CHAPTER: 23
"it's me"
The familiar voice relieved her. The clouds in the sky were clearing up a little as the moonlight fell on his smudged edges and she moved towards it.
She stepped in the moonlight but her feet couldn't carry her weight as a sharp pain immobilized her and she fell on the floor with a thud, the chair behind her banged the desk. She clasped the white cotton fabric of the tee just above her heart when it throbbed in pain even more sharply.
Vidhyut's brown eyes lost their glow as a mist of worry coated them. The moonlight behind them was fading again, a black halo had started to cover the circumference of the moon as the throbbing intensified.
Vidhyut uncertainly took a step forward when his eyes moved where she had clutched her tee, a soft glow outlined on her skin in a curvilinear contour.
His brown eyes widened when he saw the blurring edges of her figure, a wispy outline appeared over her opaque one.
no, it can't be-oh heavens! it's impossible
a soul
It tried to push through its boundaries made of flesh and bones, its abode. Its limbs made of air and energy stretched toward him while it struggled to break free.
Vrishti couldn't take it, she cried, she screamed but no voice left her lips. Her insides ached and felt as if something was ripping apart, her muscles clenched in pain her bones shuddered in anticipation, and shut her eyes with the overwhelming sensation. The black moon with its illuminating rims in the night sky watched it all prevail.
Vidhyut couldn't comprehend what was happening when a voice called out, the voice might belong to the mortal struggling before him but it was the soul that called him.
Maybe it was the way it called, the tiny pause after each syllable, and how the 'h' and 'y' molded into each other it pronounced his name, he knew.
"Vars-"
Even before he could call out to her, to his premika, it all ended before it could even start. With a piercing cry, the soul struggles ended, and Vrishti's body slumped down on the ground.
Vidhyut rushed to her and help her in his arms, "Var-", he tried again but the syllables melted on his tongue before he could pronounce it out, with a frustrated sigh he called for the real owner of the body, "Vrish-Vrishti! Vrishti! wake up", he palmed her flushed cheeks.
The moonlight clearly fell on them, and as he held till she gained consciousness, her skin was warm against his body, he found it strange but didn't pay it much attention as so many thoughts went through him.
what could it mean?
He wondered the reason the Almighty sent him during this century and period as if it was their way to compensate if he was unable to find the mortal remains of his Varsha because, even though she got incarnated again, she wasn't his premika.
She was a different person, a result of the Nirvana cycle with a purpose of her own in this world, one whom he couldn't call 'his'. It was only possible if the Almighty allows it and for that, he has to find Varsha.
Varsha. Varsha. Varsha!
.
.
.
footsteps could be heard in the distance. angry yells, there were many of them, Vidhyut knew there was no escape. Varsha's father might have gotten caught in the way, he looked down with misty eyes at his premika
"wake up Varsha, we don't have much time left", he told the unconscious body in front of him which rested on the trunk of an Amaltas tree
there was no response to his distress, after all, she had been left to starve in his mahal's dungeons without his knowledge as the king had ordered
what treason had he done for which he was being punished by making his premika suffer? was it so unforgivable to fall in love? to fight for whom he desired?
but the thought of Varsha's father's whistleblowing was still there at the back of his mind, betrayal coursed through him as the footsteps grew near, there was no way out
"Varsha ke bina Vidhyut adhura hai", he whispered to his premika and lightly pressed his lips between her brows where a frown lingered, then he got carefully from beside her and clutched at the handle of his sword
.
.
.
the rest was history
what happened next?
Flashes of them getting caught, courtroom, Varsha....sitting by the Amaltas tree, crimson coating her white clothes and hand, he clutched at his short hair as pain shot through his head.
b-but he never witnessed Varsha's death or did he?
reality felt like a myth now
A groan broke him from his reverie, unknowingly he had been stroking her long tresses. He retrieved his finger in shock and finally looked at her face, a frown scrunched her features.
He was apprehensive at first but then he smoothened the frown between her eyebrows, soft dark hair in an elegant arc.
beautiful
Vidhyut shook his head at the thought and watched as she opened her eyes and gazed at him finally.
"What happened?", her voice was hoarse after the silent screaming as her eyes searched around the moonlit room.
"water ", she muttered to herself and slowly got up from the warm arms of the man holding her.
Vidhyut looked around frantically to look for a jug when his eyes fell ok the broken piece of silver on the table just beside them.
what is it doing here?
He would never forget the tiny roses carved on the broken piece imitating the designs of the courtroom, the similar thing he saw in the hands of the intruder, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. He wondered if Varsha knew but there were more important matters at hand.
Her legs felt heavy, she somehow reached the table and poured herself a glass of water. She gulped the whole amount in one swig and took a deep breath then finally looked at Vidhyut, who was already staring at her.
Vrishti opened her mouth but Vidhyut beat her to it, "I know you have questions, but they shall be put to rest at the moment because we don't seem to have much time, let's go", he spoke in metaphors and met her eyes when he reached his last of words and he lifted his hand towards her.
"B-But where", her tongue felt heavy as the words got jumbled on her lips.
"to find the end"
in other words, to the beginning
The words suddenly hit Vrishti and her eyes widened in realization, she slowly moved towards him and took his hand.
❀
"Dadaji, I will find her before and lesser time in what your son took", the voice spoke to the small portrait hung in front of them. (Grandfather)
They turned away and clutched at the broken key in their hand which was inside their pocket, unknowingly they pressed on the sharp edge of the broken side and cut themselves, a hiss of pain followed.
"I won't let dad find her, just to deliver it to the government and celebrate her great deeds", they scoffed and spoke again, "She and her pathetic father is the reason the Raya Dynasty went into ashes and our family didn't get the recognition they deserve".
"No I will never let it happen, I will find her remains before them! If only...if only, the queen", they stopped and shook with rage," it would have never happened. Never".
"Never"
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Now the secrets are unfolding, I know many of you predicted Vrishti and Varsha's part but there are still many secrets left. So much is still left and we have our antagonist too, but we can't really blame them, they have their own reasons no (I believe that no one is fully wrong and right, we all are specks of white, black and so many undertones) hope you enjoying the story so far.
your suggestions and feedback are always welcome and help me create a beautiful story that both me (the writer) and the readers can enjoy 💐