Years ago''.
The tall , lanky guy walked nervously through the trees. He cursed himself for his foolhardiness. All he wanted to prove to his Mother was that he can handle himself.
Walking into the forest when it was nearing night was certainly no way to do that his good sense chided him.
Eyes darting from left to right he hurried forward.
So much for the bravado shown earlier his mind chided him again.
Fear was creeping into him slowly.
What if he got lost? He gulped not even wanting to consider that thought.
During day time this forest was his playground. But in the night, it was as if it transformed into another world al together. No sane human would dare step in here. It was not for the fear of wild animals though. It was the fear of something else. The un named thing that had the locals keeping as much distance as was possible from the forest at night. Not that he believed in such rumours. But when you are stuck in an unpleasant situations, unpleasant thoughts have a nasty way of poking up their head.
Leaves were crushed on the forest floor behind him, making him whip around with eyes wide and heart hammering. The darkness was almost complete now and the moon was taking it's own sweet time in appearing. He knew that no other human would be foolish as him to come in here at night and so whatever it was he didn't want to attract it with the sound of his voice.
Few minutes, when he was convinced that nothing was there behind him, he let out relieved gasp. Moonlight had by now streaked into the forest illuminating it a bit. As he was about to turn around a form stepped into the patch of moonlight behind him and his peripheral vision registered this. He spun around again and stared at it.
Despite himself he smiled. Because standing in front of him was a girl who would hardly reach up to his shoulder. She was petite, tiny and extremely beautiful. His mind did register the fact that what would a girl be doing in the middle of the forest , but sluggishly.
"Shouldn't you be home?" he blurted out finding his voice. Girls in their place were not allowed out of the house after sunset. Especially not one as beautiful as this one.
The girl smiled , a bright disarming one and this had him stumped.
"I am lost, I came here before dusk to collect fire wood and now I am lost'.could you please help me find my way?" she asked sweetly, in a spell binding voice.
"Sure I will" he wanted to put up a brave face. You can't make a woman think less of you.
"Please follow me" he requested an turned around.
The next thing he knew, the girl was clinging to him an evil sneer adorning her beautiful face. She had her arms around his neck and her legs snaking his waist with a vice like grip. He couldn't budge a muscle.
"Didn't anyone tell you about not coming to the forest at night?" she asked in the same spellbinding voice, this time with a lethal edge.
The last thing the boy saw was her beautiful green eyes turn deathly red as she sank her fangs into his neck.
...
Tirtha's green eyes opened slowly. She regretted how she had savoured on that poor boy's fear. She had watched him as he walked through the forest trying to find his way back. From his walk and his movements she could say he was getting frightened. She had enjoyed that. She had loved that fear and she had loved sucking him dry. He probably had a family to return to but his life had stopped with her as the last site.
She sighed and moved away from the open window. Opening her cupboard she took out a black jeans and a green T to go with it. She scowled at the prospect of going into a college.
Niyala drives me into all kinds of madness she swore mentally.
After a quick shower and hurried dressing session, she got out of the Mount College Girls Hostel.
"Time for action baby sister, this time I am not letting you have your way" Tirtha was determined.
Raichand Mansion'.
The supernaturals had gathered back to discuss on an action plan and also to finish drawing up the chart of successors of Bogus Mirror maker.
" I don't get this why haven't anyone before us searched for the Successor" Nikki said half- with frustration of not arriving at an answer.
"We don't know about that Nikki, they might have tried and failed at discovering the Successor'.history doesn't really record everything" Armaan replied.
"That's not the reason young one" Raghav intervened "The reason is that- no kind of force can be used on the Creator or his Successor to make them relinquish the key or use the key to open the mirror, so even if one succeeds in finding the successor and the keys it will be of no use unless the Successor will fully uses it and that will not happen'it's just like with Kabir he will not will fully give of the sceptre but he can be forced magically or threatened'.but a Successor cannot be'..I think the creator knew that in time his device might be used improperly'.so he must have made the mirror with this clause"
"So this means even if we find the Successor we have a convincing session ahead of us" Jeh said slowly "Great" he voice slumped.
"Well then lets just hope he/ she is not as bull headed as you Jeh" Abhay remarked earning a glare from Jeh.
"Can we not try to get on each others nerves?" Armaan directed at Abhay who just shrugged in return.
