Chapter 8
Shashi woke up from his comatose state, as he opened his eyes he found Soumya along with Adish standing right next to him. He then rose to sit up in an upright position confused over why he was admitted in the hospital.
"What happened? Why am I here in the hospital?" He asked them
Soumya then turns to Adish wondering what's wrong who nods at her assuring that everything's fine and then looks back at Shashi, "Don't you remember anything?" She asked her husband to which he shook his head and answered, "No I don't, what happened? Would you do me a favor and please tell me?"
Shipra then narrated the events that occurred post him getting attacked and fatally injured including Anvay's arrest and the fact that Kamalraj's accident a year back was actually a conspiracy to kill him and that the reason he actually was in a critical state beyond any hope was because he was poisoned.
"Poisoned? By whom? Shashi asked
"A Naagin, and not just any serpent but a venomous and illusive icchaadhaari naagin" Adish answered
"Who is he?" Shashi asked his wife Soumya who then introduced Adish as the healer that restored him back to full health.
The doctors then came to examine Shashi amazed by his recovery who then inform Soumya that he would be kept under observation for a day before getting discharged.
.........................................................................................................................................................
The Sangeet event had already begun as the stage was occupied by the performers. The guests as well as the client's family were all dancing to celebrate the evening as Mahima managed the event while Lakshya observed the same from a distance admiring the work done. The host for the evening then called upon the bride and the groom up on the stage to dance who then went up and took their positions. The song tere sang yaara played and they began dancing as they gazed into each other's eyes.
(The above video is a representation of the dance choreography)
Lakshya who was watching everything from afar slips into a trance whereby he daydreams of himself along with Mahima on the same stage dancing in place of the bride and groom. Once the song ended he snapped out of his reverie and then began to question himself over the same unable to comprehend what came over him at that moment. He then decides to walk away and leave, heading straight towards the exit. However while doing so he came across the witness who was with Anvay the other day just walk past him. Surprised yet elated at the same time he then approached the front office desk, "Any idea over what brings Mr. Sinha here tonight?" to which the desk informed him that he was invited by the clients who booked the banquet hall for the evening.
He then heads back inside to look for Mr. Sinha who was with groom's parents and approached them, "I hope you're having a great evening, how did you like the arrangements made?" He asked to which they applauded him and the staff that organised the entire event. Once they were done with the small talk and the groom's family excused themselves to attend to their guests. Lakshya then requests to speak to Mr. Sinha in private who agrees and then they go to a secluded corner of the hall.
..........................................................................................................................................................
Chetan was in the club one level above where he was hosting his friend's party.
"I thought you were going to get us the banquet hall for the night" his friend asked to which he apologized and blamed Lakshya for being adamant over the hotel's policy.
"I get that but the arrangements seem pretty mediocre for a place such as this" his friend pointed in annoyance.
"I'm really sorry about that" Chetan apologised once again and then asked one of the staff members to call for Mahima who then goes to the banquet hall where she was overseeing the event. The staff member informs her that Chetan had called her up in the club room and insisted that she heads up there immediately to which she complied.
As she appeared before Chetan he began to complain about the arrangements made by her for the evening to which she explained that this was the best she could do given the fact that the request from his end was made at the last minute.
"Even if that's the case, you're still supposed to make arrangements that match the level of this place" he told
"What do you mean by match the level of this place? We've done everything possible to help you host the event given we had limited time, what else do you want?" Mahima argued
"Except for arranging the performers" he pointed, "they're not here yet!" He yelled at her in front of everyone present there. Mahima then calls up the performers to check what took them so long who then inform her that it would take them around an hour to get there.
"They'll reach here in an hour" Mahima told him however he wasn't very pleased to hear that, "and what are we supposed to do till then?" He asked clearly vexed by the delay.
"If the performers are going to take a while to arrive then how about she entertain us in their place?" Chetan's friend suggested who seemed to like the idea.
"Actually you're right, since she is in charge of everything, she must take responsibility for the mess she's caused as well" Chetan commented in agreement, "you'll perform in their place till they get here"
Mahima was shocked by the fact that they even thought of making that suggestion. "I will not be doing anything as such!" she refused to their give into their demand and turns around to walk away however Chetan tugs on to her wrist preventing her from leaving.
"Let go of my hand!" Mahima demanded as she tried to free her hand from his grip, "Not before you do as we say" Chetan told her and then drags her further inside before she pulls away and is free from his grip, "What is this nonsense? What sort of behaviour is? I clearly said I won't do any of it" she yelled at him. As she turns around to walk away once again Chetan attempted to stop her in the same manner as earlier by trying to grab on to her wrist however this time it earned him a slap from Mahima who pulled her wrist away from his grip, "If you try that again, I swear it won't end with just a slap alone, so stay within your limits" she warned him and then storms out of the club.
Chetan's friends were stunned by the fact that Mahima actually dared to slap him let alone refuse him in front of them. "Wow she just insulted you without giving it much thought, I guess the staff here doesn't really take you seriously as opposed to that Lakshya, why else would she have dared to slap you like this" one of his friends taunted
"I agree, that pretty much also explains why she isn't very bothered to care about my party" Chetan's best friend who was also his client remarked.
Infuriated by their remarks he then picked up and threw a whisky glass on the floor causing it to shatter. "Who the hell does she think she? Limits? Is she going to set my limits?" He snarled and fumed for a while before he calmed down. "That b*tch needs to be taught a lesson" he spoke out as he let out a smirk to which his friends agreed.
..........................................................................................................................................................
Vikram was in the interrogation room where he was questioning Anvay.
"Why did you attack your brother, was it because of the inheritance? Who else is involved with you?" Vikram asked demanding an answer
"I did not attack my brother, asking me the same question won't get you a different answer" Anvay denied all the charges
"Then how do you explain that video where you were clearly seen jumping out of the window and the surveillance footage?" Vikram pointed
"I don't know!" Anvay told him, the interrogation went on with Vikram grilling Anvay for answers until his phone starts buzzing. He takes it out of his pocket to receive the call.
"Yes tell me" Vikram answered, the caller informed him about something that had Vikram worried "What?! I'll be right there" he told the caller and leaves the interrogation room.
..........................................................................................................................................................
Shipra was in the prayer room while at home. She was very disturbed by the revelation made by Chandrika regarding Anvay's previous marriage and the fact that she was kept in the dark for many years. Shipra hoped to ease her mind by meditating over the goddess by mentally chanting the her beej mantra.
Abhay watched his mother from across the living room and thought of joining her in the prayer room. He walks towards the prayer room and enters the same following which he sits beside his mother, it was then that he noticed tears rolling down her cheeks. His heart sank on seeing that, "Mom, what's wrong?" He asked her. Shipra snapped out her from her meditative state of mind and was surprised to find Abhay right next to her.
He then wiped the tears off her face and asked her again, "What's the matter mom? Is it because of dad?" she was stunned by his words which seemingly gave the impression that he too knew about what she just learnt but then realised he was referring to Anvay's arrest and imprisonment. She then looked away avoiding his gaze, Shipra did not want to tell her son about what she learnt as she was unsure of how he would react to it. "Please don't cry mom, dad will come out soon" he consoled her
"I know! It's just that a lot has happened lately and I'm afraid of what may come" she told him to which he responds "Let go of your fears mom, as long as we're together we will overcome it all"
..........................................................................................................................................................
Lakshya was with Mr. Sinha and had discussed the matter regarding Anvay's case and that he needed his testimony to help get Anvay released. "So will you help me?" He asked Mr Sinha
"Of course I will, in fact why didn't you visit me earlier regarding this?" Mr. Sinha asked Lakshya
"Actually I tried to reach you earlier today at your office but missed you since you had left early" Lakshya explained
"Oh, I see" he then assured Lakshya that he would show up at the police station to support the evidence he gathered.
"I love the how this function has been organised, everything here is breathtaking. By the way, you too are getting married right? So I assume you'll be hosting all the ceremonies here as well" Mr. Sinha asked Lakshya to which he gave him a rather half hearted, "I guess so"
..........................................................................................................................................................
Srishti was in her room browsing through the internet using her laptop to gather information on Manasgadh. As she was going through the images of the village, she found the place oddly familiar even though she couldn't recall ever visiting it. Once she was done gathering the relevant information she closes the browser and then opens the folder from the desktop which contained her engagement pictures. She admires every shot and reminisced the event quite fondly.
Shreya had just entered the room however Srishti didn't notice that given she was engrossed in admiring the images on her screen much to Shreya's surprise who then sneaks on Srishti startling her.
"What's wrong with you?" Srishti scolded her sister.
"You tell me, I entered the room and you didn't even notice me do so, I guess you're very excited about your marriage and can't wait to leave" Shreya commented
"Don't be such a drama queen" Srishti told her sister and then shut her laptop close. "And since when did you start snooping around?"
"I don't snoop around" Shreya denied and then they began to bicker for a while drawing the attention of their mother who then enters their room to pacify them.
