Guesthouse, Marwaa
A huffing and coughing Anushka reaches her room and latches it from inside. And as she runs towards the mirror, she is a sight that no one can bear or believe. Her skin is melting rapidly , revealing the flesh tissues beneath her peaches and cream complexion and her throat is burning , roasting the skin of her neck and fumes rising from it.
Anushka ( panics )- NO!
Anushka, rapidly sinking rushes to her wardrobe and throws it open, throwing things and clothes around , searching for something like a madwoman. She is an ugly and puke-ish sight to look at now. It seems she will dissolve within into a pool of fluid within minutes if something is not done to heal her. And then, she finds it in her little wooden box – a small vial of a transparent water. Relieved , she takes it out but before she can even grip it properly , the door bursts open and Natasha flies in like the wind and snatches it from Anushka's hands. Anushka , too weak to react falls on the ground , extending her hand for the vial. Natasha is both taken aback and happy at Anushka's state.
Natasha ( makes a disgusted face )- EEEEEEEEEEKS! Where is my beautiful beautiful Anushka with her doe eyes and milk skin, you disgusting , ugly hag?
Anuskha ( writhing in pain )- GIVE THAT VIAL BACK TO ME!
Natasha ( grinning and tossing the vial in her hands)- What is the need? Melt and dissolve into nothingness , sweetz. I will clean the floor and all will be well!
Anushka ( her whole body melting now )- Stop it, Natasha! Give that vial back to me! ….( her voice dying )….my death is not going to change anything in your life!
Natasha , suddenly struck by an evil idea , squats and bends down over a writhing and suffering Anushka and dangles the vial to her as you dangle a bone to a dog.
Anushka ( her flesh melting)- Natasha, please!
Natasha ( with an evil glint in her eyes )- Of course , I will please you right away if you promise to tell me what happened to you! ….Just curious.
A sinking Anushka could read in Natasha's eyes that Natasha was not 'just curious'. Her evil mind had started working with acceleration already. Tears rolling down her cheeks, burning her skin to the extent of showing the bone under her cheeks, and life ebbing out of her, Anushka just nods. With a fiendish smile on her face, Anushka opens the vial and presses it to Anushka's lips…. The water entering her body. As soon as the water goes into her throat, life returns to Anushka's body. She lets out a sigh of relief – the burning and melting stops – her flesh and skin recovers rapidly and soon we have a beautiful and delicate Anushka lying on the floor , her eyes up at the ceiling. As much as she hates it, a grinning Natasha helps Anuskha up and makes her sit on a chair. Anushka's head is still reeling as Natasha takes a chair opposite her , smiling devilishly and tapping her hereled shoes on the floor.
Natasha ( dramatically )- Awwwwwwww……my gorgeous all powerful witch. It is good to have you back to normal. The ugly rotting hag that I saw on the floor just freaked me out…( laughs and then, with a snap of her finger in Anushka's face becomes the evilly dark vampire that she is )… enough with the soap opera, baby. What.Happened.To.You.
Anushka ( becoming normal)- What if I don't tell you?
Natasha ( keeping her legs on the table )- Then, nothing. I remind Kabir of what happened in the last 15 minutes which I just made him forget and I threaten his or Angad's life by sucking out their blood, killing them and blaming it on the panthers and tigers in the jungle down there…..fiddlesticks! You cannot play me, witchykins! I saved your life and you promised to tell me what happened to you! …Don't. Test.My.Patience.
Anushka wants the earth to open and swallow her. Shit! This was disaster! Kabir's small mischief had just endangered Anushka and the connected lives of her loved ones to a Bolshva! And that too someone as dark and evil as Natasha. There was nothing much she could do now. Even if she warded off Natasha with magic , the biatch would actually eat up Kabir and Angad. Natasha had no morals – no good bone – she was just a predator in a stunning human body. Anushka knew she had to open her mouth now… come what may. She was about to give her neck into a Bolshva's hand …..because of a human being and his innocent mischief. Anushka shook her head and taking a deep breath looked into Natasha's predatory cat eyes .
Anushka – I…. I have a curse on my back.
