WV-3/2

The Whisper Valley-3/2

Willow Feathers stared at the man and gasped! He had a sharp nose which spoke of obstinacy and a jaw that was set so firm that she could imagine how stubborn he could get! His ears were pierced and he was wearing red ruby studs in gold on both his earlobes. His hair was  neatly combed and parted in the center and was secured in an engraved silk strand in gold behind, but the tail was now hanging in front as she saw that his hair was pitch black yet silky and quite long!! It was his eyes that arrested her! They were shrewd and very piercing, cutting her through to her heart as they narrowed at her, regarding her... assessing her!

Where was her waist!!! $%^#! He swore silently! It was so tiny that, he did not know if he held it! He must have,... as the lady was suspended in mid air as her hair flapped all across his face and she had not plaited it like a lady as was the custom! His mouth broke into a quirk as his lips twisted at her un-lady like appearance! She was English- Portuguese may be but was a rebel! No lady would have left her long tresses un-plaited if she were one!

And her waist now... that he could actually span it,... was less than both his hands put together! Oh! GOD!!!So tiny!

"Put me down Sire!" She said softly yet sternly!

What was he waiting for and why was he looking at her with such disdainful humour written all across his face!

Well she could not plait her long tresses because she had a farewell party at the convent and then she also had to bid adieu to the street kids she played with without the knowledge of sister Margherita!

So what if they thought that, saying goodbye was a splash in the small lake behind the living! She did not have time to dry her hair as she was late and of course she could not go by the main gate and stairs so... Mani the caretakers son who took English lessons from her helped her up the pipe and...

“Lady do you want to get down at all? Or are you waiting for the winter?” His voice deep and sexy and with the right accent made her jerk up scaring his horse which neighed and he growled," ...easy Ms." looking at her with his mesmerizingly smoky eyes!

"Er..." She slowly put both her hands on his shoulders and slided down his lithe body!

Willow stepped back saying "Thank you sir!"

He looked at the Fern cottage and said," Let me walk you to the place!"

She realised she was peeved by his basic lack of manners! He did not acknowledge her gratitude!

As they walked, the door opened and a podgy lady walked out and then yelped," Ms.Lowey!"

Willow winced! Oh no nan! Not now! 

What did you call me!!! 

...as her nanny rushed out wiping her hands on to her apron saying," You are here at last my dearest and hugged her and kissed her and then as an after thought courteousied to the man saying," I am sorry sir! A very good evening to you!"

"Good evening er... !" he looked at Willow who immediately said this is Mrs.Pollock our housekeeper!" 

"Very well! Good evening Mrs.Pollock! Pleaseure to meet you! You seem to be a perfect home-maker! "He said absent-mindedly, touched his hat, and turned to his horse and let out a low whistle and the horse moved towards them! 

"Would you care for some tea sir?" Mrs.Pollock bristled under his compliments!

" Thank you! But some other time Ma'am! Adieus!" Willow watched mesmerized as he sat on the horse and waved at her and was gone in a cloud of thick fog!

As he rode till the end of the lane, a black shadow- his dog Buddy... Willow concluded joined him and the man and his beasts faded into the fog!!

##########################

Khushi smiled! 

So willow was a rebel! Hmmm!...and who was the man? 

She wondered and looked around and gasped! 

There was sheet white fog that was spreading across and she looked at her watch it was almost three! Oh no! 

She panicked and ran across the deserted compound of the library and ran out through the gate and stopped in confusion! 

Which way was the market?

Ok! Left! She deduced... cause while coming she took a right! Well done Khushi Tripathi she patted herself on her back and ran left and soon found herself on the Long road and the square! 

She slackened her pace as her confidence was boosted! Relax this is the civil area and not some wild creek where she would get lost! All that she had to remember was she had to go straight and then go up hill to the Whisper rocks! Yay!

Khushi saw that a few hawkers were still there selling off their farm produce at throwaway prices! She smiled as many local people assembled on their way back home to buy stuff at cheaper rates! 

Fresh Fruit, vegetables, loafs of bread, milk and milk products, cartons of sweet honey and a special local liquor that she was told was an extract of the bark of a specific tree was being sold off at a discount! And then she saw a basket full of flowers!
Exotic coloured roses- blue, lilac and pale green and a rare shade of pastel orange and lavender! Pansies and a few Anthuriums and orchids tied up beautifully with golden rods interspersed!

She walked to the old man who was packing up and asked," Can I have the green... no...ah...blue rose...arrrrghhh...no orange?" She smiled unable to make up her mind!

He smiled showing her a tooth less mouth and said," Give mah fifteee missie... and take them all!"

"What?" Khushi screeched in glee! All of them for fifty rupees? Was he crazy?

"Quick got to go!" He said!

Khushi retrieved her purse and gave him a hundred rupee note!
"No! Only Fifty! I take what I quote doll!" He was adamant!

Khushi smiled! Small places had people with big hearts!

She gave him a fifty rupee note and asked "What’s your mother tongue uncle?"

He smiled and said "English"... much to her surprise and left whistling with his toothless mouth!

OH! Aunty Rose had told her! They spoke so many languages! His ancestors might have been English!

