Hi! A very HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you guys. :) Thank you so much for your comments and likes, your support means the world to me and I appreciate it very much. <3


Previous Chapters -- Part One:  prologue + ch 1 / ch 2 + 3 / ch 4 + 5 / ch 6 + 7 / ch 8 + 9 / ch 10 + 11 / ch 12 + 13 / ch 14 + 15 / Part Two: ch 16 / ch 17 / ch 18 / ch 19 / ch 20 / ch 21 / ch 22 / ch 23 / ch 24 / ch 25



Chapter Twenty-Six

Wind ripped through the towering trees as Riya and Thomas made their way through the maze of the campground's forest.  For the last thirty minutes, they had been searching for the perfect spot to leave Riya.

"It sure is super cold," Thomas remarked. He glanced at Riya in her fuzzy white sweater. "Are you cold, my queen?"

"Nope, I'm okay," said Riya, who was too pleased with how her plan was unfolding to be concerned about the temperature. After she had discovered that a group campfire had been scheduled, which would undoubtedly involve commotion and much movement, she knew that she would be able to sneak away undetected.

Picking Thomas as a partner -- who, as a boy, would probably be brave in a forest -- had been another boon.  Since he had won second place in the recent spelling bee, Thomas was chosen by Riya to write the note left to her parents. She hadn't had a chance to proofread it, but she was sure it was fine. More importantly, Thomas's parents had been too busy devouring dinner to notice him scribbling in the light of the blazing fire.

Come to think of it, Riya's own parents had seemed quite distracted themselves. . . .  The children had been able to dash away from the campfire, slip the note under Cabin 4D, and run into the forest within minutes.

With every step, Riya made a fervent wish for her plan to succeed. Suddenly, she had a vision of her parents dressed in elegant wedding attire and cutting a gigantic cake after the marriage ceremony -- chocolate, of course. Riya clasped her hands under her chin and sighed happily.

"Are you *sure* you're not cold?" Thomas pressed.  Without waiting for an answer, he unzipped his windbreaker and wrapped it around Riya.

"Oh -- you didn't have to give me your jacket," said Riya.

"But if you don't wear it, you will turn into a popsicle," said Thomas, adjusting his glasses. "That's what my mom always says when I don't bundle up. And I don't want you to be a popsicle. You will get your wedding dress wet."

"But now *you're* not wearing a jacket, so you're the one who will turn into a popsicle," Riya pointed out.

Thomas poked his slightly pudgy stomach. "No, I'll be okay. My tummy will keep me warm. My brother says it's like a built-in sweater," he added proudly.

Riya opened her mouth to respond, but stopped at the sound of an animal howling in the distance. The two children stared at each other, wide-eyed.

"What was that?" Riya whispered.

"I don't know," Thomas replied. He grabbed Riya's hand, a gesture for which she felt surprisingly grateful. "I think we should go back."

"No way!" cried Riya. Not when her plan was unfolding flawlessly -- so far, anyway. "Let's keep going. We haven't found a good spot yet."

The partners trudged deeper into the forest, where the moonlight strained to filter through the tops of the menacing trees.

"It's getting awfully dark," said Thomas.  "I don't think this was a good idea . . . ."

Fortunately, Riya spotted a tree stump at that moment. "Look, we finally found a good place where I can sit and wait," she said, skipping toward the stump and plopping herself down. She was one step closer to fulfilling her goal. "You can go back to the campfire now."

Thomas rubbed his hands together for warmth. "Um . . . no."

"What?"

"It's real dark," said Thomas. "I can't leave you here alone."

"Thomas, I'll be fine!" Riya exclaimed. "You have to go back and get my mama and daddy's promise!"

"But monsters come out at night," Thomas said sagely. "I think that was a werewolf back there."

"No, it was not," said Riya, stomping her foot. "You *have* to leave me here, Thomas. Otherwise, the whole plan falls apart."

Thomas shook his head. "Nope. It's not safe. Even my daddy says it's not good to be in lonely places at night, and my daddy is the bravest man in the world."

"But you said you'd help me," Riya said desperately, beads unraveling rapidly from her string of hope.

Thomas dug his hands deep into his cargo pants; apparently, his tummy was not quite the weather-shield he had anticipated. "I only said yes at first 'cause you're my finance. But now it's a no. I'm your future husband, and I have to take care of you."

Riya shivered, the cold seeping into her bones at last. What was she supposed to do now?

---

Maan let out an aggravated sigh as he attempted to pace Cabin 4D. The cabin was crowded with people, which made it difficult for him to walk around and release nervous energy.

Indeed, by the fireplace stood Geet, who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue. The couch seated Thomas's parents, the D'Souzas, who were jittery with anxiety. Mrs. Smith was standing near the front door with a park ranger, who had been called to the scene and was currently reading the note the children had left.

In the hullaballoo, Sameera had also made her way back to the cabin, explaining that she was retrieving her coat. How much of that was pretense was anyone's guess. It was certainly puzzling that Sameera had remained in the cabin, delicately sipping a mug of hot chocolate just outside of the kitchen.

"This isn't like Thomas," said Mrs. D'Souza, a wiry woman who was clutching a tattered tissue in her lap. "He usually is such a sensible boy."

