10 years ago

After yesterday's events, I couldn't sleep at all as I kept remembering what grandma said about taking me to a priest in Lucknow. I knew she was very superstitious, so I didn't expect anything else from her, but I couldn't control my anger when I saw Himesh Uncle accompanying us to the dreaded destination.

Dad told us that Himesh Uncle didn't trust us and wanted to make sure that we didn't flee before repaying our debts. Also, he wanted to keep an eye on me himself; he kept glancing at me from the back view mirror of his car as we headed toward Lucknow.

Unfortunately, Arman was also roped in everything as Mom was afraid that if we had stayed behind, Lokesh would have attacked them. Thus, my whole family was packed up in Himesh Uncle's car, my grandma trying to sugarcoat her every word to avoid any problem.

When we reached the destined location, I scanned the area and narrowed my eyes at my Dad and his mom. There were no houses or human infrastructure in sight but only trees and dense foliage. I felt a tug on my shirt, and I grabbed Aru's hand. He looked lost and scared. I assured him that he was safe, and he smiled but didn't look convinced.

After a few minutes of staring at the strange location, grandma guided us through a muddy passage between the long bushes, and we landed ourselves in the middle of a small open ground. A man, who looked like a tantrik baba (black magic priest), noticed us and motioned for us to come forward. He was sitting in front of huge fire burning in a square shaped brick structure.

Mom shot me a concerned glance, and I warned her to keep Arman safe. She clutched him to her tightly and nodded. I let out a huge sigh and sat down beside grandma, who was telling nonsense stuff to that fake priest. I would have punched her if my hands weren't tied up - I wondered why that old woman was still alive.

"What's your name?" Priest asked me.

"None of your concern," I said.

Grandma glared at me and completed the formalities on my behalf. I looked at her in disbelief when she made up a false story and said that I was possessed by a ghost, and Himesh Uncle was one of my victims on whom I had attacked out of the blue, and that's why, he was here to see the proof.

I shook my head when the priest acted as a know-it-all and stared at me with wide eyes, trying to intimidate me. Dad gave me a warning look, and I averted my gaze.

For a whole half an hour, I was subjected to complete bullshit: weird looking black dolls were kept in front of me, vermilion was splashed on me along with some ash from the central fire, and I was shook vigorously while some mantras were chanted simultaneously.

"Whoever you are, I command you to leave this girl's body right away! Or else you know what I am capable of," the priest yelled.

What the hell? Is he nuts or what?

He kept repeating the same dialogue and beat me up with a small broom until he got exhausted. He took some break but got back in action when Himesh Uncle threatened him to hurry up whatever he was doing. Grandma intervened and told him to let the priest do what he was supposed to do.

I looked at her in confusion when she and that old fake priest shared a knowing glance; there was something else going in their minds. I felt a shiver run down my spine when the next round of rituals started. It was worse than the first one. For every time I said that there was nothing wrong with me, I got a burn on my legs.

Grandma sealed my mouth with her hands when I started yelling curses and called Mom for help. Dad shifted away when I looked at him in accusation. The weird feeling in my stomach increased when the priest declared that it was a difficult case, and if he wasn't able to get the ghost out me, he would have to take a drastic step.

"What are you taking about? Don't you dare touch me, or I will fucking kill you!" I shouted in fear.

"See, she is still acting the same. None of my tactics are working on her. It means only one thing - there is an evil force inside her, and I can already feel it getting stronger. What should I do now?" he asked grandma.

"Please save my daughter. She is innocent," Mom said.

Grandma told Mom to keep her mouth shut and took Dad some distance away, where they discussed something in hushed tones. I saw Dad shaking his head violently, but soon, he nodded to whatever his mother told him. When they returned, he gulped nervously and allowed the priest to go ahead and carry out the remaining rituals.

Priest instantly moved towards me and grabbed my hand.

"I am giving you a last chance to escape, and if you don't leave within a minute, you will bear the consequences along with this body," he said coldly.

I didn't understand what he was implying, but when he grabbed my shoulders and gave me a cynical look, I widened my eyes in horror. Grandma held Dad back, while Himesh Uncle obstructed Mom from coming towards me as I was pushed towards the huge fire burning in the centre.

"Reyna!"

"Shut up, Dinesh. It is in everyone's interest only," Grandma scolded. "We sometimes have to make difficult sacrifices for our future."

"No, Reyu! Dinesh save her!" Mom cried.

"Didi!"

As I saw myself plunging towards my end, I felt a jolt of current pass through my whole body. I bent down and turned on my heels; I bit the priest's hand, but he pushed me in return. I fell down on the ground, my head hitting the brick structure as a result. I felt darkness seeping through the corner of my eyes, but when I heard Aru's cries, I made myself stand up.

I couldn't balance myself, but I saw my grandmother coming forward. She slapped me across the face and reminded me of what I had promised to my parents. She threatened me that if I didn't do as she said, I would get everyone killed. She began dragging me against my wish, but Dad didn't let her.

He told her to stop her nonsense, but she had totally lost it. She blurted out that she had made a deal with Himesh and Lokesh that if she managed to get rid of me, all of Dad's debt will be nulled and they would no longer have to live in fear.

