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|You and me, imprisoned in an adventure named love in a keyframe called forever and blending in every unknown universe|

by medicallymessedup

•present•

I was devotedly parting a small prayer in the traditional temple of Hidimba, with my eyes closed and hands folded in front of the deity. My faith gets stronger each time I bow down in front of the maker of this world, there's this divine connection I feel between myself and the almighty. He who never demands anything but truthfulness from me, who looks out for me in a way no one else can, he who makes me who I am, he wrote my destiny and knows me the best. Whatever he does, my hope and faith in him never fades. For us humans, he's like an infinite ray of hope in an ocean full of sorrows. No matter how a person is, somewhere, sometime in life had ardently pleaded to the supreme power.

I am no less either, each time I was disappointed, I found myself in front of him. He heard me, I knew. He would always do, I know. I am a minimal part of him and no way superior to him. We humans tend to forget him while enjoying the luxury of this materialistic world but our reality, the ultimate truth is him and nothing else.

The shrine priest offered me the prasadam that consisted of puffed rice which every tourist who came here, consumed with dedication. After a while, I came out of the crowded mandapa along with Chhaya who had accompanied me there earlier.

[ Prasadam - Sacred food]

[Maṇḍapa - It is a Sanskrit technical term translating to "pavilion" or "porch", which as a detached temple building serves various educational and recreational purposes.]

"Oye!" Sammy yelled, "Look here!" She shouted from afar posing at us with her camera. "Baby, smile widely!" She beckoned cogently and we complied, aware of her part-time hobby. "Say cheese!!"

I shook my head moving away to retrieve my shoes, "Later, Sammy. Later. Right now, spare me with your extravagant photography skills." Chhaya followed my lead as we both put on our footwear again.

My eyes wandered and ingrained the picturesque scenario of this heavenly abode of snow in the shells of an unforgettable memory. The moment I stepped out on this land, the pleasant air of this city gave me the freedom I've never felt before. The serenity and love for nature had clouded me without an effort.

"This place seems great, no?" I heard Chhaya imply and I couldn't help but agree. "No wonder why a man turns greedy to live his life in such a place. The snow-capped mountains, the melted glacial water floating through the creaks of age-old pebbles, the canopy of these vast trees, the closer touch of wet soil, the glorious peek-a-boo of the notorious sun. Everything here is a classic blend of peace. It's truly breathtaking." I told.

"I guessed it, right." Chhaya squealed, clinging on my arm, "Baby, you've fallen in love with Manali at the first sight. That means this trip is going to be memorable for you." I smiled, no doubt Sarah was highly enticed by my fondness of this hill station. "Well, I hope it is memorable. A human needs and desires harmony, especially when one is here, away from the run-down of our bustling lives. A break is all a tired mind and greedy heart deserves, and I'm no less."

"That's absolutely correct, my dear friend." Chhaya remarked, her voice filled with assurance and optimism. "Rest assured, the tranquility you are entitled to will definitely find you here. And I promise you that it will leave you craving for some more."

I chuckled, "How are you so sure, my dear friend?" I inquired, patting her cheek buoyantly.

She smiled wide and replied to me casually with a twinkle in her eyes, "Just like one of those things, my dear friend."

Before we could have talked anymore, Sammy and Bhavesh who previously went to try some local street food were again occupied in their meaningless bickering. The street vendor whom they had chosen to show off their unbeatable argument skills clearly appeared to be troubled and wanted them to leave his side asap for the waiting crowd he had to serve.

"What's wrong with you both?" I posed, walking over to reach them and both of them shook their heads in denial to my query. The fear of being caught is quite prominent in their otherwise careless demeanours.

"It does not look like anything." Chhaya quizzed, she was dubious just like me.

"Please, take your friends away from here Madamji. They're going to get my business shut down." The vendor spoke up instead and rather complained angrily. "Boni ke samay pe humara din kharaab karwa diye hai aapke dost log."

["Your friends have spoiled my day by interrupting the profit hour."]

"Why? What did they do, Bhaiya?" I inquired in palpable worry.

[Bhaiya - It is a local term used in India that refers to shopkeepers or anyone who's unknown.]

