That night everyone just enjoyed a warm, hearty meal....,Sumen arranged everything!
Other than that,...just a little chitchat among themselves, a little flirtation, sitting around bonfire with s'morse and burnt marshmallows on sticks and after that they went to sleep early because they were to return back to resort tomorrow first thing in the morning.
It was already 10:30 o'clock at the night,...whole camp was already in deep sleep so not a single soul realized how one by one two figure left the camp!
so what,.... if Sankalp backed out after that instructor's shitty story, Blaze couldn't resist going up there...he was determined!
it's been 2 hours he started walking in the certain direction,...he sniffed and a foggy breath left his mouth!
time from time he'd stop and rub both his gloved hand together to get some bodily warmth.
He stopped for awhile to take a whole view of mountain and let out a deep sigh, another foggy breath left.....
it was very dark, chilly, biting cold....whole landscape covered in ice.
no sign of life within miles.....If someone has to describe this scenery then it can be called
deadly beautiful
Suddenly he felt this prickly sensation at the back of his neck...as if someone has been watching him, sensing a presence behind him, he stiffened.
But then he thought who would follow him here...and shaking his doubt off he continued climbing up.....
after all, he only left a sticky note beside Sankalp who was in deep sleep, no one would follow him here until tomorrow morning if he doesn't return.....
but after a while he felt the same prickly sensation again and even heard some noise behind him.....this time he turned around only to notice the dried bush was moving slightly.
again! there was light breeze..... so, it was normal....still he turned but there was no one,....
''strange'' He muttered and frowned at nothing.
but he could've sworn he heard something!
Suddenly his left hand automatically went where his smallest pistol that was hidden under layers of clothes tightened,...he acquired it on his swiss tour and kept it with him since then
another faint sound came....as if someone stepped on those dry leaves or branches !?.....
and he was damn sure this time that someone indeed was following him.
with a clenched jaw he determinedly turned around this time with his torch lit, to do a double check if there is actually anyone out there and yet found none! Only, this time instead of turning back instantly, he very slowly pulled his gun out but kept that hand hidden and stood there, waited,.....looking around.
So, when he was sure that no one was around and turned back...
''Bhoooooooo!!!!'' Insiyaa screamed at his face and he jumped slightly stumbling few steps backward.
"hahaahahahahahhahaha"
She started laughing like a maniac!
To say, Blaze was shocked would be an understatement of the century! his heart was going to burst out of his ribcage.....
damnation
HER!???????
OUT OF ALL PEOPLE! and that's not all, no! She came all this way up following him.
alone!
AGAIN!!!!
The nerve of this 15 years old brat!
Pulling a prank on him!
BLAZE ARAGON!
his bluish grey eyes turned into silvery silt.
''jungle mein jharion me se awaaz aaye to piche mudke nahi dekte'' She said after her laughter subsided and catching breath.
''What!''
''you should not poke around the dark! you never know what you will find out!'' She translated for him while going up grinning
''WHAT.ARE.YOU.DOING.HERE.AT.THIS. GOD'S.AWFUL.HOUR.OF.THE.NIGHT.SIYAA ?'' Blaze asked biting every word after taking a deep breath while glaring at her back.
meanwhile, her cheeks turned red, she just realized it was maybe the second time he nicknamed her.....
Siyaa!?
and how exotic her name sounded from his mouth...
''siyaa!!'' Blaze was beside her snapping fingers at her face
she jumped! and cleared her throat and replied,.....''oh! I'm going up there. I want to see if there is actually a temple there or not"
and started climbing up leaving him there, stunned!
He sighed...,
who is going to take responsibility if anything happens to her here!
But then she's already here and if he_____ they turns back now, 2/3 hours he spent walking all the way up here would be a complete waste...he thought, groaned loudly rubbing his face with both hands and ran after her!
About another 2 hours later,....
