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"It is so amazing to think about how people have an impact on our lives and we never know who will define the next chapter in our life.
The stranger who walked pass me is now a close friend and i wonder how many people i have walked by not knowing how much they are going to effect my life...................."

It was believed that the journey of Mata Poornagiri temple would be termed incomplete unless and until the devotees do not visit Siddha Baba's temple in Nepal.
And thereby, that place too really hold a great significance in Hindu mythology.

In order to reach there, they were supposed to cross the border over Tanakpur Dam, located at Sarda River Bridge.

There were many pilgrims all around the place. The place was full of flowers and calmness, surrounded by the mountains.

Comparatively better facilities were there, that was why it didn't take that long. So soon after visiting the temple, all went to see the river.

The view of the river from the bridge was worth watching. That seemed a perfect place to spend the evening. With picturesque surroundings, it definitely was no less than a paradise for individuals who love serene places. The environment was very calm and refreshing, a lot chillier too but that was nothing in front of the wavy flow of divinity in front of their eyes.

As the weather got more cooler, the Mohan and Nanda family decided to skip going further and return to their lodge to stay there overnight. They were supposed to catch their train from Tanakpur, the next day afternoon.

Without taking much of their time, all retired to their allotted rooms soon after having dinner. Nearly everyone was exhausted and sleep deprived.

Only four rooms were vacant of that lodge, that too each one of them was aloof. Four rooms, all in different corners. The senior ladies opted to share a room. And so did the senior men, leaving two rooms for the younger clan. Girls took one and boys took the remaining other one.

It was around 11 at night when Sameeksha got a call from her elder brother, Abhinav, and she went out of the room telling Shreya and Manjiri that she would be back in a minute.

However, it was now almost half past 11. But there was no sign of Sameeksha which ultimately bothered Manjiri. But what really bothered her more was Shreya's attitude.

Manjiri was astonished by Shreya's nonchalant behaviour, cause she clearly didn't appear worried for her only sister-in-law.

She kind of knew that Shreya always had a problem with her sister, Adishri and her, but at then she wondered did she dislike Sameeksha too. Well whatever!

Getting rid of whatever she was thinking, Manjiri tried calling Sameeksha but she didn't pick up her any call.

She got out of the bed and walked towards the window. Pushing aside the curtains she tried to view outside through the foggy window. All of sudden, she heard Shreya's words.

"Manjiri, I'll be back in some time. Maa's calling me."

"Didi, can I come along?"

Manjiri spoke up with a bit of hesitation. She wasn't scared to be left all alone, but yes she definitely was needing an another human around her in that alien surrounding. And that too at that hour of the night. But only she could know that Shreya would provide her a cold shoulder,

"No, you don't have to. Don't bother yourself in cold."

"But..."

"I said be here only. No need to come along."

Shreya replied and get away closing the door behind her. Manjiri took a disappointed deep sigh. If only she could least care to give a damn to be in her sister-in-law's good books, she would have felt less hopeless at then. Shreya's behaviour always left her confused.

Or perhaps she was overthinking as usual.

Glancing at the clock, she wondered if Shaurya would be asleep. She remembered him complaining of his blocked nose in the evening. His voice was also sounding nasal at then.

She instantly dialled his number as she certainly felt obliged to ask him if he was doing good or not. But much to her dismay, he too didn't receive her call. Now that actually bothered her a lot.
She wondered if her handset or the network had some issue, or the people around her.

She didn't even waste a second and called Dev,

"Hello!"

"Hello, Bhaiya. Is Sam there?"

She asked him directly. Dev spluttered in an unhurried calm tone, although Manjiri kind of felt that he was masking something.

"No. Why would she be here? Didn't she reach you? This girl, I tell you..."

"No. It's been 35 minutes now and she hasn't come back. She isn't even picking up her phone. Do something, Bhaiya."

Manjiri spoke and asked him to help. For few moments, the other end of the phone went silent. Nevertheless, she could hear some light commotion reaching her through the phone. She was about to question him about that, but before she could ask him, Dev only managed to reply her.

