"What are you doing here?" Mahima glared at Lakshya as she stepped away from him. She was taken aback by his audacity to show up right before her after all that he had done "wasn't ruining my life enough or is there more left to do?" she accused him
"That's not it, Look I'm sorry about what happened but if you'd just let me explain then I can-" Lakshya was cut off by her "Save it, I'm least interested in knowing what you've got to say, if you're really sorry then please leave and never show up before me" an infuriated Mahima then stormed off and headed back inside.
During the dining hour Mahima hung out with the staff in the verandah where they had their meals along with the children, while Lakshya who felt pretty left out in far off corner was approached by one of the orphans, a boy who seemed to sympathize with Lakshya's lack of company at that moment.
"Do you know that Didi over there? Why is she angry with you?" the boy wondered as he looked at Lakshya
"It's because of a mistake I made" Lakshya gave the boy a weak smile as he answered
"Must have been a pretty big mistake" the boy guessed
"it was, but why are you alone out here alone? Shouldn't you be having dinner with the rest of the kids here?" Lakshya pointed
"They don't like me" the boy admitted as he looked down seeming pretty sad.
Mahima and the rest of the staff then looked at him seeming pretty surprised, the staff members began to whisper to each other while Mahima ignored him and stood up from her seat and walked away to the mess area to deposit her empty plate in a section from where the plates would get collected by those in charge of the dishwashing.
As she placed her plate in a large plastic basket placed on the counter, she then moved to the sink and washed her hands. Once she was done, she turned around and was startled by Lakshya who stood right behind her, she immediately stepped aside allowing him to use the sink and then walked away only to be called out by Lakshya, "Mahima wait!", however she ignored him and continued to walk away heading towards the staff quarters until she felt a jerk as her right hand was held back by Lakshya in a bid to make her stop. Mahima then turned around and broke away from his grip.
"What the hell is your problem? Why are you following me?" Mahima yelled at him
"Please calm down and listen to what I've got to say" Lakshya tried to pacify her
"Okay go on, I'm listening" Mahima told him
"You can't stay here, in fact you have to leave this place right away" Lakshya urged her "I'm here to take you back to the city"
"take me back? what gives you the right to that? and who are you to dictate where I get to stay and don't?" Mahima shot back at him
"I didn't mean it that way, what I meant was it's not safe here" Lakshya explained
"You're not the one to decide that and moreover why do you even care?" Mahima told him off
"It's because I feel awful about what happened and wish to make up for it, you really can't stay here" Lakshya tried to convince her
"Back off, you've already done enough and frankly I'm in no mood for more. If you really wish to make up for what you did then please just disappear" she scorned as she turned away and headed towards her room as Lakshya watched her in despair.
"You think this orphanage is unsafe?" the matron who was right behind startled Lakshya.
She happened to hear their conversation and was pretty much offended with his claims "Please don't misunderstand, this place is great but it's just that..." Lakshya trailed
"If you want your wife back then you could just say so, I get that you're worried about her but calling this place unsafe was uncalled for" the matron expressed her displeasure
"I'm sorry if it came across that way, that was not what I meant. I can't really explain it but she really needs to get back home" Lakshya told her
"I'll speak to her over this but I can't promise anything" the matron told him
"Thanks" Lakshya was a bit hopeful that the matron may convince Mahima and that she'd reconsider his request.
Three days ago when Lakshya was unable to track her down inspite of having approached the cab driver who was responsible of dropping her off to her destination.
Bereft of any further options he then approached Adish and requested his help in tracing Mahima.
When confronted over the same by the latter, Lakshya explained that he felt indebted and guilty towards her at the same time hoping Adish would buy it and help him out and to his great luck Adish agreed to it.
He requested Lakshya for anything that belonged to Mahima who then handed over her nuptial chain to Adish.
"How and why do you have this?" Adish questioned Lakshya
"I just found it" Lakshya answered
"Okay" Adish then began to use his psychic abilities to trace Mahima's location through which he saw the orphanage in his vision which were followed by flashing images of Mahima being injured yet seemingly lifeless at the same suggesting she was in danger.
Upon learning this Lakshya panicked and immediately left to get her back.
........................................................................................................................................................
At Singh's Residence
Shipra was quite upset with Lakshya's sudden departure in the middle of the night who left under the guise of some work.
For some reason she was not convinced by the reason he stated and felt uneasy about the same.
