Siddharth,have you heard?
The king has given orders for Abhayendra to be jailed..he's locked up Maithili..He's going to kill them!" she whispered panicking in the stables. "Siddharth-
please- you need to help me, we have to convince the king- "
"Piyali, I didn't expect this
from you," said Siddharth, sounding surprised. " You loved him too, didn't you?
What better way? Maithili and Abhayendra...separated forever...Why are you
bothered? The king only wants them separated.." Piyali stared for a long
moment at the man she had come to regard as her best friend, her brother, her
confidante. Where was he? She'd never seen this man before, the one who'd' "You
told the king, " she whispered shakily. "You, Siddharth? You? Your own brother?"
"Shut up, Piyali, " he whispered harshly. " He's not my
brother.
Crack.She'd slapped him with all
the force she could muster. " You did this- you plotted this?" she whispered in
horror. " No, Siddharth, please, just once, tell me you didn't do this. Please-"
"I did," he confirmed, his
face devoid of emotions now. "Why are you upset? You loved
him too, didn't you? Loved him so much that you nearly killed yourself for him.
But he didn't thank you, did he? Why do you let Maithili come between you two?
Why is it wrong for me to love Maithili? All is fair in love and war, Piyali...
"No!" she choked out, tears
blurring her eyesight. "She didn't come between us! I was a fool- to set my
eyes on him. The princess' lover? I am
nothing, Siddharth, nothing to him, and never shall be! And you," she rounded
on him, " Do you honestly believe that even if you rescue her from all this,
she'll change her heart and love you instead? No! She loves him! They were
meant to be together, Siddharth. Why do you use such ways to get what you want
? Why do you want to do this to them? They could die, all right?"
"I didn't want her to be
locked up," muttered Siddharth, running a hand through his hair. "I only wanted
him to be separated..." Pia let out a wounded cry of fury.
"Your own brother, Siddharth?
All this, for a girl who doesn't love you back? You back stabbed him- so
easily? How could you? Yes, I love him. Yes, I'll love him till my dying breath.
But I would never, never dream of forcing my love on him. Like the way you're
doing to my mistress. Maithili has been nothing but sweet to me. She doesn't
deserve this!"
She turned away from him,
saying in a clear voice, "I'm going to help! I couldn't care less whether you
were there or not. But I won't let them get separated. No , never! I hate you,
Siddharth. If you can do this to your own blood, what trust do I have on you? I
am but a girl who you considered your sister. I trusted you, Siddharth! I
trusted you!"
Still crying, she turned and
ran from the stables, not looking back at Siddharth. His face had gone very
white.
As she ran through the
cobbled pathways, she tightened the veil around her face. And Pia Dobriyal
remembered'. Abhay telling her they could never be together. Abhay telling her
he would always be there for her. Abhay pushing back her hair. Abhay touching
her face.Abhay... Pia cried in earnest, wishing with all her heart she had
never loved him. As she reached the doors of the palace, she took a deep breath
and wiped her tears as best as she could...
She knew it was risky, going back inside. She couldn't help it. She could not let Abhayendra die.
She rushed to her room, donning her weapons and rushing to the dungeons. The darkness and the musty smell invaded her nostrils, twice causing her to stop in fear.
Once she got there, though... It was a different story.
Guards patrolled the corridors, in order to prevent any more escapades. Dimly, she could make out Abhayendra's form. He was in the cell opposite her.
She counted the guards. Two...four... Six it was. An even half-dozen.
Her eyes had adjusted to the light now. She picked a target, loosed an arrow...and shot the man in the neck, effectively severing his vein causing instant death.
Knowing she has only seconds, she threw a dagger at the chest of another, taking out a third with an arrow to the knee.
The rest of them now turned to her direction, pulling out their swords. However, since Piya was in the shadows, she brought down yet another, forcing down the rise of vomit in her throat.
Then she stepped out from the darkness, her sword at the ready. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Abhayendra rise in shock, pressing closer to the bars.
