The Moonlight Love

11. trust me

A night with moonlight magic
But all she saw, was him, across the ground.He smiled at her, a fleeting, shy regard,Her breath caught in her throat, a sudden guard.A little time, a precious, stolen glance,A love unspoken, a sweet, fleeting trance

At the Bus Stop.....

Time crawled by as I waited for the bus, my mind a jumble of thoughts. I wanted to talk to him, but the words seemed to get stuck in my throat.
He was so close, I could feel the warmth of his presence. His face, bathed in the soft moonlight, looked like an angel's. His hair fell over his forehead, his nose was sharp like a knife, and his lips… I was completely captivated by their shape.
"Beautiful..." I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
I didn't mean to say it, but it was like the words had a mind of their own. My heart pounded as I realized he'd heard me.
Blushing, I quickly looked away, staring up at the sky.
"Did you say something?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.
"Ah, no," I stammered, shaking my head.
He turned back to his phone, and the silence stretched between us again.

The crisp mountain air filled my lungs as I took a deep breath, not knowing where to turn next. My gaze drifted upwards, drawn to the mesmerizing spectacle that was the sky. It was a canvas painted with hues of orange, pink, and purple, a breathtaking masterpiece that seemed to defy reality.
"Manali is so beautiful, isn't it?" I murmured, lost in the magic of the moment.
Beside me, he was listening intently, his eyes mirroring my own wonder.
"Yes... it is beautiful," he replied, his gaze sweeping across the horizon. "But there are many other places in this town that are even more breathtaking, hidden gems known to very few." He turned to me, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"You're right," I agreed, a tinge of sadness creeping into my voice. I was leaving Manali soon, and the thought of bidding farewell to its beauty filled me with a melancholic ache.
"I'm so unlucky," I sighed, "because maybe I won't ever see this beauty again. The memories will fade, and there's nothing I can do about it."
He looked at me with a questioning frown. "Why?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"When we become far away from someone and don't even know whether we will be able to meet him again or not, then the memories related to that person or that place also start to get blurred," I explained with a smile.
He frowned, his voice laced with confusion. "What do you mean by leaving?"
I smiled and told him everything. "We are leaving and maybe we will never be able to come back here again."
I turned to him while saying this, but I couldn't understand his facial expression. He was so quiet, no one said anything for a while. It was as if he was lost in thought.
But the silence was broken by his words. "You never completely leave the place who close to your heart, you carry it in your heart," he said.
His words felt like a healing touch on my hurt.
"Whenever you go, don't worry, it will stay with you forever," he added.
"That's true, but Time and distance blur the memories, it's sad but true," I said.

The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I didn't know what to say, so I just looked at him, a smile playing on my lips.
"I will try my best to keep all these memories safe in my heart," I whispered, my voice barely a breath.
He smiled back, a warm, gentle curve to his lips.
I glanced at my watch. 9:30 PM. The bus would be here in an hour. Time seemed to be flying by, leaving me breathless.
"What has happened to time today?" I wondered aloud. "It feels like it's running away!"
He chuckled. "It's not time's fault," he said, his eyes twinkling. "It's just that when you're with someone you love, time seems to slip away faster."
I realized he was right. I had been so lost in the moment, so wrapped up in our conversation, that I hadn't even noticed how late it was getting.
"You love this city so much, don't you?" he asked, his gaze sweeping across the familiar streets.
I nodded, a smile gracing my lips. "Yes, I love my hometown. I'm going to miss it terribly. But I'll take all the beautiful memories with me, the ones that will stay with me forever."
He reached out and took my hand, his fingers warm and comforting. "Maybe one day you'll be able to come back," he said softly. "No one knows what the future holds, what God has planned for us."
I squeezed his hand, my heart a mix of emotions. I didn't want to think about leaving, about saying goodbye. But I knew I had to be strong.

