ArHi FF: Mystical Melancholy chap-15 p.35 [10/10] - Page 16

Enjoyed the update...looking forward to how the tides will turn...thank you so much for the pm...I really appreciate it...good luck with your writing...

hey frnds...

CHAPTER 10 - THE UNQUIET DEAD

Lady Krithika collapsed down like a rag doll pulled off its strings. Lord Badhra was unable to compose himself, let alone console his wife. And the impact of his wife's fatal collapse, rendered him unconscious.

The castle of Matangi was in total chaos, as the gravity of the situation dawned upon the royal family. The medics were requested to tend to the failing couple. The festivities of the evening forgotten with the first blow of the storm, that was building itself slowly into a cyclone, ready to blow the cursed family apart.

One brother found his love while the other lost his that night as the full moon rose. That night was fated to bring in more than one such sorrows.

And I am bound to tell you that, this was the night that brought down the powerful family to crumbles as the dead witch's curse set in after 33 years since it was laid.

The cousins were devastated with Maya's action and Siddharth had never thought that his brother was capable of such betrayal. They must be going to Tapu, he thought. And immediately sent a messenger to his court, to hold his brother when he came there and if needed, imprison him too cause he might fight them. And then went in search of Khushi, to be there for her as her Bhai, while her own sister deserted her and her parents life source steadily draining at an alarming rate. All he could do is be there for her, as her entire family was suffering at the turn of events.

-------

She saw them. The young couple.

She saw them as she was gliding over her lake in the full moon, invisible to prying eyes.

She stared at them with her pupil less green eyes, while the wind ruffled her weedy hair.

She intended to find who they were, as not many came to her lake, atleast not in the dead of the night.

She heard the man tell the girl, "No Maya. We need to reach Tapu before they come in search of us. There is no time for resting."

"Fine, Shyam! Atleast let me drink some water from the lake. Unlike you I am not a vampire. And I cannot afford to run miles without stopping" replied the young woman.

Ah! They were a couple in love running away from their family. How sad? Love gave nothing but pain. Who will know it better than her? The one who lost her love to a cruel misconception and now living her cursed days in the lake.

As the girl strutted down towards the lake, the guy stopped her.

"Maya. This lake is said to be filled with Rusalki. Do you really want to drink its water?"asked the man.

"Rusalki?"

"Don't tell me you never knew about it? You are one of the princesses of this kingdom" said Shyam.

"Should I know everything because I am the princess? But alas! I am not a princess anymore as I eloped with you and I am not going to believe your pathetic stories. Now let go off me Shyam. I am dead thirsty" pleaded the girl.

She is one of the princesses of Matangi. That means...

Her days of misery were coming to an end.

The man let the girl go as he saw how tired she looked, warning her not to go deep.

She slowly swam towards the girl to fulfill her intentions.

Maya stooped down to gather the water in her hands for a drink staying in the shallow waters. She was startled as she saw a deathly pale woman with green hair loominh near her. Before she could process her coherent thoughts on that woman...

Maya let out a gasp and Shyam almost flew to her side with inhumane speed.

"Is everything ok Maya?"

Maya had her eyes closed as she replied ,"Yes Shyam. We should leave now before it is late."

He took her hands as he tugged her behind him, out the lake as they heard some shuffling noise not far off.

"Just a few more miles on foot. Then my comrades will find us with our horses" he assured her.

Maya opened her blazing green eyes and said ,"Good" as her eyes turned back normal while an evil grin stretched across her lips.

Her death will be avenged now.

------

Back at the castle...

Krithika fought to regain her consciousness as she felt the changed air.

The curse she was fighting all her life suddenly felt more powerful as its dark magic sucked the life out of her and her husband's.

But she knew it was a lost battle. She had to secure her only other child before she fell into the eternal sleep.

Adithya felt shattered. He was the one with a loyal heart that truly loved Maya, unknowing the fact that his love was never returned. He loved her with all his heart. But she betrayed him. Betrayed all of them. Left her dying parents without a care for her sister either. Suddenly, he felt he needed answers as to why she let them, her own blood, down. She could have said no to the wedding in the first place. But she waited till the eve of their engagement only to break all their hearts.

He was a demented man, driven by his need to acquire the answers for his question. He didn't heed to any cries and headed out in search of Maya.

Khushi and Arnav concerned more about Adithya now, informed Aakash and Payal to take care of things and ventured out into the woods to stop Adithya from doing something recklessly, that he might regret later.

They decided to split out and look for him in the forest. And if one found him, the other will know where they were naturally due to their now bound spirits.

Khushi crossed the lake with an eerie feeling as she felt a chill run down her spine. The icy chill hinting...

Something was not right.

Suddenly she heard screams and ran towards it.

