"For you and I were never meant to be together." He said with a pale expression, his face was impassive but his eyes were something else to say they had an ocean full of emotions as if they could cry out all of the poetries in the world, all those stories and tales of love ever told but only if he knew the math of words as Shakespeare. And he didn't. We stood motionless for a wink, gradually he took his steps back soon disappearing into a haze. I was still there hoping he would return. He didn't.
A loud sound rang into my ear making me tremble and panic, I instantly opened my eyes processing the situation I was in. The curtains swang along the breeze leisurely, shaft of sunlight pierced through the little gaps in the window i could hear the chirping of the birds, which was very rare in Delhi.
"Oof—what was this dream about," I said to myself clueless about the dream I had, getting up from the bed I rushed into the bathroom as already being late for school I didn't want punishments early morning.
"Mumma—" I called out. Walking down the stairs I saw nobody around the lobby. The house was as still this morning, there wasn't any moment. I scoured around the cabinets in the kitchen, to bring out Tea and sugar.
"Mumma—" I called out once again, but there wasn't any answer.
I strolled around the rooms, one was occupied by my brother and the other by Papa, I didn't bother them. Seeing no response from my mom I came into her office which was mostly locked, but that morning it wasn't.
"Mumma—" I said again, standing at the entrance I peeked inside having a little glance at the surroundings. The room looked more thriller than any movie with a mess of papers scattered upon the table with maps and statistics around. The curtains were unfurled which gave room for sun rays. There was a cup of coffee that stood on the side table. It meant she went early today. Turning back to return I saw something odd in the room.
A side table with light on. I went to switch off the lights, seeing the drawers were open too.
"Why was she in so much hurry ?" I said closing the wooden drawer. But something caught my attention, it was a box. A strange wooden box. Coated all over with dust, budds coming out of it and spider webs all around as if excavated from Harappan civilization.
"What in the world is this—" I said. Dusting it off. There was something else in the drawer too.
A map.
"Now we playing treasure hunt ?" I asserted opening it. It was the map of Himachal Pradesh. With three huge circles, upon Kasol district getting smaller by a place marked in Kasol, Pari Tibba. And tinier by something called Malana.
"Nihira—" I heard a voice and my heart almost jutted out. And a shudder ran through my spine. "OH MY GOD-" I swore. It was my father who stood at the door.
"You scared me!" I said keeping all of them inside and getting out of there.
"What were you doing inside? You know you are not supposed to go and touch those objects." Said Papa.
"I'm sorry— I was just searching for mumma and I-I didn't find-" before I could complete my sentence he spoke.
"Okay okay, now go you're already late." He replied.
"Oh shit," I answered back and ran towards my room.
* * *
The school was almost over, but we were stopped to go out because there was this stupid announcement to make and I wanted to go home early. "Ugghh-why aren't they letting us go," I said making a fist out of anger.
"Students I know you all are excited to know, so we are organizing an educational trip to Kasol Himachal Pradesh from the 15th of August to the 25th of August. For classes 11th and 12th Interested Students can give their names to their class teachers by 1st August." Sir announced.
Everyone in the class started to hoot and clap, I was on cloud nine. I was happy too. I love mountains! And I was eager too. I remembered the map I saw in the morning that marked Kasol. Now I was even more excited to go.
"Kasol—I'm coming !" I said.
* * *
A month had passed and I was going to Kasol on a school trip with my friends, but I had that urge to take that box along with me. It was there in my mother's cabinet since the day I saw it. I don't know what was even inside it, I made an effort to open it but it was locked. But since that day I have had the same dream again and again of someone, in the disguise of a rishi or something with a Rudraksha mala around. It was strange.
As soon as the time was coming to go, I felt like I wouldn't come again. I don't know but it was the feeling of never returning.
"Nihira—babu, all packed." Said Mumma coming into my room with a glass of milk in her hands. I had tears in my eyes. And she saw them.
"Why are you crying baby—? Everything alright ? " she said putting away the glass and bringing me into a tight hug.
"I'm going to miss you, Mumma," I said sobbing in her arms.
"aww there's no need to, you'll be back in ten days and if you feel like not going. It's okay. You don't have to." She said holding up my chin.
"No I will, I'll enjoy it with my friends," I said. Sweeping off my tears and hugging her once again.
"That's the spirit, my girl." She said handing over the glass to me. We were joined by Papa and my stupid brother we had this cute family time together, and soon we all went to sleep expecting a better day tomorrow.
* * *
The trip had begun, and we had reached the mountains. The tall Himalayas stood upright on the horizon, the sun was behind the peaks, scattering its crimson colour across the valley. A shaft of sunlight spreading throughout the valley enlightened each plant blossoming every flower and even grass. The roads were now steep and narrow, and cattle were down the roads in the pasturelands. The breeze carried an icy stain along with it but was in the best form of being revivified.
