chewed on her lower lip as she continued to dig through the mysterious bunch of words in order to find an essence of some meaningful phrases, her eyes all the while staring at the piece of paper before her with all her concentration.
Her orbs suddenly lit up with a spark on their own as something dawned on her mind simultaneously. There could have been only one thing which could have been described by the words written before her eyes. How could she not get it? After all it was her second love - nature being the first. Ranbir really had shown up after a good number of candidates in the queue, but had of course ultimately acquired the top spot in the same list, if sorted by the order of priorities. And her second love meant only five letters. B-o-o-k-s!
An ecstatic smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. She began to move towards the library when something stopped her once again. Tightening her jaws as she thought for a while, she once again glanced at the golden card in her hand.
'Jiske liye jazbaat sirf ek shabd hai'
Something didn't seem quite right. Of course she knew that books didn't possess the basic essence of life needed, but for some reasons she didn't believe that books were alien to the term 'feelings'. To her, a book had been an escape as well as a mirror of reality to many things. The pages might not contain emotions themselves, but the words they wore had the power to move mountains and melt solidified hearts. Maybe there was another thing which could have been defined by the words before her. But what, if not books?
Clutching the paper in her hand, she smiled widely as an immediate answer struck her mind out of nowhere, brightening her features once again all of a sudden. Turning towards the door, she hurriedly moved out of the cafeteria and through the corridors towards her next destination.
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Pulling the door open with all her force, being controlled by her overwhelming emotions, she entered the room with the bright smile still plastered on her lips. By now the intelligent girl had had enough of experience to know that she wouldn't find the host of this Treasure Hunt here. But the fact failed to dishearten her anymore, for now, she wanted to just keep reading those words and go through this journey of love of theirs, and relive every moment of it once again - with him, holding his hand as he guided her through the tracks of their love once again. Besides, a Treasure Hunt always bestows its present - the treasure - to the seeker at the end of the game, doesn't it?
Closing the door behind her, she ran her gaze across the numerous sleeping screens staring at her, as she walked on the grounds of the Computer Lab. This one had actually comparatively been easier. Who could have justified those phrases better than a machine? And who could have embraced a greater number of machines than this very room?
As she searched through the inanimate objects, her gaze doubled back at one of the desks located at the side. A golden object. She knew it!
Smiling widely, she trotted towards the desk when something about the golden object made her raise a brow in confusion as her pace decreased simultaneously. Approaching the wooden material, she stared at it for a while in amusement. Before her was a large golden sphere - more like a solid form of a balloon with features painted on its surface - placed on the desk, with big round eyes staring at her. However, what had captured her attention suddenly had not been the eyes, but the zipped mouth of the inanimate, golden face. It wasn't scary, rather seemed to be a bigger version of those zipped face emojis she had thought lived only in cellphones till now.
Astounded by the strange object, she slowly moved closer to it, while her gaze swept through it from all angles possible as she examined it - bending towards it - with a similar amused expression on her face. Watching the object carefully, something suddenly came over her as she cautiously brought her palm to it, pushing it aside a little. And a golden streak of light flashed across her face once again.
The smile immediately returned to her face, as she quickly pulled out the golden envelope from underneath the sphere. Removing its contents on her palm, another bunch of papers fell on her skin, led by another golden card at the top. Her heart suddenly picked up its pace as she straightened the only fold to the card once again, her vision touching its insides with eyes brimming with affection. Cautiously doing her work, Prachi simultaneously began to mumble something with the same knowing smile etched on her features at her correct guess of him being absent here, the fact that she was speaking remaining unknown to her own self.
"Another letter. See, I knew. You were not gonna show yourself so easily the day I wanted to see you the soonest. I've indeed given you a perfect and well thought name - Baklu. Couldn't you have said all these things to me when we meet in person? But no. Why will you use your brai---"
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... Main tumhe kiss kar lunga!!!
