When Aditya opened his eyes, he was not in the tunnel anymore instead he was on the riverbank on a nice sunny day. After spending hours in that dark poky tunnel, His eyes took a moment to adjust according to the light. He was still in the same clothes, his bag was still hung on his shoulder and his weapons and mobile were still in his hand. His first guess was teleportation, then He made a look all-around, something was wrong. He was surely in his village at the bank of the Saraswati river but there was more water in the river and it was clearer than before. Not blue but not black either the way Aditya knows it.
There were no farms on the sides of the river now, just the forest of large eucalyptus trees could be seen on both sides. He got shocked when he noticed the bridge, they used to sit on was disappeared too. He sheered to the highway's side. Thankfully it was still there.
Then he noticed that two boys were descending from the slope. Guessing from their faces they were looking a little younger then Aditya maybe 17-18. When they came close, Aditya couldn't help himself thinking that somehow, he had been slipped in the past. The boys were wearing old fashioned clothes, type of clothes he saw his father wearing in his springtime photos. According to his estimate, he was in the 1980s.
The boys came closer and Aditya was now in front of them. Even when Aditya was dressed like a mugger, they weren't giving him any thought, which was kind of weird. Aditya didn't move or hide, he was curious to know where he was and what was going on and the only way was to ask the boys. But weirdness reached the height and instead of stopping when Aditya was only a few inches away, the boys kept coming. Aditya jumped back but he knew that collision was sure. But what happened after that was beyond weird. instead of getting bumped in Aditya, one of the boys literally passed through Aditya's person. His heart skipped a beat.
Once he thought he was dead and was a ghost now. But how? He sheered back and saw the boys were going toward the edge as if nothing had happened.
Aditya collected his wits and followed the boys, were now sitting on the grass close to the river. he went close to them and saw one boy was giving another a gift. Badly wrapped in a shiny paper, he handed him the packet. 'happy birthday' the boy said.
Another boy took it with a wide grin 'thank you' he said and ripped opened the pack at the same moment. when he opened the cardboard box, inside was a silver wristwatch. The boy instantly pulled it out and wore it. 'thank you, brother this is really nice' and with that, the scene shifted.
Like what happens to the design on cappuccino when we rotate our spoon, everything was in front of him including Aditya himself turned into a slow vortex of colours, paced, then slowed a little and when it settled picture was different. This time Aditya was in a small classroom, full of young boys and girls. Aditya was standing in the middle of the classroom, really stunned with no understanding of what was going on. No one was seemed to be noticing him here either.
The classroom was pin-drop silent. On both sides were two-two rows of benches. On his left were boy's row and on his right side were sitting girls. All of the pupils were looking on the board when a lady teacher was writing something on it. she was wearing a simple dark green "salwar suit" a traditional Punjabi dress up. The other girls in the class were also wearing the same outfit but in khaki colour. Boys were in pent shirts with pent of the same colour and shirts of white.
Aditya who was now really fussed out tried to call a random boy but nobody seemed to be listening to him either. He used every kind of facial expression and body language he knows, from waving his hands to making dirty faces but he was completely ghosted. That really pissed him off. He couldn't handle when people ignore him. desperately he tried to shook a boy but his hands too passed through him. 'what the hell is going on' Aditya yelled in desperation. No one reacted.
Aditya shook his head and started to move toward the teacher. When he reached the first bench his legs froze. The boys sitting on the first desk were the same boys he saw at the bank of the river. when he first saw them, he didn't paid much attention to them but now he was watching them carefully. One had long hairs like Rajveer and the other had an army cut. As Aditya was watching them, they were already smiling but there was a sudden increase in their smiles as both of them straightened their backs and Aditya noticed that the teacher had turned her face from the blackboard. Aditya saw her as she gave a quick smile to the first benchers then her expressions harden again. Aditya only had time to think that the teacher was quite young, not more than 21, before the scene shifted again in the same way.
For a moment everything was black, Aditya's conciseness was still awake like he was thinking with closed eyes. In this time, he couldn't help himself thinking about the teacher. Even in a glimpse, her beauty had bewitched Aditya. Those big beautiful set of dark brown eyes. Her sharp nose. Her skin which was not so fair but it was just increasing her charm more and more. Her long black hairs were braided in a ponytail. Even in those simple clothes, she was looking seriously pretty. The scene settled again and Aditya finds himself in a deserted street in the middle of the day, the sun was on the top of his head. There was not even a single person on the street, everyone was seemed to be resting inside their homes.
After a sustained amount of time, a gust of wind was making the tree leaves rustle. Two-three times Aditya witnessed a small vortex of dust upbuilding and downfall. Aditya didn't need to know or feel the temperature to tell that he was somewhere in the middle of June-July the most torrid months in India.