She looked at the bunch of flowers and decided the orange rose must go to Rose aunty!

The exotic blue one she would gift to Nani ji!
The green rare one for her!
Anthriums she would press in her diary! she could make a card of it and send it to the orphanage she visited ocassionally in Mumbai addressed to teh kids and ...

Khushi stopped walking on the road and realised she... came to the end of it abruptly! But the Long Road led to the Whisper rocks cliff and walking up the tar road took you to the Casa!

She looked towards her right and then to her left! The fog now was appearing to be spreading in torrents! All she could see was, thick white curtain!

She shivered and prayed to the goddess! 

Common!!! She could not be that wrong! She was walking on a straight road for god's sake... then how come! And there was only one road in the valley! So there was no way she could be lost! She walked blindly forward and after two minutes, her worst fear was confirmed! 

SHE WAS LOST!!!!!

She held on to her book and the bunch of flowers while her bag hung by her shoulder! She looked around,... and there was nothing visible! It also started getting darker!

The ground under her feet was muddy she could guage and she saw a rocky ledge and sat down on it to collect her breath! She checked her watch! It was nearing to be four! She was moving around for an hour? Unbelievable! 

She shook her head! How could she be so dense! Ok! She had a bad sense of direction but for god's sake there was only one road... in the entire valley and she just had to retrace her steps to the Casa! Go jump off the cliff Khushi she chided herself for her foolishness! 

Nani ji and Aunty Rose will be really worried now! She felt guilty!

As she looked around, she found thick shrubs with the path she came along going through them long and winding as far as she could see! Should she go back?

NO! She should go forward and see! There might be someone who would be able to help her out! 

She was about to get up when she sensed it! She was not alone! Yes! She was not alone! Someone was there! 

She could distinctly feel a presence and she felt very scared as goose bumps broke out on her skin!

She had an uncanny feeling! She did not have that feeling of warmth she had, when she met the Mr.Foggy Two Eyes! She felt like a prey to a predator on the prowl... then suddenly there was a scarf that was wound round her neck and someone tried to strangulate her! She tried to turn her head and see who it was, but the hands were so strong and the scarf wound round her neck so tightly that she could not move and she felt her life ebbing away! She was seated on the rock and that placed her at a disadvantage to even kick the person or make use of her legs! She struggled with her hands trying to pry the rough gloved hands of the stalker off, who she was sure was a man!

She was fading away and she did not know what to do...Her eyes felt dizzy as the scarf tightened around her neck and the hand's of the attacker closed in on her strangulating her! Khushi felt her body sag because of lack of air and her hands became limp! Her ears suddenly felt a roar! A rush as if the ocean descended into their cavities and her nose felt blocked and she chocked holding the rock below her with both her hands....She tried to scream but knew she could not even make clucking noise... as the noose tightened around her neck!

There was a faint rustle to her immediate left and the attacker stilled for a second! He then used extra force to finish his job earlier before someone happened... Khushi could concluded.

She kicked the earth hard with her legs in vain and then there was a black something that pounced on the attacker... and Khushi could hardly see as she was fainting and the light now was very very poor! The attacker was taken aback and the animal roared and started fighting him as Khushi tried to unclasp the knot that the miscreant had done up tightly! She choked and coughed and the weakness in her prevented her fingers from opening the knot and she pulled one end of it and went into fits of cough as it further tightened the knot of the scarf!

She heard a volley of curses almost like whispers and a pair of warm hands went round her neck and someone was opening the knots she tried to speak but darkness overwhelmed her and she fainted!

The Whisper Valley

A white foamy frock trailed behind the lady as the church doors opened! It was a bride in pure white! Her head was covered in a wedding crown of soft peach flowers that gleamed in the lights! A netted white veil with self-embroidered roses with their petals outlined in pink covered her face!

Her neck had a beautiful pearl clasp with teh biggest pearl in the center while the size tapered on both sides to tiny and from its sides hung a two lined pearl long chain that had a heart shaped ruby dangling from its center!

The lady's hands were adorned with white pearl clasps that had beautiful petty pearls hung by small gold chains as danglers at the clasps while her tiny waist was engulfed in a slender pearl waistband interspersed with pastel pink satin flowers!

Her dainty feet were ensconed in sheer white pull-ons that had a pearl heart on the toes! As she moved and her wedding attire swayed, one could see a single strand of pearl anklet on her left ankle with one tinkle bell on it!

She was on the arm of a cloaked knight and they soon walked through the Pews and reached the altar!

A man awaited there- he was in a navy blue cloak, with his sword in his scabbard by his waist and he extended his hand for the lady to clasp it and walk with him to the altar!

They climbed the stairs and leaned before the Priest who marked the holy cross on them with his palm and made them take their wedding vows and as the lady turned, It was....oh....NO!!!!NO!!!!

----------------------------

Would like to dedicate this chapter to my golden reader Paramjit Patil( Pup03 in IF)

She never fails to read my updates and promptly reviews them! Thank you Param!And I am sorry I missed out on wishing you on your B'Day as I was away vacationing! Here are heartiest wishes for all times to come!

Enjoy & express

GOLDENHAZE