Chapter 6
"I can't believe I am planning my own party," Priya said."What?" I asked, not paying attention to her."Are you even listening?"I wasn't. I couldn't stop thinking about the knife I had found in my room. I had taken the knife to show it to mom but she couldn't see it. I knew then that it was from Ashudhar and like all other Ashudhar things, the knife wasn't visible to normal humans. My mind ran through all the possibilities of how it could have ended up there. Not to mention I woke up in the middle of the night feeling a presence in my room but when I switched on the light, it was completely empty.I had a bad feeling about all of this. "Sorry. I was distracted." I forced a smile, trying not to think about the knife."They hired people for Zavi Bhai's birthday but not for me. This is not fair."I looked up at her at the mention of her brother. Could it be Zavi who was in my room last night? But the prospect was absurd, he was thousands of miles away for his research. There was no way he would come to my room in the middle of the night and leave a Ashudhar knife for me to find. It was a good thing that I hid the knife in my mom's closet so I didn't have to look at it again. She would never know it was there and I would forget about it too."It's just lemonade, Priya, stop overreacting," I said chuckling. The food, the decoration and the cake, everything else was taken care of by the organisers. Mrs Bhaskar wanted Priya to make the lemonade herself so she could brag about her daughter's cooking skills to her friends. Talk about being extra. I shook my head as Priya grunted in annoyance.The house started to fill with Priya's friends aka the popular kids from school. I wish I could say they were lacking in the brain department but they were not. They were blessed with intelligence along with rich parents.I smiled at a few of them, which they ignored, moving on to gather around Priya. Mr and Mrs Bhaskar were busy with other parents, showing them around, putting on big smiles.Everyone moved to the backyard, playing loud music and dancing to the beats. I stood in a corner, pretending to enjoy, when all I wanted was to go home and away from this chaos.I was at the peak of my impatience, about to dash out of that madness, when the doorbell rang like a siren of an incoming disaster."Who is coming to the party this late?" Priya grunted, strutting towards the door. I felt his presence deep in the pit of my belly. My heart sped up and I knew something was about to happen. Something monumental. Like the silence before an earthquake, a pressure in your ear, the stillness in the air. Priya opened the door and my breath halted in my throat. My heart froze for a second before coming back to life a thousand times faster.Everyone at the party went silent, looking at the man standing in front the door. His deep chocolate eyes were captivating. His body could only be compared to that of an ancient warrior, with strong arms and a wide chest. The polo t-shirt he wore accentuated each ripple of his muscle accurately."Happy Birthday!" his voice vibrated in the silence, deep, throaty and foreign."Bhai?" Priya cried out in disbelief, sounding as shocked as she looked."Hi." Zavi chuckled, stepping in. The sound gave me goosebumps, bringing back thousands of memories. I wasn't sure if he was the same man who left three years ago. Why did he look so different? How did he grow so tall?"You came!" Priya jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. She couldn't fit her hands around his body, he was too huge of a man. "You came. Holy Shit! You came. " She chanted in excitement.Zavi put her down, the smile still lingering on his lips. "I wanted to give you a surprise."His brown eyes came alive when he smiled with those pearly teeth of his. He walked into the house, looking out of place. No one in the party compared to his charisma. His beauty. He looked majestic among us meager humans. He couldn't be from the human world, it just wasn't possible. God didn't make humans so breathtaking, so perfect.My heart got stuck in my throat when I saw the huge animal enter the house behind Zavi. