New ArShi FF: Wicked Wings| THREAD TWO LINK UPDATED- PAGE 01 | OCT 13 - Page 19

Now I after reading all the six chapters at once I freaked out!!!!

Don't have anymore patience to tolerate any more buildup of scare!!!!!

This is totally scaring me out!!!!

You are an amazing either and write awesome thrillers!!!!

Love your stories!!!!

Take Care!!!

She's updating just in half an hour dear 🤗

Chapter 7

Bonding

The world resides in a fine mingling of relationships of all kinds. Some by blood, and some simply untied.

As time passes, only the true emotions justify, their real credibility.

**

Fighting against the agitation and the pricking cold, she flipped her pillow with one hand, underneath her head, and tried seeking for a position, which would give her some comfort in sleep, although sleep was something far away from her right now.

She sighed with frustration, knowing that nothing appeared to be worthwhile.

She groaned, as she clutched the duvet near her face, bringing her knees closer to her chest.

.

.
.. All this while she had been struggling to sleep.

She had been so tired that she felt she would sleep like there's no tomorrow, but when did she prove to be right about anything?

She flipped to the other side on her bed, again attempting to drift off, but once again her efforts were futile.

What was happening to her?

Yet another sleepless night?'
.

Her eyes didn't urge to open at all, as tiredness took over her body completely after the long day, but it was her mind and heart that weren't coming to any negotiation with her physical being.

As she struggled more, she heard the shrill sound of the wind chimes hanging on her window, implicating about the extremely cold winds outside, and in a pico second, Khushi's eyes opened wide.

There was something about the sound of wind chimes that soothed her heart, but always bothered her as well.

It was a very weird kind of paradox, the one she had no answer to.

Like many other things, this zone was yet another quagmire for her.

*

How familiar was everything to her?

.

The same room.

The same mauve color of the walls.

The book shelf and the music DVDs.

The pictures hanging on the wall.

.

Yet, some part of her was still a stranger to all of this.

Some part of her screamed, that this was not where she belonged..

Some part of her, wanted..

Wanted to unfurl the truth, to know what was hidden underneath the peaceful shadows.

.

But what was the truth?'

..Again, her mind had no answer.

.

She lay straight on her back, her eyes fixed on the windows of her room, which dwindled slightly due to the impact of the extremely powerful winds.

The rods of the wind chimes danced against each other, as the winds only grew stronger with each passing second.

The rhapsody of the melody it created was a stark contrast to the turbulence that was residing in her mind presently.

Yet she tried to fight it and focus on the soothing sound of the wind chimes instead.

The sound..

That indicated a presence..

Some thing's presence..

Someone's presence..

.

Something that was intangible.

Something that she couldn't defy..

Something that she couldn't deny..

..But something that she could just feel..

.

She continued to shiver in cold despite her heavy duvet wrapped around her, while tracing abstract lines with her eyes in the walls of her room.

Needless to say, she wanted an end to this battle.

But sadly, she didn't even know who was the contender, whom she had to defeat?

And along with that, she didn't even know, where was the battlefield?

As the silence made the sound of her own breath audible to her, she slowly sat up on her bed, the duvet still covering her till her neck.

.. Her mind took her back to the previous months where normalcy for sure existed in her life.

Perhaps, it was ordinary.

Maybe, it was boring..

But at least it landed her in peace.

It wasn't hunky dory, but it wasn't as turbulent either.

At least, it gave her a sound sleep every night, instead of these sleepless nights that she was dealing with every night, and how could she forget, the nightmares as well, whenever she did sleep.

Though whatever her life was, however it was, she never complained.

Nor did she want to complain now, but she felt things were getting out of her hands in a jiffy.

As if, the time was ticking away and she was just stuck somewhere.

As if, the sand was slipping out of her fist quickly and the high tide of the ocean was hitting her like a jolt.

As if, the end had already started and she could do nothing but just sit and watch.

.

Yet, why did a part of her want this to go on?

Why did a part of her, want to know more about it?

..Why did a part of her, want to understand him?

.

.

She could hear the ticking of the wall clock crystal clear, as her mind became more engraved with her endless thoughts.

The glimpse of him appeared in front of her eyes once again, as her fingers dug deep into the fabric of her duvet.

..The flash of this morning, where she stood at the edge of a stair and his strong hands held her tightly, saving her from the fall.

..That small journey from the grand staircase to the medical room, where she tried so hard to comprehend him, yet all she could achieve was the unsolved mystery of those dark brown eyes.

.

She switched on the heater, as she slowly walked out of her bed, still wrapped in her warm clothes.

