Ishika Rathod

When Ishika comes down in the dining hall. Mahi, Angel are talking to Robert. Naman is there too. The discussion is a serious one.

"Kahi log gayab hogaye hai, saab." explains Robert. "Log bolne lage ki ye jaga shrapit hai... cursed village. Police bhi kuch na kar parahi toh... logo ko vishwas ho hi jayega na, ki ye supernatural ka kaam hai. Aur kahi saal pehle, is jagah ka itihas batata hai, ye kabhi vampires ka awas tha."

Mahi makes an annoying sound but he covers it up with a cough. Shaking her head, Ishu walks to take her seat beside Angel.

Dinner looks delicious.. Her favorite Rajma Chawal has her mouth watering, but she tries to focus on what everyone is saying.

"We're grateful, Mr. Mahi..."

Naman is the one to speak now, "ki aap log yaha aaye. Aur humare logo ki madad krne ke liye tayyar hogaye. Sach me bahut shukria."

Mahi shakes his head, "no. please. Ye toh humara kaam hai. We hope ki ye maamla jaldi sulajh jaye."

Naman nods.

"Aapko jo bhi sahayta chahiye, humse puchiyega. Aur.. Robert bhi yaha hoga humesha."

Robert nods along and Mahi smiles.

"Ji wo humare do dost kal subah ajayenge. Phir hum kaam shuru karte hai..."

Ishu is lost looking at the way Naman's expression changes. He looked serious, but now he's relaxed and even smiling. He really has a nice smile. He looks cute talking to Mahi..

Just as she thinks this, Naman looks her way.

She turns away but it's too late.

He smiles at her and signals with his eyes to eat.

Smiling a little, feeling embarrassed, Ishika begins to fill her plate.

Naman does look familiar... she has seen that smile before. But where?

**

That night she is in her room after dinner. Ishika gets ready for bed.

Angel did say she can come sleep in her room if she's too scared to sleep alone. It's nice to have such a sweet caring friend. Friend is a small word. Angel is her sister. Soul sister. She worries a lot. But it's okay. Ishika won't be scared. She's strong.

Smiling, she moves to the window.

The moon is full, and the night is quiet here in the village. The sky is dark... contrast to the shining full moon.

It's soothing...

She watches the moon until she feels sleepy. And returns to lie down in her bed.

Sleep comes over soon.

She's running in the same woods that she looked down upon... she's out of breath. Is she in some danger? It can't be real. How did she end up in the jungle? She was safe.. She was sleeping.

But now she has to run. She hears a dozen men chasing her. She runs but one man jumps high above and lands before her.

Before she can push him away, he holds her neck.. His fangs shine in the moonlight as he brings them closer to her neck.

Ishika wakes up feeling a sharp pain in her neck. She checks the area in a hurry. There's no blood. That dream... it felt so real. A vampire did bite her there. She looks around her room. The dim light makes it look spooky.

"Shayad mujhe Angel k saath hi sona chahiye tha... kaisa sapna tha wo..."

Her hands are still shaking.

And she takes deep breaths to calm herself.

"I'm fine...I'm fine... breathe Ishu.. itni raat ko Angel ya Mahi ko tang na kar sakte... breathe.."

Then there's a knock on her door.

"Sab khairiyat?" asks someone.

It's Naman.. But why is he outside her door?

"Naman ji?"

"Maine aapko cheekhte hue suna."

Ishika sighs.

"I'm sorry main thik hu..."

she gets down from the bed and reaches the door.

Naman clears his throat. "Rukiye darwaza kholne ki zarurat nahi... aap so jayiye.. Mere hote hue.. Aapko kuch nahi hoga.. Kisi ko bhi kuch nahi hoga..."

She's tempted to open the door and look at him. But he's right. She doesn't need to open the door for some random guy in the middle of the night. Even so...

"Thank you..."

She smiles touching the door.

Somehow she feels relieved hearing naman's words. Somehow.. She goes back to sleep. This time there are no dreams, no visions.

***

That morning after breakfast--

Ishika is looking at her clothes she just got back.

"It's good ki iss mansion me washing machine aur dryer bhi hai!"

She laughs..

"Aur ye Angel mere liye ruk nahi sakti thi...? Mahi k saat chali gayi kahi ghumne... kisi ne mujhe jagaya kyu nahi..."

She begins to talk aloud while setting the clothes in the almirah.

"Shayad Naman ji ne kuch bataya hoga. Shayad wo log chahte main so jau.. Aur meri aankh hi na khuli..."

Having breakfast alone was boring. But Angel and Mahi were sweet enough to call and check on her. So she can't complain.

Just as she finishes her task, her phone rings.

"hello? Kya..."

She's shocked, surprised to hear the news from her old friend who's back in Mumbai.

"Prof Amrapali yahi hai? Jinse main kab se milna chahti hu, wo yaha hai?"

Professor Amrapali is a busy lady. She's famous for her research of the supernatural. Apart from that the lady can deduce what dreams, visions can mean. And Ishika always wanted to visit her. Even from childhood, she has been a weird ball. There were dreams, visions. Sometimes, she would end up in crazy situations searching for answers. And no one but Angel understood her.

With a wry smile, Ishika steps out of her room, grabbing her purse.

She needs to go see Amrapali and ask her. Maybe...

Some of her questions will be answered.

Her phone rings and it's Angel.

"Angel? Han baba.. Maine khalia... han toh. Kapde bhi wapas milgaye...Main bas ghumne jarahi hu. Everything is fine."

