Eternal Hunt

In the middle of a dense and dangerous jungle, a college group had arrived for a camping trip. Here, we are introduced to Shreya—a beautiful girl with a slim waist, a cute face, and a completely innocent heart. Her group consisted of a few friends—two girls and two boys—but they were all just good friends, nothing romantic. In another corner of this same jungle, Aadi, a mysterious boy, was camping alone. He had a perfect, lean physique, a smart look with a light beard, and hypnotic eyes—an incredibly alert and sharp-minded person. He always preferred his solitude, and at that moment, he was busy lighting his campfire. While having fun with her friends, Shreya wandered off into the jungle. She had been given a dare and slowly got separated from her group. Finding herself deep in the woods, she got scared, started panicking, and couldn't figure out which way to go. Suddenly, she is attacked. Someone rushes in, shoves her hard, and disappears, leaving her with an injured arm. Shreya couldn't understand who or what it was. She thought it might have been an animal, but she was terrified that it would come back. Extremely scared, she started screaming, but there was no one around to hear her voice. Just then, Aadi arrives. He hadn't seen the attack; he had only heard Shreya's screams. When Shreya sees a tall, fit, muscular guy standing in front of her, she runs up to him and blurts out, "Someone just attacked me!" Aadi listens silently and just stares at her. Shreya was taken aback because his eyes were hypnotic. Aadi figured it might have been a wild animal. He didn't say a word, leaving Shreya bewildered that this guy wasn't speaking or reacting at all. But Aadi's presence made Shreya relax; she began to feel like she was in safe hands. Then, Aadi turned around and started walking towards his camp. Shreya didn't know the way back, so she fearfully started following him. Even though this boy was a complete stranger, Shreya felt a strange sense of warmth. As they walked towards the camp, the weather started turning bad. It felt as if a storm was about to crash into their lives. Just then, a pair of blood-red eyes could be seen lurking in the bushes. Shreya: "We should get out of here, the weather has gotten really bad." Shreya: "Hello, listen!" Aadi: "Go inside the tent. I'll light the fire." Shreya: "I won't go inside, and who are you to order me around?" Aadi: "Fine, then die right here." Seeing the weather and the rain, which was now pouring heavily, Shreya went inside the tent. Aadi looked around; he could sense that something was off. The sudden shift in the weather felt unnatural. Still, he finished securing the camp, stepped inside the tent, and started a fire. Shreya watched Aadi silently. She noticed how attractive and well-maintained he was. Aadi pulled out a small portable stove and started cooking for the two of them. He had brought all his own supplies for the camping trip. Shreya only knew how to eat food, not cook it, and she was a big foodie. Aadi efficiently prepared a simple vegetable dish. When he started making rotis (flatbreads), Shreya was amazed because she had never been able to make perfectly round ones. Shreya: "You know how to cook, too?" Aadi: "Shhhh." Shreya: "It smells really good, where did you learn to make all this?" Aadi: "Just eat your food quietly and go to sleep." Shreya: "No, I won't eat. There might be some drug in this so you can take advantage of me later." Aadi: "If I wanted to do that, you wouldn't be able to stop me." Shreya: "Why should I trust you?" Aadi: "Because you have no other option right now." Shreya: "Tell me one thing, what were you doing out here alone? No one comes to the jungle alone." Aadi: "I came here for peace. And ever since you arrived, you've completely ruined it." Shreya: "Such an arrogant jerk!" They both ate, and shortly after, Aadi heard the voices of Shreya's friends who had been searching for her. Aadi informed Shreya, and she immediately ran out to them. Shreya's two male friends were with her. Assuming Aadi had held Shreya against her will, they started bombarding him with questions—"Who are you? What did you do to Shreya?" Still, Aadi stood there in silence. Then Shreya intervened, explaining, "He didn't do anything; he's the one who helped me." This was the moment Aadi and Shreya's first meeting came to an end. The color drained from Shreya's face. The warmth and connection she had felt with Aadi were about to slip away. A sudden restlessness stirred inside her. As Aadi prepared to leave, her heart skipped a beat. Aadi stood exactly as he was, with zero emotion on his face—calm and composed. He looked at Shreya for a split second, then turned and started walking away without a word. Shreya watched him go, feeling