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The five words enclosed within a pair of emojis blowing a kiss. Prachi's eyes widened at the words while her lips which were parted as a result of her self chatter refused to move towards each other - expecting the most unexpected continuation of this letter.
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Yes, just stay in shock. Just like this. At least you'll listen to me patiently and with all your concentration directed on me. Don't worry, it was just said to shock and stop you, Chikchiki ;)
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Processing what she had just read for a minute, Prachi's mind went back to the remnants of a similar memory somewhere deep in her head, before her brain brought it back, projecting it before her eyes towards the invisible screen of her million flashbacks. As soon as the memory dawned on her, she finally joined her lips, biting on her lower lip as she read ahead with a strange, nervous smile in her eyes. His words of course had an effect on her now, a very great one, be it his own voice ringing in her ears or the past narrating his stories to her.
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Hey, now don't beat me for that. It was just there to remind you of the significance of this ordinary place once again. So continuing the main thing...
Your 'original' continuation -
...until one day we decided not to talk to each other. Not to come in each other's way or even see each other's face as much as possible. Remember?
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Of course she does, how can she forget any moment of her life spent with him? Those were to be cherished for forever now. Well, the zipped mouth sphere made much more sense now. Ranbir and his creative brain indeed made a perfect match.
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You know, Prachi, I had initially thought that not listening to your lectures for a while is actually gonna be a relaxing period of my life. But instead, even I couldn't understand why the relaxing period somewhere felt so....empty, without your never ceasing lectures. You know again Prachi, I fought with you. A lot. I quarreled with you a lot on every other thing. Maybe if then someone had asked me to describe you, all words coming out from my mouth wouldn't really have been pleasant. But those very same words didn't have the right to be spoken by someone else, or anyone else for that matter. I didn't like you - or so I thought - but I couldn't tolerate the fact that someone else disliked you or said something against you as well. For a person I hated, I had suddenly started to find myself ready to fight my loved ones and even the entire world for that matter if that was against you. How couldn't I? Just look at yourself, when did angels get the permission to come to this world of the living?
You have such a pure soul, you don't know yourself. Maybe that purity had somewhere already chained my heart to you. And maybe that's why despite supposedly disliking you so much, that chained heart somewhere longed to be inside the cuffs of your love, to just be with you and feel your presence next to it as long as it beats - which probably it had just recently learnt to do. And the funny thing here is that I myself was as unaware of it as you. But my heart wasn't. Maybe that's why it suddenly couldn't tolerate the presence of anyone else close to you. Be it Sanju or Rishi - oh, did I tell you that? Don't laugh, but yeah, I had actually been 'jealous' of him the moment I laid my eyes on his position next to you. And why shouldn't I? That was supposed to be my place, wasn't it? That was the very reason for my irrational intense dislike for him since the very beginning.
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Prachi widened her eyes, then laughed at his words. "Baklu."
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By the way, you know, you look even more beautiful drenched in the showers of your first love - not me, nature of course I know. I still remember the moment I saw you playing in the rain like a kid for the first time. And seeing the very mature and sensible Prachi like that was such a treat you know. That innocent smile on your face, which I realised I could do anything to see. Then from friends just for irritating each other to fighting with you against strangers irritating both of us - literally. With your eyes closed to be precise ;) - the bunch of strangers thinking they could harm you, to fighting for you against all of my family, once again, even I didn't know how and when did you become so important to me. Moreover, why. I couldn't see tears in your eyes no matter how much I claimed to hate you. And I couldn't realise the reason behind those tears choking my breath. How could I? We didn't really share a relation, Prachi, isn't it? One of trust for sure, but nothing stagnant or pure as much as that. A bond of trust is shared between friends too. But in the midst of all of it, I honestly didn't know when that bond developed between us and when exactly did it get gently replaced by another - one much above from all of the earlier ones - friends and frenemies - we thought brought us together everytime we tried to pull apart; one as strong and pure as the trust we've always shared; one that originates from it in the first place; one involving our hearts being connected in an even tighter grip, eventually merging them into one; and one giving an official name to our relation in the truest sense for the first time - a bond of...