“If you want, I can show you the most beautiful place in this town. It’s so beautiful and amazing that no one can imagine,” he said, looking at me.
Suddenly, he stood up and extended his hand. For a second, I couldn’t believe what I just heard.
“Please… trust me,” he said when I looked into his eyes. I didn’t think twice and extended my hand towards him.
He held my hand and smiled at me. When I stood up, he smiled back. “Now we have to run!” he said, and we started running.
There was a strange feeling when he was holding my hand. It felt like I’d never want to let go.
After running for a while, we stopped for a second. There was a forest in front of us.
We went inside the forest, and after going inside for some distance, he suddenly stopped. “We arrived! Look!” he said.
When I looked straight ahead, there was a very beautiful lake. It looked even more beautiful in the moonlight.

“It was mesmerizing,” I breathed, “I don’t have words to describe its beauty. I was amazed.”
He chuckled, “You wanna sit here for a while?”
I nodded, and we settled down on the grass, the world fading away as we simply took in the sight. It was peaceful, the only sounds the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves and the distant hooting of an owl.
After a while, he broke the silence. “It’s my favorite place. Whenever I’m sad or lost, I come here to relax.”
“You were right,” I said, gazing up at the full moon, “it’s really beautiful.”
“Thank you so much for bringing me here,” I said, smiling at him.
He was looking at me, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight. It was a magical moment, just the two of us under the vast sky.
Suddenly, I realized something. “Hey… what’s your name?” I asked.
He smiled, “I’m Ranvijay. Ranvijay Partap Singh.”
“Wow…” I said, still smiling.

“Why have you been surprised to hear my name? Is there something wrong with it?” He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“No, no! That’s not what I meant,” I rushed to clarify. “You have a nice name, really. It’s just… it sounds like a royal name, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. Everyone says that,” he chuckled. “But I’m not a prince, unfortunately.”
“But you look like one!” I blurted out, quickly realizing my slip.
He raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Do you have any nicknames?” he asked, changing the subject.
“You can call me Ranvi,” he said, his smile widening. “Only my close friends call me that.”
I was about to tell him my name when my eyes fell on my watch. Time seemed to freeze.
“Oh no!” I exclaimed, showing him the time. “It’s only twenty minutes until my bus leaves! I’m scared I’m going to miss it.”
He looked at me, his smile fading slightly. “Hey, don’t worry about your bus. You’re not going to miss it, I promise.” He took my hand in his, his gaze steady and reassuring.

The bus stop came into view just as we rounded the corner, our hearts pounding like war drums. We'd made it! The bus was already there, idling patiently under the morning sun.
"It's time," I whispered, my hand slipping out of his. He held onto my fingers for a fleeting moment, his grip light as a feather, before letting go. I climbed onto the bus, the metal steps cold beneath my feet.
"It was really nice meeting you, Ranvi," I said, my voice barely a murmur.
He stood a step below me, our eyes locked. So many unspoken thoughts, so many unanswered questions swirled between us. The moment felt unreal, suspended in time. A crazy urge, a yearning to do something drastic, something that would change everything, washed over me.
We both wondered, I think, if we'd ever see each other again. But the answer remained a mystery, lost in the air between us.
I lingered at the bus door, searching for the right words, but the bus lurched forward, cutting off my escape. And then, I did something crazy, something I never thought I would do...

I had no idea where I got this much courage. He widened his eyes, looking so surprised by what I had just done. He put his hand on his cheek and just stood there, speechless.
His face turned as red as a tomato. He was blushing, and so was I. I felt so hot, my ears and cheeks burning.
We lost each other in that moment, but then the bus started moving. Our magical moment was over.
We snapped back to reality, but it was too late. The bus was already pulling away.
He started running towards me. I waved, and he shouted, "Hey... what's your name?"
His question made me smile. "Pankh..." I couldn't finish my sentence. It was too late; he couldn't hear me.
He just stopped there, and we waved at each other for a while. I stood there, watching him disappear.

End of flashback...

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