A soft snore escaped Vandisha's lips and the sound startled her. Even the lightest of movements made her heart skip. She stood up and rubbed her hands over her eyes. "How long have I slept?" She asked looking at Patick.
"Five minutes, give or take."He said. He had dark circles under his eyes too and it was obvious he hadn't slept much. Five minutes? There she was feeling like she had been having luxury rest since the previous day. She pinned her head between her index finger and thumb and rubbed at the ache on her senses. They hadn't slept a wink since they returned from the pool last night.
They had searched and searched and sat out waiting, but couldn't find Pavish. In frustration, few minutes past eleven pm they had dragged themselves up to Vandisha's room and resumed watch there.
"She should be back this morning." Patick said. It was almost as if he seemed Vandisha's thoughts. "When she does, I'll give her a piece of my mind. Heaven help me if I don't slap her!" He said through clenched teeth.
Vandisha looked at him and the way he raged. A soft smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. He was beginning to seem a little funny to her, maybe that was why Pavish liked him, because he was funny. Oh Pavish! Where the hell was she? She wasn't the kind to leave her house like this- except something had happened.
"What if she doesn't come back?" Vandisha asked
"I don't want to think about that." Patick said rubbing the nape of his neck, he was sitting on the chair and he looked really worn out.
"Daadi and Aunt Tanu will be here anytime soon." Vandisha said fear creeping into her voice.
"Oh dear God, surely she's with that bastard!"
"Now, he's a bastard?" Vandisha asked incredulously
"Exactly. Only a bastard takes a young lady out till this time."
"He surely didn't drag her along, she followed him, so they're both bastards." Vandisha said bluntly and after a moment the reality of it hit and her and she gave a soft laugh. Patick looked at Vandisha, sitting on the bed, as tense as hell, yet she was able to laugh. He had surely underestimated her. She was one heck of a fellow.
"Do you know his room or nothing?" Patick asked and clenched his teeth in anger thinking of what Pavish would probably have been doing so foolishly over the night.
"No! I know anything about him, except that his name is Kyle, he's handsome and he's from America!"
"Handsome my foot." Patick scowled and Vandisha gave him an unseemly look.
"Your sister flaunted her body at him in a public bathroom, he's that cute." She said flatly.
"My ass!"
"Patick, Pavish is missing. The rest of the family would soon charge in asking of her. What do we tell them?"
"That she's in my room and doesn't want to be disturbed or the truth perhaps. That's she's run off with a scum!" He spat. Vandisha frowned at Patick and shook her head. "Did she leave you a letter, or any clue or something?"
"She just walked out of the room in the presence of everyone, it almost seemed like she didn't plan anything like this. How far has she gone? Is she that crazily in love with him?"
"Crazy, yes. Love, maybe too." Patick said shrugging.
"Maybe were just blowing things out of proportion. Don't you think? We don't know if she's lost and she isn't. She'll be back soon. Get some rest. I need one too." Vandisha said yawning. Her heart was still thumping hard inside her chest from fear and concern for her cousin.
"If anyone asks, we'll play them till she returns. Get some rest." Vandisha said and lay down. She covered herself up well and turned her back to him - automatically dismissing him.
"Yes, sleep well." Patick said and stood up from his chair. He walked to door, looked back at Vandisha and saw the soft trembling of her shoulders. He felt his heart lurch a little and it hurt. Shaking his head, he closed the door and hoped to God that Pavish returned that day.
* * * *
The sound of chirping birds above made Pavish stir. She swatted off another fly that had given her the most unbearable night of her life. She lifted herself up to sitting position, grunting all the way. Her whole body felt sore and stiff.
There was a painfully heavy throbbing in her left ankle and her head. "Urrgh" she groaned pulling her knees up to her chest. She lifted the hem of her salwar and examined the injury. Her foot was a little swollen and purplish at the ankle. It looked strained and pulsed hard too.
