Chapter 1
Can you see me?
The night was silent, not a soul around. A lone taxi drove down the empty road, surrounded by lengths and bounds of forest. She peered outside the open window. The taxi passed a sign.
Dehradun. 10 km.
Her ebony black hair flowed in the wind, lightly caressing her fair cheeks. Eyes closed, heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears. She clutched the violin case that lay in her lap, the apprehension of starting a life in a new place clouding her thoughts.
The girl sighed, bringing herself back inside the moving vehicle, her fingers now nervously fidgeting with her "S" shaped pendant. "How much longer?" She asked the driver.
"Just fifteen more minutes. The address you gave me is a bit on the outskirts of the city, on the opposite side."
She frowned and shrunk back into the seat. For her, it was a time for new beginnings and new experiences. Orphaned at a young age, Piyashree Jaiswal had taught herself to always live in positivity, to never let anyone put her down. Her mother always told her, she would find love wherever she went. She was her mother's precious blessing. Yet she still felt fear inside her heart.
Piya was a bright student, topper in all her classes, and a prodigal musician. She played the violin like it was the reason for her being. Her best friend. She wanted to play for the world someday.
Having completed her B.A. in Music merely a year ago, the 23-year old Piya was ready to pick up her M.A. in the same field. She was accepted to the prestigious Doon Univeristy under a scholarship for this very purpose. Packing her bags, she left the gentle comforts of her uncle's house in Indore, where she spent most of her years, to start a new chapter of her life in Dehradun.
They drove through the city, nightlife bustling about. It was such a contrast from the forests just behind them. "Welcome to Dehradun." The driver laughed.
The city lights soon turned into forest again. Doon University flew by on her right. The campus seemed bigger than expected, but with all this land to their disposal, anything was possible. Hopefully it wasn't too far from her house.
The area beyond it seemed to have more of the bigger houses, perhaps of the more wealthy. Her house was even farther. She sulked and thought about walking to campus everyday. Maybe she should've bought a bicycle or something.
The taxi finally slowed and pulled to the side in front of a small, but sizable villa. Piya gazed at the white building for a moment before stepping outside. Perched upon a hillside, it gave a beautiful view of the night sky. The terrace would be perfect for stargazing, she thought. The driver unloaded her bags and collected his fares, but without a glance from Piya. She was staring at the forest behind it. It gave off an eerie silence, but even in that silence she could hear something calling out to her.
"Thank you." Piya turned and smiled at the driver, as he unloaded the final bag.
"Welcome, miss. And good luck, you'll need it."
She brightly smiled and turned back towards the forest. "I never thought I'd ever see this much nature in one place before. The forest looks so beautiful."
The driver chuckled. "Beautiful indeed, but I've heard it's quite dangerous. Be careful."
"I'll keep that in mind..." She smiled and carried her bags to the front door, reaching into her purse to grab the keys. Her loving Aunt Shilpa, who lived in the U.S., owned this villa; it was her family's vacation home. Piya was her favorite niece, seeing as her and Piya's mother were joined at the hip. She had allowed Piya to live here while she was attending school, as she and her family weren't planning on coming to India anytime soon.
Piya walked inside and switched on the lights. The house was surprisingly well-kept, especially since no one had come here in a few years. Her aunt had told her she got the place cleaned regularly, just in case.
She pulled her bags inside and set her violin case down on the dining table, examining the rooms.
There were two bedrooms and bathroom for each, a rather large kitchen, living and dining room, and a small study. The study had books upon books covering every wall.
The interior was mostly white, the theming and furniture almost pulled straight out of a standard interior design magazine. It had a very modern look and feel to it. Boxy and minimalistic. It seemed a little dull to her. In desperate need of a new paint job.
Piya was originally considering applying for residence in the dormitory. But then she would have to share with other girls. Growing up without her parents had taught her to become independent from an early age. She preferred to live alone. She also needed a quiet place to practice her violin. And this place was as quiet as it was going to get.
She unzipped all her bags and threw them open in the living room, arranging her clothes in the bedroom closet and setting photos of her and her mother on the mantle. She turned towards the TV, placing her violin on its new stand. It was a deep black violin, which a golden engraving on the side of her name. It was her mother's last gift to her. She had been playing it for the last 10 years.
Her phone buzzed as she reminisced about the past. Her uncle, Praveen Jaiswal, was calling. "Oh no! I forgot to call him back!"
She fumbled with her phone in a panic and nearly dropped it, before answering the call.
"Hello mamaji?"
"Piya dear, have you reached safely?" Piya softly smiled. "I was getting worried."
"Sorry sorry mamaji. I got here about 30 minutes ago. I've just been so engrossed in unpacking my things that I forgot to call back." He let out a hearty laugh on the other end.
"No worries, dear. I'm glad you made it safely. I'll leave you to it. Take care and good luck."
"Thank you. Good night." Piya cut the call and tossed her phone onto the couch. Her uncle was a kind man of few words. He never expressed it, but she knew he cared for her too, despite what her mere existence brought to his family. He had become the father figure she has needed.
