Year: 1899

Finally, everything was set up in the right place for Shivaay. He got what he wanted in his life: recognition for his talent. But that was not enough for him. He had to go back to the place from which he had desperately wanted to escape since he was forced to come here at the age of seven. For his lady love, Milady Anika Thakur, another name for the goddess Durga. For him, she was no less than any goddess.

It had become midnight when he reached the venue and searched for carts to get him into the village, but shockingly, there were none. He had to walk across the forest to reach the village. It was the only shortcut he knew, and he was ready to cross anything to reach her and relieve her from the hell-like place where she was currently living. He started his way, ignoring the danger sign at the entrance; he didn't even look at it. Holding his suitcase in his right hand, he walked ahead, keeping his milady in mind.

Thakur had killed his parents at gunpoint when they cheated him and sold one of his properties to the English people. Thakur couldn't accept a British invasion of their properties. So, he killed them without even thinking once. Shivaay was there, witnessing everything before his eyes shattered. Splashes of his mom's blood were still on his face. Next was Shivaay. The gun was pointed straight at his head; he was next. He closed his eyes tight in the hope of feeling less pain. Instead, he heard the sound of ankle chains. Next, it was the tone of a five-year-old girl.

"Thakur Sahib... Stop," she said, running towards him. Shivaay found the courage to open his eyes and saw his milady for the first time. Her eyes, her smile, and the way she stopped Thakur's gun were still captured in his eyes.

"Takurayan Saiba. What are you doing here? They helped the white people. They have to die. You're a Jhansi Rani, right?" Thakur asked her in an innocent tone.

"But he didn't help; his parents did. Why are you killing him, Thakur Sahib?" Anika questioned him. Then she looked at Shivaay, who was still extremely scared.

"Do you know your parents helped the white people?" Anika asked him directly while Thakur lowered his gun to the floor, away from him.

"No..." Shivaay replied in a scared tone.

"Thakur Sahib. Leave him," Anika held Thakur's palm and requested.

"Anything for my wife," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back at him and shrugged him off.

Guards took him away while Anika left Thakur and ran towards the guards, asking them to stop as they threw him away from the entrance. Shivaay still had no idea when she offered him work with Maharaji, the cook, in the kitchen. He did as he was asked. From then on, she became his savior.

But the darkness of the night brought back the incident that had happened in the morning with him and his parents. His whole body started to shiver, and he buried his head, hugging his knee points together. Just then, he felt a touch on his shoulder, which jerked him. He raised his head and was relieved to see Anika there.

"Hello. I bought raw mangoes for you. Do you like them?" she asked, sitting next to him. He didn't reply but continued to shiver.

"Before my mom's death, I used to fear the darkness a lot. But one day, she came and gave me this Durgamaa's locket. From then on, I haven't been scared of any darkness," Anika said, removing the chain from her neck and attaching her pendant to his gold chain.

"You don't have to be scared as long as Durgamaa is by your side," she said with a smile. Then, his shivering stopped, along with his tears.

"Anika. My name. Your name?" she asked.

"Shivaay, Milady!" he replied, wiping off his face and took a bite of the raw mangoes she had brought for him. But those raw mangoes were not as raw as they looked on the outside; they were sweet inside.

"It's sweet," Shivaay exclaimed.

"Is it?" she said, taking it from his hands and taking a bite. He felt different but also appreciated her special care for him. From then on, she also became his courage.

Thinking about all the incidents that had happened, he crossed halfway through the forest but stopped when he heard a mild sound of footsteps behind him. He was in the middle of the woods, and the moon was straight above his head; it was a full moon day. He didn't look around when his legs froze in place. He felt a chill wind hit his back. In a second, the humidity in the place turned into complete chillness. The cherry on top, his torchlight also stopped working. His hands automatically went to his Durga Maa's pendant, and he touched it, closing his eyes.

"Shivaay, is that you?" he heard the voice he had longed to hear for a long time. Tears welled up in his eyes; his heart finally felt calm. He turned around the next second and saw his milady walking towards him in her usual attire, but the difference was she didn't wear her veil and there was no sign of any wounds on her body. She approached him with teary eyes.

"Milady," his lips whispered along with the tears.

****

Year: 2021

He walked merely in the direction of her chuckles and groans, taking her in. He didn't stop but walked swiftly. The forest was full of bushes and trees; he was shivering terribly, but that didn't stop him from going inside. He was almost witnessing his worst nightmare. But his feet walked until they reached the old, spoiled hut. Her chuckle sound became stronger. He stopped, his eyes clouded with tears for no reason, but he walked inside.

That old hut had become the permanent house for bats and pigeons until he came inside. Paving the way through the thick spider web, he entered. He focused his mobile phone's torchlight and scanned the entire place from right to left, witnessing a flash of some lady's back in spoiled clothes. His breath choked, but he scanned again from left to right and saw the suitcase in the same place where he had just seen the flash of the lady's hair. He moved ahead, and with a trembling hand, he tried to open it. But the suitcase was locked with a traditional lock. In a flash, he felt someone's breath hitting the nape of his neck. He jerked and turned around, but there was no one.

"Oh god! I don't know what's happening to me, but please help me," he started to whisper when his lips began to tremble in fear. Then, he heard the sound of a lock opening. He turned back to the suitcase and was shocked to see that the lock that had been there a moment ago was gone. Everything happening was so mysterious around him. But that didn't stop him from opening the suitcase.

First, he found a red bridal saree; second, he found a gold ring with a red gemstone in it. He took both out, feeling them in his hands. He wasn't dreaming; it was happening for real. As a third item, he found a painting that was kept upside down. He took it in his hands and turned it around. His whole world stopped in a jerk when he saw Anika Rathore's picture in it as a drawn portrait. And he had also seen it in his dreams many times, which meant whatever he saw in his dream had happened to him. He thudded on the floor the next second, unable to process anything.

****