Chapter 25 - Moving Ahead
The uneasiness on her sleeping face was disturbing him. The frown on her face was eating his insides and his conscience was mocking him on his failure to protect her.
What was his power if he lost in front of a simple human? To hell with the fact that the simple human was helped by the most dangerous enemy of his!!
He should've shielded her, even if it meant destroying himself.
Even if it required unleashing the hell.
A soft tone of the phone pulled him out of his guilty conscience. The ring was cut short without any talk and he turned to look at Misha who was frozen in the corner with her guilt-ridden worried face. He looked at the darkness falling outside the window and watched the phone blinking in her hand, now in silent mode.
"You should go back." Abhay said, his voice colder than usual, depicting the cold war his mind was fighting against his own self.
"I've left her once. I won't leave her now." Misha said, her eyes stopped at Piya. She didn't even look at the dinner went cold on the table in front of her. She was sitting in the same state from the time she saw Piya going hysterical.
"Your sitting here, won't do her any good." Abhay said, staring her coldly "I don't want your family to come here and create a scene. She is already going through enough, spare her the madness of your family."
Misha was jolted by his words. Her mouth hung and she looked at her phone blinking due to the continuous calls.
"I hate you." Misha said, hating how bluntly he stated the facts.
"Feelings are mutual." Abhay said turning his back to her as she stood up to leave.
Quiet footsteps echoed for second and then silence fell. He was alone with Piya now and it was his chance to do one more magic to help her mentally.
Placing his palm over her forehead, Abhay closed his eyes, letting some of his energy seep into her mind and body. Opening his eyes, he looked at the soft glow on her forehead before observed by her mind.
This would provide her strength to overcome the incident but that was possible only if Piya utilize that strength. But he would make sure, she does.
He sat back with a satisfaction that did nothing to suppress his guilt.
*
Darkness was receding and she could feel light filling in. Her body felt lighter than before and the pain seemed far, but she could still see him.
He was there, standing under the bright light of the sun and laughing at her evilly. Mocking and taunting her, he was growing angry. The knife in his hand glinted under the sun and stepped towards her with a maddening spark in his red eyes.
Her heart lept in her chest and she looked around frantically, searching for the person who had promised her to protect from this monster. She knew he would protect her, but then where was he?
"Abhay..." She wanted to shout his name but her voice was strangled and his name came out in a low whisper.
"Abhay, help..." She cried in her strangling voice in a hope that he would come to help her. But he was nowhere around.
Fear clutched her body, squeezing her like crumbled leaf. She had left Abhay, declining his offer to accompany. Who would protect her now?
She tried to run but her feet didn't work, as if held by gravity and tied to the ground. Looking frantically, she searched for help.
Her skin was slashed open by knife making her gasp for breath but before she could grasp the depth, the knife raised and slicing the air, was dashing to her heart.
Her eyes grew in fear and she tried to raise her hand to stop the blow but her hands were frozen too.
"I'll kill you..." She heard the sinister laughter and a scream escaped from her throat.
"Abhayyy..."
Sweating profusely and breathing heavily, she jerked up. Arms engulfed her but she tried to push them in disgust.
"Abhay..." She called him again, recognised his touch and heard his soothing whispers in her ears.
"Am here, Piya. Am here. With you."
She calmed in his arms but she couldn't stop her tears from falling. Fear was living in her heart. The evil face of Kabir was engraved in her mind and she didn't know how to scratch him out without bleeding.
"You're here, right? You won't leave me, right?" Piya trembled, holding him as if her life depended on him.
"Yes. I'm here." Abhay caressed her cheeks while hugging her.
"Promise me, you won't leave me. Promise me, please." Piya pleaded, breaking the hug and looked at him with hope and tears in her eyes. She was still lost in the moment she lived among the trees in the depth of forest.
"I-I promise" Abhay hesitated but promised nevertheless.
His promise calmed her slowly. She gulped and tried to take deep breaths while her heart was still in frenzy in her chest. Her mind was still playing the event on loop.
She looked at him like a lost child looking for way.
"Abhay, he..." Piya tried to tell him but shivered on recalling the threats and torture of Kabir. The monster that he became was too hard to forget for her.
"It's okay. Am with you. He isn't here. Everything is fine." Abhay assured her, cupping her face and making her look in his eyes.
Piya held his hands, cupping her cheeks, but she couldn't lose herself to his icy grey eyes like she used to.
She hugged him tightly, feeling his presence and sobbed in his arms. She wanted to cry out the burden on her chest, cry out her fear and cry out everything that she went through.
