Mumbai

A funeral pyre was burning at the cremation ground, and the people present there were watching it without blinking. They were all dressed in white. However, one man stood out from the rest because he was dressed in black. His gaze was fixed only on the pyre, and in his deep black eyes, there was only one emotion—revenge. A revenge that was slowly turning into a raging volcano.

The man was about six feet tall. He had long, well-maintained hair tied back with a rubber band. His left eyebrow had a small cut, and he wore a tiny earring in his left ear, giving him an intense and dangerous look. Darkness surrounded the area, with only the pyre’s glow illuminating the surroundings. Because of this, his face wasn’t fully visible. Yet, his mere presence was enough to instill fear in those around him.

Slowly, the fire of the pyre began to die down, and people started leaving. Just then, a young man stepped forward, placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, and said, “Bhai, we should leave. You sit in the car, I will collect Bhabhi’s ashes…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the man dressed in black shook off his hand and said, “I will collect them myself.”

With that, he started walking towards the dying flames of the pyre. The fire had not yet completely extinguished, and as he moved closer, his face gradually became clearer. His features were strikingly perfect, as if sculpted by a Greek god. His firm lips trembled slightly due to the cool night breeze.

The young man followed him and extended the urn toward him, saying, “Here, take it.”

Without looking at him, the man closed his eyes and took a deep breath before saying, “Didn’t I tell you? Leave.”

The young man said, “No, I won’t leave you alone. I know you are furious, and I also know very well how terrifying your rage can be. And now, the only person who could calm that rage is no longer in this world…”

The moment those words left his lips, the man forcefully placed his hand on the young man's chest and pushed him away. He fell straight onto the sand.

Slowly, the young man lifted his gaze toward him. His face was now clearly visible. The age difference between them was at most three to four years. Just then, two men arrived, both dressed in bodyguard suits. They clasped their hands behind their backs and said, “Mrityunjay Sir.”

The man, whose name was Mrityunjay Agnivesh and was 30 years old, slightly turned his head toward them. Then, he picked up the urn, which had tilted slightly, and as he carefully filled it with the ashes, he asked, “Speak.”

One of the bodyguards said, “Jashn Oberoi has gone to Goa. We have sent some of our men there. As soon as we get his location, we will inform you.”

Mrityunjay finished collecting the ashes, stood up, and extended his hand toward his brother, Sankalp Agnivesh. “And until you find his location, don’t come to me, or I will take your life.”

Sankalp raised his other hand and placed it in Mrityunjay’s. Then, with a sharp motion, he stood up.

Sankalp asked, “Shall I leave if you say so?”

In a cold voice, Mrityunjay replied, “No, it is important for you to stay at home.”

Sankalp nodded and said, “Let’s go home. Ekta and Maa are waiting for us.”

Mrityunjay didn’t say a word. He simply started walking toward the car, and within moments, the vehicle sped off into the night.

Meanwhile…

Right in the heart of Mumbai stood a grand mansion. A fountain kept gushing water, just like the tears flowing from the eyes of every person inside the house.

An elderly woman, around fifty years old, sat on the sofa, her eyes overflowing with tears. Kneeling on the floor beside her was a young girl, around twenty-three, who was also sobbing softly.

On the table in front of them was a framed photograph of a girl, adorned with a garland. The people in the room remained silent, as if someone had stolen their words. They could only cry as they stared at the picture.

Just then, a maid entered and said, “Didi, Baba is crying a lot. Please take care of him.”

In the maid’s arms was a tiny baby, whom she was gently patting, but for some reason… this child had never stopped crying since birth.

The elderly woman slowly lifted her head, looked at the baby, and said, “Give him to me… and warm some milk for him.”

The maid immediately handed the baby over. The young girl lowered her head to allow the woman to hold the baby comfortably.

The woman caressed the child’s face and body gently, whispering, “Such a wretched fate you have… May no one ever have such a cruel destiny… You came into this world, and in return, you took your mother away… You never even got to see her, never even got to feel her… I never imagined that God could be so merciless.”