"Oh, what I'd do for a massage." She thought and stretched a little to ease the stiffness she felt. She looked around her and dismay swooned down on her hopes. They looked really- deep the woods. Lost. The wood was brightened by the morning sun, but she still felt like she couldn't see much.
She stood up and lightly kicked the ashes their heap of sticks had become with her right foot in anger and let out a startled yelp of pain.
"Swinging an injured leg hurts." Kyle said. Looking up at her from the leave laden earth where he lay. She had thought he was sleeping, the jerk! He didn't fail to maximize every opportunity to annoy her.
"Good morning to you too. Feel free to tell me more!" She said rolling her eyes and reached down to touch her foot.
"There's nothing to tell, everybody knew that, just you."
"Why did you wake up though?"
"Because God spared my life." He said getting up off the floor and examining the red dots on his skin from mosquito bites.
"You know that's not what I meant." She said jabbing a finger at him accusingly.
"Yeah right, Miss. Thoughtless." He said dryly.
"You. You!" She said raging and shaking her hands frantically at him."I can't put up with you. You promised to leave me, now go!" She spat.
"With pleasure, but it seems it's about to rain." He said looking up to the sky. Even through the tall trees and their leaves, you could see the clouds that gathered together giving a soft rumble once or twice.
"Heck! Another excuse to be close to me, but sorry Mr., it won't rain now leave me!" She said defiantly.
"I'm not going to foolhardy leave this place when I know what's coming for us, this is the closest thing to comfort we have in this place." Kyle spat.
"Hell yes! This damn woods with all the mosquitoes and flies and bugs and-" Pavish was shouting as Kyle cut into her statement sharply.
"May I remind you that you ran in here?" He asked and a rumble sounded in sky again. He looked up at it then down at her angrily.
"You always do. Next, you'd call me thoughtless, but this time I'm leaving this damn place!" She said with jabbing her hand at the floor.
"Of course, you are. Why did you come in here then?" He asked rolling his eyes at her.
Pavish opened her mouth to tell him exactly why. She was beginning to like him so much. She was beginning to feel that if he had asked, she could run to the ends of the earth with him and they were never meant to be. She was already betrothed to someone and she couldn't go against the marriage or the worst would happen. Now, here she was, missing in this ugly wild forest.
She felt tears well up in her eyes and her lips trembled slightly. She had to get out of here. She had to get out of here before they noticed it. If she didn't her family would be endangered, her parents. She blinked back her tears and shut her mouth. She didn't owe him any explanations.
Kyle looked at Pavish closely. He saw that same agony on her face. The one he had seen at the beach. She opened her mouth to respond, but she couldn't. He felt really puzzled, was there anything that could make 'Pavish' quiet? What exactly was wrong with her? Or how was he connected to her misfortune. His heart squeezed painfully again the way it had recently started to when it came to her.
He noticed the tears glistening in her eyes before she blinked them back. He felt possessive all over again and wanted to grab her, hold her tight and tell her she was priceless and nothing should make her cry. His thought line was jostled with the quick movement she made. She tied her hair up again in the tight bun and began limping away in the opposite direction. Kyle met her stride with two steps of his and grabbed her arm spinning her around to face him.
"Where are you going?" He asked looking at her menacingly. "We came in that way." He said nudging his head backwards.
"Yes, I know, and we spent all night trying to go out through that same way to no end. Look," She said pointing her hand behind him at the tree where her pink dupatta scarf was tied. "I put that there yesterday as a marking to know if we were going around in circles because it seemed like that to me, and there it is! Right there in front of me! The whole "escape" plan you led last night was futile! And didn't your Mama tell you that when you fall, you get up and move forward?" She asked looking up at him with cold eyes and down at her arm where he held her.
Kyle looked at her incredulously with an open mouth. He was itching to give her a sharp retort and an even sharper shake. But she was right. He saw a little sense of wisdom in what she was saying. He'd seen it last night himself. Trailing the steps, he took to get into this place to save her was impossible.
