Chapter 22

Two weeks passed,

As the rhythmic sound of heavy breathing filled the gym as Madhav gripped the pull-up bar, his muscles tensed with each lift. The steel frame creaked slightly under his weight, but he remained focused, his mind lost in deep thought.

Just then, Meera walked in, casually taking a seat nearby. "Hey, Madhav, are you even listening?" she called out, crossing her legs.

Madhav didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed ahead.

Meera sighed. "Your mother and father are fine now. They were discharged two days ago, and I took them to your grandfather's house, just like you asked." She hesitated before adding, "They don't remember what happened to them."

Madhav's grip tightened on the bar, his expression unreadable. "And... what about my father? Did he ask about my brother?"

Meera shook her head. "No, he didn't."

Madhav let out a slow exhale but said nothing, his emotions buried beneath silence.

Suddenly, the gym door swung open. Mohit stormed in, his eyes burning with frustration. He came to a halt in front of Madhav, watching him with clenched fists as Madhav continued his pull-ups, unfazed.

"What are you doing, Madhav?" Mohit snapped. "Why are you acting like nothing happened?"

Madhav still didn't respond, doing exercise.

Mohit's voice grew harsher. "Our friend is still in the hospital! His condition isn't improving! And you... you haven't even come to college! The new principal has been asking about you. And here you are... wasting time in the gym?"

Meera smirked and leaned back in her chair. "You're the one who gave Madhav this gym address, remember? You literally said, 'He won't have any trouble here.'"

Mohit blinked smile a little, momentarily thrown off. "Oh... yeah, I did." He scratched the back of his head before snapping back to his serious expression. "That's not the point!"

Here Meera grinned playfully. "By the way, where did you even get this gym's address? I thought you always worked out at your uncle's gym."

Mohit hesitated. "I... I do. But the equipment there isn't in great condition. My uncle got this address from a friend of his because his son Afjal owns a gym . That's how I found out about it.

Mohit said, "Oh yeah? But how do you know about it? I always go to my uncle's gym; I never told anyone."

She raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. You never told anyone about your uncle's gym... but I've seen you there before."

Mohit stiffened for a moment before forcing a laugh. "Oh? Well... small world, I guess."

Madhav finally dropped from the pull-up bar, rolling his shoulders. His eyes met Mohit's, cold and unreadable.

Here Mohit expected Madhav to say something, but he just went back to his workout again.

As the air inside the gym grew tense as six muscular men stormed in, their eyes scanning the place until they spotted Madhav. He was focused, muscles straining as he pushed through another set of heavy reps.

One of them smirked, stepping forward. "Hey, buddy, we just got here. Time for you to move. We need this machine."

Madhav barely glanced at them, his voice calm but firm. "Wait a few minutes. I'll be done soon."

The men exchanged amused glances. Another one chuckled. "Oh, look at this guy. Training for the Olympics or what?"

The second man added, "Yeah, man, make sure to win a medal for us!" The group erupted into loud laughter.

Meera, seated nearby, sighed. "Just wait for your turn."

One of the men, his grin widening, leaned in. "Oh, we'll wait... if you spend some time with us." Their laughter grew louder.

Mohit stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "Watch your mouth. You're crossing the line."

The fourth man sneered, "Oh yeah? And what if we do? What are you gonna do about it?"

Mohit clenched his fists, his temper rising. Just as he moved to confront them, the fourth man slid a hand into his pocket, fingers gripping something hidden.

Meera noticed immediately. Her voice dropped low. "Wait, don't." She reached out, gripping Mohit's wrist just in time.

The fourth man stepped closer, his expression twisted with a cruel smirk. "Hiding behind a girl now? Looks like you don't have the guts to stand on your own."

The others laughed again.

Mohit exhaled sharply. "You think I'm scared? You need a whole gang to throw your weight around. That just proves you have no courage."

The fourth man's expression darkened. His grip tightened around the handle of the knife in his pocket. "I'll carve that attitude right off your face!"

With a swift motion, he pulled out the knife and lunged straight at Mohit.

But before the blade could reach its mark, Meera moved.

With lightning-fast reflexes, she sidestepped and grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. In one fluid motion, she flipped him over, sending him crashing onto the rowing machine. The impact was brutal.

Silence.

Mohit and the other five men stood frozen, eyes wide with shock.

The fourth man groaned, barely able to move.

The remaining five snapped out of their stupor. Rage flared in their eyes. "You're dead!" they roared, charging straight at Meera.

Mohit squared his stance, ready to fight. "You want to fight? Then come at me first!"

But before the clash could happen—

Madhav spoke.

His voice was calm, almost lazy, as he raised a single hand.

"Unconscious."

The word rang out like a command.

The five men, still mid-charge, collapsed instantly. Their bodies hit the ground with heavy thuds, completely unconscious.

Mohit staggered back, his breath caught in his throat. "What... what just happened?"

He crouched, checking the five men. "They're not dead... just out cold."

His gaze flicked to the man Meera had thrown. He was barely moving, groaning in pain.

Mohit looked up at Madhav, shock still evident on his face.

"What the hell did you just do?"

Meera, smirked. "Well, considering how much they work out, maybe they just... overexerted themselves and passed out?"

Mohit shot her a look. "Seriously? You think lifting weights all day makes people drop like flies? I heard Madhav say 'unconscious'—and boom! They just collapsed!"

Meera shrugged. "Coincidence?"

Mohit sighed, rubbing his temples. "You know what? Maybe I should just splash some water on their faces, wake them up."

Madhav, who had been casually stretching as if nothing had happened, finally spoke. His voice was calm, almost bored. "No need. They're just unconscious. They'll wake up eventually after few hours."

Mohit raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know that?"

Madhav smirked. "Because of my power."

Silence.