"Stop this right now!" Smitha ordered her daughters who follow the same prompting Shreya to go back to her room. Smitha then asks Srishti to shower and rest early before exiting her room.
Srishti then locks her room before shedding her clothes and entering the bathroom. She takes off her engagement ring along with her bracelet and places it on the wash basin counter top before stepping into the shower.
(This is what the bracelet looks like)
For some reason the lights went out while she was in the middle of it, as a result of which she was now engulfed by the darkness in her bathroom causing a slight panic, however to her relief the moonlight which illuminated the night sky outside managed to spill inside through the window making it possible for her to see in the otherwise dark room, once Srishti was done showering she steps out and wraps herself in a towel.
(I wish I could add audio clips directly to the passage 😭, but yeah you can imagine this playing in the background)
As she picked the other towel near the window to dry her hair the moonlight touched her face causing it to slightly turn scaly and eyes glow which stopped the minute she stepped away from the light. She then walks out the bathroom and hops into her night wear after which she goes back inside to collect her ring. She first picks up the bracelet to wear it around her right wrist and then the ring which she slides down her ring finger on the left hand which she admired in the moonlight, the diamond embedded seemed to sparkle and emit its own light. Once Srishti was done she turns around to walk out however she slips and falls down midway injuring her wrist and elbow. She then gets up and steps out into her room to look for her smartphone which was left at her study table earlier. Srishti picks it up and turns on the inbuilt flashlight to illuminate her dark room and make it easier for her to assess her injuries. As she directed the flash light on her left wrist which had turned red and was slightly inflamed, she noticed that there was something off about her ring. The diamond which she had admired just a moment ago seemed to be loose and appeared to have been slightly cracked getting her worried and anxious over it.
..........................................................................................................................................................
The buffet counter had run out rotis (flatbreads) and the staff incharge of the catering were taking quite a while to deliver the next batch prompting Mahima to personally go and check what caused the delay. She steps out of the hall and heads towards the kitchen which was responsible for the sangeet function. While on her way there she couldn't help but feel as if she were being watched and then she heard some footsteps. She stopped in her tracks and turned around but found no one there and dismissed it as her imagination. As she was about to enter the kitchen she felt a pair of hands grab her from the back covering her mouth which muffled her screams. Chetan and his group of friends then carried her away as she struggled to free herself, they took the emergency staircase and led themselves back to the club where they were earlier. The group then let her down and pushed her further inside causing her to fall on her face as they surrounded her. She then looked up and tried to get back on her feet. "What is the meaning of this?" Mahima stood up glaring at Chetan and his friends.
"It seems as if you don't know your place so we're here to show you" one of his friend answered
"You really thought you could slap me in front of everyone and get away with it? You're going to pay for your insolence and I'll make sure of it" Chetan told her
"Cut the crap!" She yelled following which Chetan gestured his minions to grab her hands who followed the same.
"Let go of me or else—" Mahima was cut off before she could warn them, "Or else what?" Chetan asked in a mocking tone
"OR ELSE YOU'll END UP IN THE HOSPITAL!" A voice yelled out from outside.
Everyone one turns around to find a fuming Lakshya at the door who then charges towards Chetan and held him up by the collar. "How dare you! Aren't you ashamed of yourself for stooping this low? Who said you could do as you please with our female workers?"
Apparently one of the staff members saw Chetan and his group forcefully take Mahima away who then quickly informed Lakshya about the same.
"Why? Do I need your permission to do as I please?" Chetan retorted
Triggered by his response Lakshya then punches him in the face which then ensued into a brawl between the two.
The staff members who watched tried to separate them but found it difficult to do so until they heard a gunshot sound outside drawing everyone's attention away from Lakshya and Chetan.
Vikram stood at the entrance with his handgun pointed upwards. The bullet had hit the ceiling and ricocheted to the floor barely missing a person. Lakshya let go of Chetan the moment he saw Vikram who then entered inside and landed a blow on Chetan's face before grabbing him by the collar, "who the hell do you think you are?" He roared
"What are you doing here?" Lakshya asked surprised to find Vikram at the club hall however he paid no heed and began thrashing Chetan again until Mahima ran to him and tried to pull him back. "Please Stop!" She begged him and when he paid no heed she clung to him hoping it would hold him back. He then stopped and pushed Chetan away turning back to face Mahima.
"Are you okay?" He asked her to which she gave him a nod, Lakshya although confused by Vikram's sudden appearance it was his closeness to Mahima that bothered him even more.
Vikram then turned his attention back to both Chetan and Lakshya glaring at them, "Is this how you ensure your female workers safety? By letting people like him do as they please?" He asked Lakshya and then walked towards Chetan and gripped onto his shoulders holding him in his place while glaring at him directly in the eye, " If you ever try to lay a hand on my fiancé again, be rest assured to join your uncle where he is right now" An infuriated Vikram warned Chetan
................................................................................................................................................................................
Hello Friends,
This is the end of chapter 8, since it took me a while to update the same I decided to write the entire thing at once.
Don't forget to vote, share and let me know how you found this chapter.
Thanks :)
Chapter 8
Shashi woke up from his comatose state, as he opened his eyes he found Soumya along with Adish standing right next to him. He then rose to sit up in an upright position confused over why he was admitted in the hospital.
"What happened? Why am I here in the hospital?" He asked them
Soumya then turns to Adish wondering what's wrong who nods at her assuring that everything's fine and then looks back at Shashi, "Don't you remember anything?" She asked her husband to which he shook his head and answered, "No I don't, what happened? Would you do me a favor and please tell me?"
Shipra then narrated the events that occurred post him getting attacked and fatally injured including Anvay's arrest and the fact that Kamalraj's accident a year back was actually a conspiracy to kill him and that the reason he actually was in a critical state beyond any hope was because he was poisoned.
"Poisoned? By whom? Shashi asked
"A Naagin, and not just any serpent but a venomous and illusive icchaadhaari naagin" Adish answered
"Who is he?" Shashi asked his wife Soumya who then introduced Adish as the healer that restored him back to full health.
The doctors then came to examine Shashi amazed by his recovery who then inform Soumya that he would be kept under observation for a day before getting discharged.
.........................................................................................................................................................
The Sangeet event had already begun as the stage was occupied by the performers. The guests as well as the client's family were all dancing to celebrate the evening as Mahima managed the event while Lakshya observed the same from a distance admiring the work done. The host for the evening then called upon the bride and the groom up on the stage to dance who then went up and took their positions. The song tere sang yaara played and they began dancing as they gazed into each other's eyes.
(The above video is a representation of the dance choreography)
Lakshya who was watching everything from afar slips into a trance whereby he daydreams of himself along with Mahima on the same stage dancing in place of the bride and groom. Once the song ended he snapped out of his reverie and then began to question himself over the same unable to comprehend what came over him at that moment. He then decides to walk away and leave, heading straight towards the exit. However while doing so he came across the witness who was with Anvay the other day just walk past him. Surprised yet elated at the same time he then approached the front office desk, "Any idea over what brings Mr. Sinha here tonight?" to which the desk informed him that he was invited by the clients who booked the banquet hall for the evening.
He then heads back inside to look for Mr. Sinha who was with groom's parents and approached them, "I hope you're having a great evening, how did you like the arrangements made?" He asked to which they applauded him and the staff that organised the entire event. Once they were done with the small talk and the groom's family excused themselves to attend to their guests. Lakshya then requests to speak to Mr. Sinha in private who agrees and then they go to a secluded corner of the hall.
..........................................................................................................................................................
Chetan was in the club one level above where he was hosting his friend's party.
"I thought you were going to get us the banquet hall for the night" his friend asked to which he apologized and blamed Lakshya for being adamant over the hotel's policy.
"I get that but the arrangements seem pretty mediocre for a place such as this" his friend pointed in annoyance.
"I'm really sorry about that" Chetan apologised once again and then asked one of the staff members to call for Mahima who then goes to the banquet hall where she was overseeing the event. The staff member informs her that Chetan had called her up in the club room and insisted that she heads up there immediately to which she complied.
As she appeared before Chetan he began to complain about the arrangements made by her for the evening to which she explained that this was the best she could do given the fact that the request from his end was made at the last minute.
"Even if that's the case, you're still supposed to make arrangements that match the level of this place" he told
"What do you mean by match the level of this place? We've done everything possible to help you host the event given we had limited time, what else do you want?" Mahima argued
"Except for arranging the performers" he pointed, "they're not here yet!" He yelled at her in front of everyone present there. Mahima then calls up the performers to check what took them so long who then inform her that it would take them around an hour to get there.
"They'll reach here in an hour" Mahima told him however he wasn't very pleased to hear that, "and what are we supposed to do till then?" He asked clearly vexed by the delay.
"If the performers are going to take a while to arrive then how about she entertain us in their place?" Chetan's friend suggested who seemed to like the idea.
