𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓤𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓞𝓪𝓽𝓱

☛𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓁ℴℊ𝓊ℯ☚

Scene - 1

I was running. Barefoot, no less. Each step I took sent sharp little shocks of pain up my legs as I stumbled over roots and sharp stones hidden beneath the forest's dense carpet of leaves.

"Oh, krishnu! Why, oh why, did they have to build a house in the middle of a jungle?" I muttered under my breath.

Branches clawed at my clothes, leaving faint scratches on my arms, but I couldn't stop. My breath was coming out in harsh gasps, and my legs were burning like fire, but the thought of being caught by him again kept me moving.

Not far behind, the crunch of leaves told me I wasn't alone. My stomach twisted in knots. "kahin uss rakshas ko pata toh nhi chl gaya ki mai bhaag gayi" I hissed, ducking behind a tree for a moment to catch my breath.

My heart pounded loudly, almost drowning out the sounds of the forest around me. My mind raced as I peeked around the tree, scanning for any sign of movement. The forest was eerily silent now-too silent.

"But one thing was strange, where are all his guards? Did he send them on a vacation? Or maybe they're all having a tea break somewhere!" I mumbled to myself, trying to steady my breathing.

I slumped against the tree for a moment, closing my eyes. "Oh, Mumma, I can't do this anymore," I whispered. "I'm so tired."

But then I opened my eyes and remembered exactly why I was running. That man-no, that monster-had locked me up like a bird in a cage. All because I sneaked in his palace ughhhhh.

I folded my hands, looking up at the faint patches of sky peeking through the canopy above me. "Krishnu broooo, ek baar bachaa lo, please! I promise I won't complain or ask for anything for ten days. Not even a single chocolate bar or my dil ka tukda"Maggie"!"

But the universe, as always, had no mercy for me. A gust of wind rustled the branches, and for a moment, I thought I heard footsteps again.

I bolted upright, shaking off my exhaustion. "Thak gayi hoon yrrrrr, but so what? I can't stop now," I muttered, brushing off my kurta. My legs felt like jelly, but the thought of being dragged back to that place kept me going.

I forced myself to move, stepping lightly to avoid making noise. But no matter how quiet I tried to be, the forest felt alive, the crunch of leaves and snap of twigs betraying me with every step.

"Why is my luck always so bad?" I grumbled under my breath. "Defective kismat, I swear. Just like cheap Chinese goods-always breaking at the worst possible time!"

I pressed on, but a chill ran down my spine. This was his territory. The thought of him appearing here, in this jungle, was enough to send my heart into a frenzy.

I couldn't help but think of his cold eyes, the way they seemed to pierce right through me. Or the way he carried himself, like he owned the whole world. It made me shiver, but not from fear. Not entirely, anyway.

"Does he think he's some kind of king?" I muttered to myself, trying to distract from the sinking feeling in my chest.

The truth, though, was worse. He wasn't just a king in his mind. Out here, in this jungle, he is a Monster woh bhi jungli. And I was the prey.

I stumbled again but caught myself, refusing to stop. My feet ached, my body screamed for rest, but I knew I couldn't give in. Stopping here meant getting caught-not just by him, but by whatever else might be lurking in this dense, dark jungle.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "What does he even want from me? I didn't steal anything from him! Well, maybe his peace of mind, but that's not a crime, is it?"