Chapter 2
Zavi became his school's most popular guy just a few days after moving in with the Bhaskar family. In two years, everyone at St. Teresa worshipped him like a god. People idealized him, parents wanted their kids to be like him. It was a little too much, if you asked me. I couldn't understand how he excelled at everything he did. Whether it was sports, debate class, or academics, he won trophies like it was effortless. He was annoyingly perfect, in every sense of the word.But I knew his secrets—secrets no one believed. I knew he never had to work hard to be successful. It wasn't fair.I can't say he didn't study because he did. He spent hours holed up in his room, but not with school books. He read mysterious old leather books that no one else could see, just like his cat. And just like the cat, only I could see and touch those books.I had stolen one of them once. It was written in a language I was pretty sure not only I but no one else would understand. It consisted of symbols, like hieroglyphs. I had spent hours hiding in one of the bathrooms, trying to decipher their meaning, but I came up with nothing. I wasn't the brightest student, but I did try my best to decode the book. Zavi caught me at the end of the day, sitting in the shower stall with his book. I had practically pooped my pants when I saw the scowl on his face. He snatched the book from my hand, accusing me of being a thief. I never went near his books after that. Not because I was scared of him or anything; I just knew I wouldn't be able to make sense of them.There had always been something about Zavi that I couldn't put my finger on. Not the fact that he was the freaking prince of an otherworldly kingdom. He never hid that fact from me. In fact, he made me aware of it every single second I spent with him. But there was something more. It was like he was sad, dissatisfied, or something.I wanted to figure him out so badly as a kid. I thought I could take away his worries, but I was so wrong. Neither was he mine to fix, nor was he fixable in the first place.I was quite an obnoxious kid. No matter how much he tried to keep me away or keep himself away from me, I was always drawn to him. I didn't understand the attraction. I thought I was just curious about his existence, but as years passed by and I entered my teenage years, I knew there was something more than curiosity. When he spoke, I couldn't help but listen. When he stared at me with those dark brown eyes, my brain would stop working. When he stood too close, like the times in the kitchen when he came down to grab something from the fridge, my heart almost stopped beating.I was obsessed. My eyes followed him everywhere—in his house, in school. I would spend hours on his social media, trying to learn what he liked and who commented on his photos. I didn't realize it was creepy until Priya pointed it out one day. After that, I stopped... being obvious. I watched him when no one was looking. My teenage heart melted each time he ran his fingers through his thick hair.He had a notebook, and I stole it while rummaging through his things one day when he wasn't home. There wasn't much I could read in the notebook; it was written in the same mysterious language. He had drawn Ashu on one of the pages. Then there was an image of a girl, with words written around the drawing that I couldn't read."What are you doing?"The sound of his voice made me jolt away from his desk."Nothing," I mumbled, hiding the notebook from his view. Ashu was cradled in my lap, but he jumped down when he saw his master. Ashu had been growing fast, but I loved holding him.Zavi raised his hand, asking for the notebook. "What did I tell you about staying away from my things?" he growled."I wasn't snooping. It was right there.""Why do you keep coming into my bedroom?"I opened my mouth, then closed it. I had no good answer. I looked at Ashu, who had walked to a corner of the room and now stood still. I had come for Ashu, but I couldn't say that to him."Ashubol is a sacred text. Uneducated and ignorant humans can't understand it."This comment hurt almost more than being called a thief. "Your drawings are ugly anyway," I yelled before running out of his room.I promised myself I would never go back to his room, but I couldn't keep away. Not because of him. No. Because of his cat.Ashu had grown to the size of a spaniel, with sharp teeth peeking out of his lips. I spoke to Ashu whenever Zavi wasn't around. His curious eyes glowed as he listened to every nonsensical teenage thing I said.As for Zavi, he had become the proud son of his parents. The Bhaskar family was mesmerized by his charms; everyone was. Priya grew up to love him more than most kids loved their own siblings. At school, she became part of the cool kids' gang, all thanks to Zavi's popularity. As for me, I remained the average Betty.Priya and I grew apart eventually. But I still spent the weekends at the Bhaskar family's home, more out of habit than anything else. I helped Mrs. Bhaskar with household chores. She loved having me around, or at least that's what she told me.One fine evening, Priya was sitting on the couch, playing a new video game Bhaskar Uncle bought her, while I was lying on the ground, reading Goosebumps. I didn't like video games—not because they weren't entertaining or anything, I just wasn't good at them. Priya jumped up and down like a maniac every time she won a match. I glared at her, telling her to stay still; she was disrupting my concentration. She could be painstakingly annoying at times. I huffed as I turned around and started reading again. I didn't realize how hungry I was until Mrs. Bhaskar brought us chicken nuggets. My book was momentarily forgotten as I devoured every crumb of the delicious snack. I was happy, ready to return to my book when Priya asked me to take her plate back to the kitchen. Priya was dieting in the hopes of attaining a figure similar to one of those models she liked to watch on TV."Mom will kill me if I throw it away. Just keep it in the refrigerator or eat it yourself," Priya said without looking away from the TV screen. I would have eaten it if I wasn't so full. I took her plate and strolled down the hallway. I had to peek inside Zavi's room as I passed it because I was always curious about Ashu. When I snooped in that morning, Zavi was reading another one of his leather books. I had a feeling he knew I spied on him, and after so many months of hiding his books from me, he had eventually