On the same moment, the side of his eye caught a glimpse of someone turning from the corner of the street. Aditya saw and found that the teacher and the boy with long hairs, he saw in his last vision, were coming toward him, laughing and eyeing each other. both of them were seemed to be enjoying each other's company. When they came a bit closer, Aditya noticed that they were holding hands. Which struck Aditya as odd. Were they in a relationship of some kind? Not brother sister of course. Boyfriend girlfriend Aditya decided.
Meanwhile, they were about to reach where Aditya was standing. He guessed they won't be able to see him this time either and that's exactly what happened. They came in front of Aditya and now he was able to hear them
'now, don't tell me you are in love with me. Are you?' the teacher asked mockingly. The boy stopped dead in his way. when the teacher's hand got stretched, she stopped too. The boy's face was slumped down but Aditya could still see him getting red. 'I…' the boy tongue-tied 'i..' he tried again 'I love you' he said finally. The teacher was watching the boy with admiration as if she was waiting for this to be happened. But she didn't say anything for a full minute.
Aditya admitted the boy had the nerve. Only for proposing a girl that beautiful, man, you should have a hearth, and she was her teacher too.
Their hands were still in each other's hands, the boy's gaze was still down and the teacher was still watching him. they were standing like the time had been frozen for a moment for them. Then the boy somehow picked the courage 'will you.. not. Reply' the boy looked state in her eyes.
What happened after that even the boy hadn't expected. She smiled, went close to the boy and kissed him on the cheek. 'love you too' she said softly and went inside the house behind Aditya leaving the boy wonderstruck.
His face had turned pale. For a moment he was like a statue and then suddenly he started to tremble. He started to shiver badly as if he had just taken a bath in a very cold day. 'hah.. hahh.. oh my god' he said shivering 'she.. she said yes to me. To me, I can't believe it'
The scene again shifted and settled and now Aditya was in a gallery of a house. The teacher was now sitting on a chair and teaching a single boy, the other boy with the army cut. But less teaching and more talking. then she said something which gave Aditya a headache.
'do you too love me' she asked the boy'
The boy thought for a minute.
'ma'am I loved you from the moment I first saw you' unlike the other boy the boy said boldly. 'will you be my girlfriend?'
The teacher sighed and started to talk in a soothing way 'I am sorry Sanjay but I can't. I already said yes to Vishal. I asked you because I didn't want you to have false hopes anymore. You understand right? but we are friends.' She put her hand on his shoulder.
For a moment Sanjay seemed really hurt, his eyes got watery but he didn't let the tears got out. He sniffed then smiled 'no worries, it had to have happened with one of us. Unfortunately, it happened with me but seriously I am happy for Vishal'
And with that, the scene shifted again. The scenes were now shifting rapidly and Aditya was getting the hint that whatever he was seeing was near to its end.
More or less but Aditya's interest was piqued, it was like watching a television show, the only difference was that he was inside the tv.
The scene settled on the riverside and Aditya found himself standing close to the edge of the river, he saw Sanjay and Vishal coming toward him. they came and sat a step away from where Aditya was standing. Aditya sat with them.
'since when you're having these dreams' Vishal asked grimly
'it's been two days and it's too weird they won't even look like dreams'
Aditya's face falls, since all this was started, he was trying to make sense of it. he had understood until now that he was having a vision. Kind of Sidharth was having. He also knew that it had something to do with their quest and there must be a connection of these boys with it but what? What was the connection? but when the boys mentioned the dream, half of the puzzle solved in a click. Aditya didn't need to hear the rest to know what would be happened after that. And as if waiting for him to understand, the scene shifted himself. For a minute Aditya was again in his thoughts.
Aditya had understood from his last vision that the ghost boy, the spirit who was trying to kill Sidharth was no other but the boy Vishal. They must have gone in the tunnel to find the key and probably would have been killed there. That was the reason the boy's spirit was able to stay this close to the temple of Buddha. The poor boy was murdered there and his spirit was bound to the place where he died. But knowing this also left Aditya with more questions. Such as what happened to another boy, Sanjay? Why only Vishal become a ghost? But one thing was clear that he and his friends weren't the only boys Mantrik had possessed to get the amulet.
The scene settled and Aditya found himself back in the tunnel, he thought his dream was over and he was really back where he was but then he saw an orange light coming from one side of a crossway. Light like fire might cast. A minute passed and holding torches in their hands Sanjay and Vishal came out of the ally.
Aditya realized that he was wrong. He was in the tunnel but in the vision. He was still watching a further incidence in the story of the boys. The boys stopped at the crossway for a second, examined all three ways then turned to the side where Aditya was standing.
Judging from their faces and the way they were moving Aditya had understood that the boys were quite scared. They were continuously scanning their surrounding as if expecting some attack which was giving a good idea that they already had faced something horrible. When the came in front of Aditya, Sanjay the boy with the army cut, called Vishal from behind 'hey Vishal, I have to talk to you'
'hmm' Vishal replied still heedful to his surrounding
They walked passed Aditya and he had to walk with them to hear the conversation.