She then picked up the cordless phone and dialed up his secretary who then informed him that Lakshya had cancelled all his prior appointments to head off to Manasgadh.
Shipra was alarmed at the mention of Manasgadh and immediately informed Chandrika about the same who panicked right away, "Why did he have to go there all of a sudden? And why did you allow him to leave at all?" Chandrika snapped at Shipra
"I found out just now" Shipra explained
"We'll have to get him back right away" Chandrika decided
"I'll inform the driver" Shipra then headed outside as Abhay observed the commotion from a distance.
He then walked down the staircase and entered Adish's room.
Adish who was meditating inside was interrupted by Abhay's sudden appearance.
"You were discussing something with Lakshya yesterday weren't you?" Abhay questioned him however Adish didn't react much nor did he respond to the same leaving Abhay confused.
"Why aren't you answering?"
Adish sighed, "I am not supposed to tell you or anyone about this, why don't you ask him directly?"
"As if he'd tell me or anyone" Abhay pointed
"Then I can't help you" Adish told him
"Even if my brother lands into some sort of trouble would you still remain silent or would you take the responsibility for it?" Abhay urged him
"Please tell me what's going on?" Abhay requested
Right at that moment Ashlesha slithered her way towards the window sill and remained there as she began to eavesdrop on their conversation
Adish who contemplated for a while finally spilled the beans and revealed that Lakshya left because of Mahima.
"Why her?" Abhay questioned him further
"It's because I had a vision which suggested that she was in danger and he wanted to make it up to her for happened on her wedding day" Adish explained
"Make it up to her?" Abhay was confused
"Her wedding got called off as the groom couldn't make it since we took him down that day and are currently holding him captive" Adish explain
"Oh right, I forgot"
Ashlesha who took note about Adish's vision immediately slithered down and away from his window and assumed her human identity.
"Vikram is being held captive and Mahima is in danger, I need to inform everyone about this" Ashlesha told herself.
........................................................................................................................................................
The matron was walking through the main office hallway and headed towards the staff quarters where Mahima resided during her stay there. Once outside her room she knocked once, when there was no response she knocked twice and this time she called out to her. Worried that something was wrong she pulled out the keys that hung to her sari around the waist and opened the door. When she got inside there was no one there much to her surprise.
The matron then stepped out and walked back to her office at a brisk pace where she found Lakshya waiting for her.
"Were you able to convince her?" He asked
"She needs to be around for me to be able to do that" the matron replied
"What do you mean?" Lakshya asked as he felt uneasy
"She's not in her room" the matron revealed
"Have you checked the rest of the premises?" he asked her
"There's no point, because I know she isn't here. She's done this before as well" the matron told him
"Before? What do you mean?" Lakshya wondered what the matron meant to which she revealed, "When she was a child she sneaked out of this place in the middle of the night, she does this whenever she's upset about something. I know this because we'd look for her throughout the premises but she'd never be found until the next morning"
"When she was a child? You mean she used to live here even before?" Lakshya seemed pretty surprised to learn that to which the matron nodded, "I guess you were unaware, she was an orphan under our care until she was adopted years ago"
Lakshya now seemed to realise and understand how his blunder complicated the relationship between Mahima and her foster father as he felt a pang of guilt over it. He was not willing to sit back though and wait for her to return especially after what Adish told him, "I'll go look for her then"
"I won't recommend it though" the matron tried to dissuade him
"I don't really care" with that Lakshya headed outside and exited the premises.
..........................................................................................................................................................
The moon illuminated the night sky along with the dense forest beneath it as Mahima treaded through it as she cautiously kept going ahead. The howling sound of the wolves startled her for a moment as she feared that they could be nearby and stopped in her tracks for a while until it stopped.
As she carefully stepped forward, she heard the sound of a few twigs snap behind her and looked back right away wondering if she were being followed but to her relief there was no one around and then continued going ahead until she saw a temple right before her.
It was the Shiv temple that she usually visited that was situated between Manasgadh and Shivnagar, the very same place where she was compelled to marry against her will. As she climbed up the stairs Mahima felt herself getting overwhelmed by grief as she recalled the entire event. Once she made it inside and stood before the Lord's idol Mahima began to rant, "It's fine that I couldn't get my powers back, I would have figured a way around it eventually to exact my revenge and get the justice we've been denied since years, but what happened that night was totally unfair and wrong on many levels yet you've allowed it to happen? Why?"
