"Where am I?"

This was the very question I asked myself as my eyes slowly opened, revealing nothing but darkness. Everything around me was black as if engulfed in the night, except a ray of light coming from a small hole nearby. 

I-I remember the garden, I remember Vaani. She and I had a pretty bad argument. I remember running away, I remember the sound but then-

I couldn't remember. 

My head ached like hell, as if an elephant was playing baseball and my fellow brain was the pitch. Back of my head hurted too. With the help of the wall behind my back, which I assume was the only thing supporting my body, what I could sense was a buldge. Is the back of my head swollen? I thought practically to myself because I literally had no memory of facing a head trauma. 

I found it hard to concentrate. Every muscle on my body cried the same: for God's sake, rest a little. I had lost quite a little pounds and I was sure about it as my pants were literally skidding off. 

Where was I? Same question, still no answer. 

Sniff! Sniff! I tried to smell the horrify atmosphere around me. The smell air around me smelled of smoke, somebody might have been burning wood lately. The air consisted to a little smell of what was it? Alcohol? Maybe. Just don't ask me how I know the smell of alcohol. What all I can relate to is common cold. Hope you understand. 

But there was something strange, disregarding the fact that I was in a strange place, god knows where on Earth, or maybe not on Earth. Mind games! Uh! 

Is that blood? I asked to myself as I recognized the smell. Iron like, little metallic smell- I surely classified it as blood. Is that my blood? I asked to myself as I smelled my clothes, they smelled of blood. Maybe I the injury on my head was bleeding. Hopefully, I think it dried up. 

Moving my hands gave nothing. I couldn't. Something was stopping me. Motion of the legs too resulted in vain. My fingers made rapid movement as so to identify what was stopping my hands. 

Thick and small curves with metallic texture. Was I- was I chained up? Yes I was. Both the hands and the legs. 

Somebody chained me, but why? I mean I am harmless, ain't I? And even if somebody has captured me, the question was, what will he or she gain? I neither have loads of money in my pocket, nor do I have supercool powers like the Saptasiddhis. I wa here alone, chained up, trying to figure things out even if I don't even know what the shit is going on! 

I was far better in the ETKing than here. I mean, I had been treated hard by the princess and prince, I have been beaten up, hurted, and all. But that never, never ever felt intentional. Everything that happened, considering how I was treated, there was a tiny guilt in the eyes of both Vaani and Dhruv, as if they never wanted to treat me that way. Take my training sessions, or my nameless torture in the name sake of training, all these things boostened me up, they somehow made me capable of thinking clearly. After all, I killed a demon easily in the market. And I was not even hurt, thanks to the same training. But that turned my attention to the later, my first ever date, sorta, and then Vaani running into us from nowhere, then the care she had for me in her eyes, then-

You ate your parents up! 

Her words still echoed in my mind. 

Mom and Dad. Would they be okay? I didn't even know if i could ask that to myself as didn't even know if they're alive or dead. 

No! I assured my brain. They aren't dead! They're just away from me that's it. But was this enough? After all, I was just hoping for the best. 

Was Anshu okay? I mean after mom and dad, now I too was away from her. I know she's smart, she an handle the situation, this situation tears everybody in two. 

I - I should have just ignored Vaani's words, or I at least I could have acted more maturely, but no! I replied like a five year old and ran away from the problem. Ending up here! 

"Ugh! It's all my fault!" I shouted in frustration. 

I tried numerous times in the next few hours trying to break the chains. Or at least I hoped that marvelously, the chains will click open. But the reality soon hit me hard. Nothing happened! Sad that I was neither a Wizard, nor a Kryptonian alien freak. 

"Stop it boy!" Someone shouted from behind. "It's great that you are awake, but I am no fan of that noise." 

So there were other people down here? Great that I had a company now. 

"Who are you?" I asked as I jerked my hands, still trying to get out. 

"It's not who am I. It's actually, who are we." he replied. 

"And who are we? I mean I can't see anyone." 

"We are the ones capable of seizing the heavens, the ones who own the depths, and the ones who will rule the three realms. We are the children of the dark, the descendants of Diti, the Danavas." he said as he flashed a fire torch near his face, he had long hair which he kept down, and he had pale skin. He was wearing metal armor and helm along with a spear in his hand. 

