Kiss Me Gentle, Kiss Me Sweet 10 - a story by Outlaw
ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
Kiss Me Gentle, Kiss Me Sweet
کون کہتا ہے محبت کی زباں ہوتی ہے یہ حقیقت تو نگاہوں سے بیاں ہوتی ہے
[ kaun kehta hain mohabbat ki zabaan hoti hain, ye haqiiqat to nigaahon se bayaan hoti hain ~ Sahir Hoshiyarpuri ]
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TEN
Friday, 4 September 2020
🍁 After a late, lazy, and languorous morning... followed by a relaxed early lunch with lots of laughter and joshing, the boys were finally ready to go!
"Day five, Malana, here we come!" cheered Kashish and Bilal in unison as they set out for the tiny village perched high up the wooded slope of a side valley.
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🍁 Secret, and secretive... enwrapped in myth and mysteries... enshrouded in mist and vapour, Malana sits atop a narrow plateau high up the lush and green slopes of the Malana flume... nestled under the shadows of the twin peaks of Chandrakhani and Deotibba.
Secluded and reclusive -- the only human settlement in the entire Malana Nullah (a deep and forlorn side vale of the Parvati Valley) -- the solitary village of Malana, with its own social system and customs, language and beliefs, remained hidden amidst the dense forest of towering pines and deodars... practically unknown to outsiders beyond the hills people...
A tough 4-5 days trek across high passes and rough terrain, totally cut off from the outside world during the winter and monsoon months!
Content in its lonesome existence till the hydro-electric project down in the deep gorge unleased massive road building activities in the early 1950s. Cutting down the trek time to a mere 4 to 5 hours from the nearest road head... finally opening up the Valley to officials, bureaucrats, and curious trekkers.
Though, the village remained largely unknown to the outside world - its environs unexplored, and its sublime virgin breed, undiscovered...
That is, till the coming of the hippies !
In their eternal search for the self... their never-ending quest to attain greater heights... their pursuit for higher elevation and altitude... the flower-people soon discovered the little speck of forgotten land left out by even the map-makers...
The villagers suddenly in the midst of a raging frenzy -- their high-altitude grass, and their leisurely hand-rubbed, home-made charas now highly priced, and in great demand!
Alas, close on the heels of the happy hippies, profiteers (both local and foreign) soon followed... and the age-old trade in hemp baskets, ropes and footwear... sheep wool and forest produce were discarded... cannabis being farmed instead - high up in the hills, deep inside virgin forest land...
And soon came the isolator, making even the discarded detritus utile... profitable!
Malana was in business - in the business of selling Joy and Happiness... the village folks spending their day rubbing live buds!
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🍁 It was a bright and sunny day, and soon they had reached the outskirts of Jari -- another nondescript little mountain village, transformed into a 'town' -- and as they approached the bus stop at the edge of the settlement, Tony signalled...
"Take the right before the police post," he pointed as the boys pulled over.
The group nodded, getting off the main road... soon crossing over the raging Parvati, headed for Malana Valley!
The road, clinging to the mountainside winding its way up the versant, was scary, but in a decent state of repair... and soon they reached the Power Station House, noticing the uniformed men eyeing them as they drove past the nearby Police Naka...
The vista changing abruptly as they went... the higher reaches still lush, mantled by the towering pines and Himalayan cedars... but lower down, with all the reservoir and road building activities, the terrain lay naked... harsh and austere -- bare rocks and denuded rock-face... the scrubby growth tenuous, barely clutching on to the edges.
Compellingly Fascinating!
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🍁 Sunless and sombre, (except for the three short summer months), the village was a haphazard jumble of beautiful wooden Kath-Kuni (and newer brick-mortar) dwellings arranged in two distinct upper and lower levels centered around the village Square and its magnificent ancient Temples; a maze of labyrinthine paths going up and down the rocky terrain, weaving their way around the homes and other buildings... past herb and vegetable patches... backyard gardens and orchards... beyond the village, climbing higher... into the thick woods.
