I Love You 1

"No , please !! We are not going through that place!! People say it is the place where thieves dwell. My mother had warned me to not to come through that place." I said my friends annoyingly.

" Chinnoo!! You are so boring. One should be adventurous in life! That place has a lot of guava trees and mango trees. The girls of the other class went there and brought bag full of fruits which were very tasty & they told me they didn't see any thief or human there. It is a deserted place. Lets go from there today." Mytri said to me.

" No! We shouldn't go from there! It happened that my neighbour aunt once passed from that area and her mangalsutr was stolen by some thieves who pulled it from her neck suddenly and ran away driving their bikes & I have even heard that some people were threatened by thieves who took away all their valuable belongings from them showing the knife." Gayatri told with fear.

" She's right! Even I have heard that the place is occupied by the thieves who dwell in the deserted houses there. It's dangerous to us if we go there. Purchase the guavas, mangoes from stores but do not take the risk of going to that area." Deeksha told strictly.

" You all are cowards. I have never been across a person who doesn't like to jump into an adventure. The girls of the other class are boasting about their dare of going to that forbidden area. We should break their pride. Lets go and see what's there in that place." Mytri was firm about her decision.

" It's the simple fact that when those girls went to that place thieves weren't there luckily. Why are they showing pride as if they fought with thieves and came back with bag full of fruits!!" Sheetal said to mytri.

" The appreciable fact is that they decided to go to  that place " When Vishakha said this I was sure that these insane people were surely going to take me there.

  When the  college left in the afternoon, I secretly tried to escape from this so called adventurous expedition but unfortunately my 8 friends surrounded me from 8 directions & caught me when I was ought to get out of the campus. We were studying in P.P.C College,  Udupi.  It was a Saturday afternoon and we all got into the bus that travelled to Manipal.We reached the place & my heart started to beat fast for the upcoming danger. Unwillingly I came there since I  was compelled by my friends.

It was a small forest! Inside the forest was the place where there were abandoned homes. After that place once again there was forest which mainly consisted of mango and guava trees. With the fear of thieves no person ever dared to come there because of which only animals and birds were able to enjoy the fruits. From that area  in a little distance came my home. This was one of the routes to go to my home but since this place was forbidden I went to my home from another way.I was strictly warned by my parents to never come through that way.

       Silent place with no hint of any human existence. Here and there between the woods one could see abandoned homes in poor conditions. Slowly the sun was getting down from our heads. We nine friends were slowly stepping inside the forest.

" We are so many! Let's see which thieves are going to conquer us." Mytri ridiculously boasted.

" If we come across the the thieves let's face them together." Vishakha said. We crossed the forest and reached the place inside the forest. My heart started to beat rapidly. My friends were speaking loudly and I was frightened if the thieves came out by hearing their chatter. Sheetal, Vishakha, Mytri, Gayatri, Deeksha, Manasa , Rashmi ,I  and Namratha we nine people joined this expedition. We walked a long distance in that place but we couldn't find any human being there . Everyone of my friends were busy chatting. No thief crossed the path and I assumed it might be a rumour that thieves dwelt there .l thought we can cross that area within few seconds as we were close to the edge of exit of that place and were walking towards the fruit forest and I relaxed myself closing my eyes feeling the pleasance of fresh breeze when suddenly!!!! Sheetal shouted aloud .

No sooner did she scream all my friends ran away getting apart from each other. Even I ran without seeing what had happened. Running fast I turned back when I saw four thieves with kerchief tied on their face uncovering the eyes and with dusted clothes with big knives in their hands were running behind us. The knives in their hands were scary. My friends vanished within seconds. They were the same friends who were boasting that they would face the thieves together in case of danger but the ones who ran selfishly to save their lives. Ideal friendships, ideal love! What is the extent of its true existence.One finds answer when caught in terrible situations like this. I realised this when I saw my friends running away leaving me behind. They rescued themselves however running but I , unable to run or with the confirmation of being caught by the thieves made a foolish decision of entering an abandoned house which didn't had the entrance door.

             I entered the house and ran fast to a room inside which had a door. I got into the room but as soon as I tried to close the door one of the thieves caught my hand . I tried to close the doors but was in veil. The thief who caught my hand pulled me forcefully and I fell over him. He pushed me as if I was an untouchable.

                 I was terrified looking at the big knife in his hand. I felt like lightening hit my heart. He pulled my bag and threw towards his friends & threatening me he tried to remove the golden chain in my neck using his left hand . In his right hand he held the scary sharp big knife. No boy ever touched me in that way.I was very scared. The lame adventure of my friends put me to danger. I cursed my friends for pulling me to this danger when I was not at all interested in coming there. The thief tried to remove the chain in my neck but was unable to remove it. So he cut it using the knife in his hands and put the chain into his pocket. I was hurt slightly near my neck through his action. I felt like they were boys in their late teens by listening to their voices.

                 " Aah!! There's only 300 Rupees in her bag Akash!!"  The other thief told him from behind. This guy then pulled  my golden earrings in order to remove them but still when he failed to remove he bet on my earrings using his knife giving me the sign to remove it when one of his friend said to him from behind,

" Remove them slowly, The girl herself have come to our place Akash . His another friend said soon " The girls who ran away might bring the police, so do it fast." When he was speaking the kerchief he had tied his face with suddenly fell down. As I guessed they were of the age of graduation students . When he caught me seeing his face he frowned and picked the kerchief and tied it again on his face uncovering his eyes but still continued to stare at me with anger. The boy named Akash was trying to remove my anklets. His touch on my feet was strange. He removed one of my anklets and unable to remove another he again cut it from his knife. My left foot was also hurt. He was staring me with his cruel eyes. I removed my earrings and pushed towards him and begged them cryingly,

                       " Please leave me. I have given everything, please leave me." I was shivering. Whether they were going to leave me or what they were ought to do with me ? I was confused and the situation was so worse that only one who had been through it can realise the terror of it.

"Please leave,I gave everything " I told once again sobbing joining my hands at them.

                                 (to be continued..............)

                                                                                 Rashmi R Kotian "Raashmir"

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