Shimla
Friday 27 January 2017
12 noon
Ishita glanced surreptitiously at her husband as he looked straight ahead at the road, expertly navigating the vehicle on the icy roads leading to the Shimla hills. She clutched the cup of takeaway coffee he had gotten for her, grateful for the warmth that still seeped through into her hands.

He didn't remember that he loved her, and yet he showed love in every little thing he did for her.

He looked so handsome, she mused, sneaking a glance at his face again. His hair was still short after being shaved for his surgery, curling back crisply from his forehead. A light stubble covered his cheeks and chin, and black designer sunglasses covered his eyes, protecting them from the glare of the sun bouncing off the stark white snow that surrounded them. He was dressed casually today in dark denims and a black sweater over a crisp white shirt. He looked so vibrant, so healthy, so very handsome. And he was hers.

Her heart filled with love for him, threatening to well out of her eyes as she realized once again that she could not tell him, had to pretend to be less than what she was to him. She tore her eyes away from his face, bending her head to hide her threatening tears, sipping her coffee slowly to distract herself from him.

"Like what you see, do you?" His lazy drawl, drenched in laughter, caught her by surprise and she hastily swallowed her coffee, coughing as the warm drink went down the wrong way.

"Ki..kya..kya?" (Wha.. what?) she spluttered, embarrassed to have been caught ogling her husband.

"You've been checking me out Ms Ishita. I just asked whether you like what you see?" He tipped his sunglasses down and looked straight at her as she raised her eyes shyly to his.

"Aisi koi baat nahi hai "" she murmured. "Mein soch rahi thi aap theek hai ya nahi. Kitni long drive hai aur...."
(Nothing like that. I...I was just wondering if you're okay. It's such a long drive and...)

"Lekin abhi hi toh safar shuru hui hai Ms Ishita"he snapped his glasses back up and then focused on the road, the laughter still in his voice. "Kya mein itna nazuk hoon ki ek ghante mein hi thak jaonga? Seriously?"
(But we've just started Ms Ishita. Do you think I'm so fragile that I'll fall to pieces after an hour in a car? Seriously?)

"No..." she had just started to say when he interrupted, pointing out a particularly beautiful vista ahead, where a road veered off to the left of the two lane highway.

"It's okay Ms Ishita. I think your dialogue writer is on a break. Now just check the GPS on your phone. This is where we turn off, right? To take the alternate route?"

Ishita quickly put her cup into the cup holder and picked up her phone.

"Mr Bhalla" she said hesitatingly as she scrolled through the maps app, "Pichle dus minute se koi bhi gaadi nahi dikha.. Aur abhi bhi raaste pe kitni barf hai. Mujhe nahi lagta ki humme aage jaana chahiye."
(We haven't seen any cars for the past ten minutes. And there's still so much snow on the road. I don't think we should go any further)

He had slowed the car as they approached the turn off and he now stopped it completely after veering into the side road.

"I gave you a choice at the airport Ms Ishita. You chose to come with me. Now, stop wasting my time and tell me , is this the Hill Road that your Sharmaji told us about"

"Yes" Ishita said reluctantly, and he started the car again.

"Good" He said firmly, glancing swiftly at her before concentrating on the road they had just embarked on. "This detour is supposed to meet up with the main road just before the resort, and it skirts the blocked parts."

"But it's such heavy snow here too" Ishita murmured, as a pristine white vista rose up ahead of them. The trees around the meandering road were weighed down with snow, bare branches like icy tentacles emerging from the starkness. The sun which had been shining a while ago had hidden itself behind the blackest of heavy clouds, shrouding the hills with gloom. "Do you really think the road ahead will be clear?"

She looked worriedly at her husband, and he again gave her a swift appraising look.

"Don't worry Ms Ishita" he said quietly. "I won't put you in any danger. If this road doesn't look right, we will go back to Shimla town, okay?"

"Okay" she said doubtfully, worrying about how he would manage on these icy roads.

He must have heard the doubt in her voice, seen the concern on her face.

"Trust me Ms Ishita" his voice was quiet but firm, even as he wondered why her approval was so important to him. "I'll keep you safe"

I trust you more than anything in the world my love her heart whispered. "Yes Mr Bhalla" she said out aloud.

*********************
An Hour Later

"Keh do"
(Say it)

"Mein kuch nahi keh rahi hoon."
(I'm not saying anything)

"Go on, just say it."