The air filled with bird calls and the happy chatter of children running around the central square and along the pathways, the surrounding woods, and the neighbouring fields. The women working the farms hidden deep in the forest, and managing their home. The men slouched on the high platform in the central square, lazing all day long under a miasma of moribund haze, soaking up whatever sun was available... perpetually HIGH, forever joyous... doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
And though the relentlessly creeping road through the mountains got ever closer, cutting down the hike to less than an hour, Malana still remained sequestered for a greater part of the year - buried under 3 to 4 feet of snow during the winter - largely inaccessible unlike snowbound Rashol, Tosh and Kheerganga, which were accessible even with the snow; and the monsoon - with regular and repeated land-slips and rock falls blocking all access.
Only the most adventurous, the most persistant, and the unyielding enthusiast... the determined aesthete braved the perils, making it up to the village -- through the snow, the slush... weaving their way around washed away tracks and rock piles... dodging hurtling boulders, and fallen logs... crawling up on all fours ! -- all for a taste of the Ultimate!
And in that solitary isolation, tranquility and stillness reigns supreme over everything in and around the settlement... even insects falling silent, forgetting to chrip once the sun begins to set and night falls... a hush descending over the somnolent landscape - Malana going into a collective couch-lock !
That overwhelming seclusion, the insularism, in turn breeding a sense of exclusivity in the locals, giving them an incurable air of superiority!
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🍁 The sliver of road -- largely uneven, gouged out and chipped away, rock strewn with clear signs of land-slips and rock falls everywhere -- curved sharply as it warily weaved its way up alongside the Malana Nullah, clinging onto the moutainside as it skirted terrifyingly precipitous drops...
The profound stillness... the hushed silence... the surreal tolkienian landscape: Stark, yet enticing -- strikingly beautiful, and stunningly foreboding... thrillingly inviting, yet forbiddingly menacing!
Massive, Majestic, Magnificent... Gorgeously Overwhelming!
The route peppered with numerous waterfalls of various size... the plunging water spraying an icy plume of mist across the road, drenching passersby if they lingered too long. Tiny rivulets, and swift flowing streams babbling across the path before diving down over the edge...
After about fifty minutes they saw Tony, leading their little bike-caravan, waving, pointing... the boys turning to look -- a dark green metal archway with bold lettering: 'WAY TO MALANA VILLAGE'!
And beyond the arch they saw roughly hewned stone steps rambling up the rockface... wondering if they had reached their destination, slowing down.
But Tony neither stopped, nor slowed down... driving on, the boys quickly following.
If the road had been BAD thus far, it soon turned treacherous - a mere ribbon of clay, mud and loose stone-chips and pebbles, intermittent stretches still retaining some hint of a metal-top, but barely... steep and rocky, twisting and turning up the rock wall as it continued its forlorn journey through the wilderness deeper into the mountain... and at one point even passing through a set of twin tunnel -- one short and slightly curved, the other circuitous, snaking its way through the dark, unlit rock warren !
And suddenly, they were there!
The road ending abruptly, Tony pulling over, taking off his helmet as he turned to smile at the boys...
A clutter of structures bordering the lonesome road greeted them -- cafes precariously perched on the margins -- and parked along the edge were a half-dozen cars, and a handful of bikes.
And there it was: the famed, much photographed, almost iconic, dark-green metal arch with its welcoming message: 'WAY TO MALANA VILLAGE'!
Finally, after almost two hours of the most terrifying ride of their young life, they were there... but unlike the earlier gate, here the steps led down!
And now, the actual hike up the mountain!
"What was that other gate you pointed at back there, huh?" asked Bilal getting off the bike.
"That's Malana gate, Bridge Four," Tony replied, "not for the faint hearted! It's a tough, steep, backbreaking climb, with stretches that'll make you literally crawl and scramble on all fours, and takes about anywhere from 3 to even 5 hours!
"And this one?" asked Kashish, all the cheer at the start of the day's journey now much faded.
"This is Narang, and it takes between 45 to 60 minutes to hike up," Tony informed, "This path leads to the front of the village, while that other one takes you to the rear!"
"Then why does it go down, instead of up, huh?"
Tony laughed, "You need to first go down to the bottom of the Malana ravine, then cross the Malana stream, before climbing up to the village... and there it is!" he pointed high up the mist enshrouded versant.
They squinted, catching glimpses of colourful little buildings nestled in the midst of verdant greenery through the ever shifting wisps of vapour... like so many, tiny colourful game pieces, stuck on the montainside!
"And how do we cross that crazy torrent down there?!" exclaimed Kashish.