"Actually you're right, since she is in charge of everything, she must take responsibility for the mess she's caused as well" Chetan commented in agreement, "you'll perform in their place till they get here"
Mahima was shocked by the fact that they even thought of making that suggestion. "I will not be doing anything as such!" she refused to their give into their demand and turns around to walk away however Chetan tugs on to her wrist preventing her from leaving.
"Let go of my hand!" Mahima demanded as she tried to free her hand from his grip, "Not before you do as we say" Chetan told her and then drags her further inside before she pulls away and is free from his grip, "What is this nonsense? What sort of behaviour is? I clearly said I won't do any of it" she yelled at him. As she turns around to walk away once again Chetan attempted to stop her in the same manner as earlier by trying to grab on to her wrist however this time it earned him a slap from Mahima who pulled her wrist away from his grip, "If you try that again, I swear it won't end with just a slap alone, so stay within your limits" she warned him and then storms out of the club.
Chetan's friends were stunned by the fact that Mahima actually dared to slap him let alone refuse him in front of them. "Wow she just insulted you without giving it much thought, I guess the staff here doesn't really take you seriously as opposed to that Lakshya, why else would she have dared to slap you like this" one of his friends taunted
"I agree, that pretty much also explains why she isn't very bothered to care about my party" Chetan's best friend who was also his client remarked.
Infuriated by their remarks he then picked up and threw a whisky glass on the floor causing it to shatter. "Who the hell does she think she? Limits? Is she going to set my limits?" He snarled and fumed for a while before he calmed down. "That b*tch needs to be taught a lesson" he spoke out as he let out a smirk to which his friends agreed.
..........................................................................................................................................................
Vikram was in the interrogation room where he was questioning Anvay.
"Why did you attack your brother, was it because of the inheritance? Who else is involved with you?" Vikram asked demanding an answer
"I did not attack my brother, asking me the same question won't get you a different answer" Anvay denied all the charges
"Then how do you explain that video where you were clearly seen jumping out of the window and the surveillance footage?" Vikram pointed
"I don't know!" Anvay told him, the interrogation went on with Vikram grilling Anvay for answers until his phone starts buzzing. He takes it out of his pocket to receive the call.
"Yes tell me" Vikram answered, the caller informed him about something that had Vikram worried "What?! I'll be right there" he told the caller and leaves the interrogation room.
..........................................................................................................................................................
Shipra was in the prayer room while at home. She was very disturbed by the revelation made by Chandrika regarding Anvay's previous marriage and the fact that she was kept in the dark for many years. Shipra hoped to ease her mind by meditating over the goddess by mentally chanting the her beej mantra.
Abhay watched his mother from across the living room and thought of joining her in the prayer room. He walks towards the prayer room and enters the same following which he sits beside his mother, it was then that he noticed tears rolling down her cheeks. His heart sank on seeing that, "Mom, what's wrong?" He asked her. Shipra snapped out her from her meditative state of mind and was surprised to find Abhay right next to her.
He then wiped the tears off her face and asked her again, "What's the matter mom? Is it because of dad?" she was stunned by his words which seemingly gave the impression that he too knew about what she just learnt but then realised he was referring to Anvay's arrest and imprisonment. She then looked away avoiding his gaze, Shipra did not want to tell her son about what she learnt as she was unsure of how he would react to it. "Please don't cry mom, dad will come out soon" he consoled her
"I know! It's just that a lot has happened lately and I'm afraid of what may come" she told him to which he responds "Let go of your fears mom, as long as we're together we will overcome it all"
..........................................................................................................................................................
Lakshya was with Mr. Sinha and had discussed the matter regarding Anvay's case and that he needed his testimony to help get Anvay released. "So will you help me?" He asked Mr Sinha
"Of course I will, in fact why didn't you visit me earlier regarding this?" Mr. Sinha asked Lakshya
"Actually I tried to reach you earlier today at your office but missed you since you had left early" Lakshya explained
"Oh, I see" he then assured Lakshya that he would show up at the police station to support the evidence he gathered.
"I love the how this function has been organised, everything here is breathtaking. By the way, you too are getting married right? So I assume you'll be hosting all the ceremonies here as well" Mr. Sinha asked Lakshya to which he gave him a rather half hearted, "I guess so"
..........................................................................................................................................................
Srishti was in her room browsing through the internet using her laptop to gather information on Manasgadh. As she was going through the images of the village, she found the place oddly familiar even though she couldn't recall ever visiting it. Once she was done gathering the relevant information she closes the browser and then opens the folder from the desktop which contained her engagement pictures. She admires every shot and reminisced the event quite fondly.
Shreya had just entered the room however Srishti didn't notice that given she was engrossed in admiring the images on her screen much to Shreya's surprise who then sneaks on Srishti startling her.
"What's wrong with you?" Srishti scolded her sister.
"You tell me, I entered the room and you didn't even notice me do so, I guess you're very excited about your marriage and can't wait to leave" Shreya commented
"Don't be such a drama queen" Srishti told her sister and then shut her laptop close. "And since when did you start snooping around?"
"I don't snoop around" Shreya denied and then they began to bicker for a while drawing the attention of their mother who then enters their room to pacify them.
"Stop this right now!" Smitha ordered her daughters who follow the same prompting Shreya to go back to her room. Smitha then asks Srishti to shower and rest early before exiting her room.
Srishti then locks her room before shedding her clothes and entering the bathroom. She takes off her engagement ring along with her bracelet and places it on the wash basin counter top before stepping into the shower.
(This is what the bracelet looks like)
For some reason the lights went out while she was in the middle of it, as a result of which she was now engulfed by the darkness in her bathroom causing a slight panic, however to her relief the moonlight which illuminated the night sky outside managed to spill inside through the window making it possible for her to see in the otherwise dark room, once Srishti was done showering she steps out and wraps herself in a towel.
(I wish I could add audio clips directly to the passage 😭, but yeah you can imagine this playing in the background)
As she picked the other towel near the window to dry her hair the moonlight touched her face causing it to slightly turn scaly and eyes glow which stopped the minute she stepped away from the light. She then walks out the bathroom and hops into her night wear after which she goes back inside to collect her ring. She first picks up the bracelet to wear it around her right wrist and then the ring which she slides down her ring finger on the left hand which she admired in the moonlight, the diamond embedded seemed to sparkle and emit its own light. Once Srishti was done she turns around to walk out however she slips and falls down midway injuring her wrist and elbow. She then gets up and steps out into her room to look for her smartphone which was left at her study table earlier. Srishti picks it up and turns on the inbuilt flashlight to illuminate her dark room and make it easier for her to assess her injuries. As she directed the flash light on her left wrist which had turned red and was slightly inflamed, she noticed that there was something off about her ring. The diamond which she had admired just a moment ago seemed to be loose and appeared to have been slightly cracked getting her worried and anxious over it.
..........................................................................................................................................................
The buffet counter had run out rotis (flatbreads) and the staff incharge of the catering were taking quite a while to deliver the next batch prompting Mahima to personally go and check what caused the delay. She steps out of the hall and heads towards the kitchen which was responsible for the sangeet function. While on her way there she couldn't help but feel as if she were being watched and then she heard some footsteps. She stopped in her tracks and turned around but found no one there and dismissed it as her imagination. As she was about to enter the kitchen she felt a pair of hands grab her from the back covering her mouth which muffled her screams. Chetan and his group of friends then carried her away as she struggled to free herself, they took the emergency staircase and led themselves back to the club where they were earlier. The group then let her down and pushed her further inside causing her to fall on her face as they surrounded her. She then looked up and tried to get back on her feet. "What is the meaning of this?" Mahima stood up glaring at Chetan and his friends.
"It seems as if you don't know your place so we're here to show you" one of his friend answered
"You really thought you could slap me in front of everyone and get away with it? You're going to pay for your insolence and I'll make sure of it" Chetan told her
"Cut the crap!" She yelled following which Chetan gestured his minions to grab her hands who followed the same.
"Let go of me or else—" Mahima was cut off before she could warn them, "Or else what?" Chetan asked in a mocking tone
"OR ELSE YOU'll END UP IN THE HOSPITAL!" A voice yelled out from outside.
Everyone one turns around to find a fuming Lakshya at the door who then charges towards Chetan and held him up by the collar. "How dare you! Aren't you ashamed of yourself for stooping this low? Who said you could do as you please with our female workers?"
Apparently one of the staff members saw Chetan and his group forcefully take Mahima away who then quickly informed Lakshya about the same.
"Why? Do I need your permission to do as I please?" Chetan retorted
Triggered by his response Lakshya then punches him in the face which then ensued into a brawl between the two.
The staff members who watched tried to separate them but found it difficult to do so until they heard a gunshot sound outside drawing everyone's attention away from Lakshya and Chetan.
