A Fall through time(Once upon a time)

6.The masked one-2

I sat staring outside the train window at the grey outline of trees as they flew by . Maybe I was brooding, I am not very sure.

" He looks so innocent, like a 5 years old when he pouts", Durga was snickering as she delivered this absolutely unnecessary information to Ravij. I did not hear his reply so in all probability, he just nodded stiffly.

Are you wondering what made me brood like a '5 year old'? Well after I was quite cryptically kidnapped and shoved into a jute bag, I did finally came back to my senses and was able to kick an attacker off me ( the resounding 'oomph' that came on the impact of my leg against someone's tummy was definitely masculine), but the other one, the one who was holding my hands in an iron grip, just won't let go. So, after the sack was opened and I came face-to-face with my butler and Durga, you can imagine my utter mortification at being defeated at the hands of a female.After shoving me in a carriage they drove off into the night , all the while accusing me of nearly blowing up their cover. Apparently, I was smuggled out right under the nose of the patrolling guards. The carriage had come to a halt on the railway station of some unknown little town and then, I was again shoved into a railway coach, 1st class of course. I felt pretty much like a prisoner except that Durga kept assuring me that I was not safe in my bungalow and had to be shifted to somewhere safe. 'I won't let anyone or anything harm you, Thomas' she had reassured me and you can just imagine what wonders it did to my now-badly-deflated male ego. Yes, I felt like a damsel-in-distress who needed rescuing by the high and mighty knight Durga.

I placed my forehead against the cool glass and stifled a yawn, " At least tell me where are we going?"

" We are going to Darjeeling!" Her voice was filled with joy, she sounded relaxed unlike the night before, " My father has many friends there and you will be safe, you see, their loyalties can't be bought."

I nodded feverishly and leaned my forehead against the cool, smooth glass of the window. 5 minutes later I was already slipping into the la-la-land.

Everything was dark, I couldn't feel anything but the endless vaccum filled with despair. I tried to get up but something was holding me back- ropes, tightly bounded ropes around my wrists and ankles which suspended my body in mid-air. I tried to say something,even shout, nothing came out. I felt trapped and helpless. And then something was moving in the darkness in front of me- a lithe figure dressed all in black except those sinister, ruthless eyes. It was surely the grim reaper. Was I dead already? I was with Durga and Ravij moments ago, what happened?

" Thomas, at last we meet", a female voice murmured and I looked around for another entity but found none. The grim reaper was a female, who would have guessed that? "You have troubled me so," she continued, " but at last I'll get YOU." She snickered, I abhorred the sound of it.

" I am not afraid of you!" I spat out.

Her kohl-lined eyes widened and then she laughed again, a high-pitched laughter which can send shiver down any sane person's spine," Are you not, boy? Ah! Let's see. Would you fancy a game, Thomas?"

I stiffened but chose not to answer.

"Answer me!" She growled but I didn't reply. Suddenly a sharp, cold metal grazed my neck. I slowly glanced down, it was a sword. Well, I was expecting a scythe .

" You have no idea how high your stakes are."

" I'm playing for keeps."

" Now we are talking! The game is quite easy. I'll show you two objects and you have to select one. If you choose the right one then your life will be spared but if your choice is wrong then...." the blade dug deeper into my neck.

" What are the two objects?"

She clapped her hands and two objects appeared out of thin-air. One was a red cloth, a silk shroud from the looks of it and the other was a violet inflorescence of Indigo( I felt like it should ring a bell but I don't remember why).