She then questioned him over why she is made to face a reality she is trying very hard to avoid and forget given it has put her in a difficult yet dillemmatic position when it comes to executing her plan and prayed to find a way out of it.
"Please help me.... I know Vikram is still alive and in deep trouble of some kind. I feel very helpless at the moment given I can't even help him out besides praying that you help keep him safe and help him return soon. If there is a way to find him then please lead me to him"
"I can help you find him" a man's voice from outside the temple claimed
Startled by the same Mahima turned around and walked ahead, she stopped as she saw a man standing a little further away from the temple stairs.
He wore a dark long robe and appeared to be quite old judging by his long grey hair.
"Who are you and what do you mean by you can help me?" Mahima asked the man
"Come down and I'll explain it you" he told her, Mahima found him suspicious and wondered why he didn't just enter temple instead.
"Don't you want to know?" the man looked at her as he tried to read into her hesitancy "I can also help you get your powers back" the man claimed
Mahima then narrowed her eyes as she climbed down the stairs to approach him, "What are you talking about she asked him?"
"You know what I'm talking about, I know exactly who you are" the man told her
"And why would you help me?" Mahima questioned him
"I need your help with a little something" the man told her
"What is it?" she asked him, when he revealed his intentions she was apalled by the same and refused him right away following which she walked off from there, however the man didn't seem like he was going to give up.
................................................................................................................................................................
Ashlesha who had assumed her serpent avatar slithered her way through the forest and headed towards the shiv temple before reverting back to her human self as she got inside.
She was surprised to find Naagraj Bhujang present there right next to Kailash the temple priest.
"What brings you here Naagraj Bhujang?" Ashlesha questioned him
"I am here to discuss and inform that my clan will be going to raid that healer's residence right away and need your support regarding the same" the Naagraj told her
"I see..... As much as I'd like to help you out I am a little tied with our own problems at the moment" Ashlesha politely refused him
"I beg your pardon?" the Naagraj was taken back by her blunt refusal
"What do you mean by your tied down by our own problems?" Mr. Kailash asked Ashlesha who then revealed about Mahima being in danger and that she was her only priority at the moment.
"And how are you so sure about that?" the naagraj questioned her
"through eavesdropping on Adish's conversation. I came here so that I could meditate upon keeping her safe" Ashlesha answered.
"And you believed it to be true?" Naagraj expressed his skepticism
"I don't have a reason for not doing so, isn't that also the reason why you need my assistance in the first place?" Ashlesha argued
"We need to get Vikram out as well, not doing so could jeapordize your revenge. He is held in captivity right now and that leaves you'll equally vulnerable given he isn't an ordinary healer. Which is why I appeal that you help us out first, the princess would want the same as well" the naagraj countered.
"The Naagraj has made a valid point Ashlesha, allowing Vikram to remain as their captive any longer could give out the entire plot and even risk exposing your own identity in that house" the priest supported the Naagraj "Get this done first and then focus on Mahima"
"But what if we end up losing her in the process?" Ashlesha raised her concern
"We won't! I trust the Lord would ensure her safety and request that you do the same" the priest urged her
"Alright, but they better be quick" Ashlesha agreed
................................................................................................................................................................
Mahima was on her way back to the orphanage as she walked through the forest. All seemed to be okay until she was ambushed by a group of mongoose who were hissing at her. She took a step back as the mongoose prepared to attack her. As one of them were about to pounce on her it got struck by a rock that was thrown at it from behind followed by more of it being thrown at the rest of them causing the group to step away for a while as Mahima was dragged away from the spot by the wrist. To her surprise it was Lakshya who arrived to her rescue, as they were being chased by the mongoose, Mahima questioned him "What are you doing here?"
"I'd like to ask you the same thing but let's loose them first" he told her
They kept running until they reached the old abandoned mansion. In a bid to avoid the mongoose they entered the premises and headed straight towards the entrance where they waited for a while.
