Chapter Twenty-three: the final battle

Aditya sighed in relief as he settled himself in the driving seat, sweating beside the cold weather. man.. It was a nightmare, helping the girls climb out of the well.

After a series of failed attempts to encourage them to do it by themselves -during which they just kept screaming and falling each time after climbing a significant hight of almost 5 feet, even which they were only able to manage because of their spectacular jumping and clinging ability. seriously girls make a workout routine!- Rajveer and he had to climb up first so they could pull the girls up while they cling to the knot Sidharth made in the rope, he stayed down to manage if someone fell, though Aditya doubted he would be able to manage, especially in Alina's case.

Nope, he wasn't laughing. why would he? she wasn't fat! well, maybe he was laughing, a bit.

but he couldn't help being a little pleased after what they had just accomplished.

they had come to save pakhi but not only they saved her but they had also retrieved the amulet -which now lay in front of him still tucked in the book, they hadn't been able to gather the courage to open the book and see it, which was absolutely fine by him- besides that and most importantly they had managed to do it without anyone getting hurt, say for a few scratches but it proved to be worth it in the end. actually, that would be an understatement, it had gone better, far beyond their imagination.

they had a fist-sized raw diamond, supposedly worth millions, raped in a handkerchief, resting in the documents compartment. it was a fact he was still finding hard to grasp on.

they couldn't be that lucky could they? but then compared to all the weird thing he had seen recently, it was only mildly odd. people had found diamonds numerous times in the past. Although they may not have found one in a secret underground temple.

however, they were getting quite late now. he had to drop the girls quickly to their homes least their parents question them.

soon, everyone settled into their seats, expect for Sidharth he settled in Rajveer's place separating him and pakhi, as usual playing gooseberry.

what could Aditya say? perhaps, this was his way to show affection or it was merely to annoy Rajveer but he certainly liked to do that every time he was around. Rajveer was accustomed to it Aditya knew, but still, he was giving those jealous glares to Sidharth, while he could also see a smile trying to curl on his lips.

Aditya understood instantly what he was doing, giving Sidharth what he was expecting from his joke.

quite.. generous of him he thought as he ignited the engine smiling, and turned the car while thinking about Rajveer.

he had to admit the man had more brains then he let people know. You would generally see him laughing like crazy on jokes only he completely understands, and think him immature and childish but the man had more depth one could gauge. he should start giving more heed to him.

No, it wasn't that he had thought him dumb before now -5years friendship with him had taught him better than that- but he wasn't brilliant either. he was the kind of person who worked according to his instinct, gut feeling. he tend to be right too most of the time. perhaps what he did today, how he acted was too his gut feeling but today he had beaten even him, in a way, the one considered sharpest of three. perhaps this was the reason was laughing so much, amazed by his own brilliance.

Aditya could have gotten killed everybody if they had acted according to him. he felt ashamed but thank Rajveer they were safe. besides wasn't it the whole point of having friends. You couldn't always fit everywhere.

he turned a nook, still analysing today's event in his mind and saw something,

something that was perhaps even scarier than Vishal, a police jeep, parked in front of the tomb's main entrance. two policemen talking to the tomb's guard.

he had almost applied the breaks before he stopped himself. No! that would be foolish, almost equivalent to committing the sin. they couldn't turn either, it would look abrupt, they would get noticed. so, he kept advancing on a slow pace toward the turn they had to take, hopping against the hope that nobody would notice them.

if they get caught, there was no reason he could ever explain to the police officers what they were doing there in this late of evening. Even if he could somehow form a story suitable enough, there was no chance they could get away if the officers made their mind to check them.

weapons, relics, ropes and what not, no way he could cover all this mess with just start talk. everyone else in the car had fallen completely silent as if holding their breaths but nobody spoke or suggested anything, elina grasped his hand, tightly. she knew about the thievery they did and why police was here. they shouldn't have come so soon, but it wasn't like they had any other option thanks to the mantrik. bloody corpse face!

thankfully, they had almost reached the intersection, unnoticed. Aditya was feeling quite positive that perhaps they would be able to slip this time as well. alas, no..

all three heads turned into their detection with impossible, almost eerie harmony.

Aditya felt a different kind dread settling in him as they turned the corner. were they smiling? or was he hallucinating now?

he shook his head, and shifted the gears, third forth and fifth. they zipped through the alley, Aditya checked in his mirror, there was no pursuit. but before he could sigh the relief, he heard the sirens.

