THE CURSED CHILD

MY DARKEST SECRET

Mahira's POV

I said only one word— Uday—when I saw him in real life. This name still haunts me like never before. I never imagined I would say his name aloud, especially not when he was standing right in front of me.

I almost whispered his name, so softly that nobody else could hear it. Tanya, however, caught my faint murmur. She turned toward me with a confused expression and asked, "Did you say something?"

My heart started pounding, louder and faster than ever before. He stood there, right at the entrance to my hospital room. His chocolate-brown eyes locked onto my honey-colored ones, as though he was searching for some hidden truth. For a brief moment, our gazes met, and we seemed to be looking for answers in each other.

His dark, intense eyes reminded me of the man from my dreams—the one who haunted me endlessly. But something about this moment was different. In my dreams, his gaze was manipulative yet comforting, as if he knew me deeply. Even his touch felt strangely familiar.

But this man standing before me... his eyes carried no recognition. His expression was distant, as though he didn't know me at all. I couldn't stop myself from scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Mahira's POV

In my dreams, he always appeared in ancient, royal-looking clothes, as if he belonged to another era. But in reality, his attire was modern—ripped jeans paired with a striking red jacket. His hair was slightly longer than I remembered, and he wore a classy, branded watch on his wrist. Despite these differences, he was still devastatingly handsome.

I found it hard to believe, but his personality seemed even more attractive than his appearance. As our eyes met again, he gave me a small smirk, one that sent shivers down my spine.

Mahira's POV

Oh my god, that smirk! My heart skipped a beat. And then he started walking toward me.

Why is he coming toward me? Is he going to hurt me again, like he always does in my dreams? I thought, unable to break eye contact. My body broke into a cold sweat. I felt as if my soul wanted to escape my body and run as far away from him as possible.

Step by step, he came closer to my bed, his signature smirk never leaving his face. When he reached me, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you okay?"

His voice.

Flashback #1

I was just a child when my parents and I were involved in a car accident. My parents didn't survive, but I did. While lying unconscious in the jungle, I saw a mysterious woman approaching me. She crouched down beside me and whispered words that stayed with me forever:

"You have been reborn on this earth. Satan has rewritten your fate. He will return for you, and he will take your soul permanently. But the question is, can you survive without him?"

Flashback #2

One evening, I was walking along a road when I heard voices coming from the nearby woods. At first, I thought someone was calling my name—Mahira. But after a few moments, the voice changed. It started calling out "Manyta" instead.

The sudden shift in the name left me startled and confused. Just then, I had a close encounter with a speeding car that almost hit me. My heart pounded with fear as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Flashback #3

I saw him riding a black horse through a dark forest in my dream. He stopped before me, leaned down, and whispered in my ear:

"You've been reborn, and I've changed your destiny. I'll return for you and take your soul. Can you survive without me?"

Flashback #4

I was lying on a king-sized bed, and someone was forcing himself on me. When I opened my eyes, I saw his face—Uday's face. We shared a long, intense eye contact before he leaned in and kissed passionately.

The scene shifted. He broke the kiss, looked into my eyes, and said with a smirk:

"Humari chhoti si jungli billi... Thoda sabar karna sikho."
(My little wild cat... learn to be patient.)

Then, without warning, he bit into my neck so hard that blood began to flow. I screamed, my voice echoing in the dark.

Present

I was jolted back to reality when Dida approached me, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Mahi, why aren't you responding? Is everything okay?" she asked, her tone full of concern.

The doctor looked at me, then at Dida, and said, "I think she's in shock."

Arjun sat down on the corner of my bed and cupped my cheeks in his hands. "Mahi," he said softly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, "look at me. I'm here. Nothing happened. You're safe now."

I looked into his eyes, and a single tear rolled down my cheek. He wiped it away gently, his comforting words grounding me. But even as he spoke, my eyes drifted back to the man standing at the entrance.

He was watching us, his expression unreadable.

The stranger finally introduced himself.

"Kabir," he said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Kabir Malhotra."

He extended his hand toward me. My nerves betrayed me, and my hand trembled as I reached out. Arjun gave me a reassuring nod, and I placed my hand in Kabir's.

The moment our hands touched, something strange happened. It was as if he already knew me—my soul, my essence. The familiarity sent a chill down my spine.

"Kabir," I whispered, still holding his gaze. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't break eye contact.

Dida's voice cut through the moment as she thanked Kabir for saving my life.

Tanya, always observant, seemed to notice the unspoken tension between us. She grinned slyly and said, "Mahira, don't you think we should invite him over to thank him properly?"

I looked at her, confused by her sudden suggestion. But before I could protest, Tanya winked at me.

Kabir smirked again, this time with an intensity that sent my heart racing. "Do you want me to come?" he asked, his tone teasing yet laced with something deeper.