She vanished into thin air

When the two siblings reached home, it was almost dark. Misha Bai was packing their stuff.

"Maa..." Both girls were trying to understand the situation.

"We are leaving."

Risha: "But Maa, where are we going?"

Misha Bai: "..."

Birha: "Maa..."

Suddenly Moobhan also came from behind.

Moobhan: "Girls, let's go. We can't stay here."

Risha: "But Baba, where are we going?"

Moobhan: "I don't know. But God's earth has got plenty of lands. We'll go far away from here."

Risha and Birha looked at each other. Birha knew what Risha was thinking and Risha was aware that Birha knew her thoughts.

Risha turned to her father and protested. "Baba, we can't go. We'll fight till the end. We won't surrender. We won't go."

"Risha, don't you trust me?" Moobhan said while looking at her.

"But Baba..."

"Enough, let's go. Have you done the packing? We have two horses. Risha you take your Maa along with yourself and I'll go with Birha." Moobhan ordered.

Risha never wanted to go. Awaish was the place where she was born, grew up, spent her childhood and finally found her soulmate. How could she go? But she also didn't want to disappoint her father.

"Till we meet again, Thyme." She thought and a cool breeze blew her.

______

It was the middle of the night when Thyme suddenly woke up. Thyme felt something was off. He felt a strange breeze touching his face. The gloomy environment was pointing towards some disastrous events. He felt as if he lost her, again. He could feel it but was not familiar with what was going on right now.

He felt Risha needed him. His throat was dried. He took off the wine bottle and drank it in one sip. He dressed in a black robe and took off his horse. He was going to Risha's house.

_______

They were out of Riverland. Awaish was on the northeast side of Riverland. Riverland was located at a distance of 20 km from Beesakh. In the South of Riverland, there was Beesakh. Moobhan had two options: East or West. He was familiar with the Eastern side. The Eastern valley seldom accepted outsiders. However, Western Hills were always open to strangers but the violent environment of Western Hills scared him off.

He took a risk and travelled towards the East. But the route of Eastern Valley passed through a dense forest. Many people went missing in that jungle. Rumours were that there was a ghost, who kidnapped passersby.

"Baba, I'm tired. Can we get rest here?" Risha asked.

"No" was the answer.

_____

The door was locked. Thyme climbed up the wall and entered the house. The emptiness in the house felt like a betrayal.

"How can she even do that? How can she leave me like that? She vanished into thin air without even saying goodbye. Risha... You..." Thyme broke into tears.

He looked everywhere. Every corner of the house. Suddenly, he saw a piece of paper which was stuck on the wall.

"Thyme, find me. I don't know where we are going right now but we won't be in Beesakh and Riverland. Please, come soon."

He knew it was from Risha. He was also aware of the status quo.

"For you, anything."

"I'll find you, Risha." Thyme's determination reflected in his eyes.

______

They reached the ghost forest.

"I can't go further, Baba." Risha pulled the bridle of the horse.

"Let's take some rest here." Moobhan finally agreed.

They had brought some cooked rice along with them. After having dinner, Moobhan asked the girls and Misha Bai to take some rest.

It was almost after three hours that Moobhan woke up. It was too dark. He couldn't see any of his family members. The fog was dense and the darkness rarely allow some sight of anything.

"Wake up, girls," Moobhan said loudly.

"Risha, Birha, Misha". He again called them.

"Misha?"

Misha Bai heard the distant voice and woke up.

"Kaptan," she said in a sleepy voice.

"I can't see anything, Kaptan. " Misha Bai said.

"Neither do I. It is due to fog and darkness. Try to wake up Risha and Birha." Moobhan said.

Birha was sleeping next to Misha Bai so she could touch her. She slowly touched Birha's body and tried to wake her up.

"Birha".

"Mnn..."

"Birha, wake up. We have to go." Misha said.

"Umm... Mn... no". Birha said in a sleepy voice.

Misha Bai threw some water drops on her face.

"Maa..." Birha shouted and woke up suddenly.

"We have to leave."

"Where is Risha? Is she still sleeping? " Moobhan asked.

After a struggle of one hour, they finally woke up. The darkness was slowly fading, the fog was getting better. As it was time for the sunrise.

"Risha is not here, Baba," Birha said in a gruesome voice.

