||The Devil's Keep|| Updating ... - Page 32

Chapter 8

Manyata got up from the bed, covering Maan with the comforter. She went

down the stairs, made herself a cup of coffee and sat down in the balcony;

trying to enjoy the breeze.

"Can I join you?" Rohan asked as he settled himself beside her. He tried to

get straight to the point and not beat around the bush.

"Um ... Manny, are you troubled ... I mean about something?"

"No, why do you ask?" She murmured.

Rohan sighed for he had known that it won't be easy for him to make her

confess. Maybe it was better to play along.

"I just thought that you looked troubled, kind of stressed out?" He asked for

her benefit.

"I have a favor to ask you. Could you drop Maan to school tomorrow? I

have some work to wind up." She said dismissing the topic.

"Sure" Rohan replied as she bid him goodnight.

I will get to the bottom of this, Manny. I promise.

Uday looked at the file in his hands; at the details of the birth certificate.

Child's Name : Maan Nanda

Father's Name : Rohan Nanda

Mother's Name : Manyata Nanda

His fists clenched and blood rushed up his veins. Of all the things he

couldn't believe this ...

"But then of course she is Ayaan's sister after all !" Uday scoffed up as he

threw the file. He remembered the happy days and ... the sad ones. He

drifted back into some haunting memories.

"Dada" Ananya chirped "Aren't you excited to reach the hill top ? I am ...

The shopkeeper said that the view from there is magnificent ! There is also

a lake atop the hill just beside our resort ..." And she babbled on.

The two were walking towards their car with arms laden with various

packets of eatables. The Singh family had decided that they badly needed

a vacation and the Singhanias had joined them as well. The siblings and

Manyata and Ayaan were looking forward to the trip as much as the

elders. They all looked forward to a hill trip and so it was decided. A hill trip

would be it.

Now, they had reached the bottom of the hill and looking at looming figure

in the distance was an exciting prospect in itself. The beauty and serenity

of the place had caught the girls in awe and that was all they had been

talking about from the time they had a glimpse of it.

Even now, as Uday and his sister strided over to their car, Ananya couldn't

stop herself from babbling about the beauty of nature she couldn't spot in

the city while Uday seemed least interested. He had enough of all these

nature lessons from his sister and Manyata.

As they neared their car ...

BOOM !

The car was up in flames while both were thrown back a few meters due to

the extreme force of the blast. Scathed with bruises Ananya huddled

closer to Uday; both in shock, watched the flames engulf the vehicle with

intensity. People began to crowd to watch the burning car which was now

just a piece of shred. Some helped them, on to their feet and someone

from the crowd handed them some water. Finally, regaining her composer,

Ananya muttered, "Thank God ! No one was in the car otherwise ..." She

chose not to put her thoughts into words and hugged Uday tight

who didn't respond and for some reason never recovered from the shock

because he knew better as he recalled Manyata's words ...

"Uday, I am going to sit in the car with our parents. They don't wish to come

out ..." And she skipped away, her words lost in the wind.

Uday shivered and jolted back into the present. The scene still flooded in

front of his eyes, giving him the jitters. He collected himself and reached

for the glass.

It had been hard for him to swallow the fact. He was orphaned. Not only him

but his sister and Manyata's brother Ayaan, who for some reason

was strolling outside during the blast. But the worse shock for him was to

lose his love, his Manyata. He was in hysteria and wouldn't believe it but

finally had to accept that she was dead for his sister's benefit who

was shattered.The only person and the only hope in the world she had was

him, her brother and he wouldn't break it for anything. He took Ayaan in his

wing and did all that he could for him and Ananya.

But all this while, in his heart he knew that his Manyata was alive. He woke

up in nightmares for all these years, blamed himself and did everything he

could to find her. And when finally he did ... She was a married woman and

a mother of ... of a child.

He was going to take his vengeance.

The sun peeked out of the clouds and slowly and slowly spread over the

horizon. Casting sunbeams in all direction, illuminating the world. It climbed

higher and higher, radiating the sky and making its colors change.

