Chapter 62

Sameera couldn't go outside after that. Literally. He was not letting her go even two meters away from him. She was frustrated. But when he pouted and filled his eyes with those fake tears, she couldn't help but sigh and let him hug her and again hold her so tight that she couldn't move.

"Sweeeeetttttttthhhhhhheeeeeaaaaart!"

He whined once again when she got off of his lap to go to toilet. His eyes went wide and lip lowered. With trembling lips and watered eyes(totally fake) he spoke

"Where are you going? Don't leave me please."

Sameera sighed and rubbed her head.

"It's been a whole day since you have me seated like that. What's the deal man?"

She asked and he pouted even more.

"Don't leave me. Please."

She tsked at this.

"Don't bother with that face. It's annoying. And I'm not going anywhere but toilet. Now can I?"

She asked and he straightened himself smiling sheepishly.

"Of course. Bye!"

Saying this he too stood up and ran towards his room. He too wanted to go too, now that he realised.

Sameera sighed and went inside the bathroom to do her buisness. That day was her birthday and she was tired of saying thankyou. Every relative, even the ones whom she has not talked in more than three years, have called her to wish her birthday.

When she got out she thought to drink water. She filled two glasses, handed one to Shrithik who was now beside her and drank from the other.

Exactly when she kept the glass down, the doorbell rang. She started making her way to the door but Shrithik stopped her. He could feel it. He could feel her. That she was here.

"No sweetheart. Don't."

"Someone's there old man."

He shook his head.

"Please don't open it. I'm begging you."

He said and she furrowed her brows.

"But what's the deal? I don't understand."

"No swee-"

"Sameera! Sameera!"

He started but another voice cut him off and Sameera turned towards him.

"It's my teacher old man. The one I told you about? I can recognise her voice. Not any danger. You don't need to worry."

He stilled when he heard this.

She was her teacher? His grip loosened on her wrist and she walked away to open the door. Much to his dismay.

Sameera couldn't understand why he was being like that from the past two days. But she was excited to see her mam. She opened the door and smiled at the beautiful old lady standing in front of her.

Maadhavi ji smiled at her old student. Sameera has always been one of her favourite students. One, because of her humble personality and second because only Sameera can hurt the ones she wanted to hurt.

"Mam! Please come in mam."

Sameera offered giving her some space to get in.

Maadhavi ji smiled and entered her house.

"Happy birthday beta."

She wished and as soon as she entered the house her eyes met Shrithik's.

It was like all air left his body. If it wasn't for the table beside him he would have been on the floor. Coughing loudly. But he couldn't even breathe.

It was her! IT WAS HER!

It was the end. He could see it in Maadhavi's eyes. She was here to destroy him. She was here to destroy his newly blossomed life. She was here to destroy him.

Maadhavi's smile was devilish. It was evil. He could see it. But Sameera couldn't. For Sameera, Maadhavi ji was the best teacher ever.

"Mam! Why are you standing? Please have a seat."

Maadhavi turned around and smiled at Sameera.

"Sure Sameera. I've got a nice gift for you too."

"There was no need mam."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

She asked suddenly looking at Shrithik and Sameera's smile faltered.

"Uhhh..........yeah. You can see him?"

Sameera asked going towards Shrithik. Suddenly feeling protective.

"Of course, dear. I can. I-"

"DON'T! Don't Maadhavi."

Shrithik roared and Sameera looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Why not? I should gift her the truth right? On her birthday? What will be better?"

Maadhavi questioned and Shrithik got furious. He was about to make a move but Sameera stopped him.

"Truth?"

Maadhavi laughed.

"Look how innocent she is! She isn't even aware! You haven't told her about it right? No.....you have told her."

She said and looked at Sameera. Sameera was confused. Extremely.

"But what? I know everything. He has told me everything. Why are you-"

She started saying but was cut off.

"Do you know whom he killed? Do you how important that person was to me? Do you know how kind hearted that person was? DO YOU KNOW THAT HE ALMOST TOOK AWAY THE REASON FOR ME TO LIVE!!? Do you know that I cursed him?"

Maadhavi roared, shutting her up. Sameera's jaw dropped.

What!

Her teacher, Maadhavi mam cursed her Shrithik?

"Mam what are you saying?"

She asked slowly thinking that her teacher must've misunderstood. She was trying to assure herself.

"You do know Sameera what I'm saying. And I'm here to give you your birthday gift."

She said and smiled sweetly.

Shrithik who was quiet all this time suddenly panicked.

"No! No Maadhavi. I'm the one. Not her. Don't do anything to her. NO!"

At first Sameera couldn't understand why he was saying like that but when she saw smoke coming out of her teacher's body she understood.

Maadhavi was now covered with fire. She was producing the fire.

"SHE MUST MEET THE SAME FATE THAT HE MET WITH. YOU MUST EXPERIENCE THE SAME I DID. SHE SHALL BURN IN THIS FIRE. AND YOU...........YOU SHOULD BURN TOO. NOT IN THE FIRE BUT IN THE GUILT!"

She spoke, covered with flames and flying a feet above the ground. Her face was not recognisable. She was looking dangerous.

