Getting Freedom

It's been some time and Veer has no knowledge how long it has been and unknowingly he reached the Deva Pahari hill range, the place where he has met Priya for the last time when she was visiting her maternal grandfather.

This is the time of noon when he surveyed his surroundings through his eyes and felt emotional seeing the familiar scenery. He remembered Meena and Priya walked hand in hand and met him at the place where he is standing now. Remembering their meet he smiled. He remembered the smile of Priya when she looked at him with those innocent eyes. He could not stop and whispered:

"Sky has turned in lovely blue

Earth has become lively green

Every sound has been made in melody

By looking at the smile in these beautiful eyes"

His eyes turned misty. He felt like he has returned to that moment in the past and whispered "Priya! Your smile is so beautiful"

Priya smiled and left the hand of Meena, whispered something in her ears and walked beside Veer. Veer looked at Meena who smiled at them, walked back with bodyguards and went toward the area where everyone in their group was preparing for their lunch and resting.

Veer saw a bag in hands of Priya and took it from her. Priya looked at him and said, "Let us walk the same path again and see if it is beautiful." Veer looked at her and nodded and they walked together toward the higher elevation on the hill.

Trails on the hills and mountains of Deva Pahari were like snakes and sometimes were steep where Veer would hold her hand and they will move cautiously. Veer would often smile and Priya will blush when he will extend his hand to hold her hand.

"Don't think that I don't know what is behind that smile of yours" Priya said showing fake anger.

Veer smiled and said "Does it matter? I will tell you now. I get to hold your hand and it really makes me happy."

She extended her hand held his hand and said softly "What is the use of being sneaky. There won't be anyone else in my life. Why don't you keep holding then?"

Veer looked at her emotional expression and turned toward her and looked at her lovingly and said: "Yes, there won't be anyone else besides you." And he released his hand from hers and then held her soft palms from his own. He crossed his fingers with hers which made her blush. The gesture was more intimate but he felt no resistance from her and it made him happier.

They are trekking the highest mountain of Deva Pahari range. Veer mentioned that they can see the beautiful view from the top, so Priya asked to go see it. It was not for the view but for the time it will take, that will be the time she will get to be with Veer. Veer understood it and felt happy. He will often turn his head and look at her happy expression and feel happy by it.

They have covered almost two third of the mountain climbing when Priya saw a big rock protruding on the mountain slope. There was a tree beside it which was casting its shadow on the platform created by this rock.

Priya pulled Veer toward it and said "Let us sit on this rock. We can have some water and look at the scenery while taking some rest." Veer smiled and let her pull himself toward rock platform.

Veer was sitting and eating some snacks Priya has brought in her bag and Priya was standing few feet away from him on the rock and looking around like a curious child. She was feeling like everything was new.

When she saw a group of birds flying over, she shouted "See, those group of birds, how many are there. Let me count 1, 2, 3, 4, .... 29, 30, 31. Wow, she such a big group. It feels like a small army of birds. Also, this blue sky in the background seems so beautiful." Veer looked at her and smiled.

Priya looked at Veer who was looking at her and smiling and pouted "Don't you like it? You don't even seem interested. It looks so beautiful from here. Maybe when we will reach on top, it will look more beautiful."

"Yes. Today everything is beautiful because you are here. If you were not here, nothing will look interesting. So, I am looking at the thing which is making everything look beautiful." Veer smiled and said while looking at her lovingly.

Priya smiled and said bashfully "Of course you are a great scholar. You have your ways with words. Don't I know what are you trying to do here? You are really annoying. Why don't you give any right answer? I need to ignore you." And she turned head with a humph and started looking at the scenery down the mountain.

Veer smiled and asked "You said you know what am I trying to do. Please tell me what am I trying to do?" But Priya did not respond.

Veer looked at her rigid back and he understood she is controlling her laugh and he smiled. He continued "Then I will tell you what I'm trying to do and you tell me if you guessed correctly." No response from Priya again.

"I thought today was a good day because we have met. But now you are angry and don't wish to talk. No one knows what will happen tomorrow and today is also wasted." Veer sighed and said.

Priya turned and said to Veer "If you talk like this, I will really become angry. Why are you saying something negative." Her eyes turned misty.

Veer stood and walked to her and said lovingly "I was just trying to make you turn and look at me. I am sorry. Please don't be sad. OK?"

Priya turned and said with teary eyes "Of course no one knows about the future but we should not speculate whether it's positive or negative. Because if we hoped for good and didn't get it, we will be disappointed and depressed. But if we feared for unknown and it really happened we might feel like our own thought cursed us."

Veer took her hand in his and said "I understand. Let us live in present." She wiped her eyes from her free hand and smiled and nodded.

She again became that innocent and bright girl and looking toward the top of the mountain, she pulled Veer's hand and said: "let us go, we still have so much to cover." Veer picked the back and let her pull him toward the trail leading toward the top of the mountain.

It didn't take them much time to reach the top. Here the wind is stronger than the lower parts of the mountain. Priya laughed seeing that they reached. Veer was in a daze looking at her face while her hairs and dress fluttered in wind. She looked like a celestial in a white dress while wind feels like increasing her luster.

There was a trail on the top of the mountain which has few meters wide spaces on both sides of it and then the slope of mountain started on both sides. This trail went far in one direction and on another side, after some distance from them, there was a very steep cliff almost farming a precipice. On the edge of the precipice, there was a big rock farming a natural platform.

