The Unventured Passions

Soothing Distractions

As a parting exchange of gifts, along with salty drops of feminine emotions, old Julekha had packed a small potli of puffed rice for the road, and in exchange Batuk had insisted a new hundred rupees note in her hand, something that the woman had never seen before. Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury had money, he had known money all his life, and his Zamindari blood taught him how to spend them too!
Julekha was in tears, holding Mira tight in her fragile arms, as she whispered the words to her ears making her smile.

"Tie him before it's too late girl... you silly girl, can't you see how his eyes follow you wherever you move?"

Mira lowered her head even down in embarrassment.

"Let him drown in those Kohl girl, and remember... You deserve happiness!"

Old Julekha caressed Mira's head one last time, as Batuk cleared his throat announcing her to draw a denouement to their teary exchange.

"The forest ahead isn't very good son, take good care of the girl." Julekha raised her hand to touch Batuk's head in a farewell blessing, and he bowed down at once.

"What JethiMaa? Ghosts?" He chuckled, and the old woman chuckled back.

"No... Distractions!" The old woman smiled.

Distractions were simple with Batakrishna and Mira around. Her lonely quiet eyes would distract him from all earthly thoughts, and then his heart would try to distract him back to reality in turn, making him steal away from her eyes.
It was however, not that easy to gauge what distracted Mira though... her head mostly lowered down, her eyes counting steps, but yet, once in a while when she would look up to see the man walking infront, her orbs would appear to be dreamy, making a blush stretch from her cheeks to the entirety of her being. And then, she'd stumble... Distractions!

"Walk fast Mira... Just an hour, may be a half more till the sunset... We'd have to cross this damn forest before night!"

Batuk had increased his pace, a slight hint of panic hovering over his hot headed decision of starting the journey in haste, and the never-ending stretch of forest land becoming denser with every passing steps made him curse his temper. Batuk was indeed panicked, not for himself, but for the exotic beauty following him silently without the veil of white saree on her head for once. He was afraid of no ghosts, but of deathly humans called dacoits! Under no circumstances, he'd let anything happen to Mira... His Mira!
Mira however, was walking in quietude, an occasional meaningless chortle or two, following by a soft giggle, and although it had made Batuk frown, but not once did he turn to look at her Kohl tainted eyes or red lips in fear of losing himself to the 'distraction'!

It's been almost two hours. The western horizon was artistically painted with a bright golden aura of the departing sun already, the birds returning back to their safe shelters, and somehow Batuk feared they'd have no way out of that thick labyrinth of nature.

"Faster Mira!" Batuk muttered, urging her to increase the pace of her steps, as another round of soft giggles made him turn around, finally, and his brows furrowed in curiosity at once.

Mira was walking with staggered steps, holding the light check saree, ziczac-ed, almost running, but not towards the desired direction but everywhere. She looked inebriated, and narrowing his eyelids, Batuk saw how red her eyes were!

"Mira?" Batuk almost screamed, and the intensity of his voice made Mira tremble, her hands quivered and from her fist fell a cluster of bright orange wild berries, scattered all over the forest mantle.
"What the hell!"
Batuk rushed at once and stooped down, picking up one from the ground.
"Are you insane Mira? Is this what you have been munching all along? I saw these grow at the bank of that swampy puddle hole... Seriously?" Batuk rolled one of them around his fingers and brought it close to his nose.