Arohan - The Ascent

Threats and Challenges - Chapter 2

As she tried to free her hand from his, he did not let go, watching her with a strange lethargy, as though he could not teach his eyes to look away. "Vikram?" she called out, her already arched brows, raising slightly. Vicky let go of her hand then, bending down to pick her bag, which she had put down next to her. "I'll escort you to pandit's house," he said, trying to pick her bag up. Urvashi clasped the handle of her bag, her hand coming over his hand. Vicky jerked his head, looking at her, his eyes narrowed in a strange expression. "I'll carry my bags, thank you," she told him flatly. "It's ok, I won't run away with your bag," he told her, not relenting. "NO," her refusal was resolute. "I am used to carrying my own baggage," she said, her gaze firm, her tone determined. Vicky slowly withdrew his hand and watched as she picked up her bag and walked out next to him. His gaze went time and again to her face, caressing her face, with his eyes, his heart memorizing every detail of this marvel of The Creator.

As they exited the bus stand, Vicky took a chance. "I'll drop you if you like... on my bike... I know where he lives..." he said, pointing towards his bike. Urvashi heard his words and looked at him, her brows knotting in seriousness, her eyes penetrating his very soul as if she could see deep, deep within his being. She studied him for what to Vicky felt like the beginning of forever. And then, he saw her fold her arms across her chest. Every moment was a frame magnified by his feelings, every movement was a swansong, that was forming a memory he would take to his grave. "Not required," he heard her say, all the while, feeling his breath in his ears, his heartbeat in his mind and his mind plummeting into hopeless love....

He watched as Urvashi walked towards some cycle rikshaws waiting nearby. She put her bag in one of the rikshaws and climbed in, without bothering to look back at him. He realized she was going away. The thought pushed him to her and he ran and stood in front of the rickshaw. "You don't want to ride with me... it's ok... let me escort you..." he asked, his legs spread out, his hands crossed at his chest, as she had done. Urvashi watched him and then smiled softly, "sure," she said, as he gave the address to the Rickshaw fellow.

In about 20 minutes, they reached a house, with a white and blue painted compound wall. The house itself would be some 12 feet from the main entrance, a clay tiled roof and seemed to be a squarish structure. A typical, Tulsi pot stood bang in the middle of the front yard. Vicky parked his bike some distance away from the house and the rickshaw stopped right in front of the gate. Urvashi got out of the rickshaw, paid the rickshaw puller the money and hauled down her baggage. Vicky stood some distance away, his eyes unwavering from Urvashi. "Vikram!" Urvashi called out to him. Vikram stood, looking around a couple of seconds, not realizing she was summoning him. Not used to being addressed as Vikram, he realized she was calling out to him. He jogged over to her sheepishly.

"I like to be called Vicky..." he told her, coming up close. Urvashi shook her head. "I somehow don't feel like calling you that...maybe not today... but someday... you will be better known as Vikram..." she told him. She had no idea why she said those words. But there was a strong feeling inside of her, a voice in her head. She didn't wait for him to react. "Come in and say your pranams to Pandit ji," she asked him.

Vicky stepped back. "No, I don't think he'll like it," he told her frankly. "Why is that?" she asked, her eyes curious and 3 vertical lines developing in between her eyebrows. "I am..." he searched for the words. "Who's there?" the voice came from inside the house. "Never mind, come in," shouted the male voice. Urvashi turned around, picking her bag in her hands and walked in, turning to beckon Vicky to come in. Vicky narrowed his eyes, scratched his head and walked behind Urvashi.

There was a cotton curtain, that blocked the view to the inside of the house. Urvashi parted the curtain aside and entered, the cool, brightly lit room. The outside heat seemed to have no effect on this room, with no air conditioning. And the cool room felt very inviting after the heat outside. A sigh escaped Urvashi involuntarily. "Namaste Pandit ji, I am Urvashi Jenkins," she said, opening her purse and pulling out an envelope. Kedarnath was a man in his early 60, but due to his disciplined life, he did not look older than 50, except the greying hair. His face was long and a few lines which his age could have caused, were beginning to appear on his face. His eyes, were sharp and they had a magnetic power, almost like he could read the person standing in front of him, like a book.