1st January 2021 - He was standing tall with Alan. Denver could be seen from a faraway distance. Two most renowned gaits of Alan's gang. They were all waiting outside the Airport of Ahmednagar to receive them. The trio, Aastha, Catherine, and Bela were traveling to Ahmednagar after putting the Flat 5C, the incantation cell, on rent.
"They have come. Let us go and meet them". Alan curbed his excitement.
He welcomed them and drove them towards their car.
"How was your journey?" spoke Denver and helped them with their baggage.
"It was good", replied Catherine.
"No. It was humorously tiring", added Aastha
"Humorously. May I know what is so humorous about it?" irked Denver.
"The doll is highly proactive", he murmured to Catherine and spoke through his trans medium.
"We were robbed of all the important articles at the airport", cried Aastha
Robbed?
Yes. Scissors, Knife, and some other articles which are prohibited to be carried on the flight were all taken from us. To add to our peril, the airport authorities asked us to carry our weighty polythene bags at our mercy.
What was the humor in it? smiled Denver.
Catherine looked ugly carrying extra baggage in her hand throughout the journey.
"She must be kidding", laughed Catherine and gave a hideous look to Aastha as if she wanted her to shut up.
"No. Seriously". Aastha gave a witty smile. "All three of us bore our burden throughout the journey. Our journey was humorously tiring".
Now take us through the roads of Ahmednagar to our new place. We want to explore the streets of the city, said Bela.
Flashes of memory passed by as the car passed through the same streets of the city where Aastha was taken to during the game.
It is 10 pm now. Am hungry? Can you hurry up? cried, Catherine.
Why didn't you eat anything? Oh I forgot. How could you eat? You were heavy with your baggage, giggled Denver.
"Don't tease her. Concentrate on the wheels," smiled Alan.
"Here it is. We have reached New Maninagar. Your new home. Denver parked the car while others followed Alan.
Come Aastha, said, Alan. Denver helped them with their baggage. In the meantime, Aastha looked around exploring the surroundings.
"It is on the 3rd Floor, said Denver. Please proceed while we are leaving for our home.
"Why won't you join us?" Bela looked happy after reaching home. "Come upstairs".
"No, it is quite late. We will come to meet you all tomorrow. See ya tomorrow".
"What time will you come?"
"I will let you know, Catherine", shouted Denver who was about to take a U-turn and drive his car towards another lane in the area.
That night, everybody rejoiced as Aastha was welcomed on a different note. Different because she was subjected to Black magic. A practice that her family members learned from Alan and used on Aastha. As a result, she developed some pain in her left eye. Her eyes started blinking. Sooner, they sucked up most of the energies from her vision through their practices and showed that they are the "biggest magical gaits" here.
At first, she couldn't sleep, and then she couldn't stay upright for some time. Restlessness caught her attention and she lost her calm. It took almost an hour for her to come to terms with her inner self. Her pain wouldn't lessen till morning.
"She is not an ordinary playmate", was one of the murmurings in the other room. The gaits increased her peril further. She was given a box-shaped small room to stay in. Tucked with all things- big and small, the room was suffocating to her. Instead of a bed, she was given a box-shaped piece of furniture with a mattress that weighed hard on her back.
She needed a breather from all the mess. However, she could never run away from whatever was given to her by them.
Their forthcoming manipulations, hypocrisy, anger, and hatred were also other gifts with which they welcomed Aastha into the new land. Not to mention, they dominated her at all levels of her existence, which was vehemently opposed and frowned upon by her.
"They are arriving at our place in an hour. Just be careful, she is also coming with them", said Maria to all members of the family.
"We are all superior to her. She is a small kid. We are magical beasts but don't worry, Maria, we will not eat her up", said Maria's companion. Your doll will be in safe hands, grinned Alan.
"Here she is. This is Aastha". Alan introduced her to the members one by one.
"Please make yourself comfortable", said Maria to Aastha.
