PROLOGUE
"Kiss !!!! Kiss !!!! Kiss!!!!", the group cheered much to Mehek's chagrin. "Hey Devi Mayya, Kahan bhas gayi mein. Coz of Sonal's stupid plans I am suffering now", Mehek was annoyed. She had recently joined the new college and Sonal was her only friend there. When Sonal invited her for a camp trip to nearby woods , never in her wild dreams she imagined that it will be infected with guys. Mehek's shy , introvert nature kept her from mingling with crowd however Sonal encouraged and supported her always. The one night camp would have been fun if she was not stalked by Ajay Parmar. At first it was sweet but soon he became a nuisance. Now while playing spin the bottle, she has to kiss that pervert.
Rohit, Sonal's fiance was ready with his mobile to capture everything, while others too were eager to have fun at her expense. Only Sonal gazed at her helplessly, feeling sympathetic to her plight. As Ajay came near, on a whim Sonal shouted, "Mehek run!". Mehek briskly pushed him and ran into the woods. "Dude don't leave her. Get her", Rohit yelled. Ajay regained his footing and darted behind her.
Mehek ran faster with all her might when she heard Rohit's words. She didn't realise that she lost her woolen shawl behind. She stumbled on a small rock, fell and rolled down. Her while tank top was smeared with dirt now and her body pained at many places. When she lifted her head, she found a lone house surrounded by picket fence. It didn't look inhabited and she took the risk of jumping over its fence. She dashed to the door which was ajar. She went inside and closed it behind. She sat down near the closest window pulling her knees closer to her chest, looking out for Ajay and his friends.
Ajay, Rohit, Sonal and some friends were searching for Mehek. "Kahin uss bhoot bangalow ke pass toh nahi gayi?", someone suggested. "Then no need to search for her anymore. Tomorrow her body will be found ", Rohit told cruelly. "Rohit, how could you?", Sonal almost wept. "It's your fault. You made her run. Now bear consequences". They searched for her but had to retrieve to camp as it was getting darker.
Mehek might have dozed off. She felt cold breeze freezing her skin and opened her eyes. She saw a dark figure and screamed. "Relax. I am not gonna hurt you", a male voice assured her. "You are trespassing . Are you lost?", he asked earnestly. For a second she felt his eyes were gleaming but as she shone torch of her mobile on him, he looked normal. Well, normal may be an incorrect word to describe him, he was extremely handsome. Her phone abruptly stopped working, pushing her back to darkness. But he lit a candle and saved her from further scare. "I... We were in a camp nearby. I got lost. I saw this house and came in. Sorry to barge in like this", she tried to explain. "That's a beautiful ring. Who is the lucky guy?", he asked her. She looked at her left hand confusingly , "Oh, it is nothing. I got it today morning while exploring the woods. It was so pretty that I couldn't leave it". "And without thinking you wore it on your ring finger. It could belong to a jilted lover or betrayed husband. You may be bound to him unknowingly", he stated. "What ??? Are you serious?", she exclaimed. "Nope, I was joking", he smiled. His smiled enriched beauty of his face a thousand times. How she wished, it was him whom she was supposed to kiss. "I am Mehek Sharma. Do you live here?", she asked. "No, I just came here, out of blue to save you", he humoured. She smiled timidly. Something was definitly odd about him yet she wasn't afraid. "Let me take you back to the camp", he offered to help.
As they came out of the house, she was shivering. He took off his woolen coat and placed it over her. "Thanks", she said. "I am sorry to have caused you so much trouble. Some people in camp were playing silly jokes on me and I ran to escape. I am new to this place so got lost", she explained. "I guessed it. People who know these woods will never wander around at this hour. I must say you are pretty brave", he told her. "Are there lots of wild animals here?", she asked. "Hardly any", he answered. "Then criminals or anti-socials?" she asked. He shook his head and smirked. "Evil spirits. These woods are infamous for them", he explained. "Are you serious?", she was startled. He didn't answer but just pointed her camp and said, "There. Few more meters and you will reach your friends". "Oh, thanks", she was about to leave but he stopped her, "Mehek, my coat". "Oh , sure. thanks again,... I didn't get your name", she asked. "I am Shaurya. Shaurya Khanna", he replied. She felt diffident to move ahead but he kept his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, I will stay here until you are safely inside your friend's tent". May be reflex, she quickly hugged him. She observed his body to be extremely cold. She felt guilty to have made him walk through cold woods without protection of any warm clothes. As she withdrew, tears made way through her cheeks. "There, there. You are a brave girl. If you need me anytime, I will be there for you", he consoled her by wiping her tears. She looked at him puzzled. "Just hold the ring and wish to see me. I will be with you", he said. "Really?", she asked. He laughed, "No , silly. I was just joking. How could you even imagine it to be true? Give me your number, we will stay in touch". "My phone is not working else I would have given call to your number", she was sad. "Just tell me your number. I am good at remembering numbers". She told him her number and slowly walked away. Whenever she turned , she found him at the same spot. Finally she crawled into Sonal's tent and then looked out. He was gone. She looked at her phone and it was working now.
Somewhere in deep darkness, he held his coat close to his face. He savoured her scent, it felt like bliss, his own brand of drug. "At last, I found her. My wait has come to an end"
Ishq Kehta Hai Mujhe Ek Baar Kar Ke Dekh;
Tumhein Maut Se Na Milwa Diya To Mera Naam Badal Dena!
[ Courtsey : a touching shayari found via Google Search ]
Chapter 1 Page 10
Chapter 2 Page 16
Chapter 3 Page 21
Chapter 4 Page 26
Chapter 5 Page 29
Chapter 6 Page 32
Chapter 7 Page 37
Chapter 8 Page 50
Chapter 9 Page 57 (Completed)
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