Beneath the Stars - An OS

"Shiv !!!...thoda aaram se... dheere...  Aap mere haath ko bahut zor se kheench rahe hai..!!!."

Anandi cried breathlessly as Shiv dragged her, by one hand, rather quickly towards the bike parked in front of CH...  He slowed down his pace and finally came to a stop.  The look on her face registered the fact that his long legs had gotten the best of her shorter ones. 

"Sorry." He said in an over-excited boyish voice.  Anandi was now bent over trying desperately to catch her breath.

Its been exactly 2 days...since Anandi had confessed to him of her Love at the same place where they had first met'and now his desperation has crossed all the limits he set for himself...to share with her, the things he always wanted to...

And today an article in the morning news paper gave him the required impetus. Its about the meteor shower that is expected to treat the sky gazers...the early hours of that night.

He frisked away his new bride...after informing the family., they would be back soon.

"Kya baat hai.. Shiv...aap mujhe itna shaam dhalne ke baad...kidhar khinchke le jaa rahe hai...koi dekh lega toh.. ?!" ... .she asked now., standing more upright and clutching her side..

 "Shh..., Gussa mat hoyiye," he whispered peering over her head back towards the CH.  "Mujhe aapko kuch dikhana hai...jaldi se laut ke aayenge...I promise"... 

Anandi  gave him a confused look but slowly nodded her head. 

"Don't worry ...aapko bahut pasand aayega"..

He quickly got on to the bike...and motioned to her to join him on same..which she did without much ado...

"Ek aur sawaal..kyon itna der..se..shaam dhalne ke baad..? aap mujhe pehle dikha nahin sakte the..din pe"...

Anandi's voice trailed off as they Shiv came to a halt...in a small clearing...behind an open field.

Before her eyes were hundreds of, tiny glowing lights.  Each one was dancing and swirling in a unique pattern and changing colors.

"Jugnu'!!!" ..She whispered...with her voice filled with fascination and surprise.

Shiv  gently took her hand in his and quietly led them towards the middle of the lights where they sat on an elevated platform covered with soft mossy grass.

Shiv cleared his throat and looked down at her as he scooted closer to her. 

"Well., ab..kuch din pehle tak., mujhe ye patha nahi tha...hum aur aap...exactly kis mod pe hai''...

He said, his ears religiously turning red as they did whenever he became embarrassed.  He looked up at her and continued,  "Now that I know, main aap se kuch baatein share karne ke liye...taras raha hoon...abhi kuch hichkichahat nahi rahi... "

Anandi  gazed back into his eyes... and then timidly asked..."par aap pehle idhar kab aaye the...?"

Shiv simply smiled and answered..."Anandi..mujhe bachpan se hi...star gazing ka bahut shauk tha...Sheher me hote wahkt ee hobby develop karne ke liye., bahut mushkil hota tha...par Jaitser me aane ke baad., mano ki bahut chain milgayee...phir se., ee hobby ko pursue karne ke liye...

Jab bhi mauka miltha hai...mein apne telescope ke saath...idhar open field me aa jatha hoon...aur der tak...taro ke saath apna wakht bitatha hoon'"

"Aur aise hi ek silsile me..mujhe ee nazara mila...ee jugnuo ka ee fav. Spot hai..is samay pe..ee hamesha..idhar ghumte rehte hain...!!!!"         

He smiled his boyish grin at her and pushed his hair out from his eyes.

 "Maine ee kabhi bhi nahi sochi thi., ki aap me ek star lover hoga"'.Anandi  teased, shivering.

 Shiv  indicated to her to come closer and wrapped his arm around her. He smelled like freshly cut grass, and she felt incredibly warm and safe in his arms. She continued..."Sochiye...Shiv Raj Shekhar...Jaitser ki Collector...raat pe sitaron ko dekhne me mazaa lethe hain..."

"Mujhe taare bahut pasand hai''...He simply said.

Sitaron ke neeche...apne mohabbat ke saath..." Shiv added.,looking into her eyes, his intense gaze,  taking her aback.

 It was a gaze of longing and desire, Anandi  felt a shiver run through her body that had nothing to do with the increasingly cooler air.

He now said smilingly..."aap ek baar let jayiye'...!"

Anandi said surprisingly with a blush..."Magar Kyon..!!!"

"Just Trust me''... Mujhe aapko kuch dikhana hai.."...he re iterated..           

Anandi sighed and lowered herself down on the soft grass  so that she is now lying on her back.  Shiv had done the same.  When they both are settled he took her hand in his, entwined their fingers and then brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

"Abhi Dehkiye,"... he whispered, and pointed to  the glow worms that are now hovering inches above them.

Anandi  watched as all the colors danced above them;  Shiv watched Anandi.  He watched how the lights reflected in her eyes.  He watched how her eyes laughed silently with joy.  He watched her face light up and then felt his face light up.

She turned her face to find him looking at her instead of upwards.

