Confusing Shocks
The building was visible from the forest. Its pristine glass gave off the reflection in all directions whenever sun would be brave enough to brighten the dark forest, huge mountains and beautiful city. It was an impressive architecture success and the inside was meant to be more brilliant.
But Abhay was neither the one to be impressed by shiny and glittering bricks, nor he was the one to check out the interior out of mere fascination. He meant business and his every action was supposed to be calculated and thoughtful.
Abhay leaned on the tree and gave a quick glance to the glass building, a mile away. It was a safe distance, no one would notice him among the trees. But he had stood more than his liking. It was an hour now and he hated waiting. The dread of the results tends to increase tenfold in the wait. Besides he had another important work to do. It was time to meet his people. He must leave now. But he stayed back for the information that he wanted.
The sun was setting beyond the clouds and the wind was getting colder with every passing second. The snow was not helping his mood either.
Another half hour passed and the little bit of light died on sky as darkness emerged from forest and devoured the sky, descending on the city.
Abhay decided to give another minute but he knew he would give whole night for that information. Taking chances was not an option anymore, trust was already dwindling and time was not an ally.
Hasty footsteps caught his attention, straightening up Abhay found a masculine man coming from distance while saving himself from cold snow.
The young man reached Abhay. His hat shadowing his face and overcoat covering his three piece suite.
"Sorry sir, I couldn't get out without notice." His voice was smaller than his size and even with his height being an inch smaller than Abhay, he seemed much smaller to Abhay.
"The file, Avinash?" Abhay asked without caring for pleasantries and apologies. He had work to do and he was already late.
With a nod, Avinash pulled out a dark red file beneath his overcoat.
"With all details, sir," Avinash said handing out the file for Abhay.
Taking the file, Abhay skimmed through the content making sure it was fine enough even if details had to wait a moment to be scrutinized.
"Nothing hidden?" Abhay raised his eyebrow from the file.
"Not even the trivial information," Avinash said with conviction, repeating the words Abhay had gave as instructions.
Abhay nodded in approval and taking it as a sign Avinash walked away for the Dobriyal enterprise, where he worked.
Picking out the documents from the file, Abhay threw away the file and pocketed the four-pages document. Glancing around to make sure, no one was around, Abhay walked back to his car parked in front of a restaurant ten metres away.
Sitting inside, Abhay pulled out the documents to study the information. Siddharth Dobriyal stood out in bold letters with his passport size picture smiling back at him. If picture was worth any knowledge, Siddharth seemed a good human with a boyish personality. But Abhay was well educated on deceitful appearance, proof was what he believed.
To know about Siddharth was important because of the way he was finding way to Piya unlike other Dobriyals. And because of the way Piya felt in his presence. Abhay had witnessed everything yesterday and he had knew the reason behind the feelings could be either good or bad. They couldn't be ignored and Abhay did not ignore either. He pulled some strings immediately, bought an employee of Dobriyal company and the results were in his hands beging to be read.
There were enough unsolved problems and Abhay did not want Siddharth to be one. An investigation was important.
As he studied the every detail with attention, he found many meager details like where he studied in middle and high school, which were not a concern for Abhay. Siddharth life was well settled with a better established business in fashion designing and, just as Abhay wished, his habits and behaviour were spotless. But that could be fake too.
Abhay read more but found nothing important other than supposed dislike of Siddharth for his father and-
Abhay stopped and went through the recent development portion again. His eyes widened and he leaned back with questions arising in his head.
"This," Abhay muttered. "must be investigated."
Pulling the first page, Abhay looked at his smiling picture again wondering what was going in the man's mind.
"What are you doing, Siddharth?" Abhay asked staring the picture as if Siddharth would answer him through it.
All Abhay hoped that Siddharth was not cunning and evil. Rest could be handled. But with the information that Abhay saw, Siddharth could be anything or anyone.
Shredding the documents into tiny pieces, Abhay walked out of the car, into the forest and away from sight. Abhay opened his fist filled with pieces. Staring the pieces, he summoned the fire. The spark ignited from a corner and Abhay let it consume every bit of paper on his hand; licking and melting them into ashes right on his palm.
Staring the ashes, resting on his now warm palm, Abhay scattered the ashes in with the wind so to be never found again by anyone spying on him. His enemies must be nearer and he did not want to bring their notice to a potential ally or leverage for them.