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or if it was really happening. No one seemed to notice the tiger as he walked through the crowd to sit in a quiet corner of the room with an elegant swagger.Was I hallucinating? All those years, I kept questioning my memory. I still couldn't believe my eyes as I stared at the otherworldly creature present before me in blood and flesh. He wasn't merely the 5-foot tall saber tooth I used to know , he was a beast now, in every sense of the word. A beast with a mean scowl, sharp teeth, and paws the size of my face.He made a low growling noise deep in his throat. The sound echoed in the living room but no one heard it except me.I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming and this wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me. I crossed the room walking towards Ashu. As I approached, he stared at me with his fierce eyes. His face contorted in a warning scowl. Didn't he remember me? I wanted to touch him but he was a dangerous looking creature. If there was something Discovery had taught me, it was not to mess with wild animals. He didn't like me standing so close to him. His hostile expression was warning enough for me to keep my distance.I turned my head to see if someone else noticed him but everyone was busy fawning over Zavi. As if on cue, my eyes locked with the only person I wanted to avoid.Zavi's stare was intense, the smile from earlier was nowhere to be seen. My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. I thought I had moved on from my childhood crush but I was wrong. So very wrong. His presence solidified it more. As devastatingly handsome as his face was, his hatred for me was more palpable than ever. Dhurim's child, that's what I was.Ashu walked and sat beside him, both of their inquisitive eyes staring at me with an intensity I had not known before. I walked away from the living room to the backyard, trying to avoid any interaction with them. I needed air, my emotions were choking me.Standing in the cold, I took a few calming breaths. How was I supposed to make sense of this situation ? There was no logical explanation for seeing what no one else could. I could be schizophrenic for all I knew."Why didn't Ashu remember me?" I whispered to myself. There weren't many things I cared about in my life but Ashu was different. I thought I had a connection with him. I was obviously getting ahead of myself.I had told myself that I would not be affected by Zavi's presence if he ever returned. Well, I was failing miserably now that the time had come to hold true to that vow. I looked back at Ashu, who was crouching on the floor while Zavi was nowhere to be seen. I decided I would try to pet him again in sometime. Hopefully, he won't eat me.***Zavi was spending quality time with his family. They were even more mesmerized by him now than they had been before. A huge number of Priya's friends, even ones from primary school, had been visiting her for the last few days. I wondered why, as if it wasn't obvious.It was Sunday, Priya asked me to hang out with her. I had stopped staying at the Bhaskar family residence since the past two years. Mom was confident enough to leave me on my own .I wanted to say no to Priya, especially when her brother was home, but she insisted. She was helping her mother cook Zavi's favorite dishes and wanted me to help. I seriously considered mixing laxatives in his meals but talked myself out of it at the last moment. I eyed his room on the first floor for the hundredth time and I wondered what he was doing. I recalled him reading those leather books, now that I thought of it, he could have been a devil worshiper for all I care. The possibility of his involvement with some cult had certainly crossed my mind a number of times."What are you thinking?" Priya asked angrily. She was talking about Sourav and I had zoned out. I would have paid attention if it wasn't for the big fat cat staring at me from the stairwell.Ashu had just walked out of Zavi's room and was sitting on top of the stairs, staring down at me expressionlessly . It was downright unnerving."I will be back, okay? " I excused myself and walked up the stairs.I came face to face with Ashu's glaring eyes once on the landing."Good Kitty," I hesitated, crouching down to his level.He cocked his head to one side, giving me a curious stare, as if to say 'are you seriously trying this?'. I raised my shaking hands, trying to pet him but he stepped aside, walking away with his chin up in pride. What a brat! He had taken after his master eventually.I followed him to Zavi's room, which I shouldn't have. I bumped into a mountain of a man. Solid. Every inch of him was oozing power. I had to crane my head to meet his eyes, his vicious, earthy brown eyes. Against the sun, they seemed lighter, almost beige. My throat went dry as our gazes met."I wasn't here for you." I managed to say, "I just needed to talk to Ashu," I said, peeking inside the room to get a glimpse of him. He was sitting by the window, licking his paw."He doesn't talk." God, that voice of him. What was it about this man that made me go weak in the knees? He was standing too close. I would have stepped away, if only my legs permitted me to do so .Say something. I scolded myself, forcing my imbecile brain to form a coherent sentence."What did you do with him? Why doesn't he remember me?" I blurted out the accusation, not able to hide the hurt in my voice."It is not safe for you to be around us," Zavi said, ignoring my question completely. His