Leave it to destiny

Chapter three/ Dacoits!!!

Hi! Dear reader...
Hope you have enjoyed reading the last few chapter.....
Sorry for the delayed posting but now will try for sure not let that happen
Please don't forget to vote....and know that i would love any feed back or comment from you.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
 

dheere se chali lahar hai hawa ki
mahka sa hai yeh saara jahaan
khili khili dhoop mein chal rahen hai dono
kuch ankahi chahatein hai durmiyan
nazaren mil rahi hain kuch aise
karna chah rahi ho kai afsane bayaan
Mujh se na pooch arzooen meri
Tera mere dil mein basar hai kab se
Ashiqui joh chad gayi parwan toh
Maang lunga phir tujhe hi tujh se

"Abhimanyu !! I was thinking of  taking a walk around. Want to join me? Thought it would be better than sitting here doing nothing."
He looked up....seeing the vision standing before him, he forgot what he was doing.....he would walk to hell if she asked! Huh!! Shit!! That sounded weird....and not him.. had he just thought that....he looked up at her..his breathing stuck in his throat. Had he said it aloud?.....seeing her innocent gaze unchanged towards him, he took a deep breath of relief, then nodded as he got up.
He looked around, as he stood there, she was beckoning him to follow her. It was late afternoon now, and he could see the man..Gauri's Kaka working on the engine of the car. He did not look done. No harm in walking, there was nothing else to do anyway.
"Kaka we are going for a walk!" Gauri called out.
"Don't go far betiya." Kaka was back bending over the car engine. Abhimanyu started walking without a word. There was a nice wet smell in the air. The fresh open air felt good. He always loved being out in the open. The rain had lent a cleanliness to everything around it. It felt good to be with nature. They walked through a rough narrow passage, till they came to a kind of a crossroad. They hadn't said much to each other since they had left the hut. But still it was a comfortable silence. As though they didn't need word between them all the time. He looked at Gauri, drawn to the light shining over her hair. Her eyes were glittering, a half smile on her tender lips. She was wearing a simple cotton saree, her thick long in a plait, falling over one shoulder. She was beautiful!! He had been entranced when he had seen her the first time a wet siren, his breath struck in his throat. As a village girl that night she had been even more compelling, he couldn't deny his desire for her. Now as this simple young girl....she blew his senses away. She had him, in her simplicity. Her eyes they, called out to him. She baffled him, he just didn't know what to make of her. That night on the road when he had found her unconscious, he had thought she was a village girl who had lost her way. He had been upset that she had left without telling him, but being a village girl she was out of his bounds. He thought better of going out to search for her. Just when he thought she was not to be he found her again so suddenly. Yesterday night she had been sitting in the hut like she was sitting in some english drawing room, all prim and proper in a genteel drawing room. He had seen the book she had been reading. A sanskrit version of Kalidasa's Raghvamsa. Did she even understand what she was reading. Sanskrit! Amazing! Most of the girls he knew were socialites, with basic education. But even the odd ones did not know Sanskrit! She was definitely more than she seemed. Every time he thought he had her figured out she manages to surprise him.  She gave him a smile as he saw him looking at her. So delicate! She was so delicate looking like a waif! He felt afraid to touch her, she looked like a wif of wind would blow her away. She intrigued him! He looked at her as she picked a straw from the ground and stretching it out she started walking. The straw rubbing against the tall line of sugarcane. Who was she! He wanted to get to know her.
They turned left making for the orchard in front of them. There were rows of pomegranate tree to one side and mulberry tree on the other side.
"Mulberry!! I love mulberry." She yelled out. An innocent happiness on her face. He was enchanted by this elfish hoyden who ran so unconsciously towards a low hanging branch.
And lifted her hands to pluck one. The branch was out of her reach. She looked questioningly at it. How to get it down to her reach...and lo behold it dipped. The juicy berries suddenly in front of her eyes. His presence near her made her turn. He stood there quietly smiling, as he held the branch for her. She..she couldn't. She kept looking at him, so arrested by him, his nearness.
He was a handsome man, but she had met many men who were more handsome, than him. There was something about him, she knew not what. She was so attracted to him. She wanted to be with him.
