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What is this feeling called?

"You haven't even seen the real power of women, yet."

Surya didn't move one inch, hesitation clearly present on his face. His eyes rested on the unconscious buddy, that lied, hidden by the bushes, on the earth. He himself had nearly overseen it.

"It wasn't your father in whose womb you've been for nine month but your mother."

Unsureness made him freeze where he was standing. This was one of those situations he didn't know how to handle and something like that happened really rare.

"And your mother is also a woman, learn to respect her!"

Closing his eyes for a moment, he gritted his teeth, his hands, which laid on his sides, forming into fists. The words echoed like a mantra in his head, making his blood boil with unruly anger. He didn't want to hear them. This voice, her voice ' he didn't want to hear it anymore! It should shut up!

Why are you still here, Surya? he asked himself. Why aren't you leaving?

Once again, he looked over to the unconscious figure ' recognising her very well. How couldn't he? Surya never forgot someone who insulted him and his self-respect so badly. Or at least, this was what he tried to tell himself. He even knew the name of this girl, picked it up unknowingly, somewhen earlier.

Jhanvi.

But what the hell was this girl doing here? Out of reach of the Mandir's safety? As far as he remembered, Ammaji didn't let out any of the women in her family. How came, that this one was out, nonetheless? She for sure was aware of the danger hiding in Veerpur. Therefore, was it pure madness? Maybe.

Yet, why was he thinking about this nonsense? It wasn't his business, after all. Why was he still standing here like a statue? He should just go, it wasn't his concern whether the girl died or not. With this thought in mind, Surya turned around, ready to leave a wounded Jhanvi behind.

"M-Mau...sam?"

He froze mid-way. Did he hear right? Had she spoken? Hesitantly, Surya looked over his shoulder, but Jhanvi was still unconscious. How come she spoke? And what did she say? He didn't pick it up, but her voice...it was so different from the last times he met her. It was...broken. Thready.

Why do I care?

It was a mystery to him. He hated this girl, he hated her deeply. Nonetheless, seeing her here, how frail she seemed, how helpless ' it made his heart ache. Why? Why did something inside him stir upon this sight? Why wasn't he able to just leave and abandon her to her fate?

"Mau..."

Again. She spoke again in this broken tone. Without realising, what was happening, Surya's feet were taking him towards the unconscious girl. Blood was rolling from her forehead down her temples and cheeks. This seemed to be the only wound she had, as he could make out. The other fact, which caught his attention, was that her surly black hair was spread over her shoulders ' her head wasn't covered. Her lips were parted a bit, but no word was coming out of them. Surya couldn't help but stare. There was something about her...

Shaking his head in disbelieve about his own actions, he placed one arm around Jhanvi's shoulders and the other in the hollows of her knees. Surya was sure, he had lost his mind, otherwise he wouldn't so such a thing ever.

~*~

What?!

Startled, Jhanvi was sitting upright within a few seconds. The pain which flooded through her head after doing so, told her that this was a bad idea. Her lips pressed together as to prevent any other sound escaping them, she waited with closed eyes for the pain to weaken. This hurt!

Wait...

Confused, she touched her forehead. There. She felt a rough material at her fingers. What was this? A bandage? But...how?

Still irritated, she looked around, slight panic arising in her chest. As far as she could see, this was a real tall bed room, but the furnishings were more than few. No picture, only two cupboards, two bed-tables, a tall bed and a vase with white flowers on the windowsill. And she, she was laying in the bed.

How did she land in here? Whom did this room belong to? And, the most important quesetion, where was she?

Relax, Jahnvi, she told herself. Relax and think rational about all this.

"Finally awake, are you?"

Jhanvi flinched, startled by this sudden question. Slowly, she turned her head in the direction, she heard the voice ' and her heart seemed to stop beating for a little moment. Fear appeared in her, making her buddy shake slightly. Instinctively, her fingers clenched onto the blanket, that had covered her, before.

This isn't happening, is it?

"Have you forgotten how to speak?" the man entering the room teased her, though in a deadly cold tone.

Jhanvi just looked at him, not really realising what he had said. The only thing, her slow brain understood, was that there coming closer to her was Surya. And the meaning of this hit her like a bucket of icy water. Was she in the mansion of Rana Rantej?!

"Where...where am I?" she managed to ask, at least, although she sounded...pathetic.

"Isn't it obvious?" Surya arched an eyebrow, eyeing her perceivably. "It's my house, as I'm standing here."

Not parting her gaze from Surya, Jhanvi pulled back the blankets and stood up. Her legs were weak, therefore she had to lean on the bed. She felt dizzy and weak ' why? She remembered falling from a little cliff near the village into a forest. A piercing pain had jerked through her head and then everything went black.

