The drive till Lonavala was quite smooth but as we took the Amby Valley route towards the Lion’s Point, the visibility suddenly dropped to merely 15-20 meters. It was a foggy trail and the mist covered mountains and valleys were barely visible. For the next 10 kilometers, I had to drive in third gear at less than 40 kmph. And it took us almost an hour to reach that place, a journey that should have been covered in less than 30 minutes.
As we stepped down at Lion’s Point, we were greeted by a misty weather and cool breeze sloshing our bodies with piffling drizzles. The ground was a bit muddy due to incessant rains but the climate absolutely stunning. Our voices were barely audible amidst the sounds of the bustling wind which struck our ears in the most amazing way. The view, however, was hindered by the fog and mist. The fog was so dense that we could see nothing down the hill except for the tiny traces of verdant valleys straight ahead.
“I told you, visiting Lonavala in a weather like this wasn’t a good idea,” I said.
“Shut up! You never said that,” she said as she bumped me in belley. You were the one who suggested in fact.
“Besides, I like here,” she said. The weather is breathtaking and I’ve never experienced anything like it my entire life.
“Good for you then,” I said. The view is not that amazing anyway. Just a half an hour drive from Pune towards Wai or Satara can possibly give you a better view.
“Oh God! For once can you be more affirmative,” she said. Can’t we just enjoy the moment? You might never get a chance to visit this place again with a girl like me after all.
“Of course,” I laughed. “Do you want to eat masala sweet corn,” I pointed to little stall on the right.
“Oh, you mean Boota?” she said. I’d love to.
As we finished eating masala corns, the weather started changing quickly. The rain had almost stopped now and the blistering winds also settled down. Minutes later, the gleaming light of the sun splintered through the clouds and the fog and mist slowly disappeared. What lay ahead was a view that made me feel like retracting my previous statement about the beauty of this place.
The panoramic view of the lush-green valleys and the Shivling peak half-smothered in clouds. We could see dozens of transient waterfalls sputtering from the distant mountain ranges. Complementing the view was a vibrant and colorful rainbow that rose up from the ground hundreds of feet below and disappeared into the sky. Soon enough we spotted a light shadow of the rainbow going all the way up like a concentric ring. It was a double rainbow.
Never in my life had I witnessed something more beautiful. People watched in amazement with their mouths fell open. It was something you get to see once or twice in a lifetime if you are very lucky. Soon enough people started screaming with joy, capturing the moment in their phone cameras. A moment later, my gaze followed Charvee who seemed to be dazzled by the view that lay ahead. As the gentle sun rays touched her face, she looked like a goddess protruding from the ground and ascending skywards. It’s so rare to spot a double rainbow in a place like Lonavala. While every person at Lion’s Point admired the view, I suddenly realized that the sight in front of my eyes right now was even more beautiful.
Her mere presence at such a scenic location gave me goosebumps, and now with the sun kissed skin that glowed like a jewel, I felt hard to resist my senses. In a split second, I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to my chest. Before she could figure out what was happening, I leaned forward and placed my lips upon hers. In the first instance, she surrendered and kissed me further. After a few seconds though, she came back to senses and pushed further to break free from the firm embrace. I suddenly realized the folly of my action, but it was too late. I knew I wasn’t supposed to do that, things went terribly wrong. The only reassurance was that no one noticed us kissing, but that did little to cool the situation and make everything normal.
“Shit,” I said to myself. Shit. Shit. Shit. Somehow I mustered the courage to confront her.
“I...I’m so sorry for what I did,” I stuttered. I didn’t know what else to do, you looked so stunning standing out here, I just got carried away.
For a moment, she didn’t say anything. She just walked farther away from me and into the crowd. I found it hard to find my bearings. She looked so depressed and I didn’t know what to do, how to make things right. The cheerful noises from the crowd had receded now as the rainbows started to fade. Charvee walked toward the railing and instead of admiring the remote mountain ranges, she looked down on the ground, as if still trying to recover from the stupor. After a few minutes, I gained some more strength and walked toward her, trying to be more lenient.
