Chapter-4

It was dark now, the street lights put up for every tenth inch. The lights were white and so was the moon. They reached the place of Ranveer's girlfriend. They silently got down from the car without any word from their lips. It was difficult for Ranveer while she was tensed, afraid. She perspired harder and harder as they reached the entrance of the place. Barn. It was the barn.

"The barn? Why have you taken me here?" Ishani asked him, in utter shock.

"Because she's here." Ranveer said, throwing random riddles on her face which was now bemused, completely.

"What?" she exasperated, "don't throw crazy puzzles." Ishani said, looking at the blazing barn.

"Okay. Come in. I'll introduce her to you."

They went in to see seven cute little puppies with their mother. Crossing those places, both of them reached a quiet place where there was another little room decorated in white. Ishani looked at it surprised and stopped.

"Is she living in the barn? Don't tell me that your girlfriend is a dog!" she banged her head as Ranveer tittered, "It is a dog. First get inside."

They entered the little barn as Ishani now saw a white and biscuit coloured fluffy pup which must be around three to four years, as assumed by her. She leaped forward enthusiastically as Ranveer saw her in awe. She hugged the dog within an instant as it too, reciprocated, whining in pleasure.

"It's so cute!" Ishani exhaled, "She is really cute! Your girlfriend is the best one can get, you know?"

"Ha! Girlfriend? Well, you think so! Well, it's a Pomeranian. Do you like it?"

"I love her! What's her name, Ranveer? I love dogs! And I'm surprised, do you like dogs? I never knew!"

"Skittles. Her name is Skittles. I call her Skit'. Well, I don't like them. It's not that I hate them. But I am not keen with having a dog." Ranveer confessed, with a sigh, "But I'm happy!"

"Why do you even have her then?" she asked, her voice and eyes reflecting honesty.

"Well, she likes dogs. And she loves the same way you do."

"Uh, who?" she asked, now tensed, her hands which stopped touching its snowy hair. Wailing its tail, it looked at both of them with its puppy eyes.

"My girlfriend! By the way, if you had thought that Skittie was my girlfriend, I am sorry." Ranveer said, chuckling, his hands over his belt loops.

"Where is she then?" she asked him, petrified.

"Are you so excited, Ishani? I would better ask you to keep your expectations low. Because mine is a sad one." He said, regretfully. His eyes were moist by then when Ishani got up, leaving Skittles back into her kennel.

"Ranveer? Are you okay? Who is she? I want to see her, NOW!" Ishani stressed Ranveer who was standing still, finding hard to say anything.

"I am. Well, let's go. She'll be in the headquarters of Oakley's. It's just a few yards away."

"Okay, let's go" she said. She wasn't keen with meeting his girlfriend. She wasn't interested at all, in a first. But, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. But the growing tension in his face made her worry about their relationship. May be they are not together now? May be she ditched him? May be she died? So many questions arose but she found answer to none. The breeze was cool as they walked through the grasses to find a huge office set up saying Oakley's'. It was the headquarters of his chain resorts. Ranveer looked at Ishani as she looked at him with the same intensity as he did.

"She's inside." Ranveer said, with a lump in his throat. She knew that he was about to cry. Holding him tightly, she said "Everything will be fine." Ishani couldn't say anymore as she never knew who was there inside.

"Let's go, Ranveer" she said as they entered the headquarters which had the night shift employees greeting them with their broad smile. Greeting everyone, Ranveer lead Ishani to a dark, solitude place. It was dark, devoid of any ventilation and sound. It was hollow. It was sound-proof. It was the store room.

"The store room? Is she inside the store room, out of all places?" Ishani asked a gloomy Ranveer who looked at her hazel eyes saying, "Get in, Ishani. Get in, please"

As they got inside the store room, she saw a gloomy surrounding which had filth, smut, and a single pathway for light to get in- the windowpane. She saw him in utter shock as he asked her to sit down.

"What's in this store room, Ranveer?" she asked, hugging herself.

"It has my life attached with it. My life." He said, looking at a wooden chest which was a big as four feet.

"Stop giving me riddles and squirt out the truth. Why is it your life?"

"Ishani, I have been in France from my day one. I have lived each and every moment of my life in the Valleys. After Baba's death, Maa took over the responsibility as she took me here one day. I was ten, by then. I saw this store room and had a strange attraction towards it. From that day, I used to come here if I feel happy or sad. Elated or dull. I come here and spend time. This is one of my favourite places, apart from the beach. You don't have much to see in the countryside, you see."

"Who said so, Ranveer? There is a lot to explore in life. But tell me, how does this relate to your life?"

"Well, I was twelve by that time when I celebrated my first birthday in this room, alone. That was the start to my life, I must say. It was past eleven when I came back home after celebrating my birthday here. I thought that that day would be the best day of my life. But I was right and wrong. I saw her, for the first time. She was cute, fair, had a soft, silky hair. The sound of her laughter was the best part! It was the happiest moment in my life.

But then, the problem arose. She came every day, disturbing my sleep saying We're never destined to be together, Ranveer.' She always said this line, every day. She also told a few other things about her. I'm twenty five today and I'm still searching for her." He said, dejected, his eyes soggy and bloodshot.

"She sees you in your dreams, does she?"

"Yeah. I don't know her name, address, country. I don't know anything about her! Except for..." he stopped mid-way as she saw him getting up from the place.

"Where are you going, Ranveer?" she asked looking at him, aghast.