Plucking a few of the ripe, juicy berries she quickly put them in her mouth. Heaven! They were amazing. Her eyes looked at her companion as she put some more into her mouth, actually stuffed into her mouth. She smiled guiltily, as she lifted her palms to offer him some too. He smiled as he picked some and ate too.
"My hands!" She looked ruefully at the mess her hands were in.
"There should be water somewhere around." He looked around, then pointed further ahead where he could see troughs. They walked further ahead into the orchards. Seeing a trench up ahead, they walked over. Abhimanyu stepped down and scooped some water into the cup of his palms.
"It is clean! You can drink it even."
He offered her his hand, as she steeped down. Sitting on one side she bent down and washed her hands.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. What was it about her. She made him uncomfortable and yet so comfortable at the same time. Ughh! Was he even making sense. He turned to look at her. She had stilled. Suddenly she turned, lifted her finger put it to her lip. He looked at her sudden stillness, puzzled at her behaviour.
"Quiet!" She whispered. "I think I heard something."
She quickly turned and keeping low moved a little ahead and peeped over the side of the trench. She kept looking at something, still as a statue. Suddenly she turned and ran towards him.
"Quick!"She was now running in the water as she crossed him pulling him along as she moved up. Literally jumping over the mound she pulled him along as she made for the nearest tree.
Hiding behind the thick trunk, they peeped out. He saw two men carrying some cooking utensils, squat over the trench washing their dirty vessels. They looked like ordinary men...just some ordinary village men, in off- white dhotis and short off-white kurtas. She was being fanciful. Girls! And he thought she was different. He got up to walk over to talk to them when a tiny hand pulled him down.
"Shhh! Stay." To his chagrin, she looked irritated with him. He looked up at the men, thinking of calling out to them. He opened his mouth, but just then... a man came sauntering down to join the two men. He was carrying a rifle. They had his attention now.
He quietly moved back, but lost his footing, as he stepped into a hole. He turned as he fell, a yell coming out. He was stunned for a moment. He lifted his head, as he drew a dazed breath.
"Are you alright?" She looked concerned. He nodded.
"Damn! I think they heard us. We need to move or they will find us. Quick!" He got up and followed behind her as they scurried behind some bushes running opposite to the the way they had come. But suddenly he halted turned looked around, then he roughly pulled him behind a tree.
"What!" She simply shook her her and looked in the direction they were running towards. Two men holding rifles were walking towards them.
"Hariya!" A voice called out. Immediately one of the men looked up. A man came running up.
"We heard a sound. Someone yelling." The man from the trench, came up.
"No-one has come this way. Or we would know." He nodded. "Maybe it was just some animal.
"Sardar* said we need to secure this area. We are spending tonight here. There is just an old man some few kilometres away. He shouldn't be posing any threat. Hariya, you and Bhola, secure this are, I will take Madhav and secure the other side."
The men nodded to each other as they broke away.
Abhimanyu could feel the small trembling body in front of him. She must be afraid but she had been surprisingly strong.
"We need to hide. God knows what they will do if they find us." Abhimanyu was worried about Gauri. Damn! A young woman getting caught by dacoits, there was no saying what all they .....
"But where to hide. This is all flat land..." They looked around for a suitable place. The trees...no! They were too small..the branches would not be able to take their combined weight. What to do!! He looked about desperately. They needed to get away from here, but with the dacoits all around, they would never make it. "There!" He pointed to a large tree. "We can climb up and stay hidden there." It was the safest bet they had at the moment. He looked around, the dacoits! He could see them, they were busy their attention on what they were doing. Thankfully they had no one on guard.
"We have to go now."
"Stay low." She said as they moved towards the tree without further adieu. Haste was of the utmost importance. Moving from one tree to another, they kept looking out for the two dacoits who were still very much near them.
"You go first, I will look out, till then." She simply nodded as they reached the tree, up on the top it had thick foliage. Without hesitation she nimbly started climbing up. He was breathing hard when he reached the branch she was resting against. Thank God! They were safe for the moment. He looked around. Satisfied that it would be difficult to find them in this dense foliage. He turned to look at Gauri and did a double take. What the hell! What was she holding in her hand? He didn't know how to react. A pistol! The lady was holding a pistol!