Vikram stood at the entrance with his handgun pointed upwards. The bullet had hit the ceiling and ricocheted to the floor barely missing a person. Lakshya let go of Chetan the moment he saw Vikram who then entered inside and landed a blow on Chetan's face before grabbing him by the collar, "who the hell do you think you are?" He roared
"What are you doing here?" Lakshya asked surprised to find Vikram at the club hall however he paid no heed and began thrashing Chetan again until Mahima ran to him and tried to pull him back. "Please Stop!" She begged him and when he paid no heed she clung to him hoping it would hold him back. He then stopped and pushed Chetan away turning back to face Mahima.
"Are you okay?" He asked her to which she gave him a nod, Lakshya although confused by Vikram's sudden appearance it was his closeness to Mahima that bothered him even more.
Vikram then turned his attention back to both Chetan and Lakshya glaring at them, "Is this how you ensure your female workers safety? By letting people like him do as they please?" He asked Lakshya and then walked towards Chetan and gripped onto his shoulders holding him in his place while glaring at him directly in the eye, " If you ever try to lay a hand on my fiancé again, be rest assured to join your uncle where he is right now" An infuriated Vikram warned Chetan
................................................................................................................................................................................
Hello Friends,
This is the end of chapter 8, since it took me a while to update the same I decided to write the entire thing at once.
Don't forget to vote, share and let me know how you found this chapter.
Thanks :)
Interesting Very Interesting-Quote from VRS.
Again Please continue & conclude the same.
Interesting Very Interesting-Quote from VRS.
Again Please continue & conclude the same.
I actually say the same thing whenever I find something interesting as well 😊
Thanks and I will.
Chapter 9
Lakshya couldn't believe his ears, and thought he may have heard it wrong but his eyes made it pretty clear that it wasn't the case. For some reason he felt an unusual sense of dejection weighing over his chest when he saw Vikram and Mahima embrace each other.
"You're not going to be working here anymore" Vikram told her in an authoritative tone as everyone watched and then drags her out by the hand. Mahima stops and pulls back and away from his grip while they're midway across the corridor much to Vikram's surprise who then looked at her in confusion.
"You can't just make decisions for me" Mahima asserted herself before him.
"And what is your decision going to be?" He asked expecting a clear answer from her.
"I can't leave, and you very well know the reason why!" She answered.
"So you're going to continue working here even after what happened?" He asked expressing his disbelief.
"I have a contract with them, so I'm legally bound and committed to work for them" she explained
"And what if that b@st@$d repeats what he did again" he asked expressing her concern.
"It won't happen again, not after the warning you've given him" she answered hoping it would ease him off a bit
"What if that doesn't deter him" he pointed out the possibility of Chetan ignoring the same to which she tells him, "Even if that were the case, his cousin will get in the way as long as he's around"
"And you trust him? Because I don't" he responded as he shook his head in disagreement
"Do you trust me?" She asked
"Yes!" He answered
"Then just let me be, trust me I'll be fine" she told him
"Okay, if you say so.... But you're leaving with me right now" he decided
"No I'm not! What about the event down there?" She reasoned
"You don't have to worry about it, we'll manage" Lakshya who followed them happen to hear a bit of their conversation before approaching the two.
"Are you sure about that?" She asked him to which he gave her a nod, "and I'm really sorry about what happened earlier" he apologized sincerely.
"What good would you're apology do when you've got crime running in your family" Vikram scoffed
"I wasn't talking to you!"
Lakshya glared at him reacting to his comment.
Mahima sensed the two of them were at odds and possibly at the brink of a verbal spat prompting her to request her fiancé to spare her a moment with her client. Vikram reluctantly agrees and heads outside where he would wait for her.
"About your apology, It wasn't exactly your fault and thank you for again for what you did earlier and now as well" she told him
"I won't let him get anywhere near you, I'll make sure about that, however you should call it a day" Lakshya assured her
"Okay" She responded and then took her steps to walk away as he watched her leave followed by a void creeping within him.
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The next day
Srishti had asked her group members to gather at the canteen where they were waiting for Abhay. Though they were early, She worried that his absence could mean that he would arrive late and that she wouldn't be able to discuss her plan to visit Manasgadh before the class begins.
Sick and tired of waiting for him, she heads to the service counter to place an order where she requested for sandwiches and some soft drinks and waited there till she was served the same. She collects her food tray and then heads back to her table where Kirti and Shruti were seated. She took her place and served her friends before having a bite from her own sandwich. A few moments later Abhay showed up interrupting their mini breakfast. He pulls out a chair from the nearby table and drags it to where his group was seated.
"Pretty early aren't you?" Srishti's taunted Abhay however he ignores her and sits down then allowing Srishti to begin with her discussion.
"So I've researched about this place over the internet, and I believe it's perfect to collect the information we'd need to ace this assignment" Srishti explained about the beliefs and other folklores regarding serpents that were passed down since generations in that village and then proposed about visiting the same.
"So where exactly are we heading?" Shruti asked Srishti to which she replied, "Manasgadh"
Abhay was surprised over the fact that Srishti actually made a mention about the village Manasgadh given that he first heard it from Ashlesha the other day. Once the discussion ended and they were getting ready to head to class Abhay calls out to Srishti and stalls her, "Did you really find out about Manasgadh over the Internet?"
The question puzzled her for a moment before she realised what he meant, "oh about that, well I heard it from Rani. She was the one who suggested I look into this"
"Really?" Although Abhay was aware of the fact that Rani heard about the place he didn't expect her to go and share the same with Srishti.
"Why do you ask though?" She asked him to which he replied with a "No reason" and then heads up to class.
Srishti couldn't figure out his odd response and but decided to cut him some slack considering the fact that he has been going through a rough patch lately.
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Shipra was in the kitchen preparing the lunch by herself for the family. The house's staff member who was responsible to assist in the kitchen took a day off while Soumya was still at the hospital.
Shipra was done with the salad and set it aside to get back to the attend the rice which was getting cooked over the stove. A moment later Ashlesha comes in to collect her usual which was Kamalraj's food tray, however as she noticed the house staff wasn't around she began to load it herself.
Shipra was pretty curious about their new nurse, the previous one who resigned out of the blue was quite sociable and got along well with everyone in the family while Ashlesha on the contrary seemed pretty reserved and aloof from the family.
"I hope you've managed to settle in here fine" Shipra asked in a bid to break the ice.
Ashlesha although uninterested in holding up any sort of conversation replied with a brief "yes, of course" just so she didn't come across as rude to her employer.
"That's great. How's father doing?" Shipra asked wondering if his health showed any signs of improvement much to Ashlesha's annoyance who wasn't sure about what to say, "If I were to be honest, then I'd say there aren't really any significant changes to his condition" she answered hoping it would discourage her from asking any further questions, "I see" Shipra muttered in disappointment.
"In case you notice changes that is even if they were minor, I'd expect you to let us know" Shipra instructed.
"Yes of course" Ashlesha feigned her assurance to comply.
"We used to be quite happy, that is this family until a year back when father got into an accident that left him in that condition today" Shipra told Ashlesha who again didn't really care but still gave the impression as if she felt sorry for them, "life sure is unpredictable" is all she could tell her at that moment.
"I know, it's just that I never expected it to be this bad. It's almost as if we've been afflicted by some sort of an evil eye" Shipra remarked.
"You bet" Ashlesha thought to herself. A moment later the doorbell rings however there's no one around to attend the same and since Shipra had her hands full in the kitchen, Ashlesha agrees to open the door. She then heads towards the door and opens it. The minute Ashlesha did that she was met with a rude shock as she found Soumya along with her husband Shashi at the entrance who then walked inside. The minute Shipra saw them she quickly washed her hands off and headed to the living room. As happy and elated she was to find her brother in law standing right before her she couldn't help but wonder how exactly did he manage to get back up on his feet as if nothing happened, almost as if it were a miracle. She then calls out to Chandrika and Rani who then emerge out of their respective rooms. The moment they saw Shashi they both headed downstairs, where Rani assisted her grandmother. Once they were down in the living room Rani runs towards her father and gives him a hug as she began to cry in joy while Chandrika joined her granddaughter in doing the same and thanked God.
Shipra then asked Shashi about what exactly happened on the day he was attacked and who exactly was behind it to which Soumya explained that he didn't really remember anything much to their disappointment but to Ashlesha's relief.
Shipra then gives Lakshya a call to inform him about the same. "Hello son, your uncle has regained consciousness and is back home"
"Really?! That's excellent news, I'll be right there" he told her and then leaves to get back home.
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"But how is this possible?!" Ashlesha asked the priest who was equally bewildered by the news she she gave him.
"It is quite bizarre if you ask me, but not impossible either" the priest told her
"What do you mean by it's not impossible" the priest than went on to explain, "if you could survive and attain a new identity then why not him?"
"You mean someone healed him?" She asked to which he told her, "that's correct! Which is also why you'll need to be more cautious than before" the priest explained that the person who healed Shashi would have figured that his comatose condition wasn't caused by a fall alone but rather induced.
"Could it be the tantrik?" She thought out loud
The priest who heard her dismissed it explaining that if it were indeed the case then he would have sent his snake charmers after her however nothing of that sort exactly happened.