Natasha ( raising a perfectly shaped arched eyebrow)- Curse? A curse on the great Anushka ? You gotta be kidding me! I mean, you are the kind of witch we predators wish we never meet in our lives and you are telling me that you have a curse on your back? Whoa! Am loving it! Tell me the story, darling…. It is not that one gets to see The Anushka in this lamb like state!
Anushka has an urge to cast a hex on her there and then, but owing to her own physical weakness and the threat to Kabir and Angad's lives, she is helpless.
Anushka ( recalling painfully )- In 1900….a renowned healer or rather a 'mistress of spices' was in my life. About 102 years old , she was passing on the healing secret of spices to me. It was in… in Sikkim.
Natasha ( gleefully )- A mistress of spices? Damn, did you screw up something there , witchy?
Anushka ( looks guilty )- Yes…. Bigtime. When she fell ill, I had to administer spices to her – heal her back. That was my test of the knowledge and training that she had given to me. …..i made a mistake. When I should have used the spices' secret to heal her , I relied on my magical powers. I used them to heal her. Not the spices. She suffered the wrath of spices and died…died inspite of my magic.
Flash : An old woman compelled by the scents of the spices to make a poison out of them and commit suicide….Anushka watching her die and burn in her garden of spices.
Anushka shudders…
Natasha ( realizing )- And the wrath of the spices befell on you from that woman?
Anushka( nods wiping her tears )- Yes….the healer cursed me with the wrath of spices. From, that day to till date , no spice has entered my mouth. Whatever food I eat or whatever I drink, I destroy the 'taste' by magic so that I can escape the wrath….but today….
Natasha ( shakes her head)- Poor you. You have had no TASTE in your mouth for a good 111 years? Too bad. Patients of hypertension and diabetes have a better life than you.
Anushka ( glaring at her)- Now, you know my secret. But I don't think it is of any use to you. You can't stuff spices into my mouth and just kill me.
Natasha ( gets up smiling )- Don't try to read my mind, Anushka. It ain't gonna help. Bolshies may not know how to escape the power of your magic but we sure can dodge it. I will keep your secret…. For next 5 minutes maybe,
Anushka ( disgusted )- Bitch.
Natasha – I know.
Just then, the door of the room is flung open and Kabir walks in with Angad.
Kabir ( rolls his eyes )- You girls! What are you both gossiping about? Breakfast is ready and we need to gobble it and rush to the village , okay?
Angad ( scolding Natasha)- And you , Natzie! Who will finish Kabir's speech? Your mother-in-law?
Natasha ( winks at him )- Why don't you just tell me that am the woman of your dreams?
Angad gets dazed by the cat eyes but Anushka breaks the eye contact by turning Angad around.
Anushka (shooting Natasha a cold look )- Flirt with each-other , later. Let's go and eat now.
Natasha (in her mind )- I am brilliant. And the colours of my brilliance are going to shine on you very soon…. Witchy!
Raichand Mansion, Dehradun
Haseena is sitting in the hall, stirring her black coffee with a careless hand and her eyes fixed on the fireplace. Even though royal and stately in her appearance owing to her royal blood when she was a human being, she had the eyes of a tigress – sharp, aggressive and a fiery shade of brown. Right now, her mind seemed to be in a frenzy. A million thoughts and questions running in her head and there were no answers,,. Yet.
Flash: Sambhav and his clan's entry into their lives – the awakening of Maithli – the entwining of Piya and Abhay's lives- Sambhav's agenda of getting Abhay to lend immortality to the werewolves – Return of the deadly Bolshvas and their unclear motive – warnings and messages of the majesty who belonged to the Bolshva cowen – visions of Abhay's dead father- threats, threats and more threats.
Haseena ( muttering )- All this… all of this has to mean something……SOMETHING.
Just then, Chaand walks in , reading a book and his gold rimmed spectacles resting on his nose. He has overheard his wife's thoughts and is reading her mind. He shakes his head, closes the book and comes and sits next to her.
Chaand ( calmly )- A supernatural explosion, Haseena. That is where we all are headed. Nothing is making sense at all right now because all clans, all species…. All of us… vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks are coming together after a good 100-150 years….we all are working towards something that will snowball into something disastrous.
