Chapter-50

Manan exclaims with a disgusting sugary tone, " Hmm! I should have guessed, you would have a bodyguard for yourself after all, pretty dolls aren't safe in this cruel and creepy world.

but don't worry, my Hrida, I would protect you and now you don't need this bodyguard of yours. Tchhh…You are just like your mother, extremely pretty, even than your mother.

Pity, how dirty you look right now but once you join me, I would make you a fresh pretty doll, prettier than ever. 

Hmmm..Mr. Little bodyguard, isn't your name Shashi or something? I have heard about you from Hrida's mom in a negative light of course.

Oh, now I am curious since you have been with her since childhood, was she like this from the baby?

I mean, her cheeks looked soft like flower petals, and when I held her, I could feel the soft hair on my face, although I couldn't touch it. I wonder how soft her hair is! I shall experiment with it right now! Gahh…."

Shashi and Hrida both punched him so hard at the same time, that Manan's nose started bleeding, he felt outraged, so he reverted and pined Shashi to the ground and punched him everywhere. Hrida picks up a stone nearby and thrusts it against his face, he groans in pain. 

Without giving her a chance to escape, he clutched her wrist and twisted it, causing her to tear up, Shashi tried to get up but his body felt way too heavy for him to lift. Manan raises his other hand and cups Hrida's chin and laughs at her scared face.

Her soul urging to erupt into chaotic form, her wild self returned, she sank her teeth deep into his hand and didn't leave his hand until the teeth imprint were patched with red strips of blood, she hissed at him with a mad glow in her eyes, her aura roaring loud, the shadows get scared of her intimidating light.

Meanwhile, Soma wriggles within Navya's grip, requesting countlessly to let him go and help them but the layer is too strong to penetrate through, which everyone was aware of.

Soma's mom at that time was able to break through due to her unbreakable strength and tolerance to pain and in that process her arm was bruised completely but Navya couldn't allow that to happen to Soma.

Navya was barely managing both Shashi's mom and Soma, who were both suffering for the people stuck inside the suffocating bubble.

Manan starts laughing madly as if she cracked some joke, he declares with a creepy smirk on his lips," I like how feisty you are! Just like a wild butterfly.

But, pretty doll, once the butterfly's wings are caught in the net, she is destined to lay behind a glass showcase, appearing lively but dead inside. Hahaha..hahahahh."

He snatched Shashi from her forcefully and dragged him away from her, she followed him to rescue Shashi but Manan ran in circles at a fast pace as a bullet train.                              Shashi's loud cries of agony choked her throat, she couldn't breathe properly, she rubbed her palm anxiously, and her body was panting hard.

She couldn't control it anymore, she sank to her knees and wept uncontrollably, her heart-breaking sound of cry silenced the whole environment, her loved ones felt her pain but they were unable to provide her comfort, her soul was breaking, being torn apart. Her soul is wounded, she needs a healing hug but she is restricted from that as well when she needs it the most at the moment.

Hrida rambles with a guilty tone, " I am responsible. I am- I am responsible for…*weeps* all this happening currently. I never imagined that I..i...Ii-I would be the reason behind the disaster at present.

I never wished for this, I wished for my family to stay sweet and perfect like it is on the occasion of my birthday but my wish didn't get fulfilled because I wished for something to stay which never really existed.

But then, I accepted my truth and wandered mindlessly on unpaved roads in search of my home, which also will never be found. I don't know where was I wrong? why did it have to be me?

And..why..just why do my loved ones, my friends have to suffer because of me, and those innocent civilians whom I met on the journey also had to suffer because they met me?

I don't want to victimize myself but rather I am the culprit behind the destruction of poor victims. I am sorry, really, I am sorry.

Please, Kali, leave them be, If you have a problem with me, then fight with me, don't involve my loved ones in this fight, these good souls didn't do anything to you.

Ple—*weeps* "

Shashi whispers with a sad tone, " Hridaaa..No, you are not..gahhh...not responsible for anything bad. You are instead the reason behind good things. Don't ..gahhh,..listen to these mindless shadows. Gahhh!"

Hrida shouts with a worried tone," Shashi, hold on, I will reach you no matter what, don't worry about me, just hold on." Kritak handles Lakshman who wakes up with weak arms and sharp pain ringing in his ears, he still tries to move towards those two children, but, Kritak doesn't let him as Lakshman looks completely worn and weak.                                             Kritak couldn't let him go or couldn't go himself either, otherwise, he would headfirst into the battle zone again to injure himself to death.

 Hrida wiped her tears fiercely and ran like a madman, colliding against Manan, he was overthrown by her push, and she caught Shashi in her arms, and delicately settled him on the ground.         Shashi's mom helplessly stares at her son and Hrida with a hollow gaze, silent tears cascading down her cheeks.

She expresses her pain, " My Shashi, he..h..he..*whimpers* is suffering. Hrida! You always have protected him in the videogame, please do that same thing now for him and protect him. Please do something, to help him ease his pain. 

I am sorry, beta, you had to witness Shashi in such a state, I am sorry I can't hold you in my arms to comfort you both. I feel the worst for not being able to save my children. 

He needs us, Hrida, we have to save him. But at the moment, you can only save him." Hrida nods her head while tearing up watching Shashi writhing in the tussle of pain still he didn't complain a single word against her.

