Lekha (Completed)

Lekha 27

I moved towards the duo bending over someone who seemed to be in great pain.

"Oh!..." I exclaimed before I could stop myself. It was Rudra sitting half leaning on the platform's wall. Both the boys looked at me with shock, as if they had seen a ghost and then their faces turned guilty as they both tried to hide Rudra from my view by standing in front of him.

"What are you doing here? Why are you not sleeping?" said Udai bhaisa acting casual as if Rudra spaced-out on the ground was nothing unusual.

I ignored his question and now knowing it was just Rudra I became bold enough to go round them towards him. I knelt on the ground beside him and asked "What has happened to him?".

I didn't need to be a great detective to know that he was heavily drunk, as Rudra turned his face towards me and opened his eyes. He must have heard me and  was looking at me with glazed eyes.

"He has got a bit tipsy from the celebratory drink we had tonite" Vikram tried to explain."Please don't discuss this with anyone or we would get into a hell lot of trouble for this."

"Why will you people get into trouble ? He is old enough to take his own decisions. It's his fault .." I said gesturing towards Rudra.

"No no no..not his fault" cried both in unison.

"No my fault..." slurred Rudra from beside me.

He suddenly pounced on my hand and tears flowed down his eyes. I was taken aback by his actions but didn't move.

"Please forgive me... Don't leave me ever. Don't go..." said Rudra as he tightened his hold on me by gripping me by the shoulders. I had become immobile due to his tight grip and felt nauseated by the strong stench of alcohol coming from him. Vikram moved forward to help me out but I shook my head to stop him.

Despite being scared I wanted to help him like promised, as I heard desperation and deep hurt in his voice. I could hear warning bells ringing fast and furiously in my mind but my foolish heart pushed me towards showing compassion towards the man who might become my husband some day.

"I am here now ... I will never leave you" I said softly trying to soothe him down.

He took my face in both hands, gazing at me with eyes full of love. My heart stopped for a moment at this, as I had never been looked at this way by anyone.

"You promise ..." he asked softly looking deep in my eyes as if trying to see the truth hidden in them.

"I promise..." I replied, as I felt love over flow from somewhere deep within me for this man in front of me, even though he seemed to be drunk talking.

His grip tightened as if he couldn't believe his luck and feared I would melt away.

"You truly promise..." he repeated, his voice full of passion "Roop..."

I felt as if someone just poured a bucketful of ice cold water on my head. It was not him but me who had become stupidly delirious. I tried to get away from him but his hold was quite strong despite his inebriated state. I looked towards the boys for help.

Vikram and Udai bhaisa both helped me by loosening his grip on me and helping me stand.

"Roop... don't go...you promised. Roop...Roop.." cried Rudra in his slurred voice.

I stood at a distance shaken up a bit at what I had done. In a fraction of a second I had given my heart to a person who didn't want it. My first love was over the moment it started. I was stupid enough to think that someone could fall in love with me. I stood frozen watching the scene unfold before me. Vikram poured a whole bucket full of water over his brother's head while Udai bhaisa held him down. This got Rudra to calm down a bit as he gasped for air as if drowning.

My trance was broken by someone touching my arm. I looked up to find Udai bhaisa gesturing me to move away from there. As I walked in silence following him I could still hear Rudra whimpering the name that broke my heart. I wanted to run back to comfort him but it were not my arms which he was seeking for comfort. 

"Lekha! ... bhaisa isn't in his right state of mind. You should not..." he started to explain.

"Let it go bhaisa "I said cutting him off in mid sentence. I was hurting too much to hear any further explanations which I knew would be more consolatory then facts. "Let's just forget anything happened... I want to forget it too"

We walked together in peaceful silence after that. The guard outside our tent looked up once and then went back to sleep after seeing it's just us.

I found both the girls sleeping as I entered the tent.

"Lekha... listen..."tried Udai bhaisa again.

"Shhh... you will wake the girls" I whispered."Just forget anything happened and I will too."

He looked at me with concern and then nodded his head in agreement as he left me standing alone in the tent.

I quietly climbed back in my bed and lost all my calm as I gave way to tears. I muffled my crying in the cotton filled pillows uncaring that they might leave a mark.

I scolded myself for falling in love with a person who wasn't mine to love. I was just a 'thing' to be protected for him, by the orders of his elders. I would not have been hurt if I had not taken his delirious talking seriously. It was not love I tried to explain to myself. It was just infatuation, just like all teenagers had.

It was my first time, so it hurt more I supposed. I missed my mother so much. I couldn't discuss my feelings with anyone here, it would mean divulging everyone's confidences.

"Where are you mother when I need you the most?" I sobbed in my pillow.

This chapter is a compensation for the long wait before. :D

Hoping for faster updates from now onward. 

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