The tweeting sound of birds mildly heard against her ears and the piercing sunshine dangles over her eyelids when Rathi finally able to open her eyes after a long sleep. It felt like so long since the room was so bright with the sunshine. When you're in a difficult situation of your life, even the time will act against you and move slowly, like that, the past three days felt like three years.

Rathi looked around the ambiance to find no one around her. The bedsheets were neatly folded in the place where Aadhiyan slept yesterday and her father in law's place is empty. She got up and adjusted her saree before walking out to find them.

"Where is he?" Rathi asked. Aadhavan is cleaning the lawn which is all covered by the leaves and mud which were carried here by the wind. He looked at Rathi in surprise; compared to yesterday he was fine now. Rathi wondered how could be?

"You woke up? Go and take bath, Rathi," he said.

"I asked where is he?"

"Ayya went to take bath in the pond," he answered.

"Is he still the same?"

"He is." He nodded making her dull. "Don't think about that, just go."

Aadhavan continued to sweep the floor, she doesn't know why he's acting like this all of a sudden. Yesterday she indeed saw how sad he is for the loss of his son but he forgot everything today and continuing his life. How can a person be so cruel? Or is he compelled to act like this? Rathi thought and headed inside.

Before taking bath she securely placed the necklace inside her saree. She sat down on the small stool before the tub of hot water. She felt like she had lost something important in her life; she couldn't bear this sadness.

He won't come back! She said looking at her baby bump. As days passing one after the other her stomach is getting big which is making her anxious.

"What we are going to do after this?" she asked heaving out a sigh.

"What he has done to me than dragging me into his cage, he has done nothing good to me," Rathi thought crying won't change her fate so she poured the water on her head to get rid of his thoughts. She came out covering herself in the saree and when she opened the door to the house, she was taken aback to see Aadhiyan.

"Go outside, I need to change?" she requested looking down as Rathi still remembers what he has done to her and what he will do to her if she fails to obey him. She isn't that strong to oppose an evil ghost who's in her husband's body and can do anything if she disobeys it.
"What?" "Why should I leave," he retorted annoyingly, lying on the mattress.

"I am your husband. Being shy doesn't go to work out here, you know I have seen you naked a lot of times, " he added looking at the ceiling.

"Don't say that again; you're not my husband," she got pissed off hearing that. "As you said, he's dead and he won't come back."

"You didn't marry him as you think. You know that I married you, I was inside him when you completed that last ritual in the temple." Rathi knew that and that's what bothering her ever since she came to know about Aadhiyan and the King connections. She's too stubborn to accept that fact she fairly married to this evil ghost.

"Whatever you say that doesn't matter to me anymore, please go out. I beg you," she huffed turning to the other side.

Aadhiyan got up and walked outside opening the door. She's quite surprised but it felt like a silence before a storm.

Rathi changed her clothes and came out hastily. Aadhavan came back from the kitchen carrying the food, today is rice porridge and chili pickle since most of them were not well.

"I don't want to be here," she nodded in fear.

"What are you talking Rathi. Come and eat your breakfast," he said.

"I don't want anything,"

"It's already too late for breakfast, so please keep your arguments aside," he walked inside and Rathi followed looking down.

"I don't want to be with him, please," she said having tears in her eyes.

"Rathi you need to understand that, you can hate anything or anybody in this place but not him. That's for your own good. At least, for the sake of your life, please listen to me," Aadhavan requested and handed the food bowl in her hands.

Rathi felt sad to know that no one's going to help her from the devil and eventually sat down having the food.

"Come with me," the king told Rathi when she's solemnly sitting behind the house and looking at the necklace wondering whether this will help her.

"Where?"

"To our house. You can't stay here."

"I don't want to stay with you in that house," she nodded.

"What if I insist?" he asked.

"I won't come with you, please." She didn't mind him and turned to continue her thoughts.

But little did she expect he pulled her hand and dragged her with him to the house.

"Leave my hand, you monster," she yelled.

Everyone was there but no one came to help her and Rathi know that; she didn't struggle much after she walked almost to the house.

"How could you be so cruel to me?" Rathi asked. "Please let me live in this place until you kill me."

"You stay here with me until this child is born. Then I won't disturb you at all after that. I will give your freedom and everything you want," the King promised which doesn't seem like it's lying.

"Are you telling the truth?" she asked.

"Yes, I promise," he nodded.

"Then what about this child?" she asked.

He took a moment before answering, "It lives off its fate." Telling that he walked upstairs. The look in his eyes told her that he's hiding something, and she's scared thinking what evil he's hiding behind.
He's going to do something but he's hiding from me? Why? What is that?

"Stop thinking that way," he shouted from there.

Rathi huffed. All she wanted is a way to stop this mind portal between them, she has been thinking about so many ways but she couldn't find an answer for it.

She walked upstairs taking nervous filled steps. As she entered the room, she saw him sitting on the bed and looking out through the window. The rope which he uses to wipe her is still there on the floor, everything is the same except Aadhiyan.

"Come and sit here, we need to talk," he told patting beside him.

"What you want?" she asked fearing to go near him.

"I don't want to end things like last time."

"Aadhiyan wanted me to never hurt you," he told and his eyes slid to her side but she didn't notice it as she's looking down.

"So, if you listen to me, I will treat you like everyone else here. What you say?" he asked. His sleek voice tempted her to negotiate with him. It's evident that he's not at all Aadhiyan, there's so much difference between the ways they were speaking.

Rathi nodded in agreement. "Nevertheless, I don't want to stay with you here. I will sleep in the next room, please," she asked.

"No, I can't allow that. But I promise, I won't touch you," he said.

"Why you're doing this to me? What I have done to you?" she asked feeling sick of him and the situation she's in.

"You did nothing to me, it's your destiny to born in this family and carry out my fate."

He got down, "I got to go. You stay here until I come back."

"Wait, I need to know something," she said and he looked at her.

"Are you going to continue to stay in him after... you let me free?" she asked.
"Yes, I will," he nodded before walking out of the place. Rathi sitting blankly thought this is truly unfair for Aadhiyan. She took out the necklace and wondered how it will help her. If this will give everything I want she thought and wore the necklace.

But it didn't bought much changes. So she laid on the mattress and wondered what's he's going to do being inside Aadhiyan? That time she again heard a breath against her ears. Rathi in a panic turned to her side. Though there's no one but it indeed felt like there's someone near her, closely. Perhaps is that him?

She reached out her hand but then she paused thinking what she's searching will never going to comeback -Aadhiyan.

I hope you all enjoyed!
So tell me what you like about this story?

I got messages about Aadhiyan's death? I don't want to reveal anything now. But don't think that he won't come after this, have you all forgot? He's the Hero.

There's a lot of things I am having in my mind to write, so stay tuned for the updates. I have started a Facebook page called Roshini's Stories. If you're in facebook then give me a thumbs up.

Any questions, contact me on this mail- [email protected]