MUKTA
He stood there with a stern face and that long stick. Will he hit on my head then kill me??? And maybe rob me???
But wait a minute what do I have to be robbed???
Jewellery you idiot!!!
Oh god yes!!!
He is planning to maybe kill me, take all the jewellery???
Heyyy but wait how much jewellery do you have Mukta!!!
A chain, a small wedding chain, a pair of earrings and one gold bangle!!!
Look at his van!!!
That thing is definitely a luxury one... although looks like a grey colored luxury ambulance!!! Nevermind!!!
But still!!!
The jewellery you are wearing should be enough for its one time diesel price girl!!!
True that!!!
Then what is he planning to ...Ouuu wait!!!
Maybe he's a psycho like I thought before... remember he's always hungry???
Just while I was thinking all this I see him carrying a fistful of salt in his hand!!!
Holy crap he's a psycho killer!!!!
No wonder he's stopped in the jungle, by the riverside...so he could maybe chop me into pieces...cook my tiny little body parts and make a soupy curry out of me and what slurrrrrrrp!!!
Shit shit he's a man-eater!!!
No wonder he's got salt!!! And he eats so much food!!!
The reason why he got me jackfruit and those berries...the more I eat the more he gets to eat!!!
He'll chop me, then marinate me and then eat me!!!
Mulgi tu phasli reeee (Girl you're stuck!!!)
Just when he approached closer I shouted...
'Look I won't be delicious to eat and I'm a vegetarian too and I'm just 55 kgs... please spare me babaaaaaaaaa' I screamed in fear while he made a confused face and asked me not to move!!!
No god don't kill me so early!!!
Forget s*x I didn't even get kissed!!!
I really wanna be kissed!!!
Gosh please!!!
And seeing the fact that he was still approaching me I didn't have a choice and I lifted my skirt up a little, turned around throwing my leg up and in one go I kicked on his jewel!!!
And the hulk of a man that he was fell on his knees making a 'Ouuuuuuuchhhh' and I closed my mouth with my palms...
That's what you get if you try to make me your 'happy meal!!!'
And I started running from there while he kept calling me...
'Muktaaaaa wait...ahhhh...you stupid girl..
Wait..
Ahhhhhhhh' he groaned in pain and I took a chance to run away while suddenly he screamed...
'You stupid girl look at your legs...' and although I didn't care to listen to him abruptly my eyes fell on my feet and I was shocked to see black insect like thing on my legs...
They were like worms I had never seen in my life. They were huge and I didn't even feel it's existence on my legs...
But when I tried to pull it out I saw a deep wound and blood oozing out of it. Freak!!!
I screamed in fear and ran into the river to clean me up but these were adamant!!!
What the hell were these????
I saw Omkar lying on the ground and still howling in pain but he somehow managed to stand up after sometime and kept screaming...
'Water wouldn't help you dumb girl...come here...' and that's when it striked me he came to help me...
Without thinking twice I went closer to him.
'I am so sorry Omkar...I ...I was scared that'
'O Shutup you stupid girl you kicked in my shin...I hate you... but I can't help you in this condition...lift that skirt up and stand there...'
He slowly started removing the worms one by one from my legs with help of sharp end of the stick and I saw some were tiny, some medium sized but as time passed they were growing huge. With each one removed I saw a deep wound and fresh blood oozing out of it. Anyone could faint seeing the blood flow but I have seen blood losses, I would make ayurvedic medicines and at times people came to me and dad with bleeding wounds and dad would treat them. I however would only observe but never had I seen something like this!!!
As soon as the worm fell on the ground ...He quickly pulled out a pocket lighter and burnt the other end of the stick which had a little cloth probably dipped in some oil...it immediately caught fire and he began burning those little worms...
While I cringed...'Grosssss!!!'
I was freaking out seeing so many wounds on my legs...
'Check yourself if there are more...and turn around...I saw a few on your back' he said and I was freaking out now...
The same way he removed a couple of them from my back too and burnt them too...
Once done I went away behind a tree to check myself and I found I was clean. While I saw him trying to fill water in a little bottle and put salt into it and shake it...
'What the hell are those?' I asked and he calmly said...
'Calm down you little rabbit...we are in wild...and these are common by the water beds specially where there are frequent rainfalls...these are leeches' he said and I freaked out.
I had heard about them but never seen them..
'Am I gonna die? Are they poisonous?'
'Calm down girl...they are fine...you will be ok...it's just that we need to nurse your wounds and you need to apply this saline water across your body ofcourse not on your wounds...leeches won't stick to you after that...'
