The sky started drum rolling the thunders and in a few seconds, it started a big rain. The tides raised higher, and the ship unstably moved forward in the reckless waves. Rathi walked gripping the wall, she went to her room and sat on her bed. The sound of rumbles echoed loudly inside her room.
She closed her ears to stop getting scared of seeing the other side of nature, she prayed the almighty but no specific god's figure came to her mind. She has already seen how the ocean engulfed Shankari and the fact that she doesn't know swimming greatly made her question the possibility of her survival. She stayed there shuddering in panic and the minutes passed like hours. After some time, she couldn't sit on that bed because it's shaking like crazy, opening her eyes she saw water coming from the gap of that closed door. She watched the titanic movie last year on the Television and realizing it's not dangerous to stay in the room she got down from the bed only to fall on the floor in a thud. She partly soaked in the water and also hurt her elbow in the process.
She couldn't keep a hold; it has turned into a hurricane as Aadhiyan said. It will sink this small ship any second. She got up with much difficulty and in fear, she dashes out to find Aadhiyan coming to her room as well. Her fear faded slightly to see the life jacket in his hand.
"You okay?" he asked worriedly and held her hand.
"You need to get out of this ship," he urged and handed the life jacket. He helped her in wearing that and they both headed to the deck. All people were jumping one after another carrying some impotent boxes, they don't put on any life jackets. In fact, she's the only person wearing it.
The clouds showering the rain, when they were standing without knowing what to do a huge wave soaked them entirely, and all of them lost their balance for a moment. Aadhiyan held Rathi firmly against him but she couldn't stop being feared. Aadhiyan shouted to everyone to get off the ship soon.
"Das, you take her safely with you, I will stay on the ship. I won't let it sink," he said senselessly. Das didn't speak back and just nodded his head.
Some of them stayed by his side, and Rathi looked at him stunned. Aadhiyan observed the sky and then Rathi, "Look at there, it's our home," he told pointing to the opposite side and Rathi saw the small lights in that dark.
"The water will be cold and don't frighten you won't die," He smiled.
Rathi had a strong urge to request him to come with her since she felt it's too dangerous to stay on the ship but she didn't.
"Now go, I will come," he said.
Rathi felt uncomfortable to leave Aadhi, her heart couldn't accept it. From where this sudden affection come from? She thought, looking at him.
"GO," his rough voice ordered her before another huge wave could hit the ship. Rathi bewildered by his care on her.
Aadhiyan didn't expect the hurricane will hit so suddenly. He thought it will be in the night but for the first time, he failed in his assumptions. Rathi moved to the iron railing and looked at the water. It's so massive, thick and dark, she's a tiny piece compared to that endless ocean. For the first time in her life, she's going to do something that she never thought of doing it in the first place.
Shankari's words ringed in her ears that second, your life is not what you think. Her life is like this ocean so dangerous hiding many secrets in its depth. Till now she hadn't lived the real-life that's inscribed for her and now she made her mind to dive inside the danger that haunting ever since she was born in this world.
"Jump! Rathi," he shouted, and taking a deep breath she fell on the ice-cold water. After that everything moved in a slow-motion for Rathi.
The salty water filled in her ears and she saw nothing but darkness there. She struggled to go up for air and that time a hand held her arm and guided her to the upper surface of the water. She opened her eyes and gasped for the air.
Das and another man held her safely and Rathi saw Aadhiyan watching her from standing in the ship. Abruptly another wave hit the ship that swept away Aadhiyan from that place and pushed Rathi inside the water. When she again came up she couldn't find him there. They didn't wait for Aadhiyan and swam to the shore taking Rathi.
Das and the other man was equally fast, she was surprised to see how strong he is even at this age. They carefully took her to the shore and the waves helped them to reach there easily.
She puked the saltwater that she swallowed and her scar irritated like it is burning. Taking a moment to calm her agitated adrenaline she felt dizzy. From there she couldn't see the ship and worried whether Aadhiyan will survive.
"We have to go inside. It's still raining," Das told to her.
She nodded her head and removing that life jacket Rathi walked into the dense forest looking at the sea. She felt very cold and started shivering before they could reach the shelter. They stopped before a giant door for that huge citadel. A small fire lamp is hanging at the top.
Das hit the bell a few times, then a man much older than Das opened the small door in the same gate. He looked at Rathi like one of the world's wonders.