"Ok! I'm coming to you and then we'll look for her together."

"Alright. Till then I just call and inform the elders."

She uttered only to hear Dev tell her,

"No. No. Don't do that."

"But why? Aren't they supposed to know?"

She probed. She clearly was not getting anything. She was sure something was eerie out there.

"No." Dev replied and further added, "Umm... I mean they must have slept by now. Why bother them when we can go and find her on our own, right?"

"But..."

Dev interrupted Manjiri's speech by instructing her and disconnecting the call immediately.

"You come out of the room, Bhabhi. I'm reaching you in two minutes."

Manjiri reached out for her jacket to have it on and that's when she heard repeated knocks on the door. Assuming that it must be Dev, she opened the door without any inquiry.

And before she could know who was in front of her, a cloth was on her face. She couldn't even squeal her fright as a hand covered her mouth.

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_

Despite her constant attempts of uncaging herself from that captor's hold, Manjiri couldn't really free herself. He was leading her somewhere, which she couldn't see where. She was consistently trying to shout, however, her shouts came out muffled. Thereby, no use.

Although, faint light was passing through the fabric of that shawl which was over her head. But she couldn't make out to which room she was being pushed in.

It was pitch dark inside. But she could sense that there was some another person being already present in that room.

The captor removed his hand from Manjiri's shawl garbed mouth and pushed her towards the other man, and moved out of the room locking it from outside.

With that sudden push, she stumbled on her steps a little. A pair of arms came forward to help her. No sooner did she felt his touch then she scooted away getting rid off that shawl. She was frightened as hell, like many other women would be in that particular situation, although she tried her best to handle that situation sensibly.

"Look, whosoever you people are and whatever your intentions are, but do realize that with all this you'll lead to nowhere. You'll only end up disgracing your own morals."

Her first instinct was to utter her views in a trembling low voice at the man for bringing her there in that way. Her vision was limited due to the darkness around, but the moment she turned to look towards that man. A sense of familiarity washed her senses. She could recognise that figure even in the midst of thousands of people with a blindfold on her eyes.

Manjiri was moving a little forward to get assured that the person in front of her was he, that's when the door opened and two individuals stepped inside that same dark room. One of them seemed to be a woman as her feminine voice was coming out muffled.

"Who the hell are you, idiot? Where have you brought me?"

The woman seethed in anger when her mouth got freed.

"Sam, is that you?"

There came Manjiri's confused voice. That woman replied darting her eyes through the darkness.

"Why this voice sounds so familiar? Don't tell me, Miru, you too are here."

"I'm. But where were you?"

Manjiri asked, immediately reaching out to Sameeksha. Both took a sigh of relief.

"I was outside with Abhi Bhai. And then when I was marching towards our room, this idiot of a guy broke in out of nowhere and forcibly brought me here..."

Sameeksha's few words left unsaid when abruptly a quite familiar voice interjected in between by singing,

"Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday dear Sam and Miru!
Happy Birthday to you..."

The owner of that voice was of their beloved Dadi, Mrs Kaveri Mohan. She was chanting the birthday song's lyrics for the girls via video calling.

And there Manjiri was right, the person was indeed Shaurya. She looked at him as he held the phone in which she could see the eldest Mohan lady clapping her hands.

Suddenly the room lights got switched on and Shreya and Abhinav walked inside continuing the singing session of the birthday song.

"From good friends and true...
From old friends and new...
May good luck go with you,...
And happiness too!..."

Without a doubt, Sameeksha and Manjiri weren't expecting a cake cutting at that hour, and that too in that surrounding.
And what surprised Manjiri more was that Shreya had brought that small cake inside that had - 'HBD Sam & Miru!!!' scribed on it.

"How old are you now?...
How old are you now?...
How old? How old?...
How old are you now?..."

Dev sang removing his black mask and then walked up to the girls who were too astonished to even react at that. He opened up his arms to take both of them into a suffocatingly affectionate hug, which ultimately invited a few beatings from them. Well, of course he deserved that cause who even does plan a surprise for someone like that.