eyes analysed my face, his voice almost sad. Was he sorry about something? Did he finally realize what an asshole he had been to me?"Ashu won't hurt me. If he wanted to, he could have a long time ago.""Go back to your house, Kirti. Forget about Ashu.""Let me talk to him once and I'll leave," I said, ignoring his comment.Zavi closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing. He took a long frustrated breath before looking back at me, his eyes darkening, his nose flaring. I saw him clench his teeth, the small muscle in his jaw tik. I was ready to bolt out of his room, but I had also learned bravado."Fine," he spat as he gave way for me to enter.I managed not to squeal with happiness as I ran to Ashu."Hey kitty cat," I said as I approached him.Zavi groaned behind me and muttered something under his breath.Ashu sniffed the hand I extended to pat him. As I ran my fingers through his mane, his stiff body slowly started to relax under my fingers. His fur had grown longer than before, more silky and shiny silver. Ashu gave up trying to be distant and eventually leaned into my touch, enjoying my petting."There you are," I cooed. "I know you missed me," I said, sitting on my knees and hugging him.I could almost feel Zavi's glaring daggers into my back. I bet he hadn't expected that Ashu would give in so easily."I missed you too," I whispered in Ashu's ear as he purred his approval, rubbing his neck on my arm."Enough with that!" Zavi shouted, walking to us and pulling Ashu away from me. I stood up and gave him the meanest look I could muster and he reciprocated with the same . If menace had a face, it would have been his."Why did you come back?" I snapped, holding my stance. Take that huh, I could be mean too.He opened his mouth to say something then closed it. His face hardened further ,if that was possible, before his eyes flicked to my lips. If I wasn't hyperaware, I wouldn't have caught it. He stepped to the side and walked out of the door.I was about to say something else when Priya walked in."What's going on?" She asked from the doorway, raising an eyebrow at me.In my peripheral vision, I could see Zavi gesturing to Ashu to follow him. I wanted to kill him for taking Ashu away but chose to exit his room instead."Are you hitting on my brother? It's gross, you are my best friend.""I am not trying to hit on your brother." I shrieked, angrier at Zavi than at her.She whispered, "I hope not." as she walked away.***My days were consumed with thoughts of Zavi. I couldn't really help it. My mind had a mind of its own. Everything reminded me of him. Songs, movies, books, every freaking thing. I couldn't rest my mind, so I went to Priya's place on the pretence of feeling lonely. Yes, it was pathetic and yes, all my attention was focused on the top of the stairs where Zavi's room was the entire time I was in that house."I can't believe he is going back so soon. He just came back." Priya said to someone on the phone, lying down on the floor of her room while I was sitting on her bed, doing homework. My ears perked up at her comment. He was leaving?Feeling restless, I creeped out of Priya's room and walked down the hallway to Zavi's room. I pushed his door, it was locked. I placed my ear against the wooden surface to hear voices."Is he the only one?""No, he is the one who has transported me everywhere.""I don't care if you kill him. I need a replacement."I stumble back on hearing the word 'kill'. I knew Zavi was weird but to hear him talk about killing someone was taking it too far. I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm my racing heart but it didn't help.I gasped in panic when the door flew open. "What are you doing here?" he yelled, pinning me down with his heavy gaze."I heard you," I said stupidly. Why would I confess that to him? He could kill me for all I knew."What did you hear?" he asked, talking slowly."Are you involved with some gang or shit?" I cursed inwardly at my choice of words. My nervousness surely pulled down my IQ."What-did-you-hear-Kirti?" he enunciated each word, leaning down on me as each one left his mouth."You are killing someone?" I blurted out. Maybe this will be the moment he kills me, I thought."You should get your ears checked. Or your brain." Zavi pushed past me and walked down the stairs, leaving me very confused. One part of my brain was trying to make me believe that he was right, while the other part screamed at me to run and call the cops. There wasn't much I could do though. I had a long relationship with lies and Zavi, no one would believe me if I told them what I had heard him say. My mom would probably try to force me to go to therapy again and the Bhaskar family would forbid me from entering their home.Zavi's expression was stoic, his jaws clenched, when we all sat down to eat dinner."Have some more rice, Zavi." Mrs