A growing threat or an alarming indication?
My front door slowly opened to a tired yet relieved Noor di. She knew how exhausting and frustrating tonight would’ve been for me; after all she knew him….and his antics.
“Di….you should’ve gone to bed, it’s nearly one at night!” I grew alarmed as I stepped inside.
“You know I couldn’t...or I should reword it by saying ‘I can’t’. Someone has to be cautious when no one else is at home.” She slowly inhaled.
My brows furrowed in confusion, “Where are they?” I asked, concerned about our parents.
“Had an important business meeting which could not be postponed for later...so they left me in charge in their absence.” My sister explained as she reached out to get me a glass of water.
The cool water seemed to relax all my organs, guaranteeing my survival for whenever I would face him.
“Better for me….I just got rescued from a series of unending questions!” I relaxed, amidst laughs. Noor di gave a playful stare before getting into fits of laughter herself. The walls of our living room once again witnessed one of our several 1 AM instances of craziness!
...
My phone buzzed, startling me, as I changed into my comfy pajamas.
“Hello?” I spoke, waiting for the unknown voice to introduce itself. It was peculiar having a phone call from an unknown number at nearly two at night.
“Hello?” I repeated myself, tension increasing with each passing second. There was silence on the other end…...I quickly cut the call and ran to get a glass of water.
“Calm down, Roshni….it was just a mistake, probably a prank call.” I told myself by inhaling deeply.
But before I could ponder any further, my hands vibrated again, the device lighting up in terror.
“He-hello?” I stammered, trying to hide my fear.
“The number you’re trying to call, is currently unavailable, please try again later.” The lady spoke in a monotonous voice. My face changed into a frown.
“I never called you, in fact, you were the one who dialled my number.” I muttered to no one in particular. My mind resolved to the conclusion that this incident was nothing more than a prank; I was giving too much importance to something which was merely a way to bother me. I shrugged, turned my ringer off and stood in front of my long mirror to tie my hair into a messy bun.
“Guess, someone should’ve been in bed by now…” Someone startled me from behind as he stepped through my bedroom window. Although facing the mirror, yet I was able to see a tall sturdy man masked in black. His voice, however, did not seem much older than me.
“Who are you?” I interrogated confidently, constantly repeating a silent prayer.
“Young girls like you shouldn’t be up so late at night….and definitely should not pick up phone calls….from unknown numbers!” The masked man whispered, ignoring my questions. He eyed at me suspiciously, making me feel uneasy.
“How DARE you!” I threatened, flabbergasted at his courage. I knew I had the power; the power to fight anyone. An ordinary human being stood nothing in front of my capabilities. In that moment, I felt so grateful for being gifted with these supernatural powers.
“You have the guts to question MY actions?! You stupid girl, you don’t know who you’re challenging!” He made another attempt at frightening me.
“Oh, I very well know you people….don’t consider a girl to be weak or vulnerable, because you’re in for a very big surprise!” I glared at him, with a new rush of energy and confidence. This was no longer just about me, this was about the mentality of our society….this was about every girl who is forced to lock herself amidst her fears, just so that disgusting people like this black scarved man could harass and bother them.
“You….!” He left his sentence incomplete as he caught me by the neck and tightly wrapped his arm around it, twirling me so that I could see both myself and him in the mirror. I struggled frantically, trying to loosen him grip, but he wouldn’t budge. Although his face was fully covered, the man’s bright green eyes chiseled into mine as I gulped a lump formed in my throat.
“Look, Ms. Whoever, I have no personal animosity; I absolutely hold no grudge against you. But what you and your dear co-star concluded as your next ‘mission’ irked me and seemed very disturbing.” He huskily whispered in my ear as a shiver went down my spine.
“The world isn’t as decent as it was in the 15th century, people are vicious, and their motives are atrocious….I’m not warning you because I have some kind of humanity left in me…..I’m threatening you because your so called ‘mission’ is nothing less than an obstacle in my way!” I let out a painful gasp as he tightened his grip around my neck.
“What do you want?” I demanded with great difficulty, after registering his words.
“That’s more like it!” He gave a sly smirk. “You and your dear co-star are taking a flight to Rajasthan tomorrow morning...I want you to cancel it. Call it off….make any excuse you find convincing but I shouldn’t spot you both at the airport tomorrow. Got it!” He ordered, glaring at me. His filthy breath touched my face as I noticed faint glimpses of my aura. Not now….not now… I calmed myself before clearing my throat.
“What if….I do not follow your orders?” I questioned; fear glistening in my confident voice.
“First, I will harm you….and then your beloved co-star! I believe he is much more than just an ordinary co-star, am I right?” His query astonished me, as I shot my glance at him. He, in return, just let out a sly laugh.
I looked back at the mirror, which reflected my helpless self. I knew I wasn’t vulnerable, and so I had to take actions before it was too late. This man knew a lot about me and about Faisal….which meant he had been spying on us for quite a few months now. He might’ve known our real identities too; but he would’ve probably attacked rather than talking this through. He had some enmity with either Maharana Pratap and his rule, or one of us; I couldn’t exactly confirm. I pondered over the possibilities I had in hand; I could either accept my defeat and agree to his terms…...or I could fight back….for justice!
“So, made your mind, Miss.” His lips curved into a sly yet victorious smile.
“Yes I have…” I announced, determined. “I will not follow your orders, because we live in an independent nation where everyone is free to do anything as per their will.”
“Oh….I see how it is, so you won’t cancel your trip?” He demanded rhetorically.
“No!” I remained adamant, giving a menacing glare through the mirror.
“Fine then, get ready for the consequences!” He savagely took out a sharp knife aiming it at my right hip.
This was the time, to activate my aura and prove him wrong. I took a deep breath as I repeated the usual rigmarole of painful memories. Faisal, Faisal, Faisal I kept on remembering his name. Within a few seconds, my SilAngeEd aura blazed into life, shocking the black scarved man. He tumbled two steps back, not believing at what he saw. However, his shocked expression soon changed into a pessimistic grin as he let out a hysterical laugh.
“That was a scurvy trick there, you have no idea what I could do to you!” He warned, leaving me confused. Before I could comprehend his words and react any further, a sharp edge pushed its way through my right hip as I let out a writhing cry.
“AHHH!” I hollered in pain as blood oozed out along with bits of my aura, shading the ground into deep red and bright silver.
He slashed his knife once more, making sure I was deeply injured. I collapsed on the floor, unable to balance myself any longer. Cusping my right hip tightly, I noticed my vision blurr.
“You have 9 hours to reconsider your decision…..do not do anything which you’ll regret later!” He snickered as he turned his back towards me.
I had to do something; I couldn’t leave him so easily! Inhaling deeply, I gathered all the energy I had left. My slowly diminishing aura dazzled into life once again. I had one weakness, which was my strength…..my anger! Remembering every single incident that damaged me and hurt my feelings, I strengthened myself to stand up.
“Jai Eklingji!” My voice soar in victory as I automatically extended my right arm in front of me. Focusing on my anger, I produced a virtual spherical object; covered in red and layered in orange and silver. Without thinking twice, I threw it at the man, hoping to see some reaction. The object zoomed in front of my eyes into the man’s right arm.
“Arghhh!” He clutched his arm in pain.
“You will regret this!” He threatened boastfully, before he stumbled off into the darkness.
His warning repeated itself in my head, as I grew weak in my knees. Before my reflection in the mirror, I saw a glimpse of a Maharani, decked up in a warrior’s armor with a sword in hand, collapse in pain.
No comments:
Post a Comment