LOVE STORY

                      "THE LOVE STORY OF WEIRD VILLAGE"

It has been long that I have not been to my Gita aunt’s house. She is my best aunt among three aunts. The most admiring thing in her is that she is a good philosopher. Often she help me by suggesting advice when I m in problem. She was the one who was in every moment of my life whether it was good or bad. She now settles in a new place with her husband. Her husband occasionally uses to get transfer to a new place. It is just seven hundred miles away from my home. It was my first time I was going to my aunt’s new house. I was more excited to see her.

It was chill out there while was in my car driving to my aunts home. The cold was lurking in winds making them slaves of chillness. It was almost 12:30. I saw young women wearing red attire. She seems to be hot and elegant from back. I stopped my car right beside her, as I wanted to see her face. I called her. She turned to look at me. Her face was just magnificent that I have ever seen. In her first sight, she made my heart slave with her magical charm. I smiled looking at her. She was not having much cloth her body. She was wearing a just red grown that was little torn from her shoulders.

Our conversation was strangely hesitant considering the naturalness.

‘Can I help you’ I asked, wondering what gave her dare to roam in night.

After a mere silence she said ‘Can you take to kunai?’

‘Err… I don’t know where it is.’ I revealed. I added ‘but I can take you kunai if you know that place’

‘Okay then’ she agreed. I opened the door for her. As she sat her fragrance enhance the aura inside the car. I gave a brief glance at her. She seems to be quite serious or it may be her attitude. Here we go!

‘So what were you doing so late night?’ I tried to initiate the conversation.

‘I was coming from another village were my Uncle lives. I visit him twice a week. What about you?’ she asked, as she rolled her eyes. After a brief introduction I came to know her. Her name was Shruti; she was a daughter of a farmer who was in the evil clutches of money lenders. Last year due to the heavy rain fall her father‘s crops were destroyed and so he could pay back the money. This is the position of Indian farmers!

‘What the heck government is doing’ I thought. I found that both of were quite similar in way of thinking as she was very able to understand me. As if there was a sort of connection between us. She was a quite different woman that I had ever met. The moon rays peeking through the glass admire her beauty. Her black beautiful irises were glinting in the moon light compelling me took stare at her for eternity. Some of her long hairs were longing to kiss her eyes and some were draping on her collar bone.

I don’t how in no time we reached the place or it may be I could not feel how the time passed. That was my most beautiful moment I ever wanted to relive. She got down from car and waved bye.

While she headed towards the village I noticed her shivering as the cold wind was blowing outside. Something inside me asked me to protest her from cold and so I walked to her. I open my jerky and covered her with it. She stared at me. Those eyes were saying to walk with her for a while. I don’t know why I was feeling something for her and even she too was. ‘I couldn’t take your cloth?’ she said, glazing into my eyes.

‘Keep it with you, Sristi its cold. However, I am traveling in car so no need of this’ I said and headed towards car.

I did not expect this. I found that my car was not starting. I scrutinized the car engine but there seems to be no defect found. I again tried but in vain. I saw Sristi was standing and watching from that time.

‘I think god want me to stay here, today.’ I said and smiled. For the first time she broke into smile. It was amazing. We walked together to her home. I wonder how she could invite a stranger in her house. When I asked her this she said ‘sometimes by seeing people we can say that they are good or bad.’ I countered her ‘so if you are wrong in your view then?’ she smiled and answered ‘I never fail in judging people.’ Her face was very confident about it. She introduced her parents to me. Her parents were quite polite and that I never expected. It was strange. I wonder how they could trust on a stranger. However, everything was running smoothly. I met new people, learn new culture, and learn about village status in Indian. The most important thing I learn many things about her. She seems to be little stubborn and angry women but you know the fact that the people who get anger in small aspect are the person who seeks love. They never allow there emotion on the face but from inside they die for love.

***

The following morning, I went out in fields for fresh air. Suddenly from back some on caught me. I was scared until I realized she was Sristi. She started laughing.

‘Even in morning you are scared if someone hold you suddenly’ she teased.

‘So today are you going to show me your village or shall I go home.’ I asked, stretching my hands.

