RESTART

chapter 33

They were making their way back to the village, the sun beginning its slow descent, casting a golden hue over the road. The peacefulness of the day was soothing, but Jeevika couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. As they neared the temple exit, she suddenly heard someone shouting her name.

“Jeevika! Jeevika!”

She turned around, startled, and saw Pandit ji, the temple priest, rushing towards her. There was an urgency in his steps, his eyes wide with a message that seemed too important to ignore.

Jeevika stopped in her tracks, confusion written all over her face. "Pandit ji? Kya hua?" she asked, wondering why he had called her in such a hurry.

"I know you want to know why you came back to life after your death," Pandit ji said, his voice low but firm.

Jeevika felt her heart skip a beat. She stared at him, shocked. "Aapko kaise pata?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "How do you know about my... rebirth?"

Pandit ji shook his head. "Abhi waqt nahi hai sab batane ka," he said urgently. "Lekin ek baat yaad rakhna. Tum kisi ko apne punarjanm ke baare mein nahi bata sakti. Agar tumne kuch bhi kaha, toh uska bura parinaam hoga."

Jeevika's mind was racing. What did he mean by consequences? "But... mujhe kya karna chahiye? How do I handle all this?" she asked, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"You must be very careful, Jeevika. Jo tum dekh rahi ho aur sun rahi ho, woh sab sach nahi hai," Pandit ji warned, his voice filled with an ominous tone. "Sab kuch waise nahi hai jaisa tumhe lag raha hai."

Before she could ask anything more, Pandit ji turned and walked away, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. Jeevika blinked in disbelief. One moment he was there, and the next, he was gone — as if he had vanished into thin air.

Jeevika stood frozen, her thoughts tangled in confusion and fear. What had Pandit ji meant by that? If she couldn’t tell anyone about her rebirth, how was she supposed to face everything alone? And what did he mean by things not being as they seemed?

She was pulled from her thoughts by Abhiman’s voice. "Jeevika! Tum wahan kyun khadi ho? Sab wait kar rahe hain," he called out, his voice filled with concern.

Jeevika forced a smile, pushing away the rising panic within her. "Haan, aa rahi hoon," she replied, walking towards him.

As she took Abhiman’s hand and started walking back with him, Jeevika couldn’t help but feel a heavy weight on her shoulders. The secrets she was carrying felt even more dangerous now. She glanced at Abhiman, who was chatting lightly, unaware of the storm swirling inside her.

Now, more than ever, Jeevika didn’t know what to do.