Lakshya then asked her once again over why she was out in the forest in the middle of the night "I don't really feel like I have to answer you, moreover why do you even care?" Mahima brushed him off
"Because I'm the one that drove you to this point. I know you won't believe me but I do feel guilty about what happened and wish to make it up to you" Lakshya told her
"If you really wish to make it up then just let me be and leave right away" Mahima gave him a blunt response
"I would have done that if your life weren't at risk here, which is why i urge that you get back to the city right away" Lakshya pleaded
"And why should I believe you?" Mahima asked him
"because you've got nothing to lose moreover your father worried sick about you as well, if not for me then the least you can do is return for his sake right?" Lakshya pointed
Mahima didn't react or respond however she did consider giving it a thought.
As the night passed they stayed there for a while during which Mahima heard a voice whisper to her "Come inside and set me free"
"Did you say something?" She asked Lakshya to which he shook his head making her wonder if she were imagining it.
As the day broke and the sun was rising, Lakshya decided that it was safe to get back to the orphanage to which Mahima agreed following which they exited the mansion premises.
When they got back to the orphanage the matron scolded Mahima for leaving out of the blue in the middle of the night and requested her to not repeat the same to which Mahima agreed.
................................................................................................................................................................
It was around evening when Shipra and Chandrika were at the threshold of Manasgadh village along with their driver who stopped the car and gestured at one of the local to approach them, it was a thin but young boy who walked towards the driver's window.
"Can you tell us where we'd find the kutumb orphanage?" the driver asked, the boy then gave him the directions following which the driver thanked him and drove off as Shipra anxiously waited to get there.
................................................................................................................................................................
Mahima was done decorating the main dining hall following which she confirmed with the cook regarding the menu for the next day. She then entered the kitchen and took out the cake that was being steam baked from the vessel that was placed on the stove. Mahima then cut of the top most layer with a cake knife before with cutting the same into three layers and decorating it with the butter cream she had prepared the previous day and some edible sprinkles on the border before writing 'Happy Birthday Monu' in the middle with the help of a cream-filled cone.
Monu was an orphan boy who was turning 6 and being the youngest amongst them all he was showered with most of the adulation and attention besides being the most mischievous of the lot. Once Mahima was done with the cake she placed it in the refrigerator and then stepped out of the kitchen and headed towards the ground where the children were playing along with Lakshya. Mahima frowned at the sight before her in disbelief and turned around to avoid him heading towards the staff quarters as Lakshya noticed her do so before getting startled by the honking sound of a car that was at the other side of the main gate. One of the security guards opened it allowing the vehicle to enter the premises.
Lakshya was surprised to see his mother and grandmother step out of the vehicle given he didn't expect that they'd actually come after him or doubt his intentions.
"Mom and Dadi, what are you'll doing here?" He asked them
"You told us that you were leaving due to work, what kind of work or business do you have here that you had to cancel all your prior appointments and rush to this village orphanage and why is it that your secretary is unaware about the same?" Shipra questioned him in return
"I don't know what's going on but whatever it is just forget it and let's leave right away" Chandrika insisted
Lakshya knew he had to come up with a reason and excuse if he wanted to stay till he could convince Mahima to return to the city with him, "Dadi relax! Everything's fine and I'm here because of a CSR related work. I came here to assess this place as I am planning to provide financial aid via the trust dad and I started a year ago" Lakshya lied
"Were you? And how did you learn about this place?" Shipra asked him
"I was the one who reached out to him a few days back, we needed financers and had been contacting all the potential ones that could be willing and interested and to our good luck your son showed up agreeing to help us" the matron corroborated his story.
Shipra then turned to her son and questioned him over why he didn't tell then about it much earlier, to which he replied, "I knew about your reservations with this village so and felt that you would have tried to dissuade me from coming here which is why I didn't tell you to keep you from worrying"
"If you're done with your work, can we leave?" Chandrika asked him once again
"I am not done yet" He responded
The matron who could see the tension between them suggested that they come inside and stay over in the guest room for the night, "Besides it isn't safe out there in the night"
"We're aware" Chandrika replied to her in a stern cold demeanor as they headed inside.
Once it was time for dinner everyone gathered in the dining area where the food was being served. Lakshya, Shipra and Chandrika were served inside the dining hall, as Shipra was having her meal she noticed Mahima outside in the verandah along with the children and staff members who were having their food there and immediately questioned him regarding her presence there, "what is she doing here?"
