Chapter 13-
Two days later, in the evening I was sitting on the terrace railing.
-" You thought that after a few days of training & you are ready to face them." I was startled by his voice. "Vikash da I.." , he cut me off. "DON'T MALINI.." he roared. I bowed my head in submission to him. I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have left the premises. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU?" I felt his intense stare to my soul. " Today I will teach you what happens when you don't listen to your mentor". I looked at him & saw his entire body glow white. He summoned white flame fireballs all aimed towards me. I tried to dodge each one.
"DO NOT DODGE. FIGHT THEM", he roared again. While dodging one after another I focused on summoning my sword with my flames. But it was of no use. My flame sword was engulfed in his white flames after 4 strikes. Next I know with a lightning speed Vikash da came towards me & tied me to a thick white flame.
"YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME. I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO ANYWHERE OUT OF MY RANGE BUT YOU DID. I TOLD YOU NOT TO ROAM AROUND BEYOND THE WALL BUT YOU DID. YOU THINK YOURSELF AS SOME SUPERGIRL WHO WOULD NEVER FACE ANY DANGER." With each of his sentences the intensity of his flame grew around my body. I was screaming & crying at this point as it was burning me.
"Vikash da, it's burning. You are burning me."
" GOOD. FACE THE CHALLENGE MALINI. YOU DON'T EVEN REMEMBER THE RULES THAT I TAUGHT YOU. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT THOSE ENTITIES, YOU CANNOT EVEN SAVE YOURSELF FROM MY FLAMES." Suddenly it clicked. I took a deep breath & focused on dissolving the white flames with my purple flames. I could smell my skin burning. With each attempt to dissolve his flame, he increased the intensity more & more making it difficult for me to come out. But I did free myself from his flames after many trials. Smoke was coming from my skin. I healed myself in no time. Then I looked at Vikash da.
Vikash da-" What, feeling confident? Then have a duel with me." And he charged towards me in no time. I was prepared this time. I stopped him in the middle using my flames. The fight was hand to hand. I could feel my power increased along with my speed & agility. My body was glowing purple. As I felt that I reached my maximum limit, my mind went blank. My moves felt very familiar. I again heard that someone was calling me 'Agent Umbra' and then my ear burst in a very high frequency tune. I sat down clutching my ears while Vikash da again charged at me. I closed my ears with both hands. Suddenly I felt someone's presence in between us & then I heard loud & clear, " Enough Vikash. Calm down." I looked up & was surprised to see, " Adrija mam"!
" Yes dear." She sat beside me & looked in my eyes. " Yes, AGENT UMBRA", this time she said it loud & clear. My eyes widened at that name. She smiled & pulled me up.
"Vikash, get a grip on yourself. Don't lose in fury."
"I am controlling myself very much but she never listens to me, not even in the past."
"She is just a child, Vikash, let her explore. She will regain her lost memories, and give her some time."
"But she doesn't have much time. She is already on target. You do remember what happened last time right !"
I was listening back-forth to both of them with wide eyes, trying to understand anything that makes sense to me. "Adrija mam, what do you mean by that name? Why did you call me AGENT UMBRA?" She looked at me & asked, " Do you hear screaming or screeching in the back of your mind & the next moment you forget about it?" I just nodded my head as a yes.
"Have you met SOPHII?" Again I nodded my head as a yes. Vikash da's eyes widened a bit.
"So you are going in the right direction. Good, very good Malini. Now I need you to go in your room & get some rest for an hour then start your rest of the work." I nodded & step by step left that place. Still I could figure out some words as she said, " Remember Vikash we promised Agent Claret to keep her safe as well as help her to regain her memories."
I came back to my room. Feeling exhausted, I lay down & soon drifted to sleep.
'No…..stop….no…no…don't touch me…..you're filthy…..stay away…..'
'Agent Umbra we have to leave ... .let's go….she sacrificed herself to save us…..'. I woke up from my sleep with a jolt. 'Thank goodness It was a dream', I thought to myself & gulped down water. 'I have to do something with these types of dreams. It's scary to see the exact dream everyday. Now let's go to the library.' I reached the library at 7pm. While entering I felt Adrija mam's gaze on me. I went straight to the corner table, gathered 2 books on Wings of predator Birds and started to take notes. How much time passed like that I had no idea. Suddenly I felt someone sitting opposite me. I looked up and was surprised to see Ayan sitting with his notebook.
"Why here?"
"To study."
At 9pm there was a bell, meaning dinner time. I stretched my hands and stood up. Cleared my place, signed my name in the register and came down the corridor. Ayan followed me like a lost puppy. He followed me to my room. I turned around before unlocking my door, "It's room no. 13 and yours is room no. 15." He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He let out a heavy sigh and turned around.
We all gathered at our dinner table, chatting and giggling like children. Shruti sat beside me and Neha, Anirban and Arindam sat opposite to me.
"So Malini, how is the note making going on for the Seminar? Found everything?", Arindam asked out of nowhere.