Piya did not move, waiting for the guards to strike. They did not disappoint.
One struck at her chest, which she sidestepped and countered with one of her own. The other, obviously realizing she was a powerful enemy, went for the head, but she used her smaller stature to evade him, her body moving in a dance of its own as she twirled and dodged.
And then it happened, so suddenly, that even Piya was surprised : Her sword's edge found an opening and slashed his neck.
He fell.
The distraction caused the other guard to find an opening as she was now pinned against the wall. There was nothing much she could do, except hold off the fatal strike.
Unless...unless...she did something unexpected.
Leaning forwards, she shouted 'Yah!' close to his ear. The sudden noise disoriented him, and Piya was able to wriggle out.
Once more their swords clanged in the emptiness of the corridor, both opponents searching for the other's weaknesses, and Piya had never felt so thankful to Abhayendra. She remembered his every correction, every manoeuver as she fought the guard.
Her sword came up and nicked his eyebrow, causing a small cut.
It was superficial, but Piya could taste the victory as she baited him, daring him to strike at her.
As she parried his blows, she realised her moment of victory. A drop of blood was going to spill over, distorting his vision- a fatal impediment, for she had been waiting for this all along, and used the opportunity to the fullest, burying her sword in his chest.
She watched his eyes widen in shock , before they became blank and lifeless. The sword clattered to the floor before he hit the ground.
She stared at it numbly. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she realised her goal...
Abhayendra.
As soon as she broke the locks, Abhayendra stepped out, and impulsively embraced her. She stiffened : did he think she was Maithali again? Her veil was still in place.
'Thank you,' he said, voice husky. 'You have no idea- how proud I am of you. '
She returned the one armed hug, wishing time would go still and she could stay in his arms forever, but she knew she couldn't.
They broke apart and Abhayendra said, 'Are you all right?'
How he knew she was feeling queasy, she did not know.
'Yes,' she stammered.
'Breathe,' he said in a strong voice. 'In and out. In and out. Breathe.'
She breathed deeply, and then it was Abhayendra who supported her all the way out, never questioning, never speaking. He knew her feelings so well.
She felt a burning near her shoulder, and as she reached up to touch it, she felt something wet and sticky. Blood.
She nearly threw up.
Once they were outside, she told Abhayendra, 'We need to get her out. They will do something to her.'
He nodded, and then they were sprinting full pelt. As they came nearer, Piya saw the flickering glow light up the forest around. It looked like...
'Fire.' said Abhayendra, coming to a sudden halt. 'They- they- the bas***ds-'
She looked up in the direction his eyes raged. Maithali's cottage was on fire. She could see the blurred outline of a woman.
'No,' she whispered, beginning to shake. 'No!' Her scream echoed throughout the forest.
She ran forwards, but Abhayendra caught her shoulders and stopped her.
Looking into his blue-grey eyes now, she saw an icy determination.
'Go. Run. Get help, whatever. Just go. I'll save her.'
'No-' she began, but he would have none of it.
'Piyali, GO!' he shouted.
She went limp, and he gave her a terse nod as he ran towards the fire.
Once he had a decent headstart, she ran forwards. As she neared, she could hear Maithali's screams of help.
The wound in her calf stung and her eyes watered with the smoke, but she did not stop.
And then she was caught by a pair of strong hands who pushed back.
She looked up at Siddharth.
Siddharth was pulling her back.
'Don't you dare,' she hissing, trying to claw her way out.
'Yes, I can and I will,' he said calmly.
'You are injured already, and you cannot help. I'm going in.'
Piya stopped struggling. 'You - you'd go to save them?'
Siddharth shrugged.
'I'm going now. If you have ever been my friend, you will trust me now and you will not follow me. Understand? I am not letting you get any more hurt.'
She nodded silently. 'In case I don't make it back, Piya,' he said lightly, 'I'm sorry for what I did. Not that I'd get any second chances, but...'
Piya shook her head. 'You're wrong,' she found herself saying. 'Everyone deserves a second chance, Siddharth... I know you're not all bad... I will still trust you.'
