--
''Where have you been? I've been waiting here since hours.''
''Where have YOU been?'' Raj answered without turning around. ''We were supposed to meet on that hill, Shankar.'' With his hands in his pockets, he pointed towards the hill at the distance.
''Wrong. It was this hill and I have been waiting here for you since an hour. Forget it, is she here or is she not?''
Raj turned and walked towards the open convertible parked on the car unhurriedly. He leaned against it. ''She's here. I told you she would be here. This is the only place for her to go.''
''Werewolves are so wonderfully family oriented.''
''And made vampires are so wonderfully' short.'' Raj answered serenely.
''Well, I never got to finish growing, did I? Your ancestor took care of that.''
Raj got inside the car. ''I think I might stop aging myself. Eighteen is not such a bad age.''
''Well, try being eighteen for 4 centuries, with no end in sight.''
Raj turned to smile at him. ''Sorry, on my family's behalf.''
''Forget it. Right now, the problem is Rhea, and the mess that she is in. And whether you can really do what is necessary to clean it up.''
''Don't worry, Shankar. I can handle it.''
''But I do worry, Raj. I don't know how I let you talk me into this.''
''I didn't. You lost the game.''
''And you cheated.'' Shankar shrugged. ''I think we should tell the lords.''
''I don't see why we have to tell the lords. She has only been here for a few months.''
''Who knows how many humans she's told about us?''
''Maybe she hasn't told any.''
''And maybe she has told the whole town.''
''Shankar.'' Raj answered patiently. ''If Rhea told anyone, she has to die. That's how it goes.''
''Would you be able to kill her if necessary?''
Raj blinked. ''If necessary, yes. Anything for the family honour.''
''If she has let something slip about the supernatural world-''
''She's not stupid.''
''She's innocent.'' Shankar pressed. ''She might get tricked. You never know how cunning a human might be.''
''Well, we know how cunning they can be.'' Raj grinned. ''And what to do about them.''
For the first time, Shankar smiled. ''Yes, I know your views on that. Alright, I'll leave you here to take care of everything. I don't need to tell you to check out every human she has had contact with. I will come back in a week, and if you haven't got things under control, I will have to tell the lords.''
''Oh, fine.'' Raj said. ''You know, you should get a hobby. Go hunting or something.''
Shankar ignored that. ''You know where to start?''
''Sure.. she is..right'down' there.'' Raj closed his eyes and pointed at the middle of the forest. ''I will go check things out.''
--
Damn.
Okay, so much happened in the last two hours that she lost control of everything. She had seen Ruhi dead, she saw a girl ' most probably, the girl who killed her ' dragging her into the forest, burying her, and then just disappearing all of a sudden.
And she was stuck here, alone.
She took a deep breath. There was no point in getting panicky, she told herself. Take a deep breath, and go back the way you came.
She turned around, and jumped violently.
''Oh, god!''
She'd nearly walked into Raj.
Misha's heart was racing and her knees felt week. From fear, she told herself. That's all.
''You nearly gave me a heart attack.'' She yelled. ''Do you always creep up behind people like that?''
She expected some smart-ass answer, but he just shrugged. ''No, what are you doing here?''
Her heart skipped several beats, but she heard her own voice answering flatly. ''I am .. '' She looked at the sky, it was a clear night, full of stars. ''Starwatching. I do it every night.''
He looked at her. ''Starwatching?''
''Ofcourse. ''
''In the middle of the jungle?''
''Why, I thought I will have a better view.'' She snapped.
''No telescope.'' He snorted.
''I didn't bring a telescope tonight.'' She picked up the flashlight lying a few steps away. ''You can watch a plenty with these.''
''Oh, really?''
''Yes, really.'' She was grimly amused now. Her dad had a great interest in astronomy, and she knew a thing or two about it.
''You want to see light from four million years ago?'' Without waiting for him to answer. ''Okay, face east. Look at the line of trees on the horizon, look up, now, do you see a bright disk with smudges around it?''
''Um, yeah.''
