Seize Her And....

Chapter : 3 The Arrival

"No! Not now..please, not n.. Fuck!" He curses as he falls on the floor on his haunches, his hands fisting his hair, his body bending forward, the huge empty washroom echoes only one sound, his earth shattering cries of pain and agony. Screaming in pain he crawls towards the bathtub. Struggling, he gets to turn on the tap but fights to move his body upwards. After scuffling for a good ten minutes he gets to stumble inside the overflowing bathtub. Coldness, he needs coldness but his scream doesn't stop. If anyone other than Leo gets to find him in this condition they would certainly think he is dying. And they won't be wrong because he almost dies everytime he faces one of his 'episodes', as the doctor likes to call it.

His screaming stops after half an hour or so, as he starts drifting off sitting inside the bathtub full of water but his mouth moves, mumbling,

"Let me..let me see her."
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Completing his weekly check up on Mrs. Bhutiya, out comes Dr. Arjun Hembram. This mansion has become his second home from the very day Teressa decided to take him as her brother. He knows how all three of them, Daivik, Ritwik and Teressa, went through the curse. Yes he knows, because he has been the most important part of it from the beginning. Now that it has ended he should feel relieved, but unfortunately he doesn't. From the very day Manik's disappearance took place he keeps his fingers crossed behind him. Why, one might asks. The answer would be simple: the man knows way more than he should and that's his curse. The moment he reaches the ground floor Teressa walks to him.

"Hey. Dinner is ready and also Dev has returned from Delhi. So you're staying back for it." She says smiling, a smile that deliberately hides her worries, a mask. She isn't happy, she couldn't be. The closest person to her promised to come back and never did, she misses her best friend, she worries about him. The last three years hadn't been fair to her. Manik disappeared, Dev got busy searching for his younger brother and expanding his business leaving her with the only friend she managed to make, Pihu. But having her bad luck, Pihu completes her study and moves to Bangalore for her job. Arjun feels nothing but sympathy for her but proud that she never complains about anything.

"I would have, truly. But tonight I can't sweetheart because I am already running late." Arjun says ruffling her curls.

"You aren't leaving without having dinner with us and that's settled." The authoritative voice of Dev booms from the other end of the hall. He walks towards them while scrolling through his cell phone. He looks stressed and that's how he has been looking for forever now.

"Hey man. You okay?" Arjun asks giving him a side hug.

"Not much but still breathing.... for her." Dev whispers gesturing towards Teressa with his head.

"I understand." Arjun nods.

"Stay. Have dinner with us. You know she feels lonely." Dev urges.

"Yes and that's why my suggestion remains the same. Get married to her Dev. You are already living in together, it won't be any different. She needs a promise, a security, a commitment. She deserves every bit of it." Arjun says sitting around the dining table.

"I want to, trust me no one wants that more than I do but the situation isn't right Arjun and she is adamant about waiting for.. for Manik's return. I can't force her into this, that'll break her heart. Manik has been her only family apart from Mrs. Bhutiya. No matter how many times I want to ignore that, the truth remains the same." Dev says looking at Teressa who is busy helping Pratima ji with setting the table. Arjun sighs understanding the complications.

"Fine. Then set a deadline, that's the least you can do. She is like my own sister, I can't see her getting lost like this. The way she's looking at life, there is no future in it. This isn't the time to be impractical. That's what I would suggest." Arjun says to which Dev nods in understanding.