There was no sight of the piece of his shirt he had tied to that tree last night. And he was hoping terribly to see it. He just couldn't give up! Kyle told himself. He knew what the road back held, but what could be out there? He thought looking forward, in the direction Pavish was headed a moment ago.
"This is not your community, Pavish. It's dangerous out there. Let's stick together and get out together, that way!" Kyle said swallowing and pointed back to the direction they had come in from.
"I. Am. Going. Forward! That place is a freaking merry-go-round. We can only get more lost from there!" She said still looking squarely at him despite being shorter. "Now. Let me. Go!" She said through clenched teeth.
Kyle left her arm. He looked at her rumpled kameez sleeve and hoped he hadn't hurt her, because he didn't mean to. She looked at him once more not bothering to say good bye and stormed off.
Why did she make him feel this way? Angry to the point of boiling and then melting his heart with one simple look in her eyes. He remembered the look she gave him when her asked why she came in here again, the tears he has seen in her eyes.
What exactly was wrong? What was going on in her life that made her so eager to get away from him? Why on earth had she climbed the waterfall in the first place? He watched her lithe and very feminine body limp away. Her leg was still hurting, but she was too strong willed. Too determined to leave this place and him altogether.
No matter how he liked her, it was futile going after her. He looked up to the quickly darkening sky again that threatened to rain down heavily any moment soon, but shrugged it off.
"She'd be fine without me; she already made that clear." He said and took his seat on the pile of leaves he has made on the floor and dropped his head into his palms. "Dad, where are you?" He thought. "Please notice I'm gone." He muttered and did something he seldom did, he prayed.
* * * *
"Thank you." Reynolds said to his secretary as she dropped a coffee tray on his desk. He smiled a little at her muttered response and rolled up his sleeves as she walked out.
He picked up the cup of coffee and took a hot sip looking outside his window at the sky. It had darkened considerably with threat of a heavy downpour.
He heard a soft rumble in the sky and it reminded him of Miranda, his wife. He smiled a brightly remembering how much she loved the rain. The way she would laugh and always come out, pulling him along to dance with her in the rain. He missed her so much and couldn't wait to get back.
"Just a month more." He told himself reassuringly. The hotel in Goa, India and the one in Machida, Tokyo were facing a stormy season from lack of management and he had to be there to fix things. Not that he had taken things with laxity, but the manager he had hired here took way too much things for granted till they slipped out of his control. And no way on Reynolds' life was he going to watch his grandfather's investment lay to waste when he has entrusted it to him. It was of top priority him that he stayed and settled things before returning to the States.
He promised himself a long vacation with his wife and kids. He took another sip form his cup and thought of Kyle, where was he right now? Rodrigo had come in earlier to give him the report that no one had seen him. He had dialed Kyle's mobile phone ten times more that morning and concern was beginning to eat away at his mind.
He didn't want to be too worried by Kyle's absence yet, he wanted so badly to believe his son was well. He trusted Kyle, his independence and responsibility. Kyle loved his freedom and it was a possibility that he had gone out somewhere in the woods where he was last seen and come back without anyone noticing.
His unreachable phone was something else. Kyle never went a day without speaking to his best friend, Rey, and now with his grave interest in finding the Indian girl; his absence was something to be looked into. Had he found the lady? Reynolds thought worriedly. Kyle could possibly be out there somewhere raining hell on the Indian girl's father. Or out somewhere in India.
"No, you're exaggerating things, Rey. If he's not back this by evening, I'm going to look for him." He said to himself looking at the red file on his desk.
He was going to pay Pavish Noah Patel a visit.
* * * *
Kyle looked up to the sky again. His heart was thumping hard in his chest. What was it with him and Pavish? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She had made it very clear that she wanted them going their separate ways. She couldn't stand to bear a moment in his presence. That was why she left, wasn't it? The sky threatened with another loud roll and lumber.