He came back after a few seconds having a board in his hand. It was heavy but he never cared in lifting it up. He sat down, placing it down.

"What's this?" she asked, confused.

"These are the few things I know about her. She has chocolate brown coloured long hair, just like you. She is fair and her laugh is the most beautiful thing in the world. She has a birthmark and I've seen her mark clearly." Ranveer said, showing the board which had the flowchart of the same.

"Birthmark? W...What sort of a birthmark? Did she say the reason for it?"

"It's a thumbprint on her right wrist. And she claims that the thumbprint is mine as I always catch hold of her wrist by her thumb which was the result of the permanent patch."

"What?" she looked at him stunned and she knew the reason. She continued, "What else has she said?"

"So many things! She told me that I was her childhood friend and I was her best companion. She also said that, we can never be destined to be together."

"Ranveer, do you believe in these silly dreams?" she chuckled, sadly.

"I did not. But she came every day, every night during my sleep. I never felt that she was lying. Sadly, I couldn't find her."

"Okay. Now what is the reason for you to tell me all these?" she asked, hoping for something positive.

"Because I feel that you're one among my lost treasures. I feel that you can understand my situation because I have some strange attachment, as I told you already."

She wanted to embrace him but felt it wasn't the right time. Instead, she said, "Ranveer, don't worry. I'll take care of you and I promise you that I will find her and unite her with you. Stop being a reticent. It looks uncanny."

"Are you sure that I'll get her?"

"Trust me, you will and you are." Ishani said, getting up from the place.

"Let's leave, Ranveer! It's too late and we have to get back home." She said as they locked the room, getting back to the entrance.

Reaching the penthouse after two and a half hours, Ranveer applied the brakes as he now got down calling the now-sleeping Ishani. Smiling at her, he knelt down, "Ishani, do you know something? I just told you about my undisclosed dreams and the girl in my life. But I cannot get over you. I don't whether it is love. But one thing is for sure, I trust you."

He called her for the third time, but there was no answer from her. Smiling at her, he slowly opened the door and made her stand up. Carrying her slowly into his arms, he took her to her room in bridal style and carefully walked so that she wasn't disturbed. Reaching her room, he saw tiny photo frames of her and Nysa, her god mother.

Making her sleep peacefully, he took the photo frames in his hand saying, "This smile...this is the smile she has, Ishani. You are so much like her, you know?" he said, proceeding for his room when he noticed something to his utter shock.

Patch.

Thumb-print.

Ranveer looked at her shockingly as he caught hold of her wrist. Looking at her with his eyes soaking and red, he said "How's this possible? Is Ishani the girl? Was I dreaming about her all my life? Is she my sweetheart? Was I thinking of her since childhood? I never noticed this before. Am I dreaming again?"

So many questions arose and he was helpless. Weeping out a few, he rushed back to his room, shutting the door, in silence.

"Was I in love with her all while?"

No.

"I love her, yes. I do!"

Yes.

His thoughts were contradicting as he walked hastily in and around the room. Walking and walking, his feet met something with a clink.

Rum.

He took the raw bottle and poured some into the glass and had it in the next instant. He walked around the room without a pause as he now finished half of the bottle thinking about those words by her.

"Does it mean that we are not destined to be together? If that is going to be the case, I'll change the destiny. I can and I will change it." Ranveer thought keeping the bottle aside.

"Ranveer..." he heard her voice. Turning towards his left he saw her, forming into a perfect feminine shape within an instant. Her face though was still a mystery.

"You!" he sneered, taken aback with her entry.

"It's me. I've come back again, today."

"I don't want you. Please go away! GO AWAY!" he said, crushing the glass into pieces. He never liked the fact of them not being destined enough to live happily.

She was in the form of clouds today. She takes different forms, generally. She was fair, had the same chocolate brown hair and the same laughter. He did not find it cute today. Reality is bitter.

He rushed towards the corner of the room, his knees close to his chest and his arms hugging them. He cried thinking of his future with her and how it was going to be a dark ride.

"Ranveer, why are you moving away from me? I'm yours. Look, I have the birthmark too. Why do you go away from me?"

"No, I don't want you. Go away. I cannot live without you and I cannot stay away from the fact that I will lose you." Ranveer cried his heart out as she advanced towards him, in a regular fashion.

"Don't come near me. I don't want you!" he said.

"Okay then. Bye. I'll never come back to you." She said, moving away from him and rip to shreds.

"Hey, wait. Don't leave. I cannot leave without you." Ranveer said, looking at her who turned towards him and rushed back, hugging him.

"Ranveer, you've almost made it. You realized your love for me long back. It's just that you are finding it hard to recognize me. I am here, beside you, around you. I came here to love you, touch you. Trust me, we will win this time. I know it was me who told you that we weren't destined to be together. But we will win this battle. I love you, Ranveer. I've come back to you after twenty five years. Why don't you look at your heart? Listen to your heart. Tell me of what it is saying. Come on, listen to your heart" she said, taking his hand and placed it over his chest.

"Listen to it, what it is saying?" she whispered to a crying Ranveer.

"It's saying me to trust you." Ranveer whimpered, sobbing. He took his hand off his chest and looked at her, saying "Where are you? Why don't you say your name?"

"You found me long back. I'm along with you, staying with you." Ranveer heard her say who had now gotten up.

"Ishani?"

Ranveer saw her ripping off to shreds as she gave him one last smile at him.

"Hunt...You found me."

Done. Constructive Criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for typos :D