He gave her a sketchy half-smile , leaving her in the trees as he walked forwards into the fire.
And that's when Piya's head exploded.
Pain. Pain. So much pain.
And then... The visions started to return.
She was taking the road through the forest. Something seemed to move past her...she moved, but the forest seemed empty.
Meeting Misha. Her father.
The mysterious saviour. Abhay Raichand.
She welcomed the unconsciousness.
Piya awoke a few hours later, eyes stinging and throat parched. The fire still raged and there was no sign of Abhayendra... Siddharth...or Maithali.
Abhay and Sid.
She felt a chilling clarity overtake her as all her memories returned at last.. Abhay was Abhayendra. Siddharth became Sid. Abhay killed Siddharth. Maithali cursed Abhay. He took her memories.
She clutched the tree, unaware of the salt water coursing down her cheeks.
Vampires.
Abhay was a vampire. Abhayendra was a vampire. One and the same. No wonder! No wonder Abhay didn't want her! No wonder he was so secretive, no wonder!
He'd only been looking out for her because of her stupid resemblance to the woman he loved. He'd tried to protect her. So many times, he'd told her to leave him alone... She had not listened. She'd forced his hand, always.
No wonder he'd erased her memories so she would forget him. What had he told her once? Physical attraction.
Attraction, that was all it had been. Hadn't he confessed his love for her only to keep an eye on her after he'd bitten her?
And Siddharth. Why, why had she trusted him, why had she been so naive? Did she blame Abhay for avoiding her? No, it was her fault, for wanting to spite Abhay, for accompanying Siddharth. If she hadn't accompanied him, none of this would have happened. Abhay wouldn't have had to kill his brother.
God, she was such a mess. She understood everything Reina had meant. She'd specifically told Piya not to fall for Abhayendra, because she'd known, hadn't she?
Her knees felt like marshmallow.
She stood there , she did not know for how long, her head spinning as she took in her memories. The answers she'd wanted. Well, at least Reina hadn't lied to her.
She coughed, realizing she needed to get away from the smoke.
She stepped away from the trees, looking for someone or something, she knew not...
And then she heard Siddharth's voice. 'All is well, my love...'
Her breath caught in her chest, her mind refusing to accept the implication of her words.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Siddharth, cradling Maithali, who looked at him with an adoring smile on her face.
Yet, Piya felt the stirrings of fear. Siddharth- she could see his eyes were dark blue, almost violet, as were Maithali's. His fangs were out.
She wanted to be sick.
She knew they couldn't see her, hidden as she was by the bushes, but weren't vampiric senses more acute? She needed to get away from there...
She ran.
Twigs and brambled ripped at her skin and her gown. The half-clotted wounds in her shoulder and leg felt like fire.
And then she stopped. Siddharth was standing in front of her.
Her hands automatically flew to her face, checking the veil. She took a step back.
Siddharth walked towards her, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
He was now less than a foot from her.
She barely recognized her own voice. 'Don't kill me... Please...'
Siddharth stopped in his tracks, his face giving away nothing, yet his eyes showed confusion... And then recognition.
'I'm thirsty,' he said, but it felt more like a plea than a threat.
She stared back at me. 'Would you kill me to slake your thirst?'
'You know what I am,' he said softly. 'You know what I need.'
She swallowed. 'Blood,' she said softly. 'Would you take it from me? Can you not...master yourself? Please?'
Siddharth took a deep breath, looking as though he was warring with himself.
'Maithali is mine,' he told Piya. 'So I saw,' she returned coldly.
If she didn't know better, she could have sworn he almost flinched. Almost.
'You aren't made for this Siddharth,' she said pleadingly. 'You aren't made for evil. You don't need to be evil. Even if you are a - a vampire, that doesn't mean-'
He laughed. 'Are you telling me to give her up? She hates Abhayendra now anyways.'
His face was alight with a boyish triumph.
