Navya and Soma's mom consoled her and reassured her that Hrida wouldn't give up on herself and Shashi. Shashi's mom crept closer to the shield, placed her both palms on the shield, and applied pressure in an attempt to penetrate through, she recalled how Hrida and Shashi went through thorns of burning pain, her hands penetrating through the shield thinking of that.
Soma's mom was surprised as well as others were, Shashi's mom suggested Soma's mom, Dhansi ji, and a few other civilians push through his force field by imagining painful memories, they immediately experimented on the shield, some of them succeeded but partially and rest of them were trying.
Hrida came face to face with Divit, who purposefully avoided her eyes, as being smart, he looked at her but his gaze was fixed behind her and she caught his act. She stood closer to him, only a foot distance between them.
She grabbed his attention by gently calling his name out, he couldn't ignore her then, she knew he was again caught in the lack and depressive mentality but she knew he deserved a last chance to change.
She spared one last chance and expressed with a friendly tone, " Divit, I know you don't want this. No one wants it deep inside.
Though you are the bravest among most of them, even if you were in sync with yourself, then how did this happen? Why did you let yourself drown in the same pool of despair when it took you a lot of courage to overcome this, why?
Wait, I think I might know, did you feel that I will abandon you or take me away from you, is it?", Divit's eyes widen, hesitantly nods his head.
Hrida resumes her talk with a soft tone, " Divit, technically what you are doing right now, can most probably drive me away from me.
Think properly, Won't Kali take me away from you, then I would never be the same Hrida ever again, do you really want that?... Divit, why aren't you saying anything?
I am sorry but I don't intend to join you in your ill-intent work. Sorry, Divit, I was fooled into thinking that you wanted to be my friend.
But I won't let my best friend suffer even if I have to go through you."
Divit was speechless and confused about what to do, he didn't want to lose her, his eyes drooped low, a heavyweight sat on his heart, the shadow hovering upon him couldn't control him anymore, beautiful memory pops in his brain, projecting the moment of Hrida promising him that she would never abandon him and always remain as friends.
But, his fear crawled over his heart questioning him whether her other friends especially those two boys would take away his friend. This thought saddened him, but his heart refused to agree with fear's perspective.
Hrida noticed how his pupils were shaking, his brows tensed, and his fingers fiddling, so she attempted a risky move despite knowing that she might get hurt by his shadow but she didn't bother. His chaotic mind, fearful thoughts, wilderness, and desperation vanished like a poof in the air, as he felt two arms gently embracing him.
Divit felt warmth igniting in his heart as if a homeless heart found a home, he didn't want to leave this home ever again, a content smile curved on his lips after long years of wandering in nothingness, his demonic form diminished bit by bit without him realizing it at all.
This scene touched and evoked a smile on the people's faces watching this except Soma, who was a bit annoyed by their hug but overall he was happy that Hrida cleared the third block as well, still, there was one being who wasn't impressed/satisfied by Divit's surrender, the 4th block demon, Jivan.
Jivan separated Hrida roughly from Divit and grabbed her both hands tight with one hand and without giving any of them to predict his next move, he took out a thin and sharp knife from his pocket and pointed at her neck, placed it close to her neck, scraping her skin a bit, she hisses, her loved ones screamer her name in fear of losing her.
Hrida gulped in fear, the knife was too close to her throat, and Jivan wasn't much fan of thinking twice before hurting them, she mumbled with a scared tone, " This is it, I am gone for sure, now. I should have been alert, ugh."
Divit's demonic form returned when he got separated from Hrida and his shadows were growling dangerously when he witnessed Jivan attempting to kill his friend, he grabbed Jivan by his neck, lifted him high up in the air, and harshly threw him against the ground with ease as if Jivan was just bag of sack.
Hrida calmed her shaking hands and rubbed her palms together to feel the warmth while humming softly random tunes, she was grateful to Divit for saving her life, she paced towards him but she noticed Jivan approaching him fast behind Divit, she did alert Divit but Jivan was fast.
He glides his knife against his stomach, he growls, Hrida rushes to his side and prevents him from falling, her one hand wrapped around his torso and another placed gently over his wound, her hands get decorated with blood.
Hrida noticed his painful expression, his bleeding, something took over Hrida, her features turned cold and serious.
First of all, she made him sit on the ground and look for something, she discovered Ambar had a scarf wrapped around her neck. Jivan tried to stab her while she was busy treating Divit's wound but he failed cause Divit threw stones at him distracting him, he advanced towards Divit and got pushed from behind, he fell on his face, Divit snickers while hissing in pain.
Hrida quickly wraps the long scarf around his wound, covering it completely, the scarf being a woolen material, absorbing the blood and preventing it from spilling out, meanwhile, Divit is staring at her face, observing her while she is treating his injury.
Jivan mockingly calls out to Hrida, Hrida turns facing him in the eye with a mad glaze in her eyes, causing him to stumble on his own feet and fall on his back. She towers upon him, leans closer to his face, and steals the knife from his hand without his notice.