"There's a bridge, of course!" Rohit sighed, Tony nodding.
The trail was rocky and rough... the descent steep... lush and green, the bushes swaying everywhere. And, there were a thousand tiny trickle all along - crystal clear, and icy cold - amazingly sweet water!
🍁 Once they had crossed over the swift flowing stream (with some quirky selfies taken) the climb began...
STEEP !
A narrow, well trodden footpath, mostly paved and cobbled, rising high in a hurry, probably impatient to reach the magical village of Malana.
The route hemmed in once more with bushes of wildflowers and weed, humming with bees and buzzing with every other manner of insects. Innumerable little water-course - trickling and dripping here, splashing and leaping there.
The tract surprisingly crowded - locals carrying headloads of stuff (wood, fodder, and other odds and ends) going up or down, small children, cattle... and of course the mule trains!
And there were those ramshakle cafes - selling refreshments!
Madhav in a happy mood, humming away... Bilal and Kashish once more huffing, but thankfully silent (probably refraining from complaining since their destination was Malana!)... Rohit and Aakash mostly silent... Tony enlightening them with nuggets of lore...
"There's so much hearsay," Tony huffed between gasps, "so much misinformation floating around... especially all those half-baked non-information disseminated via the various social media channels as gospel truth, the same then getting repeated ad infinitum ! Ah, the net... the boon and bane of our modern global village !
"The locals not only actively encouraging it, but actually adding to the confusion. Keeping the interest, the curiosity alive, build on the mysticism, the mystery...
"More the hype, the craze, more people'll want to visit... and more tourists means more demand, more trade, and that equals more money!
"But sit down with anyone in the village, especially the older folks... ask, probe, and they'll finally laugh and shrug... confess that they have no clue how it all started!"
"So, everything you read about the place, the people are false?" asked Madhav.
"All the so-called myths and mysteries, YES !
"You mean the Greek connection, oldest republic, and all that stuff, huh?"
"Yes, the Greek, the Italian tutoring... the unique language," replied Tony, "ALL either a product of stoned-n-faded fantasy of an addled brain... OR a very smartly designed brand-image promotion rather than reality!
"The branding of Malana... or rather, Malana Cream!" he laughed.
"You're saying even the main-stream media, the documentaries..." Rohit began, but Tony cut him...
"Dude, the Greek question is a no-brainer," Tony smirked, "besides, genetic typing is consistent with the rest of the country, North and South!
"As for the mysterious tongue, well, there are a significant number of distinct Pahadi dialects, some totally different from each other, and Kanashi, their language, is a random mix of Sanskrit and Tibetan, not exactly unique... mutually intelligible with Kinnauri!
"Look at the word for the Upper and Lower House of their so-called parliament: Jayeshthang and Kanishthang, the origin so obvious!
"And as for democracy and republic, well, it's more an oligarchy, a hereditary privileged group rule. Everything conducted behind closed doors, in secret, the upper house having the final word... and all done in the name of God!
"And here we are!" Tony huffed as they approached a narrow concrete ledge abutting a line of modern buildings.
"Don't touch anyone or ANYTHING!" advised Tony as they made their way up into the village... walking through the maze of lanes, curiously looking around... the single path, cutting right through the village, climbing high... going uphill towards the top...
Tony pointing, "And that's where all the guesthouses are..."
Young boys and girls smiling as they walked up close, asking, "Maal hona kya?"*
"Fuck!" exclaimed Bilal, giggling, "We're being mobbed!"
"And most of those kids aren't even teens!" gasped Kashish, wide-eyed.
"Yes, but don't be rude to anyone, don't snap at them, just smile and shake your head," suggested Tony, smiling and waving his hand at them.
They followed the narrow path, rocky and slushy, wandering between two-three storied wooden buildings, going to the central square with its high platforms and temples...
And everywhere they saw the signboards dangling, or nailed: DO NOT TOUCH!!!
"We can't stay inside the village, huh?" asked Kashish.
"There were a few guesthouses and restaurants earlier, but they were shut by the Council in 2017..."
"And no camping either, no tents?" asked Aakash.
"Further up, there's a nice little grassy glen, you can pitch your tent there... or, simply sprawl out on the grass like most of the visiting foreigners do during summer!" Tony laughed, quickly adding, "Though it will get freezing cold during the night at this time of the year..."