"Keep your end of the deal, or I will kill your son!" Himesh Uncle warned.

Mom looked at him in shock and moved away from him, but he took out a small glass bottle from his back pocket, making Mom freeze in her spot.

"If you take one more step, then not only will you lose your daughter but your precious son too," he said.

"Aru, run!" I yelled when I realised that the liquid in the bottle was acid.

Arman did as said and moved his feet, but Himesh Uncle threw Mom to the side and ran after him. Dad's face paled, and he went to save my brother but stopped when Himesh Uncle took out a gun and pointed it towards Mom.

"Look what you did!" Grandma glared at me. "Now we all will die because of you, you nasty whore."

Whore? How dare she call me that?

She raised her hand to hit me, but I took a step back and kicked her in the stomach with full force. She yelped in pain and landed in the pit of fire. Her clothes caught fire, and she tried to get up but couldn't no matter how she tried.

"Dinesh beta, help me!" she yelled.

When Dad saw his mother in trouble, he didn't think twice before leaving his wife in danger. Himesh Uncle used that chance and continued on his way of chasing Arman. After seeing that Mom was safe, I ran to save my brother. He was nowhere in sight, and I wished that he had hidden himself properly.

"Himesh Uncle, stop!"

"I will fucking shoot you, Reyna! I had enough of your fucking family."

I quickened my speed and heard some footsteps behind me. I saw Dad overtaking me and grabbing Himesh Uncle from behind. Dad knocked the man to the ground, and his gun flew away in the distance.

"Reyna Didi!"

I halted myself and snapped my head in Arman's direction. He was hiding behind a tree, his body trembling furiously as he saw Dad and Himesh Uncle fight. I went towards him and told him to untie my hands. He did as I said, and tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw his tiny hands tremble.

"Do it fast, Aru!"

He nodded, and I smiled when the ties came undone. I grabbed his wrist and told him that I would protect him at any cost. I told him that we should escape, but he didn't want to leave without Dad. I tried to drag him, but he shook his head. I huffed and was about to scold him when I heard Dad's panicked voice.

"Arman!"

I looked behind and saw Himesh Uncle charging towards us fiercely. Before my mind could process anything, he moved the acid bottle in air and splashed it towards us. My body reacted automatically; I turned around and covered my brother by wrapping my arms around him.

"Aaaahhhhhh!"

The burning liquid seeped through my clothes, setting my back on fire. I crushed Aru in my arms as my cries got mixed with his. I felt my head exploding as the pain of my skin getting burnt took over my senses. My body went weak, but Arman's voice pierced through my ears.

"It hurts!"

I moved my head and saw his right hand oozing off hot steam as the skin from his wrist to the elbow was covered in acid - I hugged him tightly.

"Don't cry, Aru...." I squeaked.

"Didi..." he cried. "Are we going to die?"

I went numb when he said that. I had no strength left in me so that I could pick him up and make a run. I felt the most unluckiest person alive when I saw the last bit of hope leave me as my body crashed on the ground. Everything went dark, and I cursed my life when the last thing I saw was my Aru's crying face.

I knew my life wasn't pretty, but I wanted to live more. When I thought that my parents finally got rid of me, I woke up in a hospital room - I was really unfortunate. Death also wouldn't come easy to me.

"What kind of sins did we commit in our past lives?"

So the old woman was still alive?

I followed her voice and saw my family gathered in a corner. I sighed in relief when I saw my baby brother safe, sitting in Mom's lap with a bandage around his right forearm. An evil smile crept up my lips when I saw my grandmother covered in plasters and cursing her luck while sitting in a wheelchair.

I stared at her state in satisfaction - she deserved it.

"The patient is awake," a nurse said.

A doctor came inside the room and asked me how I was feeling after checking me up. Until he told me to turn on my side, I didn't realise that I was lying on my stomach. He scolded me when I turned on my back fastly.

"Easy there, kid. Your back still hasn't healed, so don't put too much pressure on yourself," he said with a worried look.

As soon as my grandmother learned that I was conscious, she began hurling curses at me. Dad shook his head at her and took her out of the room. Doctor did his routine checkup and scheduled the redressing of my wounds before leaving.

"Are you okay now, Di?" Arman asked.

I nodded and ruffled his hair. His lips went downwards as his eyes roamed on my back. Mom came beside him and moved her hand to caress my cheek, but I told her not to do so. She was hurt at my blunt reaction but didn't say anything.

"How is your hand?" I asked my brother.

"It doesn't hurt." He smiled. "But why don't I remember how it happened?"

I looked at him in confusion. He touched my back and looked at me sadly. "How did you got hurt, Didi?"

"You don't remember what happe-"

"Reyna," Mom stopped me and shook her head.

She sent Arman to check on Dad, and when he left, she told me that Aru didn't remember anything as he suffered a memory loss; he was traumatised after that incident and had fainted after crying his eyes out on my unconscious body in the jungle.

"Please don't tell him what happened," Mom said.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Those bastards are still alive?"

She gave a short nod, and I turned my head to the other side. I didn't talk to her and stared at the blank wall. I was glad that Aru didn't remember the horrifying events; he was too small to go through all of the stuff.

I wished I could also forget everything, but there were more things in store for me which I was unaware of.