Parvati Nair is born out of necessity and desperation.
The necessity to complete Shyne Inc.'s insurmountable project and the desperation to reunite two estranged souls.
With T minus 30 days to complete the project, will Project Parvati succeed? Or...
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I found myself in a garage, a crowbar clenched so hard in my hand that my knuckles turned white. The air reeked of machine oil and metal. A few feet away, Parvati wasbent over the hood of a car, fixing something in the engine. Her denim overalls were stained with grease and machine oil while her face had a few stray marks of gray oil, possibly from wiping away her sweat with the back of her stained gloves.
"Meera!" She beamed, making her way towards me.
"Don't come near me, Parvati. Please." I said, in a low voice.
She froze in her tracks. I looked up at her, with burning eyes. My eyes stinged and my body ached. I was sweating profusely.
I had a viral fever.
Mustering all my strength, I striked the crowbar at her neck. She backstepped but tripped over a carburettor, propped up against a wall. Her eyes twinkled, as they did whenever she found it difficult to believe something.
"I'm sorry, Parvati."
"Don't kill me, Meera. Please. I want to live." Parvatipleaded.
I inhaled sharply, feeling my heart skip beats. Her intense gaze remained fixed on me.
"I'm sorry, Parvati. I have no other choice. They know about you. About your unique talent. I don't want them to hurt you." I croaked, teardrops streaming down my cheeks.
She looked at me, her eyes lifeless.
"Nobody could ever hurt me, Meera, as long as I have you by my side." She smiled, rather too painfully.
It was almost as if she knew that all her pleading would go in vain. That I would kill her, no matter how much she pleaded.
She was right, as always.
And I was wrong, as always.
•••
I woke up with a start. My head throbbed and my heart pounded in my chest. I felt dizzy, though I don't see how I could feel dizzy from a nightmare.
Or maybe, it was the guilt that made me feel so.
Killing Parvati Nair was the biggest mistake of my life.
With a heavy heart, I got out of bed, my chest aching.
"Massi, will you join our tea party? Mr. Wolfie wants to have a tea party with you." Anaisha looked at me with puppy eyes.
The corner of my mouth twitched. I clenched my chest, doubling over. I might have even groaned, I don't know.
"Mamma! Naani!" Anaisha called out, temporarily pausing her tea party.