"So, what if it rains?" He thought, if he went after her, she might shout at him and accuse him of wanting to stick with her like he did earlier. "She's fine, if anything, the rain should be scared of her." He thought remembering her fierce eyes.
He thought of her ankle and how much hurt she was causing herself now. He thought of the cold and chills she would feel when the rain began, it was already cold enough now with just the wind blowing, announcing the impending rain. He shook his mind off her.
His thoughts should be on how to get out of here. What plans did he have? He was going to trail the way they came in from, patiently and meticulously. After the rain came, his steps would leave footprints. Enough marking and enough evidence for his father when he came to get him.
A drop a rain fell on his arm.
He looked up and it poured. Every drop of falling rain hit him hard and felt like tiny stones hitting his skin. He felt a shiver run down his spine as the drops seeped through his clothes, making him cold. His mom would have probably loved this, dancing around barefoot like a twelve-year-old only to fall really sick after.
He frowned and cursed, getting up immediately he felt something crawl on his bare arm. He slapped it off angrily and ran under a different tree for shade, but felt none.
The rain still seeped through the leaves and soaked him. This time coming with black slimy detritus of rotten leaves and bugs and falling to his body. He muttered vanities in irritation and smacked them off his body. It seemed to have been a while since it rained here, he thought looking up at the tree as something slimy hit his forehead, barely an inch away from his eyebrow and into his eyes.
"Damn!" He spat in irritation swatting it off his face. Where would Pavish be? She was surely enduring this too. He couldn't bear the thought. He started walking in the direction which he'd seen her take and stopped. "Would she want to see me? Won't she begin to say crazy things?" He thought. This was not the time for that! He had to be beside her, what if she catches a cold or flu or something? She would be so alone, without help or comfort.
She may have tried to put up a brave front, but she was still soft underneath the bravado, those tears in her eyes. There was no way he was going to let the girl he liked be subjected to this. He thought and started for the direction her saw her limp in.
This time, he ran carefully in a straight line, making sure not to make mistakes. He knew firsthand how crazy and confusing these woods could be.
"Pavish!" He shouted hoping she was going to speak and lend her voice to lead him. Getting no response, he called out louder again still running in deep.
Every step he took sent a splash of water from the ground and unto his trousers. The slimy things and insects still touched him. Branches and leaves from the numerous trees on his path slapped his face and his arms, but he kept surging on.
"Pavish! Pavish!!!" He shouted. He received no response. Even if she answered, the clamor the rain created and the splatter on the trees was enough to seal up her voice. He felt void not being able to hear from her or see her.
"Where are you?" He thought. How was it possible that even while she limped she could walk this far and so fast? Again, he acknowledged her feisty character.
"Pavish!" He shouted and finally saw her pink salwar kameez. Her back was turned to him and she looked like she was fighting off something with her arched arms. The hair she had tied up in a knot before him earlier had gone free, it was dripping wet now and hung loose down the length of her back to her waist.
She turned to face him with her face whiter and gleaming. The tip of her nose was slightly pink at the tip and her full rounded lips were slightly parted. He breathed heavily, his heart pounding from running. Seeing her now he felt comforted, she was safe. He didn't mind the words she was going to start releasing or anything she would do, he just felt at peace.
She dropped her hands from her cloth where she had been trying to flick something off her chest. Her right hand brushed her waist, bringing his attention to them. The rain had soaked her clothes till they were clinging tightly to her body like a second skin. Her curvy shape was clearly outlined through the cloth and Kyle's eyes settled on them.
He looked at her well rounded hips and felt an odd feeling stir in his chest and he swallowed. She took a step towards him, making her hips sway gently. He couldn't take his attention off them, not even to her face. His chest tightened and he clenched his fist. His heart began thumping fast and hard.
He had seen a number of sexy ladies in his lifetime, in bikinis at the beach, in magazines, movies and all, but never in his life had he paid attention to one like this. None had this crazy effect on him either.
