LOVE AND BATTLE BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

CHAPTER 6

Chapter 6 :

Aware of Anurag's admiration for Saanvi, Ravali and Laxman smiled inwardly at his concern for her. They both followed Anurag, who instructed a few men to trail them in the police jeep before taking the passenger seat in Laxman’s car.

Both vehicles headed towards the forest and soon reached its entrance. As the path was impassable for the vehicles, everyone disembarked and began walking into the forest in search of Saanvi.

Saanvi, hiding between the thick bushes, heard a group of footsteps approaching her direction. She curled herself around the child, trying to remain hidden. She controlled the sobs that threatened to escape her throat while her eyes streamed with tears, fearing for their lives.

As the footsteps drew closer, Saanvi suddenly noticed a wave of light emanating from her pendant, traveling in the opposite direction of the approaching sounds. Unable to comprehend what was happening, she blindly followed the path of the light. She ran to protect their lives, leaving her footwear behind to silence her footsteps.

Gradually, she reached a lake surrounded by towering trees and dense bushes, providing ample cover. Noticing the beam of light from her pendant stopping at a specific spot and then disappearing, she carefully moved to that place amidst the thick bushes. Gently laying the child on the ground, Saanvi sat beside her, trying to calm herself.

Adjusting to the darkness, Saanvi tried to scan her surroundings and heard a faint sound beside her, startling her nearly to death. She immediately glanced in that direction and saw a man lying on the ground, making faint noises. His body was covered in blood and bruises, and his clothes were torn, as if he had escaped from a great battle.

Gasping in shock, Saanvi scanned him from head to toe without moving from her spot. After confirming he was weak and not harmful, she slowly crawled towards him, who was just a few steps away. Despite his weakened condition, he looked stunningly handsome with his disheveled hair, dust-covered and bruised face, muscular body, and charming features. She fluttered her eyelashes a couple of times to believe what she was seeing was real and slowly raised her hand to touch his face.

Gently cupping his cheek with her palm, she whispered softly to awaken him. “Hello! Who are you?”, asked Saanvi, her voice as gentle as a breeze, warming his heart and causing him to flutter his eyelashes before opening his eyes.

The man slowly and gently opened his eyes, adjusting to the darkness around him. He whispered faintly,“Water! I'm Philian! Water! Please!”, His voice was low and desperate in his plea.

Saanvi swiftly rose to her feet and hurried to the lake, intent on fetching water in her palms. Despite several attempts, she couldn’t manage to hold a single drop of water, which deeply frustrated her. Unable to bear seeing the person in such a vulnerable state, Saanvi returned to the lake with renewed determination. She slowly bent down, took a mouthful of water, and hurried back to him.

Kneeling beside him, she gently opened his mouth and transferred the water, causing him to gulp it slowly. After repeating this a few times, the man slowly gathered his energy. In his final attempt, he raised his eyes and looked deeply into Saanvi's doe-like eyes, which seemed familiar from his dreams.

Feeling a profound connection between them, sensing a comforting presence in her, and warmth in his heart upon meeting her gaze, he grasped her neck just as she was about to rise after giving him water. Whispering, “How long I have waited to see you,” he kissed her passionately without hesitation.

Stupefied by his words, Saanvi felt him capturing her lips before she could utter a word. Bewildered by the suddenness of it all, Saanvi snapped back to her senses when his tongue attempted to invade her mouth. With a quick push, she extricated herself from his grip. As he fell back, he wailed in pain, his voice echoing through the dense forest.

Frightened by his sudden outburst, she hurriedly covered his mouth and pleaded,“Please, don’t scream! Someone is chasing me”, her voice trembling with fear and vulnerability.

Glancing at her face filled with worry and fear, Philian heaved a sigh and whispered in a hoarse voice,“Please escape from here to protect yourself. I am of no help to you. My body is completely injured, and I don't think I can survive without any first aid. Run away from here”, his voice laced with unwavering determination.

