Episode # 8:- (His Mysterious Personality)

“Saraya, do you have a cell phone?” Vidhant asked suddenly. Saraya, who was gazing at the dark jungle, turned around after hearing his question.

“Nope,” she replied and turned her gaze again towards the jungle.

“Okay, I’ll get you one, and also a laptop,” Vidhant replied and eyed Raf, who was deep in thought. Raf felt his eyes and looked up.

“Darkness fascinates her,” Vidhant said.

Raf didn’t reply, just turned his gaze towards Saraya.

“What will I do with a cell phone and a laptop?” Saraya asked with a frown on her face.

“Online classes for your high school,” Raf replied, and giving her one last glance, left from there.

“Really?” Saraya asked in a tone full of surprise.

“Yup, he already talked with the principal of your school. Don’t worry, you won’t miss your classes. And the days you were absent—I’ve arranged the notes. I’ll give them to you in the morning,” Vidhant replied and came towards her.

“Why are you both doing so much for me? I know Austin and Justin wanted to save me, but you’ve already done that. Then why these things?” Saraya asked while fidgeting with her fingers.

“Saraya, sometimes it’s better to leave things the way they are. I know you have many questions in your mind, but for now, stop thinking—because it’ll only make your mind more complex,” Vidhant explained gently.

“Okay,” Saraya replied in a meek tone. She had lots of questions lingering in her mind but couldn’t decipher where to get the answers from.

“Come, I’ll drop you to your room,” Vidhant said and took her upstairs.

Saraya, while walking towards her room, thought about Rafael. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to know about him. His mysterious personality attracted her. She didn’t know Vidhant much either—but Rafael was different.

“Here is your room,” Vidhant said, and Saraya looked on. They were standing near the door of her room. Vidhant went from there when he got a call. Saraya stepped towards her room but stopped when she remembered Zee.

Saraya went towards his room and opened the door. She looked around and found him sitting on the bed with his back facing her. She saw a toy in his hand, which he was tapping on the bed. Saraya walked forward, and at the same time, the bathroom door opened.

Raf, who came out of the washroom while wiping his hands with a towel, halted when he saw Saraya standing there.

“You need something?” Raf asked, and at the same time, Zee turned around. Saraya went aww on seeing him in a bunny dress.

Zee cackled loudly and crawled towards her. Saraya immediately picked him up and eyed Raf, who was now picking up Zee’s feeder and other things from the side table.

“I wanted to see him,” Saraya murmured in a low tone.

Raf didn’t say anything, just nodded his head and came towards her.

“He sleeps with me,” Raf said and put his hands forward. Zee jumped into his arms like a bunny and snuggled deeper into his embrace.

They came out of Zee’s room and went towards their own. Raf, who opened the door of his room, stopped.

“Your clothes are in the walk-in closet of your room,” Raf said and went inside.

Saraya’s mouth hung open in shock after hearing his words. “Those clothes were for me?” Saraya murmured and went towards her room. She settled down on the bed with a thud and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, she realized she would be alone at night. She always slept alone—but today felt different. After that incident, she had been unconscious for days and only woke up in the mornings.

“Everything will be fine,” she mumbled and got up from the bed. She entered the walk-in closet and looked around. The entire closet was filled, and she was glad all the dresses were of her choice. She picked a nightdress and went to change.

The moment she came out, a knock on the door caught her attention. She opened the door and found Vidhant standing there with a cell phone and a laptop in his hands.

“Here is your cell phone and the laptop,” he said, and before Saraya could say anything, he flew away from there.

Saraya made a face and closed the door. She kept the laptop on the table and came towards the bed with the cell phone in her hands. She checked it and found that all the basic applications were there. Vidhant had saved his and Rafael’s numbers too.

“Rafael Blackthorn,” Saraya murmured and thought to check about him on the internet. “He has such an enormous palace and looks like an influential person, so maybe I can find something about him,” she mumbled and typed his full name, which Vidhant had told her.

“Soren Rafael Blackthorn,” Saraya typed, but nothing showed. She huffed and kept the cell phone aside. She realized Raf had said, It’s Rafael Blackthorn only. Saraya picked up the cell phone again and typed Rafael Blackthorn.

Rafael Blackthorn, age 25. CEO of Blackthorn Incorporations. He took over the business when he was just 21 years old and became one of the youngest CEOs. Nobody knows how he looks because rarely has anyone seen his clear face.

Many say he has a mysterious personality, but nobody could find proof. How many family members are there in his family? This too is unknown, because other than his father, nobody has seen anyone.

