(Chapter - 7)

  [The Revelation]

  Asroy finally returns home. When he enters the house and shuts the door, Karu comes out of the living room hearing the sound. Karu is mad for sure, but he is calm enough, crossing arms and glaring at him. Asroy still looks so dejected, holding the notebook in his hand.

  Karu : You're very late, Asroy! That's not what you said you'd do.

  Asroy : I have a good reason.

  Karu : Well?

  While talking, they walk into the living room where Tori and Tushar are sitting on the floor with a ludo board. Tori looks at them with curiosity and slight concern. But Tushar seems carefree and excited that Asroy is finally back.

  Karu : What's the good reason?

  Tori : Hey, where have you been for so long?

  Tushar : You're back, Asroy! We were playing ludo without you. You missed it man.

  They both stand up and walk towards him. Asroy stays silent for a second, looking down. Tori notices the pink notebook in his hand. He instantly remembers that he saw the same pink notebook in Mehaki's hand, when she acted weird and refused to give it to Asroy. “That’s Mehaki’s notebook. The one she refused to show to anyone… Why is it with Asroy?” Tori’s eyebrow twitches a bit. Tushar cheerfully speaks to Asroy.

  Tushar : You know? Inufa had come here about 15 to 20 minutes ago!

  No answer. He glances over each of them, feeling a bit awkward. “Umm… What’s with this weird atmosphere?” he thinks. Asroy finally speaks up, letting out a sigh.

  Asroy : Inufa lied to us about herself. She had been lying since the very beginning.

  Tushar : Huh?

  Karu : What exactly do you mean?

  Tori says nothing but stares. Asroy shows them the notebook with a bit of a mad expression, although his voice stays calm.

  Asroy : See this notebook. It's Inufa's, remember? She left it inside her desk after school today. So I took it and brought it with me.

  Karu : And…?

  Asroy : Now I know why she didn’t want to show it to us. I learned the truth, that her real name is Aria Inufa Zaman Mehaki. Nickname, Anami.

  Tori : *What did he just say??*

  Tori slightly grits his teeth, furrows his eyebrows and clenches his hand. His face tenses up and expression darkens upon hearing Asroy's words.

  Asroy : I sat on the school rooftop, reading the first few pages but then a school guard–

  Tori : Asroy!

  Before he could even finish his words, Tori with an expression of annoyance and anger, grabs Asroy's hand, the one he's holding the notebook with. Asroy is taken aback by his unexpected move. Karu and Tushar get startled as well. Tori's blue eyes glow, glaring at Asoy's surprised face.

  Tori : It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t even matter whether she lied or not! But… You? How could you go through the notebook Mehaki said is personal! How dare you mess with someone's privacy!

  Tushar : Whoa…

  Karu : Tori.

  Asroy : …

  Asroy still couldn’t process the reaction of Tori, whose blue eyes are still glowing. Eyes only glow if a supernatural person has activated their powers and is ready to use it. A quiet and gentle guy's eyes filled with that much rage? Just for a notebook that’s not even his? Asroy still can't seem to believe what he's seeing.

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  Tori : It was never expected of you to step down that low! So why??

  Asroy : Okay! Okay! Calm down.

  Asroy pulls his hand out of Tori's grab. With a worried expression and serious tone, he relays his confession.

  Asroy : I get it, I'm at fault… You look like you're gonna attack me at any time.

  Tori : …

  Tori's glowing eyes finally calm down, and his face lets go of the rage, though slight annoyance still remains. Karu gently places a hand on Tori's tense shoulder.

  Asroy : I won’t look into it anymore I promise. I'll return it to her as it is. So just calm down already.

  Karu : What you did is simply unacceptable. No matter what you say, Asroy.

  Asroy : I know, what I did wasn’t right and I'm sorry for that. But…

  Tori moves away his eyes, annoyed.

  Asroy : If you put my faults aside for now, and focus on what I've just learned about her. What will you say? She hid her true Identity all along. She is Aria Inufa Zaman Mehaki Anami.

  Tori : … *Anami… Why does it sound familiar?*

  Tushar : That's…

  Asroy : She doubted us! In her writing, she said that she trusts us, but is this really her trust? She said she didn’t get a chance to learn about us while she herself kept her real name a secret… Ha! 5 years of friendship?