She ran into a clearing in the middle of the forest where she saw Maya with Shyam and Adithya yelling at them. She hoped Arnav would find them soon as she didn't know what to do to pacify her cousin. But she wanted her sister to be safe too with her love. Maya was her sister afterall and she wanted her to be happy. But she neither wanted Adithya to suffer .

While she was thinking where Arnav was, Adithya tried to reach behind Shyam for pulling Maya out to demand his answers. But Shyam reacted all of a sudden and slammed Adithya to the ground.

A full blown fight ensued and Khushi was unable to do anything to stop it. She looked at her sister for help, only to see her watching the fight solemnly with a blank look.

She shouted out for Arnav but Shyam had done the damage. He bit Adithya and drained him to death.

Adithya fell to the forest floor, almost lifeless, while Arnav ran into the clearing only to be thunderstruck at the scene before him. He saw Khushi cradling Adithya and shedding silent tears as Shyam stood there with a look of horror across his face and blood dripping off his fangs.

Arnav walked to the huddled figures of Khushi and Adithya as if in a trance and leaned down to his brother. Adithya's eyes sparkled feebly when he saw his beloved brother along with his love coming for him. He knew true love existed as he saw them. It was who was destined to never find his. But he felt happy for his brother, who's heart was finally healing from the loss of their mother.

Adithya took his hands and placed it in Khushi's and croaked out ," Keep him sane sister. He found love, unlike me. Don't hurt him too."

Khushi closed her eyes unable to withstand another loss and left out a painful sob. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the once joy filled eyes of Adithya staring lifelessly at her.

She looked up to see Arnav and lost her stand as she saw the same look reflected in his eyes too.

Her shock turned into anger. Anger into untamed fury at the thought of the man who caused this.

She stood up her eyes blazing red and turned towards Shyam.

She slammed him into a tree with unknown strength drawn from her mysterious power and brought her hands infront of her which glowed now with flames of pure white light, ready to burn him alive. To give him the punishment he deserved for messing up with her family.

Maya saw what Khushi was about to do and ran towards Shyam putting herself between him and her sister.

On seeing Maya, Khushi stilled. No! She cannot do this to her sister. As much as she hated that man, she couldn't destroy her sister's happiness. And kill the only kin her Bhai had. How much ever she hated him, she cannot bring herself to kill him. She lowered her hands.

"Leave this place before I burn him down jiji. I leave him alive only for you."

Khushi turned her back on them and walked to Arnav who was still staring off into space.

Maya pulled up Shyam with her and started running away from the clearing.

------

She cannot avenge her death. Not yet. Not after seeing the power that chit-of-a-girl possessed. She had to take that girl down before she slaughtered the rest of her family.

They should never know who she was.

Afterall she was the dangerous Rusalka, who was once called Veela, when she was a witch, until she killed herself and her unborn child because of her love's death in the hands of the High King, their long dead Grandfather.

She had to lie low for a while and then strike when the time was right. Until then, she would let the nature take its course on the grief ridden family. There was no one left to fight her curse off anymore.

-------

Khushi tried to pry off Arnav's hunched body over his brother's lifeless one.

Finally, she let out a whisper of "Arnav..." amidst all her tears for the loss, her loved one shared with her.

Arnav heard her sobs. He was in pain. Unbearable pain. How many lose can one bear within a night?

It felt like someone was driving a cold dagger right into his chest and twisting it more and more making his heart bleed.

His Maasi and Uncle were leaving them slowly. Now he had lost his brother too.

The girl he trusted as his sister, left them all. Betraying their family and orphaned her own sister.

And he couldn't take in the double pain of loss that Khushi was suffering too. He can never see his love in pain. And when he thought about the cause of all her sufferings, something snapped in him.

He looked up when she whispered his name.

Khushi gasped and fell back in shock as she saw the look in his eyes that screamed of 'Vengeance'.

And she didn't have it in her to stop him from the self-destructive path he might pave for himself inorder to avenge their loss.

She was powerless, as she knew, this Arnav was set to destroy everything that gave her pain and she could do nothing as it was all directed towards her sister. The only blood tie she had left in the world who might fall prey to Arnav's wrath.

Khushi felt strangled as she could never choose between her only sister and the love of her life. But she knew she had to let go of one to retain the other. If she didn't, it will only hurt them both which she could never bear. She had promised dying Adithya that she would never hurt Arnav. What was she going to do now?!?

~~~ sam

*ducks and runs away to the grave i dug out for myself and making it easier for u all to kill me*

love and comments are welcomed... even daggers and curses too...!!!!!

i know i deserve them *winks*

p.s.

In slavic mythology, Rusalka (plural- Rusalki) are female ghosts or demons that dwelled in waterways. The Rusalka is an unquiet dead associated with "dark unclean force". The ghostly version is the soul of the young women who suicide with heartbreak in or near any water bodied and came back to haunt that waterway. This undead Rusalka is not invariably malevolent, and will be allowed to go in peace if and only her death is avenged.

- credits Wikipedia