"Then who could it be?" She asked him hoping he'd make a guess.
"I can't tell at the moment, but you'll need to watch your step from now on" he advised and then picked up a wrist cuff and handed it over to Ashlesha, "Wear this from now on while you're living amongst them, it will help you conceal your true identity" Ashlesha had earlier told the priest about how she was nearly caught by Abhay when she heard the been music play in the house and worried that the same could occur again later hence she needed a quick fix to it. Considering the same Mr. Kailash prepared the cuff to resolve it.
"As long as you wear this you will remain unaffected by the anything that could risk exposing you, be it the full moonlight or the been music, so make sure have this on at all time while you're there and don't lose it" the priest told her, "Also endure that it never comes in contact with water otherwise it'll turn useless" Ashlesha then thanks him on receiving it and then exits the temple.
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It was past evening and everyone was back home at the Singh mansion.
Lakshya and Abhay were back already and the entire family except for Anvay had gathered in the living room. They were really pleased and relieved to see him back home in full health.
Lakshya was met with Chetan's glower who just entered the house from right across the hall which was quite noticeable by everyone. Unsure of what happened Soumya asked them if everything were okay.
"What happened to your face?" Shashi asked his son who's face was bruised as a result of the fight the previous night. Chetan lies about getting into an accident while on the road as he didn't want Lakshya to let his family know about how he misbehaved with Mahima the previous night.
Mr. Kulkarni walks in through the entrance. Lakshya had called him over to discuss the recent developments.
"Can we get dad out now?" Lakshya asked the lawyer who then informed him that it depended on Shashi's testimony but given that he didn't recall anything it was going to be a little difficult unless he insisted on Anvay's innocence.
"But it's possible right?" Abhay questioned leaning onto the possibility that his father would be out sooner.
"I can't make any promises yet but hopefully yes" Mr Kulkarni answered
Abhay then went on to inform everyone that he'd be leaving home this weekend to visit Manasgadh.
Chandrika I'm hearing that then dragged Abhay to a corner "Where'd you hear about that place?" Chandrika asked her grandson who then told her about his assignment and that Srishti was the one who proposed visiting the place to gather first hand information.
"And how did she learn about this place?" The very mention of the village Manasgadh got Chandrika sort of unsettled.
"She heard it from Rani who was with me when Ashlesha made a mention of it the other day" Abhay told her, "Ashlesha made a mention of it?" Chandrika grew curious and yet suspicious at the same time.
"But what's the matter Dadi?" Abhay could sense his grandmother was worried about something.
"Nothing, it's just that Manasgadh isn't a very welcoming place and I'm worried about letting you go there" Chandrika told him
"Why do you say that?" Abhay asked out of curiosity
"It because....." Chandrika trailed realising that she almost told him something he shouldn't be knowing while Abhay waited for her to answer making him wonder if there was something she was keeping something from him, "that place isn't exactly safe, visitors get attacked and robbed over there" she continued and explained that he would be better off not visiting Manasgadh.
"I understand, but please don't worry too much. Also we'll be visiting during the day so we'll be careful" Abhay assured his grandmother who reluctantly agreed.
Shashi too wondered about what made Abhay want to visit Manasgadh, however he didn't bother to ask him directly but rather thought he'd find out the same from Chandrika later when he finds the opportunity to speak to her in private.
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Mahima was at the hospital carrying out her volunteer duties. While she was at the general ward assisting with the cleaning duties she seemed to be ruminating over the previous night when she was at the hotel managing her event and what followed after she headed back home with Vikram who then reported the entire incident to her father. On hearing what happened her father like Vikram opposed to her continuing at the royal sky and that kind of became a cause of her worry and to top it all her entire day at work was full of awkwardness as the workers around seem to gossip behind her back.
Once she was done she headed to the mess area to collect her refreshments for the evening and joined her co-volunteers who were getting ready to leave for the night.
"Are you okay?" one of the volunteers asked as they noticed the gloomy expression on Mahima's face.
"Yeah I'm fine, just had a rough day at work" Mahima answered
"Oh I see, do you wanna talk about it?" The volunteer asked Mahima who gave it thought for a moment. She wondered if it would be okay to share what happened to another person outside work but at the same time she did seek a different perspective hence she agreed to confide in her. Once Mahima told her everything the Volunteer shared her opinion, "that is indeed a pretty difficult position to be in right now, but I guess you're other boss seems to care about you enough to actually take on his own cousin"
"It was the right thing to do and I guess he would have done it for anyone being harassed by that jerk" Mahima told the volunteer
"I guess that's there too, but what if there was a slight chance that he may have a thing for you?" the volunteer raised a possibility which seemed to make Mahima uncomfortable, "he's engaged to another woman and let's say even if that's true he better give up" Mahima clarified following which they then walk out of the hospital and split off in different directions.
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Srishti was at the Jewellery store to get her ring fixed. She took it off and handed it to the jeweller who began to examine the same in order to assess the level of damage.
After examining it the jeweller appeared to be quite surprised, he had never seen a diamond get damaged just weeks after it were sold.
"We'll have to replace the diamond" the jeweller told her.
"When can I come to collect it?" Srishti asked the jeweller
"After two weeks" he told her and explained that the particular ring would need to be sent away to a different a different store from another state.
"Alright" she told the jeweller and then paid him part of the charges in advance and then walked out of the store.
She then pulled out her phone which was inside of her pant's pocket and dials her mother's number from the contact list.
"Are you done?" Srishti's mother asked once the call went through
"Yes, but it'll take around two weeks to get the ring repaired" she told her mother
"That's okay, we have time till the pre-wedding functions begin" her mother responded and asked her to return home right away. Srishti hangs up and places her smartphone back inside the pocket. She then walks towards her car which was parked right outside the store.
Before she could enter she heard the cry of puppy which was attempting to cross a busy road in order to reach its mother on the other side.
Once the road appeared to be clear the puppy darted towards its mother's direction however once it was halfway across the middle of the road Srishti noticed a speeding car approaching from afar and then rushed to rescue it before it got hit. Once she managed to reach the little animal she picked it up however by that time the speeding vehicle was pretty close to a point where it was just nearly impossible to avoid getting hit as a result of which Srishti froze in the middle of the road as she watched the vehicle come close enough to hit her. The vehicle screeched and came to a halt as it appeared to have gotten into an accident.
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Hello Friends,
That's the end of chapter 9, I hope you'll liked it.
Thanks :)
Chapter 10
The speeding car screeched as it came to a halt in a bid to avoid hitting the person before it. Srishti felt herself pushed forward towards the pavement where the mother dog was waiting for it puppy to cross and fell to the floor on her side as she closed her eyes. The mother dog began to sniff her as a result of which she opens the same and then turns to look back where she finds Mahima who was apparently hit by the speeding vehicle laid on the road ahead of the same. Srishti gently placed the puppy she held tight onto the pavement and then gets up to check on Mahima. Fortunately Mahima didn't suffer and major injuries and managed to get away with just a scraped elbow and a shallow cut on her left temple. Srishti helped her get up, "are you okay" she asked Mahima who responded "Yes I'm fine"
Srishti was relieved to hear that, "thank god" she told herself. The driver from the car then got down to check and apologized to Mahima.
"It's alright, moreover it wasn't entirely your mistake alone" she told him and then dragged Srishti towards the pavement. "Are you out of your mind? Why'd you have to jump right in front of the car like that?" She scolded Srishti.
Apparently she saw Srishti earlier when she was going to collect her car to get back home. Mahima freaked out the minute she watched Srishti run across the street right as the speeding vehicle gained on Srishti causing her to instinctively rush and push her away preventing her from getting hit.
"I couldn't help it, if I hadn't done something this poor thing would have been run over by the car" Srishti told her
"You were ready to risk your life for a puppy?" A Mahima asked with a raised brow
"You did the same for a stranger like me too now didn't you?" Srishti pointed
"We're not exactly strangers" Mahima clarified
For a moment Srishti was confused and then realised what Mahima meant, "Oh right! We met before at the hotel"
"Yes we did" Mahima responded
"Come with me" Srishti then takes Mahima by the hand to her car. She gets insides and asks Mahima to do the same.
Srishti takes out the first aid kit from the glove compartment and administers the same to tend to Mahima's wounds while inside her car. For a some reason both Srishti and Mahima felt a strange sense of kindredness with each other.
Once Srishti was done with the first aid she offers to drop Mahima home.
"As much as I appreciate it, I'll have to decline. My car's right there and I'm fine enough to drive back home" Mahima told her
"Are you sure about that?" Srishti asked to which Mahima answers "Yes, I am"
"Alright then, take care yourself and thank you" Srishti placed the First aid kit back inside the glove compartment after which Mahima opens the door and steps out of Srishti's car who watched her leave and enter her own vehicle. Once Mahima left the parking space, Srishti too leaves and drives back home.
