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Transfixed on my spot, I saw the creature coming to me at a slow pace. His nose sniffed my palm and then licked it! At that moment, the creature appeared so adorable to me that I could not help myself. Still scared, with my heart beat going wild, I kneeled on the ground and caressed its head. For a time being it was just like that, a beast and a girl sat quietly to each other while nature lulled every living thing. Sniffing and yawning, the big cat kept its head in my lap. “You were the one present that night when I fainted right?” he huffed and his breath caressed my hand. “You didn’t answer me,” I asked, “What do you want from me?” In that instant, he got up looked at me again and slowly made it behind the tree. After some time, when he came back, he was back in his human wear and form! “So, the little red riding hood was not afraid of the big bad wolf this time?” “I knew it was you,” I said as he lied down and kept his head back in my lap! “Since when did you start trusting me?” he asked, his eyes still closed. “Since you asked me to come here and encounter your real self,” “Hmm,” he sighed deeply and I watched him with deep fascination. “Amun, tell me” opening those bright silver eyes, never leaving my face he straightened and sighing, started, “I am a Were-Leopard, Vena. A monster, who has killed so many people in past! I have had my share of blood; lot’s of innocent blood has stained my soul. You have no idea how much.” ‘Tell me,” I whispered, “Apart from you, no one knows about our secret. I am the last of leopard tribe. Some years back, when I was still in school, I had a girlfriend named Rachel. I thought it was love then but when my genes started kicking in and she came to know about it, she got scared at first but later on started blackmailing me for forced sex!” “Oh my God!” words left my mouth. “One day, when the patience left me totally, I killed her. I returned back home and when my human parents came to know about my hideous deed, they threw me out of their house. I had no idea where should I go and roaming all night, I came here…” “But, you said your parents were human?” “That remains the mystery to me to this day. Whatever, Ariel’s granny Ong-Ma gave me shelter and soon when Taki and Bong joined the pack, Ong-Ma assured us that she will tell about the secret to no one, after all, she too is a female lycan.” “Is Ariel…?” “No,” he said, “But, the night when I saved you I knew something had changed inside me. It’s the law, Vena. Any human who knows about us had to be killed. But you see, I didn’t want that to happen with you and so I had to be rude and ruthless to you. I am sorry…” “Amun…” I grasped his hand in mine, “I am scared, for both of us, Vena. I will never be able to say those words to you. I know you don’t really care one way or the other about Sean. He is a mere friend, nothing apart from that. Ariel and Sean are destined to be together, Vena…” “I know…” my voice was shaking badly, “Normally,” he said, “A boy and a girl meets. They fell in love, kiss each other, sleep together…make love and then it’s a happy ever after. Nobody tells the struggle both of them go in order to make that ending happen.” “Are you saying what I think you are saying, Amun?” I looked at him wishing against everything that he says the words out and liberate me from this feeling of guilt which had somehow come over me at the mention of Sean and Ariel. “I think,” He said, “I had the heart change already when I sighted you once again in college after some days and seeing you with Sean triggered the strong jealousy which I had never experienced. The irony is, I can’t commit myself to you but neither I am ready to see you with anyone else. I know it’s a very confusing thing but…then it is the state of my mind. Can you understand?” those eyes locked with mine and I nodded in reply. “I don’t want to say the words and neither do I want you to say them too because both of us knew the reality without saying it out loud. I left Sean and Hyung because I knew someday, when the reality will come, they will dislike me for what I am. I don’t blame anyone. If we said the words then we will be committing to each other and seeing the circumstances, as in, in some days you are going to get married to Sean, I don’t think it is appropriate. Ariel’s heart will shatter but I am not heartless. I know, you and Sean are just fulfilling his old man's wish, that’s it.” Sighing heavily, biting my lower lip in order to control my tears, I looked at another sight. “Why did you tell me everything then? Why now?” I asked, “I saw the same fire in your eyes the day you came to apologise. I knew I had to be heartless so that you don’t develop any sort of feelings for me. I hated myself more than I can tell you. I am telling you all these things because I thought better to relieve myself of the burden which I was carrying from such a long time. I don’t hate you, Vena. How can I? The warm, trusting and caring person you are. I don’t want to kill you because this will happen if I included you in my life. I care too much for you…” both of us were looking at the ground and after a time he said, “ I was thinking if we just leave this new budding attraction at a beautiful point,” puzzled, I looked at him, “Means?” “If this story ends with a kiss then it will be a sin and I don’t want that for either of us.” “Me neither,” I smiled and got up from our seat, dusting off our clothes, we headed back to the cottage.
