"What is this?"
The inner room of that temple was in a big mess. It looked as if someone searched the full room and turned into a full mess.
"Someone was searching here for something…." I emphasised.
"Does someone else know about the key Lupa?" Roger asked.
"I don't think so…. my memories are still vague. So It is hard for me to tell…" He clarified.
"Is there anyone here…?" Fiona shouted.
Her voice echoed through empty temple rooms.
[Thunder]
The sky was dark enough for a heavy rainfall.
"It might rain soon…" Roger murmured.
We went to the porch area of temple. The atmosphere looked a bit gloomy and ominous all of a sudden.
"It looks like it will rain heavily…" Roger stated.
"There is no one here. The temple well maintained yet no one seems to be here after the incident…." Fiona asserted.
TIP! TIP! TIP! TIP! [Raindrops]
It started raining from the dark sky. It seemed like we were stuck in there for now, till the rain stops.
"What should we do now?" Roger asked over.
Lupa shrugged. We sat there itself waiting for someone to arrive. It was raining cats and dogs. The darkened sky was scary covered with thunders.
CHAPCHAP! CHAPCHAP! [Footsteps]
Waiting for a while we heard someone's footsteps running towards us. A boy around age 13 was running in this heavy rain while covering his head with a clothing. He hastily entered the temple and was shocked to see us there.
"HUFF! HUFF! [panting] who…. Who are you all?"
He was suspicious about us. Before we could answer him he spoke back,
"The temple was raid some unknown people… they might have came here for money. Hence, it is a complete mess. The elder is out on a duty and will arrive tomorrow morning."
He stopped and glared at us again.
("Who are they? They look like travellers… and also wealthy. But what if they are same like those people? Should I do something? I should let them stay here till the elder master comes. Yes its better to wait for master…. Umm that lady…. Hmmm… she looks familiar….")
He was staring at me intensely, trying to recall something. Then he spoke again,
"If you want to stay here…. [mocking] you'll have to help clean this place…"
The kid was strangely cute. We all listened to him and laughed out in amusement. He was indeed a sharp kid.
"Why not? The raining is pouring continuously. So we don't have any other option either." Roger agreed.
We got up and started cleaning the porch which was almost destroyed and had many shattered pieces of wooden sittings. It was dark, which made it difficult to see everything clearly. We lightened up the place with fire stones which worked same as Ojas stones, that is, lightening the rooms. We finished the porch and went ahead in next room which was filled with files, scrolls, artefacts and various other things ruined and scattered on the floor.
"Oh my! Are you sure they weren't trying to destroy this place..?" I asked in bewilderment.
"What exactly they were looking for? I can certainly say it was not for money…" Lupa stated.
The young boy was puzzled. Baffled, he looked at us. Roger smirked and rubbed his head,
"Ya boy, don't think much. Let us wait for your master and then talk…"
The boy was assured and went back to his work with a smile.
THUD! THUD!
We suddenly heard a loud noise from the nearby room. Roger, Fiona and that boy went in to check it while Lupa and me, we stayed there and sorted out the scrolls.
THUD!
Again…. It was window, opened up by strong wind. I went to the window and grabbed to close it. That's when I noticed a dark figure under a tree in the dark. The lightening could confirm it was a person. But still, recognising his/her face was not possible.
"Lupa…. There is someone watching us…"
"Huh?"
He kept the scrolls in its place and walked to me. He stood beside me, by the window, and saw that person's figure. But then it vanished swiftly. I mean he just went PUFFF! Just like in thin air.
"What the hell was that?"
We were thinking about any reason possible but still it was unknown. Again, it thundered with a very loud noise. Hearing it, Lupa stuck to me with fear. He was frightened yet trying to show off his bravery.
("Oh MY God! Holy Mother! Why is it thundering now of all times? And that to when I am with her…!")
[THUNDER]
He clasped my hand and stuck to me even closer. It was clear that he was frightened. His shivering hands proved his fear.
"Lupa…[mocking] are you scared?" I teased him a bit.
"[Awkward smile] ha ha! No. I am fine. It's just, I am cold."
Lupa was trying to hide his fear which was damn cute. I laughed out when it thundered again. He was again closer to me. It was a bit different. Feeling him so close up suddenly made my heartbeat faster. I was blushing over this close touch when he embraced me hearing the thunder again. He was shaking.
"Lupa….. Try to breadth in and out slowly…"
It felt that he was still trapped in this childhood trauma which was related to thunders. The rain was pouring heavily. The cool windy breeze flushed in with some raindrops averting our face towards each other. The wind was all over the room enchanting the curtains high up in the air.
We stood beside each other very close. Close enough to kiss. He looked into my eyes with a loving gaze. His hand squeezing my shoulder pulling me closer.
THUMP! THUMP!
I could hear his heart beating loudly. We were so immersed into each other's gaze that we didn't notice the thundering had stopped. The heavy downpour was yet noisy. We were still in each other's embrace and moving even more close to each other when,
"Have you finishhhhhh….huh…."