  Tushar : Why would she lie…?

  Karu : She might have her reasons.

  Asroy : And what exactly could it be?

  Karu : How would I know? You had your name changed too, for some unknown reasons as well. Didn't you?

  Tori : …!

  Suddenly a flashback comes to Tori's mind. A memory of his childhood.

  [A memory of 6 years old Tori sitting on his bed. Miraz is talking to him gently, while holding one of his tiny hands. Tori is looking at him attentively with cute, sparkly eyes.

  Miraz : Tori Probaho. A descendant of the esteemed and honorable Probaho family. Hmm…

  Tori : …?

  Miraz : Do you want to keep your family name a secret? We can make a new name for you. What do you think?

  Tori : … No, I love my name. I want to keep it…

  Little Tori's answer comes with eagerness filled in his sparkly blue eyes. “Okay, then!” Miraz agrees to keep his wish, with a warm and bright smile.]

  Thinking of that memory, Tori's expression changes like he realised something. “Come to think of it… Though I had a choice, dad told Asroy that he must hide his family name. What if… Something similar is the case for Mehaki too? She's not someone who'd lie purposefully. She wouldn't intentionally deceive her close people…” His strong belief in Mehaki remains intact. While Asroy exclaims to Karu with a stern voice.

  Asroy : My case is different! I had no choice but to listen to Dad. The whole situation was different.

  Karu : How can you be so sure?

  Asroy : Well, that's…

  Right on that moment, Miraz returns home from work and enters the living room. The 4 become quiet at once.

  Miraz : Hey, boys! I'm back. I bought some choco chip cookies, you’d love it.

  Miraz’s eyes quietly scan the boys. Sensing the uneasy vibe in the room, he talks in a friendly voice, just like a cool parent.

  Miraz : What's up with the gloom everyone? Did you guys have a fight?

  Karu : Not exactly.

  Tushar : Um… Well…

  Karu answers firmly while Tushar talks nervously. Miraz carefully listens to what he has to say. Meanwhile, at Mehaki's house, she is panicking and searching her table continuously from top to bottom. “C'mon! C'mon! My pink notebook, it's not even in my bag. Did I take it out? Where is it!?” As she is thinking, suddenly a realization hits her. “Wait… Don't tell me, I left it at school!? Inside my desk! Oh my goodness!” Mehaki's heart starts beating fast from nervousness and anxiety. She puts her hands on her head and screams.

  Mehaki : AAHHH!!! What will happen now!? *What if someone finds it? What if someone steals it away!?* Oh no! Argh!!

  Mehaki's mom comes inside the room with a glass of cashew milk and mango slices on a tray.

  Mrs. Jonaki : Why are you screaming, Anami? Here's your cashew milk.

  Mehaki : Mom!

  As soon as she puts the tray down on the table, Mehaki grabs her hands, with an extremely terrified face.

  Mehaki : Mom… I left my notebook at school! On my desk! The one that has my real name and all the thoughts and secrets of my mind!

  Mrs. Jonaki : Oh, you should've been careful.

  Mehaki : What do I do now?

  Mrs. Jonaki : Well, don't panic so much. Luckily it's just in school, so it's fine. You don’t need to worry as long as they don't find it.

  Mehaki : … Who are 'they', mom?

  Mrs. Jonaki : Ever since the first generation of the Inufa Zaman family, there always has been some enemy families. We carry the power which they want to snatch and misuse it for their own gain. They are evil. Each generation has been protecting the descendants from those families. The 1st, the 6th and the 12th generation are the strongest in our bloodline. Among them, the 12th generation will be able to defeat the enemies and end the eternal enmity for good, as foretold by Miraki.

  After hearing her words, Mehaki thinks for a second and speaks.

  Mehaki : The 12th generation… It's me…

  Mrs. Jonaki : That's right, but not until the time comes.

  Mehaki : But who are the enemy families?

  Mrs. Jonaki : Oh, they are the Zaheer family, the Alam family and the Newaz family.

  Mehaki : !

  Mehaki gets shocked when she hears the name “Newaz”. Someone from that family is none other than Asroy Onil Newaz. Mehaki is left stunned by the shocking fact.

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