"She is volunteering her for a while" He told
"Of all the places she decided to come here and it's really funny that you too happened visit this place at the same time?" Shipra raised her eyebrow along with Chandrika who began to grow suspicious
"She used to live here in this place and me showing up is just a coincidence, I had no idea that we'd run into each other here" He tried to convince them
"I hope that really is the case and you didn't come chasing after her instead" Shipra commented causing Lakshya to cough as he almost choked when he heard that prompting Chandrika to pat him on the back and fed him some water, on feeling better he asked "What makes you say so?"
"Isn't that why you were unwilling to reconsider not calling off your wedding, I didn't realise it until now when I saw here but you seemed to care about and paid her quite a lot of attention during the pre-wedding rituals. At first I thought you were just being considerate out of gratitude or driven by your own paranoia but now I wonder if it's because you actually like her" Shipra answered
"No it isn't like that at all, I called off the wedding because I really didn't want it given what had happened not because I like her. As far as paying attention, I had too given she was about to marry that snake so yes I had my doubts which needed to be clarified" He explained and reminded his mother
"And were they put to rest?" She asked him
"Yes they were, she has no clue about who Vikram really is? In fact she is still waiting for him hoping he'd return" Lakshya told her
"But how is it possible that she couldn't have known at all?" Shipra seemed puzzled
"It's possible, these serpents at times approach and bewitch humans by keeping their identities hidden for reasons best known to themselves, must be the same with her" Chandrika told her as she recalled what happened to her son years ago.
"In any case I want you to stay away from her hereon, if she could attract a serpent then it's likely that she would attract trouble for you as well" Shipra told her son
"Mom I think you're overreacting" Lakshya countered
"Let's suppose I am, but it's not like I'm wrong either now am I? I know she saved your life once and that got my guard down earlier too, but post what happened to Abhay all thanks to her fiance we can't let our guard down again" Shipra expressed her concern
"You're being unreasonable now, she's also a victim here you know that right? Why are you treating her like a criminal?" Lakshya asked as he grew annoyed.
"I'm just being cautious. Judging by how you're reacting it seems like you do indeed like her. If that is the case I'd suggest you end it right away" Shipra demanded
"First of all you are wrong and second you can't have it your way all the time. I'm not a child anymore and can think for myself" with that Lakshya just got up from his seat and left his food on the table out of frustration.
"You didn't have to push him that way, atleast not until he was done with his meal" Chandrika rebuked Shipra who felt guilty over the same.
........................................................................................................................................................
Five men seemed to wait outside Adish's residence where they observed each and every movement of his assistant who was delegated the responsibility of managing the work there along with managing the domestic staff.
Once she was done the assistant stepped out of the house and locked the main door. The domestic staff had left much earlier as usual leaving no one to attend the premises. When the assistant left the men transformed into serpents and slithered right towards his house however they found themselves getting blocked by an invisible barrier of some sort.
One of the serpents then contacted the Naagraj via telepathy, "We can't get inside due to a barrier put in place by that healer"
The Naagraj then asked Ashlesha to assist them in getting through the barrier who then sat on the floor in a meditative pose and closed her eyes as she focused on the serpent men outside Adish's residence to provide them with a shroud masking their supernatural identities to trick the barrier into letting them inside.
"Ask your men to try again" Ashlesha told the Naagraj who complied following which the serpents managed to get through the barrier and enter inside Adish's house.
They ransacked the entire place to look for clues regarding Vikram's whereabouts while at the same time going through his belongings where they found a picture of him along with an old man who seemed familiar to them.
They kept going through the house and then finally came across the room where Vikram was locked into, one of them tried to break in but was not successful in doing so as the door was sealed with a spell.
"There's a room here that's been sealed shut using a spell" the serpent informed the naagraj who then suspected that his son could have been locked inside and immediately asked Ashlesha to help his men bypass the same. However for some reason Ashlesha feared that doing so could alert Adish and risk getting their plan exposed which could further lead to him shifting Vikram elsewhere.
However the Naagraj insisted that she undoes the spell and help his men get inside the sealed room. As Ashlesha was about to comply she felt pretty uneasy for a reason she couldn't explain as if she knew that her abilities were needed elsewhere more specifically for Mahima and wondered if she were doing okay before she proceeded to undo the spell placed on the locked room.
........................................................................................................................................................
Once everyone was done with dinner the staff members including Mahima began to usher all the children back to the dormitory. However while doing so they realised Monu wasn't anywhere around to be found and began to look for him all across and around the premises.