Her ankle still hurt due to the sprain, but she carefully slipped her feet into her slippers and stepped inside the wash room.

.

As she stood in front of the big mirror hanging on the wall of the bathroom, she stared at her own reflection in astonishment.

Resting both her palms on either sides of the sink, she slowly closed her eyes, trying to find remnants of peace that was suddenly so imperative to her at the moment.

.

The darkness seemed contending after a long time.

Her mind relaxed, as her eyes tried deserting all visions, and her brain tried deserting all events that had haunted her relentlessly in the past few days.

Two minutes passed as she still stood there silently.

Her lips curved into a faint smile, as the silence appealed her being and the meditation refreshed her senses, retrieving tranquility in her body and soul.

She didn't know for how long she stood there, that way, but it seemed after a lot of hassles and hindrances, her mind finally resided back in peace, feeling home.

"Meditation always helps!"

She remembered the words, once said by one of her elementary school teachers ans quite earnestly, agreed with the same.

.

She sighed, as a big smile of satisfaction finally took over her face and she thought she was not an outcast from her normal life after all.

.

"Khushi.."

.

A faint voice reached her right ear suddenly, making her eyes open wide in shock.

.

Her eyes stared at her reflection in the mirror, as she tried justifying her senses wondering what did she just hear?

The unprecedented event made a chill run down her spine as her heart suddenly skipped a beat in fear.

.

As she dreadfully examined her image keenly in the plane glass mirror in front of her, invasive questions came running in her mind.

.

It..

It wasn't her.

.

It was her face.

The same hazel-golden eyes.

The same texture of pale skin.

.

But..

Something , was different.

.

As she bent forward, trapped in an illusion, which may have been a reality or just a lie,

she noticed the stern facial expression in her own reflection.

And she finally knew, the mirror wasn't mirroring her real expression at all.

.

It can't be me..'

She mumbled with shock and apprehension.

Khushi swallowed the lump in her throat, as she pulled herself away from the reflection and palpitation instantly took over her body.

.

"The Key, Khushi.."

"The Key"

The faint voice once again whispered in her ear, making her terror struck, as she fretted and immediately lashed out of the wash room door, running like a maniac, into her own little room, that was suddenly her sanctuary.

.

As she reached her room, she desperately covered her ears with her palms, struggling to get rid of the whispers, frightened of the next blow that could hit her any minute.

.

She climbed up to her bed, resting her head on the pillow, covering herself with the duvet from head to toe.

She was shivering, not just from the cold, but from immense fear.

Breathing heavily, she shut her eyes tight, ready to give up any thing for this nightmare to be over.

She could still feel the repercussions of that faint whisper echoing in her head and she felt her own pulse throb radically.

As minutes passed, she could feel her body giving up and she was losing sensations and a feeling of numbness took over her.

.

The pace of her breathing slowed down and she could finally feel the voice was gone.

At least, for now.

Her body relaxed after the period of struggle and she felt her throat go terribly dry.

Khushi tried to move a bit and drink the water from the glass, placed at her bed side table but she was too exhausted and her strength gave up.

Her chest heaved up and down and the nightmare finally seemed to be over.

As tranquility once again knocked the door of her heart, she saw that enigmatic face of him for one last time.

Arnav Sciarrone.

But this time, it gave her peace..

Burying her face deep inside her duvet, she envisioned those mystic eyes once again.

To her surprise, it put her fears to rest and finally she fell oblivious as she felt the surrounding go mum and she slipped into the world of peace, whispering his

name softly, one last time, before drifting into a deep slumber.

*

'ROADS BLOCKED DUE TO LAND SLIDES'


"What the hell?"


Rebecca said, pouting her lips with an angry face, while watching the news bulletin on television.


It was morning 7.00 a.m. and they had planned to go to college together today.

But 'Man proposes, God disposes.'

The landslides resulted in the road blocks making it impossible for them to go to college today.


"Chill Ree. It's all right."

Khushi said, patting Rebecca's shoulders.


"No. This isn't right. I had so many plans. It's the second day in college and to hell with it! The roads are blocked! Grrr!!"

Ree yelled, pacing up and down in the living room of Khushi's house.

.

"Girl! Stop sulking!"

Khushi heard Jazz say, braiding her brown curly hair.
.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Khushi asked with confusion, looking at her bratty sibling.
.

"School!"

She answered, seeming uninterested.
.

"All roads are blocked due to the land slides. There's no way you can go."


"But I have to."

She argued.


Khushi walked towards her sister, who was still staring at her.

"What's the matter?"

Khushi inquired, concerned.


"None of your business."

She retorted.