"Aap mujh par kyun naraaz ho rahe hai? Mein ne kya kiya."
(Why are you getting angry with me? What did I do?)

"Nahi, kiya toh sabkuch mein ne hi. Aur mein naaraz nahi ho raha hoon. Just say I told you so."
(No, I'm the one who did everything. And I'm not getting angry. Just say I told you so)

They were sitting in their stalled car, staring at the whiteness ahead. Whiteness where there should have been a road. This hill road was blocked too, with the weight of the newly fallen snow bringing down branches across the width of the road, completely blocking the way ahead.

"Fine" Ishita finally looked up at her husband. "I told you so."

"And I told you to stay back in Shimla" he retorted.

Ishita smiled inwardly. Somethings never changed. He was the one who had insisted on proceeding after finding out about the highway closure, he was the one insisting she say something, but now he had to have the last word no matter what.

She looked over at him, intending to remonstrate, but the haunted look in his eyes stopped her. He had promised to keep her safe, and now he must be berating himself, hiding his fears with his caustic comments.

"Theek hai Mr Bhalla" she said reassuringly. "Lekin kya aap ab meri baat sunenge? Zara baadal ko dekhiye. Lagta hai phir barf girne wala hai. Humme Simla wapas jaana chahiye isse pehle ki wapas jaane ki bhi raasta band ho jaaye. Mein Sharmaji ko Call lagati hoon ye janane ke liye ki usne hamari booking kis hotel mein ki hai. Chaliye na. Please"
(Fine Mr Bhalla. But will you please listen to me now. Just look at the clouds, it's going to start snowing again soon. We need to get back to Shimla before the way back gets blocked. I'll try to call Mr Sharma now to see where he has booked our accommodation. Let's go. Please.)

"Theek hai, theek hai" he squinted ahead into the glare of the snow, as if still trying to find a way out ahead. "Let's go"

*********************
Thirty Minutes Later

Snow was falling furiously all around them, and the threatening gloom had descended to cover the hills. It was still early afternoon, but it was as dark as dusk, the sun blocked by snow laden clouds which were now showering the hills with their icy white cargo.

They had turned back half an hour ago, to rejoin the highway back to Shimla. But now they had hit an insurmountable problem. The road ahead was also blocked by the snow. There was no way forward, just as there was no way back. They were marooned in the Shimla hills, with a storm fast approaching.

Raman brought the car to a halt, cursing his own stupidity at continuing in this weather. He should have listened to that blasted Sharmaji, he should have listened to Ishita, he should have paid attention to the weather forecast, he should have.....he should never have brought her into this.

He turned off the engine, banging his hands against the steering wheel in utter frustration, staring straight ahead. Anywhere but at her.

Ishita glanced at her husband worriedly as she tried to get a signal on the phone. There was nothing.

"I ...I can't get a signal now Mr Bhalla" she said quietly. "Lekin jab mein ne bees minute pehle Sharmaji se baat kiya tha, toh usne bataya tha ki ek snowstorm is ilaake mein aa rahi hai, aur bahut bura toofan hoga. Mein ne uss waqt kuch kaha nahi kyunki aap pehle se hi kitna tez chalaa rahe theh. Sharmaji ko pata hai hum kahan hai aur agar hum hotel nahi pahunche toh woh madad zaroor bhejenge, lekin ek doh din ka waqt lag sakta hai. Hum do din gaadi mein toh nahi baith sakte hai. We need to find some shelter now."
( I ...I can't get a signal now Mr Bhalla. But when I spoke to Sharmaji twenty minutes ago he told me that a storm had developed suddenly and it was predicted to be pretty bad. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to drive any faster than you already were. The good thing is that Sharmaji knows where we are, so he will get help for us if we don't get to the hotel, but it may be a day or two before they can get to us. We can't sit in the car for two days. We need to find some shelter.)

There was no response from her husband.

"Mr Bhalla?" Ishita touched his shoulder tentatively. She knew her Raman better than he knew himself. She knew exactly what he would be going through right now. He would be bitterly furious with himself, would be cursing himself for bringing her into this situation. But there was no time for self recriminations right now. They needed to find shelter, and fast.

"Mr Bhalla?" She repeated as he remained silent. "Piche ek pathar ki...."
(Mr Bhalla? There was a stone ...)