‘Yeah, I promised you to show my village’ she revealed. It was like I am dreaming. It was not like I love seeing this village but rather I was more interested to spend time with the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Soon, we headed for seeing the village. It’s was quite amazing then I would ever expected, it did not have any special to admire. However its simple beauty made people wonder. The most impressing thing was Dhalka Lake which was situated in north-east side of village.

It was almost evening when we approach there. I learned that the lake seems to be more beautiful at evening. The flawless lush green grass was spread in all direction as far I could see and the sky seems to be having golden blessing rays that formed the sunset impression. We stood at the mid of the bridge that made the view more clear and admirable. I pondered that rather than natural beauty there was something else that engulf my thoughts and heart. It was her. Every single gesture that she made was compelling me.

To speak frankly, I was falling for her more and more for every passing second she was with me. The mere smile was all she needs to steal anyone’s heart. We stood there and chatted until it was dark. Despite being bored in village, it seems that I enjoyed more than I ever had! May be it was Sristi, with who I felt heaven besides I always had a bad feel towards the village. As if something is wrong with this village. Of course they were too friendly with a stranger that made my suspicious grew more and more. However, with Sristi every thing seems to be okay. Every single word she spoke is clung to my heart. It happen so fast that we didn’t realized that when we did fall in love.
***
It was the fifth day, I and Sristi lost in deep thoughts of each other. We were sitting near the lake dipping our legs in water. Wind was smooth and clam today. Light was fading slowly. Suddenly she spoke, breaking my chain of thoughts.

‘What if you find out that I am dead?’ she said and looked at me. All of a sudden it seems like my heart stuck something.

‘What type of question is this, Sristi?’ I snapped and glared.

‘Ere …just asking, take it easy’ she said and smiled. However I felt something strange with her question.

‘Why you asked such type of question?’ I asked inquisitively and wondering what would be her answer.

‘I just wanted to know… to know…’ she stammered. ‘What you want to know?’ I rephrased.

‘I just wanted to whether you love me truly or not?’ she said and looked at me innocently.

‘Don’t you trust me’ I asked. She said ‘no’

‘What you don’t trust me’ I exclaimed. I asked her to come closer to me. She came closer hesitatingly. I kissed her on lips and whispered on her ears ‘I will be the one always with you. No matter what happens I will never give up on you. Besides, I will take all your father’s debts.’

She hugged me, after a while I realized she was crying silently. I held her to face me, and whipped her tears.
‘Tears don’t seem good in your face. I want my Sristi to blossom like flower.’ I said. She smiled. It felt like each second was precious than a diamond with her.

‘I feel very secure when you hold me with your hands and assure me you are always there for me.’ She admitted and draped her head on my chest. Wrapper my hands over her and closed my eyes. I always wished that every day she would come to me and comfort me like she did today. I do not know from where a flow of words took my tough’s control and I started singing

‘Every minute every second I thought of you…
Day pass by and made me fly,
To make the day wonderful,
Flower’s fragrance and moon shine,
Which remind me of you?
Yet my eyes were sitting quite,
To see the angle like you…’

She stared at me; her eyes were speaking to me. As if she was immersed in love with me. As if her eyes made the stars look they are not shining.

‘The song is so sweet, lokesh’ she smiled.

‘But not more than you smile’ I said, planted a kiss on her forehead.

Soon our conversation took the turn of our dreams and aims. She told what sort of life she always dreamed of living. There was a pain that she was always fighting all the time. She never said me anything about that but it was all clear on her face. I thought of asking her but it seems it was not the right time to ask. After spending few more minutes we left home.
***
I opened the engine to see what the heck was with this car. I tried hard to find the problem with this car but I was waste of time. I pondered Sristi was standing and watching me. At last I gave up and said ‘I don’t think if I could do anything about the car.’

‘Why don’t you try to start the car’ she said and gave a smile. Smile was all she would need to bring my energy back.

I stepped in the car and try to start it and in first attempted it started. I was glad that she asked me try again. I asked her to sit in car. She refused first but after insisting she sat with me. I drove the car to village.

‘Now it’s my turn to show you the village in very fast way’ I said and winked at her. I was feeling happier than ever before. We always feel bliss when our loved ones are happy. The happier they will be, the more cheerful we will be. And that is what the human feelings are.

After showing the village it was the time to say goodbye. How strange this sweet-cum-bitter feeling is? Every day has the morning part and the night part, like wise every life has its sweet part and the bitter part too. It is inevitable; some day somehow we have to face it anyway.

