"Sir, I'm sorry. We can't save your wife."  Said the nurse, looking down as if she was agonizing. There was a look of sadness on her face. How could it not be present? the patient she was treating was so kind and cheerful that she forgot she was suffering from an incurable cancer. The nurse's words were directed to an early-thirties man in front of her. The husband of that patient. He is rich and handsome, his influence ran all over the city, and a capable man, but the words of that nurse are enough to shake the very life out of him. No matter how rich he was, no matter how much influence he has, he can't save his wife from death.

When the nurse gave him his wife's report, he took it with shaky hands and read it. When the nurse looked at him, she wouldn't find the man who was as cheerful as his wife before. She can now only see a sickly, miserable man, yearning for a miracle.

After reading the whole report, the husband, Raahi, looking at the nurse replied.

"I'm going to take her to my mansion. Prepare for discharge"

After hearing him, the nurse looked at him as if she didn't understand the meaning of his words.

'is he out of his mind or what?' is what she thought.

"You can't! she can give birth within a week and travelling long distances will only make matters worse. What will you do for medicines and emergencies?"

She asked Raahi with concern in her voice. Understanding her worries, he replied indifferently.

"It's not that long. and..."

He clenched his hand that was holding the report and muttered in a low voice,

"...she loves greenery"

After telling her that, he walked past the nurse and arrived in front of a room. Before going, he made sure that he has a smile on his face.

"Hey Saara, looks like you're discharging. Why don't we spend time in your mansion near the forest?"

With a not-so-cheerful voice, he spoke to the person who is sitting on the bed, looking out the window. She was wearing a light blue patient's uniform. When she turned to see the person who entered the room, her empty black eye, shone just a little bit after seeing that it was her beloved husband.

"Is that so? I'm glad. I was getting worried about my son and wanted to spend some time with you."

She replied and started to stroke her swollen belly. Her stomach was small when compared to others who are on their ninth month. But still, that didn't matter to her. She still stocked her belly gently with a light smile on her face.

Watching her, Raahi's heart ached once again. The beauty he was married to six years ago was nowhere to be seen. Her lustrous black hair was now but empty, her bright cheeks now looked sickly, and her ample red lips were now colourless. It hurts him to see her suffer that much. But more than that, it kills him that he can't do anything.

Still maintaining his smile, he tried to crake his old joke.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it will be a daughter?"

"Keep dreaming. I know it will be a son. I just know it." Saara said, making a small pout. Their regular conversation always goes on like this. They always argue with the most trivial things and laugh at the slightest of jocks. They didn't care about the outside world; all they did was make sure the other person was not sad.

Raahi was from a rich and influential family. His family is known for many things. Being from a rich family, his arrogance was over the top of his head. That was until he met Saara during his second year of high school and fell in love. His arrogance, his pride, it didn't matter if it involved Saara. He changed for good. He had the talent and power to back up his arrogance. Now, he has someone to take care of. He inherited the family business and took it to another level just in 5 years. Getting recognized as top young talent, his name was slowly spreading across countries. Everything was going smoothly. That was until she finally became pregnant. It was at that time they realized she was suffering from cancer and it was in the last stage.

In the middle of their conversation, they heard someone coming into their room. When Raahi turned to see who, he let a sigh after hearing their voice when they asked permission to enter.

"Wait here, I'll be back."

He waited until she gave him a nod. The person who interrupted their meeting was Raahi's younger brother Raj. Unlike his brother, Raj was just an ordinary man with no notable talents, just an average-looking plain guy. When Raahi came out of the room, Raj immediately rushed toward him and asked,

"Brother! I read the report, is it true that you requested her discharge?"

Raahi looked at his brother with an emotionless face, he replied "Yes. I'm taking her to the mansion. Take care of the business for a while."

After hearing those words from Raahi, Raj's grinned ear to ear in his heart, but his facial expression didn't change in the slightest. Raj was just an ordinary man with no extra talents, but he was compared to his older brother for his whole life. That boosted his inferiority complex. But he didn't let his feelings known to others. Not once in his life. He kept all those feelings deep inside him, believing that one day he'll get a chance to show that he is better than his brother. And then, he got his chance when they found out that his sister in law is suffering from cancer. Raahi's whole attention was shifted from his work to only for his wife. That put their business in a critical stage.

