CHAPTER 25Raghav Sir's words were like a thunder storm for me. After everything that they told me, a major and darker part was still pending. What could be darker than the fact that my very father wanted to kill me. I was again rubbing my fingers hard, all these mysteries and suspense about my life has been suffocating me since long. The sins of my family had burdened my shoulders today. Their deeds were the judge of my character, their wrongs were my wrongs now and their darkness was reflected in my soul. My eyes welled up when i realised what power of darkness i possessed. " Dont worry Nandini, its not about your past, its about your present and most probably your future." I heard amms speak up softly. Probably she sensed my turmoil. A sudden uneasiness embraced me about my future. Had they decided to kill me for my aggressive nature lately and the way i reacted? This was the only darker part that clouded my mind and as an instinct i had already started planning a way out of this cottage without being caught. Thanx to Soha's macula it would not be a difficult task detecting their weaknesses. I was lost in my planning when Raghav sir continued. " Ever since you have been shifted to Delhi, your mother, Kaira had been informing us about you. Even after your shift back to Dhanaulti we have been constantly exchanging information. But, lately, especially since a few weeks or rather probably a month we have not received any sort of information from her. Further more, we sent some people to check on her and we were later informed that she is no more in Delhi. This is a big issue Nandini, because it calls for danger for you. She was an agent of ours and if she has disappeared suddenly then it surely means something is wrong. For this reason we had decided to tell you about your reality so as to train you as a hybrid as well, to keep you safe." I felt choked as soon as he informed me about this. Was mom in danger? What could it be? " I think you should check in Mumbai instead. I dont know how far is this true but before i shifted here mom told me about this fantastic job opportunity that one of her colleagues was offering her. This was the excuse that she made for sending me here. I think she must be in Mumbai with him now, he was apparently her boyfriend as well. Even if she lied about him, i think checking out in Mumbai wont be a big problem, who knows you might find her there." I gave them the extra information, i desperately needed to klnow if mom was ok. Raghav sir slightly nodded his head while amms scrunched her brows," Strange, she never informed us about this boyfriend thing. Anyway we will look out for her in Mumbai as well and we hope to find her there, but still, you need to train as a hybrid as well. So from tomorrow, you will be visiting the hybrid area for your training since your hunter training is almost over." amms told me this and i slightly nodded. I looked up to find Manik smirking, and his eyes, they had the same shine that he had in the morning. His behaviour was yet another mystery for me. God so many mysteries in my life!!!!
The meeting got over and Raghav Sir and Manik didnt take much time to leave the hunter area. My training was supposed to start at 11 tomorrow. No doubt Aryaman seemed extremely annoyed with this but he controlled his emotions from being too expressive this time, probably because of the morning bashing. The morning incident made me realise that i had to justify myself to a group of people. The Aryaman gang was still present when we came out. I looked t them and in an instance realised that they were not very pleased. I approached them, but as soon as i did Soha stood up in annoyance while others acted as if i was not visible," Lets go guys. Aryaman is here, its getting late anyway." Soha remarked with hatred. I think now i knew why she hated me so much, she hated me for my existence as i had sensed the very time i met her. But when the rest of them started walking away i reaised how wrong i was to shout at them in the morning," No wait listen to me please...just once." I pleaded. All of them stopped and looked at me with disgust. I knew pcifying them would be a hard job this time but i had to do it. I could easily manipulate them using Aryaman's macula but i wanted to be genuine," I know you guys are pissed with the way i have been acting since long and especially the way i reacted in the morning. I know i was not entirely right when i shouted at you all but guys try and understand my situation. I have lived all my life being the odd one out, without any friends. And just when i had started to come in terms with my loneliness i was abruptly thrown away as a trash by my mother. I know her intentions were not wrong but at that time i felt nothing more than valueless creature. Then i made freinds like you and that void started to fill up. I trusted you all like hell, i trusted you with my life with my truth. And then one day i am informed that i am a different kind of human, a human with fire. Ever since that incident you guys were my sole support system and the only source of information about my life. I thought that everything you all told me was right. Then suddenly one day i am told that all that you guys told was not entirely true. Do you have any idea how left out i felt, how worthless. The people i trusted blindly once broke my trust into pieces. All that shouting and yelling was not my anger, it was that pain that i felt. That feeling of being the odd one out yet again." i broke down by the time i reached the end. I was never a very expressive person, and even today i did not exactly know how to say things to keep matters in hands but whatever i said, i said it from my heart. I tried to empty those haunting memories from my head. I was alone in this world, probably the only one of my kind. Mukti was the first one to come and hug me, followed by Abhimanue. Madhyam just stood there patting my back while Soha tried hard not to let her emotions from being expressed. " I am sorry guys...i am really sorry." I said in between my sobs while i felt them tighten their grip around me. Even in this world of being the odd one out, i guess i once again found a way to come in term with it.
Aryaman walked me back home. The way back was silent, neither he spoke , nor i. It was a cold and silent night, a dark one i guess. I now knew who i was. We reached my home and it was finally time for that awkward moment when niether of us knew what was appropriate to be said. " Nandini i am sorry. I know i should have told you this a long time back but i could not. I did have the authority. I was bound by the rules, the treaty. I was not supposed to tell you your reality until the right time. Only amms or TK had the power to tell you the truth. I am really sorry. I know i unintentionally have disrespected you but believe me Nandini, ever since your birthday , the changes in you, your aggression...you were falling for your darkness and exposing the truth would have only worsened the situation. We just wanted to stabilize your emotional condition and i swear i would have told you the truth one day. Please do not leave me, i love you and i never wanted to hurt you." Aryaman confessed his true feelings and i knew he not at fault. He was bound by the rules. I slowly went and hugged him. This was the thing with Aryaman, for him rules were the most important and not the reality. He worked according the rule book, he could never dare defy it. I knew i should have said something to him but what could i possibly tell him. That why did i react that way. How could i tell him that the only reason why i agreed to be his girlfriend was the fact that Manik and i together seemed unrealistic that day. I was alone and i felt lonely, then Aryaman came and everything seemed fine again. I said a yes to him because i wanted to erase all the memories of Manik. And then when i was told that i was even a hybrid, i felt like someone ripped my heart off my chest. Had i known this earlier i would have never said a yes to Arayman and this mess would have never created. I was physically with Aryaman but my heart, it seems had been with Manik since the very day i looked into his eyes and now when i realise that there was a hope, a tiny hope that i crushed with my own hands...i felt drained and wasted. I felt lifeless...yet again.
Seher Hone Ko Hai
