Chapter 25
Abhay was quiet all the way back home. Once they entered the Raichand Mansion, Abhay made for the privacy of his room without looking back.
Siddharth.
His return had thrown everything off-kilter. Suddenly, his own plans seemed thrown off course. He knew it was foolish, but he couldn't help but blame Siddharth for everything that was going on. And then at the party... Siddharth had seemed the same as usual...yet he seemed different! He went over the memory in his head, replaying his brief conversation with Siddharth. 'Why did you help me that night?' he'd asked Sid, point-blank. Sid had looked startled, before he composed himself and said, 'What night are you talking about?' 'You know very well which night I meant!' snapped Abhay. Sid put on a very unconvincing innocent expression.
'I don't remember any night I helped you... In fact, I'm seeing you for the first time since I came back. Nice to see that you're still playing merry-go-round with my sister in law.' Abhay rolled his eyes and said coldly, 'Don't even try worming your way back into my family. I know you are here for a reason. Don't think I'll trust you just because you're a human now-' Sid smirked. 'You must be pretty jealous, huh? I get to be the human, while you don't...tsk, tsk. I get to have Piya as an employee, as a sort of friend...' 'Stay away from Piya,' hissed Abhay. 'Sid, you try harming her- you'll regret it very badly.' 'Last time I got myself killed, baby brother,' said Sid. 'Don't worry, I've got no intentions for Piya- but as far your behaviour to her is concerned, let me tell you- you're making a huge mistake, brother.' Before he could ask Sid what he meant, Piya had come between them. He had watched her carefully- the way she spoke to Sid, as thought he was her friend, rather than a boss.
And something else-when her eyes had flitted towards him for just a moment- he had been very, very sure that Piya Dobriyal was hiding something... He hadn't meant to blow up at her, but then his patience was wearing thin with the shorter dresses Piya worse nowadays. It made him wish she could go back to her earlier long-skirt days. And then, when he had seen Piya drag Sid away outside, and she had begged Sid not to tell him anything- exactly what had that little conversation meant? What did Sid know that he didn't? Piya keeping secrets bothered him, and now it bothered him most to know that she wanted the secret to be specifically kept from him.
A secret, which Sid apparently knew. Sid's reaction to Piya had puzzled him. In a twisted way, Sid had actually asked Piya to tell him.
What game was Sid playing, and what secret was Piya hiding? A sudden thought struck him. Could it be that Piya had found out something about her past? Had Sid been the one to tell her? If so- pure terror gripped Abhay. Knowing Sid, he would have given her a garbled version of events, probably painting him as someone evil. He supposed he should be grateful Sid was ensuring that Piya was staying away from him, but then again- what had Sid told him? That he was making a mistake where Piya was concerned.If Sid had fed Piya lies, why would he try telling him he was making a mistake? Was he playing a game against both of them, pitting them against each other? He rubbed his forehead , feeling uncharacteristically tired.
The door of the room opened, and his mother entered. 'Abhay?' she said. 'Is something wrong?' 'Tell me what isn't,' he muttered. Looking concerned, Haseena sat down on the bed. 'Is it Piya? I saw she snapped at you for something-' 'No!' said Abhay. 'I mean, yes... Piya, and Sid, and everything else...' 'You think she could fall for Sid?' said Haseena, tilting her head to the side. 'No,' muttered Abhay. 'I don't know why she's so friendly with him, and she's keeping something from me- and Sid knows it.' Haseena's face remained impassive. She merely raised a well-made eyebrow.
'I see...so Sid knows something you don't?' she said. Abhay inclined his head in assent. 'I overheard them conversing. Piya was telling Sid not to tell me something- but what?' 'I won't burden you with an opinion,' said Haseena quietly. 'But I will say this- sometimes, we search the world for an answer that lies right in front of us. We just need to open our minds and see it.' She left, noiselessly shutting the door as she left.
Many miles away : Maithali wiped her mouth free of the blood of the man she had just drained. The man lay still and unmoving. She smiled as she thought of how, earlier in the day, Siddharth had come to her.
Flashback :
'You've taken a long time in coming, love,' said Maithali, running a finger along his cheek, noting with satisfaction how his eyes darkened at her touch. 'I'm sorry,love,' he replied, taking her hand and touching it to his lips. 'Being human confused me for a while...but your love brought me back... to you.'