'shit' he gritted his teeth

then the same jeep exited an alley ahead of them and stopped in the center, blocking the way. Aditya gaped.

there was no way they could have reached there before them, but here they were. this time Aditya applied the breaks instinctively. car had barely slowed when he made it veer. making an ark and grazing another cars back in the process, which was sincerely parked in front of someone's house, they sped the way back they had come. this time policemen followed, sirens wailied and lights flashed, as they followed them through narrow alleyways and trafficked roads.

they zipped through one alley way to another, turning furiously. Aditya hadn't drove this rough in his life. he could vaguely hear Sidharth mumbling some prayers while Rajveer kept encouraging him to rush on every time police jeep gets any close. he only heard girls shrieking, every time car jumped or bumped(it was almost everytime). by a quick glance he noticed elina clutching the hem of her seat with one hand and dashboard with another, her complexion had grown even paler. what had he gotten her into! he cursed himself.

but then it too become a motivation. he knew just one thing, they couldn't get caught, not today, not with the girls, and certainly not with the weapons, amulet and diamond. he knew they will trace the car eventually even if they managed to fled today but that didn't matter, that seemed manageable. at most he had to pay some amount as penalty, no big issue but he didn't want to hand over the things they had risked their lives to recover and he certainly didn't want to spent a night with his girlfriend in a lockup.

they sped and took another turn, trying very hard to get the policemen off their trail. he was sure this time also, like several other times, that this time they couldn't find them. but everytime they were somehow managing to locate them no matter how hard Aditya tried. yet they couldn't seemed able to actually catch them. something was wrong he knew but couldn't point out what.

then suddenly as if on cue, Aditya felt an odd chill and the sound of sirens died. completely bewildered, he peeked in the mirror but it was.. clogged, clogged with dew. that wasn't possible, he jerked his eyes to the front and was shocked to see himself in a very dense, fog bank. he slowed the car, literally nothing was visible out side, only curling mist. he turned to elina gaping, she too look completely aghast.

A fog bank in a street? when Winter hadn't even arrived yet?

'Aditya stop!' Sidharth yelled

but then either the gravity suddenly made it's mind to change it's law and started to attract forward instead of downward or the ground beneath them had changed. it was like they were on leveled plank and someone had lifted one side of it. they plummeted downward.

'wohhh...' Aditya cried as they rolled downward his friend accompanied him with different different types of screams. he pushed on the break peddle and it slowed their descend but perhaps the ground beneath them was stony as well as they kept skidding. then many things happened in a flash, it seemed at first as if the left side tyre had sank in some pit but then the entire left side sank and the world turned completely upside down. it was all black.

'Aditya.., adit.. Aditya...'

Aditya woke on elina's screams.

dazed, he opened his eyes and found the world still upside down. he was resting on his neck on the cars roof instead of driving seat using his butt.

'aditya.. come out' elina shouted yet again, Aditya tried to locate her straightening himself and falling on the roof in the process, hitting his back. man! this was giving him vertigo. thankfully, she was already out of the car and so were others. he seemed the only one stuck in here. very well!

'come on.. we have to help them' she said, her arm extended. she kept peeking over to the one side through and through.

help? what had happened?

he quickly scampered up to his knees and elbows. only know realising the situation. his head had probably collided somewhere, his thoughts were fuzzy. then he remembered something else. book! amulet!where were they?

frantically he looked for it, his heart leaped when found the book just behind him. he thanked the god.

he picked it, the amulet was peeking through one corner, glowing faint green, temptingly. he just gave the book few jerks and settled the amulet back in the middle of the book, without touching the it. then he quickly crawled out of the car holding the book with his chest. elina helped him to the feet and gave him a quick hug.

Aditya looked at his surroundings, it was still mist all around them but in a distance he could see an orb of milky white light floating in the air, like a miniature sun, just, white and much, much more beautiful. wherever it moved mist seemed to repel from the place. In those brief moments when it neared the ground Aditya also caught a glance of Sidharth and Rajveer.

what the heck was going on?

he didn't need to be told to knew where they were. he knew the place quite well for that. At the Riverside, where they'd decided to not come ever again.

dammit he thought I knew something was wrong.

'what is going on there?' Aditya asked her itching to run to them.

