The friendship of the three grew like mad acacia. They started to become the best of friends. They would do their assignments together. They started missing each other on days they won't meet. It was happening at a faster pace than a deer's sprint. They had some best of memories. They started hanging out, going on trips, setup homely relations. And it's said that the relations that are homely, they never fade away. They had once went for trekking adventure at Kedarkantha. That was one of the most dreadful and unforgettable day for Rihan.
4th March 2015
9:00pm
The last two nights had been one of the most dreadful nights of my life. It was my idea all along to go on such a trek. But the events that are happening with me since last two days has made me rethink my decision.
We all made it safely from trek. We all started the trek early in the morning. It was blowing ice from all the directions. The temperature was approaching negative. All were dressed in coats and all sorts of layers we can put on. I felt like I had gained 10kgs. All were looking each other and it must have looked from far as waddle of penguins ready to jump in the water. I still can't figure out how could anyone be so energetic in such cold as our guide. Like that guy started playing desi punjabi songs in the morning and was full of joy. He whistled and all the Penguins gathered around the guide. Guide gave some instructions, warnings and declared that we have to look out for each other during the trek. There were already groups made in the trek. We three started trekking,we were slowly forgetting the cold breeze and were enjoying the beautiful and mesmerizing view. The dew was fresh and was sitting on the leaves. It would seem as if dews were making plans for the day. The sun was giving it's first appearance from the curtains of mountains. Slowly the curtains were opened and the sun was shining in full might. But in that cold breeze ,the sun rays fell on our body. And it looked as if it was deliquescing the frost formed on our coats. We were marching forward towards the summit. I saw the tinklish sunlight falling on Tanishka and it gave me a tingling through spine. It was something I had never felt, it was the sensation which I wished to never end. In these months, I had became closer to her then Aksh. Aksh was great friend of mine but Tanishka used to open up a different side of mine. I would act childlike,playful and would try to get her attention and care. This was not fair but I wasn't able to control it. So she was there standing at the summit and playful sun peaking from behind her bunny cap. For the first time I was confronted by my feelings for her . I didn't knew if she felt the same for me or if I confess will it affect our friendship or not. We were playing with snowballs ,hitting each other,hugging each other,laughing all at once. I was trying to be playful and cheerful but my mind was battling with thoughts. Inner me told me to confront her while the conscious me told not to. And I made a decision to agree with conscious me.
We made it to summit. We all were enjoying ourselves . Some were taking selfies ,pics with each other ,some were writing,some were singing ,dancing ,the surrounding being in affirmation with us. Someone called me,"Rihaan! Rihaan! Come here ,I need your help". I knew the voice ,the sweet cute tinklish tone was of Tanishka. I went towards her,I was taking longer strides than usual. I wasn't able to contain my excitement inside but I had to manage it somehow. So I took 4 deep breaths and went up to her. I asked her what was the problem. She saw me her leg which was had a cut of an inch and was bleeding . And I managed to see the tears in her eyes which she tried to hide by avoiding eye contacts. Tera mukhda chand da tukda ...kya baat ay I suddenly started humming this song. I took out handkerchief from the pocket ,cleaned it and made a temporary bandage so that infection doesnot occur. Still I am humming song,and she was staring me with confused expression. We were returning to the group, we were conversing about the beauty of surrounding (I was talking of her !!) . I stumbled with my words many times. Suddenly she struck out a missile and threw at me ,"tujhe pyaar vyaar to nahi ho gaya na?" And this started a stream of thoughts in my mind and I was all debating in my mind giving excuses ,finding defence and all sorts of things. And this made me look on outside as a lonely sheep who has been detached from the flock. While this thoughts rashing and thrashing my mind,I had took a considerable pause and it made her awkward so she broke the pause and told that I was singing while bandaging so she thought I might had fallen for someone. As she was right I had fallen for someone but it was her. So I chuckled and told there was nothing like that and I had that song stuck on repeat in my mind so I hummed. Till now it was feeling as the best day of my life. I found the girl I love ,I had finally completed my dream of trekking and we had some really amazing girls with us on our trek which were way more friendly. But I didn't saw the tornado coming towards me which hid in the lavish of mountain.
