25. Dreadful Night

Word Glossary:

Vaidh - Traditional Ayurvedic Physician

Dusk was near meaning end of the day so their work was also wrapped up. Raina completed her work and moved out of that small office of village council.

She saw other people sitting in the car then she remembered that she hadn't seen Adya since afternoon , she searched for her but couldn't find her.

The other car was also gone by that time, anxiety was creeping on her mind when someone called her from behind, "Ms. Raina..!!!"

After hearing that strong voice she turned around. Adhiraj looked at her and asked, "All work done??"

She nodded her head. She again looked for Adya but when she couldn't find her, she asked, "Sir....Where is Adya ma'am and Rohan sir??"

He normally replied, " They went back to Jodhpur in afternoon , some important matter came up."

She was shocked, suddenly she started feeling insecure just like a baby lost somewhere.

She asked worriedly, "How will I go back.?? I came with them."

Adhiraj said pointing towards his car, "Come... I will drop you.."

He started walking but Raina was rooted on her place looking at his back. When he felt that she was not following him he turned and called her, "Come fast Ms. Raina.. It is getting dark. The way back is not safe enough."

Raina came out of her dazed state and followed him. She was pouting thinking, 'How will I spend three hours with this lion all alone.??'

When Raina reached near his car , she moved her eyes over that sleek black car. It was looking beautiful and expensive..

She had a strong fascination towards car and bike since forever. She smiled a little and muttered, "Black Beauty... I already like you."

She opened the door of passenger seat and settled herself on the comfy seat. Adhiraj had already ignited the engine. As soon as she was comfortable on her seat he started his car.

Silence..... Pin drop silence was hovering in the car... Almost half an hour had passed but none of them spoke a word. If another normal girl would be sitting beside him, she would have drifted to sleep out of boredom but insomniac like Raina was not lucky to get it although her sleeping quota was already completed .

Her hands automatically went to the button and the window glass slided down. Cool air passed through her hair. In daytime, the same air was feeling like hot steam on her body but dessert cooled down as soon as the sun set...

She sighed in relief... Artificial AC's cool air was nothing in front of that natural breeze.

Adhiraj's attention turned towards her. She was awfully quite with him. It was not like everyone conversed with him casually, most of the people other then his family and friends always repulsed from chatting with him due to his cold behavior but he was not liking the thick silence prevailing between them. He knew it earlier that Raina will not behave casually with him, scratch that , she never behaves casually with anyone other then Akshit and her friend..

To make her more comfortable he turned of the AC and slided the window glass of his side.

But still the level of silence didn't go down.

Adhiraj continued driving in the darkness..

Suddenly the car lost its balance on the road but Adhiraj managed to pull the sudden break.. They jerked forward due to the momentum.

Raina kept her palms flat on dashboard to prevent any hitting. Her heart was beating very fast, she put her hand on her chest to calm her rapid breathing.

Adhiraj also gain his composure, he tried to start the car again but it didn't move even an inch. He came outside of the car and moved towards the bonnet of the car. He opened it and peeked inside to see if something was wrong.

Raina was constantly watching him who was trying to start the car, when he went outside her eyes were following him in anticipation. Raised bonnet blocked her view and she looked away.

Adhiraj couldn't find anything wrong with engine . He moved near the door of driver's seat. He was confused . His eyes travelled to the tyres. Hurriedly he opened the door and switched off the light inside car to prevent any extra attention from surrounding.

He retreated himself from the car and said to Raina, "Ms. Raina..Close the window.."

Raina was shocked on his actions and command.

She stuttered, "Uhhh..? Wh..what sir??"

He looked at her with his furious and darkened eyes, "Just do what I say Raina."

His dominant voice shook her internally. Her hands automatically went towards the switch to close the window glass.

He closed the door with a thud and bent down to see the tyre, he pulled the iron nail pierced in the tyre. Not only one but many nails were there. It was a pre-indication of approaching threat.

He walked to every corner and the tyres were punctured because of the same reason. He kicked the already flat tyre in annoyance but he had to solve the problem.

He looked in all directions to see something helpful , his eyes caught the sight of light at a distance.

It didn't took him long to guess that a village was nearby. He wanted to reach the place as fast as he can, he had a woman with him and that was his biggest concern. He had to keep her safe otherwise he was absolutely capable of handling the situation all by himself.

