Preeto SS

Preeto's heart raced as she sped down the steep path leading to the falls...her lips muttering furiously..."Barely a day in Manali...& this Bani had to create a problem...Only babaji knows what trouble she has landed herself into again"...barely had that thought crossed her mind when her foot lost her hold & she slipped down a few feet, grazing her arms...gritting her teeth & swearing to get even with Bani & him, she got up and continued...

Simran was a crack...she must have hit her head somewhere in US...of course she always was a prankster...but this was really too much...She stole his clothes out of the bathroom!!!!...Rajbeer came out from Pankaj's bathroom...wrapped in a towel...only to meet Meeta di who rolled around in laughter...pankaj became too buzy in gazing at her...& Rajbeer's pleas to get a set of clothes from his room went completely unheard...& of course the next person to walk in was Preeto...Lady Luck was really smiling on him today...first there was no water supply in his second floor room & now dis...Simran...u r gone...but at least Preeto chose to give him his clothes first before...before...running off??...not even meeting his gaze??...that was odd...she didn't even laugh at him...

That was much easier than he had imagined...Bani was so easy to convince...she actually believed that he wanted to discuss matters out with Rajbeer!!!!...she willingly consented to help him lure Rajbeer out of the hotel...& Rajbeer...he knew too well...always the heroic kind...out to save anybody...one message on his number (soo sweetly provided by Bani)...& he was sure Rajbeer will come...Ranjeet only had to make sure that Bani should be out of sight during that time...that was a cake walk...she hardly objected to anything he said...

Preeto's brain was in an overdrive mode...the message kept replaying itself. "Bani is with me, at the falls. She might not want to come back home. But don't worry Rajbeer. You know me. Ranjeet has a very caring attitude. Convey my regards to your new family." That scumbag...& that fool Bani...Rajbeer will never be able to forgive himself if something went wrong for him...But preeto knew her sister, she didn't need ranjeet/rajbeer to create trouble...

"Damn...that Ranjeet"...Rajbeer's anger boiled upto the surface as he read the message on his cell... "The falls??...why on earth had Bani agreed"...rajbeer thought furiously...as he ran down the stairs to search for Bani...hoping against hope that she had decided for the better...but the room was empty...he ran out into the steadily darkening evening...

Manali was cold...very cold...with temperatures plummeting to single digits...Bani huddled herself as she rushed for the warmth of her hotel room...heads down against a light drizzle...until she collided head on with someone in equal hurry...her face registered shock as she looked up to face the person..

"Bani...bani..."... The voice rang clearly over the murmuring sound of the falls. "Clearly, my plan has failed"...thought ranjeet bitterly...this must be one of her numerous sisters...but then...the next time the same voice reached his ears...it immediately wiped his annoyed expression. "Tu na Preeto, ek torch to leke aati...jhalli he bilkul..."...preeto...Rajbeer's Preeto...grinned Ranjeet...

Preeto sank deeper into the snow...but that was the least of her worries now...the part of her head which had been hit...was throbbing madly...she had lost count of how much time had elapsed since that blow...her blindfold hurt her eye sockets...her wrist was already sliced by the crude rope that tied her against a tree trunk...& her gag threatened to suffocate her every minute...But more than her physical injuries and the cold biting her flesh...it was d darkness and loneliness that scared her...she remembered how she had clung to rajbeer once...to escape the same sinking feeling...

Rajbeer...his image flashed in her mind's eye...she met his warm eyes..again...but this time she didn't turn her gaze away...there was no need to stay away from him anymore...she might be going away..forever now...She wanted to loose herself in the depth of those eyes...her external senses were drowned out in the tide of her rising inner senses...She felt the touch of his hands...as he had held them...to prevent her from falling... to support her as a friend...to ensure her of his love...to stop her from going away...She filled herself with the warm memory of his embrace...she in his arms...soo safe & secure...promising of never-to-be-parted...If only...she could recall his voice...but her eardrums were banged by the howling winds...she just wanted to hear his voice...for the last time...& babaji was kind to her...she heard it...his voice...her name...That's all she wished...& she sank into oblivion...with the memory of the most beautiful sound in her life...

Rajbeer was scared...furiously scared...he had spotted preeto...thanks to the moonlight reflected on the fresh snow surrounding her...he had ran towards her...but couldn't bring himself to call the name...he had been shouting out for the last one hour...this was not his preeto...she looked ghostly pale...head drooped to one side...with stupendous effort rajbeer touched her face...she was cold as dead...he started shivering and sweating...as he checked her pulse...cold relief broke over him...she was alive...

"Preeto is with me. Come to my room. Now."...How dare rajbeer order her??...what was he???...but preeto di...she better go & check out what lies that rajbeer had fed her sister...

"what???...who do you think..." bani's words were lost at the sight in front of her...her sister lay wet & shivering on the bed...she was rooted to the spot... "change her clothes"...

Manali was experiencing the heaviest snowfall of the season...all roads were closed...& phone connectivity was poor... "hypothermia"...rajbeer thought...moderate level...rajbeer's military trained brain started rewinding all he knew about the condition...One hour had passed...but he had only one good news...preeto was shivering as if the devil had found her...the only indication that she was still alive...her colour was steadily turning blue...& the umpteen layers of clothing he had mounted on her were doing no good...he had no choice...