Maithali smiled in satisfaction. 'I know, Siddharth,' she whispered. 'You have loved me more than anyone.'
Siddharth had smiled. 'I've got Piya to trust me again,' he said, smiling. 'And Piya will help me get access to Abhay...and then, finally...'
'Victory will be ours,' she whispered, eagerness in her eyes. 'I simply cannot wait...'
'Patience, Princess,' he replied. 'I must go... I have a party to attend...'
'Return soon,' she had said.
-end flashback-
Now, alone in a deserted mansion, Maithali paced back and forth, waiting for Siddharth to come again, as she knew he would.
A shadow crossed and threshold, and Maithali smiled at Siddharth.
He crossed the length of the room with quick strides, reaching up to her and pressing a hard, blazing kiss on her mouth. Maithali moved too, pressing her body against his, as they tumbled onto the bed.
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Piya glanced up at the clock, noting that it was close to one. She paced the room restlessly, waiting for Alina.
In the party, Alina had been taken her aside, then slipped her a piece of paper. 'There are so many things I have to tell you,' she had whispered to her. 'I also need to give you something... It'll take too long to explain. Just read what I've written. '
Piya unfolded the note. 'I need to meet you tonight, at your hostel. Just say yes or no- I don't want anyone to know.'
She looked up curiously. 'Yes,' she said. Alina's face relaxed at once.
Reaching into the depths of her clutch, she pulled out a cigarette lighter and clicked it. She then touched the note to the flickering flame, watching as it caught fire and then floated to the ground. Within seconds, all that remained was ash.
'Let's go,' she had murmured, steering Piya back into the party, where Piya had been quite surprised to see Sid dancing with Miss Gupta.
There was a soft thump, and Piya turned in time to see Alina getting to her feet behind her. 'Hi,' she said. 'Sorry I'm late.'
'How did you get in?' said Piya in shock. Alina jerked a finger to the open window behind her. 'I misjudged my balance,though,' she said sheepishly.
It was only then that Piya noticed the package she was carrying. It was not very big, but it looked heavy. 'What's that?' said Piya.
Alina smiled, running her hands over the green coloured box. It slowly grew in length and breadth, till it became the size of a trunk.
'Well, Piyali,' said Alina with a wide smile. 'Greetings from the past.'
Piya's eyes grew wide as she stared at it.
With trembling hands, she opened the cover and gasped.
All her clothes were there, accompanied by Maithali's ring, her bow and her quiver, and an ornate dagger Abhayendra- Abhay, she corrected mentally- had once given her.
And at the very bottom were Sid's paintings he had given her.
'How-how did you get these?' said Piya in shock.
Alina smiled. 'I have my ways,' she said mysteriously.
'Do you like them?'
'Of course I do!' said Piya. 'But-'
'There is something else I need to tell you,' she said seriously.
Piya looked up. 'What?'
'Sid isn't human.'
'What?!'
'He's turning back into a vampire,' said Alina quietly. 'There's a long and complicated process, but I don't think he even knows it yet. He thinks he's just a superhuman with vampirish strength and speed.'
'And not only that,' said Alina, 'but I think he might be going back to her.'
Piya gripped the bedsheets, fisting the material in her hands.
'Her- you mean, Maithali?'
'Yes,' said Alina. 'Piya- we have to wean him off her. You were his best friend once- you have to awaken that relationship again. I will do my best- but I need you to do this. That's why I joined Sid's company, you know.'
Piya swallowed several times. Her head was spinning, and oddly enough, it all made sense.
'You aren't really human,are you?' she said slowly.
Alina nodded. 'Yes. I'm the future queen of the werewolves.'
Seeing Piya's horrified expression, she said, 'Don't worry. I won't bite you. I'm on your side.'
'Jeh and mom are werewolves too, you know,' she said, once Piya had calmed down and stopped spluttering incoherently.
'That's why it's important that I stay near you, in case they harm you.'
'Jeh, harm me?' said Piya skeptically.
Alina gave her a flat look. 'If mom ordered him to, then yes, he would. '
'And you?' said Piya. Alina didn't miss the slight fear in her voice.