"We knew he liked a girl in his class," said Mr. D'Souza, whose stocky features resembled his son's.  "We just thought it was a childish crush. We didn't think he would ever do something like this."

*Childish crush?* thought Maan, thinking back to the young boy's marriage proposal at Riya's school. *Misunderstanding of the century.*

The park ranger, whose badge read "Jones," brought the letter closer to his face. "What? 'Finances'? Your daughter is hiding until you promise to become 'finances'? What does that mean?"

Sameera set her mug down with a noisy clack on the coffee table.  "Finances? What does that mean?" she echoed.

Maan immediately met Geet's watery eyes. Sameera, of course, already thought that they were married. Now what?

"I don't know," snapped Maan. "Maybe she -- maybe she, you know, means . . . business partners."

"Business partners?" snorted Sameera, raising one perfectly arched eyebrow. "Really? A six-year-old wants you to become business partners? For what? To open up an ice cream parlor franchise?"

Maan threw her an incensed look. "It's not outside the realm of possibility," he spat. "My daughter is incredibly bright."

"Can we please just focus on the fact that the children are missing?" Geet pleaded.  "The motive is irrelevant right now."  The D'Souzas nodded, visibly shaken.

Maan turned to the park ranger. "Right. We'll need you and other rangers to start searching the forest immediately. It's already been at least half an hour since they've been gone, and who knows if they're even still together at this point."

"Professor Khurana, we'll start looking right away," said Ranger Jones, jotting down notes on his clipboard. "Don't worry. This search will be our top priority."

"I want to look, too," said Maan.

Ranger Jones shook his head sharply. "No. I need all parents to remain in their cabins. The forest out here is incredibly dense, and looking for two people at night is enough of a challenge." He then opened the front door. "I'll report back as soon as I get word on anything," he called over his shoulder.

"We're going to retire to our cabin for a bit," said Mr. D'Souza wearily, assisting his wife up from the sofa. "We will let you know if we hear anything, of course."

Maan nodded and escorted them to the door. "Thank you. We shall as well."

The D'Souzas filed out, with Mrs. Smith at their heels.

Maan ran his palm over his jaw. He felt antsy. Shouldn't he be out there, too, searching for his own child?

"Tsk tsk," said Sameera, flipping her long hair behind her shoulder. "Don't worry. They'll find her, I'm sure."

Maan exhaled loudly. "Listen, Sameera, I know this is your cabin, too, but do you mind leaving? I need some privacy with -- with my wife." Indeed, Geet looked ready to collapse from sheer worry at any second.
 
Sameera paused, as if debating whether to argue, then clucked her tongue. "Fine," she said, sweeping out of the cabin in a huff.

"Geet?" Maan reached her in two long strides. "It's okay. I'm sure the kids are just fine." Although Maan was himself terrified, he knew that he shouldered the responsibility of placating the mother of his child.

"I did it again." Geet covered her mouth with her hand, the crinkle of her forehead warning of an upcoming onslaught of tears.

"Did what?" asked Maan, placing a hand on her trembling arm.

"I let her go. Again."

"Stop," Maan admonished, raising his eyebrows in surprise at Geet's insinuation of the surrogacy process. "You never 'let her go,' Geet. You *gave* her to me. Her father. And only for a little while. You are with her now. . . ." he trailed off.

"But I'm not with her now," Geet sniffled. "She's gone, and I should've been watching her."

"Shh," murmured Maan. "Don't say that." He too felt responsible for Riya's escape. Why *hadn't* he been paying attention during the campfire? Suddenly, he was struck by the memory of Geet's flushed lips, and he realized in a flash why he had been distracted.

"Riya is just a little girl," said Geet, swiping at her face. "And she's only wearing a sweater, and it's so cold outside, and --"

"Shh," Maan repeated. He brushed away a lock of Geet's hair that clung wetly to her cheek. Witnessing Geet's fright was only exacerbating the situation.

"I can't believe she wants us to get married so badly that she took such a risk," said Geet softly.

Swallowing, Maan ran the pads of his thumbs over the streams flowing down Geet's cheeks. "I can't either."

Maan sneaked a glance outside the window; the sky was as heavy with darkness as his heart was with fear. Was his baby really in the thick of the threatening woods?  "I'm going to look for them myself," Maan announced suddenly. He squeezed Geet's shoulder, then turned on his heel toward the front door.

"No!" Geet cried, grabbing his forearm. "You heard the ranger. It's dark and dangerous. Don't go."

Maan turned back around to face her. "I'll be fine, Geet," he said, raising his chin. "Really. I can't just sit here and do nothing, knowing our child is out there." He again moved to leave.

"Please don't," said Geet, her voice breaking. She clutched Maan's arm tightly. "I'm already worried sick over Riya. I wouldn't be able to handle it if anything . . . ."

With bated breath, Maan waited for her to conclude.

"If anything should happen to you, too," Geet finished in a whisper.

Maan paused at Geet's intimate admission. As if on autopilot, he pulled her gently into his arms. "I won't leave you, Geet," he assured, cradling the back of her head as she wept into his chest. "I promise."

---

Thank you for reading. <3
  kumari32011-12-24 23:36:09