PEREGRINATE

CHAPTER 18

I was rushing towards an unknown destination with an urgency that almost made taking a breath impossible. Even though the reason was unknown it was imperative for me to reach there as soon as possible. It felt as if it was a matter of life or death. The stitch in my right side made me favor my left side. However, a sharp pain shot through my left leg with each step that I took. In the best-case scenario, it was sprained.

Soon came along thunders and lighting and it started pouring buckets. I was drenched in a matter of seconds and it was getting difficult to see the path ahead of me. Not that I was following any clear path. Multiple times I stumbled upon a fallen log or knocked against low-hanging branches. If I had worn glasses I surely could have seen better.

Did I ever wear glasses? What are glasses exactly? My thoughts started to run into each other. I was unable to follow a single string of thought. Only one word blared through my mind- run. The question that remained unanswered was whether I running towards or away from something.

My aching legs brought me to our spot. I finally caught my breath after running what felt like eons as well as a few seconds at the same time. Though I had visited this place numerous times it did feel different this time. An oppressive feeling overtook me and the happiness that I usually felt here was replaced by apprehension. Something momentous was about to happen. Was I going to be the cause of it?

I had never visited at night. Maybe that was the reason for the uneasiness I was feeling. The trees loomed over me and it was deadly silent. A rustling sound came from the trees. My fight-or-flight response kicked in. As I turned towards the direction of the sound something extremely strange happened. Though I had not moved a single step, I was no longer at the clearing. This was a different part of the forest. I was unable to recognize a single tree. The grasses were longer and I could smell smoke in the air. It was very faint as something very far from here was on fire.

"Hey. Fancy seeing you here, stranger."

I turned, surprised. Inder stood a few feet away from me. Relief flooded and I ran towards the safety of his arms. I was no longer cold and uncomfortable. I was safe and on steady ground again. I wanted to ask how did he come here but I wanted to soak in his warmth for a while first.

The feeling of safety dissipated soon though as my hands that were wrapped around his back felt warm liquid oozing through my fingers. I brought them near my face and as the skies lit up by lightning I realized that it was blood. Still, in his arms, I turned slightly to take a better look. He was pale, deadly pale with a betrayed look in his eyes. As I tried to place my hand on his face he flinched away. He looked at me with half apprehension and half anger.

"Hey, what is wrong? What happened?"

"You tell me," he whispered harshly. With a half-escaped scream of horror, the realization dawned upon me that my other hand held a knife. And it was buried deep in Inder's gut. With a gasp, I tried to extract it out but an awful pained gurgle emerged out of his throat which was soon followed by a trickle of blood. Tears filled my eyes and I whimpered doing my best to provide comfort and reassurance to him. He fell to his knees and I sank down on the wet ground and cradled him on my lap.

Sobs escaped me as I pleaded with him to stay with me. Help must have been on its way. Someone was bound to notice us missing from the castle. People would soon find us. We just needed to hold on for just a bit longer. I whispered words of encouragement and comfort to Inder.

It was too late though. Before shutting his unfocused eyes one last time, he uttered the words.

"You did this."

His barely audible whisper left me distraught. And I woke up with a start.

My loud gasp woke Isha up. For the first few minutes, I could not answer any of her questions. Heck, I was not even able to answer any of mine. What did I witness? Why did I even do that horrible act? I assured Isha that I was alright and moved towards the window for some air. I had sweat through my nightdress and yet a shiver ran down my spine. My throat was parched and dry.

To get a glass of water I would have needed to get to the kitchen. I had forgotten to fill the pitcher in our bedchamber. But my heart was not ready to be alone right now. The dream still had a strong grip on me.

As I focused on the moon outside I tried to gather my thoughts. Though I wanted to rip the very memory of that brain I forced myself to take a deep breath and recollect every detail. The dream was not an ordinary one. Besides it left me rattled, it had felt real as if I was actually living the horrifying moments.

And as I saw Inder closing his eyes for the last time, an image of a page reflected in my mind. It was of the book that I had borrowed from the library in my time. The one from which I learned about Inder the first time. And his death.

Author's Corner

Hello, all!  

This is a short update but I hope, poignant, nonetheless.    

                   So, what do you think about this turn of events? Are Inder and Maitri going to be Jack and Rose or  Chandler and Monica? Happy ending? Yay or Nay?

Personally, for me it is all still up in the air a bit, so I would really appreciate some input.

On the other hand, day by day the number of readers is increasing slowly and I am on the moon for the same.

Please do let me know your thoughts and feelings through your comments. Besides giving me direction, they are really a great boost of motivation.

Not comfortable with voicing your thoughts? Press the vote button. I won't pester you, I promise, but the next time I write, your votes and comments will be a lovely source of inspiration.

If you have hung around till this last sentence, know that you are the best and the writer of this story just wishes you nothing but the best of the best story for your life.