'Not me,' she said, her mouth twisting in a grim smile. 'The days of obedience are long gone for me. In fact...right now, I am doing everything my mom would call blasphemy.'
She winked at Piya, who still looked more than a little shaken.
Piya recovered enough to say faintly, 'Alina...can we talk about this later? I need to...think.'
Alina nodded seriously, all traces of humour gone. 'Good night, Piya,' she said. 'Take care.'
And then she vanished into thin air.
Piya closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Then she drank a glass of water. Then she tried to calmly recite the points in her head.
Sid is turning into a vampire. He could possibly be evil. Jeh is a werewolf. Alina is a werewolf.
I have my things back.
She looked at the open trunk again. Then she realised what would happen if anyone were to see them. Folding her old gown, she tucked them away right at the back of the cupboard. The bow and arrows and Siddharth's paintings were kept at the bottom of the cupboard, covered by at least ten of her designer dresses and accessories.
She looked at the ring Maithali had given her. For minutes, she wondered if she should simply throw it away or hide it somewhere. Then she remembered how Maithali had betrayed Abhay, and on impulse, she ran downstairs and out of the hostel, into the forest nearby and threw it as far as she could.
Refusing to think about it, she hurried inside. Now that the trunk was empty, she locked it and kept it in a corner of the room. An empty trunk would arouse no suspicions, would it?
But one object still remained on her bed, sparkling as the moonlight fell on it. It was a sharp dagger made of silver with a ruby in the hilt. She reached out and touched it, and tears threatened to overwhelm her as her memories rushed back to the front of her mind. She pushed them away, and then after some deliberation, kept the dagger in a drawer and locked it.
She couldn't get to sleep that night. Somehow or the other, her thoughts strayed to what Alina had told her. If Siddharth was really turning back into a vampire, what would he do when he came to know of it? Was he really going back to Maithali?
Sick terror engulfed her. Was she betraying Abhay by trying to help Sid? But then Reina had asked her to unite them. Reina seemed a very powerful woman- how come she hadn't known this?
But then maybe she had sent Alina to tell her.
Who was Reina, really? Someone around her, pretending to be someone else, or someone she would never meet in this time zone?
Werewolves. Her knowledge of them was pathetically limited. She needed to find out more about them- and about vampires.
Jeh Khurana- she felt sick when she thought of him. He'd pretended to be her friend, her geuine well wisher. She suddenly remembered something...
Abhay had warned her. He had told her to stay away from Jeh...but she had never realized...
Abhay. Her guardian angel. He'd always looked out for her, hadn't he?
For a minute she felt sddenly happy but then the glow inside her was doused when she remembered how disgusted he had looked when he had turned away from her that night. And when she thought of how she had longed for him to kiss her she felt colder still.
She drew the covers more tightly around her and tried to think of something safe and normal. She thought of the way Misha had looked panicked at the party. Misha had seemed to grow up suddenly after Panchi's- no. She would have to stop there. She wouldn't think of any more depressing topics.
She focused instead on Kabir.
What she liked was that her and Kabir's equation had never been complicated or tainted. They held a mutual fondness for each other even after everything, and Piya could see that Kabir seemed to be looking a lot after Misha nowadays.
Nothing much seemed to have changed between Kabir and Misha, except that Piya could see glimpses of something more than friendship when Kabir looked for more than twenty seconds at Misha.
A smile grew on her face. If Kabir was falling for Misha, it was high time. Her sister needed someone to make her toe the line during her occasional bursts of immaturity.
And finally, Piya felt her eyelids close and then all was darkness and quiet...
Abhay got up from his chair and paced his room alone. Something else-something important- nagged at his brain. Someone at the party- yes, someone he knew quite well- had flummoxed him. The shape of her eyes had reminded him of someone else.
His mother's comment nagged at him again. 'Sometimes, we search the world for an answer that lies right in front of us.' and Abhay had a funny feeling this particular answer would be poking his face if it were any closer to him.
Realization suddenly coursed through Abhay like electricity, making him stand still in shock. Unless he was very much mistaken- and he didn't think he was- he knew exactly who Reina was. And she had been right under his nose the whole time! He had earlier guessed it was Alina- but this time, he was sure who Reina was. Unless, of course, there was a huge mistake.
Edited by bookworm-ALS-- - 12 years ago
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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