Part Three. . .

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance with any person living or dead is purely coincidental and unintentional.

Three

“Did you check all the doors' locks before you left?”

“Yes I did.”

“Did you check the taps for any leaking water?”

“Yup did that too.”

“Did you…………..”

“Calm down darling, you double checked everything yourself after I checked. Now stop thinking too much about the apartment. We are on our way, let’s focus on this trip and forget about our usual daily life for a while!” Somesh stopped Aakriti in the mid sentence, in an attempt to calm down his wife who was having another of her panic attacks of something gone amiss somewhere. Aakriti’s face still displayed signs of tension, so he asked “What is it that’s troubling you so much?”

“I had a bad dream yesterday night, kind of a nightmare. Had this trip not been associated with a business engagement, I would have asked you to cancel it. I don’t remember the exact dream but I feel kind of uneasy from the moment I had it, as if something really bad is about to happen, something is gonna go wrong. I am not able to shut these thoughts.” Aakriti said looking out of the window of the cab they were traveling in.

“Awwww…sweetie come here. It’s just a dream, what can possibly happen to you when I am right here with you? I assure you, once we reach there and you check out the resort, the breathtaking beauty of nature, you are gonna forget everything else. For now just don’t think about it.”

Aakriti nodded while resting her head on Somesh’s shoulder and trying to get some sleep. The moment she closed her eyes the same scene flashed inside her thoughts that she had witnessed in her dream that morning, a dark figure, probably a girl, holding a knife which was dripping blood, towering over her, giving a  victorious laughter. She chose not to speak about it to Somesh, who got anxious if she was disturbed. Aakriti wondered if it was a dream or some kind of premonition about any impending danger. Whatever it was, the feeling was strange and she had never felt like this before. She hoped Somesh was right that the trip would take her mind off these weird thoughts, besides with him alongside her she had no reason to worry.

In merely three hours they were at their destination, Paihia, the jewel of the Bay of Islands. Both Aakriti and Somesh were awestruck when they checked in at their resort, which had a royal touch to it. Both of them had already googled and checked out the pictures, but the reality was bigger and better . The view from the balcony of their suite was picturesque; it overlooked the bay, there were tourists lined up along the shore, there were motorboats gushing through the water, there were birds  in the sky, the air smelt fresh, everything was lovely and romantic.

“So do you like it?”

“It’s like a dream!!”

“Am glad you liked it. So do you need some rest or should we start exploring the city?” Somesh asked.

“Before we explore the city don’t you think there’s a lot to be explored in this resort itself? I mean look at the suite, it’s as big as our entire house! The bathroom is bigger than our hall!! Just check out the chandeliers in each room, the paintings, the crockery, the dining set, the furniture, the curtains, the bedsheets. Did you check the size of the bed? It’s huge!! This place feels like Mumbai’s Taj, only more lavish.”

“So you wish to spend the whole day in the room? I think I know what you mean.” Somesh replied with a glint of mischief in his voice.

Aakriti blushed when she interpreted Somesh’s comment. She replied “You naughty fellow!! All I meant was………......leave it. So what’s on our itinerary?”

“Well there’s swim with the dolphins, kayaking, fishing, lying idle  at the beach for starters. Once the business meeting is over we can head for the Haruru falls. In the evening there’s a ferry ride to ‘Romantic Rusell’, the day winds up at the open air restaurant in the resort. That’s the agenda for our simple day, my dear.”

“You call it a simple day?? Well I forgot you have been to similar or even better places as part of your job, so nothing seems so special to you. It’s just me as excited as a two year old would be to visit a chocolate factory.” Aakriti said with a gloomy face.

“Come on. I was kidding!! With you beside me, every small thing multiplies manifold. This resort is undoubtedly the best place I have ever been to in my entire life; but it’s best not because of its architecture or accessories, it’s because am here with you, the woman of my dreams.”

“Aww Somesh, it’s been 10 years!! You still talk like the people talk when they are freshly into a relationship. I think we it’s time we moved on from sweet babble talk to more matured talk, the way our age group indulges in.”

“Ok. Ok. Aakriti aren’t we getting late for the sightseeing with all this wasteful argument. Would you mind hurrying up, please? We have a day to be spent behaving matured, indulging in serious topic discussions and ultimately a boring day. So please freshen up soon.” Somesh said with his face screwed up to feign a grown up look on his face.

Aakriti went mad laughing and said “The older you looks even more funnier than the present you. Oh Somesh, stop it, am sorry I even asked you to behave grown up, just be as you are, stop acting silly. My stomach is hurting with the laughter now.”

“Oh that means I look funny?” Somesh frowned his lips, expressing sadness and turned around to walk away. Just then Aakriti came from behind, hugged him, planted a kiss on his neck and said “I am sorry sweetie. I didn’t mean that way, I was just kidding. I love you and I love this place.”

“I was kidding too sweetheart. I love this place too and believe me we are going to have an amazing and memorable trip.” Somesh said turning around, holding Aakriti in his arms.

 

To be continued. . .