* Highest Rank #3 in Horror. I'm so Overwhelmed. All Thanks to my dear readers ❤

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"Careful, Maa," Arnav helped his mother enter the palace.

Servants surrounded them upon seeing their Rani Saheba and Yuvraaj Arnav entering with a few injuries.

Arnav settled his mother on a sofa and asked a servant to bring the first aid kit.

"May I call the doctor, sir?" asked one of the servants.

"No, we are fine," Arnav dismissed them and applied ointment to his mother's bruised arm.

Suddenly, they heard someone screaming from the left wing of the palace.

"I'll see," Arnav assured his mother before heading in the direction of the commotion.

As he moved forward, he saw his Dadi shouting at someone while Khushi stood behind that person.

"This girl must know black magic then!" Arnav didn't understand Dadi's words.

"Maharani Saheb, I have already told you, and I'm going to repeat again, that she is not a spirit or ghost. She is just like us, a normal human being," the person replied.

"But Panditji, she..." Dadi seemed adamant.

"That's enough. I can't be a part of this sin anymore. I regret holding this girl responsible for what she was not," the Pandit replied and turned to leave but stopped upon seeing Yuvraaj Arnav.

"Arnav?" Dadi whispered in shock.

"What's happening, Dadi?" asked Arnav, glancing at his wife, who stood with her head lowered.

"I'll tell you, Yuvraaj. Maharani Saheb thinks that your wife is a spirit, and I'm sorry that I had to be a part of this misconception," the Pandit said before Dadi could say anything.

"What?" Everyone turned back upon hearing Rani Maa's voice.

"Excuse me," the Pandit folded his hands and left.

"Aparna, let me tell you..." Dadi began to explain her point.

"No need, Dadi. We will talk about this later," said Arnav, shocking everyone with his behavior.

He sounded careless when they least expected him to be anything but that.

"But Arnav..." Rani Maa tried to find out what actually happened to make her mother-in-law doubt Khushi like this.

"Maa, you need rest!" he finished abruptly.

"What happened to you, Bhabi?" Manorama came from behind Dadi, while Ragini preferred hiding behind her grandmother.

"Nothing much, a small accident. That's why we returned. As it is not a good omen to continue anything with an obstacle," Rani Maa replied half-heartedly.

"Don't feel low, Maa. Anyway, it doesn't seem like the puja was for Dad. It was just to send us out. Isn't it, Dadi?" Arnav asked sarcastically.

Dadi just gulped and looked away.

"Come, Bhabi, let me take you to your room. You need rest," Manorama changed the topic and escorted Rani Maa away.

"Rags, are you alright?" asked Arnav after noticing his sister's fearful demeanor.

"Ji... Ji, Bade Bhaiya," she managed to mouth a few words while he patted her head and went toward his mother's room after glancing at his wife.

Dadi stared at Khushi, who still kept her head lowered, before going away. And when Ragini tried to follow her grandmother, she stumbled.

Ragini was bewildered and started shivering. She gulped, slowly raising her head toward Khushi, who stood staring down at something. She breathed rapidly and tried to move forward again but couldn't. It was as if her legs were frozen.

"So? You saw me that day!" Chills ran down Ragini's spine upon hearing Khushi's voice.

Ragini couldn't even bring herself to say anything.

"Poor baby. No one believes you?" Ragini felt the change in Khushi's voice.

Khushi still stood facing downward and started shaking her head, making her hair fall in front of her face, frightening Ragini even more, if that was possible. Then she started circling Ragini, not by walking, but by floating in the air. Ragini was terrified; she scrunched her eyes shut and covered her face with her palms.

"Please... please leave me," Ragini whispered with difficulty.

"Hmmm. Okay," said Khushi, and suddenly everything returned to normal. She stood back in her place, and Ragini's legs unfroze.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ragini started running toward the staircase, but again, she froze near the railings.

"But not so soon," whispered Khushi from behind.

"Please," Ragini tried again.

