{Do not copy this work or put it on other websites, or else I'll delete this book. Plagiarism is a heinous crime. Stealing someone's work isn't a gentleman's trait. Read, get inspired and write something of your own.}
Gauri, a young village girl ho...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Gauri..."
"Gauri..."
Her name rolled from his tongue like a honeysuckle meadow on the dawn of spring, like waves kissing shorelines and a balm on open wounds. Her heavy lids flutter and she opens her eyes to lose herself in the depths of an obsidian thunderstorm. His breaths tickled her nose and his beard brushes her chin.
"You skipped the lunch."
The accusation in his tone didn't register right away as she raised her hand to touch his cheek. Her fingers come in contact with solid warm flesh and her chest heaved with a relieved sigh. Whatever her dream was made of, has long combusted into dust. She was now in reality, in front of the man who called her soulmate. A frown appeared between her brows as she slowly worked her hazy brain and straighten up. The journal of Rajya Vardhan was lying on her feet. Yagya slowly tugs the stubborn tendrils caressing her cheeks behind her ears and she back away shyly. Her body suddenly comes to life and hyperaware of everything that's happening.
"What? What are you doing here?" She muttered hoarsely and cleared her throat.
"Well, it is dinner time now and everyone's waiting. When did you come here and what are you reading?"
Yagya asked while reaching for the journal, which Gauri grabbed at the last moment and attached to her chest.
"Umm... It is an old journal."
"Really? Who wrote it?"
"Your grandfather."
"Oh! The old man! While growing up I heard he was a nutjob and a great storyteller, especially in his last days. Kept spewing stupid shit, that has nothing to do with virtual reality." Gauri's jaw dropped at his attempt of lighting the surging tension between them and she rolled her eyes.
"Please, from what I read he sounded like a man who truly cared about his family."
Yagya shrugged his shoulders before pulling her arms to make her stand and drag her out of the dimly lit library. But when he was about to cross the threshold, froze for a second. Closing his eyes, he drew a large breath, inhaling the slightly foul stench in his lungs. Something in him burned and his eyes moistened. His jaw clenched and the hold around Gauri's wrist tightened until she yelped. His eyes skipped to the dark corner of the library and goosebumps erupted all over his flesh. Unknowingly, his canines started to show and he snarled. A low growl reverberated from his chest and the window behind the couch opened on its own with a thud.
Gauri jumped out of her wits and dropped the journal. Her instincts commanded her to paste herself to her protector. The cold wind blew inside and her teeth started chattering. The male in front of her was as rigid as an ice block. Yagya's face contorted back into human form and he quickly leaves the spooky premises. Feeling weak and shaken, Gauri let him guide her toward the flight of stairs leading to the main hall and the dining area.
