ENDEARMENT (ON HOLD)

Arresting Encounters

Onto the clear yet hurdled roads with his heartbeats as the only company, Anirudh drove with much energy and enthusiasm.

All his budding feelings just contrast to the darkened whacked sky visible outside his vintage car.

Though the physical void of her engulfing him in melancholy, but his thoughts on her, his little Bondita who now a young maiden and the idea of exploring the new unventured paasion with her had excited him patently.

Shy, bashful smile appeared on his lips, when he uttered her name "Meri Bondita."

All bought to halt with adrupt stop of his regal vehicle, got down to open the bonnet and sighed about the cause being unaware.

Kept his hand on heart over his silky western shirt puzzled at the sudden palpitations, cussed and shut the bonnet at once turning back to the roads.

Unknowingly slanted himself on top of the bonnet, his body fully in sloping position facing up towards the pitch black sky, feet still on ground. Startled at the occurrence, partially obscured felt only being caged by a peculier stranger.

Nearly pre dawn, a clash of thunder after a sparkling lightning, the flicker of fading stars and the lighted lantern hung on a rod just aside the road. An anomalous situation. And with the blow of strong breeze, the flowers of crype myrtle mizzled upon.

His eyes partly on sky also on the unusual face, blur eyes tried to focus on the latter, fortunately observed the only wide eyes kohled up and down densely, it was fierce and incensed.

The clank on his side made him tilt his head to notice the colossal gold Kankan the only avail to look as being fully covered in a royal cream onion dhoti kurtha and left palms too also face fully wrapped up in pashmina shaded of cerise.

The stranger felt ferocious.

With flowers all over, the dim yellow from the lantern giving depth to the intense serenity. If seen, any in case it would have appeared as the classic western dip portrayed traditionally, though hilarious felt true to him.

Untouched, only the warm breaths through the cloth fanning his face stirring him the feeling of known and weirdly was not even aware of the stranger's gender too.

The fuss of the furied crowd, approaching them made the stranger retrieve the position, hustled and darted fast.

As he stood, watched the stranger sprint without looking, his face fell but it shined when he saw the stranger glancing back him.

He whispered, "ajnabi." Soon, the throng neared him and began barging questions.

A man from crowd  "sahab, aapne kisi ko dekha hai yehaan aapne chehre chupathe huye baagthe huye?" Hoarse rage evident in their tone, instantly nodded in negation.

With that saw the throng dashed into the opposite direction of the stranger's, at once stopping a person hastenly asked "kyun? Koun hai woh?" to which he got an astounding reply "chor, chor sahab."

Infuriated, all felt unknown to him. He fell in delirium as both were contrary, their accuse and the stranger's veneer.

Puzzled, they blamed thief while the stranger looked all imperial, but no doubt was equally suspicious. Brushing off the thoughts got back to prior his Bondita while his hands worked on his car.

The blistering heat of the red hot Sun annoying him more after the tiresome drive from the neighbouring village Rampur because of the constant halt of his car, now just crossing the border to reach Tulsipur paused at the stall for having some water from the cool pots.

"Suno, Suraj ki tarah hoon, mere ankon se kuch nahi chuptha aur uski roshni ki tarah hi tej hoon. Kisise dartha nahi hoon. Kaha na, apko kaha na, pehle hi meine apko kaha na." He heard the determined words from long though unknown was sure to be a girl.