Nityaprem: Shadows of Heart

The storm took on a violent form, casting rain brutally upon the earth, but another tempest raged within Aarohi, who sat on the doorsteps of her house. Blood interlaced with droplets of tears rolled down her face, but not for a moment could she forget what had transpired. Bruises were the eyewitness to the atrocity inflicted on her. Her hands rested on her knees while a shiver of chill raced down her spine. 

Suddenly, the sound of the door forced her to get to her feet and turn around, only to find her mother’s presence, which brought solace to her eyes.

“Maa,” Aarohi cried, but before she could wrap to her, Manya hastily closed the door and stepped down to Aarohi.

“Maa, how can I marry him? Maa, I didn’t do anything.” Aarohi once again attempted to explain to Manya, but those eyes revealed that trust had faded away, and no matter how much she endeavors, no one would comprehend her.

“Aarohi, I don’t want you to stay here. I don’t want you to just live as someone’s wife. I want you to have your own identity, to stand on your own feet. Please leave this place and never come back.”

“Maa, how can I live without you?”

“You have no one here, Aarohi.”

In the depths, she felt as if those words held truth, but how was it possible when her entire family was inside? It was not that Manya felt elated, but she did desire a better future for Aarohi, who raised her hand to touch her mother’s shoulder, but Manya swiftly moved away. A bitter realization was induced in Aarohi that even her mother considers her filthy. Her miserable heart, made of glass, was crushed into pieces.

“What are you saying, Maa? I have you, I have Papa…”

“Aarohi”

Manya cut in, halting Aarohi’s words, which were slightly carrying hope that her family would not abandon her.

“Aarohi, no one should have the courage to raise a hand on you; you shouldn’t depend on anyone.” Her eyes traveled to the trail of blood that originated from the corner of Aarohi’s lip and continued to her chin.

“What happened today should never happen again. No one, no matter who they are, has the right to raise a hand on you.”

Manya lowered her eyes, letting those tears escape freely as if trapped in a cage. The bruises on her mother’s face were evidence of the violence she had endured and never wished her daughter to suffer like her.

“If you wish to distance me from yourself, then I will abide by it, Maa.” Aarohi’s voice remained normal, despite the pain that reverberated in her body. Turning around, Aarohi did not utter a single word, and her steps advanced. The rain pounded heavily on her, but what was astonishing was the tint of the rain: blood red.

Every day, she has seen her mother being taunted for not being educated and for not working, because, still in this modern society, there exist people who believe housewives don’t work but rather sit idly at home and enjoy. Manya never wanted her daughter to live that life, but rather wanted her to be independent, like a bird that can soar high in the skies, that has no shackles tied to its wings. No one should have the right to control her life, neither her husband, nor her brother, nor her father, but it should be her, in whose hands the control of her life resides.

The mist that took the shades of the rain surrounded the forest whose leaves fluttered with the stormy breeze that failed to cease Kara’s speed, who held his hand and ran as fast as was in her strength. A dark, threatening feeling lingered in her heart: No matter how hard she strived to get away from Revan, he would capture them and kill Adhvik. Then, even she, being a vampire, will be of no use. The drizzle brushed against her pale skin, and a sharp grip formed around her arm, eventually halting her. His red, attractive eyes met hers, and in a shot, she was pulled closer.

“Revan”

The name flees her lips, curved into an annoying smile. Her left hand lost the man’s hand, whose eyes were lowered, and his position was behind Kara as if hiding. No trace of fear emerged in Kara’s eyes as if nothing scared her, not even the fact that Revan was the most powerful vampire and was craving for more power.

“How long will you keep running, Kara?” he questioned in a soft tone interlaced with a dangerous essence that would have shaken anyone to their inner core, but not Kara, who scowled back with the same intensity.

“As long as I have breath.”

Her deep brown eyes traversed to a darker shade of red. Revan chuckled, following which he lent a glance to the man standing behind Kara, only to realize it was never Adhvik but rather someone else, probably an illusion spell, that did fool him to a certain extent.

“How did you like my surprise, Revan?” Kara asked playfully. Anger rushed in his blood, and in a swift action, he snapped his neck, cutting off every path of breath. The human-like illusion’s eyeballs widened, and soon its orbits became black, and the body vaporised into the air, taking a smoky black form which drifted away. Having dealt with the illusion, Revan turned Kara sharply toward him and held his fury back at the sight of her smiling face.

“Where is Adhvik?”

“Don’t know.” She stayed nonchalant, and her gaze mocked him, implying that his power was useless in front of her. He grabbed her face, but she stood there unshaken.

“If I don’t get Adhvik, Kara, then your brother will die.”

For the first time, she feared him, but her face remained unconcerned.

“You will never get Adhvik, Revan.”

Her hand rose, and she snapped away his hand. Being in no mood to encounter a rejection, Revan pursed his lips and, in a shot, a slash tore into the air. Her lips parted in a gasp, and her eyes turned moist, bearing the sharp pain in her stomach. Blood rolled down his hand, which had lost hold of the wooden stake with which Revan had just stabbed Kara.

“If you can’t tell me, then you also can’t help him anymore.”

He stepped back and, in a blink, disappeared into the crimson mist laced with fog. Kara fell to her knees, and a sharp burning sensation exploded at the wound’s site. Her fingers curled around the stake, and she jerked it out, almost screaming in pain.

“Aah!!!”