"This is strange, we've looked everywhere but still haven't been able to find him" the matron grew worried
"Don't worry, I'm sure he must be hiding somewhere around. Let's check with the rest of the children perhaps they may know where he is" Mahima suggested
They then entered the orphan's dorm and questioned if they knew or know where Monu could be found however most of them seemed to be clueless.
"When was the last time you'll saw him?" Mahima asked them all to which one child revealed that he was spotted near the gate in the evening which was accidentally left open for a while to allow the unexpected visitors inside.
The commotion drew Shipra and Chandrika's attention as well who were in the guest room then asked the peon serving them regarding what was going on, the peon then revealed about the missing child and seemed extremely worried about the same, "tomorrow is his birthday and he is missing just before that" the peon was disheartened as he mentioned it.
"Oh my! I hope the child is okay, but how could he just disappear right under your care, this just shows that how careless the administration here happens to be, do you really want to fund this place even after what happened?" Shipra questioned her son
"Mom I don't wanna discuss this right now" he told her and then turned to the peon "has this happened before?" the peon remained silent and didn't answer confirming thereby confirming his doubts and then immediately stepped out of the room from where he headed to the main office to discuss the same with the matron.
"Is it true that kids have been going missing from this place lately?" he questioned her
the matron took a deep breath before answering, "yes it is, however it's been happening all throughout the village not just with us alone"
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he asked her
"I didn't want to burden you with it plus you're our guest" the matron explained
"Where is Mahima?" he asked the matron
"She is looking for Monu along with the rest of the staff members outside" the matron told him following which he stepped out of her office and walked out till he exited the orphanage premises to go and join the search party outside who were calling out to Monu hoping he'd hear them and show up. As he approached them he noticed that Mahima wasn't there as he expected her to be and asked the group regarding the same, "she was here just a few moments back" one of the staff members told him
"THEN WHERE IS SHE NOW?" He cried out as he questioned them but neither of them knew driving his anxiety up.
"Perhaps she's ventured out into the forest to go and look for him all by herself" one of the staff members raised the possibility, "then what are we waiting for here? let's go look for them" he suggested however they seemed pretty reluctant in doing so much to his disappointment prompting him to leave and look for them by himself.
"I think you shouldn't go out there by yourself, it isn't safe" one of the staff members warned them
"Well it's not like I have a choice now given you'll aren't willing to help out" Lakshya complained before venturing out into the forest by himself.
Deep in the forest Mahima kept walking ahead as she followed the nightjar that appeared to be leading her on to an unfamiliar territory. A while ago before entering the forest she had recalled the man who approached her outside the temple and suspected that it must have been his doing which was then confirmed by the tiny nocturnal bird which had been a witness of Monu's abduction.
The nightjar finally stopped and perched on the nearby tree's branch, "What happened?" Mahima asked it
"This is as far as I can get, you'll find that tantrik's hide out right ahead if you walk a little further" the bird told her
"Okay, thanks for your help" following which she continued to walk ahead as advised until she saw a den that appeared to be lit from the inside suggesting he was inside and up to no good.
As she approached the cave without thinking much she saw Monu laying unconsious on the floor right next to a fire pit that was laid down by the tantrik right infront of some deity's idol along with some other items that seemed to be meant for a ritual of some kind, however her eyes grew wide when she saw a dagger right next to him. If her suspicions were to be true then the tantrik intended to sacrifice the child right next to him which was something she couldn't allow, atleast not when she is around. She quickly looked around and collected some large rocks.
The tantrik then picked up the dagger and raised it above his head, he then closed his eyes and began to chant something silently. As he opened his eyes he then held the dagger with the blade facing downwards in a vertical position using both his hands and then stood up and walked up close to Monu before sitting down next to him in a kneeling position. As he was about to stab Monu he was struck by a heavy rock which was flung at him by Mahima who stood right at the entrance of the cave. Catching him off-guard she continued to fling the rocks at him until he stood up and prepared to flee from the scene.
In the meanwhile, Lakshya who found himself wandering in the forest called out their names, i.e. Monu and Mahima hoping they'd hear him out and approach him. As he kept walking he noticed something move from the bushes ahead. Taking a step back and getting his guard up he tried to figure who could have been behind it, at first he assumed it may have been some small animal until he noticed a small human head peeking out from the top, "Monu is that you? Please come out. If you're worried about getting scolded then please don't"
The person then emerged from the bushes, to Lakshya's surprise it was the same boy that had given him company during the dinner time the other day, "What are you doing here at this hour? Did you also come out here to play along with Monu?" he asked the boy who then gave him a silent nod
"Do you know where they are? Have you seen Didi as well? If yes can you tell me where are they now?" Lakshya requested him
"Follow me" the boy told him as he began to walk ahead with Lakshya going after him.
