Fallen ~ The Tale Of Exploration And Love

What changed?

This chapter is dedicated to @NerdyPhoenix07 for being there for me from the beginning. 

Upon returning to the palace, Vaishnavi hurried to her chamber with the backpack she had taken to the market earlier. For the final time, she packed her belongings and hid the bags. She would be free from the location in only one week. Fortunately, no one was monitoring her bank account. Thus, it would be easy for her to book her flight tickets once she decides her destination.

She cleaned up and went to have lunch. The table was, as expected, silent. Everyone stole glances at Vaishnavi, making sure she was okay. They were concerned, although no mark had been left on her cheek. Vaishnavi ate in silence, ignoring their gazes. She was quietly analyzing the chances she had to get into the universities.

After lunch, everyone went to their designated places. Rohan couldn't understand why Vaishnavi asked such a question and disappeared, leaving him curious. He hurried to her chamber eventually. Vaishnavi was doing some research on her laptop regarding admissions. She was not focusing on anything else.

So when Rohan tapped her shoulder, she flinched. She hurriedly closed her laptop, not knowing that Rohan had already seen her research. She squinted her eyes and looked at him.

"Don't you know how to knock?" She asked, rising from her seat. Rohan was still in his thoughts.

"You're planning to leave the country." He finally spoke and glanced at her. He didn't need to understand why she planned to do so. He hugged her quietly, and she apologized for not telling him sooner.

"Where to, then?" He inquired as they both sat in front of the laptop. They visited websites belonging to different universities.

"I'm confused. I know which course I want to take, but I haven't decided on the university yet." Vaishnavi pointed to the three universities she had in mind. "What do you think?"

"Alright, after considering everything, I think the best choice for business is this option; for psychology, it's this; and the last is ideal for MBBS. What do you want to choose?" For the next two hours, they discussed the same topic.

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"What were you thinking? Who told you to meet her?" Anaya asked in disbelief. Dev just shrugged.

She glanced at him in surprise, pleased with their encounter, even if Vaishnavi was upset. "I wanted to see her in person," Dev said.

"You annoyed her. Don't go like that again." Anaya suggested while looking at the crystal. For some reason, she envied Vaishnavi's interactions with the Rathores. They shared a relationship with her that Anaya wanted.

"You also want to see her, don't you?" Dev questioned his mother, noting her sorrowful appearance. Beyond his words, he realized what his parents had gone through and how deeply they felt it.

"When the time comes, I'll go myself. The grandmother on Earth was once pleasant; I'm not sure what went wrong to cause her to change so dramatically. My child has suffered tremendously; might it be Tamasvi?" Anaya looked at Dev, her emotions clear in her eyes.

"I'll check into the situation. Don't worry, Mother; she will face the harshest penalties if it's her." Dev reassured Aanya and proceeded to investigate the incident with the elderly woman.

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"When are you leaving?" Rohan stared at Vaishnavi as they viewed the stars from the balcony of her room. He was concerned about her well-being.

"Not sure. After a week, maybe." She answered, keeping her head on his shoulder. "Why don't you leave with me?" She inquired as she looked at him.

"I can't. My internship has started." Rohan replied, rubbing his nose. He knew their grandma would not do to him what she had done to Vaishnavi.

"Why does she hate me so much?" Vaishnavi inquired before her eyes became heavy. She quickly fell asleep as the soft wind blew across her face.

"I'm unsure what changed in her." He mumbled, taking Vaishnavi to bed. Tucking her in, he kissed her forehead and arranged her room before leaving.

He often wondered why Radhika's behaviour changed when she was happy with them. But he couldn't question her. The can of worms lingered in his head longer than it should have. He became diligent in finding out what exactly was happening. If not that, at least anything remotely related.

"I need a coffee." He grumbled before exiting the corridor that led directly to the dining hall and heading to the kitchen.

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'If words were all we needed to express our emotions, art would not exist. And if art did not exist, the world would lose its current colour.'

Vivaan thought of art's random yet astonishing beauty while watching the sunset in the Courage Realm. His gaze then shifted to the painting of Vaishnavi he made. Quite remarkable.

He tried not to be affected by the fact that he could not have a proper conversation with her, whereas other people his age were already hanging out with their soulmates. He regretted not paying attention to her when he was on Earth. He couldn't turn back time but could do something to help their not-even-existing relationship.

He did not want to rely on magic to be near her. But since it was useful, he eavesdropped on Vaishnavi's talk with Rohan. He sought to refrain from using magic for some time, if possible, once he knew where she was going. If he only had one opportunity, he would manage everything himself—or at least he hoped so.

He couldn't dwell on the past, so he tried to improve his future. The future was unclear, so he tried to fit in with the present. The present was unstable; hence, he had a plan and a backup just in case.

It was hard to let go of what was dear to him, and he had every right to act like a madman, but her words held him back.

'If everyone acted based on emotions, the world would no longer be home for some. If happenings change you, you're not worthy of the peace you want, because there's a reason why they are occurrences, and you are you.'

When Vaishnavi made this statement at a school ceremony, he had no idea what it meant, but it was essential. 

"I wonder when my 'soon' will change into 'finally'?" He mumbled before returning to the palace.