Prakruth came in search of Punya, she was busy clicking photos of different colored flowers, butterflies and plants around.... He just stood admiring her beauty.... She wore a long light green colored maxy which had bright red and yellow floral print... "She looks like mini version of Mother Nature.... Wow" thought Prakruth. He was speechless.
She turned around shooting through her mobile camera, she was startled to see him on screen. She gasped, lowered the phone and walked towards him.
She touched his cheeks with her right hand and said "What happened? Why have you become like this? You weren't seen in college from many days...."
He was captivated by her touch, a cold breeze swept across his heart making his world even more picturesque....
"You're not even responding, you look so tired, you have lost weight too... Eyes look so pale brown...." she couldn't speak further.... She could see a great source of love in his eyes for her as she held his face in her hand looking into his eyes.
"I have brown eyes Punya, you've never observed I think... I just had fever from few days, now I'm totally fine. Don't worry" said Prakruth holding her palm on his face...
She immediately took back her hand from his face as his touch sent a live wire down her spine.
"What happened?" asked Prakruth.
She just nodded sideways.
"Shouldn't I touch you?" he asked.
Punya's mind started speaking for her... "You can touch me, only you. I belong to you...but being a girl I can't express the desire. You don't know how much I love you but I'm not able to understand your feelings. Forget the gossips, you've never given hints that you don't like that color doll Roshni. What if I propose and you reject me??" thought Punya. Seeing her silence, Prakruth thought "I must tell her what I feel or she'll think I touched her with bad intentions. First I'll know what she feels about me..."
"Prakruth" Punya broke the silence between them, "Why didn't you tell me about your illness??"
"I don't use mobile here, no signals. Moreover I slept as soon as I came from college, got up properly on third day", he explained.
"Why do you suffer alone?"
"I'm not alone, Punya. This is my true loving world. I can explain that to you if you see my farm... ."
"Can you show me your farm?" she asked.
"Your father told me that you want to see the festival in village, come I'll show that first..." he said.
"Now in afternoon?"
"Sorry, now there will be no events.. We should go by 5... Lots of things to see"
"So take me around your farm" she ordered.
"Your legs might hurt as you're not used to long distance walk in this hot sun..." he showed his concern. According to him, she was most sensitive.
"I'm not made out of wax, I won't melt... Come" she walked further. He had to follow her.
"You can carry me if I fatigue" she added. He smiled nodding his head in agreement.
He explained about the farm, trees, plants, climbers, few birds and some insects too. She was admiring his eccentric looks and just followed him. He held her hand in slopes and elevations, just to make sure she doesn't fall. Later they arrived near the farm house which was painted recently. It had a flower garden on right side and few fruit bearing trees on left, a square plot between these two parts was a green lawn. Some rabbits were playing in the lawn, love birds were chirping from safely designed nests hanging from the hooks on the ceiling of the portico. Punya ran to catch a rabbit which was playing around. She missed it, she made a disappointed face and sat on steps of the farm house.
Prakruth caught one of them and put on her lap... She clapped in excitement and nursed it. She asked "Get that black one please", he brought that too.
"You like pets??" he asked.
"I love them... All these are yours?"
"Yes, there are more, come I'll show you"
"Oh wow, come" she left the rabbits carefully down and walked with him. She unwittingly held his hand and he enjoyed that gesture.
"Oh my God" she exclaimed.
"Careful, she'll hit if she feels unsafe" said Prakruth.
"This is Emu right? First time I'm seeing it in real... She's so huge taller than me"..... she touched it slowly and gently. Emu responded well.
Qwack qwack qwack qwack...
"Duck, are they duck??" she asked in a surprised tone.
"Yes they're near the river bank... That way. Come I'll show you some more here..." he held her hand boldly this time.
"See this is brownie... our new member, it was born few hours ago" he caressed a new brown lamb. It started jumping up and down.
"Oh so cute.... Happy Birthday Brownie, you're in World's best person's hand.... Lucky you" she said happily.
Prakruth felt proud of himself getting her compliments. He showed her the herd of goats and cows at the backyard of his farm house. Then he took her towards the river Phalguni...duck and ducklings were qwacking around. She again tried to catch them but failed.
He said "try these" and filled her palm with grains and cereals.... "sit down" he instructed. Flock of ducks came and took grains from her hand. She was chuckling every time a duck bit her palm. Prakruth enjoyed her beautiful smile silently.
"You're living in a Heaven" she complimented after she finished playing with duck.
"You liked this place of mine?" he asked.
"Liked?? I love it.... This angel looks of yours are from this extraordinary place right?? Wish I could spend a whole day here?"
"Only a day?" he sighed.
"I will spend my whole life with you here, if you agree" Punya said in whispers.
"Please stay forever, Punya" Prakruth monologued.
Both of them sat on rocks at the banks of the river, dipping their legs in the flowing water... their eyes met when Punya caught Prakruth gazing at her and eyes exchanged all their desires which lips couldn't speak out.... for more than 20 minutes.
"Where were you all these years? what's the new feeling you involve me in? I don't get distracted with anything, Dad brought me up in a way that no one ever had a chance to explore my inner world but you disturb me completely and constantly. Who are you to me? I feel like doing all romantic tantrums with you but you're cold as this stone. When will you reveal your secrets you Greek God?" asked Punya's eyes.
"From the first day I saw you, I fell in love with you baby. It is getting deeper and deeper day by day. I wanted one such girl who has at least 70% characters likeable but you're more than 100%. May be God sculpted you specifically for me. I feel jealous when others just look at you. I would kill Thrishul if you showed me that you were hurt immediately after his proposal..... You ignite my senses, I feel like nibbling at your lips and suck in the honey filled there... Oh God, I go crazy every time I see you....but I can't even stay away from you. You addictive damsel" said Prakruth's eyes. A duckling jumped on her lap and they got disturbed from their romantic world. The duo chuckled softly hiding their faces from each other and stood up to go back.
They were walking towards the house...
"Who's that Prakruth?" asked a shrill voice.
Both of them turned in the direction of the voice.
"Oh I forgot to introduce you to my sweet parrot, chilly....She's Prasad's daughter" said Prakruth.
"Hi Chilly" said Punya in a sweet voice... "But why chilly?" she asked Prakruth.
"Her name is Chanchala but she speaks like hot spicy chilly so I nicknamed her as chilly" he explained.
"I can see you're more hot and spicy than me.... Punya... Right?" that small girl of 9 years old asked.
"How did you know she's Punya??" asked Prakruth
"Every night I have heard so much about her, won't I recognize??" chilly asked.
He shooed... Punya chuckled.
"What did he say?" asked Punya sitting down at her level and held her chin affectionately.
"He admires you very much, he is attached to you, he likes your long curly hair, your smile, that mole on your left chin, your dressing style, your boldness, etc etc. He demonstrated that karate kick and broke the kettle that day" chilly went on talking.
Prakruth closed her mouth and said something in her ears.... She silently walked away and said "If you don't give me what you promised, I'll open up... Remember" she warned.
He tried to scare her off and she ran away. Punya started laughing at the way chilly teased him. He blushed yet staring at her.
"Come we'll go to the festival, rituals will start in temple, followed by bonfire for cattle....your father might come there itself" said Prakruth.
"OK... as you say" she agreed.