While all the ladies gathered in the kitchen for some food n drinks, Aastha met everyone as and when they came forward to greet her. Maria spoke to everyone in the gathering through her trans medium.
"What is to be done?" asked Maria
Alan responded, "about what?"
"Her. I mean her earnings. She has come here with all the work and is overburdened with several projects. Three in number.
Aastha looked at them startled. "How on earth did she know that I had three projects?" she murmured. Aastha looked on and tried to pay attention to the minute details of their conversation.
"We need to cut her wings. She cannot fly", Maria laughed. They joined.
"Everything must be done as per the rules. She is just a game. That is what we have been told by ".
He says "We rule over her. She shouldn't earn more than a limit. Moreso, we will also earn magically through her earnings, something which she is bound to do as per rules. She is the only one given to us. We are required to chew her slowly and as per strictures.
'So, this is what they are inclined to do,' thought Aastha. They are not good.
I think she has heard our conversation and understood everything.
"Yes. She has. That is why the color of her face has changed," added Alan's wife and companion.
"I am leaving this place. They suck in hell", she thought. "I will not succumb to their wishes anymore. They are the biggest hypocrites and equally dangerous nefarious species of the universe."
Insecurity breeds insecurity.
They made me feel threatened by my existence with them. How will I be able to survive with them if they take control of my finances? Their insecurities will cause me immense damage.
"Hush! Hush!" cried Catherine through her trans medium. We can read your thoughts. You don't need to react here. Just be with us. You don't need to worry.
Maria continued - "The family members will take care of the doll till the time she will be in Ahmednagar. They would be her only caretakers. Nobody else will be allowed to meet her till she is here.
Harry made this declaration and wanted the same to be communicated to the members of the community. Hence, I am telling this to all of you.
Aastha sighed in relief. She could hear all their murmurings amongst them. At times they would say she is a piece of shit and at times, they would show that they pity her. In this, Celina and Denver took the lead. Their pettiness and pity ruled side by side.
She couldn't tolerate their hypocrisy and hence left the flat within minutes.
Maria closed the meeting an hour after Aastha left the flat. The hour was spent enjoying and speaking badly against the doll.
In their Delhi house, the situation became tense. Parth started speaking shit.
"She shouldn't succeed. Or else, I will kill myself." He shouted at the top of his voice.
"Why are you getting angry, Parth?"
"You never speak to me like that. I am your favorite son."
'Why are you getting angry?" repeated Sebastian.
'You know I had taken a vow to see to it that the doll of ours will not be successful in any of her career endeavors. How is she getting several projects? I am not liking it."
"Curb your anxiousness, Parth. You know that she cannot be stopped from earning for various reasons."
"I need to speak to Denver. He will create problems for her down the den."
"Harry will intervene. Hence, be careful with the doll," said Sebastian, who went back to his usual routine of feeding on a dead rat from his magical garden.
"Hey, you always take the lead in the rat eaters' guild. Let others also come first," cried Parth.
"Is it a competition or what? Wanna join me?"
"Yep, I am coming. Please don't forget me in the rat-eating race again." Parth smiled at Sebastian and joined him.
In the den below, Celina begins her conversation with Denver.
She is earning handsomely. Shouldn't you do something about it, my love? Hasn't Parth instructed you to stop that doll of ours from earning?
So, he has come closer to you than me.
"Don't get jealous, love. I like him even though he is our Sir, our Master.
You flirt with everyone. No. Parth Sir hasn't communicated anything as of now yet. But it seems that it is forthcoming. But why are you so interested in her? She is nothing to you."
"No. We are her caretakers."
"Don't force yourself on her. Harry has instructed us rightly that only her immediate family members are her caretakers. We don't want any conflict.
Sorry honey. But my heart doesn't agree with this.
Even mine. But we will have to leave our egos behind. They have said that she is a special slave. All her rights are forfeited as that of a slave but only in consonance with the agreement.