"I'm sorry Ms Ishita" Raman interrupted, finally looking at her. He took off his sunglasses, looking at them ruefully before flinging them aside. His eyes were dark with an undefined emotion, regret etched in his face. "Maybe I have lost my senses and my vision along with my memory. I should never have insisted on setting out from the airport. Not when the road was blocked. If I had any idea that a storm would develop, I never would have. But in any case, I should not have started out. And certainly not with you. If anything happens to you, if anything...." His heart missed a beat as fear enveloped him. The thought of anything happening to her filled him with dread.

"Mr Bhalla, listen to me please" Ishita saw the fear in her husbands eyes, knew it was for her. She needed him to get past that, needed him to be her Raman again now, her rock, her protector. "I know you're blaming yourself but we don't have time for that now. We can argue later but right now we need to get out of this storm. I saw a small stone building a few meters from the road some five minutes back. You were concentrating on the road so you may not have seen it, but I did. We need to go back and get into that before the storm hits us fully. So please, snap out of it and let's go."

She saw the surprise in his eyes at her assertive tone and words, and then he gave a short laugh, turning on the ignition once again. "Jhansi Ki Rani" he muttered under his breath as the powerful headlights of the car illuminated the gloom. "Buckle up Ms Ishita" he said more loudly as he executed a perfect three point turn and the car headed back towards the hills once more.

*********************
Five Minutes Later

Sheets of snow were falling across the car and the road as Raman inched the car forward. It was getting darker still, but luckily there was still some light as Ishita stared out anxiously, looking for the abandoned structure she had seen earlier.

"Woh dekho, Raman, stop" she shouted, and he immediately brought the car to a halt.

Raman again. Whenever she got stressed or anxious, she unknowingly took his name. So this formality was a facade. And the truth? He would find out. Get it out of her soon. Maybe even tonight.

His mind was thinking furiously but his face was devoid of any emotion as he turned to her, looking at where she was pointing. There was indeed a small abandoned stone building standing in the snow, set back some five meters away from the road. The structure was almost covered in snow, but there was enough stone still exposed to herald its presence. It was small, no doubt it would be filthy, and who knew whether it was habitable, but it was worth checking out. For her sake.

"Good spotting Ms Ishita" He smiled at her, then unbuckling his seatbelt, reached into the back seat for the heavy parka he had brought with him, and which he had luckily taken out of the suitcase at the airport. "I'll go and check it out, you wait here. Now, there was a torch in all that stuff you got from Sharma, wasn't there? Mein le kar jaata hoon." (I'll take it and go)

"No" Ishita said instantly, her heart contracting in fear.

"No?" Raman looked at her puzzled, as he shrugged himself into the parka. "I'll use the torch app on my phone then. But I sure I saw..."

"There is a torch" Ishita interrupted her husband. "But I meant that no, I'm not waiting here. I'm not letting you go alone."

"And I'm not letting you come out until I've checked it out and I know it's safe Ms Ishita. So stop arguing and wait here." He unlocked the door and pushed at the door.

"No" Ishita clutched at his jacket, suddenly desperately afraid. She had insisted that they come to the hut, but what if ... it was dark, he had already been injured, no she couldn't let him. "Let me go, I'll check it..."

"You seem to have a very low opinion of me Ms Ishita if you think I'll sit quietly here and let you go out into this" His voice was ominously quiet and his eyes blazed with fire. "Now shut up and wait here. Nahi" he repeated as she tried to interrupt. "Ek aur shabd nahi" (No, Not another word.)

With that he pushed the door open and stepped out, immediately closing it behind him.

Ishita sat petrified, watching as her husband disappeared into the gloom. The icy cold that had hit the car for the brief seconds the car door had been open had seemed to cut daggers through her, even in the warmth generated by the car heater. And he was out there, in that, alone. She needed to get to him, but he would be furious if she did. She would wait, but if he didn't return soon...if he didn't......

*********************
Raman walked through the snow towards the dark building, his feet sinking into the icy slush as more snow fell on him, driving sheets of ice which stung his face and froze his breath even as he hurried.

The stone building was just a few meters away but it seemed like he had spent an eternity in the blistering cold as he finally reached the hut, taking shelter under the eaves. He shone the beam from his phone on the building, noticing that the place was in surprisingly good repair. There was a door and two windows on the north side of the building where he was standing and he said a little prayer as he tried the handle. To his grateful surprise, the heavy wooden door opened, the hinges slightly rusty and creaking as it swung inside.

