Part 26

The group had called in an early nighter as they had to begin prepping for the next day even before the daybreak. Most of them were fast asleep as it had been a long and exhausting journey followed by lessons. However, one restless soul kept tossing and turning on the make-shift bed on the far side of the tent pitched in army camouflage colours. The flashes of images were still fresh in her mind and she couldn't figure out why she kept seeing them. The man seemed familiar but she was sure she had never seen him before. But then, why did she call him Sameer.

Somewhere far, another soul was equally restless. He had been trying hard to connect with her but there was no response. He hadn't even realized that he was pacing the room for hours now, occasionally stopping and staring from the window into the moonlit sky and closing his eyes, but no fragrance of her could he find. There was absolutely something amiss and he was sure. The only problem was how to find her as their only connection was through their psyche, and right now, that couldn't be established.

Finally, giving up on the hope of any sleep for the night, Naina sat up, and suddenly remembered that she hadn't connected with him all day. It alarmed her that it might have spooked him, as if she went AWOL. She tried to connect but it didn't happen. It surprised her as it was pretty easy these days but she closed her eyes and focussed again; still, didn't work. Now the alarm turned to confusion and ahe felt suffocated. She got up and walked out of the tent. Lanterns were hung outside each tent illuminating the area in a soft glow. She grabbed the one outside her tent and started to walk aimlessly in one direction. What she didn't realize was that ahe felt pulled towards those rocks and was following the path inadvertently. When she neared the area, she mentally berated herself for walking in the restricted zone. She was about to turn back when the flashes and images held her back. Her feet couldn't turn around and all she could do was move in the direction of the rocks.

Once she reached closest to it, the conch-shaped inscription illuminated yellow in the soft lantern light. She crouched down and placed the lantern near the rock. Her being forced her and she couldn't resist; her hand out of its own volition reached out and traced the inscription. She closed her eyes and let herself be pulled in. She traced the outlines and those came alive as if freshly c carved, none had observed them to be so distinct even in broad daylight. She felt she could understand what was written without having to read it as if it brightened only for her.

This time she closed her eyes and it weren't just flashes, she could see distinct images as if she was present. She focussed more intently and saw a scared girl running in the thick woods. She was dressed in white flowing gown, which seemed very ancient to her. Her long tresses glowed mahogany against the dusky sky. She kept looking over her shoulder to gage the distance between herself and her chasers, but though she could hear the horses hooves, no one was in sight yet. Her brows furrowed and she started breathing heavily, her lungs were about to give out but she knew she couldn't stop if she didn't want to be captured alive. They weren't far behind. She started panting and just before she was about to give up, a horseman appeared from nowhere, galloping right next to her and before she could process, he leaned gown expertly from the galloping horse, one hand holding the reins, and scooped her right up holding her waist and hoisted her in front of him. He was clad is dark robes and his shoulder length midnight blue hair flew around in the wind. He loosened the reins and let the horse gallop at breakneck speed. Soon, they lost their chasers and reached high up in the mountains to a mansion cleverly hid amongst the trees and vegetation. Anyone who didn't know its location, wouldn't be able to spot it from afar or from the ground.

Blood had started trickling down Naina's nose and the diversion of exploding pain in her temples forced her to open her eyes. She was breathing very heavily and only then she realized that Sameer was the one trying hard to connect with her.

When he had used his full power uncaring of his own pain while connecting with her, he had seen the flashes in her brain and clearly understood that she was being sucked in some visions and that was putting her life in jeopardy. Initially, she hadn't responded, but he wasn't one to give up, especially not on her.

Her lack of response had scared him to death but he wasn't prepared to lose her at any cost. So, he had started screaming in her brain, "Anamika....Anamika....buss karo...woh sach bahi hai. Use jane do. Wapas aa jao. Apni asli duniya nein wapas aa jao. Anamika...meri aawaz suno Anamika...please wapas aa jao. Mujhe tumhari zaroorat hai!"

His onebemotional remark or whatever had her eyes snapped open and he couldn't be more glad. "Anamika! Tum theek toh ho na?" Concern laced in his voice and he knew that if she was in front of him, he would have grabbed and hugged her tight just for coming back to him. His heart was in his throat when she wasn't responding and seemed too far gone. It had taken all his vigor to keep calm and keep calling when he was going crazy with panic and wanted to kick something and everything in his wake.

"Main theek hoon Sameer!" Though feeble, she managed to project given his evident concern. Finally, he breathed deeply hearing her response. He threw his head back and let out a loud sigh. He rubbed both his hands on his face in relief and then run one hand through his hair. "Kya kar rahi thi tum? Pure din se koshish kar raha hoon ki tumse connect karu par nahi ho pa raha tha. Tum aisa kya kar rahi thi ki mujhe bilkul hi bedakhal kar diya. Tum jaanti ho tumse bast karne ka ek buss yahi tareeka hai....aur tumse baat nahi ho pa rahi toh kitni bechaini ho rahi thi. Kitni fikr ho rahi thi ki jane tum kahan ho kaisi ho! Ek toh tum kuch batati bhi nahi aur fir aise gayab ho jati ho. Aur fir itni mushkil se tumhare dimaag ke saath connect hua toh yeh sab...." he left that description incomplete coz he wasn't able to comprehend whatever images he saw and moreover, his focus was on connecting and bringing her back. "Jaan hi nikal di tumne meri!" He confessed.