A huge graceful smile slipped and spontaneously took a place at the corners of Manjiri's lips as she heard Adishri and Ved's voice continuing with the remaining lyrics. She smiled more when Shaurya brought his phone closer to her, making her view the screen more properly.

"May God bless you...
May God bless you...
Happy birthday! Happy birthday!... Happy birthday to you both!"

"Happy 23rd, Miru!" Sameeksha wished engulfing Manjiri into her trademark bear hug.

To which Manjiri too gladsomely threw her arms around Sameeksha whilst wishing her, "Happy 26th, Sam!"

"Don't be shocked when life starts to get good...............
You deserve that!"

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Shreya and Abhinav said that they wanted to take a short walk around the place, since their son had finally offered them some quality time to spend together by sleeping early in their mothers room. Thereby, as the remaining four were too in no mood to sleep, they all too went out to explore.

"Ok, I'm sorry! But you only wanted a out-of-the-world kind of surprise, so could only think of that. Time provided was less too. And above all, I really had fun scaring you both"

Dev uttered to Sameeksha in particular as four of them climbed down the stairs of the lodge.

"You call that a 'surprise'? That was more like a shock."

Sameeksha retorted as she rubbed her palms together to produce some heat. Undoubtedly, the night was cold.

"Actually because of Miru Bhabhi, I'd to change the initial plan at the last minute. She was making haste to get to you. And if I didn't do that all, then maybe she would have told the news of your missing to the elders and the whole plan would have been spoiled."

Dev replied walking ahead of the other three. Matching her steps with him, Sameeksha responded sparing a glance at Shaurya and Manjiri who were trailing behind them.

"Oh! Then that's fine.
But look, I don't want to be heart patient, thereby from next time think twice before doing any such thing ever again."

"Sam, bold of you to assume that he's capable of thinking even once."

Shaurya uttered from behind, making Sameeksha giggle and Dev to turn around in offense.

"Just so you know, Bhai, I don't give a damn about your opinions."

"And guess what, so do I."

Shaurya snapped and walked past him. Dev shrugged at that,

"Remember when I asked for your opinion? Well, me neither. Lmao!"

"Sometimes, it's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than open it and remove all doubt."

Shaurya replied with a smirk whilst directly looking at Dev.

Sameeksha and Manjiri exchanged helpless looks.

Rolling her eyes at the arguing men, Sameeksha announced.

"When you both get done, do tell us. We're here only."

"Dumb conversations are the backbone of few bonds...................."

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_

"Sometimes you can't explain what you see in a person. It's just the way they take you to a place where no one else can..................."

"Umm... So?"

Shaurya finally found a chance to speak to his wife, when Dev and Sameeksha were gone from their sight. Sameeksha actually wanted to visit the city centre, thereby she persuaded Dev to take her where Shreya and Abhinav were, after when Shaurya and Manjiri expressed their denial to visit there.

Hearing his voice, Manjiri looked at him with a questioning gaze. They were sharing an awkward glance that's when Shaurya wished her whilst scratching the back of her neck.

"Happy oldest-you-have-ever-been and youngest-you-will-ever-be-again day!"

He didn't wish her when rest all wished her, maybe because she didn't feed him the first piece of the cake. Or perhaps he was waiting to wish her in private.

"Well, thank you so much.
I'm so touched with your promptness."

Manjiri replied taking conscious steps on that stony pathway which eventually led to the banks of River Sarda.

They didn't even realize amidst jokes and talks, they did literally cover a huge distance with Dev and Sameeksha. But now as the two left them alone, they planned to stop by at a suitable place to sit.

Well, they were in a small town where anyone can be at anywhere or everywhere within the duration of 20 to 25 minutes.

There were not many people around. Still they could see a few walking on the bridge or at the market place. The serene place was worth a visit. The cool breeze was shivering but also enlivening. It's not everyday one can be at such a peaceful place.
The scent of the fresh water there could literally wash off one's exhaustion of his entire day.

"What's wrong?"