Khushi had been quite habituated of such replies from her. She had always been like this and this was nothing new to Khushi, still she couldn't deny that it did affect her.


Though she didn't blame Jasmine for however she was, given that there was a reason to everything. Ever since their dad passed away, she was affected the most by it.

Despite being just 7 at that time, the tragedy left a void in her heart, and it prevailed till date.

The situations after that proved obstinate for her.

Last year, her best friend had committed suicide after being in a rehab for treatment of drug addiction for about six months. It was a case of teen drug abuse.

Some where Jazz was still not able to cope up with the loss.

Once during their rare sibling conversation, Jasmine had confessed it to Khushi that she feared being close to people, as she believed whoever she loved, would leave her.

Either at their own will or at God's will.

Khushi didn't want to debate with her on that, as somehow she felt the same.

Just that their ways of conveying were different.

Jasmine became callous and for Khushi, she believed in enjoying whatever little she got, keeping her inner turbulences to herself.


"Hello! I don't have the entire day.."

Jazz interrupted her thoughts, as she made her way downstairs.

.

"Jasmine, listen to me"

Khushi demanded and for a change, her sister did stop.

"Where are you going?"

Khushi asked her again, this time more politely.


She didn't reply anything to that, but her face was calm and Khushi understood that whatever she would be saying next would certainly have an impact on her sister.

Moving closer to her, Khushi chose her words very carefully.


"Jazz, I know time has been very unjust to you and I also know that you don't need my sympathy or anything. But lying benefits no one sis."

Her eyes lowered down, as Khushi witnessed embarrassment and guilt covering her sister's face hearing her words.


She continued, "I know you want to go to another party and you would justify yourself saying it's the best distraction, but tell me honestly, don't you think by doing all this you are just increasing yourself the risk of falling in the same pit as Lisa?"


The mention of her late best friend's name brought tears in her eyes and Khushi could see she struggled a lot to hold them, but failed miserably.


"Trust me Jazz, I don't want to bring back the bitter past in front of you, and neither am I charging you against anything. I know you don't do drugs and you would never get involved in that filthy mess, but night outs, random parties and blind dating won't help you either. It may seem like a temporary solution but even you know it holds no benefit in the long run!"


As the words left her mouth, she could see her sister looking at her with moist eyes, her face totally surprised.

Though she always displayed tenacity in herself and pretended to be strong, no one knew it better than Khushi that her sister was only too fragile from the inside.

Who ever she loved, whatever she loved, she did that dearly. But she was never good at expressing it. And Lisa's death had of course added more to it.

She slowly rubbed the tears off her cheeks, as she continued staring at Khushi with surprised eyes.

"..So now that we are done with the too-sentimental talks, let's stay at home, watch a movie together and eat some Italiano?"

Khushi finally said, changing her serious tone to a chirpy one, to lift her sister's mood.

And to her joy, Jazz softly smiled and nodded.


Khushi gave her a broad smile and proceeded towards the kitchen when she heard Jazz say-


"Only on one condition."

Khushi turned to look at her, confused with that statement.

.

"You won't cook the Italiano."

She finally replied after a brief silence, and Khushi instantly burst into giggles.

"Why? Am I that bad in cooking?"

She asked, still giggling.

.

"Not bad."

" You suck at it!!"

Jazz laughed.

"Wow, What an insult!"

Khushi exclaimed, as she turned back when she felt Jazz tugging at her hand.

.

She looked at her, surprised by that sudden gesture, when Jazz asked her-

"..How..?"

"..How did you know everything..?"
.

Khushi smiled at her softly as she placed her hand on her cheek and said-

"..I just did. Big sis instincts, you see!"

She winked playfully.
.

Jazz smiled back, hugging her close and Khushi realized that it was around thirteen months ago, that they shared such a similar heartwarming moment.

Thanking God for the same, Khushi caressed her sister's curls and pulled back from the hug, indicating her with her eyes to give company to her psycho best friend, Ree, who was still pulling her hair out of frustration.


She smiled in approval and went to sit with Ree on the sofa and Khushi went to the kitchen to help her mom.


*


As she finally found the DVD of the movie she had been looking for around twenty minutes, she exclaimed in victory-

"Eureka!!"



Rebecca clapped, as she mocked Khushi for finally discovering the DVD from the piles of other DVDs in the showcase.


Adrienne had prepared some French fries, which were on the verge of getting finished as Khushi noticed her sister and best friend shove morsels after morsels of the food into their mouths.


Laughing at their antics, she was about to insert the DVD into the player, when she heard someone ring the door bell.

She sighed at the interruption, as she walked towards the main door.
.

.

"Mason!!"

