A girl was sitting near the tree glancing at the direction. A hope building within her, waiting for someone to arrive.

"She won't come," a voice uttered. She glanced at the person. He was elder than her and also taller. She had seen him among those children. Unlike her mother, the lady had many children and she had started calling her as her child. Aachal didn't like it! She didn't adored someone else calling her as their daughter.

"She will," Aachal glared at the boy. He groaned at her stubbornness. Staring at her for a minute longer before grabbing a seat on the stone.

Days kept moving, she kept waiting for her mother's arrival. With days passing by, she slowly started accepting the life of orphanage. She started talking, smiling and playing with the children in the home. It was difficult for her to remember their names but she recognised those faces.

It was her daily routine to come and sit under the tree. She no longer was waiting for her mother but her new friend. They used to sit there in silence, staring at childrens playing around or just staring at sky.

"What's your name?" She choose to break the silence. They never talked to eachother. Aachal had noticed that he never talked to anyone.

"None of your business," he grumbled. His face turning stone as he walked away from there.

She pouted at his retreating figure, why was he so rude? She had just asked him, his name!

"Shlok..." I woke from the dream. I scanned around the dark room. The bed was vacant maybe he hadn't arrived yet! He was in need to rest while he was burdening himself with work.

I closed my orbs as I leaned on the pillow. Processing the dream. Was that my past? The same orphanage that I had seen in the picture. That boy, that stern black orbs, that emotionless face. I knew the name behind that face. Mr. Oberoi! I allowed myself to get up from the bed, moving towards the room. I had to glance at that picture. I wanted to know more about my past. I wanted to recollect it! To remember it! What moments did I shared with Mr Oberoi?

I kept moving towards the room. I was warned twice not to enter the room. Yet they hadn't locked it up! I twisted the knob and walked into the dark, vacant room. The aura of the room screamed mystery. As if the room had more mystery hidden in its wall.

I moved towards the desk. It was always neat, not a paper out of its place. I had walked in twice with only the intention to find something about the mystery lapping Mr Oberoi. I sighed as I reached for the photo frame. Not a dust particles around the glass frame. I stared at the photo, my orbs glancing at each individual. Coming and resting on a girl, her black hairs were tied in a ponytail. A sweet smile playing on her lips. She was wearing golden yellow frock that reached below her knees. She didn't seem more than seven years. The tiniest among the group of children. Her neck adoring the beautiful pendant, R engraved on it.

My hands moved towards the metallic pendant. It was me! How could I deny the truth? The sparkle in her orbs, the grin playing on her lips. She was enjoying her life. The picture was indicator of it. My orbs moved to the person standing next to me. He was taller, older than me. His stern orbs staring at me, that emotional face had its lips twisted up into a small smile. His lifeless orbs adoring me. His hands had moved towards my hairs as if he was removing something from it.

Why had he kept this picture? Did I was that valuable for him? I shook away those disturbing thoughts! I couldn't drive into such foolish thoughts. I kept the photoframe on the desk. My heart turning heavy in pain. Recollection of those days brought pain with it. I frowned as those emotions crossed my heart. Flashes of something hitting me.

"Hi!" The little girl was jumping around the grumpy boy. He spared a glance at her before continuing with his work. He was busy scribblings something on the white sheet of paper.

"Why are you wasting your time on him?" Another boy walked towards them. His orbs narrowing at the guy before him. "He isn't good!" He was warning his new friend. "He keeps beating around," the smaller boy attempted to drag Aachal along with him.

"No," Aachal jerked his hand away. "I am not coming with you." She frowned at the smaller kid. "You keep teasing me," she passed him a glare. "You keep pulling my hairs." She pouted as she managed to pull her hairs together, attempting to pull it into a ponytail. Her small hands were helping her with the mission while the smaller kid laughed at her failed attempts.

"Come here," the bigger one groaned. Their attention moved towards the grumpy boy. The smaller was gesturing Aachal not to move but she was the girl who walked on her own terms. She never paid heed to those warnings as she walked towards him. Her lips forming into a nervous smile.

Aachal couldn't deny that his presence was intimidating but she also wanted to be friend with him. She didn't appreciated him sitting alone, not talking with others. Everyone deserves to have friend and if he didn't had anyone, she will be his friend.

His black orbs were stern as he asked her to sit infront of him, on a smaller stone compared to his. As she obeyed, his hands moved towards her messy, soft hairs. He had never done it before! He hadn't known the art of tieing the hair but for some unknown reason he wasn't able to see her struggling. That sad pout plastered on her lips, those small orbs on the verge of ending into tears. All he wished was to bring smile on that face! He adored her jumping, happy spirit. She had the aura around her, she had the charm to brighten people so unlike his dark soul. He was curse on the earth.

"Done," he gritted. He was furious on himself for helping a small girl. He had never done such a thing before! He was cruel, arrogant. That what the world around him labelled him.

"Thank you," Aachal turned to face him as she jumped in excitement. That smile was back on her face, those black beautiful orbs sparkling in excitement.