He sensed something behind him, he bent down to avoid the blow. A man was standing there with a wooden log in his hand and agitation was clear on his face as he just missed his target. Adhiraj took the opportunity of darkness and kicked hard on his knee resulting in the fall of man.

Adhiraj was fast enough to stand up with the same wooden log and he hit a man who was running towards him. Adhiraj focused on them. It was a small group of five people whereas one was lying on the ground hissing in pain and three was standing at a distance and one man was sitting holding his knee cause of the painful blow .

Nobody had anything lethal with them. It was clear that they came there for giving him some injuries only not death.

Two man came at a time where one was manhandling him from backside and other one threw a punch on his jaw.

Adhiraj pushed himself behind with a sudden jerk and they hit the back of trunk. That man screamed in pain as a jolt of pain went through his spine .

Adhiraj held the fist of first person in his deathly grip and twisted it in the opposite direction. He was busy with these two when the third one poured some liquid on a small knife and came towards him. He was going to stab Adhiraj on his chest when Adhiraj got alerted and pushed the other man in front of the knife using him as a shield. But in all this, he got a stab on his left side of chest. It was not big as compared to the force applied on the knife.

The man with knife looked at him again wanting to jab him but a scream caught their attention.

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Raina was going impatient as soon as Adhiraj closed the door. Within one minute she started sweating out of anxiety , his strange behavior and darkness inside and outside the car didn't helped her condition. No doubt the car was soundproof, she can hear her uneven breathing clearly.

She was cursing her fate when a jolt from behind the car made her look backside. She worriedly tried to look what happened but darkness was not letting her do that. Finally she saw Adhiraj struggling with some man and to increase her horror a man stabbed Adhiraj with a knife. But Adhiraj managed to pull a man in front if him. She screamed in worry, "Sir!!!! "

Her hands moved to the door to open it but even after her numerous attempts, it didn't. Her breathings turned more uneven that time.

She was again and again seeing backwards. When the passenger door didn't open, she pushed herself above the seat and decided to exit the car through driver's door.

She was trying to go as smoothly as she could but her suit was creating problems.

She screamed in frustration, "Arghh.. ... What the hell!!!!"

Her eyes filled with tears. Everything was irritating her, the hotness inside the car, her uneven breath , her rapid heartbeats, and most important her situation and that dreadful night....

She was able to land on the driver's seat when a beam of light blinded her vision. She placed her palm in front of her eyes and scrutinized them for a better view.

A few men were coming in their direction, they had a torch with them by which they observed the car and were coming towards it out of curiosity.

Raina knew that it was the best time to act. She hurriedly opened the door and stumbled out of the car with haste. She took few steps from where men were coming and screamed, "HELP!!!!"

Her voice cracked a little but again she screamed, "Please help us..!!!"

The men fastened their pace and literally ran to her. But she didn't stopped there , she ran towards the trunk of car.

The man was still trying to poke that knife but Adhiraj was holding his hand strongly. Raina pushed the man with all her might and he fell on the ground due to the impact.

He stood up again and now he was angrily marching towards Raina but the village men arrived on the correct time. They started beating him but Adhiraj was losing his consciousness leaning on the car. Raina griped his arm to provide him support just then she saw blood spots on his shirt.

That man ran to a bike standing on roadside to save himself from the physical assaulting and he flew away leaving his friends lying on the ground.

A man came to Raina and asked about the problem. She narrated everything she knew. Man inspected his wound.

Another man spotted the bottle lying on the road, he picked it up and smelled it. He said quickly, "We must take him to Vaidh ji as soon as possible."

Another man also said, "Yeah...Our village is on just walking distance. Just the way he fainted, there is something wrong."

Raina could not argue , she followed them as the men carried Adhiraj to a small house.

She entered a room, many glass containers with different types of liquid and herb was placed there. An aged man soon came as Adhiraj was made to lie on the bed.

Raina was standing beside him, her eyes blurred with tears after seeing his condition properly in light. Upper part of shirt was almost drenched in his blood, his condition was totally disheveled.

A sob escaped his lips, she held his hand in between her palms and whispered, "Sir.... Get up please."

