It was a clear night. Aditi sat on the temple steps looking in the distance. The valley below was submerged in inky darkness despite the silvery moonlight. The temple was East facing and sitting on the cold stone steps she could see thousands of twinkling stars forming familiar shapes in the night sky. Constellations, they were called, her father had explained when she was seven. There was Orion, the Hunter with its bright stars lined to make a triangle shape. Up above was Pegasus with Enis shining at its head. There were more, her father had shown them all years ago.

Sitting on these steps, drinking warm milk with her head in her mother's lap, she would listen to his deep baritone. For hours he would talk about the stars and she would listen intently. Sometimes she would fall asleep here listening to her mother's sweet voice as she sang some songs of the old. The next morning she would wake up in the Sarai room snugly tucked in her mother's fleece blanket.

Those were the days, she smiled dreamily looking at the crescent moon. The days she knew would never return.

Her eyes drew to the path that snaked from the side of the temple to the hill behind. There was a maze in there, a maze of naturally formed caves and streams intermingling together under the hood of that hill.

One of those caves had history, her mother's last memory etched in its stone walls forever. Aditi wondered if it was time now to revisit the place. Not to relive that dreadful moment of her mother's death, but those thousands of happy ones before it. Tonight it seemed her mind was finally ready to let go of the pain. It could be the drug in the laddu, she knew the prasad contained mild cannabis. When she was little her mother only allowed her a small bite. Tonight she'd eaten a whole laddu for the first time, maybe this giddy feeling was a result of it.

She didn't mind. It had somehow brought her closer to her parents. Her eyes went to the path to the caves again. It felt as if she was ready. After so many years of staying away from this place, tonight she felt she was finally ready.

Brain whirring in anticipation, she got up unsteadily and took a step down. Her feet faltered in the haze making her almost stumble when a strong arm steadied her.

"Careful." A deep voice said from her side. She strained her eyes trying to make out who it was. It sounded like her father. She tried to focus her eyes, the tall figure in the dark felt like her father.

Could it be him? Her addled brain tried to think straight but failed. It could be him, maybe he was missing her too. Her heart leaped with joy.

"Dad! You came!" A wide smile broke her face as she hugged him tightly. It had been years. Years since she felt someone she loved this close.

He staggered back as his hands raised up to support her. They stayed on her back momentarily before falling limp to his sides.

She reveled in her joy mindless of her reality. He was here! In front of her, in her arms. As solid and warm as ever!!

She stepped back and raised on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Her lips grazed at his stubble, but she didn't mind it one bit. Her fingers traced his face, his shoulders, making sure he was really there. And he was. He really was.

Which meant her mother could be here too, she jolted with another realization.

"Is Mum here? Is she in the cave?" She asked him wildly, eyes glinting in the moonlight.

He seemed lost for words, then just shook his head. If there was a hint of hesitation in that gesture, it was completely lost on her. Taking his silence as affirmation, she beamed with joy and turned towards the caves.

The distance was not much but as the path curved around the hill peak, the temple disappeared. Now there were only the dark trees lining the path with branches swaying in a light fragrant breeze. A murmur of water from the caves pulled her, her mother was calling her for ages.

Stepping into the cave entrance she walked ahead as he followed her wordlessly. Fireflies fluttered around them, lighting the path. Moonlight streamed through the open roof where the caves opened to the skies above. Pools of dark water littered the floor, some big, some small, some deep, and some shallow. Up ahead was her favorite pool, one where her father had taught her to swim. She came to it and stopped. It was the same as before - clear, knee-deep with glossy pebbles lining its floor.

"Come on in, princess...," her father called from the other end. He was already in there, smiling widely, splashing the water, his raucous laugh ricocheting off the walls.

Aditi looked at him in wonder, her eyes squinting through a hazy mist. He was the same, just as she remembered him from years ago. Next to him was her mother, smiling serenely from her perch in the pool. Aditi's heart skipped a beat. There she was, as beautiful as ever, waiting for her!

Aditi stepped forward eagerly to cross the pool, but as usual, her mother chided her.

"Take your shoes off, Aditi. Don't get them wet." her mother reminded gently. She kicked off her shoes and moved ahead. Behind her, someone shot forward, probably to pull her back but she was too quick. She giggled helplessly. No one could catch her, she was too fast.

She stepped into the pool and the cold water hit her barefoot like an ice blast. Squealing in delight she rushed forward. She had to get to her parents. They were waiting for her on the other side.

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"Be careful, you'll slip and fall!" A warning voice sounded from behind making her frown. Was he ahead or behind? She couldn't make out. A silly giggle escaped her mouth - it was just like her father to tease her with his tricks.

"You'll catch me if I fall, Dad," she replied breezily walking on the slippery floor of the pool. The water came up to her mid-calves wetting her trousers, but she carried on heedless. It had been ages since she felt so exhilarated. Her parents were in front of her, her Dad sitting on his favorite rock at the deep end of the pool and her mother on the side watching them with a blooming smile.

They had done this so many times before. It was just as she remembered.

In her haste, her foot slipped on something slippery. She shrieked in delight as she tumbled forward, and cold water splashed all over the place. Her father gave another booming laugh as her mother covered her face to save it from splashes. Behind her, she heard an agitated whimper and laughed. Her father was still playing his antics.

"Dad! You didn't catch me this time!" She said in mock anger and swam to her Dad. He smiled and shook his head.

