My chest started to heave huge sighs as I felt a drop of sweat trickle down my neck.
I didn't have the courage to turn completely but with the side of my eyes I shifted the gaze towards my shoulder.
The hand seemed to look inhumane, because it looked like a hard rock.
To my surprising horror...the hand belonged to that of the statue.
My heart started to race at such an extent that it would jump it's way out any moment and flush out all the blood in no time.
I started to inhale and exhale at the fastest speed and I could feel my chest rise up and down.....
"God! Save me!" I squeezed my eyes shut and without thinking twice I started to run, I increased my speed without even letting the thought cloud my mind that where was I heading to.
I could see no sign of my companions. But to be honest, I completely forgot about them for a moment. I stumbled upon a rock and that is when my brain started running on the correct path.
I placed my hand on my forehead trying to figure out where the hell had I landed.
I turned around to get a better picture but it was obvious that it wasn't that easy to get to Nandini.
I found myself standing right in front of the statue!
I gulped something down my throat, I don't know if it was bile anymore 'cause I had gulped too much of it so I doubt if any was left.
"Shut up Nikhil, atleast look at the situation and then start blabbering baseless crap!" My inner voice scolded me....
"Focus!" I slapped the back of my head.
The annoying sounds of the crickets in the pitch dark night frightened me.
Well, I wasn't such a freaked out chick. But come on I was all alone in the dark next to the Haunted Bhangarh Fort at midnight. That too in the ghost hour.
The thought about the creepy statue standing right behind me.
As I turned around it's eyes met mine.
Wait!
What?
It's eyes were on me!
I had to run.... but I couldn't. Somehow I knew that I would be back here again, or if not.... this damn statue wouldn't stop following me.
I felt like lashing out on myself. Why the hell did I move towards that awful thing?!
Maybe it was destined. I let out a sigh and frowned.
On top of that, the screechy sound of the crickets in the dark silence made my heart hammer against my chest all the more.
I suddenly felt a palm from behind drag it's way towards my chest, in another fraction of a second another hand slid it's finger towards my body..... All of it happened really fast.
In a flash someone crashed itself against my back hugging me from behind.
Her long hair fell upon my shoulder. It was a girl!
She buried her face in my neck and bursted out crying.
That voice made my heart stop. It sounder familiar. Those wavy hair.
"Nandini!" My eyes widened letting out a faint whisper. My throat was choked. I couldn't breath. In simple words I was startled.
I was dying to feel that soft touch of hers! That beautiful voice. I missed her so much..... so very much!
She loosened her grip on me and I turned immediately pulling her into a long tight hug. Her arms were wrapped around my neck and she was on her toes.
She was crying unstoppably. I lifted my hand and placed it on her head to calm her down.
"Shh... it's all okay. I am here, look Nandini, I am there isn't it? There is nothing to fear now."
I started rubbing her back, "Come on, you're a strong girl isn't it? Calm down... relax! Nothing will happen to you now."
I was trying to calm her down. But from within, my heart was scared.
How did it happen suddenly? How did Nandini manage to find me? How did she escape Mahanandan's trap?
All these questions got me suspicious.
I wasn't completely ready to believe the fact that it was Nandini in my arms. But she felt the same.
What was I supposed to trust, the heart or the mind?
The dilemma was making each cell of my body afraid.
If this wasn't Nandini, I would be in great trouble.
But what if she was Nandini? I simply couldn't leave her alone!
That girl was yet stuck to my chest. Heaving sighs.
I could feel her tight grip against mine. She was trembling with fear as she locked parts of my shirt in her fist.
I felt so good! This had to be Nandini.
But how did she manage to come out?
I had to ask her.
I loosened my grip around her waist and ran my fingers through her hair.
She looked up at me with teary and puffy eyes. Those eyes! They were so beautiful.
She pulled away from me and I held both her wrists in my hands.
"How did you manage to come out?"
Listening to the sentence her expression looked as if she recalled something. She blinked her eyes to see clearly maybe.
Her gaze dropped to the ground. It looked like she didn't know how to express herself and explain what she wanted.
