A few miles away in a wooden cottage tucked away in the hills, Dev threw his backpack on the floor. Opening the fridge, he took out a bottle of ice-cold water and chugged it down in one go. The heat of the day was waning, a cool evening breeze flew in through the open cottage door. It brought with it a scent of wet grass and he felt his body relax.

Replacing the empty bottle back on the worktop, he walked to the bathroom and pulled over his damp shirt to examine his muscled arms. There were a few scratches, a few red bumps where the insects had bitten. He’d been able to save his face with the insect repellent; it wouldn’t have done if his face showed any marks.

Taking a quick shower he changed into his white t-shirt and joggers. Then came back to the kitchen to pull out a frozen dinner from the freezer. His freezer was well-stocked with various healthy meal options to last at least a month. Thirty days, he’d set aside, give or take a couple. That should be enough to complete his task to satisfaction.

The dinner chucked in the microwave to defrost, he pulled a folder that lay on the countertop. It was not very thick, just a few pages of information on his target. If the size of the folder was any indication, his quarry was quite insignificant. A mere girl of twenty-four, recently graduated, horsing around until her family married her off. Or so he’d thought, until today.

Opening the folder at the first page he stared at it in annoyance - a passport-sized photo, name, age, occupation, hobbies, etc, etc, etc. It was all the information he could get in a short span of time. He had deemed it enough; after all how much information could you gather about a frivolous young woman?

She was rich. The land he stood on belonged to her. It was old money; her family had connections in places he had never dreamed of.

And she was popular. More than anyone in these parts. Everyone in fifty miles of Palampur knew her. Many admired her, loved, and respected her.

Scoffing in irritation he snapped the folder shut and pushed it away. It had been utterly useless. Never before in his life had he been caught so underprepared. Never before in his life had he been caught so...off-guard.

“He loved her from the moment he saw her.”

Ajay had told him two weeks ago sitting outside of the operation theatre. The significance was not lost on him, but he hadn’t paid much attention. Vicki was after all a shy, inexperienced young man. It was no surprise that he’d fallen for the first interesting girl he’d laid his eyes on.

Dev had never expected to be in the same danger. His experience in the field, after all, was legendary. Forewarned and forearmed, he was confident in his ability to withstand any feminine wiles. Yet, when the time came, he had all but lost his senses.

The Golden Girl of Palampur - they called her and now he knew why. She oozed confidence. Riches, money, charisma, and last but not least - beauty!

Nothing had prepared him for her. The agile gait of a gazelle, the feral confidence of a wildcat. Regal like a majestic peacock, yet so unaffected, untethered. Brimming with health and vitality, the power of youth radiated her like a hot, blazing sun. She was a storm riding those horses, his poor detective had no way to put that on those few sheets of paper.

And then he’d carried her in his arms. His heart had nearly stopped. It was the eeriest feeling as if he held his death in his arms and couldn’t let it go.

A beep from the microwave broke his reverie. Shaking his head furiously he slapped his face. What was he thinking? Gazelle? Wildcat? Peacock? He was certainly going bonkers. Vicki must have thought the same when he first met her. She had that effect on men, he knew that now after his first-hand experience. It was a pity really. Such a pity that the truth couldn’t be further.

She was no gazelle, they were innocent, fragile creatures. She was no wildcat, they were at least true to their nature. And regality enshrined honor. This girl was dishonorable, deplorable.

He should have let her die. The thought had touched him for a split second. She deserved that fate after what she’d done to Vicki. But then it would have been too easy. She would have died in a second and people around here would have mourned like she was an angel from the heavens. Little did they know she was no angel. She was a cruel, pretentious, despicable woman, one that deserved no love, respect, or honor.

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He had something else for her in mind, something worse than death, that will remind her of her folly. Something permanent, more lasting in life than death, that will remind her of Vicki and ensure she’d never forget the lesson.

*****

The village of Badari was a small hamlet in the hills miles away from Palampur. By the time Aditi covered a quarter of the distance, the flat plains of the fields were left behind and the land started sloping up into mountainous terrain.

She rode Aron at a steady pace, he was used to carrying her weight. But today she had some additional load. Two heavy sacks dangled on Aron’s either side containing books and stationery supplies for the new school. They alone weighed ten kilos each, Kanta Chachi had packed another sackful of samosas that would suffice not only the children but the entire population of Badari. Thankfully, Badari was only a small hamlet with about a hundred plus people, or Aron would have looked more like a mule than a majestic racehorse.

