There's a chapter before this. Check it out if you haven't guys. Who else is fed up with Watpadd?😑

*Padmasana - Padmasana or Lotus Position is a cross-legged sitting asana of yoga, in which the feet are placed on the opposing thighs.

*Kumbhakarna - The younger brother of Ravana in the famous Indian epic Ramayana. Despite his monstrous size and great appetite, he is popularly known for his slumping nature (approximately used to sleep for six months at once according to the epic)

*Nidradevi - The goddess of sleep.

Hold your hearts for this dear readers. 😶
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She took a long breath before stretching her arms up in the air joining the hands for a namaskaram. Recovering from the *padmasana, she slowly stood up and walked into their room pulling the sweatband off her head.
She was fresh and enthusiastic. Yoga never failed to bring that feel being her ultimate source of relief. She always claimed it is what was keeping her and the baby healthy whenever Vihaan asked her to continue practicing after the delivery.

"Where is my watch Sandhya?"
He was shuffling through the series of drawers beside the bed.

"Must be in those. Wear the old one for now. I'll look for it before you return." she said leaning over the headboard.

And he was LOST again. Lost in the aura of her presence, in the tenderness of her skin, in the innocence of her eyes, in the sweetness of her voice.

His lips curved crescent as he sat close and moved her tresses behind.
"I'm going out. You can take care,right?"

She nodded with eyes partially open.

"You seem tired."
His arm was now holding her to his side, gently patting her shoulder as she rested her chin on his chest, tilting towards his face.

"Sometimes I think I'm carrying *kumbhakarna himself. This li'l junior of yours makes me feel drowsy every now and then."

"Yeah! I can see that." he chuckled pecking her womb and then her lips.
"Be careful and NO EXPLORATIONS!" he warned showing his finger.

She smiled and slid back seeing him close the room door.
- - - - -

The bhagavathas were singing songs for a yakshagana performance that was going on. The next participants were dressing up backstage in a few small tents. It was way past evening. Vihaan saw the open field filled with localites who were laughing and clapping for the comic play.

"Namsthe Sir." he greeted an elderly man apparently Kalinga's age, who was staring at him in the entrance.

"I suppose you are Vihaan, the journalist from a city. Kalinga has told me about you." the man said scratching the nose.

"Oh, pleased to meet you Sir." Vihaan forwarded his hand which the man declined folding his hands to a namskara.

"May I know what you are doing?"

"I work for a US magazine as a free lance writer."

"Why? Do you feel our magazines and newspapers are inferior?" the man voiced coldly.

"Certainly not! Well..  Umm.. The arrangements are very appealing." he said scanning the stage and lighting around.

"We have been hosting this event from almost thirty years. People from all the surrounding villages come here to see the grand affair." the man boasted after clearing his throat.

"That's nice."

"Young man! Here" Shankar master called out to Vihaan from a tent nearby.

"Sir, I'll take your leave then."

Pushing the serial light cables on the floor aside, he moved further into the tent where men were painting their faces and getting ready for their performance. The place was damply illuminated with a single CFL bulb.

"Master, I doubt they will end any soon. What's the time?"
Kalinga asked removing two cucumber slices from his eyes. He grinned seeing Vihaan and waved his hand.
"Vihaan! Looks like you've come alone."

"My wife wasn't doing good. She's taking rest at home. So here I am alone."

"That's fine. This performance is prolonged I guess. We will have to wait. I can hardly keep my eyes open master. " Kalinga complained throwing the cucumber slices down to his seat.

"One who has been blessed by *Nidradevi and one who follows her path by putting people to sleep, both are great!" Vihaan laughed eyeing Kalinga and Shankar master respectively.

"You are no less than a fantastic poet! Bow to the skills."

"You both keep talking, I have some work." Shankar master hit his palms to his knees before getting up.
- - - - -
The music box stopped playing.

"There it goes."
Sandhya sighed when the room turned dark due to the sudden power cut. She twisted the thread of the latern making it burn brighter so that she could see the words in her book.

It was only a few minutes until she started feeling sleepy. Placing the book on her stomach, she leaned back on the rocking chair but just then the gramaphone disc begun rotating followed by strange sounds, SOUNDS OF ANKLETS!

Her book slipped down when she held the latern and raised from the chair. Taking slow and steady steps, she peeped into the courtyard, finding nothing and continued towards the kitchen. She accidentally bumped into the swing in the process of loosening her dupatta which she had wrapped around her neck. In addition to all the happenings, it was suffocating her. The chains made noise after which the same anklet sound repeated. Holding the latern near her face, she checked the spaces between wooden planks on the wall, where two pitch black circles admist leaf shaped white features appeared. She gasped and turned to the courtyard.

In the centre was the shadow of a person dressed in a yakshagana costume. The house echoed with loud music and he vigorously danced in the same place. Sandhya's vision seemed to blur as the noises grew louder with each passing second. The kerosene latern that dropped from her hand broke into pieces. The dupatta she had loosened was clunging low to the ground and at once caught fire.

"Sandhya!!"

The power was back but before she could register Vihaan approaching her from right behind the disappeared figure, the world in front of her collapsed.
She passed out.
- - - - -
He buried his face in his hands, after changing her into a saree and positioning her on the mattress.

In a few hours, she shot up straight on the bed.

"It's here. It's here. I know! "

"Sandhya." Vihaan softly spoke gripping her shoulder.

"The bhūtha! It's.. It's here!"

"Sandhya!"

"It's angry. Yes. It's angry."

"Sandhya!!!"
Vihaan shouted nestling her  completely in his arms.
"Listen to me" he whispered kissing her ear.

She was panting heavily and trembling in his embrace.

"Calm down now. Darling, look at me." he pacified rubbing her back and arms until she relaxed.

"Vihaan. Vihaan.. The b-bhūtha, i-it's angry with us. Please, let's do the bhūthaaradhane as early as possible."

He wiped the tears which streamed down her cheeks with his thumbs, cuddling her face.
"I promise but first stop panicking sweetheart. You're brave, aren't you? Our baby needs you to be brave like you always used to be. I love you. I love you."

Stacking three pillows on eachother, he placed another vertically against them and had her lay on it.

"What have you done to yourself?"
Her forehand was crinkled and burnt to dark brown.

"I don't remember."

"I'll go fetch the doctor!"

"No! No! Don't leave me alone here Vihaan!" she sat up taking short breaths again.

"It's deep Sandhya! I can almost see your bone!"
Vihaan's eyes were brimming as he stood.

"Believe me! There's definitely something in this house! What if you never get to see your Sandhya again?" she blurted in a go almost whimpering.

He settled beside and held her hands tightly.
"That's all your imagination. Sweety, I can't take chances with your health. I'll be back before you know." he ensured.

Glancing at her eyes alternatively, he pulled her closer and captured her lips. Her cheeks wettened more as she responded.

"Stay here and be safe." he said with a low tone giving a long peck once again, caressing her belly.

She reluctantly left him and he covered her with a duvet.

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I don't know how far the emotions have reached, but I sure wrote this with a heavy heart guys. 😕

PLEASE do tell me how it is.

Any kinda feedback is welcome 😊