She sat down and pulled out her diary, staring at a photo of her once happy family. A loving mother, and a once caring father. She hadn't seen him since he left them 12 years ago. Within a few moments, their perfect little world, which the three of them had built together, was razed to the ground. And he never looked back. Not even when her mother lay on her deathbed.
She realized she had started crying again, quickly wiping her tears and putting on a happy face. Come on now, it's not time to think about all that. She smacked her head.
She found a set of string lights hiding under her folders of sheet music. These wouldn't hurt to put up, she thought. She hung the starry string lights above her bed, giving a little more color to the room. It made her feel good inside, like she had at least a little control over her life.
"You'll be okay, Piya." She smiled to herself.
She changed into a white nightdress and walked out onto the balcony of the villa, which overlooked the vast forests underneath. Curiousity overtook her thoughts as she closed the sliding glass door behind her. She noticed a small path and couldn't help but walk down towards it. The balcony offered a nice set of stairs to get to the ground easily.
She journeyed into the scatter of trees, silently marveling at its serene beauty and silence. How could such a place be scary? Or dangerous? She felt safe, and unusually calm. Like she belonged here.
She looked like an angel, stepping through the gates of the underworld, a beauty clad in white entering into a sea of black darkness. Her pearly white skin shone brightly in this darkness.
Like a firefly at twilight.
A strong gust of wind ripped through the trees, rattling the leaves off their branches. Piya stopped in her tracks and looked around, hugging herself to keep warm. It was a cold, harsh wind.
Something moved nearby. The sound of crushed leaves reached her ears immediately. "Is someone there?" She called into the dark. Immediate silence. She took small steps closer.
She felt a presence, a fleeting presence, like someone, or something was watching her. She stopped in her tracks, looking back as her hair brushed across her cheeks. Yet she didn't feel fear. She didn't understand why. Shouldn't she be afraid of unusual things in the forest? She shook her head and kept walking. Maybe it was just an animal.
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He watched her walking deeper into the very forest which he called his home. She shouldn't be here, he thought. It's dangerous.
He licked his blood-stained lips and fangs, making his advance towards this unwanted guest, his cobalt blue eyes locked on just her. The deer at his feet, with its throat brutally torn through, twitched and convulsed as it struggled to breathe.
This girl had scared off all the nearby prey with her brash footsteps. One measly deer wasn't enough for him. He had to cut his hunting trip short because of her.
He tried to scare her off by making quick movements, closer and closer to her, like some sort of wild animal. It didn't even phase her.
"Is someone there?" Her voice echoed in his ears. It contained no fear, no hesitancy. He closed his eyes and listened to her soft heartbeat, her slow breaths, her sweet honey-like voice, creating a symphony in his ears.
He snapped out of the trance and clawed at the tree he was hiding behind. Why wasn't she afraid?
Stupid girl, he thought angrily. He disliked humans. They were self-centered and selfish creatures. Some were idiots. Some talked too much and some asked too many questions. They were only good for their blood. He preferred to stay away from them.
She felt....different.
Despite her face being hidden from him.....he felt an unknown attraction towards her. He walked closer to her, his footsteps light and soundless. He was an arm's distance away, wanting to know the cause of this sudden attraction. Was it her blood? Her scent? Was it just because he was thirsty as hell? Her smell was drowning him in a whirlpool of lavender and strawberries. He let his fangs out and breathed in heavily. It was intoxicating.
"So...thirsty." He whispered to himself. But this wasn't thirst. This burn was different. He regained control and vanished as she moved again. She was waking up the beast that lived inside of him.
Piya turned back to see what was behind her, playing with the idea that someone was following her.
There was nothing.
He caught a glimpse of her features in this moment, wondering if she saw him too. Her face was flushed a light pink, her red lips slightly parted. Her baby brown eyes captured his interest and locked him in place. He couldn't stop staring at them. They were soft, ethereal beauties, full of turbulent and raw emotion.
Emotion. Something he hadn't felt in the last 300 years.
He stood frozen in time as he gazed upon this angel standing before him. An angel in his Hell. Her silky locks brushed across her face as the wind blew stronger, her lips turning up in a soft smile.
She pat her cheeks with both hands, shaking her head. "See Piya? There's nothing to be afraid of."
Piya. Her name was Piya.
He reached out to touch her again, to feel her soft, porcelain skin. He wanted to know what he was feeling, and only she could answer. He wanted to know what she was. What power she suddenly had over him.
She turned back to face him right then, her features warped in a sudden fearful curiosity. His fingers curled back and his arm lowered, watching her go back up the path.
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Piya had seen his eyes, the darkest blue she had ever seen in her lifetime. A forbidden color. What were they? What was he? They reminded her of a stormy night sea, desperately searching for calm and light. Those eyes, they filled her with fear, but their gaze burned into her soul in such a way that she couldn't turn away from them. No...no...I have to leave.
She left the darkness of the forest to the light of her home. It was getting rather late. But she couldn't stop thinking about her time there. She wanted to stay. She didn't want to leave those eyes behind.
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Hope you all enjoyed! Do let me know what you think so far π
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