He shone the light inside and then whistled in surprise.

The room was habitable and had obviously been recently cleaned and used.

There was a charpoy, a string bed in one corner, with some wooden crates stacked beside it. On the other side, there was a blackened fireplace with a chimney leading up from it. A small steel pot and an earthenware water jug were placed on a small wooden bench nearby, and most miraculous of all, there was a huge stack of firewood against the wall. There was also a door on the opposite wall and Raman quickly moved to try that, opening it to reveal a small corrugated tin hut a few steps away. He quickly closed the door and then surveyed the room one more time. It was perfect. Now to bring Ms Ishita here. He had left the engine running, had left the heater on, but he didn't put it past that obstinate woman to try and follow him here.

Smiling at the thought of her, he opened the door and stepped out into the cold again.

*********************
Ishita looked nervously at her watch as she waited for Raman. She was going to give him ten minutes, not a second more. Then she was going out after him, no matter what he said afterwards. The area was now in total darkness except for the front of the car illuminated by the headlights. But he had gone towards the side, and she couldn't see him. Why couldn't she see him? She should be able to see his phone light at least. So why couldn't she?

Terror rose up in her. She shouldn't have let him go. She shouldn't have been so stupid. She looked at her watch again. Nine and half minutes. Damn it, she didn't care. She was going after him. She realized her seat belt was still buckled and fumbled to remove it. And then, just as the clasp unbuckled, the door opened.

*********************
"Raman" tears were evident in her voice as she stared with relief at her husband. "I was so worried, I..."

He looked completely frozen, covered in snow, the bottoms of his jeans legs wet, his shoes squelching and his parka iced over as he quickly got into the car, closing the door behind him.

He put his wet hands on the steering wheel but they were numb and he looked ruefully at her.

"We will have to wait for my hands to thaw before I can drive Ms Ishita" his voice was raspy, delivered through frozen lips.

"Raman, aap bilkul bheej gaye hai. Kitni thand lag rahi hogi aap ko" She looked at him in horror, at the lips turning blue, the hands shaking on the wheel. (Raman, you're drenched. You must be frozen)

"That's what happens in the snow Ms Mensa" he retorted through chattering teeth.

Ishita looked at him in exasperation and then grabbed both his cold hands, enclosing them in her warm ones. He tried to pull back but she held firm, looking down at his hands, rubbing them until she started to feel warmth seeping back into his fingers.

She looked up to see him looking at her enigmatically, his face no longer as red as it had been, his lips having lost their blue tinge.

"Ab aap gaadi chala sakte ho" she said, finally releasing his hands. "Lekin kahan? Kya hum uss building mein nahi reh sakte?" (You can drive now But where? Can't we stay in the building?)

"Reh sakte hai" he responded, turning the car around and reversing towards the old hut. "Wahi hi jaa rahe hai. Lekin mein nahi chahta ki tum barf mein bheego, aur mujhe car ki boot mein se bhi saamaan nikalna hoga. Isliye mein car ko door tak drive karoonga. Pakki zameen hai, koi problem nahi hoga"
(Yes we can. That's where we are going. But  I don't want you to get wet in the snow and I need to get our bags and things out of the car boot too. I'm going to drive right up to the door. The ground was firm, so there shouldn't be an issue.)

They had reached the hut as he was speaking and he stopped the car, turning off the ignition and grabbing the torch again. "Wait here" he ordered peremptorily, jumping out of the car.

"Magar ab kyun..." Ishita was still saying when her door was pulled open from outside, exposing her to the icy elements. (But what now...)

"I"ll carry you in" her husband said gruffly, holding out his arms, as snow swirled around him.

"Lekin Mr Bhalla..."

"I don't have time for this" he grumbled, reaching into the car and scoping her into his arms, banging the door shut with his shoulder as he stood with her in his arms. She snuggled against his chest as the icy blast hit her, and he strode quickly into the hut, his heart beating furiously against her cheeks.

The icy wind, the wet snow, the biting cold - nothing could distract him from the fact that she was in his arms. He could smell the jasmine scent of her perfume, could feel her heart thudding against his arm. She felt so good, so right in his arms. Her softness moulded to his hardness and he thought he would go crazy with his want for her.