"Kya Bhaiya aap bhi kuch bhi bol rahe hai..?" Sammy protested but got nervous when I glared at her, along with her bodyguard who was equally under my condemning radar, "It's really not that big of a thing, Baby! Gole wale bhaiya to yuhi naraaz ho rahe hai. Humne kuch nahi kiya-"

["What are you implying, brother..? This ice candy seller is upset for no reason. We didn't do anything-"]

"Kya nahi kiye, huh? Aapne hamara samay barbaad kar diya hai.." The man criticized them in vexation, "This MadamJi and BhaiSahab had already made five of my customers run away by their baseless accusations."

["What had you not done, huh? You've ruined my time.. This Sir and Madam had already made five of my customers run away by their baseless accusations."]

"Saaf-saaf boliye na, Bhaiya. Inhone kiya kya hai aesa?" Chhaya reprimanded, getting impatient.

["Don't talk in riddles, brother!! What did they exactly do?"]

"Aap humpe na chillaya kijiye, MadamJi!! Humari galti nahi hai.." The vendor said grimly with the familiar pahadi accent dripping in his words, "Yeh aapke dost hi hamari dukaan pe aaye the gola lene phir jab hamne inhe gola diya, tab yeh humse puchne lage ki hum kya zameen pe giri hui baraf istemaal kar rahe hai gola banane ke liye. Inhone itni zor ki bewajah ka shor machaya ki hamare kuch grahak gola khaaye bina hi chal diye. Ab bataiye hum kya kariye?"

["Don't shout at me, Madam!! It's not my fault...Your friends came to my shop and asked for ice-candy, then they asked me if I had used the ice fallen on the ground to make ice-candy. They've created a ruckus for no reason and all my customers have left without eating. Now tell me what should I do?"]

What the holy grail!! How could they both be so stupid?!!

"Bhaiya, ab aesa bhi nahi hai!" Sammy defended, "Hum dono toh ek dusre se baat kar rahe the. Unhone suna aur bina khaye chale gaye toh hamari kya galti?"

["Brother, it's not even like that! We both were talking with each other. If they heard and went away then what was our mistake?"]

"Sammy-" I warned, asking her to shut up.

"Humne kuch galat nahi kaha hai waise bhi." Bhavesh added, forwarding his phone and playing a blogging video of a youth influencer, "Yeh dekho! Isme isne saaf dikhaya hai ki gole ke liye snowfall wali baraf use ki jaati hai." He kept it back later in his pocket, keeping his point above. "Ho gaya yakeen ab?" He retorted, looking at the vendor in criticism. "Public sab jaanti hai, Uncle!!"

["Anyway we didn't do anything wrong. Look at this! It's clear here that they use ground ice for making ice-candies. Do you believe us now? Public knows all of it, Uncle!!"]

The man gnawed his teeth at Bhavesh, displaying an unpleasant sight of him chewing tobacco. "Hum tumko batate hai abhi!!" He grouched, moving forward towards him when I stepped up to save us from the uncalled fiasco.

["I'll tell you just now!!"]

"Inka woh matlab nahi hai, Bhaiya!! Aap jaane de iss baat ko. Waise bhi hum yaha se jaa hi rahe hai." I proposed, "Aapka jo bhi nuksaan hua hain, wo aap hume bata de. Hum chuka denge."

["They don't mean it that way, Bhaiya!! You shall let it go. We are leaving from here anyway. Whatever loss you've faced, tell us. We will pay for it."]

"But, Ruchi-" Bhavesh shot up.

"Baby-"

"Guys, enough! Leave the matter now." I stated, leaving no room for debate and fetched out my purse to pay for the loss. "Go and locate the rest of our group and don't invite any more trouble." I laid it out clearly for both of them. They reluctantly left my side as I stayed back to pay the amount.

"Ab theek hai?" I inquired about the vendor and he nodded his head. "Apne dosto ka khayal rakhiye, MadamJi. Agar meri jagah koi aur hota toh woh unhe ese hi nahi jaane deta-"

["Take care of your friends, Madam. If it would've been someone else at my place then they would've not let it slide so easily-"]

I gave him a tight-smile in return, "You're right, Bhaiya! Aapki jagah koi dusra hota to woh inhe yuhi nahi chodta kyuki woh apni sachai saabit karta." The color of victory fell over his face hearing my words, "A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Keep it in your mind from next time because not everyone is like us. Apna aur apne kaam ka khyaal rakhiye, Bhaiya Ji!!" I suggested and walked away after adjusting the sling of my backpack.

