Dusky Moonlight

Chapter- 9

Rathi came out after taking a hot bath, a towel was wrapped around her body. Her hair dropping off the water on the corridor floor.

Coming inside the room, she changed into the saree that's placed in the bed. This one looked kind of new compared to the saree that she wore in the past two days. Now Rathi is experienced on how to drape it perfectly. But she's not used to this type of clothing and this lifestyle is somewhat stressing. She has nothing except her clothes and She doesn't have underwear or any other basic things a girl should have and she's feeling too awkward to ask that to Aadhiyan.

It feels like she's stuck in ancient times, there's no cable wires, the sound of vehicles and more importantly cell phones. She never used one properly before but she saw many people having that in their hands all the time whenever she goes outside with the Shankari.

She wondered how these people will connect to the external world, what they do when a tsunami or earthquake comes. What if they do when they fell too sick? And so on. But there must be something here to communicate with others; maybe Aadhiyan might have a phone here, she thought but her mind didn't allow her to think further and she turned her gaze to the mirror.

She was looking good in that maroon colored saree which weaved in an old design but looked gorgeous, and the shining zarigai (Zari) on the saree is made up of gold and silver. Her hand moved smoothly on the soft cloth and she smiled feeling its texture.

She loosened her hair that's tied in a bun, dried it with the towel; she saw there's a small wooden comb on the shelf near the mirror. Using that she brushed her tangled hair, braided it neatly and left the end free as she lost her hair tie in the pond.

She's turning beautiful, her skin is glowing like polished gold, her cheeks always carry the blush and her lips curl at the end thinking about Aadhiyan and reminding their weird moments.

When she's admiring her beauty, Aadhiyan entered inside with only a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and the water droplets were all over his dark skin. Rathi's eyes were not responding to her commands that she's putting in front, she blushed to see him in the daylight after yesterday's events and at last Rathi turned to another side in shy.

Aadhiyan's stern face immediately lighted up with a smile seeing Rathi.

Morning Aadhiyan asked Rathi to come with him to the cascade for taking bath but she refused without meeting his face.

She does want to go with him but she doesn't trust her emotions anymore after last night. She wanted to keep herself away from him but how could that happen when they were staying in the same house, in the same room and sharing the same bed. Though there's a thought in her head to avoid his advances and once again she couldn't do it at all.

The girl who came here a few days before isn't there anymore. Rathi is rapidly changing, her heart isn't obeying to her mind. She is totally indoctrinated by the mysteries and by the greatest distraction, Aadhiyan.

Her innocent desire and his evil intentions are like a moth to the flame, once the flame gets high it ends up leaving only ashes. It will be the ultimate destruction of the moth but the fire still glows. Aadhiyan knows what's their fate because he decides who's going to survive but Rathi has no idea about what she's actually dealing with.

"You got ready?" he asked coming in front of her when she's battling with these emotions. Rathi didn't answer right away and instead looked at his body in astonishment which is more than perfection. She's totally drowned in his manly presence.

"Yes," she stuttered.

"I will wait outside," she said before dashing out of the room. He can't help but smile looking at her face.