I was on the bus looking at the dawn, and we continued to saunter along the bus, there were vast apple farms, along with peaches and strawberries. Locals sold them at every crossroad. And we were not alone, we were escorted by the Parvati River streaming along the beds of Parvati Valley at a vicious speed.
Long and narrow wooden bridges allied two distinct mountains with one another. With a lot of colourful Tibetan flags tied along it. The environment was captivating, making me wanna stay here forever!
"Students we've almost reached our resort "The Himalayan Stay." Claimed the teachers who came along with us, everyone was excited and tired from the long trip from the plains to the mountains. I stretched my arms and legs getting cozy on the seat.
"What a tremendous sunrise is it." Said Yashika, one of my closest friends.
"Yes, it feels like home. It feels like I'm home." I called out.
"Home—?" She questioned. And I had nothing to say, even I didn't know why I said it. I was confused, but something was different i felt a strange connection here. Something like someone is calling me, someone I have known for thousands of years, someone old and lost. And sometimes I even got bizarre flashbacks of someone running through these lanes of the valley. Thinking about it I thought back to the box that I found i my mother's desk. I decided not to carry it along, for it might contain something precious.
"Everyone sees to your left that's Pari Tibba, the famous Fairy Hill." Said our teacher. I turned towards the window looking at it with utmost excitement and passion. It was huge, covered with snow at the peaks and deodars in the middle. It was beautiful indeed.
"Locals say that There are fairies on this Tibba, Tibba is a pahadi word for hill. It glows at night, all of you must see the beautiful sight." Said the teacher, looking at the beauty. I have heard of this place before, but I was not able to recollect it. The snowy peaks turned golden with met with the morning sun, the view was remarkable.
* * *
The resort was quite a big place, it had those tree houses in the middle followed by a large structure consisting of several rooms and a bonfire area outside, the garden was finely maintained with a medley of flowers and vegetables sown into it. It reminded me of the secret gardens of the English countryside.
Our room (Yashika and mine) was given on the first floor, which had a view of the Pari Tibba which looked very close to our resort. As I jumped upon the bed, it was cushiony and soft making me wanna sleep right there, but as we had been touring for hours I needed a bath at first place and then a large plate of food, getting up from the bed I brought up my suitcase which was filled too full with clothes, as I unlocked it my eyes were almost out on seeing something inside.
"What the—" I shouted.
It was that old wooden box.
But I did not carry it along, how is it possible that it's with me here? Along with the map? A weird sensation arose in my gut, like something was wrong something was wrong here. I picked it up. It was dusty and old which gave me the feeling of ancient times, from the times of old eras like Mahabharata, because it gave that vibe, it had something craved upon it in Sanskrit.
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||
As I touched the letters with my fingertips, the curtains glided ferociously with a sudden waft allowing a strange white light to enter the room, my hair too flew in the flow, and I could see something odd, like- I've never seen before. Strange people, strange environment. And someone standing along the white light that soon turned into a golden light. He was surreal, wearing golden clothes, and a smile on his face that was so much captivating that it brought a smile to my lips. He had long hair and a dark complexion, yet enchanting. He had a chakra rotating along his index finger, was he-
"Nihira—? What's going on ?" A voice interrupted me.
It was Yashika. I came back to reality. She stood in front of the washroom seeing me with a strange response, she came out after a shower and everything was back to regular. I had no words, I was short of words about what just happened. I looked at the old ruptured box that was normal in my hands.
"What is this box ?" She questioned.
"I—A I don't-know," I said trying to get back my verbal skills.
'Are you alright?' She came near me forcing me to sit down on the bed aside.
'Ah—yes, I'm—just tired. I'll take a shower.' I said getting up from the bed.
* * *
The day went by fast, exploring some local waterfalls and the Mall Road, and soon we came back to our resort. We were supplied with a fancy dinner along the bonfire. I enjoyed my time with my friends eating, dancing singing along.
After a fun-filled dinner, we came back to our rooms, clicking pictures for our socials, I put off the curtains to look outside, it was dark apparently. The Pari Tibba was still, as our teacher asserted it to be shining at night, but I wasn't., It had nothing except a yellow light jingling along. I supposed it with someone living there.
But why was that light Jingling- I thought, turning once again to the window. It stopped when I saw it.
Strange.
I could not sleep at all, I twirled and turned along the bed incapable to sleep. It was 3 in the morning, and I woke up to drink some water, but I heard something, someone calling out my name!
