Hey guys, here's a new one from me. Much more suspense in this one than in my previous, it's going to be a bit more of a mystery within the first few chapters which will unfold slowly. Let me know what you think!
'Vanished' Chapter One:
He climbs in her window in the middle of the night so silently that she doesn't even wake up.
It's only when he's shaking her awake with one hand over her mouth to prevent her from yelling that she realises he's there.
"Shh," he whispers to her, careful not to wake up Pooja who's sleeping in the next bed. It's only when she nods her head that he removes his hand from her mouth.
"I don't know how much time I have here," he tells her seriously, "So listen carefully to what I need to tell you…"
**
Two months later…
Huda had finally won.
Three days before they graduated from KMA, Naina had finally come to see him in his room. Just as she'd predicted he would all those years ago.
He had never given up asking her to marry him, he had done everything in his power to win her over and finally it had worked.
She had stood there quietly for a minute without speaking, just looking at him, her hands clutched tightly together as if she was nervous. Finally she had spoken.
"Huda I'm ready to get engaged to you." She had said simply and he had jumped in the air punching his fist and yelled out "Yes!"
He had hugged her then and she had hugged him back but even then she had felt so loose in his arms as if she was slipping away from him.
"But you'll have to wait for me, before I can get married there's some things I need to do."
Huda had nodded eagerly, no matter what is was that Naina needed to do he was prepared to wait, after all he'd waited for two years so far.
"Oh tikk hai Phoolan, just let me call up my mummyji, we can hold the engagement after graduation." There was no way he was going to give her time to change her mind.
She had just nodded quietly and turned to leave.
"Rukho Phoolan," he had called out, a doubt forming in his mind. "Tu khush ho, hai na?"
"Of course I am Huda," she had told him, a smile coming to her face "Why else would I finally agree?" And she had left.
He had been bursting with so much happiness that he wanted to share it with someone, so he rushed into the room next door to find Alekh practicing his English homework.
"I've won, Qaidi!" he called out joyfully "Phoolan finally mere hogaya!"
Alekh had looked up in surprise as soon as Huda had rushed into the room.
"What do they say…Congratulations." He told him, without any change of expression. "But if you've won then who's the loser?"
"Oy Qaidi, main bodh khush hoon, mujhe saath panga mat lo…" he started to say and then stopped at the look on Alekh's face, for once Alekh was completely serious.
"Kya matlab?" He asked him seriously.
"Chor do," Alekh said with a shrug. "There's nobody else left to compete with, is there?"
Huda just stared at him, wanting to pretend that he didn't know what he was talking about.
"I don't care," he told him "She's said yes and she's happy to marry me, I don't need to have won against anyone. Phoolan isn't a bet to me."
Alekh shrugged and packed up his books.
"Oy, where are you going ?"
"To tell your dulhan congratulations" Alekh said, and was gone.
And Huda was left thinking, had he really won or was it just that he was the only one left? All of his rivals were gone, and in the end had he won Phoolan or been given her?
With Captain Rajveer and Captain Abhimanyu gone only he remained…
Huda had finally won.
So why was it that he felt like he was only getting a consolation prize?
Ch 1, 2 on page 1
Ch 3 on page 2
Ch 4, 5, 6 on page 3
Ch 7, 8 on page 4
Ch 9, 10 on page 5
Ch 11 on page 6
Ch 12 + 13 on page 7
Ch 14 + 15 on page 8
Ch 16 + 17 on page 9
Ch 18 on page 10
Ch 19 + 20 on page 11
Ch 21 on page 12
Ch 22 on page 13
Ch 23 on page 14
Ch 24 on page 15
Ch 25 on page 16
Ch 26 + 27 (epilogue) on page 17
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