"That is how people get married in Paramarashtra?" I asked, folding my hands and biting my cheek to hold back my laughter.

A man placing Vrindahina flower in a woman's hair-a tradition followed to get hitched. Nazira just explained it to me how a tree was considered as a physical representation of a deity and its flower used as a main element in the marriages. All of this relevant information seemed to though an extension to Ashwant's theory- how people believed the deity Vrindahina was the one to create the Diamond and the Constellia Naag. Probably Kanya restraining herself to attack me whilst standing beneath the tree, was a significance of respect and gratitude she wanted to show towards the Deity.

"Yes," Nazira said, giving a faint nod and closely reading my expression, "Why is it so funny?"

"Er." I blinked unable to decide what to tell her. Should I have said-you people are weird, or, have you ever heard of exchanging rings? But I replied her in a mature manner, without hurting her feelings, now that I knew she was one of those extremely devoted towards her country kind of a person. "Paramarashtra follows unique typical culture, so..."

Despite of giving a decent answer, I felt she was still offended. She looked away from me seriously and then in a split second her face features softened. "She is waving at you." She signaled, her lips perking, fighting a smile.

I was so much involved listening to Nazira's detailed explanation that I totally forgot that I was in the middle of a job that has just begun. Watching Kanya wave at me, looked as if she wanted my attention rather than as a reminder to cross this Gate.

I had no reason to take Nazira's hand, needless to say, I wanted to. We were almost about to pass through the lights when it stuck to me, something that I wanted to do since the beginning of the challenge and now I finally gave in to my curiosity.

"Hold on," I said to Nazira but obviously, she didn't hear me. I had no other option but to forcefully stop her by holding her hand. "Wait," I said to her as she watched me questionably, before I turned around to talk to his Constellia, "Kanya, I want to know something...before I go. When was the last you met your master?"

Kanya's blushful face turned stony. She dropped her hand holding the rose slowly, and said without giggling anymore, "Never since the day Naag told me not to travel to Authentic Universe."

I never had heard anyone call that to our real world before and it took me not more than a blink of an eye to understand what she meant.

"Is there any reason you chose Tyrell Kissler as your master?" I asked, in a hope to seek any new information Doctor might have found unimportant to tell us, "Why him in particular? And is he any different?"

"There is no apparent reason," she said, "He was ten years old when I first spotted him and I hoped he would grow up as someone full of life, unlike the first two. My previous masters were never contented with the life they led. They weren't satisfied with the defined powers of the stone. They wanted more and they asked more from me, which never could have happened. I wish that doesn't happen this time."

"But it is happening, right?" I asked, desperate to hear an alternate answer.

"He never calls me. He doesn't need me. And it makes me to wonder if he is using his stone at all. He is definitely different."

The way Tyrell ruthlessly had blasted the academy and how casually he was able open the Gates- there was a certain apprehensiveness within me, that he was really into dark magic, or if his so called father was forcing him to practice it. And if it was any true, I so hoped for Pruthvi and Leena to see to it, that Jyran Kerenza paid.

"Let's go," I whispered to Nazira, feeling my heart heavy thinking about him and together we jumped through the Gates.

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A million hues of greenness that my eyes can detect-shady and denser -full of Vrindahina trees grown tall in every possible direction, branches lifted up to the sky. Crepuscular rays shimmering down the vast canopy of the leaves, making the edges of the trunk glow. From every corner came the hums and chirps of the insects. Air- heavy and moist but definitely cooler than in the realm of Kanya. The gentle wind of this woodland I was standing in, had a certain hypnotic essence.

Nazira took a step forward, a twig beneath her feet snapped that instinctively made me look at her. She persisted to smile but one thing that brightened her face was her gaze wandering from one Holy tree to another. Realizing that I was still holding her hand, I let go at once. She did not look at me but I knew she was grinning. I watched her walk straight ahead over the beaten path towards the bushy area and then she disappeared within a moment.

"Hayden Mackay, stop her!"