Abhay took a fresh breath and looked at the darkness laughing around him. He was sure he was late but there was still time. The clash members must be out on work and his trusted one must be waiting for him still. He needed to park his car somewhere far from Dobriyal enterprise but there was no trine left and he had to leave for his world right now.
The decision was made and he whizzed away for his world.
It was time to tackle another serious matter.
As Abhay entered in his worlds, he liked the feeling of balanced temperature and the absence of snow, for a moment. But the dislike came back for the eternity of his world. He treaded past the houses and entered the platform.
His trusted five stood beside a pillar, waiting for him just as he expected. Raina and Asher stood in between Regina, Claudius and Kunal. There faces as serious as always.
"What's the news?" Abhay asked taking the center stage.
Raina came forward, her beauty caged in her fragile body and youth. The seriousness, however, reflecting the ancient life she was living from a century. She was five years older to Abhay in outside world but in reality she was younger to Abhay by a span of century.
"Rey, we're trying and as far our research is going, there's a traitor among us."
Abhay clenched his fist. He hated being betrayed. It scratched some old wounds, trying to freshening the memories Abhay was not ready to live after everything that happened.
"And who can be it?" Abhay asked, the answer was important and the quicker he know it, the better.
"We're still trying to find," Asher told with a slight contempt in his boyish voice for the person who might be betraying his Rey.
Abhay appreciated their care but he did not like the answers they were serving. Even a minute wait could cost him a lot. He knew by experience and he did not want to encounter it again or go through another loss.
He observed the people he trusted. Thinking if they knew something more than they were letting on.
Raina stood staring him with confidence and Asher was ignoring his brown hair from stinging his eyes while gazing Abhay with all his attention. Regina was as silent as always, with her green eyes keeping an eye on everyone as her maturity shone on her face without any distraction. Kunal with his shaggy face, experienced eyes and deep maturity was careful of everything being said and everything happening around. Claudius, on the other hand, with his little frame was shifting on his feet and his aged face was filled with tensed lines.
Abhay locked his icy grey eyes with pale blue eyes of Claudius. He stiffened and Abhay raised his one eyebrow, questioning without saying anything.
"It is someone closer to you, Rey," Claudius said almost fighting not to look away.
Abhay felt a familiar sting and closed his eyes momentarily. Even if it was happening again, he must face this head on instead of dwelling over it.
"Give me name," Abhay gritted, wanting to know what they all were hiding as his eyes conveyed the distrust on their silence.
The environment heated with his anger and it could be felt by everyone as they struggled not to show anything on their face.
"Rey, give us time," Kunal said in his eyes deep voice conveying the message of his , her green eyes pleading him to trust them. She knew he trust her intelligence but he was not ready to give up today.
Abhay looked away from him and saw Claudius still squirming in the eerie silence.
"You know, don't you?" Abhay hissed, taking a step closer to him and avoiding others.
"I..." Claudius closed his mouth as if fish caught in net.
His piercing eyes did not move from his scared face. Claudius gulped and removed every sign of worry from his face by coming up with courage.
"Let me confirm it first Rey," Claudius said slowly and cautiously.
He knew it. He damn knew it. Then why the hell could not he tell before Abhay lose something?
Abhay gritted his teeth, clamping the harsh words from getting out of his mouth. These were his people, he could not hurt them due to the fear of something unknown.
"Can I trust you?" Abhay asked, his voice slow yet dangerous as his eyes showed madness.
Claudius was faltered. He stared Abhay for a second before dropping on his knees in front of Abhay to show his loyalty for him.
"Trust me, Rey, I'll tell you when it will be confirmed," Claudius said, keeping his head down and his voice unfaltering.
Abhay shut his eyes in despair and turned away. His head filled with numerous thoughts and a fear gnawing him.
Something was wrong. Why was Claudius behaving so lost? Who could be the traitor to unnerve his people like that?
Who?
.
Piya leaned back as Google results stared back at her from the laptop screen. She tried to wrap her head around the whole matter but it was a freaking mess.
She could feel Maya gaze who was sitting on study table without any word. It seemed Maya was delaying to question and Piya was glad for the tranquility in room. It was needed to make sense out of the chaos.
