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|Some sour and others sweet. Our journey is a tangy blend of singularity|

by medicallymessedup

•present•

The morning rays of a hesitant sun stirred me out of the slumber I had somehow got only after midnight. The exhaustion of my body felt betrayed by the power nap I received. There weren't any bad dreams to make me scream and I had slept thoroughly for once. Such peaceful nights were a rare treat to my abnormal routine so my greed was justified.

I moved around to bring my lethargic being on track. I fluttered my eyes open with great difficulty hoping to get them adjusted to the blinding light that greeted me. The faint chirping of birds made me smile cozily, the serenity in the fresh air at this altitude cooled my twitchy heart and lovingly patted me to an inviting slumber. Oh, how I wish to stay here...for a bit more!!

But soon my eyes googled in complete shock when I comprehended Aryan's presence close to me. He was carelessly snoring softly with his head tucked upon his arm, on the cot next to my injured foot. He really slept in a very uncomfortable position last night.

My eyes blinked, unable to perceive his recent actions around me. His encouraging words, his heart-warming smiles, his confused retorts, his utmost care, his soothing actions, his grand gestures, everything was like an unfulfilled wish. I had desired for all of it but not from him yet having him felt like a blessing in disguise.

Why is he concerned for me so much?

Is this the Aryan everybody knew until now or the one whom I was left with was a doppelganger? Or am I beginning to hallucinate things?

I didn't realize that for how long I had been gawking at his face without a break until Aryan abruptly woke up and caught me red-handed.

Can I be brazen anymore?

Have I lately acted as a creep? The answer was, yes, in a way.

The implication itself made me turn my face away from him instantly.

'Ruchi, control!!' I scolded myself, 'Aryan Mallik is not a magic mirror who will rate your beauty!!'

"Baby!" I hummed literally begging my reflexes so that I wouldn't end up flapping my imaginary wings like a duck after hearing my name from his mouth as the first thing in the morning. The smoky note in the word had already ignited a firework inside me. How dangerous can an infatuation be? "How long are you awake?" He asked me.

"A while ago." I answered, trying to get up from the cot or it would be right to say that I wanted to get away with my self-woven awkwardness.

Aryan clumsily sat up on the cot absolutely disregarding my presence. It's not like I would have complained for now but his next words did something more than just ignoring me and erasing the small notion that had formed in the back of my mind. I was more than just thankful for all he was doing for me but my gratitude vanished into the thick air.

"If your beauty sleep is over now then can we leave this enchanting wonderland and find a safe way out?" He straight away bashed at me for nothing.

I was taken completely off the hook. Somehow, I opened my mouth to respond but only air came out but an unwanted vexation winded up in my head. He cannot talk to me in that condemning tone at no fault of mine!!

"I was not planning on staying up here if you notice, Sir." My voice came out purely sarcastic. "Aur agar itni hi jaldi thi toh yaha ruke hi kyu the? Also you could have woken me up! Why didn't you do it then?" I added trying to not lose my temper at him.

["And if you were in such a hurry, then why did you stay here at all?"]

"I won't waste my time on you!!" He discounted my words. "Now let's go!!"

Why did he out of the people have to be my companion in such a situation?

I too impassively stood on my legs forgetting the pain lingering on my foot. The blood had stopped flowing out earlier in the night but the lack of painkillers and proper bandage increased my agony. The stains of blood on the handkerchief had dried up and sufficed more than enough.

"Are you serious?" He snapped at me, "Will you be able to walk this way, Ruchi? You're hurt!!"

He had got some guts to ask me this when a moment ago he was indirectly blaming that he was stuck here due to me. My eyes shot warning daggers at him as he inched me closer and lifted me up but I was angry.

Damn this Aryan Mallik!

"I don't need your help, Mr. Mallik!!" I objected, "I can walk. Thanks for your generosity!!" I wiggled in his hold. "Leave me, Aryan!!" I demanded.

"Stop being stubborn for once, Baby. You need first-aid and that isn't possible for the upcoming days if you try to walk now. My phone is dead too and we have no other way except to get out of here if we don't wish to see another encounter with some wild animal." He pointed with a tired face and subsequently mumbled, "Also, I'm sorry. I should've not talked to you like that. It was so wrong of me-"

"Don't worry, Mr. Mallik!" I told him through my teeth, "I'm used to becoming a target of other's frustration. It's nothing new to me."

