"Vansh! Look at it!" Riddhima stated looking at a beautiful butterfly.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Vansh said holding her hands.
"Mm-hmm indeed" Riddhima said as she looked all over.
"Not more than you" Vansh whispered and kisses her cheeks making her giggle.
Both of them were on a hiking vacation for their 1st marriage anniversary. Wind clatters and hisses through leaves and needles, insects stridulate, birds sing the song of life, a group of people behind chatter, and mechanical noises reverberate within trunks.
"By the way... Thankyou sweetheart" Riddhima said and jumped in attempt to peck him, and succeeded the second time.
"For what sweetheart?" Vansh asked as he bent to peck her lips.
"Oh dear couple! No need to romanticize here..you can go back to your hotel." A gaurd shouted mumbling more beautiful words and making both of them laugh.
"So..want to go?" Vansh asked with a grin and Riddhima hit his arm playfully, as they continue to move ahead towards the top.
"Finally" Riddhima whispered rubbing her hands together, it was called as a fog surrounded the area.
"Let me take a picture of you" Vansh said and both of them took pictures of each other, and together too.
"It's too cold isn't it?" Riddhima asked Vansh and he nodded.
He opened the zip of his jacket, but not taking it off he asked Riddhima to hug her, and as she proceeded to stick to him he closed the zip, keeping both of them warm.
Riddhima laughed at his idea.
"Vansh!? Where are you!" Riddhima's shout echoed in the woods, it was getting dark and most of them were returning back.
"Are you looking for your partner?" The same gaurd asked and she nodded wiping her sweat.
"He went that way" he said pointing towards the left.
"Ok" Riddhima said and rushed but stopped in between "thankyou!" She said and jumped her way into the woods.
"Vansh?" She spoke softly, leaning on a tree trunk and looking all over.
"Here" she heard a voice, sweet enough to be a woman.
Riddhima turned back, but saw no one. Shrugging off she decided to focus to look for Vansh. As she took a step ahead, she heard anklets tingling, as if someone was running wearing them. Her focus was lost and she was trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
"Who is there?" She asked, peeking from a trunk.
All a sudden, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and inhaled a deep breath.
"Relax it's me! I was looking for you."
Riddhima turned to see Vansh and took a sigh of relief.
"Where have you been?" She asked ina way of scolding him.
"To get this for you" he said presenting a beautiful flower infront of her.
"It's beautiful" Riddhima gasped taking it in her hands, and smiled.
"You can watch it later also, for now let's go back, it's getting dark." Vansh said and they both returned hand in hand.
"Vansh" Riddhima said as they sat in the restaurant waiting for their food to arrive. "I was thinking...how did you meet Angre?"
"Woah...a sudden interest I see." Vansh said with a smile.
"No...I just wanted to know about it." Ridhima replied timidly.
"Angre's father was dad's manager, so we were together since childhood. Our mothers also had a great bond. After mom's death aunty and Angre shifted with us because she wanted to take care of me." Vansh said with a deep breath.
"After Anupriya's arrival things started to change. Aunty and uncle shifted back to their home with Angre. Dad and uncle agreed on our demand to study abroad in a boarding school."
"You both were in a boarding school!?" Riddhima said, she didn't even think of that and always believed he had always been in mumbai.
"Yeah. But soon we got to know that Angre's parents had been murmured. And the fact was Angre is their adopted son; so his family denied to keep him. Dad also didn't force them because it was not good for Angre."
"So you were back to India." Riddhima said understanding everything. "She just ruined your life didn't she?"
"Totally. I still doub.... I mean she is paying for that in the jail." Vansh said.
One week later
"I am worried now Vansh...no one is responding!" Riddhima's voice choked as Vansh banged the door for the last time.
They have been standing infront of their home for an hour, but not even a single gaurd, worker or a family member was there.
"We can't even break it." Vansh murmured, calling Angre the 12th time.
"Oh Vansh and Riddhima! You both are back!"
Both turned at the voice to find Dadi and the whole family standing behind.
"How can you all leave the home with no one inside!? We have been standing here for an hour and no one isn't even bothered to pickup my call!". Vansh immediately started venting out all of his anger.
"You called us?" Angre said taking his phone out, checking in the logs.
"I see no calls from you Bhai.." Ishani said checking her phone.."neither any call from Riddhima"
"That's not possible...I called you atleast 2-3 times." Riddhima said.
"We will figure it out later..for now let's get into the house." Dadi said going to the backdoor.
"From the backdoor?" Vansh asked.
"The front door is locked from inside and backdoor from outside." Dadi said.
"Seriously Dadi!" The siblings murmured together, all following her.
Riddhima stood at the door looking st her call log in pure shock. She wasn't able to see even a single call out of all she made. She opened her mouth to say something but realised everyone went, and followed her way inside.
It was midnight when Riddhima's sleep was broken by sounds of someone typing. She got up to check if Vansh was awake, but he was sleeping peacefully.
She saw the light coming from his side only and found his phone's screen on. She turned on the flashlight of her phone, silently looking at it.
The password was typed by no one, the phone was unlocked. Random numbers were typed on the calculator. Riddhima was frozen at her place looking at it happening. She started recording that in her phone so no one could say she was dreaming.
The camera of his phone opened and random pictures were clicked with the flashlight on. The next app to be opened was gallery, which stopped on a picture. There was young Vansh, his siblings, Angre and some more kids she didn't recognise.
The screen started blinking and the next picture opening up was a gun, the next blink opened up a picture of her and Vansh, the next blink opened a picture of red colour, and the next opened up a picture with both Vansh and Riddhima lying unconscious.
Riddhima flinched back at the pictures and started shaking Vansh, who got up immediately.
She pointed towards his phone which still kept blinking pictures. Vansh picked up the phone, tried to control whatever's happening and switched it off.
"You are sweating sweetheart! There must be some damage don't panick like this." Vansh said laying back in the bed.
Riddhima nodded, snuggling her head on the crook of his neck; trying to get some sleep.