“Congratulations, you have got a beautiful baby girl”. The nurse smiled as she greeted the anxiously waiting Mr. Verma.

“Wow, thank God, can I meet my wife now?” he exclaimed.

“Yes, you can. Your wife and daughter are waiting for you.” She opened the door of the operation theatre and signaled him to go inside.

His wife smiled as she saw him enter the room.

“Thank you so much honey. You have given me the most wonderful gift of my life” he was almost in tears and clutched her hand.

“I am so happy to fulfill your wish dear. So you have got your aakanksha now.” She said smilingly.

That was sixteen years back and now Aakanksha was a very beautiful and intelligent girl in her adolescence. She was studying in 11^th standard of a very reputed school in Delhi and had set her ambitions on becoming a pilot with the Indian Air Force. She dreamed about flying her own planes and she was a high flyer in all aspects of her life. She top scored in all her school exams and infact she had topped the state rankings in the matriculation examinations. She was the basketball team captain for her school and she played badminton too. She loved quizzes and had won many quizzing contests. In short, she was a gifted girl.

“Hey Aakanksha, we are all planning a trip to Corbett next week. You have to come with us.” Aakanksha’s friend rashmi said to her while they were having lunch at school canteen.

“Next week. Oh no, the exams are coming up and I think this is not the right time to go for trips or anything. I am sorry but I would not come” Aakanksha replied.

Oh come on, do not behave like a grandma. Exams are still two months away. You have got to come. All the classmates are going there including Arjun.” Rashmi said.

Arjun was the captain of school cricket team and a handsome boy whom almost all the girls including Aakanksha fancied as their dream boyfriend.

“Ok, if you insist, I will think about it.” Aakanksha said, blushing a little.

The entire group was in a jolly mood and they were singing as loudly as they could to disturb the peaceful stillness of the night surrounding their camp which was located at the edge of the jungle.

Arjun was lying exactly opposite Aakanksha and he was constantly staring at her. She at first felt uncomfortable at it but in her heart she enjoyed it because she also fancied him and the thought that among the ten girls present in the camp, she was the one getting his attention made her feel good.

Then Jatin stood up and spoke to the group.

“Guys, we have organized a night safari into the Corbett and all of us will be leaving for the interiors of the jungle at 10 pm accompanied by some forest officials.”

Everyone exclaimed in joy. The idea of going for a night safari cheered all of them and there were frenzied talks about seeing a tiger hunting his prey or things like that. At 9 everyone headed for their tents to change and get ready for the night safari. Aakanksha was walking towards her tent, suddenly she tumbled over something and fell down with a thud. Her knee was badly bruised and her armes also had some bruises. She tried to get up but could not as her knee did not support her. Suddenly, she saw an outstretched hand and she grasped it. She realized that it was Arjun as she staggered back onto her feet.

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

“I think so.” She blushed and tried to walk limping very badly and was about to fall again when Arjun held her in his arms.

“Come let me help you get to your tent and get your knee bandaged.” He said and he put one arm around her shoulders to support her walk.

They reached her tent and then he bandaged her knee carefully and very expertly. She felt as if he constantly stared at her as he was bandaging her knee and sensed a look of admiration in his eyes. Despite her pain, she felt happy.

Rashmi and other girls came rushing to Aakanksha’s tent as they heard about her injury.

“Should we stay here with you because you would not be able to go to the jungle in this condition?” Rashmi asked sounding disappointed at the prospect of Aakanksha saying yes.

“No, I am fine. I am sorry that I can not walk and I will miss the fun. You do not need to worry at all and I have my cell phone. If I really felt like I need something, I will call you” Aakanksha said.

“Well, you should know dear that cell phones do not work in this jungle. However, we will miss you too. Take rest and be ready for it tomorrow.” Rashmi said as she and the other girls left.