"Is everything okay?" Das asked that man.
"Yes," he replied.
The bright lightning gave the full view of that huge fort. Rathi's fear raised too extreme and reminded the castle that comes in horror stories. She couldn't observe much since she's jumbled and shivering in the cold.
They stepped in the façade, the door was open for them in the other end and the dim candlelight glowing inside. Das was walking before her and she doesn't know where the other person went. She has not even said thanks to him for saving her life.
Her heart throbbed getting near to the door, she never saw anything like this. So many thoughts started running in her head. How many people will be there? How they will see her and what's going to happen.
She gazed around the space once stepping and surprisingly there's no one, only the silence resides in that big room. "Maara," Das called and Rathi can't take her eyes off the ancient type interior in that living area. But her eyes widened when she found a familiarity, it felt like she has seen this place somewhere.
Her anxiety took over her senses, her legs started shaking, and find it difficult to stand in that place because in her last nightmare she was here in this room, all covered in her cold blood.
Again a middle-aged man came from inside, Rathi's eyes couldn't see him properly and the world started spinning around her. She gave up and fell down on the floor. A slight conscious came back when someone carried her in their arms, she saw till Aadhiyan's beard and nose, again she closed since it felt too difficult to be in this world.
"She needs to change her dress,"
"Ask Masumi to come here," Rathi heard Aadhiyan's voice in that unconscious state, and then it completed blacked out and took her to somewhere. In her dream she saw Aadhiyan, he kissed her under the moonlight, sitting on the shore. She was so intimate with him and they looked so happy with each other.
Rathi watched that sight, intently. It looked so real and he smiled brightly than even. She wanted to go near to them but then she stopped. She doesn't want to stop this happiness. She had so many dreams and nightmares. Some she still remembers and some were not in her memory. But strangely she wanted this wonderful thing to happen in her life and she needs to remember this.
The cracking thunders disturbed the entire thing and inhaling deeply Rathi woke up from her dream. She breathed to get into this world.
"You okay?" Rathi heard a woman's voice.
Rathi was startled to hear it and moved away. That woman looked older and intimidating.
"Where I am?" Rathi asked.
"You're in your home, dear," she smiled.
"I will bring something to eat," she told and walked slowly to the door. Rathi can't stop this lonely feeling seeing these new people. The room was lighted up using the oil lamp but it is still dark. There is a huge window beside her bed from where the cool breeze is coming in.
She opened the door and there Aadhiyan was waiting. "How is she?" he enquired and looked wide-awake Rathi.
He dashed in and sat on the bed beside her, Rathi was taken aback by their proximity. He took her wrist to check her pulse and also pressed his cold fingers under her chin.
"You know how to make people worry about you," he commented looking at her face. Rathi couldn't speak even a word and watched him in an unbelievable way.
"Take rest, we will talk tomorrow," he stood up and left mystifying her completely.
The illumination of sunlight gently fondled over Rathi's eyelids, disturbing her peaceful slumber. She slowly opened her eyes and gazed at the antic ceiling which was like in the king's fort, and it shined in the bright rays. She felt so surreal to lie down in that fluffy soft bed, she never had this much of comfort anywhere. Rathi immediately raises from her sleeping state grasping that she is in an anonymous home. She noticed that she isn't entirely covered, the saree was just wrapped around her and one end is tugged in her petticoat but she isn't wearing any blouse. Who changed my clothes? She doubted whether it might be Aadhiyan and then yesterday's events started repeating in her head one by one.I saw an old woman in this room and she went out telling me that she will come with food. Then Aadhiyan came and left telling me to take rest. What happened after that? She again stum
Rathi followed Aadhiyan who's walking too fast for her speed. "Wait, where are you going?" she asked."Don't ask, you'll know once we go there," he replied."Okay but why you're walking too fast?" she asked and he stopped."I am not walking fast, try to say that you're walking too slow," he said since he doesn't like it if someone complains to him."And don't talk useless things keeping the actual matter in your heart," he told and that boosted Rathi's confidence to ask him what she actually wanted to.Before she could proceed, he started walking inside the farm. The sound of chirping birds and the smell of fresh greens made Rathi look around in delight. Rolling up his sleeves, Aadhiyan picked garden scissors, diggers, and a basket on the shelf at the entry."Come with me," he told."That's what I am doing and I'll do even if you won't ask me to," she muttered."What? What did you say?" he turned to her narrowing