Bhaskar tried to put some more rice on his plate, which he politely refused."You should stay for a few more days. You haven't been home in such a long time." Mr Bhaskar said, almost pleading."I wish I could but my work needs me." he lied with such a genuine smile plastered on his stupidly handsome face that even I believed him for a second .As if he could hear my thoughts, his eyes darted to me across the table. There was an unspoken warning behind his gaze, so potent that it made me squirm in my seat."I have heard the Antarctic is beautiful, do you have pictures?" I tested the waters, my heart hammering as the words escaped my lips."It surely is beautiful, Kirti, and equally brutal. Why don't you sneak into my room, like you so often do, and I can show you the pictures personally? "My eyes went wide at his comment, my face heating up. The awkwardness was palpable in the air. Priya cursed under her breath, an inaudible 'the fuck'. I stared at him in disbelief and he stared back, a scowl wrinkling his nose. At that moment, when I had been utterly humiliated, I knew he was evil, I could taste the hate on my tongue as I clenched my jaw.Mr Bhaskar cleared his throat. "You kids," his chuckle was uncomfortable, to say the least. "You two always keep fighting. Give it up already." The tension broke but Zavi's posture remained stiff for the rest of the duration of the meal. I didn't make the mistake of going to his room again that day, even though I missed Ashu immensely . I rode back home on my bike and slept off my hatred for Zavi so I could wake up feeling normal again the next day.After Zavi's comment on the dinner table, I promised not to go in his room ever again but the idea that I might never be able to meet Ashu made me seek him out for the last time.I didn't actually sneak into Zavi's room this time, not physically at least. But I stood at the door and whispered Ashu's name, hoping his big cat ears would hear me and come out. To my surprise, he did come out to me, pushing the door open with his claws."Is he inside?" I asked Ashu as if he would answer."I came to see you for the last time," I said, running my fingers through his hair. "I wish I could steal you from him. He doesn't even let you have chicken nuggets." I whispered in Ashu's ears. He purred and pushed against me, rubbing his neck on my face."Have you had enough?" Zavi said, walking up the stairs. I knew he would see me, he always did somehow. Instead of cowering away like always, I looked up and rolled my eyes. I was done with him. Literally."Go ahead, insult me. That's all you are good for anyways." I spat out."You never leave a chance to embarrass yourself, do you?" He squatted down, coming to my level. "I don't give a flying fuck about you, Kirti. But this cat that you are hell bent on petting, is a killing machine. He is made to kill, to be beside the Raza and protect his world. So, keep your dirty hands away from him. He doesn't need you." Zavi nudged Ashu into his room and the cat complied without protest."Why do you lie about Antarctica?" I asked with a sneer, "When will you go back to Ashudhar? Tell Mr Bhaskar that you are the mighty king of some foriegn world . ""I don't want to hear the name of my world on your Dhurim lips again.""It's not my fault that my father was a criminal, you know. I haven't even met him!" Zavi was such an intelligent boy yet his prejudices left me baffled. Holding me accountable for my father's deeds was uncalled for."Your father will get what he deserves but you, Kirti..." he trailed off, his teeth clenched. "You better stay away from my world. As far away as you possibly can or I will personally make sure you never live to see the daylight again."My heart leapt at his threat. Bullying me was one thing but making a death threat was something else altogether. The fucked up thing was that I believed him. I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't bluffing. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to hate him like I should have. Don't get me wrong, I hated him, more than I hated anyone else, but there was something else too. An unbelievable tug, something so strong that I couldn't deny it no matter how much I wanted to, couldn't explain it either. His absence had done nothing to diminish the pull, if anything, seeing him again made it even more obvious than before."Goodnight." He said, walking back into his room and shutting the door on my face.Zavi went back to Antarctica two days later. This time around, the goodbye was different. He was distant as he left his house. Mr and Mrs Bhaskar were sadder than before. They were trying to convince him to stay a little while longer until the very last minute but Zavi wasn't having any of it.I did not get the opportunity to say goodbye to Ashu. It was for the good. Goodbyes hurt, they hurt a lot.