"What do you people want from me?" I managed to speak out. My body still pained and the pain increased after this man showed up. Someone shoo this man away! 

"I don't have any grudges with you boy." he replied as he pored some water for me in a wooden glass. "Drink. You haven't opened your eyes for days. You might need strength." 

Days? I was off for days? 

"How will I drink? I am chained!" I made rough movements in the support of my reply. 

The man put the glass near my mouth. So he isn't going to open the chains. I thought. 

"Now drink." He said as he tilted the glass a little. 

Don't! 

Somebody shouted. But the man made no response. Didn't he hear that? 

Dorphus it's me! 

Somebody shouted again. That strange manly, heavy voice belonged to only one on this planet, my bestie, my stinkfart, Ziggy. 

You idiot! Where were you for the past all months! 

"Why aren't you drinking?" the man asked again, pushing the glass against my mouth with greater force. 

Neel I will explain everything. Just listen to me right now. Don't drink that liquid. 

I jerked my head in the other direction, making the glass to fall on the floor, spilling all the liquid. 

"Boy-boy I didn't want to do this, but-" his facial expressions changed drastically, eyebrows bent down, forcefully shutting his eyes, "UGH!" he yelled as he punched me on the face, knocking me out. 

The puch was hard, damn hard. I was left numb and my eyes went black! Complete void. Feeling my consciousness failing to coordinate with my physique, senses too were lost. 

"Tie him up." the man ordered, maybe to his partners, "Maybe it's his lucky day, King Bhadra wants to meet him." 

¤¤¤¤¤

"So what you people mean to say is that we just need to cross a freaking jungle and that's it?" Anshu asked while she took another bite of the the barfi. The three were sitting on a round table, in the dining area. Dhruv strictly instructed no one to enter till their discussion's done. But when the stomachs of all the three made the call, they knew eating was necessary now. 

"Yeah that's it. We need to cross this jungle, which the natives call the 'Chhal Vann', the Forest of Lies as you may call them. But it's not that simple." Dhruv replied. 

"But what's the problem? Wild animals?" Anshu asked. 

"Yes, it is. But it's not the major one?" 

"Pardon?" 

"What he means is-" Vaani said as she got up from her seat and walked away, approaching the book she previously had found in the library. "The major problem is the mist." She said while she turned the pages, "- the Forest of Lies is covered in a thick layer of mist which is poisonous. Whosesoever intakes the air of the forest, starts hallucinating." She added and sat next to Anshu, showing he the book. "Our forefathers used looked at the forest in awe and mystery. They searched for many years for the alternative for entering the forest, trying everything they could. But now-" the ends of her lips curled a little, "Looks like they didn't try everything. See it yourself."

In front of Anshu was the picture of a man with horns and hairy body, and small height wandering around in the woods. He wore the skin of a leopard and had a necklace of bone around his neck. Asura. This was the only word that clicked in her mind. 

"The myths say once in the forest, now known as the Forest of Lies, lived a demon. The forest was his home. From thee he used to perform his rituals, the Shaitaan and Lord Shiva were the only two he worshipped. Anyone who dared to come inside the forest, was killed in the ame of sacrifice by him to the Shaitaan. 

Later, seeing his people in demise, the King of ETKing of that time decided to intervene. This was followed by a war. The demon, at last, was slain by the King. 

But the demon was never burned. 

It is so said that the demon's soul still wanders in the forest." Why is there always a demon or a king in their myths? Anshu wondered while reciting the tale to them. 

"umharimats dhoorimaae cchaonmaie urmaae huremabs apnonmasz imakz agahmajs"  Vaani added. "These were his final words. This is now the place of your sweetest dreams and your worst nightmares." 

The look of Anshu's face turned pale as Vaani finished her words. "What's that?" She asked. This sounds exactly like what the demon was saying in the school! 

"That's demonic language. Demons speak them. What you heard was one of the very few phrases we are able to decode. Unfortunately, we still can't figure out how to translate the rest." Dhruv replied.

This boy is using translate and decode at the same time! He definitely doesn't know grammar. Anshu thought. Or is? 

A crazy idea came to her mind. Back in the school, and now, maybe-

"Tell me another phrase of demonic language you know." Anshu asked them as she got up restlessly and got the hold of a quill and paper. 