The young girl—her daughter—became anxious and said, “Please, don’t cry! If you cry like this, he’ll cry even more… He hasn’t stopped crying since bhabhi left…”

That woman—Yogita Agnivesh, the mother of Mrityunjay Agnivesh—wiped her tears and said, “Right now, we are the ones crying, Ekta… But very soon, he will cry too… the one who took my daughter from me! We brought her into this house as a bride with so much love… After so many struggles, my son finally found someone who loved him… Despite all his flaws, she was ready to accept him… And in just one moment, all the happiness in my son’s life was snatched away… This little child lost his mother…”

Hatred burned in Yogita’s eyes alongside her tears. Her voice was heavy, but she didn’t stop.

“If curses truly work, Ekta, then I curse him! Just as this child is yearning for his mother, just as my Mrityunjay is suffering in agony for his love… he will also yearn for the most precious relationships in his life. Mrityunjay has been thrown into loneliness… but that man—Jashn Oberoi—he will shed tears of blood! His love, his family… everything will be destroyed! He will be left with nothing… nothing! And when death stands before his eyes, even death will refuse to embrace him… This is my curse!”

Meanwhile…

It was a dark night. The eerie silence was broken only by faint sobs. A girl was running barefoot, clutching a small baby to her chest. The darkness was so deep that her face wasn’t clearly visible, but her panicked breaths and desperate footsteps made it clear—she was running for her life.

She was on a forest path, where the thick darkness made everything even more terrifying. The rustling of bushes and the distant sounds of insects created an ominous atmosphere. The anklet on her feet jingled with every hurried step, announcing her presence even as she tried to escape unnoticed. She was running as fast as she could, but then—

“Ahh!”

Her foot suddenly landed on a sharp stone, making her lose balance. She was about to fall, but in fear of hurting the baby, she twisted her body midair and turned as much as she could to shield him.

Thud! She hit the ground hard.

“Uhh…” A cry of pain escaped her lips.

The ground was littered with jagged rocks, which dug into her back. But the child in her arms was completely unharmed. However, as soon as she fell, the baby started wailing loudly.

She pressed her hand against the ground to push herself up, but sharp stones pricked her palm, drawing tiny drops of blood. Ignoring the pain, she tried to stand, but—

As soon as she put weight on her foot, a sharp jolt of pain shot through her ankle. She realized that she had twisted it when she fell. Walking was painful… running was impossible.

Behind her, voices grew louder. The sound of several footsteps running in her direction echoed through the night. She knew they were after her. She wouldn’t be able to run much farther, so she made a quick decision—to hide.

The forest was pitch black. She slipped behind a large tree, crouching low, clutching the baby tightly in one arm, while pressing her other hand over her own mouth to silence her heavy breathing. She didn’t want the sound of her anklet, her breath, or even the baby’s soft whimpers to give her away.

A few seconds later,

Around 7-8 men arrived, holding sticks in their hands. They looked around, but due to the darkness, they couldn’t see the girl.

"Where did that wretch go?" one of the men muttered in frustration.

Another man, annoyed, said, "She must be around here somewhere! We’ll have to search the jungle… Just a while ago, she was right in front of us… That truck came, and then suddenly, she disappeared!"

A third man, angry, snapped, "Did she run away with the truck driver?"

The first man laughed and said, "That girl is like that! She could never belong to just one man. Who knows who she was fooling around with? And now, she's running away with his child!"

The girl tightened her grip around the baby in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lips. She knew that if she moved even slightly or made a sound, they would catch her.

"If I get my hands on that girl…" one of the men growled, "then she’ll have to marry me… She can’t just run away like this!"

Fear surged in the girl's eyes. Her hands trembled. She knew that if they caught her, this night would become the last night of her life…!

Finally, the men moved forward, and the girl remained frozen in place.

She was still standing there, but she could no longer stand properly. Her strength was failing her. Slowly, she leaned against a nearby tree and began to sit down. The rough, slightly sharp bark scraped against her wounded waist, causing more blood to ooze out.

She was exhausted. Her hands, her waist, her legs… every part of her was bleeding. A faint darkness blurred her vision as if she had been running for hours.