Veer stood at his place while he looked at the happiness of Priya. Her laughter was echoing in the valley on one side of the mountain, She has her face toward the sky, her hands spread like welcoming the wind in her embrace, her dress fluttering in wind and she was whirling which makes the scene like an illusion.

After some time Priya stopped and looked at Veer and smiled and said "What happened to you? Don't you feel happiness in the air here?"

Veer came out of the daze and smiled. He said "Of course I can feel happiness in the air. I can feel like I am on top of the world. It feels like I am the happiest person at this moment. Everything is good with you."

She smiles and said "I am a fool. I should be smacked on the head to remember to not provoke that flowery mouth of yours." She laughed again after saying that and ran toward higher elevation where precipice was.

Veer shouted "Priya! Be careful. It's very steep ahead. Go slow." and he ran to follow her.

When Veer caught up to her she was already standing on the head of the precipice which was a big rock platform and looking toward the deep valley in front of her. Veer came and stood beside her. Here wind seems to be coming from the front and gives a refreshing feeling.

They stood beside each other facing the deep valley in front and many belts like ranges of mountains and hills. Small birds can be seen playing or making noises on trees. Some eagles can be seen making rounds in the sky. Some groups of immigrating birds can be seen disappearing on the horizon.

Priya looked at Veer and asked softly "What do you feel while looking from here?"

"I do not wish to feel and get affected by anything other than your presence beside me. I really feel like everything is beautiful because you are beside me." Veer looked in her eyes and said. He smiled and asked, "Don't you believe me?"

Looking at his serious face Priya smiled and said "Why won't I believe it? When I say I love you, I am also saying that I trust you blindly. And also believing you makes me happy." She laughed after that.

Veer's smile broadened and he asked: "What else you feel from my words."

She smiled bashfully "You make it seem like I am the most beautiful girl in the whole world. I know you are just trying to make me smile."

"For me, you are the most beautiful" Veer said non-nonchalantly and then he smiled and said, "Why don't you tell me what you feel looking from here?"

Priya smiled and said "When I listen to the chirping of the birds, I wish to be able to act and talk freely like them. When I see those eagles flying in the sky, I wish to be free from all the worldly restrictions and be able to fly like that. When I see those white clouds in the blue sky, they seem to be like some flying palace, I wish to be able to walk into them and be on top of the world. I know these are all just analogy, but I wish to feel that freedom and that happiness."

"Do you think our love will make you free and happy?" Veer asked smiling.

Priya turned and looked calmly at Veer and said "You know. I believe that once I marry you and come to you, I will be happier and freer. I won't have to be pulled into unwarranted spite, jealousy or politics. I will feel the freedom which will come from love."

Veer felt like Priya has turned more serious. He felt she was not happy and was wishing to come to him sooner. He made a mental note to send a letter to Ambikapur asking Priya's hand in marriage. He smiled and turned toward her and looking into her eyes said: "Trust me I will help you get that freedom."

Priya did not smile but she looked into Veer's eyes and asked "What is the purpose of life? Veer! Do you ever think that why are we born?"

"I feel like I was born to fall in love with you. I don't think anything else this good has ever happened in my life. I always thought to be a scholar and practicing Yoga is the purpose of my life but after meeting you I feel like without including you in my life, everything will become pointless."

Priya looked annoyed and said "Still, a big part of life is pending. There might be better things."

"But those better things will only come if I'm with you. So falling in love with you is still the best thing which has happened." He argued back.

Feelings of a girl and a boy in love are totally different. When a girl finds her love, she thinks now she can pursue other things with her lover. When a boy falls in love, he just wants to be immersed in love and forget the whole world. Girl wants to see the world holding the hands of the lover. Boy just wants to keep looking at his lover. None of them are wrong but this definitely will cause a banter between lovers.

Priya sighed and came in front of Veer and then smiled and her eyes turned misty and she said "Veer! Love makes us free."

Veer also felt emotional looking into her eyes and said: "I know Priya!"

She walked slowly backward and continued saying while her loving gaze at Veer "And now I am free Veer! There is no sorrow, just pure bliss of love."

Veer felt fear in his heart and cried "Priya! stop. Don't move."

She kept moving backward and she was now far from the rock platform and above the valley and she said "See, I am flying Veer! Now I am free. Our love has made me free."

Veer's tears flowed and cried to disappearing Priya "Priya! Please come back."

He fell on his knees and he cried. He felt a pain deep in his heart and fell unconscious. After sometime at the time of dusk, Veer opened his eyes and found himself above the platform facing precipice on the top of the mountain.

He felt like he dreamed of Priya where he lived the last meet with her again. But finding himself on the precipice, he felt like he came here with Priya. He stood up and looked around like he wanted to see if Priya was still around. He felt emotional. He wanted to live those moments again. It felt so real. He felt so happy and in love.

He looked from the precipice where the shadow of Priya disappeared and whispered "You were happy when you were in love, you wished to fly and you said you are flying" His tears flowed and he murmured "But I am still not free. Priya! what should I do?"

He felt unbearable pain again. He cried "I wish to be happy...

I also wish to fly...

Priya! Take me with you."

His voice echoed in the valley.

His tears flowed and he walked forward toward the precipice and shouted "Priya! Let us go together. Be free together. Fly together."

He saw her in the next moment in the air above valley looking lovingly at him with open arms. He smiled and jumped with open arms toward her.

Next moment he felt so soft and light like he was in her embrace.

He closed his eyes.

He felt happy. He felt like he was free at last.

In the valley, there was an echo still reverberating...

Go... Be Free... Fly... Together...