He was shocked, confused by her action, at the next moment, he felt cold metal touch against his neck and when he looked front, he made eye contact with Hrida, whose hand pressed his own knife against his throat, she spoke in bone-chilling tone, " Jivan, I too can steal, you know, your life this instant but then it would stain my hand with impure thoughts of yours.
I don't intend to kill you but that doesn't mean I don't have other ways to give you pain if you still like to swing your knife everywhere.
That Old uncle didn't deserve your merciless torture, if you wanted to steal, then you could have stolen some items or things of his but how could you steal his life?
A killer thief, you have become and now still, you smoothly glide this knife upon anyone as if it is something normal to do.
I thought, if you were given proper therapy and dealt with care, then maybe you would realize the sin you acted but here, look at you, carrying the same sick mentality. Anyway, you will face the punishment for your sins.
You know, I could take your life and then justify it as my defense act. However, an excuse is still an excuse and that doesn't differ from a crime cause it would be purely an act of revenge as you could never harm me, as you can already see.
So, don't worry, police officers will take care of you very well, still, I genuinely feel pity and sympathy for you, cause your starvation and basic needs left you hungry for shedding blood and the hard work of others.
I hope you realize your mistakes and sins. Even though you dislike me, still I hope that you become human by admitting your errors and fixing your mentality into a new one." Hrida threw the knife far away from anyone's reach and slowly paced towards Shashi, who was lying on the ground while hiding his face, coiling his body inwards, opposite to Hrida, she neared him, sat down by his side, she called out his name but he didn't respond.
Hrida hesitantly held his arm and turned his body facing towards her, she covered her mouth, noticing the same blood-red tears coming out of his eyes, the mall incident memory ignited the painful trauma that she felt that day.
Out of nowhere, she saw a shadow jump from behind her and integrate with Shashi, he silently tossed his body here and there, and now it clicked her, the blocks falling one by one and its shadows gathered over him.
Hrida's vision blurred, and tears captured in her eyes, urging to flow through her eyes, she finally let go of her tears, and started sobbing, her body shaking violently.
Shashi heard her cry, and his pain increased, he tried to rise but he couldn't uplift his heavy body.
He playfully jokes with the faintest voice, " Hr-Hrida, if you continue your teary moment, then I am afraid I can't swim in your ocean of tears."
Hrida tears up more, she tries to hug him but he blocks her from hugging him, she weeps loudly, and the barrier disappears as soon as the 4th block faints, but they are stunned by all these rapid things happening.
Kritak supported Lakshman sir and took him near them, Shashi's mom paled and sank to her knees, her son was in extreme pain and she knew her son was at the mercy of Kali, who would never spare him unless Hrida surrendered to Kali, which she couldn't let happen either, she felt trapped, she didn't want any of them to lose themselves.
Soma crashed at Shashi's feet and noticed Hrida's state, his heart ached but Shashi's state was way worse than her, he blamed himself for not being able to rescue any of his friends and he didn't want to lose any of them.
Soma's mom comforted Soma, while Hrida is being consoled by Navya, she boost her hope with a hopeful tone, " Hrida, you can't lose hope, remember, hold on and don't lose the thread of hope.
He is strong as you, you need to boost his courage and help him relieve from the hold of Kali.
Hmm !"
Hrida wiped her tears, she looked around her, Soma laid his head on his mom's lap, Navya carrying Tapish in her arms and trying to wake him up, and Shashi's mom staring at Shashi with a hollow gaze.
Kritak bhaiya and Dhansi ji took care of Divit and Lakshman sir, who was bruised, and meanwhile, the police officers and civilians kept chanting mantras, audible to her ears now clearly, she felt the powerful rhythm of chants touch her soul, a boost of energy flowing through her veins, a unsettling fire ignited within, she felt ready to burn every web, trap and shadow that inflicted pain to her loved ones.
Hrida swallowed her sobs and called out his name with a loud tone with a hint of stubbornness, " Shahsiii! i...I * chokes on sobs* * clears her throat* I know you can hear me, silly! My game partner, you can win this game as well. I know, you used to lose in the games but you have also won the game a lot of times, remember.
Shashiii...Please…Hold on...Love conquers all.
Negative energy can be powerful but not as powerful as positive emotions. Fear never wins against Love unless there is no love to hold on to, but you do have all of us rooting for you.
Fight it, Shashi, and return to us, just remember the love, and affection you felt from all of us. Shashi, try for us, for me, for Soma, at least for your mom, don't lose the rope of hope."
Shashi tries to think of the warm memories deep hidden behind the dark walls blocking him from seeing through, faint blurry memories line up in his brain, the days spent with his mom and Hrida, the days he spent with Tapish and Hrida, and the day, he made another friend Soma to count on.
Shashi felt his shoulder lighter, his heaviness reduced little by little, and his hisses hushed down, Kali immediately sensed his grip weakening, he panicked and gathered all the shadows of the Shawmys scattered in the city and directed it all toward Shashi.
He let out a scream, his red blood tears transitioned into a darker red hue, his body painted in pitch black, thorns erupting from his back, he groaned in pain, Shashi's mom and Hrida shouted, " Shashi! " at the same time.