A voice exploding in the air like a firecracker, shooting goosebumps all over my skin. I didn't wait to check who it was since it sounded as if Nazira was walking straight into a danger zone. I instantly ran towards the lane she was passing through. Still finding her walk without stopping, her attention drawn to the leaves of shrubs, I immediately caught her by her shoulders and pulled her back.

She gasped sliding back with me, kicking a few rocks that tumbled down, eventually disappearing into nowhere. Then I noticed that it was a lane with a hidden dead end, that ceased at the edge of the hill, a steep cliff. Holding Nazira firmly, I bent down a little and so did she, both of us looking down to find out what it really was. We were standing about a couple of thousand feet in height over a hill beside the fast flowing torrents of river, springing over the rocks in its way.

Nazira's shoulders shook with fear.

I looked up, scrutinizing more of this realm. Almost at the same altitude about a few miles away, lay another hill, which looked exactly like the one we were standing on, covered with bushes and the Vrindahina trees. Wind blew tremendously and something swinging grabbed my attention. Slightly towards my left, connecting both the hills was a rope bridge, its ends tied to the trunks of the trees on either sides.

To whomever the voice belonged I had to thank him. If I wasn't on time to help Nazira, she probably might already been rolling down and taken away by the waves of the rives. I gulped. Only thinking of losing her terrified me.

"I am sorry," she signaled, slightly shivering, moving away from my grip, "I didn't notice."

"Don't worry about it," I said, "But be careful, okay?"

She nodded, bending her head down and tucking her flying hair behind her ear.

"Hayden Mackay," the voice reverberated again as I and Nazira walked back, away from the cliff. I recognized now, it was Naag. "Please walk about fifteen steps to your left and take Nazira Khan with you. Next challenge shall begin within next forty eights hours and we made sure you are provided with all the facilities you'll need. Thank you."

It was really too weird to hear his voice, yet again, without his physical presence and how in the world was he watching me if his ways were blocked. And the way he was speaking, it was just like someone making an announcement in an airport- straight and to the point.

Trying not to ponder more about the situations, I just did as per his instructions. Asking Nazira to follow me, I walked a few steps in the required direction and found nothing but the bushes in front of me with dry stems crawled all over it. Blindly believing my instincts, or probably it was my growing hunger making me do it, I broke all the stems off, creating a proper space for us to pass through.

I spotted a hut, hunkered too low over the mushy leaves, and lingering right underneath the shade of the Vrindahina trees. Walking closer to it, I was utterly mystified realizing how similar it looked to that of Ashwant's hut near Matsyasvi waterfall. Doctor had promised to provide us with the basic stuff. But...how in the world did he do this?

There were so many questions running inside my mind, and for once I wished to have an opportunity to talk to him. Did Doctor really tell me everything about this ability, about connection between Shaytan Rup and the First Cornelian user? Were the ways for Constellia really blocked, or was it just a trick to make me accept these challenges?

"It looks exactly...."

I heard a low whispering sound in my mind and turning towards her I said recklessly, "Yeah, that's Doctor."

I wished not to have utter a word, when I found her watch me suspiciously. She didn't actually signal, yet I replied. I chided myself for this careless slip, and now that she and I were going to stay here for one whole month, I noted it was going to be tough pretending not to hear her, yet I'll have to. Ignoring her surprised look I opened the door, uncertainly. And as I have been expecting, everything inside the hut even reflected the real ones.

The rocking chairs, the rustic table, the fireplace. There were two suitcases in corner. Weird... again. I blinked when my eyes suddenly fell and got stuck on a wooden laden basket and a jug with two copper glasses placed on the table. Curiously, I strode inside towards it, removed the lid of the basket and found it filled with bagels, muffins and fruits.

"Jackpot!" I exclaimed loudly.

I knelt down beside it and began selecting the first one to devour. Nazira's shadow fell on the basket making me realize how much of a kid I was being. I totally forgot to offer her one.

"Come on, let's eat." I said, waving my hand.

I let out a huge satisfied sigh. My stomach was finally full and I felt energized once again. Pressing the wound under my chin and finding it already healing, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Suddenly I heard Nazira's snicker inside my brain. I looked at her eating the same bunch of grapes that she had selected a while ago.

