Lost And Found

2. Stranger

After a few moments of frustration and tiresome breaths I decided to move north.
I had decided not to rest.
That part of land looked uninhabitated by humans so there was no saying what could be in waiting for me out there.

I had heard my teachers say there were few settlements to the north of this small town.
So I walked north, wary and very tired.

I jumped at every small noise and screamed at every rustle of the knee-length grass.

I took a sip of water from by back pack and kept myself hydrated.
Beads of sweat started appearing on my forehead even though the temperatute might have been below 25°c.

I had walked three hours straight ,as my watch could tell when I saw a small flickering ray of hope in form of the network signal that appeared and disappeared on my mobile phone's screen

A little more. I pushed myself further with every effort I had.

My friends would be really worried for me.
I passed another fence and I knew I was at the extreme end of where I had started.

I could see little unkempt pathways traced into the grass.
So people were near.
I followed the most prominent one.
The sun was now right on my head sucking out the little life left in me.

Finally I pushed away a bunch of repulsive trees out of my way to see a few houses.

I ran to them with a sense of relief and safety.

I knocked the first door I could lay my hands on.
After a few forceful knocks on the door of the big house ,I supposed no one was home.

Disappointed I faced the other house.
I prayed eagerly that , it wasn't deserted like the first one.

Suddenly from nowhere , like magic in a magician's act, a blast of black smoke from a bike greeted my face.
I didn't mind it a bit.
Afterall you can always do a little scrub if you are alive and uneaten.

So when a shiny, sparkly bike stopped in front of me, I whooped like a child

God had sent me a knight , not on a horse, not even a vampire in a shiny volvo but still a human on a black motorcycle.

So the human in question waited in front of me and I waited too, not for the dramatic effect ofcourse but because I was breathless. And happy.
After retrieving my breath I swallowed before coughing out a dry, 'I'm lost.'

He stopped the engine and pulled out his helmet in an agonizingly slow manner.
I wanted to say' What are you? Some kind of hero? Comeon move your butt and save me .' but I stopped my sassy mouth from uttering the nonessentials.

Because

I was too busy staring his beautiful mouth for the next few seconds.
Or his eyes.
Or the muscular arm contained in the black leather jacket.

What are you? Some kind of unwinged angel?
Or a model straight from the runway?

I was internally verbalizing what I couldn't aloud.

He just gazed me up and down with a straight face like he didn't care about silly girls on Earth he was probably assigned to rescue.

'Please please help me.',I begged almost literally.

I was in too much trouble.
'How?',he said with the same indifferent face in a hard voice.

Even his voice had that 'I don't care. Stay away'attitude that just bugged me.

But I kept my pride at bay.
I was lost and he looked help.
He had transportation.
Voila!
I looked all puppy eyed at him and with all the positive hopes asked him,
' Can you take me back to Anne Child care and orphanage? Please.',I tacked at the end. I was that desperate.

I couldn't understand his expressions.
He had a blank face.
Maybe he was that kinda guy where they are just emotionless and hard.

He started the engine without answering me.
There went my all my false hopes.
I was about to wail.

But then he patted the seat behind him and said,' Sit.',in the sternest voice I had ever heard.
I hopped on my joy ride merrily.

The bike started with a roar ,his acceleratiom propelled me ahead, onto him.

I slowly detached myself ignoring the various static forces I felt at his touch and sat firmly on my seat.
He kept the speed to a decent 50 kmph.

It was so windy that afternoon that I could feel the dirt right into my mouth and taste it.

'phew',I spat the mud out again and cleaned my tongue literally with my hand.

He stopped the bike and before I could ask he removed his helmet and thrusted it in my hand.
'burrt whaart about youuu?',I said gladly putting my head into the bulky helmet.

He showed me his hanky and slowly and deliberately tied it around his face covering his lower half of the face.

Then he started the bike again.
Undisturbed by the winds now ,I had nothing to do. Exhausted from the morning's expedition and free safari, I started dozing off.

I woke up to find myself on a bike parked against a dirt road, drooling a little.
I selfconciously wiped away the drool.
'Whaart happen?',I said sleepily.

'See.',he begun frustratedly,'There's no seat belt in a bike. Stay awake.'

I nodded understandably.

My eyes fell on the network bars and I screamed with joy.
He looked at me irritatedly.

'I wanted to call and there was no network.',I explained with a pout while he looked at me like I had a bug on my face. Curiously as if he was deciding something about me or contemplating how he landed with me. I gave him my sweetest smile from behind the helmet. I bet he could see sarcasm drip from me.
He returned me an indifferent look.

I hurriedly dialled away.
'Samara.'

'Sarah where are you? Where have you been?Do you know we are worried sick?',Samara was shrieking.

'Hold your horses. I was lost. I am coming back. Relax. Will explain as soon as I return.'

Mr stranger was eyeing me now with a slight interest.

I had to do something just so I didn't doze off again and fell down.

As we sat on the bike again I popped the question, 'So what's your name again? I didn't catch it the first time you said.'

He started the bike and rolled his eyes before saying,' I never said anything.'

'My name is Sarah Fateh.',I said completely ignoring his jibe.

' Riyan, Riyan Khan.',he grunted actually.

Oh what a disinterested person he was!