STUCK IN TIME

(xxii)Book 2: Chapter 5 - Lost in another time

Natalia's POV

"I said it's not possible. I cannot access his past and his ancestor's past." I tell them almost crying. I am in a place which looks sort of like an old building in a hilly area. I don't know where exactly it is as I was blindfolded when they brought me here. I am addressing a man who looks like a priest of this area. He is seated high on a chair which looks like an ancient throne and he is wearing an embroidered robe and jewelry with strange symbols. The same symbols are worn by other people in this hall who are lined on both sides and I am standing in front of the king wearing handcuffs like a prisoner or offender.

This place is scaring me out more than the people.

"We learned everything about how you acquired this power." He speaks in his deep, calm and authoritative voice. "You failed again and again till you succeeded in going back in time. You will succeed in this too. We have no hurry you can take months if you want. But if you promise to give us what we want we will spare you and your family. Else your kids, your husband and everyone you love will meet a miserable death."

I had been living a dream life. Married and having two kids, my son Emir who is only seven years old, my daughter Ayana who is just a toddler. It was finally a normal life. I went for time travels only for fun now, I had no assignments given by dad and Dr Aryan anymore, nor I had to write a research over how to travel in the past; I have given up the idea long ago because no one believed in this anyway.

But few days ago, my happy life was threatened when Emir was kidnapped from home. Three days after he was kidnapped, he was safely returned home and with that I received a phone call that threatened if I don't come to meet them, they will take him again and will kill my son. So, I came to the place I was asked to come and from there I was blindfolded by some people and transported here through a private jet.

"I will try! Please let us go." I plead and he smiles.

"Perhaps that would be better for all of us. You will start the research tomorrow. meet the boy who's past you have to access. You wouldn't have to go too far it's just his third paternal great grandfather. These are his books written in a language he invented himself you must live his entire life and understand this language."

"What is so important about these books?"

"You will know everything soon."

******

I couldn't evade them. I couldn't just forget what I promised and go on with my life because they had scared me truly. I could not even tell my husband because he doesn't know the exact extent of my abilities. I told him only the basics about my extraordinary skills so that he may not think he is married to a freak. I know he will love me regardless but everyone is entitled to keep few things secret even from the person they love. Another reason why I have decided not to tell him is because he too is powerful and this means he will try to protect me from them and will tell me to not listen to their threats. The risk I am not willing to take. He will ask me to trust him and to not be scared while I know that he may be willing to go to every length to take care of me yet I have seen what I am dealing with and I know Zaroon will lose far more than just me if he becomes involved. I have decided to keep him safe, and the only way to do that is to keep him ignorant.

So I thought of good excuses and told him that my research needs to re-start. How can I not love him more for he didn't even once try to convince me otherwise instead he told me I could shift my research in the same city, and he will completely support me. However, I just needed a separate facility no previous research or anything. He told me that he was happy I asked something from him and didn't even question that why I had abandoned it and why I suddenly want to restart it that too without Dr Aryan's help even when he had come home several time asking for my return.