"You hadn't yet told me your name..." She was staring at him with hope. She was dying to add one more individual into her list of friend. He stared at her with a bored expression.

The smaller kid was calling her, not building the courage to walk towards them. The terror was build against him. Aachal ignored his warning, concentrating on the person that had helped her. "I will call you..." She paused for more than few minutes as if she was lost in thoughts. "Shlok," she grinned in excitement. "You will be my Shlok!" She announced as she giggled at her conclusion, walking away from him towards her friend.

Shlok sat there staring at her retreating figure. Shaking his head in disbelief. She had walked back to him, she would tease her again and she would end up crying. But why did he cared about those tears? He groaned at the thought of it. "Shlok..." He whispered much to himself.

•••

I was trying to make Riddhi eat her breakfast but she was acting stubborn. "You're not going at your friends place!" I passed her a glare.

"But it's her birthday," she was pleading. "She is my new friend," she was requesting. "Everyone is going to come."

"We don't know her neither we know about their parents." I wanted to make Riddhi understand. She wasn't like other children, her family wasn't normal. She had to think twice before attending any event. I couldn't risk her safety. Mr Oberoi won't ever allow her to attend the birthday party.

"But mumma.." she was going to argue but Swara jumped into the conversation.

"Your mumma is correct," Swara attempted to make her understand. "Don't you want to come early and play in the park? Rather than wasting your time in that stupid party? Your favourite Diya Di is going to come as well." She informed bringing a smile on Riddhi's face. I had almost forgotten about Diya's schedule. Diya used to spent weekly one evening with Riddhi also providing her with an excuse to meet me.

We hadn't talked to eachother after the argument held back in the house. She hadn't contacted me neither I was provided with a time to drop a message. I would talk to her in the evening. I never adored our fighting period, I always wanted to sort it out as early as possible.

I somehow managed to make Riddhi have his breakfast. Swara took her to school. Life was turning normal as I sat in the dinning area and was having my breakfast. I felt as if I was getting comfortable with the world around me. Into the mysterious mansion of Mr Oberoi. As I was slowly discovering layers of the mystery hidden from the world.

"Ma'am..." Ronald rough voice called for my attention. His head bowing in respect, "I had being searching for you."

I nodded as I dusted my hands and stood from the chair. "What's that for?" I inquired, raising my orbs in question.

"You wanted to meet Mayur," he reminded. I had forgotten about it. Forgotten about Mayur! I gave a slight nod as I walked towards him. I wasn't sure if I was in a position to meet him.

I had questions, confusions, mystery that I wanted to unfold. But what if I wasn't prepared for the truth waiting for me? I sighed as I kept following Ronald.

Guards were accumulated around the hallway, we kept moving. They stood in high posture, their orbs spying on every object around. We kept moving, making our way out of the mansion. Few guards accompanied us. We walked towards a abandon house. Few yards away from the mansion, it felt isolated. As if none was staying in there until Ronald knocked on the door twice.

The door was pulled open as a stern looking guard walked out from the house. He spared us a glance before allowing us to enter. The house felt like a trap. A house that could hold us capative. We kept moving, silence accompanying us. With each second the fear within me kicking in.

I could hear murmurs, groans, yells coming from the wall surrounding us. My heart beating anxiously under my chest. Suddenly Ronald stopped before a wooden door. He eyed the rest to stay behind while he glanced at me. "Ma'am..." He eyed me towards the door. I hesitated, was I ready to face him? The groans, yells coming from the wall surrounding us was making me anxious.

"I..." I hesitated as he stared at me in concern.

"Do you want me to accompany?" He stared at me in worry.

"No," I denied. If I wanted to have conversation with Mayur, I wanted it to be behind those closed walls. I won't be comfortable under someone else presence. "I will handle it," I was assuring my anxious heart.

I twisted the knob as I pulled the door. My heart was beating loudly! My hands shivering in fear. The darkness surrounding the room was unnerving. I inhaled, trying to calm my raising heart. Slowly my orbs adjusted to the darkness surrounding the room.

The room was almost empty, the only thing filling it was a chair. It was kept on the centre, a figure sitting on it. His body was resting on the chair, his orbs closed in peace. Those bruises covering his faces, the blood oozing from it made me gasp in concern.

He was broken! He was tortured in very way possible! I despised entering the room. Humans here were so cruel, so inhuman.

"Mayur," I whispered as I took a step towards him. He moved but his orbs were closed as if he wasn't desiring to meet the person.

"How..." I choked at my words. His entire body was filled with wounds, there wasn't a skin which wasn't covered with blood. His cloth were sinking to his body. "I am sorry..." I knelt before him, attempting to grab his lifeless wrist.

He was startled at my touch, his orbs staring at me in horror before it soften. "Aachal," he sighed. His orbs scanning my figure as it came and rested on my face. "I am sorry," he apologized.

I frowned at his choice of words. "I had almost killed you," he confessed. "I wanted to apologise to you before dying for the deeds I had committed. I never deserved you, I wasn't worthy of your love." He was struggling to get those words out of his throat, coughing, stammering. I couldn't see him in such a condition.

°°°

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