MAYA

It was already 7 am when I reached back in my room, Kuku was looking for her dress while Seerat was still sleeping like a pig.

"you're back" Kuhu looked at me with a smile passing me a glass of juice "went for running?"

I simply nodded sipping the juice she gave.

Time passed by and everyone left the room to attend classes, I and Seerat were together and were walking towards their class when Trisha appeared before us, I just smiled at her to not to make her feel ignored but she halted and held my hand "Kuki may I have a word with you?" her words were domineering but she tried hard to maintain a smile. She has already held my hand so it was evident that she will talk to me no matter what. I just nodded.

"I just want to say that you are beautiful and sweet I quite like you but don't try to bite more than you can chew. I hope you get it. Be a good girl, don't let our paths cross" she said her grip on my arm tightened but she maintained to keep her smile as nothing is wrong.

"don't worry senior I won't but, what is meant to be mine no one can take it" I firmly said but my voice sweet as honey looking straight into her eyes as I released my hand from her extremely hard grip. She clenched her teeth displeasure written on her face but then she has to maintain her image so she forced a smile and walked away elegantly.

"Your honeyed dagger was something unexpected" Seerat praised me and asked rubbing her chin "what did she mean? It seemed like warning"

"Vidyut" I just gave a hint and she understood the whole scenario. Then I lifted my wrist, purple marks of her fingers were highlighted on my white skin. Seerat noticed it and anger took over her "what a shameless woman" she said clenching her fists. But I just smiled assuring that it's fine.

The day passed and it was evening. I left for rehearsal and when I reached there my eyes glimmered. Everyone was there listening intently to what Rishi was saying, I leaned on one of the pillars and crossed my hands over my chest with a smile, my flute held securely in my waistband which I specially wore to fasten it. when someone closed my eyes from behind. I felt his palms which were covering my eyes trying to identify whom they belonged.

"Sumedh, do you plan to abduct me?" I laughed. He quickly pulled his hands back laughing "I'd love to…" he mischievously answered.

"Where is the bracelet?" his questioned in a serious tone as if I forgot to bring entrance pass in examination hall.

"I didn't wear, it always messed with irrelevant persons" I rolled my eyes thinking about Vidyut but Sumedh seemed worried and asked "you have it with you now?"

I pretty did not get why was he so panicked but still answered "yes" I took the bracelet out from my pocket. For unknown reasons I always loved this bracelet and did not want to part with it as if it was meant to be with me. He grabbed the bracelet out from my hand and places it gently on my wrist hooking it with care not to hurt my wrist even a bit. I stared at him blankly, I noticed that the bracelet glowed emitting a gentle white light and I remembered that I noticed it glow a few times in the past but ignored it thinking of it as illusion.

"Never remove it" he firmly commanded leaving no room for negotiation his aura was so domineering that I could not help but nod. Noticing how obediently I followed his words his eyes softened and he let out a low chuckle.

"Why you want me to wear it and yes how can it glow?" I curiously asked my eyes bulging out like a child to which he tapped his index finger on my forehead smiling at my childish actions "you'll know soon".

"Ahem" a noise came and I turned my head, a man with highlighted blonde hairs glaring daggers at me.

"So intimate, you do want to be hot search again" Rishi nagged only then I noticed that how close we were standing and Sumedh's was still holding my wrist I quickly stepped back at a safe distance "it's not what you think" I quickly defended myself.

Rishi chuckled at my flustered face "then how is it? Bother explaining" he smirked and I turned even more red not sure how to explain.

"Stop teasing her it was my fault" Sumedh lazily answered staring at my flushed face "you look like cherry now" he joked and I pinched his arm "you look like…" I looked up at his angelic face to think of some funny word but his face was so pleasing that I can't find any words.

"Look like… huh?" he asked with a mischievous smirk on his face, I quickly turned my head away from him and fixed my eyes on Rishi "have you figured out which tune to play?" quickly diverting the topic.

"Hmm…." He placed his fingers on his chin thinking and then answered "that's up to you"

'So why did he think so long… only to answer this' I thought to myself and he answered as if reading my mind "I was thinking about which tune to assign you, and then it clicked my mind that if everything is planned by you then why should I waste my brain thinking"

Listening to his explanation, I made a 'o' with my lips but then felt a pair of eyes staring at me and I turned in the direction my instincts directed and my eyes landed on a well sculpted face, his jawline sharp, staring at me darkly which sent shivers down my spine and I subconsciously gulped.

