Lekha (Completed)

Lekha 31

I woke up feeling quite excited about my riding lessons. I was to learn how to gallop on a horse today. Suraj had also praised me for being a fast learner.

"What happened? You seem to be in an extremely good mood today. I even heard you hum a song "laughed Vasundhara in a teasing tone.

Before I could tell her about my riding lessons the chirpy bird of the house crept up from behind and said "I know ...I know ... why Lekha jiji is so happy today"

"Oh ...you do! Miss know it all. Please enlighten me too" I said wondering if she had been watching my enthusiastic efforts at horse riding.

"You are happy .... Because... Rudra bhaisa is coming back today" said the romantic fool.

I lost my entire happy mood at that. She looked between me and Vasundhara and seemed to be a bit disappointed at not being able to provoke the right kind of response from us.

"Did you make the fresh garland for the Goddess Durga... Lajo?" said Vasundhara trying to deviate her from her favorite topic.

"Oh ... no. I made it but its inside. Seeing both of you made me forget what I was supposed to do." Saying this Lajo ran back inside the house.

I realized that although I had worked hard on hiding my feelings Vasundhara seemed to have got a hint to what or who I was upset with. There was an awkward silence between us after that.

"I am going to learn to gallop on the horse today and I am feeling quite excited about it." I smiled trying to show my happiness.

"It's great news as now we both can visit our farms on horseback" said Vasundhra happy to have a different topic for conversation.

"I would love that" I said.

I couldn't concentrate in the puja(prayers )because I expected Rudra to pop up any minute, but he didn't. I had mixed feelings about his absence. I didn't know whether to be happy that the arrogant man was not there or sad, as in some corner of my infatuated heart I missed him. After repeating to myself that I was a silly teenager who believed herself in love just because a man looked at her with love in a drunken state, I finally knew that it was just infatuation.

After another lesson in the art of Indian cooking I went for my riding lessons feeling quite excited. I met Suraj in the stables where he waited for me. After a brief chat about life in general and a bribe of gur being fed to Pari, Suraj helped me climb her. I rode in the courtyard initially and then he led me outside towards the open areas to practice my galloping.

This time Suraj had to run along with me to help me control the horse.

"What's happening here?" shouted the voice I had been subconsciously waiting to hear all morning.

I felt butterflies in my stomach and in my nervousness instead of sitting relaxed on the horse as instructed by Suraj, I pressed my thighs on the horse's flanks a bit too tight and the horse bolted.

"Lekha ...." shouted Suraj."Relax ...relax... don't hold tight"

"Are you mad ...?"I heard Rudra shouting, but the rest all was carried away in the wind as the horse galloped at top speed towards the open desert.

I clung tightly to Pari's mane trying to maintain my balance. There came a piercing whistle and the horse  sensed something and slowly came to a halt. In my hurry to get off her I took my feet out of the stirrup and jumped down but my skirt had got tangled under my feet as I again forgot to gather up my skirt a little before jumping down.