In the forests of Manali, the Raichands had made their next home. It was a special night for them tonight. Haseena spent the entire evening arranging Abhay's new room. Chand came in to check on her, gazing around the walls. The decor was set, and his large bookshelf arranged with utmost neatness. She turned back with a subtle smile, fixing the stands with candles around the corners of the walls.
"He's coming back, Chand. After a decade, our son is returning home."
Chand sighed, and shook his head. Of course, Abhay would be returning to them. Even he found it hard to stomach Abhay's absence. They had moved away from Dehradun immediately after the incident, unable to explain away Abhay's situation. The night after Piya's disappearance, they too departed without a trace. Her family thought that she had gone missing, and after much search, was presumed dead. Only they knew the truth, and gave her a proper burial on their behalf. They chose to place her grave close to Abhay, knowing that's what she would've wanted.
"They can give him his memory back. The elders."
"He himself demanded it to be wiped, Haseena. I don't think he would want to regain them."
Haseena pressed her lips together and cleaned a framed photo of Piya, one of Abhay's favorites, and placed it next to his bed. Chand squeezed her shoulder and picked it up again, folding the stand back.
"Chand, what are you doing?" She asked, taking the frame back from him.
"She's dead, Haseena. And he doesn't remember her. He barely remembers us." He folded his arms behind his back. "It will only cause him more confusion. Let him move on properly this time."
Chand didn't want another problem. Maithili already caused enough havoc as is, and the effects lingered even after her execution. Haseena sighed, and kept the photo with her. It didn't feel right to get rid of it completely. Instead, she kept it safely in her own nightstand drawer. If Abhay ever asked for it, she would readily give it back. His love for Piya was quite special in its own right.
"Have you sent the letter?" She asked, affixing the last candle and setting it aflame. Chand nodded. "Good, we'll leave for Dehradun the day of."
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Abhay noticed something different about Piya when she came to visit him tonight, the night of the next phase of the moon, the half moon. Her appearances between the gradual return of his memories and now, were dotted with absences, and the joy and smile on her face was fading. He waited outside until he heard the chimes of her steps, just for her, sometimes staring at the trail of red spider lilies. More had grown in the past week. His heart sank. He didn't want her to go.
What will I do without you?
Eternity onward seemed empty and bleak without her. He couldn't do this again. One time was enough, he didn't have the strength for another two centuries in wait.
When will we meet again? Will I be able to find you?
"What happened?" He asked softly, letting her hold the fabric of his shirt. The two sat on the floorboard of the porch, stargazing at the start. She shook her head and pressed her forehead to his chest. The spider lily in her hair waved under his chin, unsettling his heart. His hand moved to weave his fingers into her hair, but it all just slipped through.
She was slipping away from him too.
If not, I'll be here, waiting for you to find me.
Piya looked up, and kissed both his cheeks. Her eyes felt numb, wanting to cry but not able to produce tears. It was much more suffocating that way.
Be strong. For him.
"How much longer.....?" He murmured, taking her beautiful features in as much as he could. Piya held up one finger. Only one week left. When the new moon arrived, she would be gone too. Abhay sighed, and quietly shed his tears again. He never wanted this for her. He wanted her to live a long and happy life. She had to leave that behind, as punishment for keeping him in her heart.
A single letter arrived for him before her arrival, after a long year. Now that his memory was returning, he could place names and relations. Chand had penned it, telling him that his sentence would soon be complete. One week from now. But what use was this freedom without the one he loved? He wanted to be where she was.
"I only have a week left too. But I don't want to go."
Piya shook her head. She wanted him to go home, be with his family. Do what she couldn't. She took her thumb and index finger, and made a smile under her lips out of them. Abhay wiped a tear and chuckled.
"You always ask me to do the hardest of things, Piya."
Please, Abhay, for me?
She squeezed his hands, and kept persisting with the gesture until he gave her a nod.
"Okay. I'll try. But promise me that you'll come find me sooner than another 200 years. I'm impatient, you know? Living without you for even a second is too hard for me."
She smiled, and held out her pinky. He linked it as best he could and wrote that promise into his heart.
You won't have to wait long, Abhay. I promise.
She was thankful to the powers above that gave her a chance to see him before she passed on for good. Without grudge, only love. She could never be upset with him. This entire situation, it wasn't his fault.
His attention was divided between her and the ominous half moon that loomed above. He wasn't strong enough for any of this. Abhay bid her farewell for the night with a smile, as he promised her. But after she left, he could only break down once again. Clutching their photo to his chest, he wished he could turn back time and start over. Maybe even save her this time.
