**What happened next...**
---
**Months passed**, but my life had come to a standstill. Every night, I wandered the streets where we once met, searching for any trace of her. It felt like the whole world had moved on, but I couldn't. Her presence haunted my thoughts. The house felt empty, cold. I couldn't escape the feeling that something larger was at play.
Then one evening, just as dusk fell, an old woman from the neighborhood stopped me on the street. Her eyes, clouded with age, seemed to pierce through my soul.
*"You're looking for her, aren't you?"* she asked, her voice raspy but calm.
I nodded, taken aback.
*"There's something you need to know, son,"* she said, gripping my arm. *"She was promised to someone long before you ever met her. And those promises… they aren't easily broken."*
I stared at her, confusion and frustration building inside me. *"What are you talking about?"*
She leaned in closer. *"There are forces in this world you don't understand. I've seen this before. The man who came for her... he wasn't just any man."*
Before I could press her further, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. I stood frozen, her words echoing in my mind.
**That night, the dreams began.**
I dreamt of her standing in a dark room, illuminated only by flickering candles. She was dressed in the same red saree, her ornaments glistening, but her face... her face was different. Pale, almost ghostly. There was something about her eyes—empty, soulless, as if they belonged to someone else.
In the dream, she called my name, her voice distant and hollow, like a memory slipping away.
*"Find me,"* she whispered. *"Before it's too late."*
I woke up in a cold sweat. This wasn't just a nightmare—it was a message. I needed to find out more. The next morning, I visited the old woman again. She lived in a small, dilapidated house on the edge of the town. She seemed to be expecting me.
*"You're ready to know the truth?"* she asked, her eyes glinting with a strange light.
*"Tell me,"* I said, my voice firm.
She sighed deeply, as if she had seen this play out before.
*"Years ago, in this very town, there was a similar story. A young woman was promised in marriage to a wealthy man, but she loved someone else. On the night before her wedding, she ran away with her lover. But the man she was promised to… he wasn't just any man. He was a powerful figure, tied to ancient rituals, dark forces. He vowed that if she didn't marry him in this life, she would be his in the next."*
I felt a chill run down my spine as she continued.
*"Your wife, the woman you loved—she was never meant to be with you. She was bound to that same man from long ago. And now… he's come to claim her."*
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It sounded insane, but deep down, something told me there was truth in her words.
*"But she was real,"* I protested. *"I held her, I loved her—how can she just vanish like that?"*
The old woman nodded solemnly.
*"She was real, but the forces that bind her to him are older than you can imagine. She ran to you because she loved you, but the bond... it's too strong. The man you saw take her, he isn't human anymore. He's something else. If you want her back, you'll need to confront him. But be warned—once you enter his world, there's no guarantee you'll come back."*
**That night, I made my decision.**
I was willing to risk everything. Love had already taken me this far, and if there was a chance to save her, I would take it. The old woman gave me an address—a crumbling mansion deep in the outskirts of town. It was said to be abandoned, but now I knew better. That was where he lived.
**The next evening, I arrived at the mansion.**
The air was thick with fog, and the moon hung low, casting eerie shadows over the dilapidated structure. As I approached, the front door creaked open on its own. Inside, the air was cold, suffocating. I could hear the faint sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway.
I followed the sound until I reached a grand ballroom. There, standing at the center of the room, was *her*. My heart stopped. She was just as I remembered, dressed in that same red saree, her back turned to me.
*"You came,"* she whispered without turning around.
I rushed toward her, but as I got closer, I saw the man standing beside her. He was tall, his face obscured by shadow, but I could feel his presence—dark, overpowering, unnatural.
*"She's mine,"* his voice boomed, low and menacing. *"She was always mine."*
I stood my ground, my heart pounding in my chest. *"No. She doesn't belong to you. She's not some prize to be claimed!"* I shouted, my voice filled with defiance.
The man stepped forward, finally revealing his face. His eyes were cold, ancient, filled with malice.
*"You don't understand,"* he said calmly. *"This isn't about love. It's about destiny. She is bound to me by a promise older than you, older than her. You cannot break it."*
But I refused to back down. *"If there's even the slightest chance to break it, I'll find it."*
With a twisted smile, he raised his hand, and the room around us began to shift, the walls warping and fading until we were surrounded by darkness. The ground beneath my feet trembled, and a strange energy surged through the air.
*"Then prove it,"* he sneered.
---
**To be continued...**