["If it would've been someone else in your place then he wouldn't have let it go so easily because he would've proved his truth. Take care of yourself and your karma, brother!!"]

Though, I had paid him for the loss of his customers does not mean that I didn't catch his frustration on being caught red-handed by Samiksha and Bhavesh. The way he was adamant to prove his point had confirmed my doubt. A fine line of dirt I spotted on the ice, he had outside on his table was a thumbs up to my suspicion. Bhavesh and Samiksha's way of making it out was slightly wrong but the bigger culprit was the vendor himself who had chosen the wrong path to earn his profit. My final words were supposed to be the reminder of his illegitimate actions and maybe from now on he'd mend his ways.

When I was inside the hired bus, I closely observed Sarah and Vivek who were busy in their respective worlds since what happened in the train last night. They had sorted to silence and that was quite disturbing for me as I had a slight hint of the problem between them. I had voted to stay mum for now, giving both of them the much-needed time to solve their issues without me or anyone else negotiating into the matter. Bhavesh had patched up with Sarah during the morning itself while Vivek had been tremendously ignoring his best friend on the grounds of his unsettling anger. The start of this journey to Manali had begun on a rough note, I just hope for it to end smoothly without any further disturbances.

We had arrived early in the morning to Manali's railway station and checked into our guesthouse that we were supposed to stay at during our trip. Our tour instructor had suggested for us to rest for the early hours and then in the afternoon we decided to stroll around, starting from the nearest tourist spots.

"Boys and Girls! Let's have some lunch here in the local market." The instructor whistled in order to gain the attention of fellow students who were scattered around and later each of us entered into an open restaurant signaled by him.

This time, Chhaya and I had to drag Bhavesh and Sammy who continued to bicker over a pity colorless wristband and the seller was holding his head. I should literally give up by now, knowing them well, because they are never going to change.

The little restaurant had self-service so we got our mutual plates and sat on small wooden chairs and savored this enticing delicacy called Babru, going by the local name here. The owner fondly informed us about its speciality. The dish belonged to the Kachori family but had its own unique taste and picture of Himachali cuisine. The restaurant owner also served us a beverage called Lugdi. It was made from fermented rice or barley and had a low alcohol content, apparently.

[Kachori - Kachori is a famous Indian street food that is made with all purpose flour (maida) or whole wheat flour and has a rich filling made of a large variety of ingredients ranging between urad daal, moong dal, mawa, onion and Indian spices. Served with spicy aloo curry or different types of chutneys.]

The next day we went on an exuberant bike ride for Rohtang Valley and it was a monumental experience to carry by riding for almost 50 kilometers, parallel to the tempting snow enclosing us from either sides. It was located at a staggering height of 3978 meters above sea level, the pass offered us some of the most pristine views of the Himalayas I had ever seen. We visited some nearby stops to explore, like the Nehru Kund and Vashisht Hot Water Springs which was a whole new endeavor. Even the chilly, teeth-clattering winds and cold couldn't lessen any of our fun.

The third day we went to Jana Falls which was another alluring sight. I didn't know how to swim unlike my friends so I just managed to dip my feet in the water which was unbelievably cold. Although Sammy was persistent to take me inside with her for a lap. The water scared me for my life but I knew there was no chance for me to do it. Regardless of my reluctance, I was soaked wet by my crazy friends who heartlessly splashed some water on me, making me groan. Why in the world did we visit a waterfall on such a freezing day.

My friends were undoubtedly a bunch of lunatics!

My friends went to the other end of this place which was quite crowded while asking me to be cautious when I declined to join them. When they were long gone, I tried to go inside the water with precaution but retreated, the rocks were slippery. I immediately got out because an overpowering fear didn't let me see beyond.