In the noon we started the decent, and after 2hrs of decent I stopped to take rest and I don't know how or when I went off for nap. When I woke up,almost 30minutes had passed. I searched around me but I couldn't see anyone. Again a tinkling sensation through spine went down,this time it was fear. I ran downhill but I couldn't see a person out there. The sun had already started setting . It was now a race between the sun setting down and me descenting and finding my way back . I started recollecting the path we came and just started going downstairs. The night had set in, it was cracking cold and I was hungry and thirsty. After 2 hrs of walk on the ruthless path, I saw some lights. But they started to become blurry. I was fainting. For all the efforts I made to reach the city and now my body was not supporting. I sat down there on the log wood ,which I guess was freshly cut down and it seemed to longe for the city too. I gathered all the strength from the farthest corners of my body and started taking strides towards the city lights. After about 20 minutes of walking in pain,hunger and unsaturable thirst,I made it to the city. Had I just entered the main lane,a giant blow came at me. There was a board which clearly stated that Rihaan you took the wrong path and now you have landed in some other city. But there was a relief that my phone had its network back. I went to nearby shop and ordered for 5L can of bisleri water. The owner gazed at me and as he didn't care he gave me the can. I started drinking the water and it looked as if the thirst won't quench. I drank almost 2 to 3L water. It felt as if somone put a new soul inside of me. I sat on the table in the hotel. I called Tanishka and told her that I am lost and I need someone to pick me up. She told me that all are worried about me and guide had been out searching for me. I hunged up the call. I presume she must have called the guide for after 5minutes later I got a call from our guide. He was angry but worried. We talked and I send him my location. I sat there in my own imaginary world,and there was my guide,the saviour who saved me. It took him an hour to reach me but I never believed that. Because for all I know I had just married Tanishka and that I was in dream for about 10 minutes only. I hugged him tight as fighter's wife hug her husband after her husband come back alive from a war. I had bought some packets from the hotel. We sat back in the car and drove towards the actual destination. But the road taken was different because there was one milestone which showed that I was droving away from the destined city. So I asked my guide where he was taking me. And for the third time ,I got a chill in my spine, he gave a cunning smile and told me that he is taking me to a special place. I was shaking with fear and had someone seen my clothes,they might confused it with me coming straight down from swimming pool. I was perspiring, slowly the traffic on the road was getting thinner. The silence crippled me. I wanted to cry out loud. But my voice gutted. The car came to a stop. All my worst imagination and my creepy thoughts were going to be reality in fraction of time. Guide told me to get out of car,I was trying to move fast but my legs had their own plans. They slowed me down,so guide pulled me out.
Finally,the moment arrived. Night owls were witness of the events, the moon light was scarcely showing his face but of what part I saw made me more scared. The guide told me to put down my pants. I was so damn scared. Meri tashreef phat gai thi ,and that guy wanted to see that phati hui tashreef. My mind was blank,he couldn't differentiate what was wrong and what's right. The guide already made it clear that if I put down my pants he will take me to the guest house for sure. But how could I believe him,he betrayed the first time,what are the chances that he won't betray me now? I had so many doubts in my mind but I knew I can't start a battle in my mind or even can't ask anything. I tried to stall the guide with talking and acting nonsense,but I knew deep down that I won't make it. So after going crazy for almost 20 minutes I gave up, I started to pull down my pants. My hands were trembling and body started to shiver, not with cold but thinking that the guide is sadist. I couldn't resist but that thought was coming every now and then. By this time my pants were off and he glanced at me once and told to turn around. I turned around, and started chanting whatever god's name I could think of. But to my surprise he didn't do anything, he took a photo of mine .
One click and the show was over,I hurriedly took up my pants and went inside the car. He sat inside and driver drew the car towards the actual destination. There was shir silence in the car. My mind already started the war and I had already killed the guide 20 times in my war . But there was one question that didn't rest at all, what would guide want my pic? What would he do with it? The latter question I thought out loud and guide heard me. He grinned and show me bunch of rupees and I guess it roughly was 5k rupees. I asked him if he did it for money. Or who gave him money. He told me that he was given money to take the picture and to keep mouth shut. And if I won't keep mouth shut then he has many ways of keeping my mouth shut. I lost my nerve but I couldn't do anything so I started crying inside. Why would anyone want my nude pic? Who could it be? Why am I being targeted ? All sorts of questions battled inside my already heavy head. And I didn't knew when I got asleep. But when I woke up i was in the bed.
I recalled the whole event and I also noticed that I didn't slept during the down trek but someone offered me a drink and I guess it had sedatives inside it and that was the reason why I slept midway. I was shocked to know this but why would anyone had grudges for me? For I had been very sweet with others. Why would anyone target me? Why am I being victim of someone's playful trick? Why I had been the victim of such sexual prank? And I...
From the pattern of the pages, I would guess that Rihan was deeply affected by this and by the time he wrote this he must have became emotional and would have broken down into tears. I am no good in psychology but this the most convincing reason behind the incomplete sentence and the drop pattern on diary. But where were Aksh and Taniksha? Weren't they concerned about Rihan's story? Or were the one to do this all?