Thirty minutes she spent in his horrible torture. The knife cutting her cheeks and arms. His words sharper than his knife. The slaps and the bark of trees scratching different parts of her body.
Blood and death; she saw them so close that they were etched on her soul.
She went through a lot of mental strain in past but this one was the worst of it all; a mental strain muddled with the physical torture and clashed with the fear for life.
She was shivering in his arms and her every sob was tearing his soul away.
"Piya, please, calm down." Abhay pleaded, unable to stand her state anymore, his endurance was dropping with every second ticked away by her uncontrollable weeping.
"He is gone. Don't be scared." Abhay consoled her, rubbing her back to calm her down.
"The message was a fraud. It wasn't Misha message. H...he did it to trap me. H...he wanted revenge. He wanted to kill me, he wanted to kill me." Piya said through painful sobs. She remembered his loud voice unravelling his plan and threatening to kill her.
Abhay didn't speak anything this time. He wanted her to speak it out so she could move on.
"He was angry be...because he lost all the proofs... against every girl h..he was blackmailing. Furious.... that he wouldn't be able to b-blackmail M...Maya against me. H...he thought I...I was of n...no use to him. Thats why, h...he wanted t...to k...kill me." Piya cried telling everything, her breathing shortening repeatedly and her voice falling her at times.
"I should've trusted you. Listened your every word. But, I always went against you. I forgot that the monster exists. I shouldn't have hasted to Misha. I should've let you accompany me." Piya said crying while regretting her another decision that brought misery for her.
"Please forgive me, Abhay. I won't do it again. I'll listen to your every word. Am sorry." Piya sniffled, her heart scared that he might leave her too.
"You'll listen to me, right?" Abhay asked and Piya nodded vigorously against her chest "then listen to me. It wasn't your fault. Everything that happened wasn't your fault. Things happen. Doesn't mean you'll blame yourself. We all do mistakes, doesn't mean we deserve the consequences. Don't let any accident affect your future. Don't sit in a corner crying over your past. You lived through the pain, you survived whatever befalls you and hence, you're the winner of your life."
Abhay voice dropped when his eyes caught the sight of Haseena, holding the breakfast plate and standing at the door. The look in her eyes was asking him to listen to his own words and follow the philosophy he was preaching to Piya.
Averting his eyes, he ignored the past, that still ruled his present, so to focus on Piya for now. His regret and his guilt, were the feelings for his private time.
"What Kabir said and how he tried to kill you, it shouldn't scare you. Your tears shouldn't fall for the fear that is your past now. Even if you're feeling threatened, Fight for yourself, not cry." Abhay said, running his finger through her hair. Her sobs had stopped and she was listening carefully to him.
He pulled her out of the hug and wiped the tears from her distressed face.
"You'll fight for yourself, right?" Abhay asked, looking directly in her eyes giving her the confidence that she needed.
Piya nodded, gazing in his hypnotic eyes. His words had a different kind of effect on her. It was as if they were touching her soul and awakening a part of her that she herself didn't know live in her.
Abhay craned his neck and nodded at his mother who was waiting at the door for their conversation to end.
Haseena entered the room with a plate of breakfast, she gave it to Abhay and looked at Piya. She was sitting with a far-off look. Not finding the need to disturb her chain of thoughts, Haseena walked out of the room in silence.
Her son had done a pretty good job in handling Piya and she didn't want to disturb the moment for any formality.
"Here, eat it." Abhay forwarded the plate to Piya.
Piya looked at food and shook her head. Food was the last thing in her mind right now.
"No mourning over what happened." Abhay said pointing her to remember what he just told her.
"I... I don't want to eat anything." Piya said giving him a pleading look. Her eyes still misty and her heart not in peace yet, but she was trying to come to her normal self, explaining herself that whatever happened was a past now.
"You can't fight without providing strength to your body." Abhay said solemnly, he realised it wasn't her habit to skip a meal but she actually got habitual of not having food to eat.
"From now on, you will eat your meal properly and in proper time. Even if you don't want to." Abhay said in a stern tone, "am I clear?"
Piya pouted at his tone and words.
"What's with scolding?" Piya whined in a childish tone, a trait she didn't know of having.
"Eat now!!" Abhay ordered, giving her plate with a stoic look.
Piya grumbled and took the plate. She ate while sulking. She was still sad and thoughtful about everything that Abhay told her but she really didn't want to eat food at that moment so she was unaware of the tangy expressions on her face.