In the lieu of the moment, it nade her blush and smile that someone other than her Chachi and sister cared so deeply about her. And she hadn't even revealed her name to him. She didn't know why hadn't she shared it yet, not that she didn't want to but some unknown force held ger back.

"Kahan chali gayi fir se? Tum sach mein theek ho na?" The voice echoed back in her head.

She quickly removed a hankie from her back pocket and wiped off the almost dried blood. "Main bilkul theek hoon Sameer!" She responded blithely not wanting to worry him further.

"Anamika, mujhe pataa hai tum mujhe kuch bataogi nahi par tum saara din aur raat mein bhi gayab rehti ho toh fikr hoti hai. He swallowed his choke as tears threatened to fall, but he continued, "main nahi puchunga ki tum kahan ho par..."

She cut him off, "main Vidisha mein hoon!" His eyes widened as she voluntarily given information. Naina just decided to share the current situation with him on an impulse. "Yeh Bhopal ke paas kuch dou ghante ki duri par hai. Hum yahan ASI ki supervision mein Udaigiri caves ki excavation mein training lene aaye hai. She described some general information and history about the place in brief for him to get the context. She wasn't sure how interested in history he was but he didn't lose focus when she was projecting.

She then decided to share it all. "Iss sabke alava, ek bahut ajeeb baat hai yahan Sameer. Kuch purane patthar hai jinpe Shankha lipi mein kuch likha hai. Yeh bahut purani bhasha hai aur shayad yahan kisiko uske baarein mein theek se nahi pata, hairani iss baat ki hai padhni toh mujhe bhi nahi aati. Par jab main unn paththaron pe haath rakhti hoon toh aisa lagta hai ki woh mujhse kuch keh rahe ho, kuch dikhana chahte ho aur sirf nain hi samaj sakti hoon".

He was intrigued but didn't interrupt and let her continue. "Aur jab bhi main inn paththaron par haath rakhti hoon, mujhe kuch visions aate hai". Then, she went on to describe both the incidents and how she was sure it was her in the previous one and most likely in the second one too.

When he didn't respond for a while, "tum kuch bol kyon nahi rahe ho? Maine tumhe itna kuch bataya aur tum bilkul chup. Hmmm....shayad tumhe lagta hai ki main pagal hoon ya ajeeb ajeeb kahaniyan bana rahi hoon!"

He chuckled softly and then responded, "hamara toh pura rishta hi ajeeb hai na. Tumhe pataa hai jab dou log ek dusre se bahut pyar karte hai toh ek dusre mein sama jane ki baat karte hai..." he scoffed slightly, "par yahan toh ek dusre ko theek se jaanne se pehle hi hum ek dusre mein samaye hue hai!" He knew he was trying to drop hints for her that he felt strangely but strongly pulled towards her with each passing day and every passing minute. But either she was too slow to process it or simply hadn't acknowledged. Her next statement was totally out of context.

"Aur sabse hairani wali baat pata hai! Main bhi tumse connect karne ki koshish kar rahi thi, par nahi kar pa rahi thi. Fir inn paththaron pe haath rakha aur hum connect ho gaye. Mujhe toh yakeen hai Sameer ki inn paththaron mein pakka koi mystical powers hai!"

"Agar jo tum keh rahi ho sach hai toh fir hum ek hafta baat kaise karenge? Tum saara din inn paththaron ke paas toh nahi baith sakti na. Aur mujhe pura din tumhari fikr hoti rahegi!" He was expressing his worry and was thinking of a solution.

Her eyes and face lighted up, "main saara din inn paththaron ke paas baithe nahi reh sakti par paththar toh saara din mere saath reh sakte hai na!"

Her wicked tone had him concerned, "tummm kya karne wali ho Anamika?"

"Kuch aisa jo Archeology ke saare rules ke khilaaf hai aur agar kisiko pataa chal gaya toh mere Archeologist banne ke sapne pe pani...nahi nahi...paththar maare jayenge", she declared intently.

She unzipped her waist survival pouch and withdrew a sharp stone knife. It was used for carving in the stone but now she intended to use it for carving out a stone.

She skilfully carved out a piece of stone, containing a tiny inscription, off the whole rock and eyed it victoriously. "Ab main tumse hamesha connected rahoongi!" She stated as if all problems were solved.

"Anamika! Tum please wapas apne tent nein jao!" The hair at the back of his neck stood out again and he felt a mysterious scary feeling gripping his heart. He knew it was like before when he felt in his gut that something was about to happen.

But all the while she missed the looming threat and danger closing in on her stealthily. Thanks to the reagent in her body that her psychic abilities were shunned for independent use, rendering her, a vulnerable target.