MYSTRIES UNFOLDED [On Hold]

CHAPTER 4

AHANA'S POV

'I was running through the jungle. Someone was behind me, I could feel it. The sun was setting and the barely visible sunlight that cut through the canopies was vanishing now. The sun had finally set and there was darkness all around. I was running frantically, luckily not hitting the trees. The moonlight had illuminated the jungle just a little bit. Sensing no one behind me, I stopped running, panting really hard. While taking deep breaths to calm my beating heart, I found a silhouette of someone illuminated by the moonlight few feets away from me where there were no canopies. The land appeared to be barren and shone with light of moon. The back of the person was facing me. Sensing my presence behind them, the person turned around. There stood a tear stricken old women with grey eyes that shone in the moonlight. Running towards me, she hugged me and began muttering, "He killed us, you have to help us. Please, you are our hope." Her tears and the helpless voice made my heart heavy.

"What? Who killed whom? Who are you? Where am I?" I wanted to question back but my voice did not come out. I tried to put my thoughts into words again but nothing came out. Not even a whisper. Suddenly, the lady vanished and I felt someone standing behind me. Turning around, I found a tall man standing there with a sword in his hand. His face was not visible. But he gave me some unknown vibes. The only think I could see was a gold bracelet in his hands. Before I could run away from him, he swung his sword at me with force and I screamed out loud.'

I woke up panting hard. Sweat beads formed on my forehead. My throat went dry with thirst.  Noticing my surroundings, I found myself in my room, safe and sound. Slowly gathering myself, I moved to the coffee table and drank a glass full of water. Relaxing a bit I sat on the couch nearby. It was a horrible nightmare. The lady appeared so helpless when she asked me for help and the man was giving me some unknown feeling. What type of nightmare was that? I wondered. 'Come on Ahana. Stop pondering over a dream. They just come and go.' Suggested my same mind. But why did the tears of the lady pained me? 'Let it go Ahana.' My sane mind suggested again.

Stretching my body, I massaged my neck that had gone through a torture due to my wrong sleeping posture on the bed. Yesterday had passed in a blur after papa's announcement and me pondering over the file, the attack and the unknown person. I tried joining dots between them but came to no conclusions. Reading the file twice I only found out the fact that grandfather had transferred his shares to Sudershan Rathore who had transferred them to papa when he took over the company. There was also a change in the board members when Sudershan Rathore was the shareholder. But the previous board member had resumed their position after papa took over the company. What type of trend was that? I wondered at night half lying on the bed with the file in my hands where I had fallen asleep exhausted with the days' events.

The file was still lying on my bed. The clock had stuck 6 and the sleep was long gone so I began with the days chores.

Reaching the office before everyone, I finished today's work handing over the files to my assistant to send them to their respective departments and walked out to the place that could give me my answers.

Parking my car in the parking of Jaipur Nagar Nigam, I made way to the Records Section where I was greeted by an old man with a sour face. He seemed in no mood of talking to someone.

"Kahiye? Kya chahiye?" He asked me.

"Mujhe kisi ke abre mai information chahiye."

"Kiske bare mai?" His tone proved the he wanted to do no work and sit there idle.

"Rathore family. Rathore group wale."

"Are madam kya karogi inki information leke. Apna bhi time kharab karogi aur mera bhi." He replied irritated.