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Love. Her heart yelled the answer to the unfinished letter on its own. Her heart didn't race this time, instead it just seemed to have melted then and there inside her chest. The words not only played numerous of images before her eyes, him standing for her and supporting her no matter what came his way, and no matter who turned to be an obstacle. He didn't care about any of it, but her. What had she ever done in her life to deserve such a person? Still lost in the words, she slowly slid the card, her 'experienced' eyes searching for the riddle to the word ahead. Why did he have to stop there?
Though for some reasons, she wasn't frustrated this time. Instead, she was ecstatic, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions surging up her entire body, touched by each and every word of his, and impatient to read more.
There it was. Her vision slid through the letters with determination as well as a deep affection shimmering in her eyes for the writer of the words.
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What more can I say Prachi? Do you think it's easy to come up with such creative riddles? So no riddle this time. Just some words for you.
Bees ki speed se tum meri zindagi mein aayi
Daurti is zindgaani ki raftaar tham gayi
Dhadkanein ab do sau (200) ki speed se kam nahi hoti
Dil ke pahiyon ko jab se tumhari manzil mil gayi
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A giggle left her lips reading those words. What was this in the first place? A creative something for sure! Only he could have written something like this.
Controlling her laughter, she read the words again, thinking. This one seemed really easy. Again, all of it might be indicating to just one place. Thinking hard for a while, she left the Lab with a determined face and racing heart, not before seeing the next 'surprise' which once again had landed her into her dreamland of memories with a nostalgic smile plastered on her rosy lips, complimented by eyes shining with droplets of love.
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The sudden brightness carried by the streaks of the sunlight made her narrow her eyes as her pupils adjusted themselves as she walked out of the dimly lit corridors into the verandahs of nature outside the college building. Making her way towards her next stop, Prachi's eyes all the while scanned the vast area packed with vehicles spread before her in the hope of catching something familiar. Here she was in the Parking Lot to give a try to her luck. After all, which place could better be associated with speed and numbers and vehicles at the same time?
Moving a loose tendril of her silken hair that was thrown before her face by the gentle wind, her eyes grew wide as they caught sight of a known object.
What was Ranbir's car doing here now?! Wasn't his place empty here just moments ago?! Was he inside it then? And would her search finally end?
With a sudden exhilarated smile on her face, she almost danced towards the vehicle. However, as soon as she approached the automobile, the view before her made her raise a brow.
The windows blocked the view of the insides with the help of the curtains that were covering them completely. And that was not it. There on the window of the back seat, stuck on the glass could be spotted a handprint - a muddy one. She furrowed her brows in confusion, before opening the unlocked door of the car hesitantly.
And once again, her eyes nearly burst out of her sockets. The entire area was marvellously decorated - elegant, heart shaped golden balloons of different lengths hung from the roof of the car; faint aurum lights blended together had covered the entire area; the cool air was mixed with soft bouquets of roses, orchids, honeysuckles and lavender; while the seats were covered with the delicate petals of scarlet roses. At the centre of the large seat laid a golden box with a...bandage...?! A white bandage, which seemed to appear as a replacement of a ribbon was tied to it in an elegant fashion. Apart from that singular odd thing, her surroundings dripped with a delicate beauty.
Prachi was instantly lost in the magnificent view before her eyes. Her heart vibrated with an even greater speed, somewhere losing itself into the tranquil atmosphere surrounding her at the same time, before the box at the middle snatched her attention.
Lifting her hand towards it, she pulled at one of the loosely hanging strings of the bandage cum ribbon as the gesture untied the loose knot. The white piece of cloth gently slid through the sides of the box, before falling softly to the surface beneath it. Removing the lid, she was once again welcomed by the familiar looking sheets of paper.