Old aged Vaidh looked at her and give her a chair to settle down. She sat on the chair still holding his hand, blood was something which she didn't wanted to see in her life but the bloody shirt was triggering her emotions.

Vaidh ji unbuttoned his shirt and inspected his wound. He said in a worried tone, "This is not a normal injury.."

Raina asked, "What do you mean??"

Vaidh ji took a small knife and scratched the upper layer of his wound. Raina hissed seeing it but what shocked her further was that blood was no more in liquid form, it had turned into jelly which sticked to the surface of knife.

Suddenly a man came forwarding a bottle in his hand, "Vaid ji, I found this bottle at that place."

Vaidh ji took the bottle and smelled it, his face scrunched and he said, "Maybe they applied this poision on weapon before stabbing him, but no worries this poision is of a local dessert snake and I know the cure."

He took out some roots and few bottles and settled on his seat to prepare the medicine. Raina was still holding his hand, after few minutes some people entered the room.

Three women came towards Raina, their face was covered with veil. One of them placed her hand on her shoulder in consoling manner.

She said , "Girl!! Let's go inside the house...Men are here."

Raina shook her head and a lone tear escaped her eyes, "No !! Please, I don't want to leave him alone."

The lady understood her trauma, she started patting her back . She asked , "Is he your brother??"

Raina nodded negatively. She again asked, "Your husband??"

Raina again nodded in no focusing on Adhiraj's face.

A voice boomed in the room, "Vaidh ji , stop your treatment."

Raina looked at the giant person on whose order old Vaidh took a step back discontinuing his work.

The man said in a scary voice, "You are nor his sister neither his wife. Were you two eloping so that those man attacked you?? What is your relation with him.??"

Raina was going to say the truth but her brain started working on correct time. That place was not Mumbai neither the people were open minded enough, if she would tell the truth , it will create another chaos so she said whatever came in her mind , "He is my fiance."

That man's gaze softened a bit giving Raina a hope but it was soon shattered as he open his mouth again, "Don't you modern people have shame?? You are roaming in isolated area in night before marriage?? I don't have even a little bit sympathy with you sinners... You people don't have respect for our culture and god."

If Adhiraj wouldn't have fainted, she would probably give a tight slap on that man's face.

But she didn't have any option, "I am sorry. We had some work, we won't do it again. Please start his treatment."

Again that man again said, "No!!! We won't treat him, we don't want to be a part of your intolerance."

Raina looked at them terrified, "Please don't do this... He will die." She whispered last part .

"Then marry him.."

Raina left Adhiraj's hand in utter shock, "Wh..What? "

Again he said, "Marry him and ensure us that our God won't be angry with us for supporting you."

She said in a chocked voice, "How could I ??"

The woman who was standing beside and bent down near her ear and whispered so that only Raina could hear her, "Girl... Just do what he is saying.. He holds the power here. Nobody will disobey him and you won't be able to get another doctor here. Marry him my child even when I know that he is not your fiance. Marry him to save him."

Raina looked at her shocked, that woman was pretty experienced with lines of wisdom on her forehead, it was very easy to caught Raina's lie.

She nudged her again, "Think fast my child... He is injured near his heart... It will take very less time to spread the poison."

Raina huffed. How could she do it? She wanted to cry badly.. Why did she come with him on first place? And that chimpanzee man was staring at her making her more nervous. How would she love to scratch that face of him...

She turned to look at Adhiraj. His face turned a little pale. She won't be able to witness a man dying just before her. He was someone's family... She didn't want another person to experience the same thing she did just because of her ignorance. Her eyes settled on his lips on which violet colour was creeping indicating the effect of poison.

She ducked her head down, she closed her eyes and said the words with difficulty, "I am ready... I am ready to marry him. "

"But I have a condition."

Longest chapter till now. Was it a little dramatic?

Once I came across an article , a couple was being all cheesy and romantic at a public park on Valentine's day. Members of Bajrang Dal arrived at that place with a priest and get them married. Even they invited journalists to take their photo.

I was laughing so hard after reading that.

But on a serious note, I am not talking against or in favor of Bajrang Dal. They do many great things too.

But hypocrites still hold the power in society on the name so called protection of culture.

Don't hesitate to drop your comments and votes. 😊😊

Let's meet again in the next chapter 😋