That's when realization dawned upon me which sent chills throughout my spine.

I looked at her, her innocent doe shaped eyes.

They were not like before. I always felt she has something very beautiful and unknown magic in her eyes. The way she always looked at me, was filled with warmth and care.

No that's not her eyes. That cannot be.

I took two steps back.

"Mahir Ji" She whispered.

But I knew she was not who has been with me.

"You... Y...you can't be Bela. Where is Bela?"I asked unsure of my own opinion.

" Mahir Ji what are you talking about I am your Bela".

"Lie... You are lying . You can't be Bela. She would not say she is my Bela. The time I have spent with her I know you can't be ". My voice had a little more confidence this time.

" Really? " Her faced expressions changed from crying to smirking just in a blink of an eye.

"Tch... Tch... Tch did Mahir Ji lost his Bela? Aww... Very bad. Mahir Ji don't stay with Bela, See she so irresponsible she left you here? Come with me, Mahir Ji".

" Just shut up and tell me where is Bela? "

What did she do with Bela? Did she hit her?

Oh my god. What if she is hurt? She is in pain? She needs me.

Where she is?

Oh no. What if she is lost and searching for me?.

"Mahir Ji" I never noticed when the impostor came close to me and held my wrist.

"Give.me.your.watch.Mahir... Ji"
She stressed each word while smiling evilly.

I jerked her hand and stepped back.

Honestly, she looked so scary.

She came closer to me again and forcefully snatched gracious, who was hiding behind my neck.

"You traitor " She pressed gracious's neck.

"Leave her. Are you mad? " I tried to take wriggling gracious out of her hand but she only pressed hard.

Gracious screamed.

"Leave her " I yelled at her again.

I didn't want to hit her. I can't hit her but she can't hit my Bela and gracious.

I tried to push her a little, her hold got a little easy on gracious when she stumbled upon a stone.

Gracious came out of her hold, bit her hands, and came running to me.

I picked up gracious and quickly ran off there.

My heart was beating as if it would come out of my body anytime.

It was beating like a drum.

Gracious's eyes were getting closed, I kept on patting her.

We didn't have any idea where we were going but we kept on running like crazy.

Impostor Bela was following us. Her hairs were scattered.

I managed to maintain a larger distance between her and me but it was short-lived as she lifted herself up in the air and spread out her wings.

Passing an evil smile to me, she tried to crash with me.

I jumped to the other side, keeping gracious tenaciously close to my chest.

I rolled on the ground, again stood up, and ran in the other direction.

As we kept on running, I could feel someone chasing us. Of course that someone was impostor Bela.

She kept on spitting fire on us, when I looked back running simultaneously, her sharp teeth came out from the corner of her mouth, her eyes were dripping black. She was dangerously close to us. I squeezed my eyes shut, and ran off with all my might without turning back.

When I opened my eyes I found myself again in front of the same waterfall, which gracious turned into a rainbow waterfall.

Panting heavily, I looked back to found no one.

Did she leave us?

Thank god if she did.

I slouched on the ground like the dead.

Removing my hands from my chest, I examined gracious, she was taking slow even breaths. her eyes were getting closed every now and then.

I pulled her closer to my lips and kissed her forehead. She calmed down a bit.

Closing my eyes, I tried to catch my breath.

I heard a loud growl. When I looked towards the source I found Bela standing at a distance from us, spitting fire. She glared at us hard.

I gulped looking at the pernicious form in front of me. She looked extremely angry.

I put gracious on my shoulder again, waiting to dodge her attack but she never attacked.

She kept standing there, glaring at us.

I analyzed her form, she looked ready to attack but seemed something was stopping her.

But what?

It can't be gracious.

Nope

Neither my watch

Then what?

I moved a little back and she moved forward.

I stopped and she stopped as well.

Something was fishy.

What could stop her?

I heard gracious making a weird sound.

I kept her on my palm to check if she was in pain.

But she swatted my hands away, groaning loudly.

What the hell gracious?

She lifted her tail, pointed in a particular direction. Probably she was trying to tell me something.

