"Ma..." A little girl's voice quivers with fear in her eyes. Her white frock is covered with patches of blood here and there.

The mother embraces her child whispering, "Don't worry. All will be fine." She puts a silver chain around her neck with a pendant dangling from it. A loud thunder strikes nearby making the child scream.

"Shh... Shh..." The mother looks around the dimly lit hall, anxious. She feels the sudden cold in the air and starts searching something until she sees a shadowy figure gliding on the floor.

In a hurried and fearful voice she whispers to her daughter, "Run! Don't look back." Blood is trailing from the side of her head with scratches here and there on her hands and faces.

The little girl looks at her mother's face, bewildered.
"Go Drishti! Don't stay here! Just go!" She pushes her only child towards the door as fresh tears mix with the blood on her face.

"No..." The girl says which gets subdued under her constant sobs.

"Ha... There you two." A deep voice reaches their ears making their eyes widen in horror.

The mother gets up with all her force, picks up the child and goes for the open door. She leaves her daughter on the outer stairs, cups her small face and looks deep into her eyes. " Run Drishti. Never return here."

Not understanding the sudden turn of events, Drishti stays quiet taking in her mother's words until the door slams close in front of her face. She looks around here and there and knocks on the huge door with her little hands.

"Ma... Open the door. Ma..."

"Ruunnn... aaaa..." A loud scream of her mother hits her ears from inside and she drops with a thud on the ground, losing her consciousness.

Something sharp rings in the little girl's ears making her twitch in her half asleep state.

Ring... Ring...
Ring...

"Oh damn! It's my phone." A young girl in her twenties wakes up with a jolt hearing the shrill ringtone of her phone. Drops of sweat have formed on her forehead. A silver pendant is dangling around her neck.

"Hospital?" Seeing the caller, she picks up the phone in a hurry.

"Hello Drishti Ma'am. We're sorry but we've a bad news for you." Hearing the term bad news her heart thumps faster.

"Mr. Trivedi is no more. He died an hour back."

***

After one year...

"What are you even saying Mr. Saxena? Why will Pa give me his palace? I mean, it doesn't make any sense!" Drishti sips her morning coffee of her favourite coffee shop while checking a will.

"It is what it is Miss Trivedi. He is your adopted father, Mr. Jayant Trivedi's father which makes Mr. Trivedi your adopted grandfather; hence he can give you Ashish Mahal." Rajiv Saxena says with a smile.

"Okay. So, is it like I'm the new owner of this palace?" Drishti asks.

"Not yet. Since the palace is at Kolkata, you've to visit there and apply for a probate in order to legally transfer this palace..." Rajiv starts giving the details of the process only to be cut in between.

"I want to sell it." Drishti says looking at the morning bustle through the open window.

"Excuse me!" Rajiv exclaims, surprised by Drishti's unexpected announcement.

"I know he gave it to me out of love, but I don't think I've any right on it. So please see to it." Drishti says with determination.

"Maybe take it as a piece of gratitude from him as you took care of him in his last days? I think you should keep his last wish." Rajiv tries to convince.

"I... I'll think about it. I need to go now." Drishti gets up and leaves the cafetaria in a hurry.

"What a weird girl! Who leaves such a gift?" Rajiv takes the will and puts inside his bag.

###

646 words.
Total words : 1086 words.