A breathless Kaya, whose pace never seemed to slow down, ran on the deserted road. All her heart wished was to see Adhvika once and get rid of the anxiety that gripped her heart. Love provided a cure to her wounded soul, especially when it was returned with the same feelings, but that curse on her will eventually drift them apart.

A familiar voice shot from behind, forcing Kaya to turn back sharply.

“Kaya!!”

Her eyes brimmed with tears once again at the sight of him.

“Adhvik”

Pure bliss healed the anxiety that struck her heart, and a subtle smile curved on her pink lips.

“Kaya, I love you a lot.”

She runs toward him, but her eyes widen, and her steps freeze at the mere sight. His handsome face, which moments ago was normal, turned pale, interlaced with a greyish shade as if deprived of blood, and that heartbeat whose rhythm only carries Kaya’s name slowly faded away.

Just a distance of a few steps was remaining between them, but a second snatched him away from her. Adhvik tumbled to the road, and Kaya’s eyes met with Revan, who was standing behind him, having an evil smile on his face.

Seething in rage, Kaya could no longer hold back herself, and her eyes turned violet. Power rushed through her veins, which was evident to Revan, yet he advanced his steps toward her.

There was not a trace of fear on his face, after all, she was the Kaya, he loved and indeed still loves even after 170 years. Kaya yearned to use her powers, but the full moon night forbade her, making her feel miserable.

“Why did you do it?” she yelled at him.

“I can do anything for you, Kaya. I have to remove the curse placed on me, too, don’t I, Hriday?”

At the mere utterance of the word ’Hriday’, a chord of her heart fluttered as if bringing in a flood of memories that had remained away from her mind. A strong wall stood in front of those flashes, keeping Kaya unaware.

“On the night of a full moon, a vampire, and a sacrifice… what do you think, Kaya?”

“The curse is on me too, Revan!!! Did I kill anyone???” Kaya yelled out her frustration. Her eyes were brimming with tears, a sight not acceptable to Revan, but he would go to any extent to erase the existence of that curse.

“For power, to rule over Death City, how much lower will you fall? The Vanshak clan will never accept you. You were always without a clan, and you always will be!!!”

She blinked her eyes, and he was close to her, his hand slightly touching hers. Kaya lifted her eyes and encountered the love and passion his eyes reflected.

“Who needs clans? I only want you, Hriday.”

Annoyed by the nickname, Kaya shoved him away, and her expression became furious.

“I am not Hriday.”

Revan curved his lips into a smirk and chuckled.

“When I rule over Death City, all the clans will be beneath me. No one will be able to defeat me, no one will be able to say no, and you won’t be able to go away.”

Revan revealed his venomous wish, aware of the fact that with dawn, Kaya’s memories would fade away. She won’t remember anything, and the curse on her will never let her recollect anything after a full moon night, especially the person she fell in love with.

It’s not that she will forget the person, but the feelings her heart experienced, the love her soul did, will vanish away as if it never happened. Before Kaya could say a word, Revan disappeared into thin air.

Her sight fell upon the blood splattered on the road, giving testimony of the murder, while Revan took away the body but left behind the stake.

“Adhvik died because of me,” Kaya whispered with quivering lips. Her eyes once again transitioned to slightly glowing violet as she glared at the blood, and this time she let go of the flood of gloominess engulfing her. The entire area glowed in an orangish-crimson glare as the flame captured the trees burning in her rage and anguish. Kaya inhaled sharply, closing her eyes.

“Kaya”

The moment she fluttered them open, the flame was gone, leaving behind blackened bark. Kara appeared in front of her, whose wounds had healed, leaving behind only blood stains on her clothes. She glances around, noticing the devastation Kaya had caused. Her eyes returned to the hazel-brown colour, but only Kara realised that a law had just been violated, and if anyone found even a trace of it, they both would be in trouble. Kaya’s power can be taken forever, even her immortality.

“Adhvik,” Kaya whispered, raising her arm and pointing her trembling index finger at the spot where Adhvik’s dead body had resided. Kara held her arms, lowering them and turning her sharply toward her.

“Kaya, it’s more important to get out of here right now. If the Tamaskul sees us, they will kill us both.”

Kara attempted to make Kaya understand, but she was surrounded by the dark fumes of grief that were visible to Kara, but nothing was in her control.

Being in the Rudhir Clan, an enemy of Adhvik’s clan, Tamas, was craving for the Rudhir Clan’s blood. Not that the Rudhir Clan wanted peace, both desired each other’s destruction and famished for their powers and blood. Kara headed to the stake and lifted, pondering over the reason why Revan left it behind. A lightning streak illuminated the blood-red sky.

“Why did he take the body and leave this behind?” Kara thought while Kaya recalled every moment she spent with Adhvik in this one month. Every trip, every library night spent in finding the cure to the curse that was akin to a disease for Kaya, his smiling eyes, that handsome face, and the love confession.

“Kaya, let’s go from here.”

“No… I don’t deserve to live. I should die like Adhvik, too. With the first ray of morning, I will forget him,” she cried, her voice was heavy from the emotions that, too, cried.

“I will never let you die!!!” Kara yelled at the adamancy her sister showed. A strange feeling crossed her, as if telling her that she is being watched. A glance around only provided the scenario of destruction, but not wishing to hurl ignorance at her instincts, she returned to her sister. She grabbed Kaya’s arms, and with the speed they possess, it appeared as if they had disappeared into darkness.