Haseena ( nods )- Like always , Chaand. Survival and power. That is what our lives are all about. I am just thinking now. Bolshvas are our sworn enemies …but reaching a pact and an agreement , we divided the world. We divided the globe between us by the equator. We hadn't seen a single Bolshvas for centuries altogether, Chaand… and one fine day , we hear that Natasha and her cronies are attacking Abhay and Sambhav? Spreading all around us? Feelers coming from … from Majesty?
Chaand ( pours himself wine )- Hmmm… they came here to not only achieve a supernatural victory but also find the hidden Bolshva who is a mutant vampire – as in really badass by her genes – powers of the Bolshva clan multiplied in her.
Haseena – Yeah…. Tanushree. I still can't get over it. T! Almost killed Abhay.
Chaand – But Piya saved Abhay and that works in our favour.
Haseena – Piya is a human being, Chaand. And Maithli's doppelganger! Now, we have two identical women screwing Abhay's life!
Chaand – No. They both are Abhay's shields. Maithli will do anything for Abhay because she is obsessed with winning him…. And Piya will… oops… can die for Abhay because her human heart loves him. We just have to see when and how to use them.
Haseena – Piya loves Abhay. I have seen it in her eyes.
Chaand – That is why she is our card…. I think I can see how this whole Bolshva and werewolf angle is falling into place.
Haseena – As in?
Chaand – I am as old as the mountains now, Haseena. I can see and tell you what Bolshvas plan to do. Inspite of being ruthless cannibals , they have not touched anyone in the town after that one insane attack on Misha in the jungle. T and Natasha are behaving friendly with everyone. Bolshvas are playing nice to us- Majesty is strangle sending appeasement feelers. Imagine! Bolshvas being nice and vegetarian with Czens inspite of being twice more powerful than us…..
Haseena ( gets it )- Agenda…. They want to achieve something through us or rather with us! Right?
Chaand ( sipping his wine )- Right. And if all vampires are on one side , who do you see behind enemy lines?
Haseeena ( horrified )- Werewolves! Oh damn! Is this what it is all about? Bolshvas are planning to lend us an olive branch so that we all double up against the werewolves?
Chaand – No other logic and no other possibility works. Bolshvas are sheer power but they need a trick that only we Czens have.
Haseena – There is…. Is just one. A werewolf bite cannot kill us- we can only be rendered paralyzed by the stunning of nerves that their saliva causes once released into our blood… and any witch can heal us in time.
Chaand ( clicks his fingers )- Now, you are talking, Haseena,. But Bolshvas? The moment a werewolf bites them , the poison in their own blood – Huraan will kill them by rendering all their organs inactive and…. Failing. Immortality gone out of the window!
Haseena – Yes… damn! They need us! … But,….why this sudden desperation to finish the werewolves?
Chaand ( grins )- Not only to kill them but to find them – all of them! Danish called me up and told me how T is tightening her claws around Sam….and no werewolf in this world has any defence against the hypnosis of vampires … and the Emotional Energy which Bolshvas possess can make mountains turn into a pool of water!
Haseena ( smiles )- Sam? Entrapped? That would be quite a catch for the Bolshvas. T is sure turning out dangerous. … ( gets serious )… what do we do then?
Chaand ( calmly – Nothing. Wait for the supernatural ring to complete and choose our role. Werewolves are our enemies but Bolshvas are our sworn enemies. Let all of them play their cards…. And you never know what is running in Majesty's head right now.
Haseena ( shudders )- I don't even want to think what he is thinking. Having walked this earth for a good 5000 years …. Having killed millions of beings – he is the master of the game. He finished his own coven of vampires so that he can rule!
Chaand – Nobody wants to think of him, see him, meet him. The Bolshvas themselves have not seen him for centuries but his voice and his terror are still ruling them.
Haseena (nods but her thoughts drift )- Wait a second! Chaand ? What were you saying that the supernatural ring was yet to complete? Who is missing?
Chaand ( ace tensing up)- ARE missing. They are arriving, though, you can just smell it in the air….. ( dramatically )… if the supernatural explosion we are predicting is true, they will be here soon…. THE VAMPTRE SLAYERS…..