I waved bye to her. I drove to my aunt’s home.
***

Finally I reached my aunt’s home. The journey was quite good and unpredictable. I promised Sristi that I will come for her again. Aunt was very happy to see me. She asked me have bath and take rest as it was quite late to sleep. As I woke up I saw aunt folding bed sheets and keeping it in cupboard. She notices me.

‘Hey, you woke up. Do you want to have some tea?’ she said

‘Sure’ I answered and slipped out of bed and took bath.

‘How was the journey, my little champ?’ she asked and sipped little tea.

‘It was so excellent journey of my life.’ I said enthusiastically.

‘What make it so excellent journey?’ she asked curiously.

‘Well, I fall in love with someone’ I said, knowingly. She was astonished to hear this and I did expected too. She could not believe in my words. Perhaps she might have never thought of that.

‘How?’ was all she could say. I narrated my love stories. She was paralysed after hearing my story. She said slowly ‘it’s impossible’

‘What do you mean by impossible?’ I asked, puzzled.

‘The village that you are talking about does not exist’ she uttered.

‘What rubbish you are talking. How it could be? Then how could I spend 7 days’ I claimed.

‘It’s true lokesh the village does not exist. A long time back the whole village was blazed and every one in village died. Those who evaded for village were also dead. Till now no one knows that how it happened. Some people say that the reason behind it was a love story.’

‘A love story’ I quoted.

‘Yes, the people who dwell in village were against the love marriages with another villager. However, one girl name Sristi fall in love with a man who live in another village. His name was Amar. They use to meet every day near one lake. One day some peoples caught them red handed’ she said as she sipped some more tea. She continued ‘they both where tied with ropes and where locked up in one room. But they both managed to escape the place. One found while evading and he ran after them. He threw a cocktail on Amar and he fell down.

When Sristi tried to extinguished the fire, the man from behind hit her on head. She fell down unconsciously. When she got up, she found herself locked up in her parent’s room. She realized that she failed to protect Amar. She cried a lot. She thought of taking revenge on the whole village. She pretended to that she had forgotten everything but hatred was filled in her to kill the whole village. She wondered what her mistake was. Why they killed her love? No one was there who could satisfy her question. One night she got chance and burned her village except…’ she halted.

‘Except whom?’ I asked her inquisitively.

‘Except her parents. She even killed herself.’ she said.

‘What about her parents?’ I snapped.

‘No one knows. Some says that they died. Some says they left the village.’ She answered. My heart ceased for a while. I was numbed. How it could be? How? Does whatever I saw was a dream? Does she really love me?

Now I understood what the pain I always saw in her face was.

The next day I decided to go that place again. When I visited that place again I found there was no village. I was just astonished see that. I turned toward my car. A tear sipped form my eyes. Suddenly I felt someone caught my shoulder. I was scared more than scared. I ran to my car without looking back.

‘Don’t want to talk for the last time, lokesh?’ someone said. I looked back and saw it was Sristi. I was numbed.

‘I know you are scared after knowing that I am ghost but whatever you and I felt was really loved. I know this is impossible. How a dead person could can love someone. You know Amar was also like you. The way you talk, the way you smile and many things were same.’ She admitted.

‘Now what shall I do? After meeting you always thought of you. I always thought of living a life with you, but-….’ I said, my dreams were crushed forever.

She came to me and said ‘I am sorry; I was so greedy that I didn’t see what will go through you when you will come to know the truth. What could I would have done, I was helpless the thirst of love overwhelmed my feelings’ She admitted.

She added ‘you gave me everything, But I could give you anything.’ She said as tear rolled down.

Suddenly I saw a light from up.

‘I have to go now’ she said and hugged me. She added ‘thank you for being with me. Thank you to comfort me. Thank you very much…lokesh. Thank you very much.’ She said as slowly her body was turning into small light particle that flew up.

‘Every minute every second I thought of you…
Day pass by and made me fly,
To make the day wonderful,
I thought that I will be with you,
But luck was not with me,
Tear rolled down and heart beat hold on,
But you don’t know all this…
All those night and all those fights,
That lasted within me,
Thousand times in my mind,
I said I love you…’

That was all I could sing…

__END__

                                                                                                   SOURCE BY-AKASH SALVATOR

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