"Bu... but we don't have our own tents!" wondered Bilal.
"Like every other place, you can rent them here too," Tony informed him, giving Aakash a curious look as he added, "or you can trek to Magic Valley, farther away, lot's of tents!"
"They want our money, so don't mind us visiting, but don't want us to stay, huh?!" snorted Kashish.
"Well, it could also be said that they didn't call you, they didn't go after you... you came to them," Tony laughed in response, "for their bhang... ganja and charas. You offered them gifts and cash, pleaded with them... they gave, and then you wanted more, and more... you practically swamped them and their tiny little village... so, they set the rules, why crib and cry, eh?
"There was always a lot of debate about outsiders living in the village... visiting was okay, but staying overnight was something a lot of people had problem with... and then, when the devastating fire of Jan 5, 2008 burnt down half the village, and four of the ancient wooden temples, people blamed it on those untouchable outsiders polluting their homes. Finally the Council ordered the closure, banning night stay and camping in the vicinity..." *
"And what about those places?" asked Bilal, nodding towards the guesthouses high above, overlooking the village.
"They were started in 2018, OUTSIDE!"
🍁 "Let's book the rooms first and then we can come back and explore the village..." Tony suggested.
"Sure," Rohit agreed, the others nodding.
"Yup, after all that climbing, I really need a shower!" exclaimed Madhav.
"Shower, huh?" snickered Bilal, elbowing Kashish.
"Yeah, shower!" simpered Kashish, both giggling.
"Shut up you two!" Aakash suddenly snapped, turning to Tony, "Let's get the rooms first."
"This path leads out, and beyond..." Tony said as they trudged out of the village, headed for the hotel, "About five kms that way is Tusku, or Toshco Falls, though a tough hike, but a lovely waterfall with breathtaking views... and to Magic Valley... Rashol Pass... and Chandrakani Pass..." he kept pointing as he spoke, "And hidden away in the surrounding woods are the farms!"
"Where will you camp?" asked Bilal.
"If they allow, then I'll set up my tent in their garden, else I'll take a room."
"And what happens to the bike, huh?" asked Kashish.
"Vikas will have it collected from Narang, I handed the keys to Diluraam at the cafe there."
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🍁 "I'll take the corner room," announced Aakash as they headed upstairs.
The guesthouse was just about passable... the facilities, very basic. And they got three adjoining rooms (no attached bath though!)... Tony getting his permission to pitch the tent!
The door had barely swung shut behind them when dropping his backpack and flipping the bolt Aakash literally pounced on little Gunjan, making the boy gasp with surprise at the suddenness... lifting and carrying him to the bed, dropping him face down...
And even before Gunjan knew what was happening, Aakash was on him, roughly pulling down his tracks, baring his pristine boy buttocks... lowering his own tracks, the cock already steel stiff and drooling...
"Unnngh..." Gunjan moaned looking up over his shoulder, the tone questioning.... tinged with desire, laced with arousal!
Maybe it was the adrenaline overload from dangerous driving up the raddled road... maybe it was the awe-inspiring majestic mountains... maybe it was simply the magic of Malana... or... maybe, it was the thoughts of this being their last day (and night) together away from home, the knowledge that they'd be leaving the next day...
But whatever it might be, Aakash had been horny for a while now, (yes, even after the highly satisfying multiple sessions that morning - in bed and in the shower !), almost desperate to get the boy alone... rip off his clothes and fuck him!
And in the grip of that maddening lust, panting, Aakash spat on his fingers and reached in, between those plump cheeks, urgently smearing the saliva along the crack, before quickly guiding his flexing cock to the waiting, crazily twitching boy-hole...
Gunjan was still sufficiently relaxed and open, still lubricated from their earlier mating back in Kasol, and Aakash easily sank in... both boys crying out - Aakash letting out a heavy grunt of satisfaction, Gunjan biting down on the pillow to muffle his wail of fulfilment...
Aakash grabbing a fistful of Gunjan's hair and tugging up his head, turning his face... biting down on his lips, kissing him as he hilted himself with a massive thrust!
Both shamelessly vocal as Aakash quickly began the concupiscent courante of procreation, his pelvis rising and falling in unbroken cadence as he powered his rigid cock in and out of the boy's gripping flesh sleeve...