Agreement?
They were talking about some agreement and wanted us to be quiet on this issue.
But you are you. You can never be quiet when it comes to that girl's issues.
How did you know that I own her?
Nobody can own her. She is special.
I know how is she special. She is Kalki, the last incarnation of that God whom we hate.
How did you learn that?
Everybody in our community knows about her but we still don't believe that fact to be true. We believe we are superior to her by all means.
If you know who she is, then why do you become jealous of her.
One of the reasons why I am jealous of her is that she is young, beautiful, and special. Another reason is that she is different from us and way too important for us, despite being a slave.
And any other reasons you may have forgotten to say, my love
Oh yes. Another reason for my jealousy is your admiration and affection for her. You are romantically inclined to the doll.
It is fuck hard, honey. I just want to fuck hard her. Nothing else. I hate her more than you. She is the only woman in our community.
"What am I then?"
You are a magical gait, my part.
Don't get romantic with me. I am going to your brother to fuck hard him. Will be back in an hour.
Poor Aastha, she cannot even touch us, forget about her having any sex and foreplay. I pity her badly.
You don't need to pity her. I am ready to have sex with her, smiled Denver.
Listen you are not allowed. I mean none of us are allowed to have any physical intimacy with her. Otherwise, I would have also raped her.
Raped?
You are forgetting, honey. We are bisexuals. We just chew bodies. But she being a special case, is our touch me not plant and I will try suck her plant magically only, she laughed.
Soon to be a renowned group in the neighborhood, D4 was formed against Aastha. The '4' in D4 stands for the four brothers - Danny, Dallas, Denver, and Parth. Parth being their master and supervisor. It was formed to keep a check on her everything.
Alan's gang was proud of the D4 group while Aastha frowned upon them surreptitiously. She hated them for causing trouble to her earnings.
There is always a next time, cried Aastha, while pondering over the question - When will I be able to earn a sufficient amount of money for my old age?
Old-Age and you, Huh. You are our doll."
Amazed at the words, Aastha asked - "Who's this speaking?"
I am Celina's Aks.
Remember, we are magical gaits present everywhere through our trans medium and we are connected to you.
Why did you say "Old Age and you". Am I not going to get old or what?
You cannot grow old in this dimension. You will be taken up before that as you near your age. You cannot die in this world. This is a Tantriks' heaven, a sorcerors' haven, and a black magician's den. Who will perform your last funeral rites if you die here?
Till now, everyone has been telling me that I will never be taken up and now, you are telling me that I will be taken up. How did you reach this conclusion?
You don't need to know anything. Relish the mangoes don't count the kernels.
You are hiding something.
Nothing. It is just that we get angry so we say that we cannot take you up and you will have to stay here for a lifetime, cribbed, cabined, and confined.
"It is difficult staying with your world," cried Aastha. "At times, I feel like committing suicide."
Yeah. I know. For you humans, we are the progenitors of darker powers. Formed of all things evil, how can an entity like you be at peace with us. But we will try making peace with you whenever you lose your equilibrium.
By the way, you should stop what you are doing?
What should I stop?
Working hard towards your finances. It is of no use. Your finances are in our hands, laughed Celina.
How can you control my finances? A nervous Aastha expressed her concern.
You will not know how do all of us take charge of your everything. Just give us attention and make our food. You have been brought here for that purpose.
And who are you to stop me from working?
I am like your mother. A magical gait, a satra of this community while you being our slave, we can stop you.
Don't interfere with my workings, pleaded Aastha.
I am off from here. You are a piece of shit for us and will remain so. Celina left the conversation midway.
Aastha worries herself to death. She thinks about her death and last funeral rights. Her life is dominated by these entities at all levels.
She doesn't stop here. A change from all this, Aastha learns about a writing competition through social media which entails good opportunities for earning a hefty amount. She decides to take up the challenge while on the other side, the magical gaits look on in anticipation as to - What will be her next step?