"Ujhemams umsemats uarmapz aimahs" Dhruv replied. "It means -" 

"I love you." Anshu replied. 

"What?" Vaani asked, half in shock and horror. 

"Right! I LOVE YOU!" Dhruv replied. 

"Are you two proposing each other?" Vaani asked to both of them. From when were these two a thing? She thought. I thought they never got along. 

"Wait what?" Dhruv asked half confused. 

"No way!" Anshu replied with a what-are-you-saying look. 

"I get it." Dhruv said as he turned towards his sister, "It's the transition of the phrase: I LOVE YOU." 

"Oh!" Vaani replied. That was my nightmare! Vaani thought. "I misunderstood." 

"MISUNDERSTOOD?" Both Anshu and Dhruv yelled at her in unison. 

Their faces turned towards one another, getting the fact that they said the same thing. But they looked away immediately. "NO WAY!" They replied in unison, again. 

"I have far better taste." Dhruv added. Definitely not an immature and geeky nerd who thinks she knows everything! He thought. 

"Excuse me?" Anshu interrupted. "What do you mean by better taste? Besides, I am not BLIND!" She added. Arrogant self centred Prince who thinks he can do anything he wants? NEVER! 

Vaani silently cursed. My idiot self! Why did I start this annoying conversation? 

"Guys-Guys! Anyway, Anshu how did you translate it so fast?" Vaani asked her. 

"See it's not related to translation at all! It is related to mathematics." 

"You are kidding?" Dhruv asked led by a laughter. 

"No you idiot! Ancient Indic Civilization was great in mathematics. The Quadratic Formula we learn today was once Shree Dharacharya Formula. So if you look closely to words of this language, it uses a mathematical formula for the last four-" She stopped as she looked at the facial expressions of the two royal personalities in front of her. Their faces clearly said No Signal. 

"-Just remember I can figure it out." She added with a big sigh. 

"Great then." Vaani added. "Now I can read the demonic extracts of this book." 

"I think not." Anshu replied as she took the book from her hands. "I can do it in one third of your time."

Vaani looked at Dhruv. Should I? She thought. Dhruv gave a nod, understanding his sister's gesture. 

"So when are we leaving?" Vaani asked. 

"Tomorrow morning, before everyone gets up. We can't afford to let anyone know it." Dhruv replied. 

"But how are we going?" Anshu asked, her face literally buried in the book. "I mean here is a map of ETKing and the Forest looks far, too far." 

"Don't worry about that." Dhruv replied. "I already have that done." 

¤¤¤¤¤

"Anshu- Anshu get up. We need to leave." Anshu heard Vaani whispering in her ears while she shook her rapidly. "Wake up!" She whispered as she tried to snatch the blanket from her. 

"Isn't she ready yet?" Dhruv asked from outside the room. 

"Nah! She isn't even up yet." Vaani replied back, still trying to wake her up. "And why in the world are you standing outside?" 

"Me?" Dhruv thought for a second before answering. Why am I standing outside? He asked himself. Yes, why am I outside? He asked again. Finding no answer, he walked inside. 

"I really believe that she is the demon instead of her brother." Dhruv said, looking at the girl in front of him. Hands cuddled around her blanket, expressionless face and no care about the world around. "Kumbhkarana." Dhruv added in a low voice. "She sleeps as if dead." 

"So what do now?" Vaani asked him. 

"What to do?" Dhruv asked himself in sarcasm as he lifted the a glass of water kept nearby and splashed it on her face. 

"WHO THE HELL!" Anshu shouted. "IS THIS A WAY TO BEHAVE?" She shouted again followed by curses. 

"Easy-easy Anshu. Calm down." Vaani siaid, trying to calm her down. 

"Why in the world will I calm down? And secondly, who was that huh? Whom of you two royal jerks?" 

"Mind your language!" Dhruv replied in a harsh tone. Is this girl always like this? If it is so, I am going to copy notes from Neel. He thought. "Now get up. We need to leave." 

"So you're that bonze." She replied as she at once got up from the bed and pushed him out the door. 

"WHAT-" Dhruv tried to shout. Being pushed out of the room wasn't a normal thing from the Heir. But Anshu interrupted in between. 

"The girl needs to change na." Anshu replied, mocking him up. 

"What's this?" he asked Vaani who just came out of the room. 