A few years back, news revolved around Rafael Blackthorn’s marriage—but with whom, nobody knows. With passing months, people assumed it was just a rumor.

Who Rafael Blackthorn truly is—remains a mystery.

Saraya read the article and fell into deep thought.

“I found him mysterious, but I never knew he’s mysterious to the world as well,” Saraya murmured and kept the cellphone aside. She came under the covers and turned her side towards the window.

“It’s so scary,” she murmured and turned her back towards the window, covering her face with the quilt.

He entered the room through the window and looked around. It was quiet, lit only by the night lamp. He stepped forward and saw a baby cot in the center of the room. With slow steps, he came closer and looked inside.

A baby was sleeping peacefully in the cot. He bent forward and carefully picked the baby in his arms. He, with one hand, removed the hoodie from his face and was about to kiss the baby’s forehead when the door opened.

He turned around and ran out through the window with the baby in his arms.

Saraya woke up with a jerk. Her breathing was shallow, and her body was drenched in sweat.

“Who was he? And the baby? Was it Zehaan?” she murmured, wiping her face with a shivering hand.

She got down from the bed and came out of the room, still trembling. Reaching Raf’s room, she knocked.

Raf opened the door after the second knock and frowned at her condition.

“What happened to you?” Raf asked.

Saraya raised her hand and tried to say something but failed.

“He… room… baby,” she tried to say, but only these words escaped her mouth before she fell unconscious—Raf caught her just in time.

---

Hospital:

“I’ve clearly said that she endured a lot. Since she woke up, she’s been overstraining her mind. Mr. Blackthorn, you’ll lose her if this continues,” the doctor said after checking Saraya, but instantly shut her mouth when Raf shot her a death glare.

“Sorry, but this is the truth,” the doctor added and gave Saraya an injection before leaving the room.

Vidhant, who had been silent, eyed Raf. He was gazing at the unconscious girl lying before them on the hospital bed.

“When fate has finally brought you two together, accept it, RB,” Vidhant said softly.

“You know it wasn’t fate that brought her in front of me. It was someone’s stubbornness—and you know very well what we paid because of it,” Raf said and stormed out, stopping near the door.

“If she stays here, one day she’ll come to know the truth—and I don’t want that to happen, VD. She’s innocent. She’s already lost her brothers and blames herself. Do you have any idea what’ll happen if she learns the truth?” Raf asked.

Vidhant stayed silent. Raf stood there a while longer, gazing at Saraya for the last time, before leaving.

Vidhant sat down on the couch with a thud and palmed his face in distress. Suddenly something clicked in his mind, and he took out his cellphone.

“I can’t handle him alone,” Vidhant said to the person on the other end.

“I’m coming in the morning,” the person replied and disconnected the call.

---

Morning:

“Argh,” Saraya mumbled when she felt pain in her head. She opened her eyes, pressing her hand to her forehead, and frowned at the surroundings.

“Again hospital?” she murmured with a grim face and closed her eyes again.

She opened them with a jerk when she heard a chuckling sound from her left. Tilting her head, she saw Vidhant sitting there with Zee in his lap, busy drinking his feeder.

“I bribed him—that if he drank the milk, then only I’d take him near you. And look,” Vidhant said, eying Zee.

Saraya turned fully towards them, and Zee’s eyes lit up. He threw the feeder on the floor and started squirming in Vidhant’s lap. Vidhant shook his head in disbelief and got up from the couch.

Zee squealed when VD came near her and literally jumped on Saraya—but she caught him just in time.

“Was he a bunny in his last birth?” Saraya said while chuckling and kissed Zee’s chubby cheek tightly. He sat peacefully with his back against her stomach.

“Don’t know, but he was my enemy in his last birth for sure,” Vidhant said with a grim face, eyeing Zee, who was now blabbering happily.

Saraya chuckled and caressed Zee’s head.

“Why did I fall unconscious again?” she asked.

“Your body needs rest—you woke up after ten days yesterday, so physically you’re still weak,” Vidhant replied, and Saraya nodded.

She eyed Zee, who was tapping his hands on his knees and sometimes on the bed.

“He resembles his father a lot, but his eyes are different. Are they from his mother?” Saraya asked.

Vidhant shook his head, about to speak—but someone else answered.

“No, his eyes are from his grandfather,” a voice came from the door.

Saraya looked towards the voice, followed by Vidhant.

“Uncle,” Vidhant said happily and got up from the couch.

The person was none other than Rafael Blackthorn’s father — Harrison Macaulay Blackthorn.

To be continued…