Both progressively getting indiscreetly loud... the bed squeaking with obscene glee as they power fucked in their corner room...
Both noisily slobbering on each other's lips in an effort to stifle their passionate cry of ardour... acutely conscious, well aware that the sounds would easily carry since the rooms were of basic construct -- sort of open and airy... the walls, mere wooden partitions, pretty flimsy -- the same way they could hear the sounds of their friends' movements in the adjoining rooms, listen to their muffled voices talking!
It wasn't the usual love-making this time... it was raw, animal sex... Aakash mating the groaning boy like a rutting bull... ravishing the writhing, whimpering Gunjan as the little boy eagerly slammed back at his groin... meeting his every thrust with equal force, ferociously gnawing at his mouth!
The voices of their friends ever near... planning for the evening... about trekking back to the village, exploring the mysteries of Malana!
Aakash pushing Gunjan higher up on the bed before passing his arms around him and rolling on their sides... spooning the boy... reaching lower to grab the boy's upper thigh and lifting it high as he continued to fuck... the clothes restrictive, limiting their movements... but not enough to cause any inconvenience to their act of intercourse.
"Hey, I'm ready!" they heard Madhav's cheerful announcement in the open corridor outside... so frightfully close to their room... quickly followed by more voices as the others joined him...
"And where's Aakash?" they heard Kashish ask, "Is he too taking a shower, huh?"
"Nah, I just came out, he didn't go in..." Madhav responded.
"There's Rohit and Tony," they heard Bilal, "maybe he's with them... downstairs..."
Wrapping Gunjan's upper thigh over his hip, Aakash gripped the boy's face and turned it up - the thumb and fingers digging into the smooth cheeks - once more gluing his mouth over the boy's open mouth... muting his loud groans... speeding up.
The fiercely tight grasp, the maddening flutter, and the voices outside, so very close, finally tipping him over... Aakash slamming in with a grunt, his hips holding still as his asscheeks flexed and his legs twitched... unleashing his rich, virile seed deep inside the boy's belly... the creamy hot cum gushing out in powerful torrents, filling Gunjan to the brim... soon oozing out!
And almost simultaneously Gunjan too shooting his own load, firing volleys of boy spunk high and far... the thick ropes of viscous liquid arching as they splattered against the distant headboard... splashing the sheets... his ass vicious as the rectal muscles flexed pumping out his cum, clamping down on Aakash's egesting cock... adding agonising pleasure to an already torturous climax!
Both gasping... breathless. Slumped against each other... utterly winded.
Both drained... totally exhausted.
Aakash's hips swaying helplessly, reflexive, giving those final few, dying thrusts.
Both groaning with the sheer joy of being together... of having sex... purring with pleasure, when they heard the urgent knock...
"Dude, you guys snoozing or what, huh?" Bilal's voice asked, "We're leaving for the village, wanna come?"
🍁 They walked down to the village, heading for the Square first... looking at the exquisitely carved main Temple... the burnt out hull of another one nearby... the platform with the lounging village elders... both group curiously watching each other...
"Do not touch anyone or anything..." Tony whispered once more as they walked around the open area, before leading them down a narrow pathway snaking between the wooden homes away from the centre.
"Where are we going, huh?" asked Kashish as they toiled along the uneven, rocky path.
"The reason you came here," grinned Tony, "the Cream!"
"But it's too expensive!" Bilal shook his head.
"You don't need to buy a full tola..."
After about ten minutes they reached a narrow, open area lined with houses, Tony leading them to a tumbledown, old structure... silent and seemingly empty... but before they could wonder or ask, a man emerged from the dark void, smiling at Tony...
"Bhistu..." Tony greeted, "Bhai!"
Both smiling like long lost, old friends - but they didn't shake hands or hug!
"How much?" the man asked, cautiously eyeing the boys.
"A little for them, and one for me," Tony replied.
Bhistu reached in the folds of his multi-layered flowing cloak, pulling out a clear mylar packet - a dark, chocolaty... almost black, shiny flat lump within... placing it on the ground before vanishing into the dark womb... returning a while later with another mylar envelope with a smaller lump... dropping it next the first.
Tony took out the money, counting, before bending down to place the cash by the side of the packs...