He stood transfixed to the spot with his eyes on her slender body. With how enthralled he was the day he saw her at the resort, it was nothing compared to this. This time was- different. He blinked when she came to a sudden stop. He thought she has noticed him gaping at her and looked at her face for a reaction. They were blank, if anything, remorseful.
He frowned slightly in confusion, water dropping into his eyes from the rain. Why would she look remorseful, what was she sorry for? He thought. His chest heaved with a heavy breath he took. He looked at her eyes now; they were barely distinguishable from the rain that still poured heavily around them.
She was a few steps away from him with her lips parted again. Kyle gulped. Her cherry red lips were more inviting now, dripping wet like that. He wanted to rush over to her, grab her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
His eyes fell to her chest where she had been flicking the slime off a moment ago. Little black dots were still on the spot around her neckline. More drops of water fell on her chest and Kyle almost gasped. Her breasts silhouette was protruding from her soaked clothes.
He turned sharply away from her. He had no right to stare at her like that. He knew he wasn't turning away to respect her, he did it because he was starting to lose control of himself. His body was throbbing hard and he felt a wave of adrenaline rush through him. His hormones were raging and he felt blinded with desire.
He scowled and gritted his teeth, placing his hand on a tree bark and willing himself to stay still. More drops of cold water from the rain hit his skin, but all he felt was heat within.
Pavish took another step closer to him contemplating what to do. He was mad as hell at her right now for storming off like that, angry with her for her thoughtlessness. Despite everything, he still cared. He still wanted to protect her. That was why he still came to look for her. Even through it all, seeing her had angered him the more. She saw it in his reddened face. The way he turned his back on her and the angry curses he muttered. The way he held tightly to the tree, even though his hands could not wrap around its large size he looked as if he could break it.
She lifted her wet fingers and placed them on his shoulder and he flinched. "Oh dear, what have I done this time?" She thought worriedly. She blinked at the raindrops that were falling into her eyes. She opened her mouth to talk for the third time but the words didn't come out.
"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off." She said softly not wanting to annoy him the more.
Kyle groaned inwardly. He felt an odd tightening in his chest down to his groin. What was the matter with her? Why did she touch him? Why was she whispering like that? If only she knew the ungodly effects her soft voice and touch had on him, she'd run as fast as she could away from him. Maybe it was a good thing she was always running away from him, he thought. He couldn't stand looking at her lips like that or her body! Hell, they were better off apart.
"I'll always stick with you; I won't say another thoughtless word." She said meekly.
"What the- Stay away from me!" He thought and turned to tell her the same thing when she coughed.
"Are you cold?" He asked taking her hand against his better judgment and she let him.
"Yes," she nodded looking at where he held her.
He quickly let her go. All thoughts of desire had fled from his mind and he was more concerned her safety. Even under the now lessened rain, he saw her face redden at their contact. He shrugged of the thoughts that gathered in his mind to read meaning to her reaction and looked for a tree with fuller branches. Finding one, he gently took her hand and led her there.
"Stay here, I'll be right back." He said with a slight touch to her shoulder. Pavish nodded and watched him step out from under the shade of the tree. The rain had abated and was now coming in slight trickles.
Kyle's harsh cough drew her attention to him and a feeling twisted in her heart for him. He was so- sweet and caring. She noticed the fresh cuts and bruises on his arm as he gathered up large leaves in them. Even with how hurt he already was, and cold, judging by his cough, he still gathered those harsh leaves in his hands to make a seat for her.
She stomped her foot on the ground to rid of another bug crawling on her leg. Kyle returned bearing the leaves with drops of water on his furrowed brows; she edged away for him to lay them on the ground. Irritation clawed at her making her very uncomfortable with slime and bugs around, but the soft smile Kyle gave her brought sparkly colors to her world.
* * * *
"No Daadi, she is taking her bath now." Vandisha said looking down at the floor with her hand still on the door handle. She didn't want to let Daadi in so she stood there with a tired look on her face, feigning exhaustion and weakness. She let the shower run in the bathroom immediately she heard Daadi's voice at the door.