Both were out of breath,...feeling stuffy, completely and utterly exhausted. They stopped, leaned down to on a stony surface. She was trembling from how cold it was up there and so was he. And she really needed to warm up, but how to ask him that!
how do you ask something like that from a stranger ?
what if he tells her brothers ?
"c'mon Insiyaa tab ke tab dekh lenge.....abhi to laaz sharam chod kar bas manglee jo chahiye agar zinda rehna hai to"
[ We will cross the bridge when we reach there.....for now, let go of shyness and hesitation, just ask for what you need...if you want to live ] Her mind yelled at her
She bit her lip, took a deep breath to gather all her courage and asked,....
''ummm....ahem! D-do you have any err.... booze!''
''WHAT!!!!'' He asked rather loudly looking at her, eyes wide,...as if he wasn't sure if he was hearing right
''BOOZE,.....plonk, alcohol, drink, liquor, moonshine!'' She rolled her eyes, gave him a deadpanned look and answered sarcastically
''I know what BOOZE is! you....you are a minor.....you know that right ? and Muslim ?'' He asked her in disbelief
''Please! It's really cold! Just a little! just one tiiniii tiny little sip!'' She begged him with puppy dog eyes
''I don't thi__''
''Please! Please! Please! Just once'' She asked giving him a puppy dog eyes and he started melting...
he just started melting faster than ice cream under the hot sun....right then and there!
''I'm so going to regret this'' He muttered while pulling a small steel flask out of his back pocket.
She snatched it from him in a blink and opening the cap she took a large sip and then another,.....
''ALRIGHT! that's enough'' He snatched it off from her....and earning a scowl from her as well
"Shoooo good! what is this!'' She moaned and asked after savouring the taste.
''something made from fermented rice! this area is famous for it's local drink! And trout fish, Apple, and ____he dipped closer to her ear and whispered 'Marijuana' He smirked at her shocked expression when she gasped...
As he was busy looking out, he didn't realize she was looking at him with bewildered expression.....
not because what he said but because of how easily she let him get close to her like that.
She shook off the awkward feeling and cleared her throat.
''....hey, umm.....you are not going tell THIS to anyone, right !?'' She asked pointing his bottle and herself
''as long as you stay sober! I do not have a death wish you know!'' He mused
It was a wonder that no sound reached his ear for how loud her heart was beating
''mmhm.....I'm good!'' She mumbled looking away
They started climbing up again....
for hours they walked higher up onto that mysterious mountain itself...steep, winding, stony, icy and slippery, dangerous path!
And yet there was something truly magical about that.
And that magic was love!
Insiyaa never felt so happy in entire 15 years of her lifetime,...
so open with anybody!
not even with her brothers or friends in school!
As if whole world is at her feet!
BUT, there she was!
climbing a mountain with a man she barely knew for a week. It did not take much for her to realize that she believed in him, trusted him as if she knew him for years, like he was her best of friend or something,....
and it most certainly did not take long for her to realize that she INDEED fell for him and that mere thought knocked the air out her lungs.....even in this windy freezing atmosphere her palm felt clammy.
But then, the nervousness vanished into the windy air by the time they reached at the peak,.... she felt happiest of all,
out of the world....
and then, she only wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and tell the whole world that....
she fell in love!...
SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM!
but more than anything, she wanted to tell him that.
Nope,....they didn't see any temple there as Sumen claimed but as Sankalp claimed! view from there was indeed breathtakingly beautiful...
as if sky and peak of mountain both trying to touch each, melt into each other
they were so close yet so far away.
alas!
She didn't know if there was actually any pious spirit or Allah/Bhagwan/God or any entity, good spirit, bad spirit or any deity actually comes there to fulfill someone's wish or not, but still she wanted to make a wish.
in fact it was a one, very simple word,....
very easy!
so, she stole a glance at him and then just closed her eyes,...!
with that a long tear fell from her eyes...her heart whispered only a name
"BLAZE!"
she didn't know if anyone heard it all.....still she asked for a boon.
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