"That's a typical girly mood swing." She replied with a smile. 

Noticing that she had time, Vaani decided to complete the pending task and walked past the hall. 

"Where?" 

"To the library. I just need to keep the books back before anyone notices." She replied pointing to the Sons of Diti and Brahaspati. 

"Now you are leaving me too?" Dhruv asked her. Now what will I do for the time she comes back? 

"I will be as fast as wind." She replied, disappearing in the pathways. 

"Great then." Dhruv sighed, looking at the starless sky. A sky missing both moons and stars is the worst. He concluded. 

¤¤¤¤¤

Giving a gentle push to the doors, Vaani entered the library. The scenario was changed from what she left it with. The piles of scrolls were now nicery arranged, books were in the shelves, and broken sculptures were fixed, all thanks to Ramlal kaka, the librarian. 

Keeping the books a little more closer to herself which were still cuddled around her arm she started to read the letters on the shelf. 

I have to finish the job a soon as possible. Thinking the same, she pulled out the first book from around her arms and placed them along the shelf. 

"Twice in two days?" 

The voice came as such a source of utter amazement and horror for Vaani that she dropped the book from her hand. 

"Kaka you scared the living daylights from my heart!" 

Picking the book up from the floor, Ramlal kaka replied, "I am really sorry for the inconvenience caused my Highness, but was just amazed." he replied with a smile. 

"For what?" Vaani asked as she took the book from his hand. I need to be careful that he doesn't see the titles. 

"Just wondering, your Highness you weren't paying attention to the library for what seems years and now, and I am answering this with all my respect your Highness, why? For that boy?" 

"W-What do you mean kaka?" She replied nervously. With trembling hands, she kept the book on the shelf and said, "It's just that I was here to keep the books I borrowed yesterday. There's no boy." 

"Really your Highness? Fooling not even me but yourself too?" 

"Who said speaking truth is a lie?" 

"Who said you're speaking truth, your Highness?" 

Debating with kaka will lead to no good. She thought. I need to end this conversation. 

"Pardon?" 

"My Highness, what are you doing here at three in the morning when you are supposed to be in your room sleeping?" 

Does he need to make things more complicated for me? 

"Kaka there's nothing as you assume it to be. The picture's far more complicated -" 

"Pardon majesty, but from where I am viewing, which seems to be the broader picture, you-you like him." 

There's nothing left in opposing the flow. I need to flow with it. 

"Is it wrong to like a guy?" 

"No my Highness, it's great. If I would have known earlier, I would have been extremely happy. But then there's the point that where the book came here from?" 

"Which book? The God Brihaspati one? I think we worship the gods-" 

"The Sons of Diti, your Highness and I think you very well know about that book. Don't you?" 

He knows everything! He knew it from the beginning! My cover is blown. 

"What are you gonna do know? Tell the Senapathi about it?" 

"No your Highness. I just wanted to tell that the book was kept by our Queen, your mother, just a few days before she left-"

"And?"

"And assuming that she never returned, I conclude that dealing with demonic stuff and demonic people is scary." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You will get to know Highness, you just will." saying this, he started walking back towards the door. 

"Wait kaka! Your Princess is ordering you to-" Vaani tried to stop him and ask if he knew where her mom was, but he left, leaving a girl in an inner void. 

"It's all because of you mom! Why did you leave me?" She yelled in anger. 

"Yelling at no one, because of no one, and what if for no one?" came a voice, which made her spine shiver. 

Someone else is here too? 

Vaani turned to see who's voice it was. Discovering no one but a girl, who seemed to be younger than her, maybe a year or two, "A child?", were the first two words coming out of her mouth. 

"Why does every person call me a child? Maybe because I am younger than them or because I look younger? Anyway-" She said crossing her arms, "Wanna find your boyfriend?" 

"Who are you? How did you come inside? SOLDIERS!" She shouted. 

The girl chuckled. 

Why isn't any guard or soldier coming? 

"They won't." The girl replied. 

She can read mind? 

"Of course I can." 

"Kaka, Guards, servants, anyone just anyone!" She shouted again, calling every single person she could. 

"I already have said, they won't come." 

Vaani rushed out of the library followed by the girl. What she saw made her soul cry. 

Every guard, servant, royal member, in that area was lying on the floor motionless. 