It was getting dark, and the situation was not getting any better. The dacoits had set up their camp just some distance from their tree. They had been perched on the tree for god knows how long. Gauri was worried about Kaka. It was already quiet dark and if  kaka decided to come searching for her, she knew not what she would do. But then he knew she could take care of herself.
Abhimanyu looked at Gauri perched some distance from him. She was sitting so calmly, as if it was sitting in a palour having tea. He was amazed at how she had behaved when they had come face to face with the dacoits. Like she faced them everyday! And the pistol? Did she even know how to use it? Where had she hid it?
Well! It was just her luck to be stuck here on this tree with a handsome man and yet not know what to say. But they could hardly talk, the dacoits were too near. Maybe if they got down once it was a little darker and circled around..... they could make it back to safety.
There were twenty of them. He couldnt take a chance, with Gauri. But how long they sit here on this branch. They have to do something. And what about the others back at the hut?....
"Gauri!!...." He whispered.
"Abhimanyu !" She said at the same time. They paused looking at each other. Then smiled.
"We need to get out of here." Gauri looked at the mesmerising face in front of her.
"The dacoits will catch us first, if we speak so loud. I think you should come a little closer. Here, this part of the trunk is strong enough to take both our weight." He moved over a bit giving her space towards the trunk side, to sit on.
"Ok! We need a plan. We cannot just indefinitely sit here."
"I know what to do!......I think!" She shrugged as she looked at him. His eyes they were so deep, like deep still pool, attracting her into their depths. Huhhh! Did she just say that......
He drew a deep breath in. Her fragrance! He could smell a light rose fragrance emitting from her. It was tantalising. He never realised he like the smell of roses, so much.......
"Hmnn..what!" Her nearness was making it difficult for him to concentrate. He wanted her, and he knew not how to hide that fact from himself, let alone her.
"Once it gets dark, the dacoits are going to stop moving around and settle down. We can then get down and move away from them in the opposite direction....."
"And take a wide circle around and make our way back to the hut..."
They looked at each other smiling, both had been thinking the same thing. Yes! Finally! Things were looking up..... that is till the heavens literally opened up.....and it started pouring all around.

Abhimanyu slowly pulled out his watch, and looked at the dial. He could just about see the pin pointing to ten. It was quite late side ways and looked at the four men slumbering under their tree. He held on to the slight form of Gauri, as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree. They were both wet and cold, both were exhausted and hungery. And yet all he could think of was the woman in his arms. It had started raining some time back and four of the dacoits had come and made their bed on the other side f the tree. They had moved into a hollow curve, it had managed to keep them safely hidden but also brought them into too close a proximity to each other. But the rain had got to them and now they were sitting there wet and cold. Strange! Inspite of it all, he was quite happy. He hated the rains, yet he felt happy and content. A soft movement made him suck his breath, as Gauri moved more closer to him. She was sitting in front of him, in the curve of his legs. And he could feel her every move, and...his body was readily reacting to it to.
He was ....he didn't know what it was about her, but she took his breath away. He couldn't stop thinking about her.
There was nothing ordinary about her, or the manner she kept meeting him in.....
First time that he saw her, all wet in a dark a-clove, he had been spell bound. She had been magical. A crooked smile lit his face, as his thoughts went back to the night he had first seen her. He hadnt been able to get her out of his mind for days and just when he thought it was all over.,that she was just a dream..he found her again...in the middle of the night on the highway lying unconscious on the road. He had lifted her in his arms, and felt so alive. He had felt a strong pull towards her. A desire he had never felt before. He had, a difficult time controlling his desire that night. She was obviously an innocent for she didnt seem to realise his desire for her. She hadn't seen his reaction to her. Then she had disappeared in the middle of the night. She kept disappearing as mysteriously as she kept appearing in front of him. And yesterday night he for sure hadn't expected her to be sitting there in that hut. And now here she was in his arms. And it felt so right, so perfect......

Kuch ruke ruke se lamhe
Kuch  qurbat* ke yeh pal
Nazdikiyon ki yeh ibteda*
Ajeeb Justaju* hai aaj kal
His pe mere qaboo nahi
Yeh kya justaju hai tujh se lagi
Kyo dil ko hai tujh hi se qaraar 
Yeh ashiqui hai kyon samjhe nahi

Qurbat- closeness
Ibteda- beginning
Justaju - longing
His- senses