⚠️Slightly disturbing scene ahead, if you are not comfortable with it. I advise you to skip this part and move to the next chapter. I have put warning sign at the start and end of the scene ⚠️

At Mumbai airport

Ronny had reached Mumbai and called his friend to pick him from there to his apartment.

He was shocked at Sonia's behaviour. Never had she behaved in such a manner. He was wondering from where or rather from whom had she suddenly got the courage to go against him. He had not left any stone unturned.

He wanted to proceed with his plan to trap her in his web by marrying her.

But her sudden burst of emotions would only delay his plans.

He wanted to make a comeback in her life.

Such a comeback which would not only bind her to him but also protect him.

"Hey man, what happened? I thought you would land after another 3 days with your wife." The person mockingly asked him.

Ronny just glared at him signalling him to start the car.

He wanted some alone time to think his next plan of action to win Ms. Sonia Menon back.

At the Menon mansion

"The kids have gone for almost 2 hours. Do you think we should call either of them?" Mrs. Nair tensed and asked the elders seated on the sofa in the living room.

"I think you are right Nandini. We should call them. I will try Sonia's number." Saying so Mrs. Menon dialled her daughter's number.

In the woods

Latha was sitting on a nearby rock balancing herself and having a drink of water.

Sameer came to her and asked her whether she was tired and patted her head.

Vinod was looking for the second team as they had reached the starting point ten minutes earlier from the assigned time slot.

"What is taking them so long? It is almost sunset. Tsk, Sameer I think we should call either of them just to check their whereabouts. What say?" Vinod asked Sameer.

Sameer nodded and dialled Sonia's number but was not getting connected.

He shrugged and reached out to Vinod telling him to try Vinay's number.

The second team comprising of Vinay, Rekha and Sonia seems to have lost their way as they were rounding at the same spot over and over again.

Vinay stood at the spot and tried to remember their trace back.

The girls were exhausted and were resting at a nearby tree shade.

"Mr. Yashuu, I think we should retreat and call the first team. We should get back home soon. It is getting dark." Rekha suggested.

Sonia looked at the clouds moving towards a darker shade and started to get tensed.

She looked down and started mumbling inaudible words.

Rekha looked at her bestie and caught hold of her hand to calm her down.

Vinay came back towards them and spoke.

"I am not able to reach to either of the numbers. Neither Bro nor Sameer. I think we should call home. Rekha, do you have the mansion number?"

Rekha nodded and started dialling the mansion landline. She was not getting the range so she signalled at Vinay to be near Sonia.

Vinay nodded back.

All this time, Sonia was just looking down and mumbling in inaudible words confusing Vinay at her behaviour.

Suddenly his phone rang, he picked it up but as usual not getting any signal, so he walked a little further from his spot.

Now, Sonia was alone in her spot which she soon realised and looked up. She got tensed at her state and started hyperventilating.

She looked at her sides and saw giant trees and darkness which was getting darker by the seconds.

She stared at the sky and saw the moon hiding its face behind the dark clouds.

It was complete silent filled with darkness.

Suddenly she heard the hooting of the owls and whooshing of the tree branches.

She shivered at the noise and wanted to shout for help but somehow lost her voice and could breathe only blank air from her mouth.

She fell down from the rock where she was seated.

She bought her knees together and started mumbling holy chants to gather her courage.

She closed her eyes and ears and chanted more audibly.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and rolled her body into a foetus and laid onto the grass mumbling.

After a few moments, Rekha came jogging towards their spot and found Vinay far off from their usual resting spot. She got scared and rushed towards Sonia passing Vinay. He got confused at her rush and ran behind her.

Both of them were shocked to see Sonia in such a state.

Rekha rushed towards her and caught hold of her and called out her name in hushed manner.

Sonia didn't open her eyes and was mumbling profusely.

Rekha tried again but she was not opening her eyes at all.

Rekha got tensed at her behaviour and looked here and there. Her eyes finally landed on Vinay who was looking totally shocked at Sonia's state.

Rekha called him but he was not able to hear her as he was still under a shock. He had never seen Sonia in such a frightened state.

Rekha finally screamed at him gaining his attention and called him to help her carry back to the mansion.

He ran towards them and carried Sonia in bridal style and walked towards the mansion. Sonia clutched onto his neck to hide her face from the darkness.

At the mansion

Everyone was getting tensed as none of the young members from the second team had turned up even after being called. The first team had reached the mansion 10 minutes back. Vinod had messaged the location of the mansion on Vinay's number, but he was also not answering his calls for the past 15 minutes. Grandfather Menon couldn't take it any longer and stated.

"Enough of this waiting! I am sending my men to get them! You all should have been more careful when it came to the kids!" he glared at each one of the family member present there.

They all looked disappointed at their own self.

By the time his men could leave, all of them found Vinay carrying Sonia and entering the mansion's living room. He softly placed her on the couch and looked at his mom to help her out.

Mrs. Menon went near her daughter and called out her name. But Sonia was too sacred to open her eyes, she immediately clutched her mom's arm and started crying with tears flowing from her eyes non-stop.

Everyone got tensed at her state. Grandfather Menon approached Sonia and patted her forehead and sang the lullaby which he used to sing to her in her childhood.

Hearing her Appupa's soft voice, Sonia started to open her eyes and looked at him who smiled at her lovingly and patted her cheeks assuring her that she is safe.

She slowly got up and hugged her grandfather and teared up in muffled cries.

Grandfather Menon told everyone to leave them alone and asked Mrs. Menon to bring her a glass of juice to calm her nerves.

Mrs. Menon immediately complied and ran to get her daughter a glass of orange juice.

Vinay was looking at Sonia's state with utmost concern and was getting tensed on what would be the reason behind her sudden behaviour.

