That Fateful Day

Shimla - 3 years ago

Shivani and Mrityunjay were at the reception in an hour's time. They decided to take a taxi to Tara Devi station and trek up to the temple. That way, they could get a bird's eye view of the scenic beauty of Shimla. At the reception, the Front Office Manager of the Oberoi walked up to Mrityunjay and whispered something in his ears, but he simply dismissed his words saying, "C'mon Anup, it's a bright, sunny day. We've already wasted 3 days. Don't worry. It’ll be fine,” he assured, clasping Shivani's hand and walking out to the waiting taxi.

Shivani looked at Mrityunjay seriously and asked, "What did he say?" "There have been some landslides in Manali. So he just wanted us to be careful," he reverted, waiting for her reaction.

She hugged Mrityunjay's arm tight, saying, "thank you."

Tara Devi Station

He had hoped to be alone with Shivani during the course of the trek, but as soon as they got out of the taxi, he saw a big group of tourists who had descended there. Mrityunjay shook his head in disappointment, but Shivani was raring to go, completely oblivious to his predicament. As she surged ahead, he gently pulled her back. "Where do you think you are going?" he quizzed her, still holding her hand.

"To do what we came here for," she told him, baffled.

Mrityunjay looked heavenwards; only the Gods could help him with this crazy girl. "Shivani," he said, taking in a slow, deep breath, "you see all those people there? They will be all around us on this trek," he mentioned, raising his eyebrows, hoping she would catch the hint.

Shivani spread out her hands and looked askance. "Of course they will be. So what? Good for us in fact, no chance of us getting lost now," she grinned cheek to cheek.

Mrityunjay rubbed his forehead helplessly. Then, he bent lower, so he could look at her straight in her eyes, "that was the plan, to get lost with you," he said, giving her a glimpse of his intentions.

Shivani's heart skipped a beat and she took a step back instinctively. "Don't waste time, let's go," she tugged at his hand.

They had trekked up for about 40 minutes and wanted to rest for a brief period near a curve on the tracks. They were surrounded by mountains on one side and a deep valley right behind them. "Hey, let's take a selfie," Shivani raised her hand with her phone held ready to click a snap.

He came out of nowhere, a funny looking man. "Do you want me to take your picture?" he asked, stopping by.

Mrityunjay studied the guy carefully. He had all the usual trekking gear, but something about him didn't feel right. He stopped the man before he could come closer. "No thanks," said Mrityunjay, his voice stern.

"Arey Sir, you both stand on the rocks in a Titanic pose, I'll take a nice picture," he suggested, coming forward, putting his hand out.

Shivani stood up, about to hand him her phone, when Mrityunjay said emphatically, "NO, we are leaving."

When they had moved ahead, "what was that?" inquired Shivani, looking at him a tad angrily. "He was just offering to take a picture... that’s all. You didn't have to be so rude," she told him.

Mrityunjay turned around to face her. "Something about him was not right Shivani, something's not right. I want to get up to the temple as quickly as possible and then take a taxi back," he explained in a grim tone.

Shivani drew in a deep breath. She could understand his suspicious attitude. After all that he had been through, THEY had been through. She cupped his face with her hands. "You have to let go Mrityunjay. It's over, the past is done. That animal is in jail right now. The past won’t come back," she tried to pacify him.

But the nagging sense of foreboding that Mrityunjay was feeling, would just not go away. He should have listened to his instincts. Because half an hour later, as they were crossing a small bridge, over a gorge between 2 mountains, an explosion on a mountain above caused a huge land slide. Shivani looked up in horror as huge boulders from the top of the mountain came racing down towards the bridge. She turned to look at Mrityunjay.

"RUN,” she heard him scream. "RUN SHIVANI," he was yelling now.

She ran in mad panic. She had just cleared the bridge and turned around to look for him when she was hit by a small stone on her head and collapsed. But before collapsing, Shivani did see the broken bridge dangling from the other side, where she and Mrityunjay had stood a few minutes ago.

