Deviant Desires

Prologue

(Please read the references at the end of the chapter to get a better understanding.)

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Her fingers delicately worked to weave her dark strands in a long braid as obsidian waves loosely framed her elegant and angular oval visage.

Frigid November air flitted into her room through the open wooden gates of the Jharoka and kissed her face in a hasty breeze.

Her sand clad eyes were trained on the velvet of dawn slowly stretching towards the very first rays of the sun that were yet to illuminate the sandstone buildings of this magnificent city.

A sudden ping from her phone broke her stare off with the sky and she read the confirmation that she knew would undoubtedly come. A smile formed on her face as she hastily pushed to her feet and darted out of her room with her phone in hand. Rushing down the brick staircase, as quietly as possible, and into the angan of the haveli, she double checked all the locks on gates, before making her exit.

She had about three hours before everyone would be up and it was more than enough for her.

Sliding into her white Activa, she drove into the chilly breeze as the oncoming morning hummed a tune and her heart danced with simplest of joys.

By the time, she reached Amer fort, she was left with ten minutes to herself, before she was supposed to meet him.

Hence she decided to use that time wisely. Or at least, what she thought- could be considered wise.

By the time he reached, he saw a young girl sitting by the road, right in front of the Maota Lake, talking an old lady's ear off, who didn't actually seem to mind.

Yet deciding that the girl had talked enough for a day, he interrupted them, "Aaru, I think she has had enough conversations for a year or two."

Aarini raised her head from where she sat cross legged on road, next to the old craft seller, to look at the intruder.

"Adarsh Bhaiya, you are twenty minutes late. But, nice to see you too."

A frown tugged at Adarsh's face as he looked at the five year old trapped in a body of an adult, "I'm late because five in the morning is too goddam early for a Sunday"

"But it's the most beautiful time to witness the beauty that Amer is, before it gets swarmed by tourists!"

Letting out an amused laughter, Adarsh pulled Aarini to her feet after giving the lady two notes of five hundred rupees. She tried to refuse but took it after Adarsh's insistence.

Aarini smiled internally and was yet again proud to be associated with someone like him. He was not her brother by blood but was rather her best friend's - or more like only friend's- brother.

They had hit it off immediately after they met four years ago. And she couldn't have been more grateful. He has always been there for her like an older brother. In fact way more than his sister, her friend, ever was.

Adarsh led them to a separated Chatri, by the side of the lake that on looked the fort. The sun has yet to rise but the golden hues dancing around the dawn cloaked sky, signifies that they won't have to wait for long. It was truly a magnificent sight.