'something.. happened to Sidharth, I think he's possessed again'

her voice was shaky, Aditya could guess she was about to cry any moment. he was confused whether to console her first or check on his friends.

'Rajveer?, pakhi?' he asked deciding. elina was afraid but fine he had to check how was others.

'pakhi is fine, Rajveer is fighting Sidharth. he's possessed as well but it seemed a good spirit, that light is helping him'

'good spirit? light is helping him? as if helping Rajveer to fight Sidharth' he frowned

she nodded

Aditya had no idea how was that possible. and how both of them get possessed suresh had assured that while these threads are on their arms no spirit not even Mantrik could hurt them. he needed answers.

'okay.. so were they holding on against him fine?'

'they were..' she looked confused as well now

'I mean can they hold on for some time? I need to know what had happened. everything' he told her though one part of him was tempted to rush to his friends but the other part knew he wouldn't be much of a help if he went in the battle unprepared, it was better to know the situation first. besides that light whatever it was but it was giving him a sense of calm. like nothing could go wrong in it presence. like a son feels in presence of his father. but now he thought why he thought this metaphor only. he ignored it as elina started to speak.

'the car toppled..., we all scattered out, Rajveer.. he checked you, you were just unconscious. an...' she chocke and she started to cry.

'hey...' he said softly, grabbing her by shoulders, she again hugged him and started to sob. Aditya felt bad for her, she was scared. he couldn't blame her this was all too much for her. he let her sob for a moment, hugging her. it would lighten her stress, he knew.

'elina listen to me, don't worry I'll fix everything, believe me. but you have to tell me, I need to know, please and fast'

she nodded and aditya wiped her cheeks.

'there was something in the mist. some.. creature.., black and manlike. it didn't came close. it stayed hidden in the mists but it kept circling us. Rajveer and Sidharth decided to take out those weapons, in case it attack, Rajveer sent Sidharth to take the key out to open the trunk. he returned with the key and, and opened the it, everything fell out of It. just then, something happened to Sidharth. his body stiffened he, he wailed, horribly, then slumped his head down. we have all backed away from him. then he crouched and picked the axe. his hand started sizzling as if his skin was burning but he didn't left the axe. he.. he just smiled at it. just then suddenly Rajveer shouted something like "Vishal we need you" and something similar happened to him. I and pakhi were just standing there immobilised. Sidharth started to laugh. but it was two voices that came, one his own, one a deep echoing one. then rajveer turned to us and told us to stay behind him. thankfully he seemed in his mind not like Sidharth, his voice too was of his own but he was glowing faintly, white'

that brilliant bastard Aditya thought and found himself smiling. he used vishal's watch

'what?' elina asked

'nothing, go on'

'Sidharth jumped to attack rajveer, he was very high in the air, like flying. I couldn't believe my eyes, no one could jump that high but Rajveer too jumped back. his jump too was inhuman. that's when that orb materialized in the air. Sidharth, he like bared his teeth at it like a dog.' she pouted 'Aditya, in it's light I saw Sidharth's eyes... his eyes were pure black' she gulped

'yeah he is in mantrik's control, perhaps Sidharth lost his thread while crawling in or out of the car. and that figure was mantrik who seized the opportunity' he told her considering 'what the orb did?'

'Sidharth did... he, opened his mouth and.. black mist shot from it toward the orb. like a stream of it. same kind of curling mist shot from the orb but this one was pure white instead of black. Both streams joined in the mid air with the sound like two water streams crashing into one another but both of it seemed to cancel each other, no stream was able to push another back. that's when Rajveer crept close to Sidharth and kicked him in the chest. he flew backwards, literally. from here to there!' she pointed where was the orb now, and continued

'Rajveer followed him in a long leap. the orb hovered behind him. I tried to stop pakhi but she too ran after Rajveer. I came to wake you...'

she finished, the girl was trembling now. going through that once was enough and he made her live that again. he felt sorry for her. it had proved to be a bad idea after all to include the girls into the mess. if not for them they might never have to endure such horrors. but at that time there was another pressing matters to give thought to.

'I'm sorry elina but it was necessary to know the situation before I step into it, now you stay here, hide in the car. I going to join the party!'

'no I'll come with you' she said, still trembling but looked so determined he didn't know how to negate her.

'okay' he took a long breath 'let's find out what this amulet does'