DESTINED TO DEATH

AFTERLIFE

The sun raised high in the sky spreading its rays over the waters of Ganga. A man with broad shoulders surfaced the water and opened his eyes looking at the sun and narrowed his eyes as he looked down to see a girl in his arms holding a sword as if it is dear to her life.

"Hey Mahadev! Someone drowned" the people around the man gasped as he walked out of the Ganga river and placed the lady on the ground.

He tried to pull the sword away from her but immediately retreated his hand as he felt a shock. People gathered around them and a lady pulled the sword away which was heavy and put it aside and immediately the man held the hands of the lady and put her palms to her chest and started pressing them.

Vrushali gasped opening her eyes and immediately coughed out the water making the man help her sit up patting her back. She looked around breathing in as much oxygen as possible and then looked around to see the sword just beside her making her pull it to her immediately.

She saw the sun and frowned as she remembered that it was afternoon the ritual was happening and the sun was high in the sky and questioned "Is it the time for sunset?"

"It's early in the morning" the man's deep voice made her look at him and she immediately parted her lips looking at him.

He had eyes like that of a hunter and even the black night would be dull before his eye and hair color. He had a face of a royal and his stilloute was that of a warrior big and built "Morning? As in it's a new day?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" The man retorted.

Suddenly a grin spread over her face making him confused as she started laughing and crying at the same time "I am not dead! Destiny was wrong...." and screamed into the early morning streets of Kashi and ganga ghat "Vrushali you're not dead".

Everyone was startled and looking at her as if she was mad. She suddenly stopped laughing and started getting up holding the sword "Oh no! Arjun" and looked around "What is this place?"

"Ganga ghat" One of the on viewers replied.

"Ganga? As in Khasi?" She looked at the temple making her tear up and joined her palms "Hey Mahadeva! I knew you'd never abandon me" and started walking but soon was pulled back making her turn around.

Her chunni's edge was stuck in one of the bracelets the man was wearing. It was the same man who saved her but why was he angry? She pulled her chunni but it only tightened around the bracelet making her sigh in frustration and walk back to him.

"Thankyou for helping me out of the water" Vrushali thanked him as she tried to break the hold of her chunni on his bracelet. She gritted her teeth as the knot tightened and was startled when a a sadhu laughed.

"Once you're tied together no matter how much you try to break the knot it won't break" The sadhu stated.

Vrushali looked at the man before her who in return looked at her pulling his hand back harshly making her fall on to him because of the force. Both of them looked into each other as if trying to read each other about who they were and why the hell did they meet or why they seemed like they knew each other.

"If I really want to let go of something I can break any relationship" His words made her look at his hand where the knot came off and they were seperated.

He walked away from her making her eyes sting as if her everything was going away and that her heart was twisting in a weird way. She gasped as her hand was pulled and she turned around with a dagger passing just beside her ear while she fell down on top of the man who just saved her twice.

"Karna...." She heard a distant yell as they both rolled down the stairs which made her head hit hard on the ground.

'Kanna(baby)' She whispered in his ears before her eyes closed while he looked at her before they both fell in the river.