Satisfied to see his powers and words helping her out of the horrible event, Abhay admired her expressions that danced on her tear soaked face without her knowledge.
Those expressions reminded him of Maithli; sitting hurt over something but forgetting everything and making faces when scolded.
"So innocent, she was and so innocent you are." Abhay thought, pain shot through his eyes recalling the girl who gave her life for his and so similar the life of another innocent was going.
With a painful sigh, Abhay averted his gaze and gave her medicines as she passed the empty plate to him.
Piya gave a pleading look but Abhay glared her. She took medicines with a resigned look.
"Rest for some time." Abhay ordered, placing the medicines back to place.
Piya nodded, feeling sleepy after her emotional breakdown. She laid down and Abhay covered her with duvet.
He watched her drifting to sleep and gave out a breath. She seemed fine, finally. But it wasn't over yet.
His phone rang gaining his attention.
"His condition is critical, sir. We have to take him to the hospital." Abhay heard inspector fumbling
His eyes went to sleeping Piya and he recalled her breakdown.
"He tried to take away her life then his breathing shouldn't be spared." Abhay gritted, anger flashed through his eyes and a thirst for revenge appeared on his face.
"But sir..."
"Treat him in jail. No need for hospital." Abhay said and cut the call. He wasn't going to be merciful on a person who hurt Piya even a bit and this monster tried to kill her.
Abhay sat on the sofa, placed in distance and watched Piya sleeping in peace. He wasn't going to leave her until he was sure that she was out of trauma. He wasn't going to be reckless with her ever again. Even if that meant being extra cautious or paranoid.
Hours ticked away and when in the afternoon, Piya woke up again, she seemed completely fine.
Haseena came to Piya with lunch and Piya took it without any complains this time. Piya didn't talk to Haseena and Haseena didn't disturb her either.
There was nothing for Abhay and Piya to talk so they shared the room in comfortable silence.
"Misha knows the truth!!" Abhay said finally, knowing that Misha would be there anytime, so it was better if he first talked out with Piya before letting them meet.
He watched as Piya jerked to him and sat up straight. Her eyes widening and her mouth opened in disbelief. He didn't miss the fear in her eyes either.
"She was there with me when I searched and found you. Left yesterday night and will be here anytime soon." Abhay briefed her and observed her expressions changing into relief.
"So she trust me!!" Piya mumbled, giving out a breath of relief.
"But a bit too late." Abhay said and Piya shot him a confused look.
"Piya, you know she is your sister but she doesn't know that. Try to make her understand your importance. Don't let her play with you since you're just friend for her. Nothing more." Abhay said careful of his words so not to remind Piya that she had no relation in this world even the one that she knew she had.
Piya stared him in silence.
"Try to keep some distance for your own sake." Abhay concluded looking at her but she looked away and played with her hands mindlessly.
Feeling that Piya might need privacy, Abhay walked out of the room, first time after the incident.
"She seems fine!!" Haseena said as Abhay sat with her and Chand in the hall.
Abhay nodded without any word. His mother was right but it was also truth that he used powers and anything could've happened to Piya because of his carelessness, and she could've lost her life or sanity if he had no powers to heal her injuries and provide her strength.
"When you listen our every word and remember it too, then why can't you act on it yourself?" Haseena asked, pointing towards the guilt that never left him as if it was part of his life.
Abhay looked at her and remembered the words he said to Piya when she was crying in his arms. The words that were told to him by his parents, so many times in the past years.
"There's a difference in her and my situation." Abhay said in a low whisper without looking at his mother. He was reminded of every mistake he committed and the consequences that someone or the other faced. Maithli, mostly.
"There's no..." Haseena stopped.
Abhay looked at Haseena and found her looking at Misha who had just entered the mansion. Standing up, Abhay walked to her.
"How's she?" Misha asked with concern, clutching her bag tightly.
"Much better." Abhay said without much emotions.
"You can meet her." Abhay said "Just be careful, you don't force her for anything. Don't even ask her to meet anyone from your family to hear their bullshit apologies. If she says no, then that means no."
"everything clear?" Abhay said, raising his eyebrows with a threatening look.
Misha nodded.
Piya was startled to find Misha entering and gasped in surprise when Misha took her in a bone-crushing hug.
"Am sorry, Piya. Am so sorry for hurting you. So sorry for distrusting you and insulting our friendship. I know I should've trusted you but then I knew Kabir from so many years and never thought he was so evil. He was our family friend and I was finding it difficult to not trust him. Am so sorry..." Misha ranted on and on until Piya pulled herself out of the uncomfortable hug.