Mount College'.
"Ayesha at this rate you will walk right into a pillar" Fiza commented stopping in her tracks and turning her friend around to face her.
"Huh? Um yeah I am sorry Di" Ayesha apologized.
"What's bothering you? You have been musing on and off since yesterday night'any problem with Abhay" Fiza enquired concerned.
"No di, nothing like that" Ayesha gave half the truth " He is wonderful husband and lover'.it's just that I have something on mind that I want to ask him and not ask him as well" she let out.
"That's a tricky situation" Fiza bit her lip " Well I think you should do what your conscience tells you is right"
"Hmm'I think I will give it a little more thought" Ayesha sighed.
"I am telling you baby sis, nothing happened" Anky's exasperated voice got their attention.
"Oh c'mon Di'.why keep the lid" Sur elbowed her playfully
"Oh Jeez! Fiz will you please convince this girl that nothing happened between me and Kabir on our date" Anky said leaning onto a pillar.
"How do I know that?" Fiza decided to side with Sur "You didn't tell me much"
"Hey! I told you what happened from to A to Z and that was it" Anky protested.
"Yeah! How do I believe you that you didn't'ahem'you know" Fiza winked.
"Excuse me Miss. Sharma'.I am not interested in making A-rated moments on my first date" Anky shot back making Fiza blush.
"You!" she swung a book at Anky who ducked and dashed away. Fiza followed her.
Tirtha watched the tall, straight haired girl dash off followed by her friend. The girl had seemed like a nice friendly sort. She was probably very trusting too. Her sister liked innocent preys. She had to keep this one protected at all cost and also keep the Sceptre away from the Aldarins.
"Sur where is Nidha?" Ayesha asked concerned by her absence.
"She is in the library...as usual buried in books preparing for the upcoming exam...seriously Aysh that girl takes too much tension about exams" Sur said
"And you don't? The only difference between you two is that your tension begins at one'o'clock in the morning of the day of exam and she worries a week earlier...now come on lets get started with our studies as well" Ayesha took Sur's hand.
"Oh yeah I forgot...studying at home must be impossible for you with your ahem around" Sur teased earning a smack on the head.
Raichand Mansion'.
"We have a witch, a vampire, a werewolf - four components needed to cross the maze'.we still need to find a human girl, a Hybrid , an Immortal and a Doppelganger" Armaan ticked off on his finger.
"Human girl is ready Armaan'I will get Nidha for the purpose" Jeh said confidently.
"Can I ask why this particular human?" Chand queried with a raised eyebrow.
Not again! Abhay sighed mentally.
"Dad we feel she will the easiest from among our friends to be convinced and that she will be able to survive the process'.Ayesha and Anky cannot be convinced easily and Sur and Fiza are much too delicate'.Nidha we can say is medium" Abhay replied .
Jeh looked at him hard. He wasn't one bit convinced by Abhay's reasoning.
"So now we need a Hybrid, an Immortal and a Doppelganger" Nikki continued.
"I think I can help you with the Hybrid part though I can't promise anything" Raghav said sounding grave.
All eyes turned to him.
"You aren't planning to ask Arnav, are you?" Haseena sounded sceptical. They had known Raghav for long and therefore knew well about his life.
"Arnav who?" Armaan asked , as the name struck him as familiar.
"Arnav Singh Raizada'known to the world as ASR'.my only son and a hybrid" Raghav stated
"The guy who was going to marry Fiza!" Armaan was nearly shocked "He is your son and a Hybrid"
"Yes he is'.he is my son'.born to me and my one true love and wife, a witch named Meenakshi 300 years gao" Raghav said ,various emotions flitting through his eyes.
"Raghav you do realize that it is a nearly impossible task'.Arnav has made it clear long ago he wants nothing to do with out world even though it is his reality'.for more almost two centuries he has kept a huge distance from our world'he won't get back in easily" Chand said.
"Chand this is why I said I can't promise anything'I will talk to him but I think we all will have to work hard to get him to join us" Raghav said.
Armaan was still stumped. For a while he had been thinking of asking Fiza to consider Arnav. He knew that she would never do that and he himself would probably murder Arnav, but right now he was glad he didn't . Gosh! Why was his girl's life so tied up with weirdoes?
Ufff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil
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