"You don't need me to save you, princess," he said lovingly. "You are a grown-up girl now."

She inched next to him and gazed at his face. It was full of adoration, and pride. Her mother leaned forward over to caress her face. Aditi closed her eyes. This was what she needed - this touch, this scent, these two people that none could replace.

Her eyes glistened in the moonlight, her breath getting uneven. They were not really here. It was just her imagination, wasn't it? Or they would have come to help her that day. She had called them. She had called for anyone who'd listen. She needed someone desperately. But no one had come.

"Where were you that day?" She asked accusingly. "I called for you, I needed you."

"What day, princess?" Her father's voice was wary.

"The day he...they..." She faltered.

"Yes, princess?"

"Don't call me that, Dad. You know Mohit keeps teasing me and Vivaan too!" She frowned in agitation.

"Ok...Aditi." The words came out as if they were uttered for the first time. She squinted her eyes unsurely at her father's face, but he looked his usual self.

"So what happened that day Aditi?" He asked again, this time in a much softer tone.

She leaned back on the rock turning her face to the moon above. The roof opening was quite wide here, she could see the stars as they reflected themselves in the dark pool.

"What happened, Aditi? What happened that day?" her father probed again.

She chewed her lips. Details. He needed details. But she couldn't recall much. All she remembered was a dark night and a dark shape. Something had pierced her thigh, paralyzing her completely. There was excruciating pain and then there was nothing. She had lost her senses.

"I went to see Sam. He was...hurt." She tried to recall whatever she could. It hadn't been that long, yet her brain seemed muddled. There were gaps in the memory, big gaping holes when she could remember nothing. And then she had tried hard to forget the rest.

"Sam was already hurt?" He seemed incredulous.

Already? She frowned in confusion. "Yes, Dad." She nodded her head vigorously. "Vicki called me. Sam was injured. I went to see him...but then..."

Her head felt heavy. The details seemed to elude her. Something heavy pushed her down or was it pushing the memory down she didn't know. She couldn't remember anything. It was a blur of pain and fear. The two emotions she'd faced for the first time that night, in their full force. Nothing else mattered afterward.

"What happened then, Aditi?" The voice had a slight edge now. Her father was getting impatient. Was it time for him to go? She panicked.

"Then...it went dark..." She strained hard, but nothing would come out of that dark whirlpool. She whimpered in disappointment. Nothing could fill those gaps. In the later days, her conscious mind had filled in the blanks perfectly. The truth of that night was written all over her body. But she had hardened herself to forget it. Such things were not supposed to happen. That night had never happened. It was hard initially to obliterate it from memory, but soon it started working. She couldn't show it in front of her family, so she had to pretend anyway. Then it became a habit, disregarding her wound as a mere graze of a broken bush when she was riding Aron. Everyone had believed her. Well everyone except maybe Kanta Chachi. But prudent as she was, she had kept mum. Her Dadaji had a weak heart, and Aditi was his pride. It was wise to forget such things, never acknowledge they ever happened.

But tonight, in front of her parents, the wounds reopened. Her drug-addled brain lost all control. Her thigh throbbed senseless, her heart even worse.

"It hurt, Dad. I couldn't breathe..." Her voice sank into a weak sob. "It hurt. I called for you. You didn't come. No one came."

She sank low, her tears finally making their way out. Her mother's arms opened wide to hug her close. The pool water came to her neck, then touched her cheeks. It was so soothing, like her mother's embrace.

Aditi let go and closed her eyes. Her brain shut off as her body went under, drifting into painless oblivion. Slowly, silently, she sank deeper. The cave became silent. No one spoke.

Then there was a heavy splash as someone stepped into the pool.

*****

Sam was already injured. Vicki had called her for Sam.

Darsh's brain stored the details as he waded through the pool towards her. He himself felt muddled now, nothing whatsoever made sense. Was Sam actually injured or was he faking? Did Vicki call her on the pretext of Sam to confront her? But that sounded a calculated move, a well-planned one. Ajay had said Vicki confronted her in a fit of anger and the other two boys had corroborated the story. But her version was different. It didn't fit with the rest.

She had called for help, not in anger or humiliation, but probably in pain and fear. There could only be one reason, and looking at the state she was in, it was the only possible reason. But it couldn't be possible. It went against everything he knew, or rather everything he was told about that night. Moreover, his brother would never stoop to this low. He could never degrade a woman like this. Or could he? Darsh wasn't sure anymore.

Bending down he searched for her in the dark water. He felt a cold arm and pulled it up. She came up like a lifeless doll, hair plastered to her face, yet her face utterly sweet and calm. He knew this time the expression was genuine. For the first time, he knew she wasn't faking.

Hauling her up on his shoulder he waded out of the water, then let her down on the ground. It didn't look like she'd ingested much water, but he had to make sure. Turning her over he pressed over her back, then turning her back, he applied pressure to her stomach. She spluttered some water, yet her eyes remained closed.

It was the cannabis, he thought shaking his head. He had probably overdosed her. The drug had affected her badly, making her hallucinate about her dead parents.

He remembered her hug, her bright smile. Her face was lit with a thousand stars in that moonlight. He knew it would stay with him forever, that ghost of a smile with her warm hug and the gentle, haunting kiss.

Picking her up he carried her out of the cave. This was getting messy, and he was getting tangled.

***** *****