A crucial line of torment crossed his eyes which soon turned stolid.

"It's my fault, Ruchi. I understand that I should apologize for my crass actions." He reciprocated, "I had evidently hurt you."

Had it been some other time, I would've swooned over his etiquettes but not right now.

"Dard dene wale ko maafi nahi milti, Mr. Mallik!" I authenticated with a slight edge to my tone.

["The one who hurts cannot be forgiven, Mr. Mallik!"]

"But-" He quaked.

"And there's no point in worrying about me but the fact that we are here together."

I can't bear one more incident like last night. For me, already one animal was enough to go.

Luckily none of us didn't argue further. I had allowed him to do whatever was in his mind. We both were heading without any break in between hopeful to find a way out of the never-ending woods. The more we walked, the more twisted it felt.

The sun was going to set without any trace of being rescued and I had started to feel jittery yet again.

"Where is the way?" I quipped, "We are traveling deep inside the circle rather than escaping out of here."

"Do you have a better option?" Aryan debated sensibly, "We can't just sit idly and wait for someone to spot us because there are mighty animals here."

"Our departure was scheduled for today, Aryan." I faltered, "We are missing and stranded nowhere. Didn't our friends try to find us? Didn't they realize that we both are absent?"

"Who are you talking about?" He inquired in confusion.

"Who? Who?" I chastised, "My friends, stupid!" My eyes glossed with a fresh batch of tears, "My family..they would've been worried for me. They're awaiting my arrival."

"They couldn't have found us easily even if they tried." Aryan's soft voice cocooned me in a spell, "I won't leave you here, alone or on your own. I'm here with you. Trust me, Baby!!"

His eyes held a unique promise which was firm and more stronger than my hopelessness and our dreadful situation. His mere words made me feel sensations more than someone else had ever been. I don't know what it has to do with the conflict I was muddled into but it successfully soothed a burning part of me.

Aryan Mallik and everything about him was like a mirage. I'm afraid that I'd get closer and be left disappointed.

"Hey, Baby! Look there..." He pointed down the passage from where we were, "It looks like there's a tribal village." He enunciated, "We can ask the way from there by the locals. C'mon we need to rush." I suggested and he agreed.

Aryan paced towards the steep slope with me secured in his arms. He was blindly running on the sidewalk like a mad bull who just saw red.

"Aryan!!" I yelled and hurriedly shook his shoulder, "We will skid!! Slow down!!"

"I won't let you fall, Baby!!" He responded back and stopped near a teenage boy who was plucking some tomatoes from the wild vines.

I couldn't explain my happiness upon finding a human existence.

But then I remembered something and pinched the culprit hard on his neck making him jump and shriek in stinging pain.

"Wha-t are you doing?" He hissed in annoyance, "Baby!!"

"For your stupidity!" I replied equally vexed, "Stupid!!"

Then my eyes followed the adolescent who looked terrified witnessing our little fight. I hope he isn't traumatized by our actions for his life.

"Hey, boy!" Aryan waved at him but he remained unmoving in shock. "Oye, bache sun-"

["Hey, boy listen-"]

"He cannot listen. I think-" Aryan mumbled in my ear, "Baby, do you know sign language?" I elbowed him.

Aryan Mallik is officially a dumb nuisance. He has this superpower to tickle my impatient nerves each time he opens his mouth to speak.

"Stay quiet! Let me do the talking." I hushed him and propelled me to put me on my feet. I held Aryan's arm for support and neared the boy who was staring at us in shock.

"Hello!!" I acknowledged him, "Me and my friend have lost our way. Do you know how we can reach the highway?" I asked.

He nodded his head but still didn't utter a word ahead.

"Look at me!" Aryan entreated the kid and moved his hands up in the air, "High-" and crouched down touching the narrow pathway, "Way?" He gestured again while imitating the question.

"You're so dumb, Aryan!" I criticized, "Have you ever played dumb charades?" He opened his mouth to answer but I cut him off, "Kabhi khelna bhi mat kyuki tumse nahi ho payega, stupid!"

["Never even play because you won't be able to, stupid!"]

"Har baat mein mujhe beizzat karna zaroori hai kya!?" Aryan carped.

["Is it necessary to insult me in everything!?"]

The boy giggled hearing our exchange and Aryan made faces at him forgetting the real task at hand.

"Sadak ka rasta kidhar se hai?" I questioned him.