After everything she knew, this still seemed impossible to believe and yet here it was. Without any doubt to stain its reality. From everything she searched yesterday and today, it seemed the answer was crystal clear for her, even when she was still unaware of the whole picture.
How much people assumed about others on the basis of half story. That morning, she had thought she got to know real Abhay. That she knew what and who Abhay Raichand was. Foolish of her. How could she expect to know the guy whose eyes were ancient and who cheated death? The boy whose name and family was not his either.
If there was one thing of Abhay that she could be sure of then Abhay was an enigma. A very twisted one.
"Can I help you with whatever you're doing, Piya?" Maya asked finally. Her gaze stopped at Piya, worry clouding them.
Piya turned to Maya and a genuine smile came on her face. Her life was filled with loneliness but now she had people who cared for her so much. Abhay might always be on top but Maya too cared for her after everything they went through together.
"Just researching for our latest assignment and I'm fine." Piya paused, thinking something. "A little hungry, I guess."
Piya shrugged, a little embarrassed on being hungry before time. Her stay at Raichand mansion had surely spoilt her. It was still evening and three hours were remaining for dinner, for crying out loud.
A smile crept on Maya face and fully bloomed into a grin.
"I got some snacks, want some?" Maya asked grabbing out a box of cookies from the drawer.
A grin came on Piya face too, matching Maya. Piya shut her laptop as Maya sat beside her and opened the box. Piya could feel her stomach grumbling at the sight of delicious cookies. The two girls giggled at each other as they savoured the chocolate cookies with a matching enthusiasm.
"You missed a scene due to your project," Maya started.
Confusion came on her face as she raised her brow quizzically.
"Ruhi proposed Angad."
"What?" Piya was shocked. Ruhi was silly but Piya was not aware of her crush. That reminded her, she was not spending much time with her either.
Maya nodded. "She literally begged him to accept her, in front of whole college. Poor Angad, you should've seen his face. He was about to cry."
"You're serious?" Piya eyes grew in shock and amazement as she held herself from laughing out at the visuals forming in her head.
"Ruhi wasn't letting him go and he was forced to say yes," Maya said picking up the cookies and stuffing in her mouth.
"That was one hell of an ordeal. Poor Angad," Piya said with a bit of pity for the guy.
"It'll be fun to see what happens to them."
"I won't like to miss it."
Both giggled thinking about the future of two idiots.
The cold wind of mid December blew in from open window. They shivered but sat back lazily not ready to leave the cookies for anything yet.
"Tell me about your experience in Doon palace," Piya asked as she munched on cookies. She avoided looking at Maya and stared the cookies with interest as if the question did not matter much even when her heart desired for every tiny detail.
"Doon palace," Maya muttered thoughtfully, perhaps gathering her thoughts.
Piya nodded in encouragement trying to mask her curious expressions and looked unaffected.
"It was exactly what you call once fabulous and now rubbles. Lot of things, like swords and pictures, were preserved but they were waste honestly. But yeah there was that guide and a little museum, elaborating the success and downfall of Doon empire." Maya told.
"Success and downfall?" Piya asked cautiously, peeking a glance at Maya.
"Something like great king of that time winning each and every battle, but every success met the end, due to the princes skirmish for thorne, and one of the prince disappearing rather mysteriously with his future wife." Maya ended with a sigh and shook her head helplessly, at the sad past not in their control.
Piya rubbed her shoulders in cold. Whether it was the weather or truth, she did not think of it much.
Those stories were not new in Indian History and not entirely true either. And like every other story, this one got more depth and conspiracy than everyone could think of.
The library was her last chance to know every detail about the unfortunate empire and prince. Tomorrow she would surely found her way there and search for some good books with solid evidence, filled with facts than myths and half cooked stories.
Piya sighed as Maya walked away to close the window and do some assignments. Her eyes wandered back to her laptop. The results were etched on her mind and she was sure she would not forget a word.
She knew nothing about Abhay. Nothing other than that he was a supernatural being called Neforé. What he was before that was not known to her. Not completely.
His life was hidden away from her. The part of his life where he once lived a human life too. A human life spanning back to Doon empire. The two centuries back. And he was living since then.
He just did not cheat death but defied time too.
Everything was so untrue about Abhay.
So untrue and fake.
After all he was not Abhay either.
He was Abhayendra Rajput.
The doomed Prince of Doon empire.
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