The man picked up the money and vanished once more... Tony retriving the packets!
"Done!" he grinned at the boys.
Once more they headed out of the village, going to the glen Tony had mentioned... finally ready to look... touch... smell... and taste the famed Cream!
"Here," he offered the smaller pack, Aakash paying him before Kashish snapped it out of his hand.
It was OILY, soft and pliable... intensely fragrant - a distinct aroma of peppermint, with a hint of burnt wood...
🍁 It was dark when they returned to the guesthouse, the still bright moon partially cloaked by clouds... mist swirling all around... the wind frigid... the boys ecstatic!
They had dinner around a bonfire out in the garden before retiring around mid-night...
"So, enjoyed the trip, little bro?" asked Madhav as they walked in.
Gunjan blushed a little as he nodded... wondering if Madhav could smell the sex on him?
Gunjan had remained silent all evening, and slightly apart from the group... especially avoiding going anywhere near Rohit, even remotely close... somehow sure that he would simply sniff out Gunjan's earlier dalliance, back in the room, while the boys were getting ready for their hike back to the village. Smell Aakash's semen on him as it kept seeping out of his perpetually twitching anus... his smooth asscheeks slippery as he walked, the cleft coated with the leaked slime. Sure Rohit's sharp eyes would notice the awkward gait...
"We leave tomorrow, huh?" Madhav said, sighing as he added, "I'll really miss this place!"
Gunjan once more nodding, but barely... suddenly desperate to wrap his arms around Aakash... and never let go!
🍁 The night was a riot of raunch with the two repeatedly consociating in conjugal conjunction...
Both ecstatic in each other's arms -- Aakash once more a conscientious lover, lavishing the little boy with tender care, driving the writhing boy wild with passion... before taking him in his arms and consummating their mutual hunger...
Both famished, indiscreetly noisy in their carnal celebration... beyond care as they indulged in every manner of novel experimentation... untiring as they mated in the dark corner room!
Aakash wallowing in the sheer sensuous pleasure of that silky smoothness, the creamy rich softness of the moist flesh sleeve... the exquisite fluttering, the fierce clutch of the smoldering innards... the powerful flex of the liquid heat - suffocatingly steamy, sweltering hot!
Gunjan exulting with joy sensing the maddening flex of Aakash's phallus deep inside his gut as the older boy fucked him... scrunching his rectal muscles, clamping down forcefully, making him grunt, his rhythm falter... soon lost in the buzzing prostatic pleasure as the pounding cock rubbed his swollen gland raw!
Both aware that this was probably their last chance... that they would be leaving the next afternoon...
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Saturday, 5 September 2020
🍁 With an early breakfast, and the trek to Tusku Falls done... pleasantries exchanged, and some last minute words of advice imparted... Tony set out on his solo trek to Naggar, via Chanderkhaani Pass... the boys waving as he vanished beyond the high hump.
"Finish EVERY bit of whatever you have, here and now," Tony had cautioned, "DO NOT carry anything, absolutely ANYTHING beyond that little bridge down there!"
"People leaving the Malana Valley, especially groups of young boys, are invariable stopped and searched, even frisked," he had said.
Not just between Malana and Jari, but also in Jari... between Jari and Bhuntar... and even beyond, within the State borders!
Recounting incidents from earlier visits ...
The boys listening with wonder... shaking their head in amazement.
Some scary... some hilarious... one outrageous!
"You saw those guys run up to you asking if you wanted maal, well, they have no problem who you buy it from, but they take quick offence if you're rude, pick a fight... or haggle too hard." Tony had narrated, "And since they know when you buy... like as soon as you get here, or while leaving, they know whether you're carrying it... and if you've antagonised or offended them, then they simply call a friendly officer and have their revenge!
"You will be stopped and searched... contraband seized... threatened with jail time...
"You plead, you beg and grovel... you finally pay, yes, a bribe for your freedom...
"You lose your maal and some cash, but you're happy to have avoided the courts and jail... your nemesis is happy with his vengeance... and the friendly officer is happy with whatever he got...
"Everyone is happy, and all's well with the world!"
"It was on my second... maybe third visit here, while trekking up I met a group of four college kids... a couple years older than you guys. One quiet type, very silent, and the other three obnoxiously loud and argumentative... got into a verbal spat with a local the moment they stepped in, and again, near the Square, with the grocer since he wouldn't let them enter his shop...
