Yashpal Singh Tomar, the tall, well-built Rajput from Gwalior, was trouble from the start. Son of an MLA and tracing his tenuous lineage to Paan Singh Tomar, the notorious baghi dacoit gave him a sense of untouchability. Everything—college, people, and rules—seem insignificant to him. He strutted around campus on his old Rajdoot motorcycle like it was his fiefdom, always carrying a pistol under his belt as a show of power. College was a time pass for him. Having already failed thrice in four years, he was not worried about Graduating. He was what Hindi Movie would say was perfect villain material.
The clash between Yashpal and me was inevitable, especially when he set his sights on Smitakshi. She wasn’t just a passing fancy for him; she was a target. He would wait outside the girl’s hostel and then stalk her relentlessly, his motorcycle tailing her cycle, hurling teasing remarks while she ignored him. But the more she ignored it, the more it riled him up.
One afternoon, things escalated. Yashpal cut her off on the narrow road leading to the college, his motorcycle screeching to a halt in front of her cycle. She tried to steer away, but he blocked her path, grabbing her wrist with an aggression that startled her.
“I love you,” he said, his voice low but forceful.
Smitakshi pulled her hand away, her face calm but her voice steady. “I don’t love you. You know I love someone else.” The latter part irritated him more than anything else.
“I will kill him. What will he do? Nothing. If I want, I can kidnap you. Pick you up and then what you will do.” He threatened.
‘I will kill myself. And then I know whatever it may be, he will never let you live.”
“You don’t know me. You know who is my father.”
“yes, everyone knows. The MLA Tomar who had so many cases against him in court.”
“yes, I am his son, and I am not worried about police cases. I get what I want.”
“I know you are married, and she is also the daughter of some ex-dacoit.”
“So what? No one objects. We can keep more than one woman.” His response dripping with arrogance.
She was stuck in the situation. She knew what Yashpal was saying was true. It was clear things were about to get worse, but luck intervened at that moment. One of our seniors, Srivastava, who also harboured soft feelings for Smitakshi, happened to be passing by. He saw the situation and stepped in, diffusing the tension with his presence. Whatever may be the thing, in our college, a senior was a senior and had to be respected. There was no way Yashpal – the villain in the situation- could raise his voice or create a scene in the presence of Srivastava. He had to back off. But his body language loudly shouted that the thing was far from over.
Smitakshi narrated the incident to me at the college library. While she was telling me, I could see Yashpal – the Villain of our story- loitering outside the hall. It was clear—Smitakshi wasn’t safe with Yashpal around. His obsession with her had crossed a line, and maybe she was safe till I was still at the university. As much as I wanted to be there for her, the question gnawed at me—what would happen when I eventually had to leave? Would Yashpal take advantage of my absence? Will Smitakshi survive in the college that was notorious for eve-teasing and, if one believed the rumours, these villains- the rowdy elements mostly hailing from nearby towns- who were capable of kidnapping unwilling female victims of their passion?
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Here is Chapter 1 – Rainy evening in a resort at Mukhteshwar of the story with an undisclosed destination. Chapter -II. The beaches and whispering Mukhteshwar. and Chapter III Mukhteshwar encounter Chapter IV- Shadows of a Dream. , Chapter -V Opening Gambit-e5,chapter-VI- An Evening of Unveiled Secret. chapter VII- The Ride to Lansdowne , Chapter Viii- In search of closure, Chapter 09- Seed of Romance, Chapter 10- Kismat Play between friendship and love and Chapter 11- Guilty in love.
This story with an undisclosed destination started as part of the @BlogChatter event #BlogChatterBlogHop, where I started weaving a story based on the weekly word prompts suggested by BlogChatter. However, after the 5th weekly prompt- Blogchatter took a break, but I continued to develop the story based on the prompts friends and readers suggested on social media. Do suggest some word prompts for the next chapter.