I looked at her carefully. She again did the same.

"Sorry gracious. I do not understand a bit".

She hit her forehead with her tail weakly.

She again pointed towards the waterfall.

WATERFALL!

Yes, waterfall.

Since the time we landed here, eccentric Bela wasn't able to catch us.

She maintained a distance from us but she refused to give up.

So that means if I have to make her lose then I have to bring her here.

That's great.

"Thank you gracious" I kissed her forehead again and tried to put her inside my pocket, she bit my hand lightly.

"Now what? "

She scowled.

I put her on my shoulder, she lay there quietly.

Such a Drama Queen.

I looked in front of me to find Bela still standing there glaring at us.

I removed my watch.

"You want this? "

Her evil glare converted to an evil smile.

"Good. you understood. Now give me that watch" She chuckled effortlessly.

"Take it " I took slow steps towards her.

Her grin grew bigger.

"But...

I stopped in the middle, she looked at me confused.

" What you will do in return? " I asked her looking at my watch.

"Give me the watch damn it" She gritted her teeth.

"You lack manners. while requesting people say please" I voiced out in a tight-lipped smile.

She growled.

"Give me the watch. P. L. E. A. S. E" She said frustratingly.

"Your please seems forced. Say nicely" I scolded the disdainful creature before me, her expressions seemed she wanted to swallow me raw.

" Give me the watch PLEASE" She said with a tight smile.

"You don't have a habit of saying please I see. Say nicely I am not getting good vibes from your please. And don't order me, request okay? Try again". I told her grinning.

She closed her fists tightly.
I am sure her nails were digging in her palm.

She glared at me spitting a blip of fire from her mouth.

Breathing heavily, "Can you please give me your watch? " She asked.

"No" I grinned at her.

"You" She was fuming.

She looked helpless.

I lifted my watch up to show her, it slipped from my hand.

Her eyes twinkled seeing it.

I quickly picked it up, pressed it on my chest, breathing heavily.

Shit! I was scared.

Gracious, out of the blue, took the watch from my hands and wrapped it around her body.

"You think it will work? " I asked her.

She nodded and ran to not-so-real Bela.

Gracious stopped at a hand distance from her. Impostor Bela and I looked at her curiously.

"You want me to take it? " Bela smirked at her.

Gracious nodded.

What?

Gracious?

You can't be a traitor gracious.

"Gracious come back " I yelled.

Gracious waved her tail dismissing me.

"Well done squirrel. Finally, you proved your worth" Bela smiled evilly at her.

"Gracious NO come back" I screamed moving towards gracious.

Bela without wasting a second tried to take the watch but Gracious quickly ran to another side.

"SQUIRREL" Bela yelled at her.

What is she trying to do?

I stood there watching her antics.

Impostor Bela followed her.

Gracious took too many zig-zag turns and she followed gracious desperately. At last gracious ran to the waterfall and seemed like unconsciously Bela too followed her.

She fell in the waterfall while gracious jumped on a giant stone.

Within a blink of an eye, impostor Bela disappeared.

Does she just have to been thrown in the water?

I am glad she went away finally.

I looked at gracious who came running to me.

I tried to pat her head but as usual, she swatted away my hand.

I kissed her forehead then.

But where is Bela?

Where are you, Bela? This all without you is pointless.

Who will tell me what to do next?

Who will scold me?

How will I find you?

What if you are hurt? How will you reach me?.

In this weird place, you have become my family.

What will I do without you?

I have never felt so useless and helpless in my life.

I just want to see you.

I promise I will never let you be away from my eyes once I find you.

I felt a stream of hot water on my cheeks.

And I realized, they were tears.

you have become my family in this short period.

I need to find you Bela

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Any guesses where can be Bela?

************
And a very special thanks to bb_bhavya ❤❤.

While talking to her I got some really good ideas❤.

Most of the credit for this part goes to her❤.

Thanks for helping me mango❤🥰.

************

Please ignore grammatical mistakes.

Thanks for reading❤.