"Are they-" She tried to bring the words out her mouth, forcing the new coming tears from shedding. 

"Dead? No they aren't. They are just asleep. Will wake up in a few hours." She said with an emerging new smile on her face. "Every single guard, soldier, and person who could have stopped you or would have been an element of problem, has fallen asleep. Now you can find your boyfriend." 

"First of all, he is not my boyfriend. Two, I don't trust you." 

"Well in that case, you I won't force you to. But take this as a gift." She said, handling Vaani an old piece paper. 

Vaani restlessly opened it to find the inscriptions of a man lying on the ground around a circle. At the top was written :

Vicchedan Kriya 

Process of separation. Vaani quickly translated it. 

"Assuming that he won't die from all the dangers down there, and assuming that you all arrive at the correct time. Now leave as fast as you can."

"W-Who are you?" 

She turned her back towards Vaani. "Call me Zeeva." saying this she started to run away fom Vaani. Vaani ran after her. 

"There's no outcome in following me princess. Many have tried and all have failed." 

"I am not going to fail." Vaani replied, still trying to catch her. 

"Okay then." Zeeva replied, taking a turn to her right as she walked through the wall disappearing into nothingness. 

Vaani's legs stopped as she patted the wall with her hand, examining the wall. 

"It's solid." She mumbled as she got another mystery to solve. "Where the hell did she go?" 

¤¤¤¤¤

Vaani slowly walked back towards her room. The start of this day is so strange. I wonder what else will I encounter today. She thought. Why does everything in my life extra-normal? She asked her own very self but discovered herself unable to answer. Once I find this boy, I will surely punch him hard. Mental note made. 

"TALKING TO YOU IS WORTHLESS!" 

Vaani moved her head up discovering Dhruv and Anshu yelling at each other. A dog and a cat can never stand next to each other. She thought. 

"ONE CAN NOT EVEN STAND NEAR YOU!" 

"What happened?" Vaani asked to both of them. They looked at her and then turned their backs at each other in rage. 

"Where were you?" Anshu asked Vaani. "Because of you I had to stand this moron." She added, pointing at Dhruv with the corner of her eye. 

"Yes Vaani, wind was quite slow!" Dhruv commented. "Some people just-" he opened his mouth to add something, definitely pointing out Anshu. "-Leave it! There's no benefit in explaining things."he said as he made a look. "Tell me about yourself. What's the reason behind that dammed expression on your face?" 

"In the library, I met a girl-" 

"A girl? From inside the palace or-" Dhruv interrupted but was cutter off by Anshu. 

"Shut up Dhruv! Let her complete!" Didn't anyone teach him manners? She thought. 

"-she said her name was Zeeva-" 

"Wait what!!" Anshu was shocked at this. Zeeva? Here? 

"Now what Anshu? Not obeying your own words?" Dhruv commented. 

"How many times you hit your head each day? Mister Prince, she was the one who I met in Mumbai." Anshu mumbled. 

"The one who told you my name?" Vaani asked her. 

"Ya, that one." 

"That magician one?" Dhruv asked. 

"Yes Prince of Fools." 

"What happened next?" Anshu asked her. 

"She gave me this paper." Vaani replied and showed them the paper. "She said she made every man in the palace fall asleep, till we come back." 

"See! I said I didn't knock that guard out." Dhruv said to Anshu in quite excited and angry tone, as if he won a long pending case. 

"Whatever." Anshu muttered but Dhruv heard it. 

"No. Say it. Say it that you were wrong." 

"Okay boy. I was wrong. Happy?" Anshu asked while giving him a look. "Vaani please continue." 

"So as I was saying, she said that where ever Neel is, he is in danger and we have to act fast." She folded the paper and put it in her side bag. "But the question is, shall we trust her?" 

"I think we can trust her." Dhruv replied. "I mean she told everything correct to Anshu about you. So well… You are smart enough."

"I don't think so." Anshu replied. "I don't know why but I don't trust her." 

"Anshu you are being too scared. Besides, we have no other choice." Dhruv replied to Anshu. 

"No we do." Anshu added, supporting her point. 

"We don't know if we can trust her or not. But there's one thing she said that's definitely true." Vaani said addressing both of them. "We need to act fast." 

"Okay then. You show her the-" Dhruv stopped in the middle and along side a smile lit on his face, "I will arrange the ride." he said and left the place. 