Noticing his vulnerable state, Saanvi couldn’t abandon him. Helplessly, she checked the surroundings and heard footsteps reverberating in the dense forest. She covered her mouth tightly to prevent sobs from escaping and slowly pulled the child closer to the man, hiding themselves in the thick bushes. With drooping eyelids, Philian glanced at Saanvi, a surge of protective instinct rising in his heart, but his condition rendered him helpless.

“I am sorry for being of no use. Please forgive me”, whispered Philian, trying to keep his eyes open with utmost effort.

Glancing at his horrible state, Saanvi held his palm in hers, trying to give warmth to his body while gently rubbing it. She asked,“Can I do anything for you? How did you get so injured? Where are you from?”, Without waiting for his answer, she continued,“Will you stay here quietly, looking after this child? I will return shortly with some herbs that can help with first aid”, Her eyes were filled with hope.

Philian shook his head and replied,“I wish I could save you both from the danger you are encountering, but I am not in any condition to help. Don’t leave this place, trusting me for the child’s safety. You should take the child and go. Don’t worry about me”, his voice hoarse and his words stumbling.

Moved by his kindness and determination to save them despite being on the brink of death, Saanvi couldn’t help but think of a way to provide first aid. She scanned the surroundings, observing the bushes around them. After a moment, her eyes sparkled as she spotted a nearby bush. Rushing toward it, she confirmed it was what she was looking for and immediately took some leaves, brought them back to him, and rubbed them between her palms. She then squeezed the juice from the leaves onto the bruises on his face and other external injuries.

Next, she collected more leaves and applied the juice to his stomach, where he had a sword injury. Though it didn’t help him greatly, it stopped the bleeding, prevented infection, and provided some relief from the pain.

Remembering something, she spontaneously held her pendant. Without thinking twice, she took his hands and placed the pendant between them, hoping it would offer protection. She prayed fervently to all the gods for his safety and for Ravali to appear soon with Anurag.

Keeping the pendant between his hands, Saanvi held his hands firmly, preventing them from falling due to his weakness. To her dismay, she felt an energy passing through her body from his hands, and she could sense vibrations in the pendant. She abruptly tried to remove her hands but found she couldn’t, which made her panic. Frightened by the sudden sensation, Saanvi glanced at Philian, who had closed his eyes upon holding the pendant, seemingly feeling its power.

His face, which had been pale and weak earlier, now reflected a healthy, calm, and radiant glow. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping, basking in the relief the pendant provided. Saanvi shifted her gaze between him and their joined hands for a while before murmuring to herself.

“What’s happening? Who are you? Why is this pendant acting strangely? You feel very familiar, why?”, she whispered while holding his hands tightly.

Hearing heavy footsteps echoing through the forest, Saanvi snapped back to her senses and scanned the surroundings, trying to determine if they had been discovered. Realizing the footsteps were near but that they had not yet been found, she heaved a sigh of relief. Saanvi glanced at the trees and bushes, her heart pounding with anxiety.

“Oh, Mother Nature! Please save us from these atrocious people. Take my life as your offering and rescue these two whom I must protect. Please”, her words carried a determination and a genuine plea.

Hearing a huge rustling sound from the leaves, Saanvi opened her eyes and was astonished to see the tall trees swaying like swings and bending themselves almost to half their height, effectively concealing them from view. She couldn’t believe her eyes and stared in a daze, as if watching a scene from a fantasy movie. The sight of such tall trees bending into a U-shape filled her with fear, making her wary of any lurking evil powers. Instinctively, she moved closer to the child and Philian, grabbing them tightly, ready to take the first attack if it came their way.

To her astonishment, there was no movement in the trees after they covered them, prompting Saanvi to open her eyes and check the surroundings. She could hear the sound of footsteps nearby, but they were not discovered as the trees concealed them. Then, she heard a few more footsteps from another direction and someone screaming her name, a voice very familiar to her. Instantly, she rose to her knees and tried to shout back, hoping to alert them.

“Ravali…! Here I am. Come soon!”, Saanvi's voice rang out, loud and enthusiastic, brimming with relief at the prospect of getting help to rescue the child and Philian.