The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

25. Crushed petals

The anguished yells of his sister were disconcerting for Rudra, and he didn't waste a second before jogging up the stairs and throwing the door open. Nidhi had stopped screaming at the top of her lungs but was instead sprawled on the cold ground. She had lost sentience, and the scene was painful for the brother. She was drenched in perspiration, and her hair was stuck to her face. The lines creasing her forehead gave away the moments of dread she must have experienced prior to losing consciousness. The petrified expression imprinted on her features lacerated his heart, and he placed her on the bed before ringing their family doctor up.

Shweta was crying while being perched by Nidhi's head, and Avinash was pacing the length of the room, trying to figure out the reason behind the collapse of the girl. Spritzing a few drops of water on her face hadn't worked, and jerking her into a state of responsiveness failed as well.

But when the doctor arrived and checked the girl's vitals, the distressed family breathed a sigh of relief. Except for the slightly elevated blood pressure, there was nothing much to worry about as it was probably a case of a panic attack.

Once the doctor departed, Avinash and Shweta left Nidhi with Rudra while discussing the possible cause behind Nidhi's state. Deducing that the frenzy inside the house resulted in her sickness, they peeked inside the room from the doorframe, watching as Rudra caressed the girl's palms and continued to tuck her hair behind her ears with concern marring his features. Five hours had already passed since Rudra discovered Nidhi, and he didn't leave her side for even a moment. Night fell soon enough.

Entering the room once more, Shweta said, "Do you want to eat something?"

Rudra clicked his tongue. "Of course not. Nidhi has probably not eaten anything. Once she is up, she and I are going to have fries and milkshakes. Can you please make it?"

Tears stung her eyes, and she caressed his back. He didn't swat her hands away. "I will," she murmured.

"But why is Rudra sitting here?" Avinash chortled as he came to stand next to his wife. "Shouldn't he be more concerned about finding out his lineage?"

Disbelief rang through his senses, and Rudra craned his neck to pass a disapproving glance at his father. "My sister is sick, and you think I will be more worried about that?"

A meaningful smile appeared on Avinash's features, and he patted Rudra's arms. "Sister, huh?"

Comprehension dawned on him, and he ducked his head down, utterly ashamed of the brutal way in which he had reacted. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "Sorry."

Shweta kissed the top of his hair. "Never call me Mrs. Sharma. It shattered me." Sniveling, she said, "I am your mother. Only your mother."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and placed his cheeks over her stomach. "I am sorry, Mom. I am sorry, Dad."

She ran her fingers through his hair while Avinash hummed in response.

"I behaved like a complete idiot," Rudra mumbled.

"You might have a lot of questions, and we are ready to answer all of them. We can try to find out more about your birth family if you want," Avinash said.

"No." Rudra gulped. "I don't want to know anything about anyone. I have already hurt you enough. You took me in, treated me as your own, and presented me with a good life. And look at how I repaid!"

***

Nidhi woke up later in the night and narrated the eerie and unearthly experience which resulted in her losing sentience. She elucidated every sensation she had felt in the span of the two minutes when her body turned to stone, and she, along with Shweta, arrived at the conclusion that it was the doing of some ghost. Despite Rudra and Avinash reminding them that nothing like ghosts existed in the world, the women became hysteric until Avinash caved into Shweta's demands of holding a veneration at home to ensure the positive energies of the mantras would purify the premises and expel any negativity that might have found a way to enter their abode.