Roohi held a shotgun in her arms, sitting firmly in the van. Aarav Suryavanshi was driving the van. She stole a glance at Rudra in the mirror. He was sitting next to Bunty, sipping on a hot coffee (from a paper cup). He was still recovering from the shock. Bunty was a young man with tall stature and an athletic build. He wore dark or light-colored clothing while not wearing the standard boarding school attire. He had dark brown eyes and short, slightly curled black hair.
Her eyes meet Rudra's. She smiled at him reassuringly.
"We'll explain everything later. We're almost there," Aarav said.
The van passed a sign – Welcome to Rajgarh, Rajasthan. The van pulled into a driveway. A massive iron gate opened to allow them to enter. A bronzed sign read "CHAKRAVYUH INSTITUTE OF MYSTICS".
"Where are we?" Rudra asked.
"Somewhere safe?" said Aarav.
The forest was endless and beautiful. A barn with horses. A soccer field. A creek.
A bright, chipper young voice spoke, "Welcome to the Chakravyuh Institute of the Mystics." It was Ishika Suryavanshi. she was a beautiful, young woman with light skin, black eyes, and brown hair.
Ishika and Jessica (aka the Suryavanshi twins) greeted Bunty brightly as he stepped away from the van.
"We're your tour guides. I'm Jessica," Jessica said.
Jessica was a pretty young woman with brown hair and eyes. She also had an athletic build physique and light skin. She often wore her hair up, mostly in a simple, loose ponytail, but she once wore it in messy twin buns for a football game.
"I'm Ishika. We're sisters. Twins," Ishika said happily.
"Bunty, go ahead with the girls while I talk to Rudra," Aarav suggested.
Ishika and Jessica wrapped their arm around Bunty's. They passed Roohi, they smiled at her sweetly.
"Morning, Roohi." The twins said in unison.
"Morning, girls," Roohi said.
"Love you, Dad," the twins said at once.
Rudra stood there blankly. Aarav looked at him.
"So, Let's get started," Aarav whispered.
Roohi led Rudra into an opulent grand room where students of all ages mingled, socialized, and studied around them. Aarav followed Rudra and Roohi.
As they walked further in the hall, they passed a young girl, a teenager practicing a levitation spell with her schoolbooks.
Rudra met her eyes. She got flustered by how cute he was. Her books fell to the floor with a THUD. Roohi hid herself grinning at the young girl.
"Nobody ever mentioned that anyone in here could do that, " Rudra asked. Nobody answered. They entered the headmaster's office. Rich with leather and dark woods.
Aarav indicated Rudra to take a seat. A name plate read, Prof. Aarav Suryavanshi, Headmaster. Rudra glanced at it and sat on the chair.
"No one in here knows much about us. We blend in just enough. Participate, contribute just enough. It keeps people from asking too many questions," Aarav said.
"What is there to know, exactly?" said Rudra, bending forward from the seat closer to him.
Roohi stole a glance at Aarav. Wondering how he would answer.
"Well, I used to have a whole speech carefully unpeeling the layers of the mystical history, but it turns out most people have read Harry Potter and are usually cool with me skipping the talk…"
"You're a school for magic?" said Rudra, trying to keep cool.
"We're a school for the supernatural, which covers a lot of territory. Everyone here has something that makes them special in ways that the outside world wouldn't understand."
Rudra looked at Roohi. "So, what are you again?"
"I should get to class –," said Roohi uncomfortably.
"No. No, sorry, I'm not trying to be a harsh, but –I don't know you. And though the image of you is still fresh, I need you here. Tell me what happened last night?"
"What do you think it was?" Roohi asked.
"Well...as best as I can reason, either I've lost my mind or werewolves are real," Rudra said.
Her silence confirmed what he was saying. He reeled forward. "That is – beyond insane. How is it even possible?"
"Long story involving an ancient vengeful dakini and a bloodline curse. We teach it in Origin of the Supernaturals, grade three," said Aarav.
A small grin flashed across her face. Lighting up her eyes. Rudra stared a beat too long. There was a spark there. It didn't go unnoticed by Aarav, who switched gears. "I have some questions about your friend, Bunty."
"Like what?" asked Rudra.
"Let's start with who he killed recently."
Rudra stared at him in shock. "What??"
Bunty, discombobulated, was led through the sprawling Meeting Hall. Stained glass. Crystal chandeliers. Warm, dark woods. His tour guides vieing for his attention in their own unique ways. Ishika was much smarter than she seemed at a first impression. Jessica, was a pleaser with opinions.
"Everybody gets along with everybody here. For the most part," said Jessica.
"The wolves are pretty cliquey. They like to hang with their own," Ishika said.
"Uhm…in defiance of the school's commitment to inclusiveness, "Jessica mumbled.
"That's why we volunteered to be your guides. To give you a good welcome before your hairier buddies corrupt you…"
"Why would you ask me that?" Rudra glared at Aarav and Roohi, taken aback.
"The werewolf gene lies dormant until its carrier takes another human life. If Bunty triggered his curse, it's because he killed someone. We don't accept cold-blooded killers into our program," Aarav explained.
"He's not a killer," Rudra yelled.
"We're not trying to –," said Roohi.
"He's not a killer."
Rudra's face had grown heated in defense of his friend.
Roohi intervened. She sat down next to him. "Rudra, I know this is hard to take in. But we want to help him. I promise. I've been going here since I was seven. This is a safe place for people like Bunty. A home."
"But if we take him in, we need to know he won't be a threat."
"His girlfriend, Chetna. Last month. He was driving. There was a storm, and he took the turn too fast... He started acting out -- I thought first it was just grief, then maybe drinks or something. And then he threw 200-pound lawnmower fifty feet across the yard," Rudra admitted.