The Past

Chapter 22

Aadrika's pov:

It was noon. Naadir still hadn't returned. His family were very anxious. I knew that Aadvik's mother must be blaming me for this.
Aadvik was beyond worried, he was starting to panic. He thinks that Naadir gave up his life. But I know he didn't. Naadir isn't a coward. He will deal with the problem.

Aadvik was preparing for a search. The guards were supposed to split up and look in the forest where he yesterday went off angrily. Aadvik was going to help them.

Naadir's pov:

I stayed there. I will take off at late noon and reach till evening. Till the night, everyone will be with me. No one would suspect me. They won't even have a chance to know who did this before they die. The chief was preparing for the attack.

Troops had to be sneaked in. I told them about the route that only our family and chief's family know about.
I will distract everybody till the troops were all in the village. And then when I get the moment, I will confront Aadvik and Aadrika.

Then I will kill Aavik and knock out Aadrika. By the time she wakes up everything will be over. Then we will marry. And I will become the new chief.

There was a feeling inside me that I was doing wrong. I was betraying my family and my people. I was betraying my brother and Aadrika. But I gulped that feeling down. Now I had no option. I had to do this.

I took off from the village at around late noon.
I was nervous. Who wouldn't be?
When they are going to destroy their own village and people.

Aadrika's pov:

The search party had already left. Aadvik went away with them. I wanted to go too but he insisted that if something bad happened he wouldn't want me to see it. He was right. I get scared pretty easily. If I see something bad, it will haunt me for days.

                                ****

It was around evening. Aadvik still hadn't returned. I was starting to get on the edge. It was difficult for me. What if even he doesn't return?

Aadvik returned with a disappointed look on his face with the rest of the guards. I could tell they didn't find anything. Aadvik headed straight to me and hugged me.
One of the guards screamed,

"Over there!"

It was man on foot. The sun's shadow was on his face so we couldn't see who it was. But I already know that it was Naadir. I was screwed to the ground.

Aadvik's family ran to him. He even got slapped by his mother. He kept his face blank except for a slightly guilty look. Aadvik cried and hugged his brother who didn't respond the way he was expected to. He stood motionless. He was still angry at us. But he needs to accept the truth.

Everybody questioned him about his whereabouts. He told everyone that he went deep inside the forest and got lost. I detected a lie.

Then after the hugs and kisses were over, he called me and Aadvik alone to talk to. He simply said ,
" I forgive you" and left.

It was time for dinner. Naadir was behaving a little too much animated. There is something fishy going on. I couldn't put my finger on. He didn't let anyone go. He just kept saying
"After I got lost, I was so dreaded that i will die. Now that I survive I can't let anyone of you out of my sight."

And then everybody fed him, talked to  him, and never left him.
But there was still a question: How could Naadir get lost in a forest he spent his childhood in?
We played there since we were kids and we knew the place so well that we could never get lost. He is lying.

I wanted to tell Aadvik everything but he is too engrossed in his brother.
I guess I am just gonna have to tell him later.

After the dinner, Naadir still didn't let anyone go. It was odd. For Naadir. He hated attention.
I wanted to ask him the truth. But I knew it was already too late when hostile guards surrounded us and I screamed,
"What did you do?!"

He betrayed us.