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Shashi was with his mother inside her room.
"Why did you allow Abhay to visit Manasgadh?" He asked his mother. Although it was none of his business he was still bothered by the fact that someone actually made a mention of that place.
"He may be close to me but we all know he isn't one to listen and agree without a good reason" Chandrika explained as she walked towards the window facing it "at the end he'll just do as he pleases"
"That unbridled nature of his could become a problem you know" Shashi warned his mother
"To get there he'll have to pass through Shiv Nagar, what if the past we've buried there years ago resurfaces because of his visit?"
"Are you trying to get us jinxed? Be mindful of what you say" Chandrika turned back and rebuked him "even if he were to momentarily stop by there isn't much for us to expect or worry about. The tantrik resolved it for us years back so give it a rest" although Chandrika said that for some reason an unsettling feeling swept over her making her wonder if should have reconsidered allowing Abhay to actually visit the place.
"However what actually bothers me is the fact that someone actually pointed him in that direction" a worried Chandrika expressed her concern
"Someone pointed him in that direction?" Shashi was surprised to learn that, "that's right" Chandrika told him.
"Who did?" Shashi asked wanting to know about the same, Chandrika then named Srishti.
"Srishti did?" Shashi was surprised to learn that, "yes she did, however she heard it from Rani who happened to hear the same along with Abhay from Ashlesha" Chandrika elaborated further.
"That's interesting" Shashi responded
"Indeed" Chandrika then began to express her doubt over Ashlesha and suggested getting a background check done on their new nurse to which Shashi agrees.
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Lakshya, Abhay and Rani were gathered together in the balcony to celebrate Shashi's recovery and return. The house staff served them snacks and drinks as they relaxed for the evening.
Rani was using her phone to watch a video on YouTube while Abhay and Lakshya discussed about getting Anvay released on account of Shashi's return. Lakshya's smartphone starts buzzing and he leaves to attend the call.
Abhay then takes the opportunity to ask Rani about telling Srishti about Manasgadh.
"I never did anything as such" she told him
"Are you sure about that?" a surprised Abhay asked her once again.
"Uh.. yes" she told him.
Abhay then began to wonder if Srishti lied to him earlier.
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The weekend arrived, Srishti was waiting at the bus stop along with Shruti and Kirti. It was around 8am in the morning and the weather seemed to be quite pleasant. Srishti had made sure to pack up everything she needed for the trip the previous night, mostly some clothes, snacks, essentials and a bottle of water.
She was dressed in a pair jeans and a white sleeved crop top. Shruti and Kirti were also dressed in casuals but were beginning to get tired as they waited for Abhay to come and pick them up.
"Is he always this late?" Shruti asked to which Srishti responds "you bet, get used to it"
"I wonder how he gets things done at that pace" Kirti sighed
"Don't bother" Srishti told her.
Half an hour passed till Abhay finally showed up in his jeep. He stopped right at the bus stop where they were waiting for him. Shruti and Kirti hop in while Srishti picks and carries her back pack as she joined the other two.
"You know we're just visiting for a day right?" Abhay asked Srishti after seeing the size of her backpack.
"I know that but it's not like we'll get there before the end of the day right and it's unlikely that we'll get back here tomorrow right away either" Srishti explained.
"Whatever" Abhay then pushed down the accelerator and drives off towards their destination.
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Lakshya, Shashi and Mr. Kulkarni were at the police station the same morning. Mr. Kulkarni had submitted the video evidence and requested for his immediate release.
Shashi then began to request for the same, "Can you just let him go, I can vouch for his innocence. He has nothing to do with what happened to me the other day"
"What makes you so sure about that, given you have no recollection about what exactly happened?" Vikram asked Shashi who was then answered by Lakshya, "The video evidence we just gave you. Dad can't be at two places at the same time now can he? And if my uncle here believes he's innocent then I guess that should be good enough for us to be sure"
Vikram then responds to him with his arms crossed, "we are yet to verify if this footage which you've just submitted is authentic and your uncle's testimony is simply not reliable"
"And what if the man in the footage testifies to
support the video evidence?" Lakshya asked in annoyance
"We could think about it, but he isn't here now is he?" Vikram pointed
Mr. Kulkarni then asked Lakshya about the same thing, "wasn't Mr. Sinha supposed to show up here today?"
"Yes he was, how about we wait for him till he gets here?" Lakshya suggested to which both Vikram and Kulkarni reluctantly agree.
"You could do that but we don't have all day" Vikram told them before getting back to reviewing other cases.
Around 2 hours passed as they waited for Mr. Sinha to show up at the station. A while later Lakshya receives a call from Mr. Sinha who apologises for not showing up and explained that he was out of town to attend a close relative's funeral.
"I know you were expecting me there, but I don't think I'll be able to make it back until Wednesday" Mr. Sinha explained, apparently his car broke down and there was no transport available to help him get back.
"What if I came to pick you up myself?" Lakshya asked as he grew impatient over the unexpected delay in Anvay's release
"That's fine with me if you're up for it" Mr. Sinha told Lakshya who then informed Shashi and Mr. Kulkarni about the same before heading out and driving away on his way to pick up the man who could confirm his father's alibi.
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Abhay had stopped by a roadway restaurant for lunch. As the girls got off and headed inside, he parked the car outside a little further and away from the restaurant. He then gets off the vehicle ensuring he took the key along with him before joining the group inside.
Srishti and the girls were browsing through the menu to decide on their order. Once Srishti was done she passed on the booklet to Abhay before calling on the waiter to place her order.
"One Daal tadka and two butter naans" Srishti told the waiter. Shruti and Kirti ordered butter chicken along with plain rotis while Abhay asked for a simple egg curry.
They waited for a while before their orders were served. As they began to eat the girls appreciated the food and were really impressed by the same.
"Did you come here before?" Shruti asked Abhay
"Not really but this place has received good reviews online" he told her
"You were browsing through the restaurants for the trip?" Srishti asked who for some reason seemed surprised by what he just told them.
"Yeah, I don't just dine in anywhere neither do I intend to starve myself during the trip" Abhay answered.
"I see" Srishti responded and then turned her attention back to her meal.
Shruti and Kirti managed to finish their meal early following which they head to the restroom. As Abhay was nearly done he watched Srishti who was also done with lunch. Before Srishti could get up and head to the restroom he interrupts her, "could you spare me a minute before you leave?" He requested to which she agreed.
"You mentioned the other day that Rani told you about Manasgadh" Abhay raised the matter.
"Yes, what about it?" Srishti asked him
"Rani denied it" Abhay told her
"Okay.... but she did tell me" Srishti insisted
"So is she lying?" Abhay asked her in a slightly accusatory tone which obviously offended Srishti "and you believe I'm a liar?"
"I don't know, are you?" He asked her
"Why bother asking if you've already made up your mind?" She shot back and then leaves to use the restroom.
Abhay was left confused by her reaction which seemingly suggested that she were telling the truth but he also knew that his sister had no reason to lie.
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Shashi had returned back home. Chandrika and Shipra who were hopeful about Anvay's return and waiting down at the living room were quite disappointed when Shashi came back alone.
"What happened?" Chandrika asked her son who then explained what happened back at the police station.
"Where is Lakshya?" Shipra asked Shashi who then informs her that he had personally left to go and collect Mr. Sinha.
"I can't believe him, he didn't have to leave right away and it's not like we couldn't wait a few days more" Shipra expressed her displeasure at Lakshya for leaving so suddenly without her consent.
"Any idea where he's headed?" Chandrika asked Shashi who simply shook his head to say "No clue, he didn't exactly say anything"
"And he wont even bother answering his phone since he's driving" Shipra complained
"It's okay, he may check his phone and call back if he were to stop mid way" Shashi told them and suggested they do give him a call.
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Ashlesha waited by a tree as she then saw Abhay's vehicle pass through the threshold of Shiv Nagar and smirked. A while later one of tires starts deflating and Abhay could feel the Jeep lose it's balance prompting him to pull over the same towards the road side. He gets off to examine the wheels and noticed a puncture hole in two of them. Srishti and the girls got off the vehicle.
"What now?" Shruti asked quite upset with the sudden turn of events.
"Nothing we'll have to call for help" He told her
Srishti takes out her smartphone to do the same however she was disappointed when she couldn't find a single network bar available to do so and tried walking and moving her phone around for some amount of reception.
She then asked Shruti and Kirti if they faced the same problem to which they responded in unison "yes"
"What about you?" Srishti asked Abhay who also reported the same problem.
"So we're stuck here in the middle of a forest until someone drives by this place as well" Kirti sighed
"Unfortunately yes" Srishti told her.
"Will anyone even show up?" Shruti wondered after taking note of the desolation which surrounded them.
"How about we walk and get moving, you never know it could help us get a better network" Srishti suggested to which they all agree and begin to walk ahead.
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Lakshya was driving on the road that led him to the village where Mr. Sinha stayed over to attend his relative's funeral. As he approached the destination the sky began to turn dark with thunderclouds that hovered over causing the weather to deteriorate. However he kept driving ahead without worrying about it much.