["Where is the way to the road?"]

"I don't know but you can ask my mother. She's in the kitchen, Didi. Come to our house." He told and directed us to a small place where a man was smoking a cigar in the verandah.

[ Didi - correspondence to someone who is similar an elder sister ]

"Yeh kaun log le aaya tu?" The man shouted at the boy who cowered away in fear and told us to wait so that he could call his mother.

["Who have you brought along with you?"]

"Sir, we have lost our way!" I said but he paid no regard to my words.

"Who are you both?" The man asked, scrutinizing both of us under his shrouded gaze.

That one question did nothing but fuelled up Aryan's anger for some reason and he ended up using harsh words. "Why the hell do you want our identity? Why don't you just tell us the way out here and mind your bloody damn work-"

This was something I highly despised in him. He had a tendency to lose his cool attitude in less than a minute. "Aryan please," I tapped on his arm signaling him a no, "Sir, we were lost last night from our friends as we had been here for a trip. Could you please guide our way from here so that we could return back to the city?" I laid it on in words so that he didn't take Aryan's disrespectful words for a reason to not help us.

"Don't worry, Madam!!" A woman rushed out of the house along the boy, "I can tell you-"

"Go inside, woman! You don't know a thing." The man bellowed to her who I had supposed to be his wife then he turned to us, "We don't know but our village heads must be knowing." He stated.

"It is fine with us if your wife tells." I started, "We just need to get back home. Inhe pata hai toh inhe batane dijiye-"

["If she knows then let her tell-"]

"She doesn't know anything." The man mocked his wife and she looked down in humiliation, "You both come with me." He walked away.

How can he talk like that with his wife? Does he usually behave like that with his woman?

"Thank you!" Aryan said and smiled at the woman in gratitude, "Apne hamari madad karne ka socha na, isliye!"

["You thought to help us and that's enough!"]

"Welcome!" The woman smiled back, "You can go and share your problem with our village head. He is a good man and will help you for sure."

"Hope so!" I mumbled.

"What was the need to request him?" Aryan chided when we followed the boy's lead who was named Lekh.

"Don't you need to get out of here and for that we need to convince these people in order to get out of here." Even my monologue couldn't get some sense into his head.

"Baby! You're so innocent."

Lekh stopped outside a huge two storeyed wooden house. His father and a man that I reckon must be in his late fifties observing his wizened face with a long white beard, a pair of calculative eyes, white clothes and a traditional pahari turban. He indeed looked like those community presidents shown in bollywood movies but I just hope that he doesn't turn out as a negative character in our story.

After he heard our situation and agreed to help us.

"Sir, we have been stuck here badly and we do not have any idea about the way to get out. Please! Help us."

"You're lost so we're obliged to help fellow passengers." He said but then examined us with another suspicious look, "Are you boy and girl together?"

It was quite a scandalous question but we had to answer the truth anyway. Aryan and I shared a familiar face and I took it on me to clarify his doubts.

"We are-"

"You must be married otherwise a boy and girl are left alone, it's not possible." An older woman pointed out and I had to snort at it.

Every boy and girl isn't obligated to be married to get lost.

"Actually, Aunty we are coll-"

"Yes, father!! Of Course, they both are together." A girl of our age came along with a man, "You see, Didi is injured and she urgently needs first aid." She held my hand and inaudibly asked us to play along.

"Uh, yeah!! We were here to visit Manali after our marriage." Aryan prattled like a parrot.

What the hell!! Who was this girl?! And why in God's name Aryan abiding by her words!? We are not married or even related for that subject!!

"What are you doing-" I began to protest and glaring at Aryan for lying but that girl again cut me off.

"It's alright, Didi." The girl patted my shoulders in reassurance, "Father will help you."

"You will help us, right?" Aryan asked, confirming the stakes of his fabricated lie.

Wow! Just fuckin' Wow!!

"Of course!! We will help you." He delineated with a hearty laugh, "But boy, it is risky to roam out at night but our village fellows will help you early in the morning. They work outside on the main road and they'll gladly guide you till the road and from there you can reach the bus station." He alluded.

"Thank you, Sir!! Thank You so very much." Aryan shook hands with him and I had no other option but to impersonate his newly-wed shy wife.

"You both can stay in our house till then, children. My daughter and son will help you." The polite woman who I assumed to be the head's wife implied, "Saru will show you the room for the night."