"Well till now it's going good, still some of the information is missing. Trying to figure it out as soon as possible", I replied.
"Let's make a plan for a small tour", Neha said cheerfully. We all looked at her with shocked expression. She giggled a bit and said, " I know I know it's dangerous at night. So I am talking about dawn to dusk." We relaxed a bit after hearing that. Anirban and Shruti agreed on the spot and I nodded while Arindam was a bit confused.
" I don't think I can. I have to take care of mom.", Arindam replied.
Shruti gulped down her last piece of bread and said, " It's ok Arin, we will plan according to your terms. You are coming with us." Arindam smiled & nodded his head. Then he looked at me and asked, " Malini, did Anksh disturb you again after the library incident?" My spoon froze near my mouth. Shruti and Anirban immediately turned towards me. I took a breath and replied, " No. After he was beaten by Ayan, he never dared to come near me. But he still creeps me out from afar."
"You never told me about Anksh", Anirban stated.
I cleared my throat, " Yeah, I thought not to tell anyone among you as that was solved."
"Ayan, what are you doing here at this time?" He looked at me for a few seconds and again started to cry. "Come inside and don't cry, Ayan." I said flatly. He came inside and I latched my door. The moment I turned around he hugged me crying like a small kid. My body froze and my eyes widened.
"Ayan, leave me. It's not appropriate. "
"It is appropriate when I hug my sister."
"Sister! Who is your sister?"
"You, Malini, you are my sister. "
"NEVER", I replied coldly. He looked in my eyes with questions as I continued, " Maybe you forgot everything Ayan, BUT I REMEMBER EVERYTHING. THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID TO ME, THE HURT YOU GAVE ME."
" I now can realize all of that Malini and I am here to beg for forgiveness. I had a huge fight with Diti. I have realized how wrong I was for saying those harsh words to you when you were not even at fault. I am very sorry sis, forgive me. I will separate from her, just forgive me and call me your brother." I looked at him, really looked at him, " You do remember right about how you accused me of having feelings for you, trying to manipulate and separate you from her in front of all the Professors and students, that too only after listening to her! You didn't even listen to my side. And now you think that you will cry and seeing you in such a vulnerable state I will forgive you….right?" I stared at him intensely and the next moment I heard myself saying, " GET OUT." He stood up and walked away slowly with his head hung low. I locked my door and rubbed my tears that were trying to slip through. ' It's okay, Malini. It will hurt but it will pass away. I have to get some sleep to wake up fresh.'
Chapter 14-
His POV:
At around 5 in the morning, we both completed our training and headed back to our respective rooms. As I came near my room, I saw Neha standing and leaning against the wall to support her sleeping figure. 'Oh heavens, she looks so perfect and cute. I want to hug her now, but I need a shower first.'
"Love, what are you doing here?" I caught her by her waist. She looked at me with her half open eyes and hugged me tightly. Immediately I unlocked my door and took her inside.
"Love, dear, I am all sweaty. Let me take a shower first", I pleaded softly.
"You smell addictive", She tightened her grip. I planted a kiss on her head and slowly pulled up her chin. "Love, 10 mins please." I whispered. She thought for a bit and then nodded her head. I picked her up and placed her on my bed, then sprinted towards the bath. After freshening up, I dressed up in a loose t-shirt and a three-quarters, then joined her in bed. I hugged her tightly and she nuzzled in. She was trying to adjust her face near my chest, which made me chuckle softly.
" What's wrong Love?", I asked softly.
" I can't hear your heartbeats", she replied in her sleepy voice.
" And what do you want me to do Love?"
" Remove it.", She demanded pointing at my t-shirt. My heartbeats skipped for a moment.
" Are you sure my Love?"
" Yes."
I sat up, removed my t-shirt and then lay beside her. She immediately hugged me & nuzzled her face near my chest. I hugged her back. After a few minutes, she placed her nose in my nape. As she was breathing in me, shivers ran down my spine and my ears became red. She moaned while breathing and my grip tightened on her. "Love, you are driving me crazy. I may lose control of you.", I replied huskily. She smirked and moaned and bit near my ear. She ran her fingers slowly through my bare back, feeling my spine and each muscle, while I was going crazy feeling her touch. Then she ran her fingers through my hairs and a moan slipped through my lips. She opened her eyes and kissed my lips with a smile.
" Love you are gonna regret by awakening this beast.", I licked my lips.
"Never", she whispered against my lips. I pulled her more by waist in my arms and locked our lips. I closed my eyes in ecstasy while kissing her passionately. We moaned in each other's mouth as our tongues fought for dominance. My hands were under her top and she arched back a bit. After a few minutes, she tapped my shoulder indicating that she ran out of breath. She was breathing heavily on my chest with a blushed face.
" Out of breath in this small action? Love, then think about our day…", I whispered in her ears. Her ears instantly turned red. " This is not fair, Nir. I always end up blushing in your arms." She pouted. I kissed her forehead, " That's because I love you more. Now get some sleep, it's already 5:40am. You need to go to your room around 7am." She hummed and drifted off to sleep.