as if it wasn't Aadi leaving, but her own heart walking away. In that moment, she realized this guy was walking out of her life, and a strange ache filled her chest. Aadi left without exchanging contact numbers or establishing any further connection. Shreya returned to her camp with her friends, but a part of her heart was left behind in that jungle with Aadi. After attacking Shreya in the jungle, Namah retreated to an old, abandoned house deep in the woods. The house was decrepit, its walls crumbling, and shadows danced in every corner. Inside, Namah was pacing, his red eyes glowing dimly in the dark. Namah (agitated): "She slipped right out of my hands..." A figure emerged from the shadows, his face hidden under a hood, his presence calm yet eerie. Friend (calmly): "It's okay... take it easy. We cannot afford to make a mistake." Namah's eyes flickered with hunger, frustration evident in his tone. Namah (growling): "I haven't eaten in days." The hooded figure, unfazed by Namah's hunger, replied coldly. Friend: "It doesn't matter... you won't die." Namah's frustration deepened, but his voice softened as he remembered Shreya. Namah (wistfully): "She was so close to me... her scent was different. But there was someone with her." The figure turned towards Namah, his voice taking on a more serious tone. Friend (warning): "Namah, one mistake can cost us heavily. We've easily survived for centuries... and we have so many more to go. You need to control yourself." Shreya had returned home from the camping trip. Her small, middle-class house, which usually echoed with her bubbly nature, felt a little gloomy today. She wasn't her usual self; tension and sadness were clearly visible on her face. The scene of the jungle attack kept replaying in her mind. She looked at her arm, where the marks were still visible, looking remarkably like deep scratches from claws. She cleaned her arm with Dettol and applied ointment to soothe the pain. "Who was that?" The question kept echoing in her head. And what if that boy—a complete stranger—hadn't been there? What would have happened to her? The mere thought gave her goosebumps. As soon as the thought of Aadi crossed her mind, she felt a flutter inside. Sure, he was arrogant, full of attitude and ego, but he was undeniably attractive. Shreya couldn't make sense of it, but she found herself drawn to him. The strangest part was that if it had been any other guy in that situation, he probably would have tried to take advantage of her. But Aadi? He didn't even try once. It was as if he had absolutely zero interest in her. That fact bothered her the most. Shreya couldn't understand what had happened in the jungle that day, but now, Aadi was the only thing occupying her mind. Aadi returned to his house as if nothing had happened. Running into a girl in the jungle hadn't affected him in the slightest. He walked into his small house, which consisted of one main hall housing all his PCs and computer setups. Aadi worked in a creative field, and his bed was right across from his desk—a simple, functional life. Aadi was a wildlife photographer. As he sat down, the scene of meeting Shreya and the attack replayed in his mind. He began transferring the sample photos from that day onto his computer to edit, but the image of the girl being attacked kept nagging at him. He had seen patterns like this before—people disappearing without a trace, no bodies, no evidence. Those cases remained unsolved. Still, Aadi tried to force his focus back to his work. Aadi had his life well put together. His entire family lived abroad in their own house, but Aadi had chosen to live alone in India. He was quite happy living in such freedom and solitude. Just then, his mother called. Mother: "How are you, son?" Aadi: "I'm fine, how are you?" Mother: "Where are your greetings? Does your father have to remind you to show respect?" Aadi (laughing): "Sorry, yes Mummy, my respects to you! How are you?" Mother: "Yes, all good. Tell me, did you eat?" Aadi: "Yes, I've eaten." Mother: "Listen, a marriage proposal has come for you." Aadi: "Oh, come on, Mummy!" Mother: "Just look at the girl, talk to her. If you like her, great, if not, say no." Aadi: "You already know my answer." Mother: "Shut up! I'm getting old too; it's time for me to enjoy having a daughter-in-law. How much longer am I supposed to do everyone's chores?" Aadi: "Yeah fine, we'll see. Listen, I have to go to an important meeting now." Mother: "I know everything, there is no meeting. These are all just your excuses!" Aadi (laughing): "Alright, bye." After the call, Aadi went to his home gym, located in the room at the back of the house. It was fully equipped with dumbbells and barbells, and Aadi began his workout with total focus and consistency