 She hugs him tight, caressing his arms to make him feel a bit relaxed. Hrida hums softly audible to everyone with a hint of flickering hope in her voice, 

" Hold on tight, hold on tight

There is no other way to fight,

Always preferred to flight, 

but now we are hanging above a great height.

Don't know much about light,

But I know if we hold on tight, then there is no need to fight.

Stay still, let me hold you tight,

And guide you to light.

Hold on tight, hold on tight, 

There is no other way to fight.

Dollhouses and dolls always taught me to hide/flight.

But I won't do it anymore, cause I am gonna hold you tight,

Caress your wounds, so that you can face the light.

Hold on tight, tight as you can,

Cause I am not going to take a flight without you, 

Stay still, hold me tight, 

Cause there is no other way to fight.

So…..Hold meeee..tight."

Her voice sent the whole audience into the pause of peace booming in their heart, and a calmness washed over their minds.                                                          Shashi was just gazing at her in awe, a smitten smile on his face directed towards her but she was busy checking his wounds, she held him tight even more when she heard a loud thud behind her.

Shashi's eyes widen in horror, before he can voice out, Soma's voice is heard loud and clear as he alerts her, " Hrida, take Shashi as far away as you can and don't look back at all.

Did you hear me, Hrida? " Hrida obeyed him immediately but her instincts urged her to look back, she looked back just for once, and her hand slipped from Shashi's hand. Her gaze turned hollow as she saw a small figure lying on the grass with a lot of injuries, the cruel scratches on his body, he lay lifeless.

She straightaway rushed by his side, sank her face on his belly, the muffled sobbing sound could be heard, she picked him up carefully in her shaking arms and placed him on her lap, and rambled with a desperate tone, " tapish...Tapsih..wake up, you have to wake up. I know you can hear me, I know you are in there.

Wake up and see through open eyes, how I am going to make those suffer who made your every breath filled with nightmare. I swear, those people won't be spared for the sin that they did.

Tapish, please I beg you to wake up. Tapish..you can't leave your sister alone, I can't lose you. They stole your light, but I can lend you my warmth.

You have always taken care of me as your sister by being the warmth in my icy-wintery doll house, now I will be your warmth."

Hrida embraced him and pressed him gently against her torso and held him like a baby, close to her heart, humming the same song that she sang for Shashi in his sharp ears, her tears wetting her fur.

She continued holding him and provided him warmth, her gaze shifted to Shashi, whose gaze looked pained, filled with helplessness, and guilt. She graces him with a sad smile on her lips and gestures through her eyes while humming her own song ' Hold on tight'.

But their suffering didn't end there, as new players plunged into the bubble, Hrida didn't pay attention because she didn't care about what might happen to her, she was now focused only on saving Tapish and her warmth did have a good effect.

Tapish's eyes opened wide, he let out a painful 'meow' as soon he opened his eyes, Hrida pampered him with kisses, and caressed his wounds with her delicate fingers, Tapish felt his pain intensity reduced feeling her soothing touch, motherly care for him.

He slowly places his paw on top of her hand, Hrida flashes a warm smile but when he looks around, he observes the surroundings and reads the situation they are all under, he growls looking at those figures standing behind Hrida.

Hrida shielded Tapish and faced those figures, as they crept closer, she instantly recognized them, and a deep scowl settled on her lips.

She questions with a harsh tone, " What are you pup-pets doing here?

Oh, you might be part of that Shawmy gang, right?

Why not, your sadist soul is a perfect fit for that gang. Sorry, I don't have time to waste like you, so scoot away, otherwise, this time you won't be spared by my wild side."

Those same three girls, Ambar, Dish, and Drishya cackled in laughter, which sounded horrible to normal ears, Ambar spoke up her deal with a gleeful tone, " Pretty doll, since you rejected to be our human pup-pet and didn't surrender your cat either, we decided to take matters in our own hands.

Think, smart doll, who might be responsible for your cat's miserable condition although, in my eyes, he looks cute and pretty in pain. Don't you think, girls?"

 Hrida now knew who was responsible for Tapish's worsened condition, the flames of anger were doubling, the fire reached her brain, and she forgot the gentle side and took the form of wild Hrida, whose fire could burn people alive. 

Her loved ones were helpless and angry at their own selves for being unable to stop the injustice happening before them, the barrier thickened into tangible strong material.                     Hrida glanced towards Tapisha and Shashi, who needed safety, she swooped Tapish in her arms and bolted to Kritak Bhaiya, who was guarding Lakshman bhaiya, she handed Tapish to Kritak bhaiya, asking him to take care of him for her. 

She saw those girls moving toward Shashi, Shashi tried to help himself up but his body wasn't cooperating with him at all. Shashi's mom, Navya urged Hrida to hurry up and rescue him, she blocked their path and pushed them back with a strong push, the girls didn't flinch from their position, she noticed them snickering at her, their nails enlarged into claws as sharp as razor, their arms slender as paper and long as tree branch.

Disha evilly giggles and voices out her sick thoughts, " Ambar, since we have been bored with her cat, why don't we make that boy, dear to Hrida, our pup-pet?

Wouldn't this make it a more entertaining situation?

And I must admit, he is kind of cute, no wonder, the pretty doll has eyes on him.

Shall I ? Shall I ? Shall I ?"

Drishya frustrated, vents out in fumes, " Disha, shut your mouth and go forward and don't mess our brains. Have it for yourself, me and Ambar have greater standards for pup-pet than you. ughhh!"