The half moon dominated its own presence in the night sky, and caught Abhay's attention completely. The marking on his back burned sharper than the previous one. He doubled down on the ground, hands gripping his shoulders.
You? And save her?, The voice mocked. Don't kid yourself...you could never save her. You were too weak to save her.
Abhay couldn't understand.
Something in his mind snapped. Another block cleared. More memories of them revealed. He had taken her out on their first date, after a long while of hiding their relationship from the outside world and soon after he returned her own memories. How beautiful she looked that night.
She passed at the hands of a vampire...., The voice interrupted. Abhay furrowed his brows.
"Who?! Who killed her?!"
The winds picked up, harshly throwing branches and leaves against each other. The first thing he would do is bring that monster to justice. Another block shattered, but even then he couldn't see its contents clearly. A faint, but commanding voice, ordered him to cut their date short and take Piya to the outskirts of the city. And he complied, just like that.
Remember Maithili.....
Of course he remembered her. He remembered when she first came back, freezing him in the ice. Were it not for Piya, he would still be down there. But he didn't remember her returning for a second time.
The Abhay in his blurry memory did as told, taking Piya towards the old palace instead of home. The poor thing didn't even realize that she wouldn't ever be going home.
"Stop! Please!" He shrieked, trying to change the past himself. But memories were memories, they could not be changed. The past could not be changed.
He was forcing Piya along with him. Maithili had welcomed him inside, wearing a wicked smile. She captured Piya, and continued to exert her orders upon him. Orders to kill her. That Abhay didn't even flinch.
Now he understood why Piya was so against telling him the name of her murderer.
You. You killed her, Abhay.
He looked at the sky in shock, towards that voice. Eyes lost sight of the trees and stars, space turning pitch black. The memory replayed for him like he was reliving it, a spectator to his own mistakes. Inside the dilapidated palace, Piya was on the floor, held captive. Abhay, or the past version of himself, stood at a distance from her and Maithili. Hollowed eyes, under the control of the true monster in the room.
"Kill her, Abhayendra. Then no one can stop us from becoming one."
He watched helplessly as his past self followed through with Maithili's orders without a second thought. He wanted to reach out and stop him, but the past was the past. It couldn't be changed. Maithili pulled Piya's head up by her hair. Her sharp nails clawed into her throat, drawing blood for the thirsty vampire to see. Maithili threw her to him.
"You want blood, don't you? Here, Abhayendra. Take as much as you want. Don't leave a single drop."
His eyes were cold and devoid of love. His wounds, Maithili's control, and the immense thirst prevented him from seeing wrong from right. He couldn't see that his prey was the girl he loved with all his heart.
"Abhay...." She whimpered, thrown to him by Maithili's hand. He caught her for a second, but then trapped her by the wrists under him. His breaths were heavy and fangs inched out rapidly, eyes only focused on the wounds on her throat. He wanted blood. Sweet human blood.
Please stop!
Into her throat he bit down, tearing mercilessly through her skin to feed. She screamed, and tried to fight back, but he was far too strong. It only took a few seconds to feel the weakness all over her body. Her fighting hands fell to the floor. The light in her eyes was fading, and the darkness of death loomed.
This wasn't her Abhay. This was Maithili's puppet.
"Abhay....please....."
Soon she couldn't speak anymore. The pain began to numb itself as she neared permanent unconsciousness. She was dying. But she worried for him more. If he found out what he did, he would do something drastic. She didn't want that either.
It's...not your fault...., she thought with her remaining strength, hoping he was somewhere inside to hear. I love you...maybe I'll see you again soon...in a better time...
The flashback broke, and Abhay fell to his knees. Disgusted with himself. Looking at his own hands, he only saw red. Her blood colored his hands deeply. Stained forever.
I...killed you...
He gave her so much pain. A weak fool, he was. How could he let Maithili take control, just like that? Why didn't he fight back? He screamed towards the sky, as the half moon on his back faded away. Piya would soon be gone forever. Because of him. He sought to give her love, but could only give her death.
Maithili was captured herself and slaughtered by the elders, and he, he was sentenced to this prison for Piya's murder. Unable to accept that she wasn't there anymore, he was the one to beg for his memory to be wiped. He didn't deserve to remember her or her love.
"She didn't deserve to die. I do." He whispered, snapping twigs in his fists. Just to mock him further, one red spider lily bloomed underneath his face. They were growing faster.
The universe wishes to give you one chance to right this wrong. Will you take it?
Abhay wiped his tears and looked up.
"What do you mean?"
The voice bellowed in laughter. Abhay looked on in hope.
She may live to see another day, should you pay the price for it. A simple trade. Your life for hers. You have until the new moon to decide. Choose wisely.
Blood stained his hands, and now their photo too.