As if sensing her thoughts Aron whinnied in protest, making his displeasure known. I am a thoroughbred horse. Not a donkey to carry all this, he tried to convey his mistress.

“Yes, yes, I know.” Aditi ruffled his thick brown mane. She felt bad for him but she only had herself to blame for going overboard with the school supplies. “I'm sorry Aron. I know it’s a heavy load to carry uphill but it’s only a few miles. And you are a strong boy, aren’t you?”

Aron nickered in agreement. He was indeed a strong boy, but how many strong boys carried heavy sacks for miles? Strong boys showed off their strength by defeating their enemies or by carrying helpless pretty maidens in their arms. Aron could easily defeat his opponents on a racing track, and he had no trouble carrying Aditi on his back. But expecting him to carry three sacks of the load on a hot day was just too much.

He kept kicking and nickering, making his protestations as they went meandering through the mountain road. It was a road she had traveled often with her parents. They enjoyed this journey through the thick forest, it was calm, soothing, and quiet.

Today it felt a little too quiet, she could hear the sound of another rider at her back. A tick-tock of horse hooves sounded behind her in the distance. She couldn’t make out who it was, the dense shrubbery effectively hid the bends in the path. But she knew it was a single horse. She didn’t think much of it as many used horses in these hills. They were the only mode of transport available.

Shaking her head she focussed her mind on the path ahead. The further they went, Aron became more agitated. Deciding to lighten his load, Aditi reined in and got down to walk beside him.

It was nearly noon, and the heat was palpable even through the thick green forest. Her t-shirt stuck to her back and her feet were baking in her leather boots.

“Sorry Aron, no water here for you...” she mumbled when she looked around but didn't find any water hole for him. The horse whinnied in irritation. She offered him her own bottle but he snorted and turned his head away.

“Suit yourself!” Aditi snapped. “Why do you have to be so difficult? I’ll let you drink when we reach the next waterhole.” She took out an apple and fed him as a peace offering. He calmed down and graciously turned to offer her a ride. Sighing heavily, Aditi climbed up again. At this pace, it would be the night to reach Badari.

About half an hour later, Aron’s steps started faltering again. They were nearing a fork in the path. Straight ahead would lead them to the caves near the hilltop. Badari lay on the path to the right.

Aditi tried to turn to the right, but she underestimated Aron's agitation. His protests became more frantic.

“Whoa...Aron, Calm down,” Aditi somehow scrambled down and out of harm's way. He whinnied and pulled away, snapping the reins out of her hands. She watched him helplessly as he turned right and bolted into the forest, leaving her alone to fend for herself.

*****

“Wild horses should be shot down,” said a voice from behind her. “And people who can’t ride shouldn’t be allowed near horses. Especially girls.”

Aditi was too busy staring after Aron to heed the unsolicited advice. She couldn’t believe it. The silly old mule had done a runner on her, what was she supposed to do now? All she had was her mobile, which was no use in these hills. She’d lost her supplies, her water bottle, and Aron had taken everything with him.

Stomping her foot in annoyance she swore loudly, mouthing a few choice words she'd learned at the racecourse.

"That is not proper behavior for a young lady,” someone said again, but she was too occupied to notice.

“Aron!” she called, running towards the path he’d taken. “Aron, baby, come back...” She heard a snicker in the distance, but no one came back.

“I think that means he doesn’t want to be here,” said the annoying voice again. “Maybe he doesn’t like you.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion. Go away.” Aditi snapped without looking. Her eyes kept searching through the shrubbery for a gleaming chocolate coat but found nothing.

She was panicking now. Badari was still miles away. She didn’t mind walking, but there was no point going there without the supplies. She could as well turn back home, but she couldn’t leave Aron. He was somewhere in this forest. She didn’t know if he’d be able to reach Badari or home by himself. He might get lost and wander away. Or worse, he might slip and fall in one of the gorges. That would be the end of him.

“Aron, you stupid mule! Come back this instant!” Aditi screeched in the general direction of the forest. A few birds fluttered up from their peaceful perch and a few monkeys whooped in irritation. But there was no reply from Aron.

A sound of hooves behind her brought her back to her senses. She turned around. A man sat on a majestic black horse looking cool as a cucumber. It was someone she knew. Or rather someone she didn’t.

***** *****