Piya stared back at him tears brimming in her eyes.
'I trusted you,' she whispered sadly.
'I can't help it, Piyali,' said Siddharth, sounding almost helpless. 'I can't... There isn't any way out.'
Then, almost immediately he took several steps back.
'Get away from here,' he snapped.
Piya stared at him.
'I'll hurt you if you stay here. Go.'
Piya stood still.
'Go!' he shouted.
Piya felt herself stumbling backwards.
Something nagged at the back of her mind. If Maithali was with Sid, and if this was past... Perhaps there was still hope for her. Maybe, if Abhay got to her now, she wouldn't be an evil...vampire.
She needed to find him first. Needed to tell him. He needed to know the truth. He didn't deserve to spend the next two centuries torturing himself over a lie. Maithali wasn't dead.
She found him near the burning cottage, about to enter. She remembered how easily he'd come to save her , so many eons ago...
'Abhayendra!' she said suddenly.
He stopped, turning around to face her. He began walking towards towards her.
His fangs weren't out, but his eyes were a cold blue.
When he was in front of her, she spoke without preamble :'Abhay- Maithali and Siddharth- they're together-'
She was cut off as his hand curled around her throat and she was pinned against the tree.
'Do. Not. Speak. About. Them,' he said in a low voice filled with fury.
She trembled. 'It's the truth. I know what I did was foolish, but-'
She saw his expressions change, for fury to something...hard. Dark. Suddenly, she was terrified.
'I see,' he said coldly.
'So it was you all along. You really are a brilliant actress, aren't you?'
She stared at him, confused. She had been going to say it was foolish of her to trust Siddharth.
'What-what are you-'
'Of course, it makes sense,' he continued, almost speaking to himself. 'You were always closer to Siddharth, you'd do anything for him, even betraying your other friends who trusted you, isn't that right Piyali? And that's why...after that night... You stayed with us more than him... I should have known... But I was so naive...'
He turned to her suddenly, eyes flashing in fury. 'Why did you betray us?' he said in a soft, dangerous voice. 'Why did you betray me? What was my fault?'
Piya stared at him in shock.
'Abhay- I didn't-'
'My fault,' he hissed , coming closer, 'was not being Siddharth, am I right?'
She couldn't speak.
'Am I right?' he roared. With one powerful hand, he sent the tree she was leaning on, flying into the air.
'No- no- I swear I didn't!' she cried out, in terror and agony.
'I swear, I didn't do it Abhayendra- please- just listen to me, please hear me out-Please- please listen to me. I need to tell you-
I swear I didn't-'
This time, he attacked her, sending her flying ten feet away, hitting the ground with a soft thump.
By the time she had struggled to gain her footing, Abhay advanced on her, fangs bared. She closed her eyes, waiting for her death. She was going to die...
She felt him love closer, his breath on the back of her neck as he exhaled. 'So sweet...' he whispered softly. 'Your blood smells like nectar. I should kill you now...'
She wanted to cry so badly. He thought she had played him and Maithali...chosen Siddharth over him... It was all her fault, for trusting Siddharth in the first place.
Why wasn't he biting her and getting it over with? Why was he prolonging her agony?
She felt him grip her shoulders and pull her around to face him.
He spoke one last word to her.
'Leave.'
She needed no more words, as she ran through the forest, desperately searching for a road, Reina's cottage... Ignoring the frequent stabs on her skin as brambles caught at her...
The veil she'd so painstakingly tied was ripped away by a low-hanging branch as she ran on, uncaring and oblivious, not even sure who she was running from...
Abhay? Siddharth? Herself?
She tripped over a root, and felt herself fall over a slope...she felt herself fall down...down...down...onto something hard...
Piya Dobriyal recognized the texture and colour of a concrete road just before her eyes closed.
The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was the sound of tyres screeching to a halt.
PS. Hope this makes Chapter 6 and the last bit of Chapter 16 clearer.😳 This update is dedicated to Indu aka Bleak_House for literally making me beg. Literally. 
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