Village – Baragaon – Near Saanvi Hesis’ House

Saanvi was the first to notice the body floating around in the stream next to her house. She had bellowed in sheer shock. Her uncle had come running at her screams and immediately jumped into the waters and pulled the body out. The stranger had been badly hurt and it was a wonder how he managed to survive. The water probably acted as a cleansing agent, tried to reason one of the wise village old men.

They immediately rushed him to their house and called the local doctor. There was no big hospitals close by and the man needed immediate medical attention. The doctor bandaged him as best as he could and prescribed some medicines for his recovery. He informed Tanvi’s family that the first 24 hours would be critical and that, anything could happen. The man kept blabbering some name over and over again, even as he lay unconscious. It sounded as though he was saying Shivani ... Shivani ... repeatedly. Despite his loss of blood and his dire condition, he stirred restlessly, as though trying to get up. Of course, he did not have any strength left to move, after what his body had endured.

At night, Saanvi observed her father cover the man’s shivering body with blankets to keep him warm. She watched her mother prepare some concoctions from local herbs, to break his fever. Once he had survived through his first night in their house, there had been hope. It was so strangely satisfying that an entire household had spent the whole night trying to save the life of someone they did not even know.

When he opened his eyes on the third day, he was still not fully conscious. He kept mumbling Shivani, Shivani. Her father and uncle sensed that he must be thirsty and gave him water to drink. The sheer effort it took for the man to drink water, flabbergasted Saanvi. He was tall and seemed to be well built, but was struggling to lift even a finger.

Two more days later, as she was drying the clothes in the courtyard, she saw him step out of their house, limping and trying to walk with great difficulty, as he tried to get to the gate. Saanvi ran across to him, trying to support him, before he fell to the ground. He was too heavy for her.

"PAPA,” she yelled out to her father. The man raised his head to look at her, his eyes only half open. There was a spark in those eyes, like they held raging infernos within. He fell down unconscious as her father came running out and muttered exasperatedly, “Oh my God! How did he get here? What a mad man! He was nearly dead five days ago and now he is trying to walk."

They managed to take him back to the house. It had taken a further two days before the stranger regained some of his strength. Saanvi’s mother had given her the responsibility of feeding the stranger soup every evening. As she came in to feed him his soup that evening, she saw him sit up against the wall, with his eyes closed, breathing heavily.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, glancing at him sympathetically. His eyes shot open and gawped at her, as though he would eat her alive. She did not understand why he seemed so angry. But she knew no fear and stood her ground. “Newspaper!!" he asked, still glaring at her.

"Huh?" she didn't understand what he meant. The stranger closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Newspaper, do you have today's newspaper?" he repeated, with great effort. Well at least, he speaks Hindi, she thought.

"Just a minute," she replied, placing the bowl of soup on a table nearby and went out to fetch the newspaper her father read without fail every day. She gave it to him and asked, "Do you want me to feed you the soup now?"

"NO," he reverted, looking at her sternly and raising a finger. "I'll have it myself," he responded coldly.

Saanvi watched him, seething in anger. He was better off unconscious, she thought and marched out of the room.

Mrityunjay checked the date on the paper. A week, a WEEK!!! It had been a week since he had been missing! Shivani.... what must've happened to her? Mrityunjay's breath quickened as he glanced around the house. Why the hell did they save him? Why didn't they just let him die... it seemed like a miserable life. He didn't have the strength to get up and go out searching for her.

Mrityunjay screamed out loud in agony, "SHIVANI...!" Present Day

The beads of sweat that had formed around his temples brought him back to the present. His shirt was soaking wet with perspiration too. In the cold wooden cottage, Mrityunjay was sweating profusely. He realised that he was in his cottage and Shivani was back with him. His Shivani, who he had assumed had not survived that fateful day. He got up and rubbed the sweat away from his face. She would be waiting, worried. Mrityunjay raced back to his house, his Shivani. She would be waiting, worried.