******
Every single person of the village was standing in front of us smiling, cheering, and screaming in joy.

They seem to have immense faith in us.

Gracious was enjoying all the attention, squealing in a high pitch matching their enthusiasm.

Only one person was standing far away with cockamamie expressions, Rangrez. He glared at me with tear-filled eyes. I felt like a criminal.

I tried to pass a smile at him but he turned his head away, trying to stop himself from sobbing.

Shikhu uncle patted my shoulder "he is fine. Don't worry about him".

I nodded at him.

We began our journey to the next wheel. Bela was not even looking at me. She was flushed from whatever happened between us hours before. And I was too embarrassed to start a conversation with her.

It was only gracious who was speaking god knows what in her gibberish language.

We were walking as if we don't know each other. Trying to look here and there, we stole glances at each other but apparently ended up looking at each other every time.

We were still walking and I realized it was the same place from where it all started. It was the same place where shikhu uncle and Rangrez met me for the first time. It was the same barren land.

I was filled with amusement.

"Bela" I called her out but she started walking fastly ignoring me.

It was clear she wasn't ready to have a conversation with me so throwing my futile attempts in a dustbin, I quietly followed her.

While gliding behind her, my brain automatically started all the mathematical calculations, connecting the wheels, water, and the ring.

I was lost in my world when I felt a hand intervening in mine. I glanced at the person only to see Bela with a breathtaking smile.

Words were murdered in my mouth, I could not come up with a proper word. I kept opening and closing my mouth like a fish.

"Mahir Ji" She whispered close to my ears.

I hummed in response.

"Mahir Ji" She called me louder.
I again hummed.

How pretty, her doe-shaped eyes twinkling at me, the soft pink petals whispering my name, her long beautiful hair reaching up to her waist. Serene beauty! Breathtakingly gorgeous.

"Mahir Ji" She screamed at me.

I visibly jumped at her high-pitched voice.

"Mahir ji what are you doing? " Bela asked horrified.

I analyzed my position only to realize that I was standing in front of a dead tree, holding a thin branch.

All the while I was smiling at a dead tree?

~ doe-shaped eyes and soft petals too if you remember.

You just shut up.

"What were you trying to do Mahir Ji? "
She asked biting her lips to control her laughter.

I looked at gracious, who sat on Bela's shoulder giving me an oh-i-don't-know-this-weird-guy look.

Ignoring Gracious, I smiled awkwardly at Bela "this tree is so beautiful".

" Really? " She raised a cocky brow at me.

"I think we should get going " I walked past her.

*******
We were very near to the 13th wheel as Bela said.

After that little stunt, the tension eased between us and we were back to normal.

Normal meant, Bela scolding me for being less attentive, me quietly listening to her looking down and gracious laughing, hiding behind her rainbow tail so that Bela can't see.

Upon walking further we finally reached the wheel but what I failed to notice was six giant green-colored snakes encircling us.

Their Y-shaped tongue was ready to slice us into pieces. Perfectly spherical googly eyes were throwing laser glares at us.

A chill ran down my spine. The scene before me was completely horrific.

I was numb to react for seconds but Gracious was adroit, she jumped on my shoulder and quickly came down to hide inside my pocket, her tail was hanging at the edge, she came out and hurriedly went inside the pocket taking her precious tail.

I looked at Bela, scared to death but to my surprise, she was unaffected. Why was I even surprised? she was always equanimity.

They hissed rapaciously at us. My face was surely desaturated looking at the pernicious reptiles.

I don't know what Bela did but just in few seconds, she was standing before me with two swords in her hand. She threw one at me.

How do they fight with reptiles?

"Mahir Ji, we don't need to fight with them. We just have to make sure that we reach the wheel and are successful in making the water flow" She said seriously.

Can she hear my unsaid words?
I nodded at her with my pale face.

She intertwined her fingers with mine.

A snake from the left attacked Bela, but Bela dodged it well.

And after that, they were attacking us continuously leaving no gap for us to rest or pass.

I tried slashing the snakes but it didn't affect them for more than ten seconds.

I was completely drenched in sweat and so was Bela. I was panting hard. They didn't give us even a proper second to rest.

"Bela throw the sword up in the sky " I whispered pulling her closer.

"What are you trying to do Mahir Ji".

" Bela please we don't have any other option okay. Smash two of them and throw the sword up". I whisper-yelled at her, she nodded at me.

She smashed two snakes from her side and I too smashed two from my side, we threw the sword high in the sky, and as expected the other two looked up to dodge the sword while we secretly passed.

Running at our maximum speed with our hands intertwined, we tried to reach the wheel as soon as possible.

Jumping on the rocks, one after another in the frozen water we tried to run faster and faster.

Just a few seconds more and snakes were again following us. I wondered if it could get any terrific than that.

I slipped on one of the rocks, which was just in front of the wheel.

"Mahir Ji get up" Bela sat beside me trying to examine if I was hurt.

"Bela we have to do it quickly they are behind us". I looked back to see them coming closer to us.

Horrified to death, I dragged myself to the wheel and Bela followed me limping.

They were about to swallow us but we both kept our hands on the wheel.

And phew!

Within a second wheel started moving fastly and at the same time, water started flowing making the snakes disappear.

I slouched on the ground with Bela beside me.

We were breathing heavily.
I never saw such scary reptiles ever in my life.

Gracious came out of my pocket and sat on my chest, looking down.

"G... Gracious... What happened " I asked her somehow trying to breathe properly.
Bela too looked at gracious waiting to know what happened to her.

Gracious didn't look up, I clicked my fingers on her tail to which she jumped aside glaring at me.

Wait. Glaring at me with tear-filled eyes?

"Gracious? "

She again came to my chest, near my heart, and slept there throwing her four legs.

I angled my head to look at her properly, actually what she did was to hug me with her tiny anatomy.

I felt my shirt getting wet.

My baby got scared.

I patted her head and this time she didn't swat my hand away.

Smiling, I caressed tenaciously.
I turned my head towards Bela who was smiling at us in awe.

She came closer to me. My already running heartbeat got more rapid.

She kissed gracious who was still hugging me. And then it felt like my heart got wings of their own, they would fly out of my body anytime.

She proceeded to kiss my forehead and then laid beside me, side-hugging me through my torso.

Did she plan to kill me?

I was getting a little nervous but it felt good.

For some reason it felt right. It was soothing my heart.

I pulled her closer trough her waist. Her presence was calming me down. My aching muscles seemed to relax. I felt connected to her.

Raising my head, I kissed her forehead. Pure bliss is what I felt. My lips ached to be kept in contact with her skin. There was something between us that I could not deny. There was something very crazy that was pushing me more towards. There was something magical about her. She had the power to control me, scold me, and then calm me down. she had truly become my family there.

she was the reason for my racing heartbeat.

Yes I was attracted to her.
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I know you people are quite bored of this adventure series😅😅 but do not worry phase 1 will end soon.

Today only I was just revising future scenes and oh boy! It just blew up my mind. I was like😦😦😦.

It's all a crazy mystery coming up from a crazy pink rose🐒🐒.

🤭🤭I just want to jump to that super soon but it will spoil the pace of the story.

Till then thank you for bearing the story till here 🤗🤗❤❤.

And who would like to have gracious's pov? 🙈🙈.
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Please ignore grammatical mistakes.

Thanks for reading❤.