"Uu…aah…!" The baby in her lap started crying.

The girl gently patted the child and whispered, "No, baby, please don’t cry… or else they’ll kill both of us… I can’t marry him! I won’t throw away our lives like this. I’d rather beg on the streets than marry a man like him!"

She was in a terrible condition. She couldn’t hold back her tears.

She ran her fingers over her wounded waist, where blood was still seeping out. Pain pulsed through her veins, but she refused to give up. The baby seemed to understand her words because she slowly started calming down.

After sitting there for a while, the girl placed her hands on the ground and tried to lift herself. Her hands were shaking, her knees wobbled, but she dug her fingers into the dirt and forced herself to stand.

As soon as she stood up, her gaze fell on the anklet tied to her foot.

Her anklet was becoming her biggest enemy. Whenever the wind blew, its tinkling sound echoed in the silence, as if calling out to her pursuers.

"I never want to part with your gift," she murmured in the darkness, staring at her anklet. "But right now, it’s putting my life at risk."

She bent down and removed her anklets, but even when she held them in her hands, they still jingled. She looked around and then noticed the baby’s clothes. There was a small but deep pocket in them.

She quickly placed the anklet inside the pocket and whispered, "It will hurt a little, baby, but please bear with it… The pain these people want to give us is far worse than this. I promise, I’ll put medicine on it later."

Then, she took her first step towards the edge of the jungle.

Five minutes later—

She had crossed the jungle and was now standing on the road. Darkness stretched all around her. It was difficult to guess the time, but it was probably around 10 PM.

She was barefoot… She looked around the road, hoping someone would come to help her. But…

She had lost faith in this world.

And yet, her heart, clinging to hope, kept searching.

Unaware that helpers do not come in the darkness… only wolves lurk in the dark… Hungry wolves… who know how to hunt, not how to help.

Meanwhile, on Anjani Road, a car was moving. The driver was at the wheel, while Mrityunjay and Sankalp were seated in the back. Sankalp had closed his eyes, while Mrityunjay, staring outside, was lost in his own world.

No one knew what was going on in his mind. His eyes were fixed on the darkness outside, but in his thoughts, there was the image of a beautiful woman. The same face that Yogita Ji had been looking at in the picture on her desk. It was Aadat… Mrityunjay’s wife, who was no longer alive.

Because of his enmity, Aadat had lost her life. But before she left, she had placed a tiny life in Mrityunjay’s hands—his own son, his own blood.

Perhaps that child was lucky to have survived such a deep wound and entered this world… And perhaps he was unlucky too, because the moment he arrived, he lost his mother.

Mrityunjay was lost in his thoughts when suddenly, the driver hit the brakes hard. Sankalp woke up with a start. He glared at the driver and asked, "Why did you stop the car?"

The driver’s eyes were filled with fear. His face was drenched in sweat, despite the cool air-conditioning inside the car. Sankalp placed a hand on his shoulder and repeated in a deep voice, "Why did you stop the car?"

The driver slowly turned his gaze backward and stammered, "S…Sir, a girl… A girl suddenly came in front of the car."

Sankalp’s eyes widened at his words. Before he could react, the car door swung open, and Mrityunjay stepped out. Sankalp immediately followed him.

Both of them reached the front of the car. But there was nothing there… Just the broken headlight of the vehicle.

Sankalp glared at the driver and asked, "Where is the girl?"

The driver stammered, "S-She fell behind… As soon as she got hit, she flew back."

Then, he quickly got out of the car and fell at Mrityunjay and Sankalp’s feet, his hands folded in desperation. "Sir, I didn’t do it on purpose! I don’t know where she suddenly came from… Please forgive me, sir! Please!"

Mrityunjay ignored him and walked toward the back of the car, where the girl had supposedly fallen.

As he moved forward, a baby’s faint cries echoed in the silence.

Who was this girl, and why were those men after her?

Why were they chasing her?

How did Aadat die?

And who was this baby, whose cries had now reached Mrityunjay’s ears?

--

The character sketch is available on Wattpad! Further episodes will be uploaded here regularly, with a new chapter published every third day.

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