'I proposed her, and she said.. she loves you'
That drew Vishal's attention back
'yeah.' a huge smile rolled on his face but he didn't look back, maybe afraid that his bashfulness would melt him into the water before saying anything or because he didn't want to look into his friend's eyes while he talks about his crush.
'I still can't believe it, there were hundreds of guys behind her, you were too, better than me in every manner and believe me I'm not just saying. She is so beautiful she could be anyone's'
Aditya was walking with Sanjay behind Vishal all along, the boy was so lost talking about her new girlfriend that he seemed to forget about everything else in the world, like where they were or in which situation they were. But Aditya who was watching everything very curiously suddenly noticed two glowing red circles moving side by side with Sanjay. Even when he knows that he was in a vision, he couldn't be heard or seen, still, his heart wants to jump out of his chest. he couldn't forget those red glowing eyes in his life. No Aditya yelled and swung his axe but it just harmlessly passed through his body or, where Aditya supposed its body should be. His eyes were the only visible thing, rest of his body was seemed to be a part of the darkness itself. he was able to hide even better than a chameleon. There was nothing Aditya could do in the situation, he was only able to watch and observe things. Aditya knew that this was the perfect moment for Chalawa to attack. Vishal was busy talking, even Sanjay was not able to notice him
'but she said yes to me. me, I am nothing.. literally, nothing compares to her'
Chalawa took this moment for his work. quietly, those horrible eyes came close to Sanjay's face and the first time his ugly monstrous face came in the light. Before Sanjay could see him, Chalawa blows in his ear and instantly Sanjay's eyes forced shut. He was about to fell when a hand came out of the darkness and caught the torch then the full man came into light. a xerox copy of Sanjay was now holding the real Sanjay. he snugly placed him with the wall. it hardly took 5 seconds in the whole process, even a bit of noise never occurred and Vishal's best friend was replaced by a bloodthirsty demon.
'I am sorry Sanjay but I am just.. you know too happy' Vishal turned to Sanjay/Chalawa 'and I assure you, you will soon find a better girl'
'ohh.. don't worry' Sanjay/Chalawa replied darkly 'believe me I don't need to find another'
'what?' Vishal frowned while walking and watching him over his shoulders.
But Sanjay just smiled, a real evil smile. Vishal was mystified by his friend behaviour. he probably had never heard him talking this way.
'what do you mean' Vishal asked again.
He gave him a side smile 'look ahead'
When Vishal does, his heart probably would have been come to mouth. He was standing on the edge of a slope which was falling state into the mouth of a square pond. moss had spread all over the place, either sides of the pond too had an exit of a tunnel, opening in it with the same deadly slope. Vishal was amazed that how he didn't hear the water splashing with slops before, whereas now it was sounding loud enough to hear from a mile. He checked, the water was falling from above somewhere but it was hard to tell the source but it was surely making the slopes slippery enough, so if one ever fell in the pond would never be able to return.
Aditya was watching everything from behind he knows what was about to happen. The sad thing was there was nothing he could do about it and it was driving him mad. He was feeling sorry for the poor boys. Their full lives were ahead of them, they could have done many things in their lives if that swindler hadn't shoved them in his bidding. They got killed in cold blood because of him. Deep down inside Aditya had determined that one day he'll make that evil sorcerer pay for his cause.
'after you will die, she'll become mine' Sanjay said smiling like a psycho. Vishal sheered back in disbelief but before the poor boy could say anything, Sanjaya/Chalawa pushed him out of the tunnel. Aditya watched in horror as Vishal's foot slipped from the edge and his head banged with the slope. He lost his consciousness almost instantly, and slowly his unconscious body slipped down on the slop. The next moment, he was drowning in the pond, Aditya waited for him to came up on the surface but the boy never got out.
At that time only thing Aditya wanted was the boy's survival, he didn't even know him but if he would really there, he would have jumped after him to save his life. But he knew better the boys had died years ago. It was just a kind of recording or something which someone wanted him to watch for some reason.
Aditya closed his eyes as the tears poured out of his eyes. It was really painful to watch Vishal die. Chalawa not only killed the boy but also, he showed him that his friend had killed him and just for a girl. Vishal died with the grudge that he risked his life to help Sanjay and in reward of his friendship Sanjaya lead him into a trap and killed him. just because he could get the girl.
Because he had been died thinking that his friend cheated him, his anger becomes the anchor holding his spirit to the mortal world and so, his spirit never set free. But now the picture was clear Aditya understood the reason why the spirit was attacking them.
His eyes still were closed when Aditya heard something
The watch Aditya he heard a voice, not from outside but from inside, somewhere inside his own head, a voice he never heard before but still, it was so familiar. Aditya focused the watch he heard again. The voice he was hearing was kind of weak and fragile like an old man.
A minute of serious reasoning and in the next moment Aditya had all of the remaining answers he needed. what next came was a hand on his shoulders as his eyes flew open.