The Past – Part Three.

After her usual tutoring session with Daniel, Veda slung her school bag over her shoulder and stepped out of his house, waving him goodbye.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the quiet neighborhood as she began her walk home.

The streets were serene, the kind of calm that Veda had grown to appreciate.

But today, an unease she couldn't shake settled over her, the same unsettling feeling that had lingered in the back of her mind for weeks.

The sensation that someone was always watching her.

As she passed the large house next to Daniel's, a voice called out, making her stop in her tracks.

"Excuse me... Hello!"

Veda turned, surprised to see a woman stepping out of the grand house that had often been the source of her unease.

The woman was strikingly beautiful, her elegance undeniable. She wore a soft peach sari, its fabric shimmering subtly in the sunlight, adorned with intricate embroidery.

Gold jewelry gleamed on her neck, wrists, and ears, each piece as exquisite as her perfectly painted face.

Her long hair was neatly pinned back, and though she looked composed, her eyes darted nervously as if she were unsure about approaching.

Veda, not wanting to seem rude, offered her a polite smile. "Greetings, Aunty." she said warmly.

The woman hesitated, her smile faltering as she fidgeted with the edge of her sari. "H-hi... How are you, dear?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"I'm fine, thank you. Are you okay, Aunty? You seem... bothered." Veda replied, frowning slightly.

"Oh, no, no." the woman said quickly, forcing a laugh that sounded more strained than sincere. "I'm fine, really."

Veda nodded slowly, though her instincts told her something was off. "Alright..."

The woman took a deep breath, her hands clasping nervously. "So... um, do you stay around here?"

Veda raised an eyebrow at the odd question. "No, I don't. I come here most days to study with a friend." she said casually, motioning toward Daniel's house.

The woman's face lit up with understanding. "Ah, I see. That's wonderful! You must be very smart to take your studies so seriously."

Veda gave a modest shrug, but the woman continued, her tone growing more curious. "And beautiful, too. How old are you, dear?"

"I'm fifteen." Veda replied, growing a bit uncomfortable with the woman's persistent questions.

"Fifteen." the woman repeated, nodding to herself as if confirming something. "So young... and yet so bright. You said you come here to study with your friend?"

"Yes." Veda said simply, sensing that the woman was leading up to something.

"Well," the woman began hesitantly, "I was wondering... would you consider studying with my son as well? He's just a year older than you, and I think the two of you would get along wonderfully. He is a very bright student, you know. Maybe even... become friends?"

The request caught Veda off guard. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her tone laced with confusion.

"My son." the woman pressed, her nervousness now mixed with desperation. "I think it would be so good for him to have someone like you around. He's...he's shy, you see, but very sweet. And smart, just like you!"

Veda frowned. "Aunty, I don't even know if your son and I go to the same school. And... why isn't he here to ask me himself? Why are you—"

The woman cut her off, her eyes downcast. "My son... I fear he wouldn't know how to handle himself in front of you." she admitted quietly, her voice tinged with sadness.

Veda blinked, taken aback by the odd statement. "I'm sorry, but I'm not looking to make new friends right now." she said, keeping her tone polite but firm. "And I'm definitely not qualified to tutor anyone. Perhaps you should look for someone more experienced."

She turned to leave, but the woman suddenly grabbed her hand. The touch startled Veda, and she gasped as she turned back to see the desperation in the woman's eyes.

"How much?" the woman blurted out. "Please, tell me how much. I'll pay you whatever you want!"

Veda's discomfort quickly turned to alarm. She pulled her hand back, her voice rising. "What? I don't want your money! Let go of me!"

"I'm sorry!" the woman said, her grip loosening but her desperation only growing. "Please, at least have dinner with us. My son... my family. Just once. Please, dear. I'm begging you."

The woman's pleading tone and frantic demeanor sent chills down Veda's spine. She took a step back, shaking her head. "What is wrong with you? I don't even know who you are! Why are you so desperate to pair me with your son?"

The woman's lips trembled, but no words came out.

"This is inappropriate." Veda said firmly, taking another step back. "With all due respect, please don't stop me like this again."

Without waiting for a response, Veda turned on her heel and hurried away, her heart pounding. The encounter had rattled her more than she cared to admit.

As she walked, she heard the woman calling out to her again, her voice echoing faintly behind her. But Veda didn't stop. She quickened her pace, her thoughts racing.

Something was deeply wrong with that family.

♡♡♡

"W-why, Ma? Let me t-talk to her. P-please." Varun stammered, his voice heavy with desperation. He paced his room like a caged animal, his movements erratic and his breathing uneven.

His usually well-groomed hair was disheveled, and dark circles had begun to form under his eyes from sleepless nights.

"Son, son, listen to me. Please try to listen." his mother pleaded, standing by the door with worry etched deeply into her face. She wrung her hands together, trying to find the right words to calm him.

"You need to stop this. You have to. She's fifteen, Varun. A child. You can't have her. This... this obsession, it isn't right."

But her words only seemed to pour fuel onto the fire burning inside him.

He froze mid-step, his shoulders trembling as a low growl escaped his throat. Then, suddenly, he snapped.

"T-that boy." he spat, his voice hoarse, trembling with rage. "He-he's the reason."

His mother's heart sank as she watched him unravel further.

"What boy? What are you talking about, Varun?"

"That boy she's always with!" Varun shouted, his voice cracking as he turned to face his mother.

His eyes were wild, glassy with unshed tears and burning with an intensity that sent chills down her spine.

"The one she's always smiling with, studying with, laughing with... He's keeping her from me, Ma. She's mine, but he's always there!"

His mother took a cautious step closer, trying to steady her voice. "Varun. You don't even know her. This... this isn't love. It's-"

"I don't care!" he roared, cutting her off. His fists clenched at his sides as he began pacing again, faster this time.

"You don't understand, Ma. I-I need her. Every time I see her, my chest feels tight. Every time she smiles, it's like... like the world stops. And every time she looks at him... I want to rip him apart!"

"Varun, no." his mother said firmly, stepping in his path to block him.

"This is dangerous-what you're feeling. You have to stop. If you don't, you'll hurt yourself... or worse, someone else. Please, son, I'm begging you."

But Varun wasn't listening. He gripped his hair in frustration, tugging at it as if trying to rip the thoughts from his mind.

"I've tried, Ma. I've tried so hard to stop, but I can't. I see her in my dreams, hear her voice in my head. It's like she's everywhere, and I can't escape it. I don't want to escape it."

She watched her son crumble under the weight of his obsession. She reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Varun, please. I'll help you. We can get through this together, but you have to let her go. She's not yours to claim."

"No!" Varun shouted, stepping back from her touch. His chest heaved as he pointed a shaking finger toward the window.

"I see her every day, Ma. Right there. Right in front of me. So close, but I can't have her. And that boy... that boy is always in the way!"

"Varun." his mother said softly, her voice breaking. "If you do something rash, you'll ruin everything. Please, think about what you're saying. You're not in control right now."

"I don't care!" Varun shouted. "If I can't talk to her... if I can't be near her, then what's the point? What's the point of anything?"

His mother took a deep breath, her heart shattering as she saw the raw torment in her son's eyes. She knew she had to act quickly-before his obsession spiraled into something irreversible.

"Varun." she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'll... I'll think of something. Just promise me you won't do anything reckless. Please, son, promise me."

He didn't respond, his shoulders shaking as he tried to control his uneven breathing.