"What...what am I doing here?"

Jhanvi made sure to hold a distance between them, although Surya was already too close. She didn't trust this man, she had no reason to do so. Who knew what he was about to do? And in her condition it was unlikely that she could defend herself much.

"Good question." he muttered more to himself than Jhanvi, before sighing quietly. "You should be thankful that I didn't leave you in the forest ' that should be enough."

"W-what?" Not sure, if she had heard right, Jhanvi blinked a few times confused. He...he didn't leave her in the forests? Meaning, he brought her here and took care of her wounds? No, this sounded even ridiculous! Why should Surya do this? "Are you kidding?"

Surya looked away, knitting his eyebrows. "Tse, believe me, you wouldn't be alive, if I hadn't you brought here."

"Wait!" Jhanvi was about to make a move forwards, but lost her balance. Everything around her blurt, causing a dizzying feeling on her. Ready to hit the floor, she squinted her eyes, awaiting the pain. But nothing like this happened. Her head laid on something, yes, but this something wasn't as hard as the floor would have been. And...she a pounding reached her ears...a beat...a rhythmic beat...it remembered her of a song... and she was held by a firm grip on her arms.

Surprised, Jhanvi raised her head, directly meeting Surya's gaze ' as confused as her own had to be. He had prevented her from falling. This much she understood. Though, it felt kind of good and comforting to be held like that ' maybe she needed it after everything that happened, Karan's arrest and Mausam's kidnapping, the latter was also the reason why she got out of the Mandir. In there, the thought that she would go mad, being helpless made her more desperate, yet she didn't tell anyone. - nonetheless she shouldn't forget, who this was.

"You can let go." she said, finally after what seemed like an infinity.

Surya made no move to do anything like that, instead he pulled her even closer to himself. "And you could say 'thank you'." he nearly whispered.

Now angry, Jhanvi glared at him. "Why did you bring me here?" She ignored his statement.

"Why were you out there alls by yourself?" he countered, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly ' but he didn't smile. "It's dangerous for women to be out, don't you know?"

"You-!" Angrily she pressed her hands against his chest. "You and your father ' you both are really pathetic! To get your stupid revenge you didn't even shrink from palming off murder on my brother! Then you got even kidnapped a little girl ' and now me, that's also a part of your sick plan, isn't it?!"

Surya tensed measurably, his grip on her tightened. As it seemed, she made him angry, too. "You know, I could've let you there to die."

"So what?" Jhanvi lost her temper, all her desperation coming out of her. The past days had gnaw at her, leaving marks behind. She had been at a loss and feared for Karan's and Mausam's lives and the nescience of their welfare had driven her crazy. Jhaniv knew exactly what it felt like to loose someone beloved and she was afraid to undergo this terrible feeling once again. And she blamed this man and his family for her own misery. Therefore, how dared he to remind her of saving her life? As if he had done so without seeking any advantage! And she told him exactly what she thought. "Oh, you've surely saved me without any self-advantage in mind, hun?"

Snorting, Surya let got of her. "What kind of girl are you?" She shook his head in a manner of disbelieve. "Whatever. Mausam was it, right?"

"Hm? What?" Jhanvi frowned, though relieved about the new distance.

"The girl you accused us to have kidnapped." he replied, rolling his eyes. "Mausam?"

Jhanvi eyed him suspiciously, not knowing what he was up to, now. "And you want to know, because...?"

"Forget it." Surya waved aside, annoyance visible on his face. "You'll have to wait till noon, before you can leave the house, therefore you won't leave this room ' not until I don't say so."

With that, he was out of the room and Jhanvi could hear a 'click', after the door was shut. Confused, frustrated and angry she sat down on the bed again. Did Surya really mean to let her leave that easy? Hard to believe. Then again, she had no clue what this man wanted from her...This was so frustrating! And her family...they were surely worried about her. How long had she been here? God, they should have to be freaking out! Why didn't I listen to Ammaji?

~*~

I've surely lost my mind, Surya thought disbelievingly, while he entered the darkened storeroom. It was hard to see anything in here, but he could hear quiet whimpering and followed the sound, trying not to step onto one of the many toys laying all around. If his father knew, what he was going to do...Better not think of it.

"Uh, hey, you."

The girl flinched, when he touched her at the tiny shoulder, looking at him with tear filled eyes. She was afraid, he could see that.

"Y-you...you...Rakshas?"

He blinked confused at her, before shaking his head and grabbing her arm, ignoring the outcry. Rakshas? What was this about? Children for sure were complicated.

"W-where...where are we going?"

"Ssht!" He wanted her to shut up, otherwise someone might catch them. The girl understood and didn't say anything else, after this. Thank God.