"Vidyut come here" Rishi told him following my eyes, Vidyut slowly walked towards us not leaving my eyes for a moment and I couldn't break our eye contact either as he came closer an unknown fear started brewing in my heart and the temperature of the surroundings drastically fell as if a snow storm was on its way, I subconsciously held Sumedh's hand as if he would protect me from anything to which Vidyut's face darkened even more.

"What's wrong, you look a bit…" Sumedh came between me and Vidyut hiding me, I peeked from the side to see if he was calm but he was not. Then Sumedh gracefully snapped his fingers.

"tkkk" and everything went quiet time froze the only people who were still moving were Sumedh and Vidyut.

"So, it's you" Sumedh coldly said staring in Vidyut's silver eyes. Sumedh was always suspicious of Vidyut's identity but today his eyes confirmed him.

"Yes. Finally got to see you" Vidyut gave an evil smirk, even though they met in the morning but now their real identities were known so, this meeting felt different. Vidyut and Sumedh had never met that time and could only guess each other's true identity from what they had heard that's why Vidyut wasn't sure but now everything came out Vidyut felt at ease.

Sumedh's eyes settled on the flute in Vidyut's hand and his anger rose higher "How did you get it? It was clearly… anyway give it back"

But Vidyut did not move a bit but darkly sneered "what do you think I bring it here for"

Sumedh did not speak but stared at him with his ocean blue eyes and after long he said "why did you come here?"

"To take my love back" Vidyut stated without a bit of thinking making Sumedh lose his temper

"She has suffered much and doesn't remember anything. Dare not act recklessly" Sumedh said in with his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white but then he closed his eyes struggling to calm himself down and then shot open his eyes, the blue ocean calm again and he seriously said "Stay. Away. From. Her." Stressing each word but Vidyut did not like what he said and gave a scary chuckle "She is mine" and then Sumedh snapped his fingers again releasing the frozen time.

I got confused that clearly his eyes were grey the moment he stepped in so I thought he had lenses on but in a blink his eyes are dark brown again how is this possible and he was furious too but now everything seems alright.

"Are you hiding from me little girl?" Vidyut teasingly asked and I felt relieved that his mood was normal "why would I?" I confidently said without realizing that I was still behind Sumedh.

"Yes, you would not" Vidyut gave a low chuckle and I stepped out of Sumedh's protection moving towards Vidyut my eyes never leaving his.

Then I noticed a crystal glass flute with a tinge of pink blending well with its glass body in Vidyut's hand, my eyes fixed on it. It looked strangely familiar as if it belonged to me, I subconsciously stretched my hand to feel it with my fingers. My eyes teared up as if they were longing to see it. When I touched it, my head felt heavy and I closed my eyes tightly. A girl in a beautiful red dress like those of immortals playing this flute her silhouette way faintly visible as she looked like me but her face wasn't visible, I pressured my mind to see her face but only her purple eyes were visible. My head started to hurt very badly and I shot my eyes open, trying hard to grasp my breath trying to stabilize my mind.

Sumedh pulled my flute from my waist band and started to play a soothing tune and slowly my headache was gone and I noticed that my glowing bracelet has regained its normal colour but why was it glowing again? What was all those things I saw? Too many questions but no answers I felt hopeless.

"I got this specially for you but it already has a name so I hope you won't change it" Vidyut said pointing towards the flute in his hand, I was too muddled and after a while I nodded.

"What is it?" I asked

"it's engraved on it" Vidyut gently answered handing the flute to me.

This time I did not feel any head ache. I smoothly ran my fingers on the smooth body of the flute which had beautiful pattern carved on it creating ridges and then the engraved name felt under my finger "'Maya' : Illusion; the name is too good to change. Whoever kept this name sure has ability" I remarked feeling deeply affectionate towards the flute and its name.

Sumedh gave a low chuckle thinking 'you gave it' but it was not the right time to so he kept quiet.

"You like…" Vidyut opened his mouth to question but I was too much overwhelmed to answer that without letting him complete I answered "I love it"

Vidyut's lips stretched in a smile "glad to know".

"I think all of you have taken wrong medicines today, I don't understand a thing but however Kuki got what she wanted that's enough" the badly ignored Rishi spoke up to highlight his presence.

"Seems like" Sumedh joked and then turned to me and said "lets practise… do you have any tune in mind?"

"Not actually but I do have a few ideas let's see if they work out well" I answered running fingers though my hairs and then turned to Vidyut "thank you for this flute. I love it… and I definitely won't keep it for free. I'll repay you very soon"