The Holy Mountain

03 The Last Day

Ivyanah

Gathered around the warm glow of the bonfire, we chatted and sang the night away. Amidst the lively conversation and music, my attention was drawn to a sudden movement. It was Shivesh, who had left the gathering and disappeared into the darkness beyond. Soon, I found myself catching his trail.  As I drew closer, the sounds of music faded away until they were barely a whisper. Ahead of me, I saw a shadowy figure standing alone. Shivesh was there too, his back to me, focused on the stranger before him. I couldn't make out the second body as the tall one near me was hovering over the other.

I was unable to listen to a single word they said as the distance between us was too great, and the rustling of leaves and branches made it even more difficult to hear. Suddenly, I heard some faint voices coming from the bushes. Listening to the insane stories about a jungle, I quickly retraced my steps and made my way back to our camping site. However, my mind kept wandering back to the mysterious encounter that had taken place in the shadows, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not quite right. 

I soon joined Dhwani and Niyati who were looking through the photographs. As we flipped through the images, laughing and reminiscing about our memories, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for these two.

Apart from my uncle, they were my family. I didn't remember my parents as I was a year old when I lost them. But despite the love and support I received from my uncle and friends, there was still one thing that plagued me: the cause of my parent's death. How could I live with the knowledge that such crucial information about my life was missing? My uncle had always told me that I would know when the time was right, but when would that be? Sometimes I desperately want to know what went wrong during one of their research, that they collapsed under the mountain.

I was lost in thought when Dhwani's voice suddenly pulled me back to the present. "What's wrong?" she asked,

"Nothing, just thinking about Mom and Dad" I replied.

Niyati chimed in, "Don't worry, You will find out; We will find out about them." Her words were comforting. "For now," she continued, "let's not miss this golden opportunity to sit under the stars, feel the wind in our hair, the warmth on our skin, and the music in our ears."

Such a drama Queen, I thought to myself. And that's how they made me smile and cherish what I have now. At that moment, I decided to let go of my worries and enjoy the present, knowing that the future would unfold in its own time.

After witnessing an incredible sunrise, we descended from the mountain and made our way back to Dehradun. It was our last day today and we'll be back in Delhi by tomorrow morning.

As it was our last day in the town, we planned to spend it sightseeing and shopping at the local market.

The market was bustling with activity, and we wandered through the rows of shops selling everything from basmati rice to handicrafts to books. We entered a jewellery shop to find something to suit us and ended up purchasing some beautiful silver jewellery and some jhumkis for Niyati. As we continued through the market, I stumbled upon a stationary stall selling handmade diaries and books. While I was sorting through the diaries, I saw Shivesh across the way.  Our eyes met and this time I didn't wave or smiled at him.

I learnt from my mistake.

I ignored him and continued my search through different covers of diaries. After we left the shop, he was still standing there as if looking to say something.

We went ahead shopping and grabbed the local food there, fueling our bellies. It was evening when we reached back to our cottage.

"Do you have a second", a sudden voice jolted me. I looked at him and then at my friends. After nodding and indicating that I will join them in the room later, Dhwani and Niyati took their leave.

"Yes?" I replied blankly.

Shivesh took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry for the way I behaved yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt you but I was tensed about a certain thing which made me react that way." he continued "I know it's not an excuse, but I wanted to apologize and make things right."

I didn't know how to respond.

"Yeah! It's okay". After pausing for a second, I continued," Is it because of the same tension that you met a guy far from our camping site last night?"

Something flashed in his eyes. The eyes which were passionate a second before turned angrier and shocked.

"What were you doing there? Were you following me"

"I saw you and wanted to know what was happening"

"DON'T. YOU. EVER. TRY. TO. FOLLOW. ME". He snapped at me and went away.

I was taken aback by his sudden outburst. What did I do wrong? I was just curious.

WOW! So we are on square one again.

One moment I thought maybe will be friends but now that thought seems far far away.

I entered the room when Niyati and Dhwani were packing the luggage.

"What happened? What did he say?" asked Niyati

"He apologised and then snapped at me again." I continued, "Yesterday, I saw him meeting with some random guy and when I confronted him, he replied by telling me to mind my own business."

"What a freak! And why did you even follow him? After listening about him, it's better to not involve in any of his business, and mind you, follow this advice of him."

"Yeah, it was just my 'over-friendly' hormone kicking it."

Liar, my heart said to me. You want to know him.

I ignored its voice.

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