It was already six minutes past five and Pavish had not returned. Few minutes earlier, Aunt Tanu had come around to look for Pavish needing her consent on a matter for the wedding. Vandisha had told her Pavish did want to be disturbed and she was sleeping; now she was lying to Daadi. How long was she going to keep this up?
"I can wait for her." Daadi said trying to let herself in. Vandisha pressed her body closer to the door shielding Daadi's entrance and received a questioning look from her grandmother.
"I'm sorry Mama, but Pavish doesn't want to see you or anyone else at all." She said.
"Oh!" Daadi said in understanding and sighed. Probably Pavish wasn't still over the incident of that day. "I'll come and check in her later, tell her I said that." She said and turned away. Vandisha nodded and shut the door. She turned and leaned against it, looking up at the ceiling.
"How long is this going to last?" Patick asked coming out from the bathroom after turning the shower off. He sat on the bed and looked at Vandisha with a shot up brow, questioningly.
"For as long as it takes." Vandisha said.
"Till what happens? The police bring news of her body being found in one dump?" Patick asked.
"Hell no!" Vandisha flared standing upright. Her hands went up to her hips and rested on them.
"We have absolutely no idea where Pavish is now. We're surrounded completely by woods and the other way out leads to town, a fuckin travel before her community comes into view. What do you want me to think? Pavish doesn't have enough money for an auto rickshaw transport! Simply put, she was dragged out of here. You know she would never back out of this marriage with everything that rests on it."
"Yes, except when she's in love! And she is!" Vandisha said.
"So, you still don't think we need to find her?" Patick asked
"We have-" Vandisha was saying as a knock sounded on the door cutting her off. She looked up at Patick with a questioning frown wondering which family member it would be.
Patick mouthed his response to her "Open it." Vandisha turned and grabbed the door handle. She made a slight twist and pulled it back towards her. She frowned in surprise at the men in front of her.
A white man, probably an American. Tall and handsome, in his late forties and in a nice unbuttoned tuxedo and smart black shoes stood before her. At his side was another man, shorter, wearing the staff uniform, but his was more defined and the plaque on his breast pocket read Rodrigo: General staff manager.
She frowned and took a step back in apprehension. What exactly did they want from her? Had they brought news of Pavish? She asked with widened eyes and looked at the American man.
"I believe this is Pavish Patel's room?" The tall American with a brown hair and blue eyes said. He looked slightly familiar, but Vandisha could swear she had never seen him anywhere so she concentrated instead on what he had just said.
"Yes." She said nodding vibrantly.
"And you are Vandisha Singh?" He said again raising an eyebrow, it seemed he already knew what they were and the questions he asked was all for formality's sake.
"Yes sir! Who are you? Why are you here?" She asked frowning, worry etched at the corners of her face.
"Do you know Kyle?" The man asked and Vandisha looked at him intently before answering. She remembered the time she saw Kyle at the beach and at the girls' changing room. Was this his dad? She asked looking at him. She nodded slightly to answer his question. "I am his father, Reynolds". The man said offering his hand.
"Good evening, sir." Vandisha said receiving it in a warm handshake. She looked at Mr. Rodrigo. "Good evening, sir." She said to him too and he nodded briefly in her direction.
"Please come in." She said looking back at Kyle's father and he politely refused.
"I will only be here a bit. I have an appointment in," he paused and looked at his watch "no time" he said.
"Okay sir. How is Kyle?" Vandisha asked
"Fine, I suppose he is. I'd like to speak to Miss Pavish Patel, if you could call her out." He said. Vandisha opened her mouth to make a response, but her lips trembled she shut them.
"She- she." She stammered and stopped talking again.
Patick sat tapping his foot impatiently. Worry recently had made him lose his cool. He got up from where he sat and went to the door to see what was taking Vandisha so long.
