Lust Or Love?

Chapter 6

She was already out of Umarkot till midnight and within the day after tomorrow noon she would be home, if she is able to cross the dense forest till tomorrow night.

She can't help but think that something wrong is going to happen!? Her heart told her that, but then nothing was out of place her heart told.

Walking all the night her feet ached as she sat down under a large unknown tree. The sun was again up and she sat there finding the way back to Ajmer. Her stomach ached for food and water, yesterday night after leaving the palace she haven't stopped once to rest. Without food or water she have walked whole night.

After she rested for a few moments she started to walk again and saw a well where a lot of women were gathered. Taking up water!

She asked for water and they reluctantly gave.

And once again her feet took to her destiny.

***

Mallika gulped down the lump gathered in her throat as she looked at the dense forest in front of her eyes. The trees stood there like the giant tooth of a large monster ready to chew the living beings.

The owls hooted and made Mallika shiver with the chilly wind. Her decision was already taken, she was going to cross the jungle tonight! And she will be home tomorrow. She stood there for a few moments watching the moonless sky. It was new moon night!

And then she entered into the jungle. Unknown of the fact that this was going to change her fate.

The silence of the empty dense forest, was broken by the crunching sound of leaves under her foot. The owls hooted again and then she heard the faint sounds of wild animals. She increased her pace of walking in the darkness.

The girl entered into the dark forest. The unknown weird sounds of beastly animals growling increased and she reached near the middle of the forest and the darkness was nowhere to end. She clutched her dagger tightly which was hanging down her waist band of her green long skirt. And increased her pace of walking as she heard fearful sounds coming near her. She walked as fast as her feet could take.

In the darkness of the night her foot hit something which she mistook as a rock but soon enough her misconception cleared when she tripped and fell. Her body hit cold flesh. She felt a shiver ran down her spine.

She gained her balance back, and stood up.

The clouds cleared the way and then the moon was once again visible. The faint white moonlight touched the ground and the seen in front of the girl made her almost faint.

A dead body was lying on the ground with blood oozing out of every corner. The head was no longer joined to it's neck. And beside the corpse was sitting a young lady. Her mouth smeared in blood as she was sucking on a finger which no longer is a part of a human body and chewing it often.

The girl swore in the name of God, and the woman suddenly stopped sucking the finger and looked up, her blood smeared lips formed in a smile which revealed pairs of red tooth.

Her eyes glowed red as she found her second prey this night, leaving the corpse she suddenly stood up with a smile plastered on her face she pounced on her soon-to-be-dead prey.

Mallika tried to laugh away the tension created by the same story her grandmother used to tell her often about this forest. But that did not help but worsen the situation.

Her feet were tired and her eyes were on the verge of closing, still she forced herself to keep walking. She cannot sleep here, suddenly she heard the sound of rustling of leaves.....a very faint one.....her tiredness backed out instantly as she turned around to inspect the environment. The damp climate along with the cold chilly wind wasn't helping anything.

The rustling sound of leaves increased as Mallika was now wide awake, finding the source of the weird noises.

Nothing could be seen in a dense forest except the darkness.

Nonetheless, Mallika started to walk again when she heard the same sound again. She instantly turned around and caught a pair of blood shot animalistic eyes watching her, behind a trunk of large tree.

Her heart started to beat loudly as she started to run.....run for life!

Half an hour.....almost half an hour had passed running. Her heart was still racing as she leaned on a tree to catch her breath and taking in her surroundings.

She stood up again, she don't have time to rest, specially in this forest.......filled with deadly beasts.

Two more steps and her feet hit something, she lost her balance and fell. What the hell was under her? She questioned herself. As she felt cold flesh under her!?

What was this happening? A nightmare coming true?!