Shaurya finally questioned her, when they got settled on the grass near a tree, after debating it over in his head for quite a while. He didn't like that at all whenever his wife appear so lost in her own frame of mind.

Nonetheless, he had overheard her conversation with her sister over the phone call after the cake cutting, so he kind of knew that their interaction involved reminiscing the tiniest details of them as toddlers celebrating each other's special day. Their interaction involved the feel of the absence of their deceased grandmother too. So yes, he could kind of assume what all probably must be swirling inside her mind at then.

In response to his question, Manjiri replied moving her eyes to look up at the hills around. The lush green grass on the side of the river was kind of humid, but it was fine when Manjiri spread her shawl over the grass for them to settle on it.

"Nothing."

"Since you entered in your another year of life, so are you scared of aging and wrinkles? Or white hair maybe?"

He asked making her look at him baffled.

"What!... No!"

"Then?"

He asked looking at her. She managed to pass him a sly smile as she spoke to convince him,

"There's nothing... Really!"

"Wow! Your hand is so warm, as opposed to your heart which always remain cold."

He exclaimed interlacing his fingers with her. She frowned and instantly muttered looking at him,

"If you gonna speak like this, then I'm telling I'll go back to the lodge."

"Sure you can."

Shaurya replied with a sarcastic smirk and reclined against the shawl covered grass, still playing with her fingers.

"I really can. And I know the way. It's a straight path from that third lane out there..."

She finished pulling back her hand. For a moment, Shaurya thought that she was literally planning to go, so he got back sitting cross legged beside her whilst mumbling

"Of course, I got it. I know you can go.
Anyways, what else can be expected from you? I can very well feel that you'll leave me alone someday."

Manjiri gaped at his words. How could he accuse her like that when he himself leave her each time?

"As if you are very devoted to me. Like you never leave me alone and go anywhere.
If you're forgetting then let me remind you that day after tomorrow only you'll leave for Chandigarh."

"Do you obliquely taunt me by reminding me of Chandigarh again and again?" Shaurya probed brushing his knee with hers. She looked at him when he added "Why do you repeatedly make me feel of the loneliness I'll be receiving after going there?"

"Why are you making such a face? You're supposed to be happy, right?"

Manjiri asked peering at his face. She was pretty sure that he was doing all that to fool her.

Where he actually wanted her to get talking. He said,

"Happy? That's making me feel very sad, you know."

"Sad?... You call this sadness?
Come, let me wipe off your fake sad tears..."

Manjiri offered holding back her smile. He could be really cute at times. She took out her handkerchief from her jacket's pocket and forwarded that to him. He remarked pushing away her hand.

"How rude! Thanks but I can manage myself."

She smiled at his fake maddened antics. And when he noticed her smiling, he pulled her with him as he reclined back. That made her gasp in surprise and threw conscious glances around her to look if anyone was looking at them.

Luckily, none was around them. Few were on the bridge, few were inside their tent like huts and rest of them were on that busy street which was a little far away of them. Also, the darkness and tree's shade were enough to conceal them from the outside world.

"You used to be happy whenever you used to go there before, so what happened now?" She asked as she scooted a little away from him. In response, he didn't say anything and turned towards her side, thus also making her to look at him.

A silence fell.

Unable to handle his constant glancing and silence, she finally spoke reaching out to hold his hand.

"Look, when you'll go there and see a lot of work in front of you, I'm very sure that you will be so busy that you will not miss anyone at all."

"And when I'll come back after work in the evening, what about at then?"

He asked giving a squeeze to her hand perhaps to indirectly indicate about what he would particularly miss when he would be there. That made her dart her gaze from his face and turn.

Lying on her back, she mumbled watching the bits of the stars filled sky, peeping through the gaps created by the arrangement of leaves and flowers on the tree branches above her head.

"Umm... By all means, I am sure that after working all day, you will end up getting so tired that you will not get time to think about anything other than sleeping... But even then, if you get some spare time, then do converse with me through phone, ok?"

"No! I won't.
Rather in that time, I'll go and meet my rest of the wives there."