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...love.
_________________
Though she had already known the answer, her heart skipped a beat at the word. It hadn't been the first time he had used it, but the effect of it on her soul was still the same - as newfound, gentle and soothing as a surge of fresh oxygen rushing into her lungs, brushing its insides and drenching its every bit with itself; and as much needed.
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While I was busy fighting with you, teasing you, annoying you and reminding myself that I hated you, I never realised when all of them suddenly turned into a bond as selfless and pure as love itself. I never knew and I never had a chance to. The heart was beyond my control, Prachi. But the mind wasn't. And so even if I somewhere knew it, I tried my best to run away from the obvious. But who has ever been able to change what's written in the destiny? And my destiny has just your name written all over it.
I had never thought I'll be able to tell you any of it, but now that I am, I want to tell you each of the emotions that this heart here has ever felt for you.
This heart is really like a metro, Prachi. It seriously uses different emotions as platforms for its landing, all the while racing with a great speed throughout its never ending journey between all those stops. Moving on from the emotion of jealousy and the unknown insecurity, my train had landed at that of protection and care now. And fear too. The fear of losing you. Didn't the handprint remind you of something? Remember the day you were kidnapped?
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Prachi turned once to look at the print on the glass once again. That's when a surge of memories came rushing to her. The day she had been abducted suddenly and was strangely being forced to marry her kidnapper. The day she had spoilt Ranbir's lovely, luxurious car with prints of mud as she had banged on it numerous times. That time sure had been a tensed one, but now the same memory made her giggle. She was still not sorry for it though.
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Yes. That very day. You know, that was the first time I had felt this sudden fear of losing you. That was the first time this 'self centred' guy had risked his own life to save someone else's. Maybe, just maybe, I would have done the same had there been anyone else. But the feelings and the reason for doing so couldn't ever have been the same.
That very day, a plethora of emotions and questions had completely tortured my insides. Though I knew the answer to the drastic change in my behaviour, but I tried my best to ignore it from every possible angle. Little did I know that you can run from everything around you, but how will you run from what's going on inside you in the first place?
Then came the day of a robbery that we had inadvertently been a witness of, playing the victims' roles. The day that had changed my entire life completely and for forever. And hence, inadvertently happened the best accident of my life. My meet with reality. And my realisation of my love for you.
That day was also my encounter with another emotion that I hadn't for sure experienced for the first time, but rarely for sure - anger. Yes. Extreme anger. How could anyone have the right to hurt my Prachi?! I don't remember giving it to anyone. The pain and tears I saw in your eyes that day while that stupid goon hurt you developed a deep ocean of extreme pain as well as anger within me at the reason behind it. I literally felt like beating the person who hurt you over there to death. Now I'm sorry, don't get angry for it now! But as people say, emotions can't be controlled, can they?
That was another step of my mind towards the realisation - where the heart already was. And then came the final moment. The time you were nursing my wounds after all of it. Remember? The time I was lost in you all the while. The time you had asked me to close my eyes if I was scared. And behind those shut lids I saw a story that changed our tale completely.
There was you. There was me. You were all my eyes could see, and your silence was all my heart could hear. It felt as if, there was something calling me, pushing me towards you and away from all those conflicts of the mind and the heart. There was no need now. The heart, had won. As it was destined to.
And I wanted to share that victory with you as soon as possible. So lost I was in this beautiful realisation, that my eyes had actually began to see you everywhere they went and in everyone around me. I had even danced with a guy on the middle of the street thinking him to be you.
_____________________
Prachi laughed whole heartedly at the last line. Well, the unique bandage-ribbon was explained to now. It had been another symbol contributing to their love. One of the most important ones.
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Laugh all you want, but that's what it is!
I had even come to your house that night to tell you all of my emotions truly - through the window of course - but couldn't since I was drunk. (Hey, sorry! Was just celebrating! And it was Aryan's fault he gave me one!)