"The next day while leaving I saw them buy from the cafe owner and as I waited for the bus at Naggar, they too reached... and we took the same bus back to Jari, about five locals, and a dozen tourists...
"The bus was flagged down just before the PowerHouse police post, everyone offloaded and asked questions, the constables poking and prodding our backpacks... but what I noted was that the officer seemed extra keen on those four kids... actually searching their bags... even frisking them!
"Three sachets were found on three of the guys, but nothing on the silent one... he threatened arrest before finally letting us go...
"Till Jari everyone sat quiet, but once we boarded the bus for Bhuntar the three wanted to know what the quiet-one did with his tola of maal... and after a lot of coaxing, cajoling and even some threats of violence, just as we reached Bhuntar, he finally smiled, "A man has but just one place to hide that even the police hesitate to probe," softly adding, "If you pay, I'm willing to share!"
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🍁 After a bone-rattling, but uneventful ride back to Jari -- no flagging down, no frisking -- they set out for Bhuntar, making good time.
They had just returned the bikes and settled all dues, headed for the bus station when Aakash grabbed Gunjan's arm and dragged him into a tiny little alleyway... dark under a flickering bulb, deserted... quickly passing his hands around the boy's waist as he pulled him close...
God, the boy was so cute, and he desperately wanted to kiss him... but you simply didn't go around kissing people out on the streets... in the bazaars... not in this country!
"Promise you won't forget me!" he whispered, looking down at the boy, into his wide eyes... watching those amazingly full, red lips quiver.
Gunjan was no longer the uncertain, awkward little small-town boy, and placing both his hands on Aakash's powerful arms gave a small laugh, looking up at the older teen...
"You're the one who'll be going away to college," he replied, smiling, "will you remember me, huh?"
"God, yes, I will!" Aakash exclaimed, "Always!"
"So will I!" Gunjan responded with another smile, eyes twinkling... sensing a small stirring in the snug pouch of his briefs.
"I'm here, at least for another couple months," Aakash whispered caressing the smooth cheek, "we can still meet, if you want..."
"Yes..." Gunjan nodded in reply, his arms wrapping around Aakash.
The older boy gently taking his chin and tilting his face up, kissing him in the darkness... Gunjan moaning, pressing himself against Aakash.
"I know once I'm gone," Aakash said pulling back, the look intense, the fingers still caressing the smooth cheeks, "you'll hook up with other guys... and that thought makes me very jealous!"
"Hook-up? Jealous?!" Gunjan let out a happy laugh, before confessing, "I never even thought of guys till I saw you, so, there'll be no hook-ups, and no other guy. But you, on the other hand, with your multiple girlfriends (emphasising on the 's ' ), and I'm sure, some very desirable young men in New York, blond and blue-eyed, you'll have many... um, hookups. But that doesn't really matter... I'll treasure US... treasure HERE, always!"
"Well," Aakash shrugged, straightening up, "neither am I into guys, never was..." pausing for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, "It's you, you are different... and there'll be no guys, not here, not in New York!"
"Hey! You two..." they heard Rohit's voice come floating over the loud chatter of the bazaar, "not done yet? The bus is ready to leave!"
They hugged, tight... Aakash giving the boy's mouth a quick peck, and as they heard Rohit holler a second time, holding hands they walked out of the alley... headed towards their waiting friends.
🍁 Sitting back, Aakash by his side, Gunjan smiled softly... looking back fondly as the bus pulled out.
Places produce memory, as much as memories carve out space... and yes, it was but a fleeting interlude, and once they returned, Aakash would be gone - to college - and probably they'd never meet, ever again...
But Parvati Valley would forever remain, soaked in memories, and pulsing with emotions... with stories and anecdotes - to be recalled, cherished and then lovingly stored away.
So, why bother about the unknown... why not just rejoice in the moment, cherish what is!
From the innocence of adolescence, the Valley had catapulted Gunjan into adulthoood... and he was leaving embracing the past, the unknown future, and the delightful present...
And he felt happy... he WAS happy !
🍁 a story by Outlaw
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Copyright © Author (2020), 2021-2022
Views & feedback welcome: outlaw@aol.in
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