He replied following her glance, thus watching the same sight which she was viewing.

"Alright then, now in that way the whole issue got resolved.
When you knew the solution yourself then why were you wasting my time?"

She asked sitting upright. One look at her and anyone could tell that she wasn't expecting him to reply that.

He got amused. Sitting upright, he leaned towards her ear to answer,

"Just like that. After all my first wife's opinion too matters."

"You're so nice. You really value your first wife's opinion, not many in this world can do that.
How great!"

She remarked shifting a little away from him but he stopped her by holding her arm.

"My pleasure!"

He muttered and broke into a light chuckle as his eyes fell on her scowling face. His chuckles and nonchalant behaviour irked her up.

"I'm going."

Manjiri announced as she finally managed to release her arm out of his firm grip.

However, before she could stand and get away, Shaurya stopped her by pulling her hand and putting something on it, which he took out from his pocket.

"For me?"

She asked surprised. She was sure that he handed her a neck jewellery piece cause she could feel a chain and a locket in between her fingers. Though, the design of the locket wasn't so much visible to her eyes due to the absence of a proper light around. She was amazed to notice that the locket was diffusing fragrance all around. And it was indeed a very pleasant odour.

"You're actually dumb or you deliberately act like of being one?" Shaurya asked deadpanned pulling her hand to make her settle beside him, "Sit here only now!"

"Thanks!"

She expressed her thankfulness with a smile. She didn't expect him to pamper her with a present. Though she was never really into neck jewelleries but now, she wanted to keep that thing with her always.

"I didn't give you that to keep it inside."

He pointed out when he found her slipping his given thing inside her jacket's pocket.

At one moment, she looked at him when she heard him uttering that and at next moment, she saw him taking out that from her pocket. She wondered was he taking that back?

However, she was soon swallowed by diffidence when he leaned closer to her. Her heart thudded louder than usual when he slipped his fingers to feel the skin of her neck.

Inadvertently, her mind started issuing repeated warnings when his chilling fingertips brushed the warm skin of her neck under her turtle necked top to put on that piece of jewellery around it. She wiggled a little with that contact. Of course, it tickled her.

He smiled knowing the cause of her wiggles, but didn't stop and kept lingering his fingers over there for more than needed time.

"Time for birthday tickles..." He whispered in a teasing tone which made her push him back,"No, Shaurya."

As she pushed him back, huge gusts of wind began to blow making the branches of the tree above their heads to shed off a few scented flowers and dried leaves on them.

Manjiri was spreading that shawl properly which got disturbed with those gusts of wind, when she felt him taking her hand in his and slipping a ring made of a real flower around her finger.

She noticed that he had looped the pedicel of the flower to give it a look of a circlet. She couldn't contain her cheerful smile at his that gesture.

She was undoubtedly moved, her heart swooned over that thoughtful ring more than that fragrance diffusing necklace which was around her neck.

Soon she heard him say,

"You'll have to work with this until I gather a handsome amount to buy you a proper diamond one."

"This is worth more than a billion bucks for me.
So you don't have to gather any money..."

She spoke only to get interjected by his clear statement.

"No, I still will."

"But why?"

She asked him taking a whiff of that flower. He looked at her with a soft gaze. Pulling her closer, he muttered,

"Because I want to... for you.
And in my eyes, this is extremely a valid reason. Got it, Silly Head?"

On it's own accord, Manjiri's head got leaned on Shaurya's shoulder. And when he turned his face to spare her a glance at her, she landed her supple warm mushes against his smooth cheek, just above his stubble, to plant an unhurried peck over there.

The happiness that he sensed at then was nonpareil. while the stillness she felt with having him so close to her being was definitely unparalleled.

And at then, they might could have traded anything for those very emotions right away. Because at that moment, all that mattered to them was them, them and only them. Gusts of wind again began to blow, thus yet again making the branches of the tree above their heads to shed off a few scented flowers upon them.

"And at this phase of my life, I don't want someone to love me or make me feel special, but someone I could love and make them feel special.................."

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