He walked to the cupboard and picked her violin which is neatly placed inside. Seeing that Rathi couldn't control her happiness and had a big smile on her face."Yours, but you shouldn't play this whenever you want. Only when I ask you to," he commanded giving that in her hand."Why?" she is vexed hearing that."Because I don't like noisy things." Rathi's face immediately turned sad to know that."You're not allowed to play it in the house but you can anywhere outside," he changed his mind a little bit seeing her dull face."Okay." Rathi nodded her head because he's too generous than Shankari. He's looking intimidating but he's not a bad person. He considers her wishes too."That's better," he said and closed his cupboard. Aadhiyan collected the books from his bed and placed them back on the shelf. Rathi keeping her violin aside and headed near to the window since the view was fantastic from there.The rain is beautiful
The next morning, Rathi opened her eyes hearing the sound of drizzling rain. Her radiating brown orbs looked at the still dark ambiance. She thought it must be around five-thirty or six so she again closed her eyes feeling the coziness under the blanket scented like jasmine. Last night Aadhiyan was using this blanket and she doesn't put anything on her. Are we sharing the same blanket?Then she abruptly opened her eyes when she reminded her about where she is, in the lion's den. She slowly turned to see whether he's still lying beside her but he is not there. Rathi's attention changed when she heard Aadhiyan opening one of the cupboards."Are you coming with me?" he asked out of nowhere because he is turning to the other and there's no way he could know that she's awake if he is a normal human being.She adjusted her saree and looked at him having no clue about where he's asking her to come."To where?" she asked."I am going to take
***She waited in the darkness—where the evil dwells,It crawled closer and close to her looking at her innocent eyes,She reached her hand slowly to the evil,The evil smirked and engulfed her within.***The nights were always boring for Rathi, and at sometimes she feels scared to be alone in the room after those terrible nightmares. But tonight it's different, she strangely likes this cold night, the sound of small night creatures, the smell of wet mud and the beautiful half-moon shining beautifully in the night sky. She is so pleased to stay in this ambiance, there's nothing that could harm her at this moment and there's nothing that has given so much bliss. The rain was on and off in the entire day, Aadhiyan left their manor after the breakfast. He didn't return for lunch and even after the dinner time. Now it has turned too dark,
Rathi came out after taking a hot bath, a towel was wrapped around her body. Her hair dropping off the water on the corridor floor.Coming inside the room, she changed into the saree that's placed on the bed. This one looked kind of new compared to the saree that she wore in the past two days. Now Rathi is experienced in how to drape it perfectly. But she's not used to this type of clothing and this lifestyle is somewhat stressing her. She has nothing except her clothes and She doesn't have underwear or any other basic things a girl should have and she's feeling too awkward to ask that to Aadhiyan.It feels like she's stuck in ancient times, there's no cable wires, the sound of vehicles, and more importantly cell phones. She never used one properly before but she saw many people having that in their hands all the time whenever she goes outside with the Shankari.She wondered how these people will connect to the external world, what they do when a t
The sky is colored in the shades of red, violet, and black, the sun is telling its goodbye for the day, and their room slowly turning dark. In that dozy evening, Rathi was standing before the mirror and examining her scar. It's still black in color but the pain is nowhere. The oil that Aadhiyan gave has really worked and she applies it gently on her rough-hard skin. Rathi felt like it's someone's else skin as it's so odd to touch it."Want some help?" Aadhiyan asked who's watching her by resting on the bed quietly. He is shirtles
Sumaya and Mithran's house is located at the front side of the fort, it's small compared to Aadhiyan's house and it's dull, dark and lifeless. But from there the ocean is near, we can reach it in a few steps from the rear side of the house and they provided one of the rooms in the backside. From her room, she could see their garden and ocean. Rathi is pleased by their kindness.Mithran has talked so sweet like how her real brother would do. And Sumaya was more like a sister. They showed her a small album containing the pictures that have taken before and after their marriage, as they won't many photos, the album is something they treasure for their next generation. They told her that they were bought up in the island ever since they were born. And Mithran revealed that Das was his father and Sumaya was Das's sister's daughter. They were both cousins and got married last year. Das is a cousin to Aadhiyan's dad. That's how they are all related.For Rathi, t