Vaani turned towards Anshu. "Anshu come with me. You will love this." 

¤¤¤¤¤

"Okay tell me what is it. I will die from suspense!" Anshu said as Vaani and she together entered her room. Anshu's eyes were carefully covered by Vaani, she took special care that nothing was visible to her. 

"Look Anshu I am moving a bit away from here but do not open your eye. I repeat DO NOT OPEN your eyes!" 

"Okay Princess I won't. I promise." 

Vaani went near her cupboard opened it. Inside were tons of things: her clothes, her crown, a few outfits for Ki, some other items and all usual stuff you would find in any wardrobe. Vaani moved her clothes, revealing a black case under it, perfectly hidden. Vaani opened the black case, revealing a white short sword with a pinch of lavander color. "Now you can open your eyes." 

"HAW!" Anshu exclaimed, screaming. "Are you going to execute me?" 

"Haha. Really lame." 

"No but really. Is that for me?" Anshu asked, staring at the blade in front of her. 

"Of course it's for you. Your little Zulu won't be a great choice. So Dhruv ordered Ajay, our blacksmith, to make this fine piece of war." She replied as she threw the sword to her. Luckily, Anshu caught it in mid air. 

"It's really light weight." Anshu replied, swinging the sword with her hands. It's so light weight like a feather. Will it withstand the damage? 

"Anshu the sword in your hand is made of a bronze-aluminium alloy. Extremely light and durable. The edge of the sword has silver coating which won't run off making it lethal to both demons and non-demons. But it lacks only one thing…" 

"What's that?" 

"A name. Name it." 

What shall I name you? Anshu asked herself looking at the sword. You are so sleak, so cool, so charming! Wait! CHARMING? 

"Shuchi!" Anshu announced all of a sudden. 

"Nice name." Vaani commented. "Shuchi is another name for Agni, God of fire. I didn't expect that you would add an ancient touch to it, noticing the fact that your brother took a totally awful name." 

"Yeah that's his choice. I won't say his choice is the best, he chooses Batman over Ironman. Funny isn't it?" 

"You people have a bat who can WALK and a man made of IRON? That sounds… new." 

I can't even imagine how Neel would have reacted to this! He would have banged his head willingly against a wall. 

"Leave it." Anshu replied, remembering all the awkward reactions she had collected over this period, every time she made a mortal example. "I mean the point is, he makes awfully bad choices, but… But I think…" Anshu left the sentence in half. I am speeding too fast. Anshu thought. This isn't the right time. 

"What were you saying?" Vaani asked her with a smile on her face. 

"I was just asking…" Anshu paused, thinking of a valid excuse. "... Is that Neel in the painting there?" Anshu asked as soon as her eyes caught the sight of the painting on door of Vaani's not easily noticeable if you enter the room, but it just did now. 

"Uhm-yeah that's his." Vaani replied, picking the painting off the door. It was a painting of Neel sitting in what seemed the classroom, he unusually staring at the board, as if wondering when will the class end? His one hand over his chin and other around his pen, writing notes. 

"When did you make it?" Anshu couldn't stop herself from asking the question as the painting itself was so mesmerizing. She could count the hairstrokes, she could see the pinch of amber in his brown eyes, a rare detail which one hardly notices, she could see that he was writing lyrics of a song in his notebook instead of copying the notes. Now I get why he wasn't scoring good marks lately. 

"I made it when I was in the mortal world, in the classroom." Vaani replied as an instant smile broke out on her face. 

"Looks like you were staring quite much at him." Anshu commented, intending to tease her while she looked a little more in the detailed artwork. 

"ARE YOU TWO COMING OR I LEAVE MYSELF?" Dhruv's shouted from the outside. 

"The Nag!" Vaani mumbled. 

"Worse!" Anshu added and they both started laughing. "WE ARE COMING." Vaani shouted back. 

"Now shall we proceed Your Highness?" Anshu asked her, mocking the lat two words along with a Please Proceed gesture. 

"Are you really playing that silly game again?" 

"I think so." 

Looks like at last this will end in something good. Anshu thought, looking at Vaani as they together retraced their path. "You know what?" Anshu asked breaking the silence, "Once this all gets over, I wanna have a word with you two." 

