ARVIN drank some water from a small spring, splashing it over his face, trying to wash away some of the tiredness. The search party had stopped to take a break, fatigued but not disenhearted knowing they were on the right trail, having found pieces of her uniform on the lower limbs of trees.

After three more tiring days of trekking in the endless jungle, one of the men from the search party who was always walking ahead came back with a worried look on his face.
“What is it?” Arvin asked, fearful of bad news.
The man held up a ring – her engagement ring.
Arvin took the ring, trying his utmost to stay calm in his mind.
“Where did you find this?” he asked in a low tone.

“Follow me,” the man said, and he led them to the spot where Nate had shot the tiger.
The carcass of the animal was still there with the arrow in its chest.
“She was at this spot,” the man indicated to Arvin, “And someone standing that way shot the tiger and took her away.”
Arvin looked around slowly, trying to deduce where the hunter could have walked and he looked at the ring in his hand, again, saying in his mind, “He couldn’t have gone far with you, I will find you.”

For the three days before Arvin and his search party found the spot where she had dropped her ring, Nate took Amelia on nature tours. It was an experience to treasure, in a place that was a world away from home, the scenic beauty, tranquility, pristine waterways and astounding, exotic flora and fauna.
At nights they sat by the small, soft, crackling bonfire, sharing the intimate, quiet moments of the night.

And the man whose undeniable presence and strong shoulders she knew she could lean on, filled her heart with a unique feeling but she said nothing, for in her past she felt there was a bond. But with whom?
For Nate, his heart had also spoken to him, from the very first moment he had seen her but he also said nothing because he knew her mind was fragile due to her memory loss.
Nate’s father looked at them from the shadows of his hut and raising his head to the Heavens he asked, “What plans do you have, Lord? Will her past take her away from him?”

Arvin’s team was getting ready early on the fourth morning to resume their search when there was an urgent shout from the camp, “Sir!”
Arvin looked up and saw surrounding them, a small group of native hunters, bows and arrows poised with deadly intent. No one had seen or heard them, so soundless was their approach from the foliage of the jungle.
Arvin lifted his two arms slowly to show he was harmless and an arrow, in the blink of an eye, thudded in the earth at his feet. The untrusting native stepped forward a little and asked in halting English,
“Who you be?”

“We are searching for a female pilot whose plane had crashed.” Arvin answered.
The native looked at him for a long moment, then asked again,
“What her name and what she look like?”

Arvin gave a description of Amelia and her name and immediately, the natives lowered their weapons, knowing they had found the search party they were instructed to locate.
“We find her, she with us.” The native said, showing him the crest from Amelia’s uniform.
A deep look of relief crossed Arvin’s face and he laughed a little, looking up at the heavens, “Thank you, dear Lord.”
“Is she okay, how is she doing?” he asked excited as he and his team got set to follow the natives to retrieve her.

“She okay,” the native replied, “But no one allowed in village, only one come get her.”
“Why?” Arvin asked, not pleased, “My team and I have been searching for many days.”
“Only one.” The native insisted.
Arvin’s team was not sure it was a good idea for him to go alone, it was a chance he had to take. “It’s a risk I’ll have to take,” he said, “You stay here and send out a message so the aerial rescue team can be ready to take us out once I got her.”

On arriving at the village, Arvin was taken to a benab where the old English missionary, Samuel, was waiting for him. He was surprised seeing a European there, but before he could say anything, Samuel smiled and said,
“I know, Amelia was surprised too when she saw me.”
“Where is she?” Arvin asked anxiously, “I want to see her.”
“You will,” Samuel answered, “but before you do, there’s something you need to know.”

He recounted to Arvin everything from the time Nate had brought her home, her confused thoughts and fragile mind and loss of memory, careful not to mention her closeness with his son.
“She may not recognise you,” he warned Arvin, “So you’ll have to be patient and understanding if you want to help her.”
“I’ve been searching for her and praying for her since day two when her plane crashed,” he told Samuel, showing him her engagement ring, “She’s my fiancée, she means everything to me.”
Samuel relapsed in a short moment of silence, Arvin’s statement stunning him a little, but he recovered and stood up, “Come, I’ll take you to her.”

Amelia was in her hut, the two little girls with her, rearranging the flowers in the wooden vases, waiting for Nate who had gone to find a rare orchid for her when she heard someone call her name.
“Amelia.”
It was the voice she had been hearing and turning she saw a stranger at the door, not native nor European, tall, with good looks, despite his unshaven face and crumpled clothes. He was smiling at her, tears of happiness and relief in his eyes but she could not recognize him.

“Do I know you?” she asked, looking at him perplexed.
Arvin wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Samuel who nodded his head in consent for him to say something.
“Yes, you do.” He told her, “Only you can’t remember me now. We have been good friends and I’ve been searching for you since the crash.”

“Oh..” she exclaimed softly with relief, “I know a search party would’ve been looking for me.”
She was looking even more beautiful than he had known her, so different dressed as a native, he could hardly believe she was standing there in front of him.
“Once you’re with family and friends,” he told her, “It will help you to regain your memory.”
The colour faded a little from her cheeks, realizing he was here to take her back and she looked at Samuel, a glint of worry in her eyes, her voice quivering a little,

“Do I have to leave?”
Before Samuel could answer, Nate returned with the rare orchid, not noticing Arvin and giving her the flower, he said, “As beautiful as you.”
She did not smile or express amazement, and he noticed the worried look.
“What is wrong?” he asked and following her gaze, he saw Arvin.

The two men stared at each other for a long moment, a tense silence filling the hut, broken by Nate asking his father,
“Who is this, father?”
“He’s from the search party looking for Amelia.”
“And…?” his question continued.

To be continued…