Forever Yours

The silence of the lonely streets ran a shiver down Revati s spine. It was too haunting a date but they say love is blind. The first time she met him was near the highway at a similar time of the night. 

        Revati was driving the car with Aarav and Sujata. They were childhood friends and every time on the full moon night they would stroll out in search of adventure. Well, of course, their parents would object but they bluffed in front of them making up new excuses every time. 

       It was fun for them but many times cause for trouble too. In the morning on that day, they saw the news, " Horrific beast in sight near Goa." All of them heard it together. It seems that some beast-like creature has killed two to three people on the highway. The bodies were badly mutilated and fingers bit off. 

"Scared?", asked Aarav 

"Noooo.. let's check it out! ", said both the girls.

They went that night telling their parents that they would be staying at the beach house for partying that night.

The road trip started at 10 o'clock and they started rushing through the streets towards the highway. The music was playing full blast.

" Wow, the moon seems to be bigger than before, deserted roads with the silence around gives an eerie feel", said Aarav.

" Yes! Imagine moving ahead something just .. Aaaaaaah.. wha.. w.. wh!", within the fraction of a second something rushed as if running with the wind from one corner of the road to another. 

Revati was quite scared and they stopped the car somewhere nearby. She stepped out when she was swept away by the gust of wind and fell down into a heap of leaves.

"Aaaahh.. ah! Aaaah! Wh.. wha .. oh ! ", she was sweating and a shiver ran down her spine.

Someone was standing facing his back towards her. The physique of a strong, well-built man with long black hair with his back facing her in a long black suit gave him a look like .. probably batman. The fear in her heart was slowly melting down and she got up started advancing towards him.

As she went close, she could feel him breathing heavily. " He... Hello.. w..who? ", Revati was about to say something more when he turned back. 

"Aaaaahh!! .. aa.. hhh.. hh", Revati fell back when she saw his face. Eyes were yellow, wrinkled face with blood-stained lips. In the moonlight, she could see him standing with his head held high. He slowly advanced towards her and as she looked at him she felt something very different.

  

The fear of death was not as fascinating as his calm stare. She gazed straight into those yellow eyes which seemed to vanish the deep fears and bring a smile. Before she could say something or realise her mistake he came down and held her in his arms. 

" Hey .. Reva!! Get up .. get up .. come on", the voices seemed to grow louder as she opened her eyes as if she woke up from some nightmare.

"Ahh.. where. wh .. am I? Where is that?"

"My God! Revati you don't remember anything? "

"What?"

"We saw some creature rushing past our car when Aarav and I got down to check. When we came back you were not in the car and.. and we looked everywhere for you"

"Finally found you here .. in the woods near the highway !! "

" Three masked men were lying down dead near you as if something had torn them apart. We reported to the police"

The police came to the spot and concluded that they were a gang of criminals responsible for a few highway robberies. It was a close save!! But the way they were killed seemed not the work of any human being.

"Take care and do not ever enter the forests again"

They went back home but there was something which only Revati felt. Who was he? What did he want? Why did he protect her? She wanted all the answers so she had to go there again.

She looked up the internet for information regarding nocturnal animals living in the forest near Goa. There was a strange picture of a half-human and half-beast. She read the writing below which said, " The evil shall perish and love shall be rewarded". 

The WhatsApp message loomed up in front of her on the screen, " Yea! Tell?"

"Hey .. how are you? All ok?", said Ajay.

Ajay was a new friend she met at the new year's party last year. They were quite close by now. 

"Where were you all this time? Why are you asking now?"

"Hey .. I know you mad at me!" 

Revati cut the line. She could not imagine how one year has passed since she met Ajay. Tears rolled down her eyes when she wondered how much she needed him. They hardly knew each other just texting and meeting once in 6 months. Ajay was working in a bank nearby her college. However, he would not prefer to meet her more often. When he called or messaged they would talk for hours. It seemed like time flies. The topics would include sports, movies, home decoration, cooking etc. 

The only problem was she could not contact him for 5 days a month. He would just disappear without any reason. She had asked him many times but he would divert the topic for some reason. She was fed up now. This month too when she was in grave danger.. he was not there to help her.