"Its okay, Misha. You trust your own, and its completely fine." Piya said with a weak smile. Abhay was right and she had realized it the day Arnab Dobriyal raised his hand at her. Now after Abhay words, she didn't want to think about Misha as her sister either. A little bit of distance seemed necessary.
"Don't say like that, Piya. You're family." Misha said with a pleading look.
Piya shook her head and smiled at her with sadness in her eyes.
"Friends, we are friends Misha and please let us be that way. I lost my trust in family." Piya said softly and smilingly. She was liking the sound of a friend more than family because sister and family had left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"At least, you forgave me." Misha shrugged with sadness and nodded with a sad smile.
"College?" Piya asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.
"Abhay gave your leave, I guess." Misha informed
"And everyone knows Kabir's truth now. Everyone wants to apologies you, for defaming you. Particularly, after knowing the hostel night scandal." Misha said, looking down with shame.
"Oh, they found about that night?" Piya asked, recalling the names that were thrown at her due to that scandal, even after Haseena testified for her.
"Principal gave a whole lecture on it. Raichand influence, I guess." Misha shrugged with a naughty smile.
A smile came on Piya's face, after so long. She knew who must've done it for her.
"And as everyone is regretting, we all decided to throw a party when you'll return the college." Misha said excitedly.
"Party!!" Piya exclaimed in shock, no way she was ready for any damn party. She had enough parties giving her nightmares and she wasn't going to another one so to create another nightmare.
"I don't want any party." Piya said shaking her head, she may sound paranoid but she wasn't ready for party. It gave her creeps.
"But Piya, it'll be like a welcome party for you." Misha tried to persuade her
Piya looked at her helplessly. She had no reason to deny her sweet request but her fear was justified too.
Abhay entered, gaining their attention. He leaned on doorstep and gave them a meaningful glance, reminding both of them what he told them.
"No" Piya shook her head, denying the idea of Party, recalling what Abhay had told her.
"No problem!!" Misha nodded, avoiding the sharp glare of Abhay.
Abhay watched them satisfied. Though, he wanted to remind them what he said to them individually, the idea of party wasn't liked by Abhay himself. He didn't want his enemy to take advantage of party and attack Piya anyhow.
***
Standing with her bag in his hand and her hostel in front of him, he felt utter loneliness claiming him. Living with her for so many days, under the same roof and sticking together every second, was showing its effects.
Piya was completely fine, Kabir was out of her life and she had to go back to her hostel, her life.
A sudden emptiness was filling him and he didn't know what to make out of him. Didn't he feel empty all the time? Then what was with the hole widening suddenly?
Someone affecting him so much; it was happening after years and he was scared of these feelings.
They stood facing each other, outside the hostel and under the morning sky. The cool breeze blew softly.
"Remember Piya, no one is same as their smile is saying. Try to find who the person is behind their mask." Abhay advised her, not wanting her to any other monster.
Piya nodded and watched him with anticipation. She wanted to know where their relation stood after everything that transpired between them.
His next words gave her answer before she could question.
"My responsibility ends here. Now, this is your life to fight and win. Trust no one, not even me." Abhay said handing her bag.
"Abhay," Piya called when Abhay turned around to go. He turned towards her.
The wind passed silently as they stood gazing each other.
"Can't we be friends?" Piya asked with hope in her eyes as she looked at him with anticipation.
"I don't want to form any relation with anyone." Abhay said looking far behind her while his mind screamed in agony.
"Am not asking for relationship. All I asked is, friendship." Piya creaked, gazing his icy grey eyes that seemed in turmoil.
"Not even that!!" Abhay said shortly.
"Why not?" Piya asked with a desperate seeping in her voice.
"Because there's no reason to." Abhay answered.
"You did so much for me, Abhay." Piya pointed.
"I would've done for anyone." Abhay said ending the point.
"And what if I need you again?" Piya asked, her voice lowering in dejection.
"Don't depend so much on me." Abhay said, pain shadowing his eyes. Why was she trusting him so much he wasn't able to understand.
"You're the only guy my heart trusted after so many betrayals. I need you, Abhay. I really need you." Piya confessed in soft tone.
"Why, Piya?" Abhay asked, his voice almost breaking under the pressure of the trust, she was showing for him.