"No worries, mother. My brother and I will help them settle." The same girl interrupted and I couldn't have been more satisfied. I want to confront her about compelling us to concoct lies.

"This way, Madam." The Ananda girl and her sibling Anand, came ahead to escort us.

Ananda reached out to help me out to walk but Aryan beat her to it.

"I'll carry her. Don't worry." He told her but I anyway couldn't help but glare at him.

"This is your room for the night. You can change into these for the night. Please call me or my brother if you need anything." Ananda cited unlocking the wooden door and walking us inside. The space was quite maintained to be called a guest room in a remote village.

Don't tell me if they have entertained more people like us before.

"Sure, Ms. Ananda." I smiled at her in delight but posed a necessary question, "But why have you asked us to lie to your people?"

"I know that you both are not married but you don't have any idea about the orthodox mentality of our community. It might be normal in the cities but here even if a teenage girl is spotted with a boy for unknown reasons they are probably summoned to a marriage." She informed me. "Doesn't matter even if they're strangers."

"How can they do that!?" I debated, "It's an illegal crime."

"They're the typical norms here and if you would've denied them then possibly you would've met the same fate." Anand supported his sister's dialogue.

They took their leave leaving me behind with Aryan in the room.

"Those who are not able to get married should visit this village." Aryan leered with a dreamy smile on his face, "Bina kuch mehnat kare hi shaadi karwa denge yaha-"

["They'll get a person married without any hard work-"]

Oh! How can I forget him!!

I smashed his face with a pillow lying on the bed, "Why did you say that we're married?" I questioned when he turned after shutting the door.

He stared at me as if I had declined that two and two was altogether four, but answered nonchalantly. "Haven't you heard what Ananda and Anand said? What about the deceptive faces of the entire village when you were about to slip a no out of your mouth?" He solicited, "They would have thrown us out if I didn't make the final call."

He had a point.

"But we're not married so instead we could have made some other excuse." Also there was another reason, "And will you jump into the well if a girl asks you to, huh?"

"Then exactly what had you expected me to do?" He crossed his hands over his chest making me sulk at his indispensable attitude, "It doesn't even matter once we reach Delhi. It's not like you are my wife for real." He moved his eyeballs cornering me, "Heck!! I never thought of it but do you want to be my wife?" His voice was dripping with a tempting suggestion, "Mrs. Ruchi Aryan Mallik? It sounds great."

Fuck! Where is this going?

"No!" I stated, "That's not possible ever. You know that we don't have a match. Besides, it's just a compromise. I'm getting engaged very soon." I replied solemnly moving away from him and an unexpected knock on the door broke our little session.

"Who's it?" Aryan grunted, triumphantly bleeding out a furious growl from my mouth, "I didn't learn telepathy. Go and check."

Throwing a dirty look over his shoulder he reached out to check, "Wh-Woahh!!"

"Ananda Didi has prepared food for both of you. Please, come with us." Two little girls passed the message to us and left handing me the turmeric paste to treat my wounds.

"You all are very helpful. We're really sorry if you've been troubled because of us." I spoke to Ananda's mother who was a kind lady.

"Not really, dear. We're thankful that you found our village, otherwise it's very dangerous in the forest." Ananda imparted on her mother's behalf who beckoned us to have our meal.

"Didi," Another girly voice took my attention, "You're very lucky to have such a handsome man as your husband."

"He's so in love with you." Ananda's friend giggled.

I scattered away my eyes from her to Aryan and observed that every other girl in the room had been gawking and stealing glances at him in awe.

Oh, Aryan Mallik!!

You can have your fangirls anywhere and everywhere.

I had no idea that portraying his wife could be this difficult. It was like gulping down a spoonful of bitter liquid. Why did he have to be the celestial of attraction among strangers or anyone?

The dinner was a homely affair as we heard from the village people. Ananda and Anand had completed their education from the town. Most of the people here were making a living by herding and rearing cattle because most of the new generation was inclined towards shifting to cities. They found happiness in their daily works and were perpetually fond of their usual life.

Lately, we retired to our allotted room.

"The dinner was awesome, Baby!!" Aryan exclaimed, jumping like an excited kid, "Ananda filled me with its name. What was it called again-?"

"Dham."