He stepped beside her and in view of the two strangers a tall American and an European staff. He turned to Vandisha whose eyes had welled up with tears beside him and became alarmed. With a possessive hand he touched her shoulders and faced the men with a leveled stare.
"Vandisha, what's going on here?" He asked.
"Nothing, he's Kyle's Dad. He wants to speak to Pavish." Vandisha said looking at Patick and a streak of tear fell from her eyes. He patted her back quickly before stretching his hand to the men in front of him
"Good evening sirs, please come in." He said not waiting for a response. He opened the door wider and welcomed them in. He went to sit on the bed with Vandisha trailing behind him. She sat close to him still crying.
Reynolds walked in with Rodrigo; he took a moment to look around the room. It was tidy and neat, very appealing to the sight and cozy looking.
"How are your enjoying your stay here?" He asked taking his seat on the light pink chair in the room. He nodded assuring to Rodrigo to sit beside him.
"Very fine. In fact, it's perfect. We really love this place. Except for this terrible thing." Patick said.
"What terrible thing? Are the services here bad?" Reynolds asked with a slight frown.
"Everything's is right here, better than my own home. It's just that Pavish is missing. Didn't Vandisha tell you?" Patick asked looking from Vandisha to him and at him again.
"No, she didn't. What happened? How and when did she go missing?" Reynolds asked with concern.
"Yesterday evening." Vandisha spoke up. She knew if she didn't, Patick was going to say something as foolish like Pavish ran away with Kyle and make the man confused.
"Yesterday evening? What time?" He asked looking at Vandisha
"She left the room, here, a few minutes past four and we haven't seen her since then." She said sniffing. Reynolds considered it for a moment. That was about the same time Kyle was last seen too. Were they together? If so, why? And where? Was Kyle trying to rescue her from her parents thereby running away with her?
"Did Kyle come up here to pick her?" He asked
"No." Vandisha said
"Did she say she was going to meet him?" He asked again
"No, she just left. She didn't look like she was going to run away, she just went down for some usual fresh air and she didn't come back." Vandisha said and broke into another sob. Patick reached out and took her hand to squeeze it comfortingly.
Reynolds watched them. That should be another cousin, he couldn't be her boyfriend he thought looking at the way they guy held her. But he sure did like her, cousin or not. What an awkward sight he thought.
So, Kyle didn't plan to run away with the girl, but he did? Maybe they went missing. How? Where? In the woods? It was very possible. Kyle was last seen on his way there, Pavish left her room at the same time he did and both had not returned till now. They had to be together and it had to be the woods.
"Where is Mr. Patel, I need to speak with him". Reynolds said.
"Oh, no, please sir!" Vandisha said looking at him pleadingly.
"Pardon? He doesn't know his daughter is missing?" Reynolds asked in disgust. Was Patel such a piece of garbage that not only did he abuse his child; he didn't know where on earth she was? That was absurd.
"We hid it from him." Vandisha said
Mr. Reynolds stood up and dipped his hand into his pocket. "You have to tell him right away. Call me when you do, and when you get any piece of information." He handed his business card to Patick.
"I'll get a search party. Please do call, I'll be expecting. Thank you for your time." He said and walked out with the staff behind him.
Patick took the business card from him and studied it. It was decorated in gold and very appealing to the eyes. He read through it and turned the back of the card and read it. He read the front and back three more times still struggling to believe it. What in the world? He thought looking at the door the man has just exited. He turned to Vandisha and with an amazed look on his face.
"Do you know who that is?" He asked
"Kyle's father." Vandisha said rolling her eyes and sniffing.
"You have no idea! Beyond that." Patick said lifting the card in his hands. "He's the owner of this place. He was in our room!" Patick almost shouted.
"Liar!" Vandisha spat and snatched the card from his fingers. She read through it herself realizing it was true. She looked at Patick with widened eyes and a loud ear-piercing scream escaped her lips.
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