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As Abhay and the group were on the move, the sky turned dark and it began to rain.
Srishti quickly opened her bag and took out two umbrellas handing one to Kirti who decided to share it with Shruti.
The umbrellas were large enough to cover two people at a time. Srishti opens the umbrella she held and shares the same with Abhay who reluctantly accepts it.
"You carried umbrellas?" He asked her
"If you can browse through restaurants and go through their reviews, then surely I could check the weather report ahead of the journey" Srishti replied
As they continued moving forward they heard a sound from the forest bushes on each side of the road. They turn to look but find no one around ignoring the same and moving forward only to get ambushed later by a group of bandits who then surround them from all sides.
"Hand over everything you've got" one of them demanded to which Shruti and Kirti immediately complied and handed over all the cash and other valuables in their bags including their smartphones.
However Abhay and Srishti were quite reluctant about the same, "whatever happens I'm not handing over my phone to these guys" Srishti whispered to Abhay
"Is your phone more important right now?" He whispered back to her
"If we all give phones away how are we going to contact our families back home?" Srishti reasoned hoping to not get noticed
"In a forest like this we're anyways struggling to find network so you can forget about making calls" he told her who then explained that the phone had her personal details along with the access to her bank account and digital wallets.
When one of the bandits approached them demanding they surrender their belongings as well, Abhay agreed while Srishti reluctantly hands over all the other stuff from her bag except her smartphone.
"Hand over the phone!" The goon demanded however Srishti refused to follow infuriating the guy who then pointed his knife at her as a threat. When he saw that she wasn't going to yield he then tells her, "you're going to regret this"
Abhay realised that the goon before them planned to stab Srishti for her defiance. As the goon was about to thrust the knife into her abdomen, Abhay aims a kick at his arm which wielded the weapon deflecting it away and then signals Shruti and Kirti who then push the bandits away and flee away from them. As Abhay and Srishti were about to follow them one of the bandits grab a hold of Srishti by her hair pulling her back while the other one blocked Abhay from leaving.
Srishti used her elbow to jab into the ribs of the man who held her by the hair causing him to release her while Abhay was evading the knife which was aimed at him by the other goon whom he then front kicks and pushes away. Srishti too then grips onto the same person pulling them closer before she threw them on to the ground in front of her and runs towards the forest along with Abhay while the bandits chased after them. As they get deeper into the forest one of the bandits throw a knife at them which seemed to have struck Abhay's right arm wounding him. Abhay pulls out the sharp object which buried itself into his arm and throws it away. One of the bandits who saw that grinned as their eyes glowed and skin turned scaly.
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Adish who was meditating in his chamber breaks off from the same and opens his eyes. For a strange reason he felt a sense of danger lurking around and immediately contacted Soumya to warn her about the same.
Adish then asked her if any of her family members were out and traveling.
"Yes, both my nephews are out of town at the moment" Soumya answered "what's the matter?" She asked him over the phone
"They're in danger" Adish told her and asked her to reach out to her nephews and warn them about the same. Once she hangs ups she heads downstairs towards the living room where everyone was present including Shipra and Chandrika.
Soumya informed them about what Adish had told her earlier prompting Shipra and Chandrika to try and contact both Lakshya and Abhay.
Neither of them were answering their phones frustrating Shipra. "I'm worried sick about Abhay, we need to get to him sooner." A distressed Chandrika told everyone
"I just wish we knew where Lakshya is at the moment" Shipra sighed
Rani then pulls out her smartphone and then shows Shipra his present location through a GPS locator app. Apparently it was Lakshya who had it installed on her phone in case of emergency situations like the present one.
Chandrika then walks towards them and has a peek into Rani phone screen. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the red dot indicating Lakshya's present location close to and approaching Shiv Nagar.
"This is bad!" Chandrika exclaimed "they're both in trouble and need help, we need to go after them" who then steps out of the house and asks the chauffeur to pull out the car and drive her to her grandsons.
Shashi informs the police about the same over the phone before joining his mother along with Shipra inside the car.
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Lakshya was driving through a cliff road at a speed below 70 kmph. The pouring rain contributed to the poor visibility of the road before him. He realised his phone was buzzing and that his family back home were trying to reach out to him, however thought it would be wiser if he'd answer his phone later once he makes it pass this road.
As he approaches a steep turn he pushes on to the car horn to alert whoever that could be approaching from the opposite side. As he steers the vehicle at the turn, a large truck with its headlights on drives right towards his car startling him and causing him to steer away and towards the edge of the cliff. As his car falls and crashes down it explodes a few moments later.
The truck driver then steps out to survey the same. As he stood towards the edge of cliff watching the car burn he lets out a menacing laugh. Soon their eyes begin to glow and skin turns scaly before the man morphs into Ashlesha who seemed quite pleased by the sight before her.
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Hello Friends,
Happy MahaShivratri and I hope you like this chapter. Sorry for updating this a little late, however since I'm relocating it will be a little difficult for me update early like before. But I truly appreciate your patience for the same.
Thanks :)
Sorry about that, actually I kinda forgot to do that.
That's normal and it's ok
Chapter 11
Shipra grew anxious as every minute passed by, she had been persistently trying to contact both her sons since the past one hour as she was on her way being driven along with Chandrika and Shashi towards their location.
A while later when she tried to reach out to Lakshya his number was reported to have been switched off and it was no different for Abhay causing her to panic and be overcome by a sense of dread.
Chandrika tried to calm her down however she too were equally worried for her grandchildren.
Shipra then begins the incantation of a mantra dedicated to the Goddess as a desperate plea to protect her children.
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Abhay and Srishti were on the run as the bandits continued chasing after them through the forest. Soon Abhay's injury began to take a toll on him as he began to feel the exhaustion caused by all the running and the growing pain in his injured arm. Once they got far enough to seemingly lose them, Abhay walks towards a tree and rests against it while Srishti scans their surroundings to ensure the bandits weren't anywhere close to them. She then noticed a cave at the foot of the hill a little further ahead and suggested going inside on observing how tired Abhay looked at that point. He agrees and they both enter the cave where they hoped to rest for a while before they can go and look for Kirti and Shruti following which Abhay collapses and passes out.
Worried and concerned she carefully approaches him to check what's wrong and tries to wake him up.
A while later she hears the voices of the bandits right outside who intended to enter the cave with the intention of hunting them down causing her to panic.
"Hey, you really need to wake up, those men are right outside and we need can't let them find us in here, please wake up" As Srishti tried to get Abhay back to his senses she noticed the area around his wound was now purple and swollen, when she touched his arm she couldn't help but notice how ice cold his skin was as the color of the same gradually turned blue. Although she had an idea of what's happened to him she hoped and prayed she was wrong.
"Come inside" a feminine voice from further inside the cave called out to her.
She looked around inside and wondered if there was anyone else there besides them inside the dark cave, although she couldn't exactly see anyone she felt a presence.
"Who are you?" Srishti asked them
"Come and find me, if you wish to help your friend and save yourselves then follow my voice" they told her
Srishti then uses every ounce of her strength to help Abhay get back up and leaning on her shoulder as they walked further and deeper inside the cave.
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Ashlesha was back at the temple, she was really pleased over what she believed to be a successful attack on her targets for the day. She then stood before Lord Shiva's idol and picked up the prayer plate to worship the lord as thanks for helping her out.
Mr. Kailash the priest then approaches her from behind seemingly curious about why she looked happy.
"I guess you've made some progress judging by the content expression on your face" the priest remarked
"That's correct, I managed to finish off one and the other is on the way to his way to the netherworld" she told him
"Oh really? Who were they?" Mr Kailash asked her
"His sons, I don't know how the elder one survived the last time but this time he's dead for sure" Ashlesha told him
The priest wasn't exactly pleased to hear what she told him "as much as I understand your burning desire for revenge, let me caution you against hurting an innocent soul"
"Innocent soul? No one from that family is innocent. That man's blood is as guilty as him and when those people indiscriminately attacked and killed many members from our clan then why should we discriminate amongst them?" Ashlesha countered
"You may feel that way right now, but you may end regretting the same if it backfires later" Mr. Kailash warned her
"I'm ready for anything" Ashlesha told him with a firm resolve
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Lakshya laid unconscious on a ledge that was around 500 ft. above the base of the hill for almost an hour. Just before the car fell down any further and it's subsequent explosion earlier he managed to open the door from the driver's side and jump right out landing on the ledge. As he managed to regain consciousness and got up in an upright position he felt warm blood drip down towards his chin from the right side of his head as a result of the injury he sustained from the fall. He realised that he wouldn't survive if he didn't try to get back up to the road where he could be discovered and seek help. Lakshya then used all his strength to get back on his feet and climbed up all the way to top which was around a 100 ft. above the ledge. As he got closer to the top his hand slips causing him to fall down again before he managed to grab onto and hang from a tree branch. He then tried to move towards the root but noticed that doing so could cause the branch to snap.
