Malana : a lost town.

Chapter 24

Veer's pov:

The dim moonlight indicated to me the path to the river, as the moon played hide and seek between the clouds, but the sky was too far to be seen covered by the branches of the trees. The cold cinch blew through the region, and everything around was modest and motionless, I could only hear crickets twittering in the scrubs after the rain, the earth was sticky and there was mud all around.

Approaching the river I could hear the gush, the flow was high after the rain, and it presumably was turning into a cascade later, as the voice was too fierce. Walking carefully on the edges of the river, the cold melted water from the glacier touched my feet, making me shudder and raising my goosebumps.

"Oh this is too cold," I said to myself raising one leg above, and balancing on one. I folded up my pants above to prevent them from getting wet, Sitting down on a big gravel at the edge of the river, I filled the water bottle and moved back to the sands. Walking slowly I saw a shadow pass by, my eyes were broad on seeing it. It was Yeti strolling around, and the only thought my mind could process was Paridhi!

"Oh No, not now you son of a bitch." I said to myself, as I turned on running back to Paridhi, bumping and scraping against the branches and getting blotches on my arms, as I ran at a fast pace my leg strumbled from the waterholes midway making me fall on the ground, water bottle fell from my hand, I made an effort to balance myself but all in vain, and there was an incline that was deep enough, as I rumbled down the slope mercilessly. It felt like I fell off a ridgetop, my whole body started to hurt as I rolled down too hard.

"Ouch! Oh God," I said to myself Halting down and laying down on the ground full of wounds, my heart was throbbing and my head was pounding. I lay down on the ground breathless and incapable to move. I fell into a deep slumber.

  

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Partly opening my eyes gradually, on hearing the mumbles of some people, I entirely opened them and saw a crowd assembled around me, as I lay somewhere on the mint grass. Recalling what happened to me last night, how I went to fill the water bottle from the river and I saw Yeti and to help part I ran fell into a god knows what slope.

Wait, am I dead? Was I in heaven? Who are these people. ? Unaware I  woke up from the ground in nervousness. And people around me attempted to calm me down. "where am I?" I said to them cleaning dust from my clothes and body.

"What is this place?" I asked once again, noticing no response from them. All those people looked at me with a strange expression.

"You are in Malana Mirta." I gave attention to a voice from behind, as I swerved around to see and my eyes bloomed with excitement when I saw Govind, the look in his eyes made all of my body ache vanish, and all of my apprehensions fade away for a minute.

"Govind!" I said. Now I knew who he was and who I was, I hurried towards him touching his feet in respect and smiling a little too much, my excitement had no ending it was boosting with every passing moment.

"Vikarna, Mitra welcome back to Malana," he said with a serene smile, which made me realize I was in Malana once again, I was here and my heart knew it. The re-energized air lush green farms and grass made me look around with satisfaction until I remembered how it was sworn and now I had to revive it again, but how? Thinking about it I looked at Govind who gave me and reassuring expression and I shook back to him.

"My dearest people of Malana, I want you all to meet Veer," declared Govind coming forward and addressing the throng.

Everyone glanced at me with an amazed retort and it was apparent on their faces how confused they were on seeing me entering into their town like this. I let a profound whiff out and stood boldly among them beside Govind.