DEPTH

Chapter 12

When you travel in forests and mountains you may follow a trail but sometimes you have to create a new pathway cutting thorny bushes and branches out of your way. It seemed to Vel that he had to do the latter.

He couldn't make a head or tail of the situation. Was Mark really right. Was he just dreaming all along? Was his mind playing a trick all along? He was in a mental maze, he had to find the path, if not, he had to create one. All the doubts and questions that plagued him were like parasitic pests that you would come across when you create a pathway in the unexplored forest. You may try to avoid them but they know where you are and would not stop at any cost. You can't kill them but you can try to escape them.

If only he could get out of here he could prove others wrong. But more important than that was to ensure that she was safe and fine. But how could he do that? Didn't Mark say that Vikram tracked his phone. His phone.... His phone had the answers he could use to prove that he was not dreaming but reality is definitely glaring at them.

They say that the best way to solve a problem is to not avoid it  but face it head on and the shortest way to rid yourself of the problem is to go through it. So instead of trying to avoid Vel decided to examine each incident that led him here. But where must he begin? At the beginning or at the end?

*******

"Sir, the girl is waking up. May be we must call him and tell him that".

"Yes"

"Sir, the girl has woken up".

The cry of the distant cuckoo seemed to wake her up from her deep sleep. The sun was intent on hiding behind the hills giving the sky a crimson hue. The lush greenery of the hills and valleys contrasted the sky. Valli woke to view this beauty. While she took in this view she was trying to think where she was. That led to a more serious question who was she. There were no memories she could relate to. Like a damaged tape her oldest memory was stuck at that of the setting sun. She rose from the bed, looked around the room. Nothing helped, so she went to the French window, opened and went out and sat in the chair that was placed out. The nearby coffee table held an old magazine. At first the letters looked like some intricate designs etched on white paper but slowly she could read. May be not all was lost. Maybe soon she would get all her answers.

At the same time the door opened and three men and a couple of women came into her view. Maybe they could help her. What they asked only shocked her cause they too were ignorant about her. Then how was she here?

One of the men who introduced himself as Chotu, finally broke the silence. .

"Our boss' s son told us to bring you here. We are trying to contact him. He may be able to throw some light."

"Why did he bring me here? " as she asked this, a fear of unknown gripped her. She didn't know what lay ahead for her. Was her future bright or bleak she knew not.

"I don't know."

"Oh! God! Tell me something! All this wait is killing me."

"All that I know is someone tried to kill you. You were saved and hospitalised. He felt your kidnapers may come again so he asked us to move you to safety. So we moved you from the hospital to this forest guest house. You are safe here"

This was all the more confusing abs frightening at the same time. Killers... Kidnappers. ..Gangs ... What was going on? Maybe it was best that she didn't know her past..

"Do not worry..." said the man who was nearly 6 feet tall and almost in his early forties to be called Chotu breaking into her thoughts.
"...We will leave tomorrow. You will be here. With you will be the cook Jasmine, these girls ...for your safety and I shall also leave a man servant for manual labour if need be. "

A voice probably belonging to the cook called from inside "come in, its getting dark. I don't think Vel would be happy if we tell him that the mosquitoes carried her away".