He went to the van and got the first aid kid and pulled out little plasters and helped me cover my wounds.
I couldn't manage to bandage my wounds on my back...so Omkar helped...
I was hesitant... because an unknown man was going to touch me for the first time but I didn't have a go... although I never felt the existence of leeches on my body at first as soon as they were detached from my body and blood was oozing out I started feeling the pain...
Bloody little blood sucking vampire babies!!!
I felt a sudden trembling sensation in my body when I felt his fingers touch my back to press the plasters..
I had a sudden gush of tingling in my tummy as his huge fingers touched my skin and I took a deep breath as his strong musk cologne hit my nose...
I could feel his hot breath on my back and neck...he was a tall man who had bent to my height to peep into my wounds and helped me bandage them. I was feeling bad for doubting him. I know I overreacted...I felt bad.
'Ssshhhh...' I hissed as he cleaned up my wounds on my back.
'Relax...it's almost done' he said and he blew air on my wounds and my back arched as his hot breath fanned my back...his fingers brushed on my bare back and I shivered again. I could feel his hot gaze on me.
✨
OMKAR
That fragrance hit my nose again...
The same wild floral fragrance...and that's when my brains registered...it was her fragrance...
She had deep wounds thanks to those leeches stuck onto her body...I cleaned wounds on her back and bandaged them. My fingers brushed her silky soft skin. Her long lush hairstrands we're flying and a few hit my face...she was one gorgeous woman...I felt her shuddering under my touch as my fingers touched her back and I could feel her shivering. I smiled as I felt my touch effected her so much.
O.K???
Stop!!!
You got damn don't even know her!!!
She's a complete stranger and I'm blushing here like a teenager!!!
Whats wrong with me!!?
I shook my head and took a step away from her.
'Apply this saline water everywhere on yourself and get on to the van... you'll be ok' I told and walked away while I heard her soft voice...
'Omkar!!!' and I stopped on my tracks...
'I am sorry I misunderstood you...it's just that this is the first time I am with a stranger...like this...I...I ...don't know what's happening in my life...I don't know what should I be saying...how should I react... whom to trust...I am sorry' she tried to explain and I don't know why I felt really sad for her...
I can feel what happens when life leaves you in a 'Nowhere to go' kinda situation.
When Panchami ditched me I felt terrible..it was like my world ended...I couldn't go back home...I couldn't stay with her but luckily I had a job atleast but this girl has to start fresh.
'Please ... forgive me.. and thank you for taking care of me' she said and I closed my eyes.
'Its ok Mukta...I understand... and don't worry...you will be safe with me...I promise' I said looking at her and she smiled saying...'I know...can we be friends?' she asked pushing her hand towards me and a smile appeared curved up on my lips and I said...'Only on one condition...you will keep your legs away from my jewel...I'm still single and I want to have babies in future girl...' while she started laughing and caught her ears saying 'Iam sorry' and I giggled too.
We started our journey where we started talking and I got to know she was a graduate in botany but was later trained by her father with ancient knowledge about Ayurveda and making age old oils and herbal meds. She was an ambitious woman. She was going to join 'RR Bio-labs' which was a decent organization in Mangalore. I began telling her about my family and my brother Rudra and his wife Prarthana's story was an interesting topic according to her. She kept laughing like a little girl listening about how their tug of war kinda relationship continued.
After taking multiple breaks by stopping at little dhabas for meals and she making fun of my eating skills we had a happy go lucky journey.
We finally reached Mangalore and I said...
'So here it is...' and she smiled. I saw she looked a little hesitant and was thinking where to go...
'Ummm...can you stop me at a small hotel? Not too expensive... affordable I mean... I need a shelter to stay' and I felt she was a little hesitant and I felt bad for her...
'Ummm Mukta...if you don't mind you can maybe stay at one of my friend's place...I mean...she stays alone...the house she stays is owned by me...she is one of the woman on whose business I have invested into and stays mostly outside the country...now she's in India so you can maybe stay with her till you find a shelter!!!' I said and I saw her eyes twinkled but sudden she said...
'I ...how can...I....It's not right Omkar...I can stay like that for free' she said while I smiled and said...
'Oh comeon we are friends and if you are not so comfortable...pay me the amount you planned to pay a hotel room' I said and she smiled with tears in her eyes...
Then said...
'You know ...you don't need to do this Omkar...'
I smiled saying... 'Lets just say it's a gift this demon's secret wife!!!' and her eyes bulged out at once.
I laughed out saying 'Chill yaar I was kidding... just forget about what happened in the village...' I said and she nodded with a tight lipped smile.
She had a beautiful smile though ❤️