Over the last few months, their reputation also crashed along with their business. All the blame was of course gone to Raahi, who was the head. This made Raj somewhat satisfied looking at the failures of his brother. But in truth, Raahi didn't care about anything other than his wife. To him, the business can go to hell if it helps him get a chance to save his wife, that's how much he was devoted to her.

Now, finally hearing the words Raj wanted to, he asked Raahi just to be sure.

"Brother, are you sure?"

"Yes. Just keep it going like usual and nothing more." Raahi said and started walking towards the lift. Raj followed him and spoke with enthusiasm. "You can leave it to me, brother. I'm not going to disappoint you. Take care of sister-in-law for me."

With that said, they both entered the lift. Raahi went to talk with the receptionist while Raj went to his home. After finalizing the discharge, Raahi started his journey to his mansion with Saara.

The mansion he was going to was located inside a town near a forest reserved area known as 'Bandipur'. It would take about 4 hours to travel by car from the city to his mansion. Raahi and his wife, Saara were both well-known in that town. His family was also the richest in that town.

It was past 11 when Raahi and Saara left the hospital. They have been carefully travelling for more than 2 hours. Raahi was in the front seat, driving while Saara was deeply sleeping behind him. The road was empty, devoid of any living creatures other than them. The sound of their car was the only source of the voice that can be heard. That was until,

'Skreeeeeeeeeeee'

Raahi sensed something and before he would understand what it was, his car banged into something. he hit the brakes as hard as his feet allowed and stopped the car with a screeching sound.

First, with a rugged breath, he looked back to check if something happened to Saara, but due to wearing seatbelts, she didn't leave her position and didn't even wake up to check. Raahi understood that moving her from bed to his car was enough to make her weak and lose consciousness.

He got out of his car and checked what had crashed, but to his surprise there was nothing. Not even a dent or a scratch. He looked around the car to confirm but nothing. Just the sounds of insects on an empty road.

Raahi, thinking that he is just hallucinating entered the car. But there was a feeling of uneasiness on his mind. He felt that he crashed into something. Something more like a human figure. But even checking, there was nothing. He took out a bottle of water and started to splash on his face outside. The cool breeze hitting his wet face cleared some of the unwanted thoughts from his mind.

After wiping his face and about to enter his car, he noticed something. All the chirping sounds of insects he heard just a moment ago were gone. The road was now dead silent. He can only sense his heart beating faster and faster. He checked Saara by looking out the window of the car, still sleeping blissfully without care. Some of his worries diminished, but his guard was high up. He started to look around, but he wouldn't sense anything other than himself. No matter what, he wouldn't acknowledge the person who is standing right beside him as if he was a cold breeze that hit his face.

"I hear you need power, child"

An unknown voice that he hadn't heard once in his life, rang in his ears. Raahi panicked and looked in the direction that the voice came from, soon to fall on his back.

What he saw was a skinny old man, wearing nothing but a loincloth to cover only his private parts and holding a staff of some sort. Under the moonlit night devoid of stars, he can see that the person's whole upper body, hands, legs, and even his face were grey, by the smell Raahi can tell that those are ash covering his body. His long hair was braided like a rope, and a few had miniature dolls at the end. The barely callable staff he was holding had its one end wrapped in the cloth which has texts and patterns he can't recognize. But there was something of an invisible force on that covered part that was keeping Raahi's full attention. That old man spoke again, with a hoarse voice.

"I'll lend you my power, in return, you'll also lend me your power and give me only one thing that I desire."

After hearing that man's voice again, Raahi's attention returned to the situation he was in. He slowly crawled away and got up from his place to shield Saara. Seeing him, that old man's face broke a creepy smile showing a whole set of black teeth.

"I hear that you want to protect her, Isn't it? well, she'll die with her son within a week if nothing is done. Don't you want her to see alive again?"

Those words were enough to knock the winds out of Raahi. He carefully observed that man with extreme guard and spoke what was on his mind.

"How can I believe you?"

"Then, let me tell you a story."