Manyata looked up at the sky as she stepped out of the house with Maan

along her side. There was a time when she would adore nature, the sun,

the trees, the birds but ... Everything had changed. Now, she loved the

nights and the darkness. It seemed to give her a kind of solace to know

that not only her life but everyone ... almost everything was in darkness. It

seemed a great cover to hide her tears and sadness. But the satisfaction

was short lived as each day the sun rose and so did the pain in her heart !

She smiled as she felt a tiny finger slip in her hand and grasp it tight.

Maan was a different story altogether. He was her only hope to live for.

After her brother ... all she had was Maan. He was just like her brother ...

into flowers, trees in short he was deeply engrossed in the natural

wonders around him. Seeing him, Manyata re - lived her childhood but ...

he bought back some painful memories too !

"Manny !" Rohan called out, tapping her shoulder and breaking her revive.

"Uh ..."

"Come let's go ..." He said giving her an odd look. She seemed less

interested in everything these days. It looked as though she was not here

... she was far away somewhere ... somewhere deep and dark.

He laughed at his thoughts as he walked ahead towards the car with

Manyata behind him trying to get Maan walking and distract him from his

staring at the flowers nearby.

The phone continuously rang until he picked it up.

"Hmm ..."

"Ok ..."

"Finish him off ..."

He replaced the phone and laughed. An eerie laugh that was enough to

send shivers down anyone's spine.

"Destruction is on the way, dear. Run while you can."

The rest of his words died with his laughter.

Manyata's phone rang and she let her hand free from the tight grasp in

which Maan held her. Strangely, he didn't let go.

"Maan, you go run to Rohan till I take this call." She cooed.

He nodded, reluctant, but still ran off.

Rohan was about to cross the road when something shot into him. He

stopped and looked at his feet where Maan clutched him tight. He smiled

and ruffled his hair only to get a wide grin from him. He entwined his tiny

finger in his and took a step ahead.

He loved Maan, a lot. He was a bundle of joy, excitement and cheerfulness.

Just a look at him brought a smile to his face ... not only his but to

everyone's who met him. He strained his ears as he heard him chatter

about something. Maybe it was this new game he talked about mostly. But

all that sounded far away as he suddenly felt his finger slipping from his

hand ... and he looked at Maan skipping across the road and ... and ... the

approaching truck !

"Maan !" He heard a female sound from behind him even before he could

voice his thoughts. But it was too late ... Maan lay in a pool of blood and

the truck was speeding away.

Manyata ran into the hospital with Maan laid on a stretcher. She shook him

desperately with tears streaming down her cheeks. Rohan ran in behind

her.

"Maan !" She screamed in hysteria. "Open your eyes please ..."

"Ma'am ... Please step aside. We need to get him to the OT fast !" She

heard a faint voice as she struggled against the pair of arms holding her.

Nevertheless, they wheeled him into the OT leaving behind a hysteric

Manyata who was uncontrollably shaking with tears that didn't seem to

stop.

"Manny ... He will ..." Rohan tried to wrap his hands around her and

console her but she was far from it She pushed away his hands furiously.

"What the hell were you thinking ? How could you do this ? How could you

be so irresponsible ?" She screamed at him as the people in the corridor

stopped to look. Rohan looked down, guilty.

"He will be ..."

"You did this to him ..." She held him from the collar as she snapped. "Do

you understand ? You did this to him ... It's your fault. It's your fault he is

laying there ... Lifeless." She left him as she slumped down the ground,

crying out her heart.

"It's my fault." She barely managed a whisper, shocking Rohan, who went

down beside her.

"It's my fault. I am sorry. I am sorry, Bhai. I couldn't keep my promise. I am

sor ..." Her voice slurred.

And she fainted !

Phew ! That indeed is a long ... A VERY LONG chapter !

Please now don't tell me that was small ... 😆

And don't expect an update from me for a year atleast ...

Woha ! I am just kidding so stop those shoes right there ... 🤣

Anyways, please leave behind your likes and reviews !

Would be waiting to read them !

About next update, i am clueless ... 🤣

May be early ... May be late !

Depends on you people ... 😉

Bye folks !

Goodnight ...

PM'S TO BE SENT TOMORROW !

Vidhi