~*~

Barely entered his own room, Jhanvi looked immediately up, as if she was fearing to see someone else. Though, she still looked suspicious, even after recognising him. Really, what was this girl thinking he would do to her? Didn't she finally get, that he wasn't interested in any female being?

Yet it was amusing to see the suspicion turn into surprise and disbelieve, when she noticed the child with him.

"Jhanvi-didi!"

Breaking away from Surya, the child ran off to Jhanvi who had kneeled down, hugging her tightly. By the way, her buddy was shaking, he knew that she crying. Another mystery to him ' why did children cry that much?

"Why?"

Jhanvi brought him back to reality, yet he didn't answer. Truth to be said, he himself was unaware of the reason behind his doings. Firstly, helping Jhanvi whom he hated and secondly ruining pne of his father's plan by rescuing Mausam. This much he knew: the second part was a result of the first one. But why? He had no clue. Maybe it was, because he didn't want a child to be used in this 'war' as this was really low. Or it had something to do with Jhanvi...

"You ask too much, you know." he growled. "Take the child, there on the bed lies a cloak ' and leave!"

Jhanvi looked like as if she wanted to protest or at least say something further more, but she kept quiet and did as instructed. Mutely, she wrapped the cloak up, took the child into her arms and was ready to go. When she brushed his shoulder, while going, he held her right wrist. Surya was already doing stupid things ' some more wouldn't be counted, would they?

"Be careful ' if someone sees you, just say your a maid."

"Maybe I ask too many questions." Jhanvi whispered after a long while. "But I still want to know why you're doing all this."

Surya sighed, when he eyed her. "Maybe I'll tell you, some day. If I know the answer, that is."

He let go of her and Jhanvi walked out, without any other incident. Surya watched her back until she was out of his sight. This girl...he hated her, he really did, but...it was a weird kind of hatred. She had such an odd charisma, awakening in him a feeling he was sure to never feel. It made him help her, it was like a magic he couldn't resist ' an inner voice he had to listen to.

What was this feeling called?

If destiny wants him to know, he'll learn to know, at some day.

"Hey, Surya?"

Arching an eyebrow, Surya saw a bright grinning Param entering his room. Did he see something he wasn't supposed to?

"What?" he tried to hold his tone as emotionless as possible.

"Was this a woman leaving your room?" his brother teased him, while putting an arm around his shoulder ' as if he was proud of him.

Jhanvi ruins always my day, he thought gritting his teeth.

ENTRY#2

BLOSSOM OF LOVE

There she was sitting on the floor with tear strained eyes...the breeze blowing strand of her dark black hair across her angelic drained face...she looked just like a fairy except a depressed one...

Why? Why did it hurt him to see her tears? To not see a smile on his face? Why? Why was he dying to see a smile on her face, a little laugh from those delicate lips of hers?

Surya slowly shut the door behind him, making jhanvi startle back to life.

She looked up straight up at him with fear and hatred.

That's what had been bugging him the most that she blamed everything that happened on him, that their relationship was so fragile that even a small misunderstanding could break it...that's what stabbed and pained his heart the most.

Slowly and carefully jhanvi got up from the cold dark floor and walked up to surya...

And stared in his eyes for what seemed like ages ...Finally when surya couldn't bear to look into her eyes anymore he closed his eyes and a tear escaped his eyes down his cheek...

Surya thought to himself," why m I crying just for a stupid accusation'.

Just then he felt a delight touch on his right cheek where the tear had rolled...and he opened his eyes staring into jhanvi wiping his tear form his face...she then looked at him straight in the eyes and finally when she couldn't hold it anymore she hugged surya very tightly and started crying tears of sadness , of regret, of anger...

Surya didn't know what to do but automatically his hands hugged her back

one of his hand started stroking her hair..

And he started to whisper in a soothing and caring voice," sshhh...its ok jhanvi...we will find her...but plz dn't cry,"

'finally jhanvi stopped sobbing and whispered into surya's chest," I m sorry surya...please mujhe maaf kar do...mei bhi na ek dam bewakoof hon...i m so sorry for accusing u for mausam's kidnapping, I mean how could it be you when you were just like a best friend like a dad to her,please forgive me"

Surya pulled jhanvi back from embrace and slightly lifted her chin up so she was looking straight into his eyes," jhanvi please, isme sorry bolne ki kya baath hai...i m not angry at you infact I am angry at myself that I let mausam out of the haveli to go wander into the village with the other village kids. Please maafi toh mujhe magni chahiye. .." just then jhanvi but her hand onm surya's moth stopping him form saying anything else.

Surya embraced her once again and whispered into her hair," jhanvi I promise we will find our mausam, I will let nothing happen to her."