As usual, the day was packed up with classes, one after the other. At lunch we all shared the same table, chatting non stop, eating less. One thing, during lunch, I observed was that neither Ayan nor Diti are talking with each other. After lunch I headed to the library to make notes on my seminar topic, 'Unique features of Chondrichthyes'. A few minutes later, I felt a tap on my left shoulder. I looked at and saw Neha was smiling and sitting beside me with her books.
" You sneaky little thing, when did you come here?", I asked while intertwining my fingers with her."
" When you were focused on your notes," she replied with a wink. ' Lord she is looking so cute, I just want to capture those lips till I am satisfied.' I thought while licking my lips. " Not here, everybody is watching", she replied with a blush. I chuckled and kissed her hand.
The next day I woke up at 5am and joined the gym with Arindam. As we exchanged morning wishes, Vikash da entered.
"SHOPII wake up", he commanded. SOPHII started all the machines. He attached wires to his body and started walking on a treadmill. With each minute he was increasing his speed. Half-hour later he was sweating profusely but still he was on the machine. We were becoming concerned about his behavior when SOPHII announced, " Shutting down due to over stimulus" and Vikash da threw his t-shirt in anger.
" Vikash da, is everything alright?" Arindam asked. He nodded in response.
" He is in rage, I can feel it." Arindam whispered to me.
"Me too," I agreed.
It's the weekend, so I will be lazy. I lied down in my room for some time. "Anirban, let's go for a swim. I miss the water around me." Keyuri said.
"But it's raining cats and dogs."
"Then we dive, but I want water."
"Ok ok your Highness."
I went towards the pool, soaked like a crow. Keyuri laughed at my image. "Ha ha, very funny", I mocked her. Then I dived with a small jump. The underwater world felt so quiet and fresh. Not a single drop was hitting me under the water.
" Remove your t-shirt or else I won't be able to unleash my powers."
" For this time or every time?"
" Only for this time. Don't worry, I am not interested in human beauty."
" Did you just insult me?"
" No comments."
I came back to the surface and removed my t-shirt and then went back in the water. This time as I was diving, my body started to glow pink. "Keyuri", I said in my mind. My gills appeared gradually. In the beginning, it was a bit hard for me to adjust but then through each dive I became comfortable with it. Then my hands and feet appeared as webbed. I could feel my transformations. With each transformation, my body glowed pink and I could feel each of my nerves gaining more and more energy.
" Dive a bit down. I want to feel more water around me."
I did what she asked me.
" Now close your eyes and try to listen." I closed my eyes and concentrated. After a few moments, I heard, not loud, not clear but a soft sound coming from the left side. I turned to my left and saw a small fish swimming near my ear. " Keyuri, did I hear a soft noise from that fish?", I asked her.
" Yes, many fish vibrate a specialized swim bladder using sonic muscles to produce certain sounds to communicate. What you heard is a small part of that. So how do you feel till now?"
" I feel very energetic, Keyuri, I gained more power than before. Also I can control my breathing technique through the gills. All thanks to you, your Highness."
" Then tell me, did she like the specific modifications that occurred recently in your body?"
" You're asking as if you don't know." I blushed a bit.
" That's very good. Now we need to get out of the water, as it's been 2 hours. Also I have a guest." I came out of the water and my eyes landed on a faint grey glow floating near the water.
My body instantly glowed pink and Keyuri said, " Long time no see, Okami." The grey glow transformed into a wolf spirit. My eyes widened at the sight. "Hi Keyuri.", the spirit replied while looking dread in my eyes. Shivers ran through my spine and I felt numb in my throat.
" Now now, Okami, don't stare at my human so intensely. You know what a Wolf's stare does. Let me do the introduction part. Anirban, this is Okami, the Leader of the spirit world. And Okami, this is my human host cum friend Anirban, who sacrificed himself for me." Then she mind linked with me, " Anirban don't stare at his eyes so much and bow a bit out of courtesy so that you are recognized by him." I followed her instructions. I saw Okami bow back to me.
" I heard from Haru that you guys found 'her' and 'she' even helped you to recover from your injuries. Where is she?", Okami asked in his rough voice.
"Who is he talking about Keyuri?", I whispered in my mind.
" Shh, he can hear us.", Keyuri shushed me.
" Wait a minute, Haru is here! It never appeared before me. Anyways, yes she helped me a lot and for that reason her condition deteriorated, she was in bed attached to human equipments, lost some blood. But now she is fine."
[Wait, she is Malini. They are talking about Malini], I thought.
" Yes, you're correct human.", Okami replied to me.
" Did she recognize you?", Okami asked with curiosity.
" It's sad that she hasn't till now. Let's hope that she does in the future."
" So, she only remembers Haru. It's time for me to let her know about us, her past and everything, though Agent White is trying his best. We need her. Anyways, time for me to go. I will come back next time."
" Bye Okami, it was nice meeting you. Until next time."