"Who? Me and Dhruv? You can have it right now." Vaani replied, looking at her brother who was, at that instant, looking out the window. 

"No. I am not including him. I meant you and Neel." 

"Ah!" Vaani coughed all of a sudden in shock. "What do you mean?" 

"No it just looks like… We will discuss the rest in front of him." Anshu replied, ending the conversation. Again the sub topic came out to be her brother. 

"Then let it be so." Vaani replied, turning to Dhruv. "So how are we going?" 

"Wait a second, our ride is on it's way." Dhruv replied, still looking out of the window. 

"Well, either I am blind or you are mad because the pathway's empty." Anshu commented, looking out of the window herself. From thee they could see miles away, from the villagers nearby to the sleeping guards beneath. 

"Who said we are going by road?" Dhruv replied, looking at the sky. "Here it comes." 

There in the sky, the three noticed a bird flying up high, beyond the clouds. "That's an eagle." Vaani said. "But I don't think we will fit on it, not any of us." 

"HERE!" Dhruv shouted at it, waving his hands. Astonishingly, the bird noticed! And the bird started coming near them. 

"Dear ladies" Dhruv said, turning towards the two with a devilish smile on his face, "I advice you two to move a little backwards." 

The two did as advised. 

Anshu still stared at the bird. With every second, the distance between them and eagle shortened, and the eagle seemed bigger and bigger. That's unnaturally increasing. Anshu thought, guessing how much the object mush have increased with decrease in relative distance. 

Then her eyes caught the sight of the eagle's shadow. At that height too, it covered nearly two houses. This only meant one thing. It's really big! Anshu thought. It's actually really big! 

"Vaani the eagle is actually -"

 Too late. The eagle made it's dive. The stunt looked marvelous! The eagle cuddled it's wings around itself and made the approach towards the ground. Just a few feets away, it opened it's wings and flew up again. It was a one of a time show, till the eagle flew near Dhruv and all Anshu could see were it's big eyes along with it's big pointy beak. 

"Its name is Garuda." Dhruv said, addressing the bird. "Garuda, there's my sister Vaani, you know here right? And then there's the girl Anshu." Dhruv said, which Anshu thought was to the bird. 

"Did he just introduce the bird to us or he introduced us to the bird?" Vaani whispered to Anshu. 

"I am wondering the same." Anshu whispered back. "Is he always like this?" 

"I doubt the same. I ever knew he had a pet and that too this big!" 

"What are you two discussing about?" Dhruv asked, who was now sitting on the back of Garuda. 

"N-Nothing Dhruv. Are we going on this freaking bird?" 

"QUEAK!" Garuda replied. Anshu didn't get a single letter of that. 

"Yes." Dhruv replied, looking at the half confused girl. "And DO not use the f- word for it. You are hurting it's feelings." 

"My brother who didn't give a damn about my, his sister's feelings, felt that of a bird? WOW!" Vaani said, in a slightly reckless tone. 

"It is not-no bird. Besides, I always give a damn about your feelings." 

"No you don't." 

"Remember-you were crying and I was helping you come out of the situation?" 

"That…" Vaani tend to reply, remembering about the day Neel disappeared. "... That never happened." 

"Don't you really remember about me, asking you questions about Neel and-" 

"Aren't we getting late?" Vaani asked, changing the topic. "Bring that bird- Garuda down. Then we shall leave."

"As your wish." Dhruv agreed and took Garuda near the grounds. Vaani and Anshu walked down to the same through the stairs. 

"Who will sit on this - Garuda and where?" Anshu asked. 

"I think my bud will agree with me…" He said while Garuda kinda liked his hand. It wasn't really licking, because the big bird was using its big beak. 

Can you lick his head too? Anshu thought, asking Garuda a favour. Chop it off later. 

"And I am going to sit at the middle." Vaani replied. 

"NO WAY! I will sit in the middle." Anshu interrupted, half yelling. Even imagining how she would sit on the later made her skin whiten. 

"Why?" 

"I never even have ridden a horse and - I am not going to sit on the last that's it." She replied in a slightly tensed tone. 

Sitting at the last, cold and harsh winds flowing past her body. Looking down at the ground, OH MY GOD! She was nearly 1300 meters above the ground! Falling from here meant dead end. She turned her sight away from the horrifying ground, only to discover other birds flying by and staring at her horrified state. Just then some mishappening happened and she lost her grip, falling directly in the arms of Death! 

