An Unforgettable Night At Lake Shillong.

By Fanan Rasheed

As the sun slowly set out,

The chilly night set in.

It was a rather peculiar night

As cold breezes seldom visit this serene lake.

It's always mid-summer vibes in here

With hot wind blowing for the entire day.

I sat with both my legs plunged in water

It froze for a second

It took my feet 40 seconds to

Get accustomed to the temperature.

The wind sang a different song

As thought it was a good night lullaby

To sing me to sleep.

For I felt the longing to sleep in all depths

For the first time in a long long period of time.

My eyes slowly closing,

I felt like I saw a blurred figure on the opposite side of the lake.

My heart instantly threw a number of questions

Is the supernatural tales true after all?

Is there some kind of paranormal activity here?

Could it be a rapist?

Or a child abductor?

Who would it be prying on me so keenly

At this time of midnight?

I visit this place to ease my loneliness,

To heal my scars.

Lately life's turned all dull and gloomy

With my brother no longer around for company

For he was the only soul left

whom I could call family.

I lay my head peacefully in the meadows by the waterside,

The cold again sending me to sleep.

But my subconscious mind just wouldn't give up

Tensed about the figure that I saw a few minutes back

Would he have crossed the bridge

& Reached to the other side of the bank?

What made this area special was that the water goddess accompanied me every night to sleep, comforting me by patting on my back & caressing my hair.

It's been a week since I started 

Pulling over this lake at this time of the hour.

To perhaps relieve myself from all the

Existing stress and to dissolve

The deep void that I've been feeling lately.

Nature has its own way of comforting my soul.

Nature's the only acquaintance of mine 

whom I can hold onto now.

I wouldn't have to worry about her demise

As the lake of Shillong is immortal

Constantly flowing through crevices 

Making its way through mud,sand,silt,pebbles and rock..

As if she was chasing someone 

unknowing of the destination & 

never really ending up anywhere.

Just like how humans run behind 

Fame and wealth, haha.

'Ohh no,my feet arghh'

It's ice,so numb & pale just 

as dead fish caught here lies.

I should prolly set out to look for that unidentified person..

Rinsing my face in that crystal clear waters

I saw a flourescent green light make its way to the surface

Woah bioluminescence at its best.

Feeling fresh as though I woke up from a good tight nap. 

My eyes searched frantically for that person

He was nowhere to be seen on the other side of the shore,

Looked at the bridge but, 

it remained as still as ever 

as though no soul has 

made its way through those wooden steps.

I turned back, to my surprise 

there stood a young man 

A handsome hunk I would say

He looked pathetically at me

Did my pain really reflect on my face as

Though it was a mirror ?

Or was my appearance too shabby?

"Heyy I'm Drexin Bruk,I have crossed

The mountains to come by this lake

My villagers say that there's a magical

Presence in this water body &

It fulfills any wish that a mortal makes".

"I've come all the way to pray for my ailing mother. 

I hope she makes it through the other side safe and sound.

She was diagnosed with a terminal illness-brain tumor..

Our village doesn't really have a 

Hospital nor do we have the pockets

To pay for those expenses".

"Do you by any chance know 

How to make a wish in this lake?"

My elder brother's body being tossed around

The street like a rag doll,

Suddenly reappeared in my mind.

Ahh these memories never really fade

They haunt you no matter which corner of the world 

You  run away to hide in.

Stop shiveringgg....!!

"Excuse me miss,are you alright?"

"Yes absolutely why wouldn't I be?,

Well there's no particular way to make a wish here. 

All there should be is a genuine reason and

A sincere wish straight from the bottom of the heart.

Between I'm Limeise Perch".

"Yeah nice to meet you Mi'Lady.

I'll get back tomorrow evening.

Gotta reach back home before sunrise".

My heart skipped a beat as the young man shook his hands with mine.

Never in my life have I ever felt so special.

Two hours passed by as though it were seconds..

I haven't stopped thinking

About those hazel eyes,

Those soft hands

That touch sent chills down my spine.

Every time I recollected that feeling

I felt like a crying child who had been 

offered candy by a sweet stranger.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two years on the run,

I never met him after that accidental encounter..

He promised to come back later that evening,

I waited as long as I could

But not a tiny sign of him arriving.

Well that's life I suppose.

You  meet a handful of strangers on this journey,

Few of them leave an ever lasting impact in your heart, small memories that create ripples of impression in your tiny mind,                                      

The ones which you fondly carry along                          

As though they were a part of your baggage.

Now I run a handmade accessories shop.

Not just one but a chain of those..

What do you call such people?

Ahh ‘Entrepreneur’ I suppose..

Mi'lady is a boss lady now.

I'm just tying the knot 

to this thread of wish here,

In my trip to Shimla

naming it as 'the unforgettable night at Lake Shillong’,

To perhaps reunite with that one special stranger

To cross paths with each other at some point in life.

The world is really small and round they say

We'll find each other,

if it's really meant to be 

If destiny plays its part.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry guys but I'll have to take a leave now,

For there is a train that I've to catch &

I'm running late.

By Fanan Rasheed