"Arey kyu akeli jaogi kya ghumne? Acha hum tumhe pick karne aate ruko.."

"Nahi Angie, tum wahi ruko. Tumhe pata hai na, wo professor aayi hui hai.. Mujhe unse milna hai.."

"Par tu akeli jayegi?"

"Nahi yar.. Main puchungi Robert se ya... Naman se.. Shayad wo kuch madad krde... main unhe zyada tang nai krna chahti.. Bas rasta puchungi taki kahi ghum na hojau.."

'Humare hote hue aisa kaise hosakta?'

Suddenly naman is there. Angel must have heard what he said.

She sounds angry.

"Ishu, mujhe wo banda sahi nahi lagra. Usko bilkul trust na karna tum samjhi.. Tu ruk main aati hu..."

Ishika sighs.

"Nahi.. I mean.. Ok.. main ider wait karti hu.. Sham ko jaungi... ab tum jake ghumo jee bharke... fir aajao.. Tab chalenge. Ok?"

Angel sighs. And she says "Ok."

Ishika breathes deeply before turning to Naman.

"Naman ji.."

"Maine kaha na.. Sirf Naman hi. Waise, kaisi hai aap? Sab thik?"

She nods.. It's hard to look at his handsome face. But she maintains eye contact as they converse with each other.

"Kal raat lagta hai, aapne bahut bura sapna dekha..."

Ishika doesn't know if she can tell him what happened in her dream. She saw a vampire. She never saw a vampire until now. Does it have something to do with this place? Or it's just that they have been talking about vampires so much, which is why...

At any rate. She can't wait to see Professor Amrapali. She lied to Angel. She needs to go now. And Naman is the only one who can help."

"Wo mujhe professor Amrapali se milna tha. Naman-- main soch rahi hu.. Kya aap meri madad karenge?"

Naman smiles.

"Professor ko main ache se janta hu. Iss waqt shayad wo fine arts school mei hai, chaliye."

Ishika nods. "Thanks... aap wo pata de dijiye, main chali jaungi."

He laughs.

"Chaliye..."

And just like that he takes her to his jeep. They are driving?

Wait, he's driving?!

"Naman... aap kyu takleef le rahe hai.."

"Ye takleef kaisa... main toh waise khali baitha hu. Aur mujhe gaadi chalana acha lagta hai. Aap bas nazara dekhiye.. Kaafi suhana hai ye jagah."

She nods. And begins to look around. The breeze is nice. The weather is cool. It's cloudy, like it's about to rain. And the path they travel looks like a road in the middle of the jungle.

It's really peaceful.

"You're right Naman. Ye jaga kafi sundar hai.."

He turns to smile at her at that. Heart racing, she looks away. His smile is familiar... and this feeling too.

***

Naman offers her space. And even waits until Professor is done with her classes. Apart from her interest in supernatural, it appears that Amrapali is a wonderful artist too. And she has come here to teach some students at workshop.

It's almost lunch time. Amrapali sits to eat her lunch as she talks to Ishika.

"Main jaanna chahti hu.. Ki mere sapne ka kya arth hai. Kabhi kabristhan me daud lagati hu... aur kabhi jungle mei... aur kal raat pehli baar maine sapne me ek... ek vampire ko dekha..."

Amrapali kindly listens to everything she said and nods.

"Iss sapne ka shayad kuch wasta hai tumse... jo tumhe kabristan mei dikha, shayad wo tumhare pichle janam ka sach tha... aur.. Jo tumne kal sapne mei dekha... wo.. Uska do arth hosakte hai."

"Kaise arth?"

"Ishika beta, ek toh hosakta hai ki wo ane wala kal ka ek jhalak
ho... ya aanewale khatre ka aghaas."

Ishu frowns...

"Aaghaz..."

Her head begins to pound at that.

Amrapali places her hand over hers.

"Dekho beta.. Mujhe malum hai, ye sab sehna asan nahi. Par tumhe himmat se kaam lena hai. Himmat karne walon ki..."

Ishika nods, "haar nahi hoti.."

Amrapali smiles. Then there's a knock.

Naman enters with a smile.

"Aah naman aao. Aao. chalo ab tum dono bhi lunch karo..."

She claps her hands... and someone brings two more boxed lunches.

"Kitne din hogaye Naman tumhe dekh k.. Baitho beta..."

Ishika looks baffled. Naman explains.

"Ji wo hume jana hai. Ishika ko wapas chodna bhi toh hai..."

"Han toh lunch karke jao na..."

Just like that Naman and Ishika have lunch with Amrapali. As ishika thanks her and turns around to leave, the lady holds her hand.

"Ishu beta, jab bhi chahe tum mujhse mil sakti ho. Hum baatei karsakte hai... Naman ko pata hai main kaha milungi."

Ishu can only smile at her.

As they move to where his jeep is parked, Naman explains again.

"Amrapali ji humare gaon se hi hai.. Unka ghar yahi paas mei hai. Aur aksar library mei paye jate hai."

Ishika is shocked.

"Wow! Mujhe pata bhi nahi tha..."

Naman nods. And on his insistence, the two of them drive around the town a little bit before they arrive back at the mansion.

"Ishika... aap chahe toh fursat mei ghum sakte hai kabhi.."

His end words make her heart race. But she only smiles politely.

"Thanks for today Naman."

And she leaves him and the jeep to head back into the mansion.

****

Super delayed update.

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