"Nihiraaaaaaaa" It scared the shit out of me. My hands started trembling, which eventually let the glass fall out of my hands. A weird loud and heavy voice that was coming from a far-off place.
"Yashika, get up. Yashika." I called out removing her blanket and making her sit upright.
"Yashikaaa, listen to me. Can you hear it?" I said. But she wasn't responding. She was sleeping, I tried waking her up but all in vain. Her hands were cold, and there was no beat. Water filled my eyes almost on the urge to fall.
"Nihiraaaaaaaa" the voice was loud this time as if calling me from a little closer.
"Is this hotel haunted-? Or am I seeing a dream?" I said sprinting for help. I banged at the closet door but nobody responded. I ran through the corridors of the hotel dark and chilled. Every single door I knocked at was locked, and there was nobody at the reception, I ran and came back to my room. I was terrified and tears fell down my cheeks. I tried to call my parents and teachers but there was no network, somewhere was wrong. And I knew it.
Suddenly I heard something falling in my room, the lights were off. I shouted. Thinking that someone has sneaked inside. Now it was the time to either fight or die. And I'll choose the first option. I picked up the steel water bottle and searched for the switches to turn on the light. As I turned it on I closed my eyes a little bit because I was scared.
There was no one. The room was empty.
But—
The old box lay down on the floor, along with the map. How did it come out of my suitcase? I don't know. What was going on I don't know. I instantly went closer and leaned toward both of them.
"Nihiraaaaaaaaa." The voice came and the box moved.
"Oh My—Dearest God," I cried out.
"What in the black magic world is this—" I cried out.
"God help me. What's going on? Save me !" I recalled the shlok my mother once told me, when you are in any danger I chanted it in continuance.
॥ कृष्णं सदा सहायते ॥
I said joining my hands and sitting down on the floor.
"Nihira." A gentle voice came from somewhere. It was as soft as a feather. It calmed me off. I looked back up, the lights were switched off and the weird white light was coming through the window.
"Who's this," I said getting up from the floor.
"Now you are scorning me! You just called me out for help and now you don't know me, hmm I see." Came over the voice.
"Huh—I called you. Whom ?" I said confused.
"You said कृष्णं सदा सहायते and now I'm here!" The voice came.
"Krishna!" I said looking here and there.
"See if this is a prank or something, I'm not going to spare you," I said in furry.
"Of course—please don't. Now just pick up the box and Go!" He said.
"Go where —?" I said confused.
"You know it. Where you have to go." He said with a little chuckle.
"Are you coming too?" I said.
"I'm there, I'm here and I'm everywhere with you. Just Go." He said.
I nodded and picked up the box again running along the dark corridors, not knowing where exactly I was going. I was just running. Coming out from the hotel, the view was Pari Tibba, with the same yellow light jingling along, I pursued it and ran through the streets of Kasol, chilled air did nothing to me. Not even the cold icy climate had any impact on me. I was running at the fastest speed possible with the weird box in my hands until I was out of breath for once. I stopped at an under-construction building. But the voice came again. Now apparent that it was something supernatural.
"Nihiraaaa." I shivered.
As I was about to reach the source of light, it started dimming. It was getting pitch dark. And the climate was too cold. I shivered and sneezed loudly. Coming a little bit closer the light was gone fully. And it was pitch dark. Walking through the midst deodar forest I was perplexed about what to do next until I was hit by a stone and fell on the ground drastically. The box fell from my hands, and I made a cracking noise.
A sudden bright light arose from the box, and the box was broken. It was so bright that I almost had to cover my eyes or else I would have got blind. The area around me was visible clearly as I opened my eyes after a moment, getting up from the ground, my hands were wounded legs were shaking and my mind was dizzy. What is going on? I had no idea. I went closer to the object that was shining. It was as bright as the sun.
I picked it up, with my eyes closed. But when I opened it the light was dimer than before.
It was a diamond.
A Dimond drenched in blood, seeing it I fell unconscious. Like I was about to pass out. The atmosphere around me started to get obscured and my body had no energy to even stand, the diamond fell from my hands, and followed by me, I laid down on the ground unconscious. It was a feeling out of the world. Something like I was high on drugs, or something better than this. I think I was dying, leaving the world behind, leaving everyone behind Mom, Dad, Brother, Yashika everyone and especially my body. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
* * *
Hello, cudies! Thank you for trying this story, I hope you'll like it
And I hope you liked the prologue as well. And if you wanna know what Malana and Pari Tibba of the story, please read my previous story MALANA: A LOST TOWN. these places have been taken from that story. The main Story will start from the next chapter i.e. Chapter 1. I hope you'll show your love there as well.
Thank you so much for reading.💌