ADHURI KAHANI: A tale of an amnesic bond

1. NIGHTMARES

INAAYA'S POV

I lift my head, the continuous flow of tears making my view translucent. I look to my left and then to my right, and again straight ahead. Even with my blurry vision, I see nothing but darkness surrounding me. The inky blackness envelops every inch of space, stifling and suffocating me. 

The darkness is not merely the absence of light; it is a living, breathing entity, with tendrils that extend into every inch of space, reaching into the core of my being. It wraps around me, tightening its grip, leaving me gasping for the air of solace. Unable to confront the torment of darkness, I bring my legs closer to my chest, wrap my hands around them, and put my head back on my knees, facing the floor and closing my eyes to find comfort and peace, but I get none

The air feels heavy with an unsettling stillness, broken only by the haunting whispers of unseen forces. "Inaaya get up, beta" ,"Inaaya beta" , "Get up , beta". 

My head shot up when the voices reached my eardrums. I recognize these voices—Mumma and Papa. Tears never stop flowing from my eyes. "Mumma, Papa!" I cry. "Mumma!" "Papa!" Darkness still engulfs every inch of the surroundings, but Mumma and Papa's voices give me hope. Hope that someone is there to save me from this darkness, to pull me out from this never-ending cave of angst where there seems to be no light at the end, only pain and suffering prevailing

"Mumma papa where are you?" 

"We are here beta..."

"Mumma i can't see you"

"Even if you cannot see us we are always there with you Inu"

"No no no! i want to see you guys"

"Papa i am hurt, i can't walk godi lo naa papa please"   ( i can't walk please pick me up papa)

"Meri pyari bacchi abhi bari ho gayi hai. Bare baccho ko godi nhi lete beta" (my child has grown up. i can't pick up a grown up kid)

"Inu beta your papa and i will always be with you even if you can't see us"

"There will always be light surrounding you beta"

"You are my strong child, inu"

" Mumma papa loves you"

"Mumma!!!" "Papa!!"

No sound. The absence of voices was slowly eating me up from the inside as I slowly felt the darkness taking me in its embrace, while the tendrils made their way to my heart once again, starting to engulf...

But I felt light behind me, illuminating the area where I was standing, saving me from descending further into the ocean of angst and suffering. With the assistance of weak, fragile legs, I took a turn, looking behind me in anticipation of seeing Mumma and Papa. However, instead, I found another dark figure emerging from the door filled with a blinding light that could blind anyone.

I stepped back as the unknown figure approached me. He looked huge compared to me, his body larger than my 6-year-old frame. He was coming towards me, his footsteps echoing in the silence, making my heart beat fast. As he came closer and closer, he knelt down to my level and i saw his face. Ishaan...

"Ishaan!"

"Inaaya...". He smiled at me squinting his eyes at me. My heart felt at peace. i found the end of the cave of angst. I am free from the prison of darkness. I felt those tendrils around my heart getting loose letting me breath. i felt solace slowly gulping me taking me in their embrace

Ishaan said, extending both his hands, inviting me to embrace him. He is probably my solace, my comfort, my peace. I finally found him—the source of light that Mumma and Papa were talking about. My tiny hands wrap around his neck. I close my eyes, feeling content

But then, my hands felt empty. My eyebrows crunched, eyes still closed, and when I opened my eyes, Ishaan was nowhere to be found, nor was the light. Suddenly, everything felt dark again. The earlier light was an illusion, like the mirages that thirsty people in the desert see, giving them hope of water. The darkness returned, wrapping its arms around me, telling me that I couldn't escape. Never. But I did not lose my hope. I called out, 'Ishaan!

"Ishaan!"

"Ishaan!"

"Ishaan!"

My eyes shot open, my chest heaving from heavy breathing. In an attempt to calm myself down after the dreadful nightmare I had, I sat up in my bed. This is not the first time, but the repetition doesn't make it any less bearable.

When I rubbed my face, I realized that I was sweating profusely. A sharp exhale escaped my mouth. Rubbing off the sweat bead forming on my forehead, I closed my eyes as another breath left me.

I was recovering from the nightmare when I heard an earsplitting noise—my bedroom door opening with a bang. Before I even looked in that direction, my subconscious mind knew who it could be: my sister, my best friend Ishani. Just like her name suggests, she is powerful, has a strong personality, is an extrovert, and at first glance, some people might think of her as rude and crazy. However, she has the softest heart. She is loud. I mean, really LOUD.

Her black hair, reaching till her shoulders, was in a slick ponytail, while her brown eyes were accentuated by the kajal she had applied. The cream-white jumpsuit perfectly hugged her figure, making her look like a boss lady ready for work.

"Inaaya !!! You are--!!!"

Her face went from anger to confusion; her eyes, which were large earlier due to rage, now narrowed as her eyebrows formed a V shape. She probably noticed my pale face. She's good with details, of course, she is a fashion designer.

"You okay?"

She reached me and stood in front of my bed, fixing my bangs that were soaked in sweat. Concern filled her eyes. Feeling the comfort of her hands, I hugged her waist, seeking some more comfort. I don't need to fake anything in front of her. I don't have to pretend I am okay. She has seen enough of me that even if I don't tell her, she will figure it out. I am an open book for her.

"Nightmares?"

I nodded. She sighed.

She knows. She knows everything.

I stayed hugging her for a good minute; she wrapped her arms around me, giving me the much-needed company.

"What's the time?" I asked her just to change the topic and to lighten the heavy air that was surrounding us.

"8:40, probably"

"WHAT!?" I screamed from my core.

"I am late for my interview, Ishani!!"

"Why didn't you wake me up!?"

Without waiting for her reply, I jumped out of my bed in a fraction of a second and sprinted towards the bathroom to freshen up. I could feel Ishani shaking her head at me.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Here is the first episode. i hope you guys like it.

 I am a reader just like you guys, and English is not my first language, so pardon me is there is any mistakes. 

Show some love by voting and commenting. It motivates me a lot

Second chapter will be released soon <3