Living Hall, Daksh's House
Pancchi was roaming around like a wonder child in the palatial living hall of Daksh's house. It was very classic in architecture and Daksh's obsession with woodwork and classy colours showed not only his gorgeous office but in his house as well. Sculptures , paintings , glass and wooden furniture in cutwork and carving – Daksh's house was beauty in motion. Pancchi was looking around, gaping her eyes at everything and her pretty little mouth making a cute 'O'. Daksh had called her home by sending her a message on BlackBerry at 7am in the morning. He needed her help, he had said. And now, here she was at his house, waiting in his living hall for the past 10 minutes. Her mind had still not forgotten the sketches and information on the Raichands that she had found in his drawer. What was making it difficult for her to forget this shocking fact was Daksh's denial that he knew the Raichands at all.
Pancchi ( confused again )- Why is Daksh lying on my face that he doesn't know the Raichands?
Just then, she hears footsteps coming down the staircase – calculated and quiet footsteps. She turned around and saw Daksh – dressed in a white T shirt and a deep blue pair of denims. His attractive but unfriendly black eyes looking down at her and the supercilious curve of his masculine jaw visible from meters away challenging her. Pancchi gives him an unsure smile and he nods at her as he comes down, ushering her to take a seat in his plush floral sofa.
Daksh ( sitting down )- Goodmorning Miss.Dobriyaal. Am glad you could come.
Pancchi ( smiles )- Not a problem. What is it that you wanted to discuss? Don't tell me the college budgets because they cannot be discussed without the committee's presence.
Daksh puts his knuckles under his chin and scrutinizes her as though giving her marks for speaking. Pancchi feels uncomfortable being in the direct line of his eyes. They were so… so… sharp and piercing that the man could look through you.
Pancchi – What?
Daksh ( calmly standing up)- Miss.Dobriyaal, I don't discuss work at home. I didn't call you here for any official work.
Pancchi is taken aback at this cool rejoinder and looks confused. What did this man mean? Humph. First, he is so arrogant , secondly he is a living X ray machine and thirdly , his riddles and dead pan expressions get on my nerves… arrghhh!
Daksh ( looks back at her )- Sorry if I get on your nerves.
Pancchi almost goes blank upon hearing this. Damn! Does this business magnet read minds?
Pancchi ( forced to blink her eyes at him )- Do you read minds?
Daksh shakes his head and turns to face her – looking into her surprised eyes.
Daksh – No. I read faces… and… ( tilts her face to a side with his forefinger gently)…. And your face contours are screaming irritation.
Pancchi feels her cheek flush where Daksh touched her and she turns her head away. Daksh gives her a small smile which makes Pancchi blush like an idiot.
Daksh ( seriously )- Your patience levels are really low , Miss.Dobriyaal. Learn to bear with me. Anyway, I called you here because I want your help….or rather want you to plan a grand housewarming party.
Pancchi ( stunned )- Housewarming party? Dude!... I mean, Mr.Daksh, am sorry but am not a party planner! And why should I do it for you?
Daksh ( makes a teacher like face at her )-Why are you so overdramatic. Miss.Dobriyaal? Chill. I am asking you to plan the party because am new in town – I see that your tastes is as fine and rich as mine. You are organized , talented , meticulous and you have this warm domestic aura that makes a home out of a house… ( shrugs his shoulders )… so,what is wrong if I want my colleague to plan a party at my house? Is there ?
Pancchi ( rendered speechless )- No.
Daksh ( smiles a little)- Great , then. Get down to doing it. You have a week's time and I want the whole town invited. My family will like to familiarize with everyone in this town…. EVERYONE.
Pancchi – You have a family as well?
Daksh ( puzzled )- All normal and blessed people have families , madam.
Pancchi- I am sorry but I didn't see anyone in your house.
Daksh – My Dad, the ex trustee of Mount College is in Canada now. And as for the rest of my folks…. They are arriving. And I repeat…,I want everyone at the party.
Pancchi ( without realizing )-The Raichands too?
Daksh ( sharply )- Yes….with Abhay Raichand , included. Just like I want Misha Dobriyaal included.
TO BE CONTINUED.