Rekha reached him and lightly patted his arms.

He looked at her for answers to which she nodded. She told him that she would tell him all about her bestie's childhood and the trauma that had made her what she is today.

On the terrace garden

Both Rekha and Vinay were sitting opposite to each other on the terrace table area. Vinay looked at Rekha and asked.

"What happened to her?"

Rekha looked at him and nodded starting.

"It was the summer vacations. We all used to come here to spend quality time in the peace and serenity of this village."

Vinay was listening to her wholeheartedly.

Rekha continued "It was the festive season during that time. There were cultural fest going on in major parts of the village. So many families made it a point to visit this place during this time."

"We, kids use to always play around the house with the constant screaming and shouting. The family members would let us play in and around the house and its surrounding area, restricting the woods."

"We were curious kids of 7 years. Kids of that age tend to do what they are told specifically not to do." Rekha chuckled a little at her statement.

"One day, we decided to do what they didn't wanted us to do – venture the woods. So..."

Flashback

15 years ago, in Menon Village

"Nia, are you sure, we will not be caught?!! I am scared to go there. Mom told specifically not to go near the woods!" Little Rekha grabbed her bestie's hand and shrugged it to catch her attention.

But little Sonia was adamant and wanted to find out the one thing in the woods that her family didn't want her to see.

"Relax, Reh! I am with you! Nobody will dare to shout at us. Appupa will protect us! He is my superhero! Yay...!!!!" Little Sonia roared by pushing her fisted hand up in the air like a superhero representing her Appupa.

Little Rekha giggled at her bestie's antics and silently followed her.

They were walking and walking forgetting their way back.

It was getting darker by the second.

Little Rekha clutched her brave bestie's hand who patted her little hands assuring her protective shield on her.

They had walked rather far from the mansion. The night had descended in the woods, giving off the sounds of the night crawlers and creepers.

Little Rekha was getting more scared by the minute and got nearer to her bestie. Little Sonia ventured more deeper into the woods, not realising that they had entered the forest area.

They saw a clearing a few steps ahead of them and thought that they reached perhaps a house.

They became relaxed and ventured further. But to their shock the sight in front of them widened their eyes.

⚠️Slightly disturbing scene ahead, if you are notcomfortable with it. I advise you to skip this part and move to the nextchapter.

"...." Silent muttering of prayers in inaudible sounds.

The rustling of the leaves where the noise among the grazing of the tree barks and the howling of the night crawlers.

A hefty, hairy and half-clothed man was chanting some unholy chants with his glared visions towards the hawan kund.

(Hawan Kund – sacred fire pit)

The dark and blue clouds where glistening with the thunder and lightning, forcing the grizzlies to avoid the earth.

Small sweats were forming on the ash clad forehead of the man, creasing his brows more.

The fire was glazing with more intensity.

Whoosh....

The little kids moved back silently to flee from the scene but to their bad luck.

Little Rekha had accidently stepped on a twig making a crack sound pulling the man's attention. The man straightened his posture and slowly looked back at them.

He smiled at them evilly and got up from his seat and slowly strode towards them.

Seeing his evil face, both the children got frightened and were turned into statues.

The evil man tried grabbing one of them with his fat hairy hands, he approached towards little Rekha.

Little Sonia saw that her friend was in danger, so she braved herself and put herself in front of her bestie and screamed at the man

"Don't touch her! She is my bestie! Don't you dare hurt her!"

The evil man enjoyed the little one's braveness and instead grabbed Sonia and started dragging her towards the hawan kund.

Rekha screamed at his sudden gesture and ran behind him grabbing his clothes to free her bestie.

She started stomping him with her little hands and legs, but it was of no use on his bulky body.

He got irritated at the little one's effort and grabbed her too with his other hand.

He made them back faced each other and tied them together with a thick rope. He widened his eyes at them and straightened his posture and raised both his hands in the air and laughed evilly.

The little kids tried pulling out his knotted cage but were getting tired with the struggle.

Finally, both of them sat on the ground exhausted and started crying badly.

The evil man shot his bl**d red eyes at them and huffed at them. 

"Shh..."

"I will not hurt you! I will just give you to my god to please her! She needs her sacrifice to help me to get strength and power!" saying so he started laughing loudly.

Then he went near the other side of the fire and grabbed a big sword and approached the kids.

Seeing the size of the sword they started crying more badly.

They started struggling more but were not able to free themselves.

He slowly walked towards them and he managed to make them stand straight.

He grabbed their hair together in his other hand and raised his sword to do his evil deed, when...

Bang!

The sword went flying from his hand, loosening his grip on the kids.

Grandfather Menon marched at the evil man and grabbed his neck.

"How dare you enter my area! Did I not warn you to not show your evil face here! You still tried to defy me, you evil ba****d."

The evil man was held my grandfather Menon's men when grandfather started choking him badly.

The evil man just eyed grandfather with a snicker and spoke.

"This is my land to worship my god! She will give me riches and power infinity! You can also be part of it, Menon! Join me and I will make you rich beyond your imagination!"

"I rather die a poor man then be your puppet! Take him to the deep part of forest and cut his he*d off! He has offended my words for the last time! I don't want even his shadow to fall on my people!" He ordered his men who willingly dragged the man towards his end.

After ordering his men, he went near the frightened kids. He untied them and held them in both his arms. Both the kids clutched onto his neck to control their fear.

He reached the mansion with the kids and handed them to their respective mother.

Both the kids were scared and shivering badly.

End of disturbing scene ⚠️.

This scene was crucial for the story as it showed the reason behind Sonia's present demeanour. 

💕💕💕💕💕💕

Hello Readers,

Do tell your thoughts in the comments.

I promise you the story ahead is really good

Lots of love ❤️

Take Care❤️

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