THE HIDDEN ANCESTOR

A NEW FRIEND

the story, we see Kartik, who is Prithvi’s friend, get angry after overhearing something and walk away. Prithvi, meanwhile, stands alone in the room, deep in thought.

Suddenly, Prithvi starts laughing loudly and says,

"Kartik might have overheard me, but when he finds out that nothing ever actually ended… what will he do then? He thinks that only the two of us have powers. But what will happen when he learns that Dev is one of us too—and he is the reason my father, Kartik’s uncle, died? What will Kartik do then, when he sees that the truth he thinks he knows… is a lie?"

On the other side, Dev and Prateek wake up on their first day at the camp. Soon, they find out that the organizer, Prithvi, has called everyone. So, they go there too.

Prithvi is waiting specifically for Dev. He says to him,

"Some people take a long time to let go of their old habits. But they have to… otherwise, they face the consequences."

Dev finds Prithvi a bit strange. Just then, Dev gets a call from his dad, so he walks away to answer it.

On the call, his father says:

"Dev, take care of yourself. There are people there that you must stay away from. And remember, no matter what happens, don’t tell anyone anything."

Dev feels scared. He’s never really understood his powers before. And now, with so much responsibility on his shoulders, he feels afraid.

But still, Dev tells his father,

"I’ll take care of everything," and hangs up the call, then returns to Prateek.

Nearby, Kartik had been standing quietly. He noticed how disturbed Dev looked after the phone call. He thinks to himself,

"Why is Dev so upset? What did he hear? Who was he talking to? Does he know something about the powers?"

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Kartik walks away.

Dev then asks Prateek,

"What was Prithvi sir saying?"

Prateek replies,

"He said not to call him ‘sir’. Oh, and he’s hosting a party this evening at his farmhouse. Everyone is invited, and a bus will leave from the school."

Dev feels a bit weird.

"Prithvi pointed me out today… and now there’s a party too? Is it just me overthinking?"

He brushes the thought away and starts feeling excited about the party.

Meanwhile, Kartik goes to Prithvi and says,

"I think Dev knows something about us. I kept an eye on him today—he was talking to someone and looked really tense after the call. What do you know about Dev that you’re not telling me, your best friend?"

Prithvi pauses for a moment, then replies,

"Don’t worry. Whatever happens today, it’ll all happen right in front of you."

Kartik warns him,

"Whatever you’re planning, don’t do anything bad. I can’t keep saving you again and again. I’ve already broken too many of my own rules to protect you. If anything happens now, you’ll be responsible for it."

He continues,

"I told you yesterday, and I’ll say it again today—don’t go down that path. My job was to protect you, and I’ve done that. But now you’ve grown up. You need to make your own choices. I won’t take any responsibility for what you do from now on."

With that, Kartik walks away, and Prithvi falls back into deep thought—probably about his plan.

Later, Prateek shows Dev something on his phone.

"Look, Dev—there’s a famous old Mughal fort near the farmhouse. People are scared to go there. They say strange beings live there… beings not from this world. What if we go check it out after the party?"

Prateek wants to go there because he, too, is not from this world—and he’s curious to see who those other beings are.

Dev looks uneasy. Prateek notices and asks what’s wrong, but Dev can’t share anything. His parents had warned him not to reveal anything about his powers.

Still, because Prateek insists, Dev agrees.

“Maybe going there will distract me… help me clear my mind,” he thinks.

(And that’s where this chapter ends. What’s going to happen at the party?)

To be continued…