"Is something wrong?" I asked when she noticed me watching her.

"Nothing," she said shaking her head, but unable to resist her laugh.

"No, tell me," I asked, and then began touching all over my face, "Is there something on my cheeks?"

"No," she said, her eyes shining, "It just that...the way you eat."

I frowned. "What about it?"

She perked her lips but unable to hold it anymore she burst out laughing. And that, I thought, was something I had never seen for a long time. Placing her grapes on the table she signaled, "Shourya always says he eats like a horse. And after moving to academy I understood what he meant."

I gaped at her, biting insides of my cheeks. Was she making a quip about my eating style?

"If I eat like a horse," I said, trying to make friendly conversation, "what about your brother?"

She had her answer right at the tip of her mouth. "My brother can eat a horse."

Now I couldn't control myself and I laughed with her. I imagined Pruthvi, the way he had started acting since he gained equivalent tendencies of a dog-smelling the food and opening his mouth wide to take down all the food in his plate at once.

"What about Shourya?" I asked, "Is he always hungry like us?"

"He is not hungry," she said, again giving me quick answer, and dramatically widening her eyes, "He is 'hangry'."

Muscles in my face convulsed, when I tried to refrain from bursting out yet again. "What is that?" I asked.

"Hungry and angry," she replied, shrugging, "I always make up words like that. It's easy for me to sign."

The last time anybody had made me laugh wholeheartedly was Tyrell. He and his stupid jokes that I enjoyed a lot and that in turn irritated Celina. Staying in academy with Pruthvi and Leena around, I never could have known that an innocent, quite, sensitive girl like Nazira can be so hysterical as well. Or may be staying away from her, in a need to breathe, never really had let me know her true self.

Finally ceasing my uncontrollable laugh, I looked at her and noticed her face twisting, thinking deeply. "Do you want me to ask something?" I asked, wanting this conversation never to end.

She looked down at her hand before she lifted them to signal. "What changed your mind?"

Her reasonable question caught me, and it turned my lightened mood slightly intense. I rubbed my nape, leaning forward and took my time to find right words. It was difficult for me to tell her exactly what had happened between me and Ashwant, yet I knew she deserved to know the reason behind my altered consideration, especially since I had made so much fuss about it.

"I was wrong," I said, "Ashwant made me realize that I was running away from my Samagraha duties. I thought keeping you away would actually keep you safe. Someone else tried this before and that caused nothing but tragedies. I understood that I was acting like him, and I don't want to be anything like that person."

I only wished her to not to ask me who I was talking about. Thankfully, she nodded. But looking at her expression I knew she wasn't satisfied with my answer and so I had to ask, "Why? Were you really looking forward to go to that wedding?"

"No, of course not," she signaled before her features yet again softened, "I thought you were scared of getting shot off the roof."

That made me choke with embarrassment. It was hard to understand if she said it out of her wry sense of humor or her innocence.

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Early morning air felt refrigerated and the coolness combined with moisture flooded inside the hut pricking my skin.

I was lying in the chair with my legs resting upon the table. I yawned, bits and pieces of last night's events came back to me as I thought about it. It was regarding the argument Nazira and I had about who should be taking the bedroom.

"You are the one who needs to work hard," she had said disagreeing with me, "I am just here to watch the show! Why do I get all the comforts?"

I smiled sheepishly on remembering her face when she had to accept her defeat at the end.

I rubbed my eyes and stretched my muscles. While doing so, I found the door of the hut slightly open ajar, making most of the chilled air enter. I frowned at it and stood up wearing my outer shirt. Nazira's bedroom door was open as well and presumed she must have gone out. But on remembering how nearly she had missed tripping down the hill last evening, my stomach flipped with trepidation.

I rushed outside looking everywhere for her. On taking a few more steps, pushing the bushes aside, I finally found her standing near the edge of the cliff, looking down at the running water of the river. She has covered herself with a light blanket, hands folded, her hair flowing with a cool morning breeze. I sighed a breathe of relief on finding her safe. One of these days she was definitely going to make me crazy with her sudden disappearances.