................................................................................................................................................................
Back in the orphanage guestroom Shipra and Chandrika grew concerned over the fact that Lakshya hadn't returned back as of yet. They both stepped out of the room and headed outside where they ran into the matron.
"Where is my Son?" Shipra asked her
"He left to go and look for Monu" the matron replied
"But your staff members seemed to have returned, then are you saying he is out there by himself?" Shipra began to hyperventilate
"Yes" the matron answered
"And you'll allowed him?" Chandrika asked out of annoyance
"It wasn't like he was going to stop if we asked him to do so" the matron told them politely
"What about that girl Mahima?" Shipra asked to which one of the staff members who was walking by and happened to hear their conversation revealed that she went missing during the search and suspected that the latter may have ventured into the forest to go look for the missing child.
"we had warned him from venturing out by himself alone but he didn't listen and just left. I guess he must have been worried about Mahima and Monu way more to not really care about his own safety" the staff member told them
"I don't believe this, why did he have to go out and look for her at this hour that even alone without informing us. He's been behaving out of character lately if you'd ask me" Shipra remarked to which Chandrika agreed, "yes I have noticed it too"
"We can't stay back and wait here, I'm heading out to look for him as well" Shipra decided however the matron advised against it and told her to wait till the next morning.
"And what if something were to happen to my son during this time?" Shipra questioned the matron
"Even then we can't risk you'll going out by yourselves, just wait till I we get ready to go out into the forest along with our staff members" the matron told them to pacify them.
...............................................................................................................................................................
Ashlesha who was in a meditative state back in the temple felt pretty uneasy as she helped Naagraj Bhujang's men enter the room where Vikram was being held captive. The men tried to approach Vikram but were repelled by some invisible force leaving their efforts go in vain as they prepared to retreat and leave.
"I hope Mahima is doing okay" Ashlesha tried to convince herself but couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that took over her at that moment as if she could tell something was wrong.
............................................................................................................................................................
Mahima quickly approached the unconscious Monu and tried to wake him up however her efforts seemed to be futile as a result of which she then lifted him and made him rest on her back allowing her to carry him in that manner using her stole to keep him place. As she managed to get up she felt a sharp blow to her head. It was the Tantrik who used a wooden stick to strike her head from the back. However unlike he had expected it wasn't good enough to knock her out completely as she the turned around and tried to snatch the stick from him single handedly using her full force as her other hand was busy holding on to Monu who rested on her back. Once she managed to get a hold of the stick the tantrik unexpectedly front kicked her causing her to lose her balance and fall on to the ground in the process of which she dropped the wooden stick which was something she had intended to use to defend herself in that situation.
As she tried to get up the tantrik approached her with his left hand folded behind, "I never thought you'd be a nuisance. Had you just accepted my offer and agreed to help me out you would have just gotten what you'd wanted"
Mahima then got up and told him, "Accept your vile offer? I would never allow you to kill an innocent life, I'd rather die instead"
"Allow me? Who are you to allow me? You don't even have your powers and yet you're challenging me? You'd rather die instead right? So be it!" The tantrik then in a swift manner stabbed her in the stomach with the dagger which he hid behind him using his left hand multiple times till she dropped down facing the ground and bled profusely.
"I just needed to make one sacrifice but I guess I got two, what more could I ask for" the tantrik laughed as then cut off her stole that tied Monu to her and carried him back to the alter as Mahima watched them both helplessly. Tears rolled down her to the side of her face that touched the ground as she realised that she was close to her end and was overcome by regret that she failed in both saving Monu and getting her revenge before finally passing out.
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To be continued..
A widow, Gauri met her long lost friend Omkara in a family function, who still ...
Life Journey of two people poles apart in career, status and style. One is the ...
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Comments (3)
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Bloodmoon @Bloodmoon
+ 2
2 years ago
I'm fine. And you? What's TT?
Bloodmoon @Bloodmoon
+ 2
2 years ago
Well that's an intriguing end .will wait for the next part. Thanks for the update ❤️