Meanwhile, on the highway
Pranati crouched beside her scooter, fingers smudged with dust and grease as she twisted the key again.
Nothing.
She exhaled sharply. "Of course," she muttered. "Why would you start now?"
She straightened, wiped her hands on her dupatta, then—without thinking—kicked the scooter's side panel.
Instant regret.
"Ow—wow!" she yelped, hopping back, clutching her foot. "Great, Pranati. Brilliant move. Truly genius."
She balanced on one leg for a second, blinking against the sting, then let out a breath that was half-laugh, half-sigh.
Her gaze drifted to the empty stretch of road. No vehicles. No people. Just the hum of distant traffic and the warm hush of late afternoon.
She folded her arms and tilted her head, speaking to no one—and everyone.
"You know what?" she said, as if an invisible audience were seated neatly along the roadside. "My life has never been smooth. Not once. If something can go wrong, it will—preferably when I'm already late."
She gestured vaguely at the scooter. "Dreams? Complicated. Family? Complicated. Work? Complicated. And now even two wheels can't cooperate."
A dry smile tugged at her lips.
She leaned back against the scooter, eyes closing briefly. When she spoke again, her voice softened—less sarcasm, more weariness.
"Some people walk on straight roads," she murmured.
"Some glide as if the wind carries them."
"I keep walking on broken paths,"
"Collecting bruises like proof that I exist."
She opened her eyes, staring at the road ahead.
"Maybe that's my destiny," she whispered. "Or maybe… I'm just tired."
The air around her felt oddly still.
Unseen, something ancient watched.
The low rumble reached her ears before she saw it.
Pranati turned instinctively toward the sound. A truck was approaching from behind, far too fast for the condition of the road. Its engine snarled, aggressive, impatient—cutting through the stillness of the late afternoon.
She frowned.
"Why is he speeding like that?" she muttered, stepping slightly aside, unease prickling her skin.
Unseen to her, perched atop the moving truck, Kapalika swayed lightly with the motion. Her reversed feet clung effortlessly to the metal surface. Her long braid slid along her back like a living thing as she tilted her head and began to hum.
It was not a song.
It was a pull.
The driver's eyes glazed over, his grip tightening unnaturally on the steering wheel. The hum slipped into his ears, into his breath, into his blood. His foot pressed harder on the accelerator.
Faster.
Faster.
The truck roared past Pranati, wind slapping her face, dust stinging her eyes. She staggered back a step, heart racing.
"What the—!" she gasped. "Is he mad?"
Ahead, from the opposite direction, a car appeared on the road.
Arnav.
His hands rested on the steering wheel, but his mind was miles away—voices, memories, fear echoing inside him. The road blurred into background noise until—
The horn blared.
His eyes snapped up.
The truck was right there.
Too close.
Arnav swore under his breath, jerking the wheel sharply. Tires screeched, rubber burning against asphalt as he tried to swerve away. For a split second, it seemed possible—
Then the truck's caravan broke loose.
Metal screamed.
The heavy load slammed sideways, crashing into Arnav's car with brutal force. The impact hurled the car off the road, spinning violently before it was shoved deep into the jungle edge.
A deafening explosion ripped through the air.
Flames erupted, licking upward, swallowing metal, glass, and everything inside.
The truck sped on.
As if nothing had happened.
Pranati stood frozen.
Her breath caught painfully in her chest as the shock finally reached her. She turned, eyes wide, heart pounding, and ran toward the jungle edge.
"Oh… oh Rabba…" she whispered.
Fire crackled hungrily, thick smoke curling into the sky. The car was mangled beyond recognition—burning, collapsing in on itself.
She stopped a few steps away, fear rooting her to the ground.
"No one…" her voice trembled. "No one can survive something like that…"
Her eyes darted wildly up and down the road.
Empty.
No passing vehicles. No distant headlights. No help.
Only the fire. Only the silence. Only her racing heartbeat.
Somewhere, far above, Kapalika smiled.
---
To be continued...