Thank you for dropping in without a pm. I'm utterly obliged.
Devasena almost freaked out when someone grabbed her wrists from the back and drove her out of her trance to the roadside.
She realised that in the name of following Amarendra, she was on a dark road now. And he was nowhere before her.
Avanthika smacked her,utterly irritated.
" Get back to your senses Deva! What's wrong with you? I found you nowhere in the cafeteria, and then ran down, asking the security took your path. Where were you heading to? "
Devasena was in a big confusion. She well remembered that she had been following Amarendra, keeping a distance. But...but why? Why even?
Amarendra was well before her for a long time, and then the road took a turn, and maybe he disappeared soon after that but she kept walking until grabbed back to senses by Avanthika.
" tell me now...where were you going? "
" ...hh...home... " , Devasena swallowed in words.
" home? This way? Devasena what's wrong with you? A twenty first century woman believes in all those utter nonsense? Come with me without a word. You'll receive some serious thrashing from me otherwise. "
Avanthika and Devasena had a dinner at their favourite Chinese restaurant, the motive was mostly to drive Devasena out of some unexplained gloom, the plan being Avanthika's. And Devasena totally felt better. She now wanted to never face Amarendra again at least for the time being. He was not great for her health.
Back home after some random chit chats, Avanthika suddenly received a call.
" Ella... " , she rolled her eyes over the screen and then answered. And placed the phone on speaker when requested by Devasena.
" Hi Avanthika... I'm extremely sorry to inform that the book is strangely missing. And what astonishes us is the fact that why would such an insignificant book be stolen? Though the book is out of publications, yet...anyone and everyone can borrow that directly from us! It's nothing precious to be taken away that way... " , Ella sounded disappointed. Avanthika looked at Devasena who looked equally upset.
"it's...okay Ella...and it's unfortunate too... " , Avanthika couldn't find an appropriate word.
" ...yeah...okay...i just...
Anyways one last thing, were you in the library today morning? "
To this Avanthika's brows squeezed. So did Devasena's.
"me? No dear! I had important lectures at college today. " , Avanthika stopped, highly irritated, deciding not to explain any further. Ella too dropped the call after apologizing.
Avanthika paced down the room, frowning.
" what did she just mean? I stole the book? Nonsense! Crap! I have a card, I am a member! Why will I steal a petty book? "
Devasena tried to calm her down but Avanthika when excited wouldn't just listen to anyone.
After a huge amount of eruptions, Avanthika calmed down, and they went to bed... Devasena a bit upset, and Avanthika still a bit angry.
A strange feeling woke Devasena up. She slowly sat up on the bed, and kept on sitting for a long time. Avanthika was fast asleep, snoring.
Amarendra...
Devasena shut her eyes tight. But all she could see was his face, and strangely enough, the face resembled the portrait in the dark room, and not the Amarendra she talked to...
Past life...
Devasena got up. She was numb again, and dumb too.
No. She couldn't just ignore everything and sit quietly. When resources were at hand, running away couldn't be an option.
She took the keys, and slowly shut the door behind her, with a sleeping Avanthika inside.
Devasena was stoned to see the man in question standing with a bike and a smile, below the PG.
" Whaaat? "
She just couldn't utter anything else.
" Get up."
Amarendra started the bike. And Devasena got up, without even realizing that it was 2 in the night.
" am I dreaming? Why were you below my dwelling? "
Amarendra's voice flew away with the air as his bike speeded up. Yet Devasena gathered, " waiting for you. "
Somewhere, Devasena felt beautiful. And she didn't know how such weirdness could make her feel that.
" and if I didn't come? "
" I would return home."
Devasena knew, nothing could make sense to her however much she asked. So she decided to keep mum, plus she was feeling cold.
Yet safe, with a stranger. Or was he?
Amarendra parked his bike before his massive villa while Devasena stared amazed. The villa was lit up even on the outside now, and that added to it's vivid beauty that fountained out in the night.
" don't you have a security? "
She asked while Amarendra opened a massive lock to the massive main door.
He nodded sideways, and smiled again.
" no one wants to work here. They feel this place..." , he deepened his voice as they got in, the door automatically shutting down behind them, shaking Devasena a bit from the insides, " ...is haunted. "
Devasena chilled. Completely. And the man in question laughed out loud.
The entire mansion was flooding with lights tonight. And yet Devasena knew she was sweating.
" Look at you! You completely froze! "
Amarendra underwent another feat of hysterical laughter and then grabbed Devasena by her shoulder making her sit on a sofa.
And once again, she was electrified. But she was trying to get used to that, plus now, the fear seemed greater than every other attribute.
Was he real?
Devasena stared at him with wide eyes as he settled down just before her.
" now do you think I'm a ghost? "
Devasena felt like crying. Why did she just get up on his back? Who could hear her if she shouted?
Amarendra nodded his head, chuckling.
" Ohh god! I thought Devasenas had a warrior heart. Do you think humans are less dangerous than... Ggghhhosts...? "
Devasena swallowed in her own saliva. But yes...his words always worked.
" Come on! Did you not see me talking to the waiter at the cafeteria? Seriously I don't believe I'm explaining to you my humanity. "
Amarendra got up mostly to fetch water to one corner of the huge living room.
And here Devasena as if got back a life.
She couldn't believe she was a black belt and afraid of ghosts at the end.
He handed her a glass and sat back before her.
" the fact is...centuries back, I don't even know how many generations ago, one of my ancestors used to work as a 'pundit' at the royal temple of a huge state at the banks of a river...his son however took huge interest in weapons.
But both him...and his son were strangely dead, mostly suspected to be murdered.
Our clan maintained no connection with the state ever after, but you might understand, after the palace was vacated, people began remembering almost forgotten tales of the only untimely deaths of the line. "
Devasena gulped in a sip of water, while every word sinked into her.
" Phewww!" ,she blurted out the entire lliquid. " What's this? "
Amarendra laughed again. " Vodka. You had turned pale then "
Maybe his laughter really hurt her ego this time, and she drank in the never tasted liquid at a go. Amarendra twisted his lips in appraisal.
" Devasena enough."
Devasena and Amarendra had walked up to the backyard of the palace.
She didn't know why, Devasena now felt no hurry...no urge, to explore the unknown. She rather was okay with whatever was coming to her, most importantly she liked hanging around the huge mysterious house, though flooding with lights tonight, without asking a question...with him.
" The garden is a beautiful place to sit in the night. " , Amarendra had said when a huge wall clock struck 3.
The living room was directly connected to the gardens. And now they stood before a canal filled with water that surrounded the entire palace it seemed, and the garden stood across the canal, all beautifully lit.
" I believe there used to be small bridges sometime, but not anymore. " , Amarendra pointed to a half broken bridge on the other side of the canal.
" so how do we reach that side? "
Amarendra made a small jump and stood half in water.
" it's extremely shallow madam! " , he smiled, placing one hand to the edge just where Devasena stood, and the other hand to the broken end of the bridge.
" Even you... "
Before Amarendra could finish, Devasena placed her right foot on his shoulder. And before he could react, Devasena had crossed the handbridge Amarendra supposedly unknowingly created.
Upon stepping down the opposite side, Devasena as if realised what she had just done. Horrified, she turned back at Amarendra, who still stood in water, but had a heavenly smile on his face.
Almost whispering he re-uttered,
" Devasena enough!"