"I need you when feeling alone, despite having friends. I want you when my past nags me. I need you when I won't feel good even with Misha. When her presence will suffocate me and when am falling under the weight of everything that happened. I want you to be there for me Abhay. You're the only person who knows so much about me. I need you, Abhay." Piya said, her voice laced with feelings that she herself hadn't recognised yet.
"I'll be always there for you, Piya. I'll be there when you need me. But don't expect anything else and anything more. " Abhay said, his stance breaking and his eyes pleading. He didn't want to hurt her by being with her and he didn't want to hurt her by pushing her either.
"Your support is all I need. Thank you for this support, Abhay." Piya said, a genuine smile beamed at her face.
Nodding at her, Abhay sat in his car and drove off.
Piya watched him going with satisfaction. Her heart was giggling in her chest. It was a step closer to Abhay. He told her to unmask the person before trusting and she had glimpsed Abhay without his mask of arrogance. She was sure he wouldn't hurt her intentionally ever.
*
Running through the forests, Abhay sizzled through a wall that separated his world from humans. He had got some things to settle and since Piya was back and safe to her place, it was time to finish the pending works.
A thick smoke covered the sky, a twilight for eternity and circle of trees scattered on the uneven earth, forming houses for inhabitants. A huge hall, of the stones and pillars, took the centre of their world.
Abhay stood in the middle of the hall, supported by pillars on four corners. Young and aged, men and women, gathered in front of him in silence.
He looked at faces gathered there. His anger was reflected by his eyes and it scared the occupants.
"Who planned the meeting of that day, when there was no strong information to convey?" Abhay shouted with fiery clear in his icy grey eyes. He was too busy with Piya to talk to his clan about that treacherous meeting that had distracted him from Piya and caused that horrified incident. Now was the time to do that.
"Can we know what offended you, Rey?" A middle-aged man, Vishal, came forward addressing Abhay with the title that was given to him on choosing him as their heir. He placed his head over his chest and bowed in respect.
"What offended me?" Abhay repeated with ridicule, followed by a hollow laughter making them shudder.
"The meeting was scheduled to discuss our enemy then why was I asked to participate? What was the purpose to call me, when there was nothing serious?" Abhay shouted, vehemently.
"Rey, our enemies are gaining strength and their leader is unknown to us. It is an important issue that's why you were asked to participate!!" Vishal explained.
"Was there any important information to share?" Abhay asked, his eyes still blazing with anger.
"We were expecting strategies and information from you" Vishal lowered his head understanding where they went wrong.
"Won't I have joined myself if I had any information to share? Why did you ask for me, then?" Abhay gritted, controlling his anger before he could blast at them and ruin his own clan with his own hands.
Vishal stepped back, realising their heir was right. They did a mistake.
"I know what I'm doing and I know when to share what!!! Next time I don't want this mistake to repeat!!!" Abhay shouted, shaking the foundation of the hall.
"Why are you suddenly so upset, Rey? You were fine at the meeting on that day! Then what happened in these days?" Said Areesh seemingly a young man of twenty-four years.
"Because our important asset was attacked by taking advantage of this meeting. Do you understand what happened? It was all planned!!" Abhay gritted at Areesh making him lower his head in fear.
Abhay looked at the heads lowered in fear and respect. He gritted his teeth on finding no answer to his question.
"get out now!!!" Abhay ordered
"Everyone" Abhay shouted making everyone run out of the hall.
Abhay gestured at a few of his trusted people. With a nod, they stood in distance and did not go out with everyone else.
They were group of five people; two middle aged men, two young women and teen boy..
After the hall was empty, they came forward and grouped around Abhay.
"Be careful, our enemies seem to know our steps somehow." Abhay said, his voice barely above whisper. He looked at each of them, noticing their expressions and observing their feelings.
They all looked at each other in surprise.
"Are you saying, there's betrayer between us, Rey?" Raina voiced their feelings.
Abhay looked at them and answered cautiously - "we can't be sure of anything. We have been never betrayed in centuries. So there's possibility we are under their eyes, which is as alarming as betrayal. So be careful and look around for any suspicious activity."
"We'll take care of it, Rey." Asher, the teen boy, said with confident.
Abhay looked at others and they all nodded without any word.
Waving his hand, Abhay dismissed them and watched them going with several thoughts running through his mind. He was not going to trust anyone. There were high chances of betrayal but he was not going to voice it. He did not want his to clan fall apart by distrusting each other. The issue had to be handled carefully and cautiously so the trust of their clan into each other remained intact.
His discussion with his clan was done but another step was remaining. The most crucial and threatening one.
Meeting with Vampires.
Members Lounge
CID
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