And I realized, they were tears.

you have become my family in this short period.

I need to find you, Bela.

Where will I find you?

Tears kept flowing from my eyes. I knelt down near the same waterfall, keeping both my palms on my face.

What should I do now? I don't even know magic.

I kept crying, feeling helpless. I felt a tug on my shirt, when I checked I found gracious pulling my shirt.

"Gracious it's not the time to play. We need to find Bela" I scolded her in my croaked voice, while she just scoffed at me and went more closer to the waterfall.

I followed her with my gaze and found something was coming up on the water surface.

When I looked clearly, I found

BELA

"Bela" I yelled elated. without wasting even a second, I ran to her. My pants got all wet in water but I cared least about them.

I picked up an unconscious Bela and helped her out, laid her on the grass. She looked pale.

I was tapping her cheeks but she would not respond. A drop of water fell on her cheeks and I realized I was still crying. Roughly wiping my tears, I again tapped her cheeks but she didn't respond.

I performed CPR, Water came out of her body. But she again lied there lifeless.

Bela

What should I do? I couldn't keep calm. I wanted to pull my hair.

Please help me, god. What should I do?

I kept sitting there in despair, while tears kept flowing my eyes.

Gracious

"Gracious can you do something? " I asked her hopeful.

She climbed on Bela, caressed her forehead with her tail, and closed her eyes. When she was done, she came and sat on my arm. But Bela didn't wake up.

"Bela please wake up" I tapped her cheeks again. I was controlling myself with difficulty. tears were pooling in my eyes but I kept wiping them desperately.

She didn't respond. I was feeling weak, helpless, and incompetent.

unable to see her in that state I sat facing another side. an unknown fear was slowly engulfing me. Tears were pooling every now and then and I kept wiping them heedlessly. I was thinking about how to get her back. at that time if someone would have asked for my watch in return for turning bela back to normal, I would have happily given it to them. I just wanted her to fine.

I was sitting there thinking of ways how can I make Bela fine again when a vigorous cough took all my attention.

I turned too fastly, that my neck would have come out of my body. I quickly dragged myself near Bela who was sitting and coughing vigorously.

"Bela" I rubbed her back.

When she calmed down, she looked at me. My heart clenched to see her like that. her magical face had shrinkled, she looked tired and weak. she gave me a weak smile and patted gracious's head who was sitting on my arm consoling me with a colorful tale a few minutes back.

overwhelmed with emotions, I hugged her tightly burying my face in the crook of her neck. i kept shedding silent tears while she kept caressing my back. We didn't say anything and that silence was comfortable.

"I was scared" I complained to her in my croaked voice like a child. she hugged me more tightly as an answer.

" I thought I lost you. I am ready to listen to all your scolding please just don't leave me. I swear I will not ask you too many questions. I will follow all your instructions quietly" I muttered burying my face more into her.

"I will never leave you Mahir Ji" she whispered and those seven words were so soothing to me. her voice was calming me down. I relaxed into the hug. I was going crazy not finding her near me. now when she was with me I wanted to keep her somewhere, where she would always be safe. I wanted to hide her away from all the danger. I wanted to keep her away from all the vicious people.

she loosened her hold on me. although I didn't want to come out of the hug and miss her warmth, I reluctantly got away from her.

From my peripheral view, I saw gracious was covering her eyes. I clicked my finger on her colorful tail, she jumped in fear.

when she knew it was me, she glared at me gritting her teeth. we both chuckled at her. picking her up, I kissed her forehead. she sighed and relaxed in my hold.

I looked up at Bela, who was eyeing me lovingly .for a second I felt nervous. she came closer, held my face, and kissed my forehead." I will never leave you Mahir Ji" she whispered backing up.

that forehead kiss created havoc inside me. that was the most beautiful, most precious thing I could ask at that time.it relaxed me.it gave me assurance.it provided me comfort. I didn't know what tingles I was feeling in the pit of my stomach.

she just smiled at my state. oh! that smile created another fervour inside me. my heart was teasing me with different emotions at the same time. I went all numb. I could not figure out what to do.