"Kya..aap kise dekh rahe hain" ?'.she asked.

 "Aap ko." he answered.

"Mujhe Kyon'mujh me kya hai'?"

" Sirf aap.."'He smiled.

Anandi turned over on her side so that she was facing Shiv.  She placed her free hand on his face and ran her thumb gently across his cheek.  Shiv  sighed. 

"Hume..Jaldi lautna chahiye..."She sighed.

"aap theek kah rahe hain...but..I just don't want to," ...he whined.

Anandi  let out a giggle and said.."Haa..Mujhe bhi nahi lag raha hai..."  She paused.  "par hume chalna chahiye."

"Bas thodi der aur...hume...aur bhi kuch dekhno ko baki hai...chaliye..hum us open field me chalte hai..."  Shiv requested.

He stood up and then helped Anandi  stand up and started to walk..when he was taken aback by surprise when she stopped him...

Anandi pulled his face down to hers and gazed into his eyes..  Shiv  placed his hands on her waist for no other reason but to balance himself; she had caught him off guard.

"Kya hua Anandi...aap kya dekh rahe hai...?" he asked, after her gaze broke away from him.

"Aap ko." she said smiling, echoing his words from earlier.

"Mujh me kya hai?"...he echoed her earlier question...

"Sirf aap."...she replied.

Shiv  grinned. "I really like being me, then."

He led them back through the trees and across the field. 

 It was just past late evening, and silence lay over the field like a blanket. The sky was pitch black, save for the muted glow of twinkling starlight, and they were far away from the lights of Jeitsar. Their hands were intertwined, and they stared up at the stars, waiting.

"Aapko pata hai...mujhe in tharo ke bare mein...bahut saare kahaniya maloom hai...Ek din..aapko fursat se bataoonga...agar aap interested hai tho...!!!...he winked at her.

"Acha...yeh tho badi pyaari baath hai.. replied Anandi, rolling her eyes. She punched him smartly in the shoulder.

"OUCH!" yelled Shiv. "Ee kis liye?"

Anandi once more raised her hand to jab at his shoulder. Anticipating her movement, he grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips.

"Ee kis liye'?" asked Anandi quietly. Shiv didn't reply as he kissed her palm., way up her arm, her shoulder,. She sighed as Shiv lingered there, fascinated by the feelings he could elicit from her.

She felt the cool winter breeze against her neck when he left it, kissing his way around her face. First one cheek, then the other.,Her nose., Her forehead., Even her chin.

He deliberately avoided her lips, and she twisted her face towards his, frustrated. He pulled away altogether , laughing gently.

Anandi's eyes narrowed and her already labored breathing became a snort of anger. "aap Has kyon rahe hai?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing, Sarpanch ji," he smiled. "Just Miss Prim and Proper Anandi Singh eise., beech raat me..ek khet mein... Who would have thought?"

Anandi's  dark eyes softened as she  looked up at the sky once more...and Shiv followed her gaze...

Just then, it happened. The stars began dancing in the cloudless sky, ribbons of light gracefully following the descent. It was as if the entire sky was falling, as showers of stars fell above them, and behind them, and before them, bathing them in the eerie luminescence. The sparks illuminated the firmament brilliantly, glittering like a billion tiny fairy lights. Shiv  and Anandi were stunned into silence.

After what seemed like an eternity of staring at the falling stars, Shiv stirred. "Don't forget to make a wish, Anandi," he said thickly.

Anandi gazed over at him,

" wish?" she asked confusedly. She looked up at the sky..."Mujhe aur kisi wish ki kya zaroorat hai...jo bhi main chahthi hoon..sab kuch toh...abhi mere saath hai..  "

"Anandi... um..." his voice trailed off. ..as he murmered under his breath.

Anandi looked up at him with concern. "Aap thik toh hai ?" she asked.

Shiv looked up at the stars, still falling from the sky.

"Inme sach much kuch aur hi baath hai...aise lag rahe hain...ki yeh koi lanterns hai." Shiv  looked at Anandi with something like amusement.

 "Haa, lanterns," he continued, thinking hard about what to say next. "Jab bhi...inko dekhta hoon., mujhe ab yeh lantern hi lagenge."

"Par Lantern kyon '?"she asked, curious as to his change of demeanor.

"To lead you back to me," he said simply, a sheepish look on his face.

Anandi smiled a shy smile. "aap se door jaake...main bhala...reh  sakhti hoon  kya..?" she asked, looking up at him through her thick eyelashes.

Anandi looked in wonder at the glittering stars in the sky  glowing like a beacon that would always lead her home to Shiv.

Fascinated at the words...that came for her heart., he pulled her closer to him and kissed her lips, gently at first, and then with more passion and purpose...  bathed in the light of a million falling stars, all things outside of themselves forgotten.

And so., their late evening rendezvous came to a glorious end'.or is it Just a Beginning'?