"What a pleasant surprise!!"


She remarked, seeing Mason standing at the door step, wearing a blue high-neck shirt along with a black windcheater, his silky hair ruffled due to the constant rains, and his tanned skin all wet.

But still he managed to look so good.


"What's up Khushi?"


He asked with a smile on his face, as Khushi led him inside the house.


"Nothing! We were just about to start a movie. You are right on time!"

Khushi said and Rebecca too smiled widely seeing Mason enter the house, and offered him a place to sit.
.

"Great. So let's start."

He stated.

.

Khushi finally inserted the disc and threw a towel on Mason to dry himself.

"Sober up, messy Mason!"

She teased.

Mason only chuckled at her antics before doing as asked.

.

It was a horror movie and as usual their drama queen was doing her part of the job-

Over reacting.


Mason made Ree more scared, by making weird noises, and she was easily falling a victim despite it being day time.

Jazz and Khushi shared glances at each other and smiled, happy about the little sibling bonding time that they shared moments ago.

.

Time passed and Ree had scattered all the popcorn on the floor with every scary scene in the movie.

.

"Ree!! Clean the mess up!"

Khushi yelled at her, seeing the carpet filled with her thrown pop corns.
.

"You have some OCD?"

Rebecca furrowed her brows.

.

"No, I'm just hygienic."

Khushi teased, making sarcasm totally evident in her tone, deliberately.

Ree showed her tongue as she threw a cushion at Khushi.

Feigning annoyance, Khushi threw it back at her.

All of them laughed their ankles off, and soon the scary horror movie turned into a genre of comedy with their endless fun, which was insane yet amazing.


Everyone continued watching the movie, and a new ray of hope resurfaced in Khushi, the one that pulled her away from the dark, treacherous evil of yesterday.

.

As she bent down to clean the mess up, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Turning back, she noticed Mason staring down at her with a small smile on his face.

His charming face in front of her, his blue eyes were fixed on Khushi, as his hands picked up the scattered popcorns from the carpet.

.

Khushi felt strange with that gaze of his, but it made her feel good somehow.

As if, some part of that normal life still prevailed. And misery wasn't really all about her life right now.

..As if, she was not alone.

.

"I will get the vacuum cleaner."

Khushi said, as she tried to stand up but he stopped her.
.

"..It's okay."

"We will do it together."

"I will help you!"


Perhaps, he said those words in a totally different context, but it emerged in her, the belief that he would always be there, as a pillar of strength whenever she would need him.

He gave her a hope that she could rely on him against anything and everything.

Maybe..

Maybe it was too early to conclude so, but the childhood bonding that she shared with him had a unique place in her heart.

The one that was too valuable to her.

.

As they were done picking up all the popcorns from the carpet, she threw them into the trash and went to fetch the Italiano that Adrienne had prepared, from the refrigerator.


*


Friendship.

Siblings.

A mother and a child.

Khushi was no stranger to any of these bonds.

Unfortunately, she was a stranger to the bonding with her own self.

As she walked towards the dining table, glimpses of last night flashed in front of her eyes once again, and her hands trembled with the impact it had on her.

And that's when she realized that no matter how hard she tried to run away from this, it was going to follow her everywhere she went.

It was a peculiar rip current that would bring her down to the deathly quandary that she was detesting to the core.

..Seating herself on the chair, she served the food on everyone's plate but her mind wandered somewhere else.


"..The Key.."


The voice still echoed at the back of her mind, as she controlled hard not to recall anything.

And just then, another vision appeared in front of her eyes, which had suddenly started feeling so dear to her, so serene to her.


The vision of the Devil.

The Vision of Him.


As she put a morsel of the meal into her mouth, she recalled how those dark brown eyes, once so remorseful and deadly, had actually put her to sleep peacefully last night.

Such a stark contrast, stark reality.


She failed to justify it' possibility but some part of her suggested-

"..Don't question miracles.."

Though the laughter of her friends and family at this hour enlightened her to smile once again, there was something in her that felt so incomplete.


..As if there was a missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle, which she had to find by hook or crook.


"Fresher's in two days!!"


She heard Ree exclaim in joy, as she continued chattering about the dress and accessories she chose for her supposed D-Day!

.

As the laughter of everyone around her grew louder, Khushi's lips curved into a contended smile.

But inside, her conscience threw only one statement at her-


"Find that missing piece, Khushi.."



**

Scroll down for Important Note.

Let me tell you dear, I am totally loving this thriller story that is full of suspense...🤗

Please dear reveal the mystery of Khushi's nightmares that she is frequently seeing...

I will definitely check updates from your post...👍🏼