Mohit and Meera exchanged glances.

Mohit leaned in slightly. "Wait… hold up. Your what?"

Madhav just shrugged. "My power."

Mohit groaned. "Okay, great. Now he's acting like some anime protagonist."

Meanwhile, the unconscious bodybuilders lay motionless on the floor.

Mohit sighed again. "Fine. I'll just let them wake up on their own. But if they start questioning things, than what we will say .

Madhav smirked. " It's Not like they'll remember much anyway."

Madhav leaned against the workout bench, his expression calm but firm. "You've already seen the golden coin's power, Mohit.

Mohit ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his voice. Madhav, in just a short time, our friend is unconscious in the hospital, Anika somehow got a magical creature that nobody knows about, and we have no real information . "I am happy that you destroyed the coin, which is why that evil demon didn't kill you. I'm angry with you Madhav, because you haven't been coming to college or visiting Raj in the hospital. And then I suddenly find out about all this, that you suddenly have powers, just like that blind guy we saw in Shimla!"

Madhav didn't react. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He placed it on the table beside Meera, who was silently watching the conversation unfold.

"Not just me," Madhav said, locking eyes with Mohit. "Meera has powers too. She can read minds."

Mohit froze, his gaze shifting between the box and Meera. "Wait… what?"

Meera sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's true. I can hear thoughts—fragments, emotions, sometimes even full sentences."

She said, "For example, I just used this power to read the mind of that person who was about to attack you Mohit, with a knife. So I was able to anticipate his move."

Mohit let out a dry chuckle." Just perfect.

First the curse coin and now she can read mind's?"

Mohit took a shaky breath, his voice laced with uncertainty. "By the way… that blind man in Shimla said he gave up his body parts to gain power. Did you both make some kind of deal with a demon?"

Madhav's eyes widened. "No! No, I didn't give anything—or any part of my body—to anyone!"

Mohit still looked doubtful. "Then how the hell did you get these powers?" Here madhav reply " I don't know ".

A knowing voice cut through the tension. "I know the answer."

Both Madhav and Mohit turned to Meera, who sat calmly with an almost amused expression.

Madhav crossed his arms. "Of course, you do. Why do you always keep the most important details to yourself until the last moment?"

Meera chuckled. "Because I had to get permission first."

Madhav sighed, frustration evident in his voice. "After everything that happened—after I killed all those people at my home that day—you said you could help and that you knew how to bring Raj out of his coma. But when I asked you about it, you just said you needed time and that you needed to talk to someone about it. Plus, you told me to improve my physical condition by exercising."

Meera nodded. "Yes, yes , I'm here to give you all the answers."

She took a deep breath and looked at Madhav and Mohit. "As you both know, I have the power to read people's minds. But what you don't know is how I got it."

Madhav and Mohit listened intently as Meera continued. "I get this power from my grandmother. When she was on her deathbed, my father told me to stand near her. In her final moments, just as she passed away, I heard a voice in my ear. It said, 'You have obtained the skill: Mind Reading.'"

Madhav's expression darkened, his voice low. "I heard that voice too… when my brother, Purav, died in front of me."

Mohit furrowed his brows. "But I thought Purav died in the fire. That's what the news reported."

Madhav hesitated but nodded. "That's what everyone believes."

Mohit rubbed his chin, piecing it together. "So, if someone with super or magical powers is about to die, and another person is near them, they inherit the power? Is that how it works?"

Meera shook her head. "Not exactly. My brother gained his powers differently. He didn't just inherit them—he got them by killing someone who already had this type powers."

Madhav's eyes widened slightly. "That… makes sense." He exhaled, his mind racing. "Now that I think about it, after I killed someone, I gained another skill too."

Mohit turned to him sharply. "Wait, what?! How many skills do you have?"

Madhav counted silently for a moment before replying. "I think… three now."

Meera and Mohit both stared at him in shock.

"Three?!" Meera exclaimed. "Most people—if they're lucky—get one or two. But you have three?"

Mohit's curiosity burned. "And what are they?"

Madhav thought for a moment before listing them out. "First, Heat and Freeze Resistance. Second, unconscious skill. And third, Master Arts and Basic Fight Style."

Meera and Mohit looked at each other, realization dawning on them.

Mohit leaned back with a grin, shaking his head. Mohit let out a low whistle. "Amazing, Madhav! You've got such cool powers, and Anika has that weird little creature. It's like our world is turning into a fantasy novel!"

Meera, who had been listening quietly, spoke with a serious expression. "That creature has a name. It's called Da-Tan, and it's not just some random weird thing—it's a magical creature."

Mohit raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I just forgot his name."

Meera nodded. "My grandfather had one at his home. And not just Da-Tan—there are other magical creatures in this world too. They exist, even if most people don't know about them."

Mohit's playful expression faded as he saw how serious Meera looked. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Uh… I was just joking, you know."

Meera crossed her arms. "I wasn't."

Mohit let out a nervous chuckle and turned to Madhav. "Okay, this is getting a little too serious . Please relax and don't start fighting like children both of you.

Madhav looked at Meera. "Alright, Meera. Now tell us—how do we get Raj out of his coma?"

Meera leaned back slightly. "Whatever medicine they given to Raj, it's not normal and it's rarely gets .There's only one person who can help you—my grandfather."

Mohit's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Then why didn't you tell us earlier?!"

Meera sighed. "Because I had to get an appointment to meet him first."

Madhav frowned. "An appointment? With your own grandfather? Why?"

Meera chuckled. "Because he's not just my grandfather—he's a businessman. Even family members need an appointment to meet him."

Mohit shook his head in disbelief. "Wow… your family sounds intense."

Meera smiled. "Well, the good news is—I already got us an appointment. So, are you two ready to meet him?"

Madhav and Mohit both said yeh . "Let's go."