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“Congratulations,” people were crowding on me from every side and I hugged them back, smiling from ear to ear. “Congratulations,” I hugged Sean as I saw his beaming gleeful face, “To-be groom” I smiled and he embraced me back. “My Baby,” Dad’s words behind me shifted my attention to him. Tears flowing from the corner of his eyes, he embraced me back. “I am so proud of you,” “Thank you, Dad. Have you called the Cab?” “Your luggage is ready, as you ordered.” “Where are you going?” Ariel’s voice came near my ear. Her new diamond engagement ring shone in all its glory as her brows frowned. “I am going back to Assam,” I smiled. “ My train leaves at nine in the evening, An” I beamed up both at her and him, “ I will take my leave now.” “Hey,” Sean too was confused as he asked, “Assam! What about your course? Why didn’t inform anyone about it? Why are you leaving? Vena, what about our nuptial ceremony!” “Who will dress me up?” Ariel pouted and I smiled, “Tell Amun, he will do the necessary.” Without showing my internal conflict, I smiled. This is right, I thought. “My work here is done,” I said. Finally, Sean’s Dad had succumbed under our persistence especially mine. I had made him understand the condition of his son and the girl he loves. “I had never known about either one of them,” he had said wide-eyed as he looked at both of them. “I am sorry, son,” he had embraced his future daughter-in-law and son as the engagement ceremony was performed between both of them. ‘”Thank You, child,” he had smiled at me and I returned the gesture. “This is shocking news,” Ariel shook her head and sniffed as she embraced me one last time.
“It’s time, Dad,” I said and waving at both of them, giving the big mansion another look, I seated inside the big car and saw the moisture covered the face of my Dad. I love you Dad, I thought as I wiped my cheeks. In these three months, my heart had finally accepted him when the time of my departure had come. It was difficult to make this decision but when I have informed him about the progression of things, he had suggested me to change the profession or the course. “I can’t live in Sikkim, Dad,” I said, “I want to return back to Assam. Don’t worry; I will keep visiting you whenever I get time.” After the confessions I had from Amun the previous night, it was clear to me that someone somewhere will love me till my last breath. A leopard, at that!
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Carrying out my bag up to the platform, telling the person to leave me and go, I sat on the bench and waited for the arrival of my train. Half an hour passed me by and finally, there came the train on the assigned platform. Picking up my bag I was about to go inside when I heard the voice behind me, “Want to end our story so soon, Vena?” Flushed, amazed and surprised I turned to the person who had said this. Amun! Mouth hanging open, keeping my bag back on the ground, I stared at him. It was a mirage, I thought. He was not there…”You…” “I…” he came to me and taking the heavy bag from hand, kept it back on the platform, “You see
, I had told you that this was not the end of our story? Or don’t you remember? You got the lovers united and became a great person in every eye but, you forgot about me. You forgot that you owed me something.” “I owed you?” I asked him as his hand wiped my cheeks, “Yes,” he spoke but his eyes were mischievously staring at me. “What?” “This,” saying that, cupping my face between his palms, pressed his lips against mine. It was so foreign to me. This feeling of completeness! But then I remembered something he said, “What about your tribe?” “I told Ong-Ma that I can’t live without you. When I reached your home, I saw those two morons gleaming at me like two monkeys,” I looked at the side and saw Ariel and Sean smiling at both of us. “They told me that you are leaving for Assam and only I am the one who can stop you.” “So,” I asked with hope inserted in my voice, “Is this the end?” “No,” he smiled as he pulled me into his embrace. “This is the beginning of our life.”
He smiled and kissed me again. I heard cheering and hooting from everywhere. Straightening myself, I saw that Hyung, Bong and Taki had joined the scene too and were smiling at each other. “Let’s go home,” he smiled. “Yes, let’s go home.”
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Not Exactly…But…THE END.
COMING SOON
MAYURI’S TRIBE
IN LEOPARD’S LOVE 2
In Leopard' Love Page 4