CHAPTER - 8

(at the dining table)

we all sat down to have breakfast.

"ok maharaj ji quickly tell me what is there for breakfast today?",I said sitting while folding my legs.

"lovie bitiya kachori,samosa,pohe and dhoklas",he said.

"wow....finally after so many years I am eating something good,maharaj ji you are great",I said taking a bite.

"meera looks like you were just missing India because of food",Ron said laughing.

"whatever.....don't distract me please I want to concentrate on eating , I don't know when I will get to eat all this again,and you guys too enjoy it ,maharaj ji is a great cook ",I said and started eating .

"wow.. meera it tastes really good ",shi-woo and haa joon said.

"I know.....have some more",I said.

"It is really very tasty ",joo-won said.

I smiled in response.

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"maharaj ji cook daal baati for lunch and don't forget that amazing garlic chutney and laddu",I said sipping tea from the cup.

" finish your breakfast first,"my mom said.

and everyone was chit chatting.

"maharaj ji You can leave lunch to me",then my mom said something very dangerous.

"no....",I said so loudly catching everybody's attention.

"why..?",she asked.

"mother India please don't bother ok.....m.m..maharaj ji can cook,you must be tired of the trip last night right?",I said.

"yes aunty please don't bother, rest for some time",Ron said.

"oh please let me cook for you all",mom said.

"o..ooooooo",Ron said as I pinched him harder on his hand .

and everyone just looked at him worriedly

"what happened Ron?",do -woon asked.

then Ron looked at me as to know what was that for?

"my mom is a terrible cook,she can only cook rajma chwal best,so help me to stop her If you don't want to die",I whispered to him .

"aunty please .....don't cook",he said panicking.

"huh?..",everyone looked at Ron confused, but all this time I could feel someone was staring at me continuously. (ofcourse it was joo-won😅😅)

"umm..I..I mean come join us we are going to play some games after this",Ron said.

"no please I am tired ",fred said.

"shut up,everyone has to play!", he said strictly.

"what happened to you Ron?",Emily asked.

"keep quiet Emily please",I said to her.

"OK ,I won't cook let's play",mom said.

"thank God..",I said.

"what....", my mom said looking at me.

"I..I mean oh God, I really wanted to eat food made by you,but now it's fine let's play",I said changing my statement.

"hmm....let's go then",Ron said.

we played for a while then we all slept as we were very tired and tomorrow we will start the shooting of MV ,legal team,production team,staff everybody was already there staying at the hotel .

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I woke up around 7 PM and went out and sat with everyone in the living area.

"oh meera you are here....we were waiting for you ....do you know where is this sajjan garh fort?",Do-woon asked as I sat on the sofa.

"um yeah it is near tiger hill...and let me tell you it is damn beautiful, mostly during monsoons", I said.

"we are planning to visit that place tomorrow ",Ron said excited.

"ok,it will be fun",I said.

"Dinner is ready kids",my mom said entering the hall.

"wow...I can't wait to taste more delicacies ",haa-joon said.

"mother India by any chance did you ....?",I asked smiling nervously.

"don't worry maharaj cooked it",she said and walked away.

"sorry,I didn't meant that", I said but she had already left.

"why did you say so ,meera?",veronica asked.

"for your long life",I said exaggerating.

"what .....?",she said.

"those who don't know, let me tell you my mom is a terrible cook ,even when I was a kid my dad used to prepare our breakfast, lunch, dinner. everything, or it used to be maharaj ji when we lived here", I said.

"oooh...then thank you so much",they said.

"my pleasure..!",I said.

then they all laughed.

"let's go then ",I said getting up and we all walked towards dining table.

I was going to sit when my phone vibrated, I stopped and took it out ,

There was a message from same stranger.

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"welcome to udaipur again, meera", it read.

"first of all who are you,and how do you know that we are in udaipur?",I texted back.

"It doesn't Matter who I am ,or how do I know that you are here. important is that

dikhe agar koi apna kisi beech raah,

toh na chal padna uski raah,

hai woh saaya toh usika par ab ,

nahi woh us sa.

jo laage woh hove ni,

or jo hove woh laage ni.

mirage hai mirage,

na choove tab tak hai ,

jo choo liya to sirf dhua.

(translation:- if you see someone familiar in a way ahead,

then don't follow him to his way.

it is his shadow, but not his anymore.

what you feel is not true,and what is true you will never feel it.

it's all just a mirage(illusion)

It will be there till you don't touch it,

but disappears like a smoke if touched).

"what the hell, what are trying to say?,and if you are some crazy fan who is stalking me ,I will sue you,and I will make sure that you get punished ", I typed back.

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"meera stop playing with your phone and come have dinner ",my mom said.

"umm....yes mom",I said.

"you kids are always busy playing with your phone ",she said serving me chapatis.

we were chatting and laughing when suddenly

my phone again vibrated and I checked it.

"for seeing you I don't have to stalk you meera,I am always there with you",it read.

and my smile faded.

"you want proof?", another message.

"you are looking very beautiful in that,blue dress,is the sweet tasty?",

and that was it ,I freaked out.

and turned back to see, but there was nobody else than my friends and mom and maharaj ji.

"meera ...",veronica said and I turned to her.

"huh....?",I said still shocked.

"what happened where were you looking?",she asked.

"um ...nothing let's eat ",I said.

then something brushed off my legs,and I got up quickly.

"what happened...?",they asked.

"I felt as if...leave it nothing ",I said

then sat down again .and started having my food.

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(during night)

I was in the washroom changing my clothes .

when I felt like someone was watching me ,I wore my clothes quickly and came out of the washroom.

I.was sitting on the couch when I heard someone laughing sitting just behind me and it was a scary laugh ,very creepy.

then my room's door opened and footsteps approached nearer and nearer, I could hear someone humming a melody and then laughing.

but nobody was visible.

I closed my eyes and placed my hands on my

face and started saying again and again.

"no...no....no it's not true..meera,it's not true,it's not true don't believe it.....no no no", I kept on repeating but those sounds didn't stop. and I realised that the door was closed again itself.

I kept saying again and again, then those voices stopped for a second. I opened my eyes slowly

and saw his face right infront of my face .

I shouted so loudly but there was no impact my voice was just struck no Matter how much I tried but I wasn't able to shout.

I paralysed at same place I wasn't able to move at all ,then I started to choke,and that he came near ears said.

"you will pay for what you have done",

"I will kill you meera",

and he started to laugh very creepily.

after few seconds he just disappeared suddenly.

and I came back to normal, and gasped heavily for breath,

I got up and ran outside my room,and as I was running through the corridor I felt as if someone was following me all the time.

I was just running as fast as I could ,and I opened the main door of the haveli and left without slippers and shoes,

and all that time those footsteps approaching me.

I was running through the garden and then suddenly something hit my head badly and I blacked out.

( MEANWHILE)

"hey!,I am really excited for tomorrow.",joo-won said to ,yae-joon.

"when are you not?",he asked.

"like really ,just imagine me and meera on the monsoon palace ",joo-won said joining his hands.

"correction please, you , meera , all the team and staff members. ",yae-joon said.

"oh right, can't you all stay back here ,or do something that I get to spend some time with her alone and also after that night she is avoiding me",joo-won said leaning on the couch.

"sure,but which night?,what happened?",yae-joon said in confusion.

"n.nothing...good night ",joo-won said and then went towards his room.

"bro ...atleast tell me what happened ",yae-joon said but joo-won had already left.

"isn't he behaving little weird these days",yae-joon asked to ,shi-woo who was sleeping on other bed.

"hmmm...",shi-woo said in a sleepy voice and turned to the other side.