"I can't find Risha anywhere." Misha Bai panicked. Both Mother and daughter started crying.

"You two wait here. I'll go and find it here. Don't move." Moobhan said.

He looked at the trees nearby and searched almost every corner of the jungle within 1 km but couldn't find a trace of Risha. It was feeling like Risha was disappeared into thin air. Three hours had passed. The sun had risen. There was no more darkness, no fog but still no clue of Risha.

"So the rumours were true." he thought.

"I lost my daughter." He cried and cried till he thought about his wife and Birha.

"I'll come back here but first I should get a safe place for Birha and Misha." he thought.

He came back to the spot where he had left his wife and daughter.

"Where is Di"?

"Where is Risha? "

The two were sobbing.

He turned his face towards them. He grabbed Misha Bai's shoulder with his left hand and Birha's with his right.

"I'll find her but first we have to go to the Eastern Valley." His eyes were determined. The look in his eyes made it clear that his goal was to protect his family.

He attached the second horse to his horse and made Birha and Misha sat together on the horse. He was afraid to lose them so he had tightly yoked it with a thin rope.

The three of them were feeling miserable. They never thought that they would lose Risha like that. Each one of them had flashbacks of the past.

"Di, you are so cruel. You never let me win."

"Di, why do you scold me every time? "

"Di..."

"Risha, when will you grow up?"

"Risha, can you learn some cooking"?

"Risha, you won't be a better wife." Misha Bai thought and broke down into tears again.

"Risha, my dear Risha, come here."

"Risha, let me teach you archery."

"Risha, you are my brave daughter. Of course, I'm not worried." Moobhan thought and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Their courageous, brave and strong daughter was not with them anymore. The irony was that they didn't even know where was she and how was she. The grief they were feeling was ineffable. They had lost her.

----

Thyme took that paper with him and stood there steadily for some time. He then searched for clues that might help locate Risha and her family. But he couldn't understand.

He sat down helplessly. It was the price he had to pay for loving someone. He was sure of his fate. How could he get everything without trouble? Since childhood, he was aware of that. When he was born, his mother passed away. He never experienced his mother's love and affection. His father was also in Arz's army and he had no time for little Thyme. He often used to play with his elder brother who was five years older than him.

At the age of ten, his father was killed in a battle. His elder brother was serving Arz as a general. It was due to his brother that he was recruited into Arz's army. His brother was a loyal general of Arz, and the Raja would never let him down.

Suddenly, he remembered his best friend: Jason. He recalled the moment when he first met Jason.

"Will you play with me?" A five-year-old boy approached Thyme.

"..." Thyme looked at him curiously.

"I'm Jason, I live in this neighbourhood." The five-year-old introduced himself.

Thyme took a good look at him glancing him from his feet to head. Jason was the first person to become friends with Thyme.

"Hi, I'm Thyme." Thyme stepped forward to shake hands.

Since then, those two became bosom buddies. Thyme used to share everything with him. He was like a sibling to him.

"Jason, have you forgotten me?" Thyme thought.

He clearly remembered, when he was selected in Arz's army how happy Jason was. But when he told Jason about his trip to Riverland, Jason's face turned pale. Jason was not in this favour. As Jason was an orphan and had got no family, he used to live with Thyme in his house. But this news struck him like lightning falling from the sky.

Thyme vividly recalled that Jason had stopped eating since that day. He made him understand, consoled him and promised him that he would be back soon. Jason was a skilled swordsman and had mastered piano and flute playing.

But, at this moment why was he recalling his best friend than his brother? Because he knew in his heart that only Jason could help him in this distress. Only Jason had the power to comfort him. Thyme's ill-fated life was already a tale of unfortunate events and once again Thyme was struck by the irony of fate. He cried, sobbed and cursed himself till he got some senses.

What would Jason do in this situation?" he thought for a while and then took a paper and pen from his pants and drew the map of Riverland. In the south, there was Beesakh and Moobhan would never even stop there. In the West, the Western Hills were well-notorious for their crime. There was only one option: East. "But Eastern Valley doesn't allow outsiders, why would Moobhan take a risk along with his two daughters." Thyme thought. But he had no other choice than to chase them. He took the shot and travelled to the East.

_____