"No Maadhavi. Please! She has not done anything. You cannot do that."

Shrithik cried going on his knees. Begging her. But she was nowhere to listen.

Maadhavi laughed and suddenly looked at Sameera. At the same time Sameera felt something. And she screamed.

Her hand burnt. It was feeling like somebody threw acid on her. Tears flew out of her eyes.

Shrithik who was on his knees couldn't even get up before Sameera dropped. Her leg too was feeling the same. Soon her whole body was on fire.

Shrithik scrambled towards her and tried to make ice to sooth her. But couldn't. His powers weren't working.

"Sweetheart! Wait. I'll bring some ice sweetheart. Nothing will happen."

He was about to stand up but Sameera screamed again. Except her face her whole body was burning.

His eyes were watering looking at her state and suddenly something flashed before his eyes. Him in the same position. He remembered when he himself left him like that. Almost dying. Sameera's state was no better than that.

"Sweetheart."

He whispered and a tear fell from his eye. It landed on her cheek and it burnt her more. She couldn't breathe.

She was screaming in agony. Never has she ever experienced this kind of life sucking pain in her life.

She felt soon she would also be covered in flames like Maadhavi.

Her walnut skin was turning black.  Shrithik was scared looking at her. Her body. She was burning alive and he couldn't do anything. He was not able to do anything.

"Please don't do it. I beg you! I beg you. Burn me alive. Skin me alive. Take out each of my hair. Just leave her. Please leave her! I surrender. Take me to dogs to eat. But please.......please...... please leave my sweetheart. Please."

He cried looking at Sameera who was now burnt away so badly that she couldn't even cry. She was looking like a roasted chicken.

Tears flew out of Shrithik's eyes and he threw himself in Maadhavi's legs. Begging her to leave Sameera.

And suddenly he heard the most satisfying words.

"Okay."

Maadhavi said and he looked up. He looked up to see a teacher, a mother, a grandmother not someone who wanted revenge.

"I can't hurt her. She doesn't deserve any of it."

She said and kicked him away. Then she went towards Sameera who was now totally burned. One little caress was all it took for her to be fine once again.

Shrithik ran towards Sameera when her skin changed back to normal. When she was free of the agony.

Hugging her tightly he cried.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Because of me you have to go through all this. I'm so sorry."

Sameera rubbed his back feeling his cold tars connect to her skin.

"It's okay."

"No it's not. Everytime because of me you have to suffer. I should just die."

"Don't-"

"Yes you should. But instead of dying you should live. Live in the guilt. You should beg for your death."

Maadhavi said and he said the most depressing thing ever.

"Yes. I should."

Sameera's eyes widened. She couldn't see him because he was still hugging her. But she looked up at her teacher and begged.

"Mam please mam. Don't do anything to him. Please mam. He has suffered enough. I can't live without him mam. You cannot do anything to him mam. Please don't do this to me."

Maadhavi laughed bitterly.

"I will do it Sameera. And don't think I'll give you any sympathy. The reason you like me so much is because I made you do so. I was in your school as your teacher in the first place because of Shrithik. I wanted to hurt him. And the best way to hurt him was to hurt his loved one. Which is you. It was all fake. All smiles, all love, everything was fake by me."

Maadhavi said and looked at Shrithik. Walking towards him she touched him. Sameera's eyes widened when her hand went inside his skin.

He left Sameera. His eyes went wide. Ears and nose started to bleed and Maadhavi pulled him up.

Sameera also stood up. Loosing balance every now and she tried to stop Maadhavi from dragging Shrithik away from her.

He was unconscious. Well, who will be after getting their organs shuffled. It was just because of Maadhavi's magic that he was alive.

"DON'T LEAVE ME SHRITHIK!"

She shouted and suddenly heard a whisper

"I'll not leave you sweetheart."

She opened her eyes and saw him pushing Maadhavi away with the tiny amount of strength left and running towards her.

He dropped down on his knees even before he could reach her. But Sameera was fast. She didn't let him drop to the ground. She was with him soon holding him and crying loudly.

"You can't leave me! You'll not!"

She shouted and he chuckled softly almost unconsciously.

"I'll not."

Maadhavi scoffed.

"You are nothing without her. Just because of her presence are you alive. And swoosh!"

Maadhavi spoke and suddenly Shrithik was in a cell. All chained up and around him were large bulky men. More than 7ft. And all had leather whips in their hands.

"She's not here anymore!"

Maadhavi laughed and suddenly she too was not there. Now he was all alone with those men.

_______________________________

Sameera couldn't even understand what happened. One minute he was in her hands and another he was not. Neither was her Maadhavi mam.

For a minute or two she sat still. Understanding what happened. And then she burst into tears. Crying loudly. Banging her head on the floor. Blaming herself. If she would have listened to him none of this would have happened. She felt it was all because of her.

She cried and cried and cried. She cried till there were no tears left. She cried till no energy was left even to sit. She cried till she couldn't.

And soon Sameera was lying unconscious on the cold tiles of her house, without any sweater in the month of November.

Only one thought swirled in her mind when she got unconscious.

"Today's 23rd November. My birthday. Why did it happen? Why? Why was I even born? To make him go through hell?"