Soon everyone left and Aakanksha saw them go away towards the interiors of the jungle. She felt very sad and lonely and then she looked at the bandage tied around her knee and thought about Arjun. A smile flashed across her face and she lovingly touched it.

“Missing me princess.” Arjun’s voice shocked Aakanksha out of her thoughts.

“Hey, nothing like that. By the way, why are you here? I think everyone has gone to the safari.” Aakanksha said feeling happy to see him and she blushed.

“Well, I told them that I have to go to Nainital for some work urgently and now I have come back to make sure that the princess here does not feel lonely or bored at all.” He said as he held her hands.

“Oh, that is so nice of you but why did you spoil your fun for me?” she said.

“Who said we are not going to have fun? Come, we are going to enjoy even more than them.” He helped her stand on her feet.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked sounding excited.

“To a real forest safari” he replied.

He helped her hop onto his SUV, and drove in the direction opposite to where her classmates had gone. He was the son of an affluent politician in Delhi and his life was luxurious. Aakanksha felt happy sitting in his SUV because this ride was something, her classmates desperately wanted.

Arjun cracked a lot of jokes and made her laugh all the way. After 15 minutes of drive, the vehicle stopped in front of a small but very beautiful cottage which was well inside the forest, but outside the periphery of the CorbettNational Park where their classmates had gone.

“This is one of the summer homes, that my father owns all over India. Its very comfortable and the best place to enjoy during a night out in the jungles.” Arjun said as he helped her get down from the vehicle and took her inside the cottage. It was warm and quite well furnished. She admired the cottage and asked him about the servants who maintained it.

“Oh, I have given them a leave for tonight because I wanted the two of us to be alone and happy.” He said as he helped her sit down on the couch.

“Arjun, I don’t think its such a good idea. Let’s get back to the camp and chat there itself. I thought that you were taking me for a ride inside the forest.” Aakanksha said as she felt unsafe suddenly.

“Oh Aakanksha, don’t be scared. We could not have enjoyed there the way we will enjoy here” he said menacingly as he jumped onto her suddenly.

“I really love you Aakanksha. You are very tempting and I just love your figure.” He whispered as he tried to pin her down.

“No, Arjun, no don’t do this. I am not ready for all this.” She screamed as she fought to push him away. She was an athletic girl and was able to succeed after kicking Arjun in his lower abdomen.

“Hey, you cant get away from me like that” he shouted as he felt the terrible pain.

“Arjun, you are really cheap, I did not expect this from you. I am going to tell the entire group about your cheap actions.” She limped across the cottage and staggered out of the front door.

“You cant do that. You will pay for what you are saying” Arjun shouted as he ran for the drawers near the window. He took out his father’s revolver equipped with a silencer and which was kept there in a loaded state. He made up his mind very quickly and ran out after her.

He got hold of her about a hundred meters further inside the forest from the cottage and pushed her down to the ground. He was mad with fury and her feeble protests and resistance could not defeat the beast in him this time around. After half an hour, he stood up and kicked an inconsolably weeping Aakanksha and after saying a few abuses to her, he emptied the gun into her.

In a court case that lingered on for about 12 years, it was proved that Arjun had gone to meet a lawyer in Nainital regarding some land transactions which needed urgent attention. Rashmi and her friends deposed that Aakanksha used to make passes at most of the boys in the class but no one liked her. They further stated that Aakanksha refused to go on the safari with them and they saw her walk away with a tall man just before they left for the safari. The court cleared Arjun of all the charges and ordered police to find out about the true killer of Aakanksha. Her parents were shattered as all their dreams were shattered and the only reason of joy in their lives was gone. They were deeply hurt by people taunting them and the character assassination of Aakanksha that took place in the newsreports later on. They silently prayed to God to give her soul peace as only they believed that their daughter could not have done all those cheap things she was accused of.

Footnote: This is only a fiction story and any resemblance to anyone is not intended. However, the purpose is to make the readers aware of the things that actually happen on a daily basis in this world.