[Dham - Dham is a traditional vegetarian festive meal of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The platter includes thick yogurt based gravy made from chickpeas, tangy soup made with black chick peas, a creamy gravy of black lentils, a steamed rice, sundried lentil squares cooked in onion tomato gravy, cottage cheese and green peas curry, a tangy dry Pumpkin vegetable curry, a spicy Lotus Stem dish, a flavorful sweet rice with saffron and dry fruits, salad.]

"Yes! Madra, Kale chane ka khatta, Maa ki daal, Chawal, Mukund wadi curry, Matar Paneer, Kaddu ka khatta, Bhey, Meethe Chawal, Salad. Maza aa gaya!! The richness of the meal is still bursting on my tongue." He blathered, "More delicious than the cuisine served in five-stars hotels."

["I am delighted!!"]

"Indian cuisine isn't bad if you try." I piped, "You always have continental and mediterranean cuisine so you must have missed the comforting touch of our motherland." I alluded.

"How do you know about my food preferences?" He asked and this was my turn to retrace.

Why the hell do I open the mouth at the wrong times?

How can I admit that I had been stalking him for months?

"I know that students like your group, which usually like to trouble people and enjoy their misery by picturing yourselves as the cool dudes." I depicted, "You won't be consuming our cuisine. People nowadays like to flaunt their foreign habits so I just guessed it and as you say it turned out to be true."

He hummed, "I had not completely deleted it from my diet but when my servants often serve me with them as their regular brunch. Indian either is eaten over my parent's place or I sometimes cook for myself."

"You know cooking?" I was too curious to believe him.

"Yeah, I do enjoy cooking."

"You really know how to cook? As in typical Indian cuisine and others?"

"Ofcourse, I do. I'm not just boasting about it and I'm certainly good at it." He professed with a big smile.

"Why didn't you say that when Ojas asked you in the class? You denied it right away. Are you keeping secrets from your friends?" I prodded him without a filter to my thoughts.

"Wait a second, how do you know all this unless you're anonymously ambushing me." He narrowed his eyes on me and I had to avert my eyes from him being a culprit.

Baby, go again and soak a little more about what he does everyday. Which car does he drive? How many times does he shower? What is his go-to color? What does he like to wear the most or-?

"Are you, Baby?"

"Stop calling me that thing first and I'm not stalking you Mr. Mallik because I have more productive work to do than something like that for you." I rebuke, hiding my nervousness.

"You should find better ways to conceal the obvious facts, Baby." He preened, "I know that I'm exclusively charming and undeniably hot so every girl drools over me. And you are-"

"I'm an exception, your highness!" I charged, "It's better to get blind if someday I'd get crazy over your beauty." I hide the irksome feeling crawling on my skin, "Even in this village you have got a good number of admirers including your dearest Ananda but thankfully I'm not one of them." I advertised the last line in a cheeky way.

"Why are you adding Ananda in every conversation?" He rebuffed, "And you are an exception, I know." He and his narcissistic syndrome are incurable. "Even though you're ready to marry someone else, I know that you still have a crush over me, Baby. He must be smart enough to gain some attention but he's exactly not your perfect type."

I omitted Ananda and concentrated on his query.

"He's not my perfect type, how can you say that?" I vocalized, "He likes me anyway so type or not, it doesn't matter."

"Fine! Then do you love Aakash?" He asked, turning to face me, catching me off guard.

Why can't he drop this topic already.

"Wha..at do..do you mean? I a..am..getting engaged to him so it's obvious." I stuttered under his gaze.

"Your words do not match with your eyes, Baby. You don't love him cause your heart is already submitted to someone else."

"What are you-?"

"Your love for him doesn't even let his name slip out of you. What other evidence do you need?" He clamored, "Isn't it obvious?"

"I don't love anyone else."

Liar!

Liar!

Liar!

"You're a terrible liar, Baby. I know you don't love your so-called to be-fiancée." He declared, "Why are you marrying him? You can get anyone."

"I don't want anyone Aryan." I had already laid it out for him crystal clear, "My family likes him and they think he's suitable for me. So, I'm good with it. Aakash is a nice person; besides that, any girl would like him."

"You live in your own dream world, Baby." He disparaged, "And certainly a marriage doesn't work like you think."

"Let's call it a night Mr. Mallik." I interpreted, "We need to leave early in the morning. Goodnight!"

"Yeah, goodnight!" His faint whisper came indicating he was sleepy too.

But sleep wasn't going to be near to me tonight.

Lots of Love,

ANKITA