He stopped in the middle of the hut and gently put her on her feet, thrusting his phone at her.

"Mein saaman lekar aata hoon" (I'll go and bring our things) His voice rasped and he turned and left.

Ishita looked at her husband for a long moment, then turned the beam of the phone around the room, gasping in shock much as her husband had done earlier. This was obviously a place someone used, and it was a perfect shelter from the storm outside. And maybe, just maybe, it would be the perfect place to quieten the storms within too.

*********************
An Hour Later

A fire was roaring in the fireplace, and the small hut had finally warmed up. Raman sat on his haunches by the fireplace, and fed a final log into the flames, then looked at the flames in satisfaction. The fire should sustain itself for a long time, he mused. All he needed to do was to feed the flames from time to time.

The light from the fire lit up the room in a hazy glow.

He could see everything clearly. The simple furniture, their suitcases, his wet clothes spread to dry. And Ishita. She was standing mere feet away, her back to him as she fussed with the box of food that Sharmaji had provided. She had removed her heavy jacket, and was wearing only the loose woolen red skivvy and black ski pants that she had been wearing on the plane. She was beautiful. And they were here alone.

He cursed himself anew at the situation in which he had placed her. She had insisted on accompanying him, true, but then she had little choice. If he hadn't been so pig headed, so stubborn, they would have been safe in a hotel in Shimla now. Instead, they were stranded in the middle of nowhere, in a raging blizzard, and it was all his damn fault. He had told her to trust him, but he had let her down.

She turned around even as he stared and a smile lit up her face. He had taken off his wet clothes, had changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a long sleeved black t-shirt. It was as if time had turned back and they were back in New Zealand again. Back in the place where they had found each other.

"Kitni aachi aag hai Mr Bhalla" she said softly. "Aur Sharmaji ne kitna saara khana rakha hua hai. Ab koi problem nahi hogi." (Its such a good fire Mr Bhalla. And there's more than enough food here for a few days, so there shouldn't be any problem.)

"Raman" he replied, his face inscrutable as he got up off the floor and walked up to her, stopping just in front of her.

"Kya?" She whispered, discontented by his nearness.

He took hold of her by both shoulders, jerking her close to him, until their bodies almost touched. Almost. His breath was labored, his eyes intense as they bore into hers, his voice insistent, demanding.

"Call me Raman. Yahi toh kehti ho na, jab bhi tumhe lagta hai mein sun nahi raha, ya jab tension mein hoti ho. Toh phir kaho mujhe Raman aur sach batao mujhe. Tumhe pata tha mausam bura hai. Lekin mere zid ke aage tum ne apni parwa nahi ki. Kyun? Ab mujhe kosne ki jagah yeh keh rahi ho ki sab kuch theek hoga? Mujhse itna humdardi kyun? Kaun lagta hoon mein tera?"
( Call me Raman. That's what you call me when you think I'm not listening, or when you get worried. So call me Raman and tell me the truth. You knew the weather was bad but you gave in to my stubbornness and didn't care about your own safety. Why? And now instead of cursing me, you're trying to make the best of things. Why are you being so good to me? Who am I to you?)

Badal yun garajta hai, dar kuchh aisa lagta hai
Chamak chamak ke lapak ke yeh
Bijli hum pe gir jaayegi
Badal yun garajta hai, dar kuchh aisa lagta hai
Chamak chamak ke lapak ke yeh
Bijli hum pe gir jaayegi

Baahar bhi toofan, andar bhi toofan
Beech mein do toofano ke yeh sheeshe ka makan
Baahar bhi toofan, andar bhi toofan
Beech mein do toofano ke yeh sheeshe ka makan
Aise dil dhadakta hai
Arre aise dil dhadakta hai, dar kuchh aisa lagta hai
Chamak chamak ke lapak ke yeh
Bijli hum pe gir jaayegi

Yeh deewani shaam, yeh toofani shaam
Aag barasti hai sawan mein pani ka hai naam
Yeh deewani shaam, yeh toofani shaam
Aag barasti hai sawan mein pani ka hai naam
Bas kuchh bhi ho sakta hai
Arre bas kuchh bhi ho sakta hai
Dar kuchh aisa lagta hai
Chamak chamak ke lapak ke yeh
Bijli hum pe gir jaayegi