_________________
Prachi rolled her eyes at the words.
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I had tried a lot to confess after that too. Remember the next day I came to your house asking for an answer from you? I had actually wanted to know if I had proposed you or not the previous day and if I had, what was your answer. Little did I know that we had been on completely different tracks about that then. Then the next day, 'Mere tyre ki gaadi kharab ho gayi hai' was an excuse to express my emotions to you and spend time with you as well.
Though I wasn't really able to tell you the many things this heart felt for you in its deepest corners, those moments are still one of my favourites. Of course I was trying my best. And in this process, it had also unknowingly made my concern, care, protectiveness, and trust for you even stronger. And those emotions gave me the power to fight against anything for you, anything that was against you no matter what the cost was, cuz I had known the prize, and it was your happiness.
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The card ended there.
Prachi's vision was cloudy, with tears of immense love and admiration shining in her eyes. His heart opened out to her had been the best book she'd ever read, containing words each of which had straight away been absorbed by her heart. How could anyone love anyone this much? Or how could anyone even love this much in the first place? Wasn't there supposed to be a limit to everything?
She slid the card behind the others, ready to lose herself in the next one. Though what she saw next astounded her.
____________________________
Your love is like a sky in which my bird can fly - effortlessly stretching its wings to the fullest - fly as long as it has the boon of life and be lost in that sky itself when that boon dies. And the sky...is limitless.
___________________
A lone tear of happiness and admiration finally managed to fall down her cheek, with a smile decorating her lips.
______________________________
Prachi, as I've said, I am not going to force anything on you. Nothing here will happen against your will. Not now. Not ever.
Now you know my feelings. If... If you are ready to accept them, if you feel the same in the same way, if you are sure of those feelings, if you don't feel like punching my face right now, you may read the clue ahead.
Otherwise, if you have the slightest of hesitation, this card is the last time you will ever have to face these words from me, till you don't want it of course. I'm not leaving either you or my efforts anytime soon. You may leave if you want to. And you can of course punch me later on.
_____________________
The words once again ignited her chirpy laughter. Without giving a second thought to it, she immediately slid the card behind to turn to the other clue. Of course she knew the answer to the questions of her own heart now. Was there any doubt left?
________________________________
Keemat hoti hai na har pehli cheez ki?
Keemat hoti hai us ehsaas ki
Keemti hota hai vo lamha jab maqbooliyat mil jaati hai humare pyaar ko
Par usse bhi badi keemat hoti hai vishvaas ki
This is something I've learnt from you, Chikchiki. From our love. I hope you will find it soon.
Waiting for you impatiently.
_________________________________
Prachi smiled at the last words. 'Even I want to reach to you as soon as possible.' - her heart spoke for her. Caressing the paper once, she slid it behind to see the next picture. And what she saw instantly melted her heart.
Her heart fluttered with all its might. So this was the moment he was talking about? The moment that had changed both their lives and stitched them together into one. Kissing the picture once - the right side of it to be precise - with tears of joy covering her eyes, she hugged it close to her once.
"I love... Nope. Now this Chikchiki will say those words only before you." Prachi whispered to her own self.
Detaching it from herself, she stared at it lovingly for a while, once again replaying flashes of all those precious moments on the canvas of her thoughts. Still under the spell of emotions, she then turned back towards the riddle with impatient eyes, as her gaze once again began to scan it thoroughly.
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That's all for today. So sorry for the one month delay. Lol.
vaida_pranbirian Here's it finally sis. Hope you like it.
And so do the rest of you.
Now as you could have guessed by now, I too guess this TS has turned out to be an FS. Lol. But this time for sure it'll just have one or at the most two more parts.
Do tell me if you like it or not, and if you do, don't forget to vote for it and leave your precious comments below.
Also, are you liking this Treasure Hunt along with Prachi, guys? Or is it annoying now? Lol. Should I end this soon? Do tell me your thoughts on that too.
Waiting:)