“Look, Charvee, I’m really sorry for what I did,” I said. And you have all reasons to be upset. But just listen to me once.
“I trusted you,” she said. I shared things with you that no one else knows. But this is what you think of me?
“It’s not your fault actually,” she said. A girl is not supposed to be roaming alone in a country like India. And if she does, then it’s a preconceived fact that she’s a slut. That if a girl asks you for a little help, if she takes a lift, or even if she talks to a stranger for a little while, then she gives you the permission to fuck her. That’s what men like you think, right?
That was enough of her bullshit. Those were some serious allegations and I wasn’t going to take it any further. Of course, I did a wrong thing but that doesn’t make me a wrong person and I knew I had to defend myself here.
“Look, I know I did a terrible thing,” I said. I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m truly sorry. But that doesn’t mean I’m a character-less person who would pick random girls and take them to faraway lands for pleasure. I didn’t want to come here in the first place but you insisted me. I didn’t want all this to happen but it wasn’t in my control.One thing led to another, and it just happened, I’m sorry I can’t change it, even if I wanted to. But can’t we just move on and pretend that it never happened?
She remained silent but there was a change in her demeanor.
“Look, we’ve come so far,” I said. And I didn’t have any intentions of this sort when we embarked on our journey. It just happened, I got carried away, that’s it.
Now it’s totally up to you whether you want to go further with me on this journey or not, I won’t force you. But let me do one last favour. Let me just take you to that place. I promise I’ll just drop you there and come back to Pune.
She tried to speak but said nothing.
“I would have arranged a cab for you,” I said, being more lenient. But I’m afraid you won’t make it on time for that festival of yours. Look, I’m going to sit in that car and I’ll wait for you to come. If you’re not coming, you can simply walk away and I promise I won’t follow you, you’re free to go.
I knew this trip was really important to her, she didn’t want to miss this night especially after coming this close. I was right. It took her less than a minute to decide what she had to do under those circumstances. Silently she slipped into the car and sat on the passenger’s seat.
We had a long journey ahead of us. Purushwadi village was almost 180 kms away and I began to curse myself for this road trip. What on earth am I doing here, with this girl who doesn't have a little bit of gratitude after all I’m doing for her. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I should have been blunt and let her go this morning. For the next two hours, I tried my best to hate her. We didn’t have any sort of conversation in these two hours, neither did I wish to. “I don’t even have to book her a cab back to Pune after reaching this village,” I told myself. She’s an adult, she can handle it on her own. I’ll just drop her there and I’ll go back to Pune. Besides, I really doubt that this fuckin’ village will have any mode of transportation. Getting a cab was out of the question, I’m not even sure if she’s going to get a decent bus service. Whatever be the case, I’m not going to stay with her any longer.
After another half an hour, I lost the network and internet connectivity. Charvee noticed me struggling with Google Maps. After a minute, she finally spoke.
“How far is it from here?” she muttered. Want me to help you with the Maps? My internet is working fine.
I pretended not to hear her at first. But then she said again. I didn’t respond. It was getting dark now. After a few miles, I saw a diversion.
“Take the right exit,” she said, following Maps’ instructions.
Without saying anything, I followed her instructions. After a moment though, she said something I wasn’t really expecting.
“Raj listen,” she said. I’m sorry for what I said. I overreacted.
I didn’t respond.
“I shouldn’t have said those things,” she said. I said that out of impulse. And I’m really sorry about that. You’re not a bad person Raj. In fact, you’re a gem of a person. Whether or not I get to see what I came for, I’ll never forget what you did for me. And the last thing I want is for you to regret it.
“Well, I’m sorry too,” I said. I know I did a terrible thing.
“You did nothing of that sort,” she said. One thing led to another and it just happened. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your place.
“Of course,” I laughed.
Read the next part here.
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