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Moving on... 💃💃💃

"Words on double quotes" - Talking.

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts.

Chapter 1 - Changed Meetings

The little birds chirped as their parents came back to the nest with food. They nuzzled into their warmth chirping merrily.

The sky seemed to paint a canvass from different hues of red, yellow and orange, basking in the different bright emotions of the natural world as another beautiful day came to an end. The sun set, passing on his duty to the full moon to light up the sky in its nocturnal light, and also with a promise to return and bless the earth with another day of sunshine.

The kids too laughed out in joy as their parents returned from work. The parents, relieved to see the bright faces of their children after the day's toil. Be it carpenters, shopkeepers, blacksmiths...or be it engineers, doctors or teachers. Whatever their job, whatever their payment...the only thing that mattered was that they were the heroes for their children. And isn't that one such devotion which even money couldn't buy?

Along the distant woods, wolves howled, trees creaked, squirrels squeaked...all returning to their place.

A place that they could call home.

However, the busy roads of the streets seemed too ignorant of the nature's schedule. The horns, traffic, dust, pollution...a tragedy rising out of the busy city life, an example of people becoming slave of industrialization.

However, even that seemed to dull to some extent as night approached.

That's why she preferred to come there at dusk.

When the noise in the park was almost negligent, except for the sounds of crickets, moths and bats. When owls hooted nearby, and fireflies came out to glittering like stars.

Ragini sighed to herself in contentment as she walked down the road. For her, evening was the best part her day. She never missed her evening walk. It was like a must for her.

The days when she didn't get to come out for it, she refused to have her dinner or talk to anyone at home. She would only offer glared, sneers, sighs and snarls. Her mother, father and Dadi often refer to it as her "Dnd mode", not bothering to cheer her up, knowing it would be fruitless. After all, they know she would be depressed the entire next day until she got her walk the next evening. After she gets it, she swaps back to cherry and sweet Ragini.

It was her special time. After all, amidst the social world of man, there are times when one wants to enjoy loneliness.

Loneliness too has its own beauty.

Everyday she would walk around the block at dusk, and when the sun completely set around the horizon, she would enter the park.

The park was at the end of the town, from where city life connects with the rural, well removed from the central hubs of the busy life.

She would sit there on the bench in the darkness. She would take the bench at the end where the lights of the park failed to cast a proper light. Apart from her, there would be only a few people there. It was either old folks or some joggers.

Ragini would watch the city towers in the distance with a smile, enjoying the sounds of nature around her and breathing in the fresh air.

Her eyes moved from the city towers to the stars in the sky, to the trees who's leaves danced as the breeze touched them, to the water in the pond that glistened like it was sprinkled with diamonds.

From the tiny sling bag she carried, she took out a slim notebook and a blue marker. She opened a new page and started sketching.

In the dimness, she knew she couldn't draw any perfect scenery. However, she wasn't attempting a Mona Lisa, neither a Starry Night.

She was simply sketching to feel happy.

"Isn't it what we all want in the end? To just feel happy?" she questioned to no one in particular.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Her hand stilled as she heard the voice. It was a gruff voice, one which was manly, yet possessed a cheery tune.

She blinked and slowly turned back to look at him. However, the dimness of the light only served to caste a greater shadow over his face.

"Um...my question was actually rethorical. I was talking to myself."

"Oh. I'm sorry. It just came out." came his reply. He rubbed the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh. "I have a terrible habit of mumbling things sometimes. Haha..."

She nodded and resumed working.

"What are you painting?"

"Nothing. Just...just sketching."

"Oh. But you must have something that you are making a portrait of."

She squirmed as he peeped into her notebook. "It's not good."

"Aww...but you must be good since yo-"

"Since?"

He seemed to catch himself before he made a slip in his words. "Uh nothing. It's...it's nothing."

She nodded, looking at him patiently.

She couldn't make out his expression in the dark. But one thing she was sure of was that he wasn't taking the hint.

"I would prefer it if I could sketch peacefully please."

"Oh don't worry! I won't disturb you."

"I understand Mister. But it's just that I prefer to be alone while drawing."

"It's okay." he spoke politely. "Everyone has their own way of seeking creativity."

Ragini felt guilty for speaking in such a way as compared to his hospitality. "I'm sorry, but I didn't mean to be rude."

He chuckled in response. "I didn't get offended if you're worried. It's I who's sorry for disturbing your art work."

"It's...it's okay." she turned back and refused to look back at him. 'I don't even know him. Why is he trying to associate a conversation with me? He doesn't know me either. Is it because he thinks I'm a pretty catch? Nah. That can't be it. He can barely see my face in the dark. Then why?'

Ragini sighed to herself knowing that only he had the answers. "Listen Mr. Can yo-" to her surprise, we she turned to question him, there was no one there. Only thing left in his place was thin air.

"Huh?" she looked around the place.

As she squinted her eyes, she could see the figure of a guy with his hands at a distance, moving with his hands in his pockets. He matched the silhouette of the person that she had talked to. He left humming to himself without a glance back...as if they never conversed.

"That was strange." she sat back down to finish what she planned to draw. "I shouldn't be bothered though. It's a small world where anyone can come across anyone. Not like I'll meet him again."

However, she forgot what she had been wanting to paint because of the stranger. Even if she tried, she couldn't bring back her mind back to her artistic piece.

Contemplating for a moment, she simply put back the book and marker back in her bag. 'I guess I'll enjoy the place for now. Say...I wonder if it's me or the sky really does seem more enchanting tonight?'

Smiling to herself, she let the autumn wind play with her curls. Thoughts of the strange encounter had left her mind.

Amidst the fireflies, she basked in their light. "I could never get over how beautiful this place is no matter how many times I come here."

Busy in her thoughts she didn't notice when an hour passed by. "Maa is gonna tear me a new lecture tonight for sure. Better hurry home!"

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona🌹