I abruptly slacked down on one of the rocks with my eyes closed and legs dipped in water. The unfiltered silence brought back the thoughts of my reality back home. I wondered about my life which will change in the upcoming days when I get engaged to Aakash. A new relationship that would tie me down with several others, the responsibilities and duties I had no idea of until now, some newfound expectations from my fiancé and his family. The scary part was that I wasn't supposed to let down my father or my family's upbringing, the morals and credibility they instilled into me were supposed to be my identity in front of new people who would know me as the title of Aakash's-

A loud shriek left my lips when I sensed being forcefully pulled inside the water. What the hell was that? What aquatic creature wants to eat me up? I thought, terrorized.

I tried to get up but I was just getting mercilessly pulled down. I felt as if I'd drowned today but luckily I did not. Instead I soon started to feel good and confident with myself. As my body instigated for me to flap my feet and hands in the water on my own. I encouraged myself and managed to reach the surface, floating like a customary fish. Oh! It was so easy, just like Sammy said and that's when I felt an unknown tug at my arm. My eyes went up to meet a huge fish grinning at me, he was named Aryan freaking Mallik, who was having a huge smile..no, a freakin' face-splitting giggle, on that not so handsome face, he unfortunately possessed.

It still seems like a mini heart arrest for me.

He did this?

His unhidden snicker approved my dilemma.

How could he fuckin' doing this?

"Why the hell will you do that?" I yelled at him, my rage in the form of annoyance was getting on another level.

"I was just checking if you knew how to swim or not." He reinforced, "But you know, that's great." He replied smugly. "You could be a good swimmer in the future, Baby!! Congratulations." He voiced.

"What did you get from this and why in the first place did you want to know about my skills and test my strength and weaknesses?" I demanded. "I would've died with the stupid fun stunt you pulled up. Do you even give a flying fuck to care of the aftermath?" I carped, trying to know the reason for his moodiness.

"Stop overreacting." He bellowed, "You're very much alive and safe with me." He rolled his eyes at me and I had an urge to smack him in his head.

"You're fucking insane, Mr. Mallik!!" I shrieked, throwing my hands in the air and moved to get back on the rock where I was sitting before but due to carelessness, I ended up losing my balance. This time I was sure I'll be as good as dead when I began falling backwards but I never felt any pain or satan knocking at my door instead, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, which in turn made my heart to pound on the supersonic speed, something I could never imagine or might've felt.

I cautiously opened my eyes to stare into his familiar pair of hypnotizing orbs, they've never looked so deeper, darker and beautiful from far. The beauty of his eyes didn't do justice with the rest of his face. They're the most descriptive and readable feature for me to intercept. Aryan's hot breath fanned over my face with my hands cocooned around his neck and the surprising warmth radiating from his body had effortlessly paralyzed me. The cold water didn't feel any more freezing, the wind turned soothing for my burning emotions, the mess in my head was more prominent yet feasible at the same time.

Until when both of us finally realized our awkward stance, I looked everywhere but at him who was obvious to my flustered state. He made me steady on my feet, still dipped in the water as I gripped on his shoulder afraid to fall again.

"Can't leave me?"

That damn smirk!! I so wanted to scratch it or even peel it off without an ounce of guilt.

"I don't want to break my bones because of you, Aryan."

"Whatever sails your boat, Baby."

"Why are you so annoying?" I huffed as both of us got out of the water.

"You're such a crybaby!" He laughed, making me cringe internally.

How does he know this sweet as sugar nickname of mine?

"Shut up!" I snapped back walking to where my friends went, to avoid any more interaction with Aryan Mallik or else I would've been diagnosed with an abnormal blood pressure or worse, I might need an urgent heart transplant predicting from the way my organ was hammering against the ribcage.

"Aye girly, girl! You said you don't know how to swim." Bhavesh asked as soon as he saw me, "Did you learn it a few moments ago?"

"I don't know it even now. I just slipped in the water, that's all."

"Why do I feel that you're lying?"

"I.am.not.explaining.you." I asserted in a grim tone because I had to lie to try to prove my point. "Go and concentrate on your swimming lessons." He begrudgingly obliged leaving me to muse.

I had decided to not hunt him down throughout the day like some giddy teenager but my subconscious again retorted and I met Aryan's gaze, his exquisite pair of burning charcoal which unknowingly knocked me out of breath.

What a memorable first talk that was!

Lots of Love,

ANKITA