Nazira spent rest of the morning and most of the afternoon in her bedroom. And I was killing my time by roaming outside the hut, around the bushes, kicking the twigs and stones that were on my way. I wished I could contact my friends but I was specifically mentioned that I was going to be deprived of it. Connection was limited to only our real world, Authentic Universe, and it was frustrating. Once or twice I thought of going inside and to make a conversation with her but then I didn't feel right to intrude on whatever she was doing alone.

Man! This is going to be a long month.

I was missing my friends, Pruthvi and Leena especially. I wondered what they were up to right now. I didn't even had tried to find out if Doctor had come back to take them to Paramarashtra safely. I wished I was there with them, to share their difficulties they might encounter in their crucial job.

I somehow spent a fine couple of hours alone outside. Sun was already above my head, against few clouds and my stone began to burn in my pocket. Whatever universe I lived, Singh was always right on time. The wooden basket was still on the table and I resolutely stopped getting surprised anymore when I found the basket yet again filled with the same amount bagels, muffins and fruits.

The door of the bedroom opened and Nazira finally made her first appearance of the day.

"I am hungry," she signaled, having an winsome expression on her face.

"Hangry?" I mocked, making her smile engagingly.

I passed on a muffin and grapes to her before we sat down in our chairs. Unable to bare the quietness anymore, I wished for her to look up at me. All I wanted was to have a conversation with her, to know more about her and of course, to hear her voice.

But thankfully, it was her who started the conversation.

"When is your next challenge going to start?"

I noticed she was finding it hard to signal and eat at the same time. I wasn't feeling good about it.

"Tomorrow, probably," I replied, taking an apple from the basket.

She nodded grimly and then remained silent.

"What were doing in bedroom all this time?" I asked, not at all wanting to conversation to end too soon.

"Nothing," she said and twitched her face, hesitating to tell the truth.

"You can tell me, anything" I said, trying to make her comfortable, "We have nothing to do but to keep each other company."

She smiled gently and said, "I was painting."

I frowned. "Painting?"

"There are papers and colors inside the room. I am sorry I should have told you that."

"No, that is okay," I grinned, but then I thought I could have actually passed my time writing everything about the past two days event, to fill my diary. "You paint?"

"Yeah," she said, "I love to paint and this liking has increased especially since past four years."

I leaned forward, keeping my half eaten apple down on the table. I vaguely remembered noticing a few rolled up papers and brushes inside her room in the academy.

"What do you mean past four years?" I asked.

An unreadable expression surfaced on her face. She ate a grape in silence and that made me think if she really wanted to answer me.

"When I was living with Queen Premila," she began, "she hired a teacher, who taught me this sign language. He was also a painter. I wasn't interested in painting then but I also had nothing else to do after....her death."

"Her death, four years ago?" I asked, and now that she has brought the topic I did not mind to ask, "Nazira, how did she..."

She averted her eyes, uninterested to read my lips anymore. I found her eyes beginning to fill and tears dropping down instantly, as if there was tap attached and water spilling out of it. She was completely normal a few minutes ago and now she suddenly started to breathe heavily, scaring the hell out of me.

"Are..are you okay?"

"I..I am sorry!" She murmured without signalling and without even looking at me. She stood up, making me jerk back and the bunch of grapes she was holding rolled down on the floor.

"Nazira?" I called her, even though I knew it was useless. Before I could reach out to her and give her my comfort, she dashed away inside her room and closed the door with a bang.

I always liked hearing her voice. Even though I never wanted to think this way but sometimes I felt thankful to Zarina for giving me this gift, no matter how mean her intentions were. But there was something I hated about it too. It also let me hear Nazira cry, unrestrained like she was now. Even with the door closed I was clearly able to sense her sudden outburst, that was filling up my insides with guilt.

There was something about Queen Premila, Nazira was so scared to speak about. Every time her name was brought up, she has been freaking out. It happened before, several times when Pruthvi and Leena had tried to ask about her past and even with my aunt. She had mentioned it was because of her my grandmother had died, but knowing her nature I knew she was just being hypothetical.