Allure of Darkness!

66. The Mind Player!

Mikhail's POV

"I found out. I need to know some things."
I sat beside her and she looked at her father nervously.

"Leo, actually Mallika doesn't remember much about her childhood. She has a severe injury on her head so doctors said that she will struggle with memories"
Rotero informed.

Okay, so she knows that she is Miguel but doesn't know how.
"It means, she is not your daughter?"

Rotero hesitated but nodded.
"She isn't!"

I nodded while looking at her.
The girl in front of me smiled softly at me. I sat with her, tried to refresh our memories and she tagged along.

"You always told me about your dream to become a leader of your tribe... I think you can do it now!"

"I don't know... But I'll try!"
Mallika was always an extrovert, expressing herself without fear.

I smiled.
"Mallika, do you remember what your age was when you first met me behind the tree?"

Her smile grew nervous.
"I don't remember."

"You don't remember because you are not the one who met me behind the tree"
I declared and she looked down in guilt.
Rotero wiped his sweaty forehead and I frowned. I don't understand why these people are lying to me.
"Mallika never wanted to become a leader then why are you agreeing to it?... If you wanted to hide the truth so at least you could have prepared better."

"I am sorry, Leo... I was scared that you might pull your hands out after knowing that she is not Mallika. I still need the money to get her better..."
He looked guilty.
"I am sorry. I am just a father!"

I sighed while rubbing my head. What should I say, I am a father too and maybe I would have done the same.
"Now if you tell me the truth then only I can help you... Rotero, stop misleading me because it's very important for me to find Miguel... I know she was here because you gave me that letter and it was the real one."
The letter had true feelings, it was from Mallika. The one who used to talk to me.

"Miguel?"
Rotero looked at his wife who was almost done feeding her daughter. She got up with finished plates and walked away. She doesn't look happy.

I shook my head to clear my mind.
"Let's talk outside."
I led Rotero out so he can talk freely.
"How did you find her?"

"I don't know what her real name was..."
Rotero started explaining.
"One day I went to the forest to hunt in the early morning and saw that girl struggling for life. She was drenched in rain, almost fainted, body was turning pale. She was not from the tribe and we were not allowed to take someone from the outside world but she was asking for help in her weak voice. Her eyes were pleading me... I couldn't leave her there to die, so I took her home."

"How old was she?"
I asked, I need to make sure that he is talking about the same girl.

"She must be around 14 or 15 years old... She doesn't remember her age"
He replied.

"Why?"
How can she not remember her own age?

"When I found her, she was sick. Her feet were literally torn, I assumed that she must have run miles to reach the forest. We didn't even know where she had come from. I convinced the tribe to let me fix her and then she will leave because they were not ready to keep the outsider... They agreed."
We sat under the tree as he started telling the story.
"I look after the medicines in the tribe. My family was always into medicines. We have a boon to cure any disease but to my bad luck, I couldn't cure my own daughter who was in coma even before that girl arrived. I thought if I can't fix my daughter then I should fix someone else's daughter, maybe god will have mercy on me and will cure my child... I did the close inspection on that girl but she was beyond damaged. Her behavioural patterns were weird."