I felt my adrenaline rush as I glanced towards her lips, they looked so tender.
"Argh! Nikhil... are you mad?! Look at the situation!"
My inner voice yelled at me.
I quickly looked away.
"He sent me so that he could kill you."
She finally spoke up.
"Huh? What?"
"He pushed me out of the fort because I would be able to find you easily. You would trust and follow wherever I would ask you to come along."
She breathed in deeply and continued.
It looked like she was trying to control all her sobs.
Her eyes met mine and she tugged at my shirt.
"I cannot let you go there!"
A tear escaped from that beautiful eye.
"I can't let you harm yourself. You have suffered a lot of pains for me, because of me. You don't deserve this! You don't......"
She wrapped her arms around me like she feared that I would be pulled away from her any moment. I did the same.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"I don't really know, but I guess I heard them when he asked me to go and find you because he says that you were strong enough to not come along with him!"
I was startled, "How is that possible? King Jaswant was there along with us. He was the strongest of us all! That beast managed to pull King Jaswant away and not me? It's really surprising!"
That was when Nandini realised something, "He has something cooking up in that clever brain of his. I'm really sure! He is a really tricky soul.... Nikhil, we need to find that out."
"Do you know something? There is a way to get rid his soul."
I could see her eyes gleam with happiness as heard those words.
I held her shoulders and shook them a bit. "We yet have hope Nands! You have heard it right!"
I smiled gently.
She waited for me to continue.
"I was told that Mahanandan's soul will be demolished only if the sword with which King Jaswant killed him, pierces him again!"
"What did you say? The sword? The sword of King Jaswant? Are you sure?"
"Hey! Breathe! Yep!" I popped the 'p'.
I winked.
"How do you manage to stay so calm in such situations?!" She poked my cheek. I tried not to blush. But it was obvious, she was around.......... and I did!
"Okay, stop blushing now, and I guess I know where the sword is!" She exclaimed.
"What? Are you serious?"
"Well, yes. I really hope so that it's the one that I am thinking about."
"Which one is it?" I asked.
Without thinking once she blurted out, "Do you remember the time when we first stepped in the fort?"
I recalled that with disgust. "Yeah?"
"That old lady had stopped us? Soon thereafter we had a guide along? He pushed that lady away and in no time, when we stepped in there was a sword that almost fell on his head?"
I was nodding vigorously, "Yes! I get your point. But Nandini - "
"Let me complete?" She frowned.
"Aww okay!" I placed the index finger on my lips.
She rolled her eyes and started enthusiastically.
"The place that I was kept and tortured all this while......... okay, don't react for now. We'll deal with that later. Just listen to me."
After saying those words she pressed her finger upon my index finger and of course, continued....
"The place was called Madho Mahal."
I wanted to scream my lungs out and tell her that I knew. My throat was itching to speak. I really didn't know why..... but okay, she was beautiful!
Huh? What was that? How did I just link that up? I felt like punching myself in the face.
She observed my expressions and finally spoke up.
"I was kept there and that's when I realised that it belonged to King Jaswant, named after his father. The sword that fell from above had the words written under it on the top, 'used to defeat King Mahanandan' "
My lips made a huge 'o'
"Let's rush, I guess!" She said.
"Yeah, we should!"
That's when I heard a faint laughter.
The statue!!
The god damn statue.
It could feel it glare at us. It knitted it's eyebrows at us.
"That's the reason I sent you here Rajwanti. Nikhil would tell you everything!"
It looked so real, so cunning, so dangerous!
I slapped my palm on my forehead.
A drop of tear raced down her cheeks and we stood there helpless in front of a freaky statue!
[Author's Note: I'm so very sorry for the long wait. I have been a bit busy lately, and the "writer" mood doesn't come out of my soul easily :P
This chapter is dedicated to banana20025.... I was really helped to recognise the fact that my novel stood on number #1 position in horror!!
Thanks alot!! Her works are too of the horror genre... so of course interesting as well.... ;)
I really love all of you, but this time for cooperating and understanding.
Lovely lovely love ;)
-Mansi]