Even just imagining the scenario sent chills through her spine. 

"Fine then." Vaani replied with a sigh. "I will sit. 'Kay?" 

"Okay Tokay." Saying this, Anshu approached Garuda. Dhruv gave her his hand and she sat on the bird. Vaani did the same. 

"Are we ready?" Dhruv asked. 

"We are." Anshu and Vaani replied in unison as Anshu wrapped he arm around Dhruv. 

"I didn't expect this." Dhruv whispered, moving his body a little. 

"Shut up Frog Prince." Anshu whispered back. "It's for my safety. Don't take it that far or I will throw you off in mid air." 

"I-" 

"QUEAK!" Garuda added. 

"Look, he too is agreeing with me." Anshu replied with a chuckle. 

"Can you two ever shut up? We have work to do right?" 

"Yeah." Dhruv said. He moved his hand slowly around the brown feathers of his friend. "Let's go bud." 

Opening its wings, "QUEAK!" Garuda said as they flew in the sky. 

¤¤¤¤¤

"Anshu come on! Look down. The look's beautiful!" Dhruv teased Anshu the fourth time in a row, after he learnt the reason behind her middle sitting, just few minutes back. 

“I told you I WON'T!" Anshu replied, half irritated, half horrified. What was it? An hour since they left the ground? She couldn't remember more. Just a few minutes back, her sight accidentally shifted at the surface below. She was flying more than a thousand meters high! The second she looked at the bottom, the height, the harsh winds, and the solid land, her imagination shifted back to what if she fell? The intense imagination lead to a strike of nausea along with a little panic. Mark it her bad luck that the Prince of Fools figured it out. And here she was, being mentally pressurised to look down. 

"Oh! Again!" Vaani commented in a devastated tone followed by a sigh. Classic dog and cat. Vaani thought. In around twenty four hours, they have quarreled nearly twenty three times! 

"No really Anshu just once!" Dhruv replied, trying to lure her into this. 

Hey you! Vaani thought, looking at the bird flying by. Yes you. She thought again while she waved he hand to the bird. Kindly rip my ears off! 

Looks like time too wanted her to suffer. 'Cause the bird too flew away. 

Having nothing to do, she tried to focus more on the places nearby which, for now, meant clouds. 

She had seen the similar view many times before. An hour duh! But for a split of second, it looked different. Amongst the blue sky and endless clouds, she saw a pinch of green. 

"Dhruv! Dhruv!" She shouted, addressing her brother. 

"Yeah sis? " He asked back in a casual tone. 

"Turn around there." She replied, pointing at her right. "I think I saw a thing there." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes." 

Dhruv moved his hands firmly around Garuda. "Friend, turn right." he said, moving Garudas head to the right. 

Vaani grazed as the small green spot began to enlarge. Along sky touching peaks and elder trees, the clouds seemed as the mountain's scarf. The forest sank in the sea of silence, as if night, as if horror. They finally reached the Forest of Lies. 

Dhruv landed them just at the outskirts of the forest. 

"FINALLY!" Anshu cried in joy. 

"Hey! Careful. You might have hurted Garuda!" Dhruv scolded her for hopping out of Garuda all of a sudden, but did she cared? 

Ignoring the yelling of Dhruv and how silly she would be looking, she laid still on the ground, trying to feel the firm grass around her hands and skin. "I'll never do that again!" She whispered with a smile on he face. 

Vaani took a few minutes to stretch a little. When Dhruv had finally see-offed his birdy bestie, Vaani pushed Anshu with her leg. "Shall we go?" 

"Yeah." Anshu sighed while getting up. Let me find Neel, and then mom and dad. After that I will not leave my bed for a week! 

"Remember guys. Not everything we will see in that forest necessary be real." Dhruv warned them. 

"We know better Dhruv." Vaani commented. 

"Remember everyone to kick Neel's lazy ass after we find him." Anshu declared and all together, the three went beyond the outskirts. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKAY OKAY
U guys can kill me for this.

Act III chapter 1, wow.
Dedicated to virtueme01. Sometimes u just need a boost, and it's better when it's a great review!

Neel's cameo as promised!

The three on Garuda, enjoy.

Happy Reading!
:D