Chapter 23: Some Powers, Unknown

"Don't." Again she began to speak but again, he cut her off before she could finish her thought.

"I'm too strong for you... I'll hurt you if I stay any near." He said as he his slippers quickly.

"You are too intoxicating for me Bondita... I fear I may loose control, and if I do, I'll end up hurting this body of yours forever."

Vidhi sat up as he prepared to leave. Turning back, he saw her confused expression as she knelt in the middle of the bed. Her hands were held together in her lap and her bright, expressive eyes watched him warily. He brought one knee onto the bed and held the back of her neck softly. Bringing her closer, he kissed her tenderly, feeling her melt into him.

"I promise. We'll be together once the time is right... Once you know yourself completely."

He kissed her again, he couldn't help it. He still couldn't believe that he was there with her, that they had almost shared the night together. Forcing himself to break the kiss, he straightened and prepared to leave.

"Few more days Bondita, and then we'll be together forever."

"Wait...what did you say?" Vidhi suddenly furrowed her eyebrows and looked straight at him.

Something changed in her expression and in place of the calm shy girl, there was a strong willed powerful expression that clouded her demeanoer.

"So, you don't love me? You are hesitating to love me because I don't completely remember about Bondita yet! Because, I haven't transformed into her, because I'm still myself!"

Anirudh widened his eyes at her words.

"What are you saying Bondita, no... It's absolutely..."

Vidhi interjected.

"See... You can't even call me Vidhita! It's Bondita for you... How can you love her without loving me Anirudh Roy Chowdhury?"

"What? No... You are her... You two aren't different... Vidhita please, don't misunderstand me... I love you."

Anirudh tried to come closer but something inside Vidhi had suddenly flipped.

Perhaps it was the first heat of her youth, or the first rejection, and her entire body fumed up again the only man who stood infront of her.

"You don't love me... You just want to save me... So that you can get to be with your Bondita!" She stood up from the bed.

"Well guess what? You don't have to save me... Not anymore... I'm leaving Anirudh. I'm leaving right now!"

Anirudh saw a strange glow in her eyes and her body reflected a strange kind of determination. He could see the silvery waist chain glowing red through her thin satin night robe.

Anirudh swallowed hard as his fears started to take shape.

"Miss Sengupta... Vidhita... Calm down... You are not well right now... It's not you but the curse... Please don't speak any further, please, I implore you."

Anirudh tried to catch hold of her hand but a reddish spark emitted from her body, making Anirudh fall back a few steps away from her.

"Anirudh Roy Chowdhury... I'm leaving... And..."

"No... No... Vidhi... No... please don't say it."

"And, I don't want you to come after me."

Her last words had a strange firmness in them as Anirudh stood up quietly, and turned around to leave the room silently.

Vidhi heard his let out a loud sigh on his way back, filling the air with a sudden deathly chill.

Vidhi felt light. She clutched her head and sat down on the bed.

What did she just do?

What did she just say?

She couldn't think anymore as an overpowering urge of leaving the mansion grasped her entire being.

Without letting her better judgement settle in, she quickly grabbed few if her things in her backpack and walked out of the door towards the elevator.

'The mansion suddenly looked a little older than she had seen it' she thought as the elevator led her to the open courtyard, that trails outside the mansion.

Vidhi started to walk fast, crossing the courtyard and the old marble fountain.

There was a strange eeriness in the air but her sudden unnatural determination compelled her to step out of the iron gate, stepping into the dark deserted pavement, conjuring for her the strength to walk forward.

A gasp of cold air enveloped her suddenly, ruffling her hair in its chilliness. Vidhi stopped.

In a moment, she was acutely aware of the state that she was in... wearing a thin nightgown, in slippers and with no money, she was walking alone in a deserted street at the deadliest hour of the night.

'What else could go wrong?'

'Why did she even walk out like this?'

She started to question herself, and the more she questioned, the more her mind started to deceive her by blurring the moments that happened inside the mansion.

Anirudh didn't do anything wrong... Infact he was trying to protect her, and not hurt her. Then what triggered this evilish anger in her?

Vidhi stood against a flickering lamppost trying to contemplate her actions.

It was so rash!

So very immature, she cursed herself.

She was hurt at her own behaviour, but what hurt her even more was Anirudh's compliance.

She had asked her not to pursue her, but that doesn't mean he would just let her walk the streets alone at night!

Didn't he say he loved her...

Then why didn't he stop her?

Why didn't he use his strength on her?

Vidhi's eyes wailed up as tears of self guilt and hurt rolled down her cheeks.

She sniffed them back and turned around to see whether Anirudh had followed her or not.

She secretly hoped that he would.

But there was no sign of him!

Vidhi sighed sharply and started to walked forward, disheveled and disoriented, unsure of what to do next.

Suddenly there was no where to go. The pavement had taken a sharp turn against a wall. Vidhi got down from the pavement and stepped on the street.

Her mind was cluttered with thoughts, fearful thoughts about her life, her mother, the tyrant boyfriend, everything flashed infront of her eyes.

For a moment, she thought of turning back and walking inside the Roy Choudhury mansion, but then her pride seized her path.

"Anirudh Roy Chowdhury... Why did you let me go!" Vidhi murmured as a blinding light suddenly dazzled her eyes, making her flinch her face and look away.

The light was followed by a screeching noise as in no time a big luxury car halted infront of Vidhita.

"Anirudh!" Vidhi almost cried out as her eyes started to flow tears of regret.

"Vidhita Sengupta, here we meet again."

A sharp chill ran down her spine as Vidhi heard the voice.

It wasn't Anirudh, but a familiar voice that she had heard before.

She looked up letting her eyes settle in the sparkling dazzle of the white headlight.

A silhouette of a tall man walked closer to her.

"You seems to be in need of help Vidhita... and, I guess I'm right in time."

The man remarked as he extended his hands towards her.

Vidhi narrowed her eyes and tried to see his face, as he lips curved into a bright smile.

"I hope you remember me." The man remarked again.

Another cold wind ruffled Vidhi's hair as she swallowed a hard lump in her throat.

"I do... CJ." She muttered.

"What are you doing here."

CJ chuckled.

"I was waiting for you Vidhita... I knew you'd come."