14 When They Met

Baragaon - Present Day - Cottage In The Woods

Mrityunjay stood in his studio, the paint brush in his hand and a blank canvas starring him in his face. He looked down at the floor. It was just the other night, when he and Shivani were entwined in each other's arms, their tender kisses to each other, slowly taking away the pain of the past three years. A sharp pain pierced his heart once again. His life was once again like the blank canvas in front of him. And Shivani! She always seemed to fill colours into his dull, colourless life. ALWAYS.

His mind wandered into the past, all those years ago.The memory was still fresh, as if it had happened yesterday. The first time he lay eyes on her, he knew his quest had ended. He had found the oasis he had been seeking all his life. Yet, his fears never allowed him to admit it to himself. Mrityunjay lost track of time, as his mind replayed the not so distant past.

Outskirts of Mumbai - Gaekwad Farmhouse- 5 Years Ago

Mrityunjay mostly kept to himself and lived in the stables. His cottage was built close to stables, so he could get to the horses, as and when he pleased. The staff loved the silent, brooding young man, who rarely spoke. But he was the most dependable person in the entire Gaekwad family. No wonder Harshvardhan Gaekwad, the patriarch of the family, had marked him out as the future leader of the Swaraj Party.

Gaekwad Farms was a huge, sprawling estate, comprising of Mango groves, Strawberry farms and of course, Mrityunjay's favourite part, the stud farms. Mrityunjay loved horseback riding and it was safe to say that he spent most of his time pursuing the sport. He preferred staying at the farm, as his mother Godha Gaekwad preferred it that way. She wanted him to stay as far away from her as possible. He swallowed his mother's hatred for him, like the Lord Shiv had swallowed the blue poison.

The horses were Mrityunjay’s very life and the only time he got angry, was when any one of his horses was not properly cared for. For the staff of the farmhouse, this was the greatest challenge. Because no veterinary doctor was willing to live on the farm house, away from all civilisation and it was impossible to get a doctor at short notice, in case of an emergency. Finally, left with no options, they advertised for a Vet across other cities and had received fewer applications than expected.

That day, Mrityunjay woke up early as was his habit and ventured out into his balcony. He always liked the early morning times, when the birds chirped around happily and one could catch the first rays of the sun as he pushed away darkness and brought light to life. He filled in his lungs to the brim with the fresh, crisp, morning air and opened his eyes, as he stretched his well toned muscles taut.

His heart stopped beating for a moment as he saw her silhouette, against the rising sun, dressed in full riding gear, her back straight, as she aligned her bounce to the trot of the horse. She had picked his most favourite horse, Tuscany, a brown Indo Arabic breed. As she galloped gently around the stable facing his balcony, hardly a few yards away, Mrityunjay's heart galloped along side too. As the sun rose ever so slightly, his visibility improved. He could see her curvaceous figure, as her outfit hugged her like second skin.

Her focus was completely on the horse, as it must be and she did not notice how the man she had come to work for, starred at her in admiration. Mrityunjay’s bare feet moved of their own accord, even as he jumped over the wooden railing of his balcony, touching down on the ground with a soft thud. He began to walk towards this fascinating young girl. She couldn't have been too tall. He could tell from the way she stretched her legs to reach the already height adjusted stirrups.

She noticed him, as he got ready to jump the fence, barefoot. "Hey, stop! What do you think you are doing? " she screamed at him. Mrityunjay jumped over the nearly four foot tall fence in a single leap. "Hey, you fool! ’You’ll scare the horse and get both of us killed. Stay back," she screamed, clearly panicking now.

Mrityunjay walked over in a cool, composed manner and held the horse's reins. The horse bent it’s face down, letting the man caress it.

Shivani knew that could mean only one thing.That the horse belonged to this man. She immediately tried to jump off the horse and caught one foot in the stirrup.

Mrityunjay caught her just in time, as she was about to fall down and pulled her close to him in a reflex. Shivani grabbed his neck tight, curling into his embrace, her eyes shut tight. Mrityunjay's heart almost stopped. Never before had he seen a more beautifully sculpted face. And then, she opened her eyes slowly. Mrityunjay gawked at her, his breath now rough, his mind in awe and his heart stolen forever.