I was busy in my own land when she grabbed my hands and said"let's go Mahir Ji".

"where? you are weak you need rest okay. we not moving an inch from here" I stated seriously.

" don't you want to go home soon Mahir Ji?" she argued back.

"yes, I want to but not by compromising your health. I am not that selfish Bela. so stop arguing with me and relax here." I finalized the statement and she had no other option than to listen to me.

we three sat near a tree. Bela performed some magic, dried us up, and then we slept.

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

we gain completed two more wheels, which means we won half of the battle.12 wheels were done. but this time it was not as peaceful as last time. this time we were put through many hurdles.

giant stones were placed in our way. when gracious saw the stones, she quickly jumped to Bela's shoulder from mine. indirectly mocking my walking skills. I narrowed my eyes at her but she dismissed my gaze with her tail. Bela chuckled at our exchange of reactions.

we crossed the stony path of course, with me falling and tripping thousand times. gracious patted her back with her tail for her wise decision to be with Bela.

once, even Bela was about to fall while helping me but we managed through it.

I am glad at least that evil rangrez or impostor Bela didn't meet again.

it was all stones and fire and few sword attacks which we ducked well and completed the 12th wheel.

after the 12th wheel was done, the climate changed drastically. it became lighter and lighter.it was like a day of 12 hours but without sun and the same day kept repeating but it was much better from the earlier climate.

we kept walking for our next destination when we reached the same gate from which it all started. the same gate where the old man and that pathetic rangrez dropped me.

Bela opened it and I stood there surprised. The last time when I tried to open it, it didn't even budge.

all are traitors. from gracious to gate.

Bela raised a questioning brow at me, shaking my head, I followed her. we reached the same village. people there looked at us with adoration. they cheered for us. I saw some of them wiping their happy tears. one of the ladies came to us and said " we knew you will make everything fine again. thankyou".

the same kid, I met earlier chirped" thankyou".I nodded at them clueless. Bela just smiled politely and gracious kept squealing with their loud cheers.

on walking further, I saw the old man again. I wanted to ask him so many questions but my attention got diverted to a certain someone standing beside him, rolling his hair strand with his forefinger.

without thinking much, I launched myself on him.

he bloody threw Bela with his dirty hands. I mean tail. how dare he?.

I threw a punch directed at his nose. he was taken off guard.

"Mahir Ji gracious what are you doing? stop it" oh so gracious is also in the game. well done gracious.

"gracious let's beat him to a pulp" I ordered her and we resumed punching and kicking him.

finally, the gym benefitted me somewhere. The gym trainer won't be fired soon.

I kicked him hard again, I am sure he would have seen stars by then.

"Mahir Ji stop it .just stop Ji" Bela managed to pull me aside.

breathing heavily, I complained to Bela for pulling me aside. ignoring me she said, " gracious you too stop it".when I followed her gaze I found angrez slouching on the ground with a swelled eye and bleeding lower lip, his clothes were falling off his shoulder, while he tried to put the piece of the cloth on his shoulder back. and my dear gracious was pulling his kurta pants with her sharp teeth.

I chuckled at the scene before me. little gracious was trying to pull off a man who was 10 times bigger than her.

Bela glared at me and asked me to stop gracious.so I picked up gracious while she still kept gritting her teeth at rangrez. she looked angrily at me for pulling her away from beating the man but I kissed her forehead and she calmed down, but she kept glaring and blaring at rangrez.

rangrez silently sat on the ground sobbing, trying to put back torn pieces of his cloth.

huh! he dared to threw Bela .she was injured because of him.

"well done gracious" I tried patting her head but she swatted away my hand with her rainbow tail. huh!

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.so here half of phase one is completed and the rest will be completed soon.

How many questions you have now? 😁

-suspense of watch?
Will be revealed in the other half of the phase 1.

-how did he reach here?
Will be revealed in bits, half in phase one and half in phase 2.

-negative power?
Will be revealed in other half of phase 1.

-bela's parents?
Other half of phase 1.

😁😁any other question?.

please ignore grammatical mistakes.

Thanks for reading❤.