"HELP!!!" He cried out hoping anyone that passed by would hear him out and offer help.
The weight of his body was beginning to bend the branch which was now on the verge of snapping and breaking apart causing him to cry out even louder. A thick rope then hung down his way, and he could hear a voice from above asking him to grab and hold onto the rope. Without any second thoughts he quickly follows and holds onto the rope just before the branch breaks apart and falls down the hill.
The person above him then begins to pull him up and when he got close to the top they extended their hand towards him which he accepts and holds onto in a bid to get back up. At first he couldn't see the person who helped him but the minute he was pulled up closer he was quite surprised.
"What are you doing here?" He never expected Mahima to be the one helping him at that moment.
"I'll answer that but first let me pull you up here" she told him.
Once he was pulled back up to the top of the cliff he tried to stand up but his feet betray him and he falls back to the ground.
"You need medical attention" Mahima leaned down and tried to help him stand up as he held onto her arm.
"My car's right there, but you'll need to try and walk a little to get to it" she told him
"Yes don't worry, I can walk a few more steps" and then they walked towards Mahima's car which had the rope attached to it tow hitch.
Mahima opens the door and she helps him get inside taking the passenger's seat, following which she shuts the door and then goes behind to release the rope which she rolls back and places in the trunk.
Mahima then gets inside the car taking the driver's seat. As she turned on the engine and hit the accelerator the car starts moving. As she drove on the road Lakshya asked her once again, "what are you doing here?"
Mahima explained that she was on her way to Shiv Nagar where she intended to visit the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in order to seek his blessings for her marriage ahead.
"Why are you driving all the way to Shiv Nagar for that? Aren't there enough temples back home?" Lakshya asked her to which she then explains "that's true, however this is the only temple I used to visit along with my family when I was young and lived here, so I'm sort of emotionally attached to the place"
"You used to live in Shiv Nagar?" Lakshya asked "that's right, in fact we moved out just a few years ago" she told him
"I see" he responded
"How did you end up like that though?" Mahima asked him.
"A truck showed up from the front without any warning forcing me to steer towards the edge, but this however if you ask me was not an accident" he told her
"Why do you say that?" Mahima wondered
"It's because I saw the truck driver who drove me towards the edge, even if it were from a distance I could tell that whatever they did was intentional judging by how they looked down as if to confirm I were dead" he explained
"What makes you so sure? It could have just been an accident" Mahima pointed
"Then where are they now and why didn't they call for help?" Lakshya asked
"Maybe they were afraid, it was an accident now wasn't it? I guess they didn't want to face the law for that" she raised the possibility which did in a way make sense.
"You may be right, but let's just say my gut tells me it was intentional" Lakshya told her.
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Srishti followed the voice which called out to her as she helped a weak and exhausted Abhay walk along by offering her shoulder as support. A few minutes later they found themselves inside a well lit temple where an idol of a goddess that had a five headed serpent crown and a serpent each held in three of her hands while her fourth hand held a flower as she was were seated on a lotus flower was placed right at the altar. A waterfall flowed down from behind the same which then simply streamed down forming a little pond on the side near the cave wall.
Srishti was in awe of the temple's beauty, she couldn't believe that a beautiful place as such was hidden all this time right at the end of a cave. A few moments later a man shows up out of nowhere startling her.
"How did you get in here?" He asked surprised to find them inside.
"We were being chased by some goons and entered the cave to hide, but then I heard a woman's voice calling out to me which led us in here" Srishti told him
"You heard a voice?" The man asked her "How strange and unusual" he thought to himself
"Yes I did, however that's not important right now. Something's wrong with my friend here" Srishti then placed the unconscious Abhay on the ground allowing him to rest down for a while. The man from the cave then began to examine him and his wound. Once he figured what's wrong he then quickly picked up some herbs grew inside the temple and then ground it using a pestle and mortar which he took out from the trunk that was near the little herb garden. He then applied the herbal paste on Abhay's wound.
"You need to do as I say if you wish to help him" the man told Srishti handing her a pitcher pot. He then instructed her to draw out some water using the same from the pond and then asked her to place the pot on the floor. The man instructed her to sit down and took her hand following which he then pulled out a dagger from his bag using it to slit her palm drawing out her blood which fell right inside the pot and mixed with the water inside.
"What are you doing? Why did you do that?" Srishti asked as she was taken aback by what he did to her who then repeated the same on himself by slitting his own palm and adding his own blood to the vessel on the floor.
"You're friend here has been poisoned, and this here is the antidote which I just made" the man told her
"How is this the antidote? Are you out of your mind?" Srishti asked as she was bewildered by his claim.
"Feed it to him and you'll find out if I'm out of my mind or not" the man told her
"How can I give this to him? It's disgusting!" She exclaimed
"Well it's not like you have another option at the moment now do you? If you don't hurry we may lose him for good. So go ahead and see for yourself " he urged her.
He was right and as much as Srishti was against his suggestion she reluctantly follows the man's advice as she fed Abhay what was apparently claimed to be an antidote.
A while later Abhay began to regain consciousness much to Srishti's surprise and relief at the same time.
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Shipra and the rest were on their way, when they passed the site where the accident had taken place Shipra freaks out and immediately asks the chauffeur to pull over. She then steps out of the car and heads towards the edge of the cliff where the railings were damaged as a result of Lakshya's being forced over the edge.
Chandrika and Shashi follow her and are shocked at the sight of the burning vehicle at the base of the hill.
"Could that be what I think it is? What if that were Lakshya's car" Shashi raised the possibility much to Shipra's ire "No way! Think before you speak" she rebuked him
"Exactly, let's hope that isn't the case" Chandrika added
A few moments later the police arrive at the spot along with their team who then began to retrieve the vehicle to verify and confirm it's details as the Singh's waited and watched from a distance.
Officer Jadhav who was at the scene approaches them, "the car we retrieved does indeed belong to Mr. Lakshya Singh as confirmed by the number plate which managed to remain intact" he told them
Shipra's heart sank as she heard that while Chandrika stood there in disbelief.
"Are you sure about that?" Shashi asked the cop who gave him an affirmative response, "however our team didn't find a body as of yet"
"So there is a possibility that he may have escaped before car exploded or fell off the cliff" A hopeful Shipra asked
"We can't really say but yes i guess you could say there's hope" Officer Jadhav told them all
"Then you need to look for them" Shipra requested
"We're trying our best to locate him" the officer assured them.
"I hope my son is safe and sound" Shipra prayed in her mind
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Mahima had taken Lakshya to a clinic where his injuries could get treated, since it was a small village without a hospital of its own this was the best place available to in terms of receiving medical help and attention. If any of the villagers were required to get hospitalized then they'd have to visit the city.
Once the doctor was done wrapping the bandages on Lakshya's forehead and putting a cast on his broken left ankle he moved on to prescribe him the medicines and some painkillers to help him recover.
"Given you're condition at the moment I'd advise that you take rest and avoid traveling for a while" the doctor told Lakshya
"Also make sure you take care of yourself"
"Doctor, can I make a call?" Lakshya requested
"I'm sorry, actually the landline has been disconnected since the past one week and you know how it is with the cellular network here" the doctor apologetically informed him
"I see, do you know of a place where I could spend a night?" He then asked
"Yes there is, however it's only for married couples. The locals here are quite conservative you see" the doctor explained
"Yeah but they might have rooms for singles right?" Lakshya asked
"I'm not sure, but you can always check when you get there" the doctor told him who then turns to Mahima "You used to live here right?"
"That's true doctor, however if you're referring to my old house, we sold it right after we moved to the city" she informed him
"I see, I guess it'll be difficult for you then" the doctor replied to her
"I suppose yes, but let's hope for the best" she told the doctor which sort of made Lakshya realize the inconvenience he caused her.
Mahima And Lakshya then leave the clinic while the doctor closes the clinic for the day.
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"How is this possible? Like seriously!" Srishti asked still unable to figure out what exactly happened.
"So you don't know?" The man asked her
"Know what?" Srishti looked at him dumbfounded
"That you're a-" the man was cut off by Abhay who was trying to make sense of the situation around him "what going on and where are we?"
"Yes exactly, where are we?" Srishti asked the man
"You're inside the Goddess' temple, the great serpent Goddess Manasa's temple" the man told them "yes that's right, this temple belongs to the Vish hari (destroyer of poison), your friend here was saved by her grace, the water you drew out was consecrated and that's why he has been healed"
"Then why did you slit-" before she could complete the bandits found their way inside and seemingly had them cornered.
"Seize them all" the bandit leader ordered his men.
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To be continued.....
Hello friends, as you’ll noticed the delay in updating the chapter, I apologize for that. The reason for the same is I have been really busy lately with my relocation schedule so I kind of have a lot on my plate at the moment. But will try to update the next chapter whenever I find the time to write the same.
Thanks :)