" I hate him! "

Revati was about to keep her phone down when suddenly the windows opened with loud noise as if a gust of wind from nowhere just came in. She was thrown back and started sweating. A chill ran down her spine. Something was standing behind the open window and all she could make out in the dark were two yellow eyes.

Revati closed her eyes and sat calmly on her bed when a shadow emerged through the window and stared into her soul. She could feel a sensation not so unknown.

In the morning she woke up by a phone call. 

" Hey, Revu! Did you saw the news? There is a beast in town? He came into your area last night. Two more people were found dead near the end of the road!"

" What? Oh.. oh my !"

Revati cut the call and picked up the next one from Ajay, "Look am not okay! You being so secretive just freaks me out! You are never there for me when I need you. You dont deserve my love! Dont call me again .. please.. let's just end this!"

"Calm down.. what do you want?"

"The truth! Why do you disappear for five days in a month? What if I die? Would you still not come?"

"Revati .. please .. that will never happen"

"Am done.."

Revati cried for hours that day. She could not focus on anything except the newcomer in her life. He came to protect her again! The people found dead were illegal drug dealers. She knew he too liked her. She waited for the next full moon night. 

    

She told her parent's she going to her Aarav's place for some work and will be late so not to worry. Then she left for the jungle safari, this time alone. She only told Sujata about it. 

The car suddenly stopped with a screech. Revati came back to the present. Her chain of thoughts broke only to realise she was in the middle of the highway and her car had hit a tree. It was a close save. She looked around there was no one. A chill ran down her spine, she was cold with fear. Suddenly, the noise like the rustling of leaves was heard she looked in that direction there was nothing. Then again from the opposite side. 

 

" I. I want to .. ta.. talk .. to you !! ", Revati looked around.

Everything was silent again and within a fraction of a second, she was soaring high in the sky with a not so human but still loveable creature. The beast who she never knew but seemed she knew always. 

He bought her to the same place where they met for the first time.

He threw her down into the grass and swooped high looking most fiercely at her. "What do you want? I told you not to come here!"

Revati got up and looked back at him then slowly advanced close and said, " You saved me .. I owe you my life". Then without any further thoughts leaned forward and hugged him tightly. 

"Till death do us apart!"

She gripped him tight, so tight that he was unable to move. The warmth of the hug was felt by both. 

"Aaaaah..ahhhhhh..ahhh..no..no!!", the beast was groaning for few more minutes before he gave up. 

The grounds started shaking as if there was an earthquake and she felt some changes in the surroundings and a complete blackout. 

She woke up the next morning only to find herself sleeping in her car as if last night was a dream. 

"Reva.. "

She looked around only to find Ajay near her. He came close and hugged her tight. Revati was taken aback.

"You ?"

"Revati. I wanted to tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a hermit who used to reside in this forest. A king had come for hunting and shot the hermit when he was meditating with his gun mistaking his ponytailed hair for a bird's tail. The hermit cursed the king that all his descendants will be sons who will carry the bloodline forward. On every full moon night starting from his 15 th birthday he will transform into a deadly creature who will wreak havoc and will remain in this state for the next 4 consecutive days as well."

"Then? "

" The king took the hermit along with him and giving him adequate treatment cured him completely. He assured him that he deserved the punishment and would be ready to let it happen. The hermit felt pity for the poor king and understood that he had realised his mistake. He blessed him saying,

" The forgiveness shall be granted

 The time is needed

 The son that killed the evil

 The one who wins the good

 Shall be loved by the girl

 Who will be a boon"

"Wow.. sounds like some horror story climax scene? So what's the point?"

Ajay silently took the steering in his hand and drove her home. 

She got down and looked back at him surprised.. she had just noticed he was wearing the same coat as the lovable beast. 

She smiled at him," Hmm .."

He said,

" When you needed me  

  I wanted you here

 When it pained 

 I missed you dear

 When you asked 

 I had a fear

 When you hugged 

 I knew it was you

 Forever yours

 Too good to be true"