given up. His usually crowded study desk was empty when I looked in. Ashu was sitting in the middle of the bed, staring straight at me. I smiled involuntarily; his big eyes always made my day. I pushed the door open and walked in, plopping myself down on Zavi's bed beside Ashu."Zavi left you alone. Wasn't he scared that someone would steal you?" I chuckled like it was the funniest joke. Ashu made a purring sound deep in his throat. I could almost tell he was laughing too. Sometimes I was one hundred percent sure Ashu understood me. Zavi said a lot of things about his world; most things made no sense to me. What I did understand, though, was that Ashu wasn't like other animals. He was special, and one of his kind.Ashu's eyes darted to the plate in my hand and lingered there for a few seconds. I raised my eyebrow, excited at the prospect of feeding him. This kind of opportunity was rare. Zavi hated—and I mean absolutely despised—when I fed something to Ashu. He said Ashu got his power through the universe; he didn't need petty human food. I had tried very hard to understand what he meant by that but failed. Why should an innocent cat not be allowed to eat human food? I had given Ashu fish bits to eat when Zavi wasn't around before. The look of sheer bliss on Ashu's face was my greatest reward.Just as I crouched down to feed Ashu the chicken nuggets, the bathroom door creaked open, and Zavi emerged. His damp hair clung to his forehead, and he wore that perpetual frown that seemed reserved solely for me. He raised an eyebrow, his sharp eyes narrowing as they locked onto the plate in my hand."I don't eat chicken nuggets," he said coldly, walking past me like I didn't exist. He made his way to his desk, unzipping his worn leather backpack and pulling out a thick, weathered book that screamed important secrets.I didn't believe him, of course. Zavi lied more than he breathed, and I had spent far too much time observing him to miss the little cracks in his façade. He was the subject of my fascination—always had been, though I'd never admit it out loud. For someone who claimed to be the future king of an entire world, he was infuriatingly cryptic. And yet, I couldn't help but want to know everything about him.I'd learned a lot, even if he never realized it. I knew he gritted his teeth when he was angry, like he was trying to crush whatever rage boiled inside him. I knew he went eerily silent when he missed his home, Ashudhar. He didn't talk much about it, only giving me scraps of information—enough to spark my curiosity but not enough to satisfy it.Ashudhar sounded magnificent, a world brimming with history and pride. He'd hinted at grand cities, ancient traditions, and a way of life I couldn't begin to fathom. Sometimes, he said he visited, though he never explained how or when. I had asked—begged, even—to go with him, but his answer was always the same: You're not made for my world, Kirti.Whatever that meant.It didn't help that Zavi thought my father, a man I barely remembered, was somehow tied to his hatred for me. My father, the so-called traitor to Ashudhar, who abandoned my mother and me long before I could understand what betrayal even was. My mom didn't like talking about him; the rare times I pressed her for details, she'd just say, Some people aren't worth remembering.Still, Zavi made sure I never forgot.I placed the plate of chicken nuggets on the floor and stood up, crossing my arms. I'd learned that offering Zavi anything—be it food, help, or kindness—was a waste of time. He'd reject it on principle alone."I brought it for Ashu, not for you," I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.I sat back down on the floor, and Ashu trotted over, his silken fur gleaming in the light. He sniffed at the food, his nose twitching delicately. I resisted the urge to pet him. Once, months ago, I'd made the mistake of running my fingers through his fur. Zavi had nearly thrown me out of the window for it. Since then, I'd been forbidden to touch his "precious little cat," as I'd sarcastically dubbed him in my head.Zavi watched us like a hawk, his dark eyes narrowing."He won't eat that," he said, his tone dripping with disdain."No one asked you," I shot back.To my delight, Ashu leaned down and gulped a nugget whole, his fluffy tail swishing with contentment. Zavi's expression froze, his mouth opening slightly as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing."Didn't I tell you not to eat human food, you stubborn animal?" Zavi growled, snatching the now-empty plate off the floor."You heartless monster!" I shouted, my voice cracking with frustration. "Ashu was hungry! You don't get to yell at him like that!""For the thousandth time, Kirti, he is not a house cat. Stop treating him like one.""He wanted to eat it," I said stubbornly, glancing at Ashu, who now looked oddly guilty, like he'd done something wrong."You're spoiling him," Zavi muttered, pacing the room like a caged tiger. "And I'm warning you—keep your Dhurim hands off Ashu. If this were Ashudhar, you'd be decapitated for defying the king. Consider this your final warning."The word hung in the air like a blade. Decapitated. My heart raced, the threat sinking in far too deeply."No one would make someone as rude as you a king!" I stammered, tears prickling my eyes.He laughed, a low, mocking sound. "I already am a king. It's only a matter of time before it's official. Pray for your father's well-being, Kirti. The day I return to Ashudhar, every Dhurim will pay for the lives they've taken.""You're a monster," I whispered, my voice trembling."A monster?" His gaze sharpened, cutting into me like a blade. "You know who the real monster is? Your father. He killed my parents, Kirti. He tried to kill me. But you don't kill the Raza, the ruler of Ashudhar, and live to tell the tale.""Revenge is bad," I said, though the words felt small and useless against his rage."You've seen nothing, Kirti," he said darkly. "You're too young and too naïve to understand the world—my world. It's better if you keep your distance from me and Ashu."With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving me behind, tears streaming down my face.I ran to Priya's room, the one place where I could feel safe. She looked up from her TV, her eyebrows knitting together when she saw my tear-streaked face."What the heck happened?"I shook my head, wiping my nose on my sleeve. "Nothing," I said, though the weight of Zavi's words still crushed me like a stone.