''That's a galaxy. But if you try and look at it through a telescope, you wouldn't see it all at once.''
''All right, point taken.'' He started to look at her. ''Look, could we wait for a minute? I wanted to talk to you.''
''Want to see the centre of our galaxy?'' She interrupted. ''Turn south.''
She did everything but physically make him turn. She didn't dare touch him. There was so much adrenaline racing through her, she felt like she would explode.
''Turn.''
He shut his eyes briefly, and turned.
''See that? That's where the centre of Milky Way is.'' She pointed.
''How nice.''
''Yes, it is nice. Now, go up and you will be able to see a little pink glow..''
''What are those dark lines in it?''
Misha stepped back. She stared at him. She could feel her breath coming quicker.
He looked at her. ''Something wrong?''
''You can't see them.''
''I just did.''
''No, I mean, you can't see them. It's not possible. You can't see them even with a telescope.'' She switched the flashlight on and swung it at his eyes.
''Hey!'' He jerked back, hands over his eyes. ''That hurt.''
But Misha had already seen. She couldn't tell what colour his eyes were right now, because the coloured parts had reduced to invisible rings. His eyes were all pupil.
Oh my god.
''Quick.'' She said urgently. ''How many stars do you see in the sky right now?''
''I can't see anything.'' He snapped. ''I'm blind.''
''No, seriously.'' Misha said, and she caught his arm.
It was a stupid thing to do, but she wasn't thinking. When she touched him, it was like touching a current. Raj dropped his hand and look at her.
For a second, they were face to face, gazes locked. Something like lightening trembled between them. Then Misha pulled away.
I can't take anymore of this, oh god. Why am I even here talking to him? I gotta find my way out.
''That's it for the astronomy lesson.'' Her voice was lightly unsteady. ''I'm going now.''
She didn't ask where he was going, as long as it was away.
''Goodbye.''
''Bye.'' He answered limply. Before leaving, he looked at her. ''What I wanted to say .. ''
''What?''
Without turning, he answered in a flat voice. ''Stay away from Rhea.''
Misha was thunderstruck. So full of disbelief and rage that she couldn't find words. Wait, was the girl she saw earlier, Rhea? Does he know that she's a killer, and is he trying to protect me? ''Why?''
He shook his head. ''I just don't think you'd be a good impression on them, that's all.''
I should have known. She said, sweetly. ''Raj? Get bent and die.''
''Before that-'' He looked up, and a smile formed over his lips. ''Go west, and you'll reach a road that takes you back to town.''
She waited for five minutes after he set off the opposite way, going east, doing god knows what. There was nothing that way except a lot of trees.
All right, now he's gone. Forget about him. You've got a job to do, remember? A slightly dangerous one..
She started down the road west. And as she walked, she found that she was able to put Raj out of her mind completely.
I'm not scared to do it, I'm not scared, I'm not scared, of course I'm scared.
She needed to find Rhea. Kabir would know where she lives, she is his friend. She sighed, he was in love, and she was going to wreck his world completely.
PRECAP
''Kabir, listen to me. I'm your sister. I have no reason to lie to you, or play tricks with you, or put down someone you like. And I don't jump to conclusions, I don't imagine things. I'm telling you, absolutely seriously, there is something weird going on with this girl.''
Kabir opened his mouth, but she went on. ''So now, there are only two things you can believe, and one is that I'm completely out of my mind, and the other is that it's true. Do you think I am crazy?''
Kabir answered quietly. ''You're not crazy.''
--
''It wasn't an animal, it was a boy. She says he threw her down, and bit her, and drank her blood.'' She began to sob, clutching her daughter Rita to her. ''Why would he do that? Oh please, somebody help me..''
Rita just stared at all of the people.
''A boy .. '' Maithali said faintly, and looked over at the river. The men were cornering the stranger. He was snarling and angry, but when he saw Rita, his expression changed. His gaze was fixed on the girl's throat. It looked as if he couldn't stand to look at her, but he couldn't look away, either.
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