Khushi suddenly appeared in front of Ragini, who was still lowering her head.

"If you say anything to your brother, then..." Khushi's voice turned menacing.

"No... no... no, no... I won't say," Ragini said hurriedly, now understanding what Khushi wanted from her.

"How can I believe you? Didn't you promise me the same in the past, only to break it later?" Khushi raised her head, shocking Ragini to the core.

Khushi's eyes were deep red, while her face was half burnt.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" Ragini screamed upon seeing her horrible face, trying to run but couldn't.

"Tch... tch... I'm sorry, but no one can hear you. Your screams are forbidden outside of this hall. Just like that day when I screamed and screamed, but no one heard me... no one came to save me... no one... NO ONE!" Khushi screamed at last, revealing her agony.

Ragini just scrunched her eyes, turning away her head, unable to see Khushi's changed face.

"When you cannot even look at my face, just think... think, how am I living with it?!" Khushi said with moist eyes, her demeanor softened, and she started sobbing, which shook her form.

Ragini just folded her hands in front of Khushi and bent her head low.

"Rags?" Ragini jumped suddenly upon hearing a male voice and felt someone's hand on her shoulder from behind.

She fell back with the sudden unfreezing of her leg.

Ragini saw Akash holding her, stood properly, and turned back, hugging him tight.

"What happened, Rags?" He patted her back, astonished to see his sister in such a condition.

Ragini just nodded her head as if nothing had happened and glanced at her surroundings.

"Is someone troubling you?" Akash noticed her and asked.

"No... I'm good," she said in a hurry and ran to her room.

"Rags!" he shouted, but she had already gone.

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"What?"

"Yes, Akash. This is what I heard when I came in," Arnav said, rubbing his forehead.

"Seriously? I mean... how can Dadi think like that?" Akash sat beside his brother.

"Exactly. But I don't think it's only Dadi. I guess it's Ragini who is more terrified of something. As far as I know, she must've told something to Dadi that made her take this step," Arnav frowned, thinking of the possibilities.

"Bhai, I too noticed Rags's odd behavior. She's not being herself. She's scared of something," Akash shared his opinion.

"Ragini is scared of something. Dadi thinks Khushi is a spirit. Connect the dots, Akash. So, it's actually Ragini who is believing Khushi to be a ghost?!" Arnav murmured.

"Bhai, I got it. Rags reads a lot of novels. She's definitely imagining things," Akash tried to justify the conversation.

"Definitely. She's hallucinating, Akash. But why Khushi? Why does Ragini think Khushi is the ghost, and not anyone else? Only unless..." Arnav stopped himself from saying further.

"Unless Ragini is aware of her death," Akash seconded his brother.

There was an uncomfortable silence after that.

"You went ahead with the plan, didn't you? Any updates?" Arnav changed the topic of discussion.

"Haan, Bhai, I got the address. We can start tomorrow itself. But we have to wait for the reports too. Can't let them go into anyone else's hands," Akash voiced his thoughts.

"I will go, Akash. You receive the reports," Arnav decided after thinking for a moment.

"No, Bhai. I can't let you go alone. You regained your memory just a few days ago, and no one except me knows about the medications you have to follow. Hence, I'm not letting you go, so far," Akash expressed concern for his brother.

"Okay, we will get the reports and go together then," Arnav agreed with his brother.

"Fair enough," Akash nodded his head.

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Ragini wiped her face but felt another set of tears falling. Khushi's words were echoing in her mind.

"Didn't you promise me the same in the past, only to break it later?"

What promise was she talking about?

"That day, when I screamed and screamed but no one heard me... no one came to save me... no one... NO ONE!"

Did someone trap her? And she thinks it's me?

"When you cannot even look at my face, just think... think, how am I living with it!"

Her face! That was too horrible. How could anyone live with it?

Wait.

Live?

Did she say 'living' with it?

Isn't she dead already?

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Hope you all like the update!

With love, ❤
Uzma