Hidden

My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is A Reader's Take, where everyday I will be picking out a novel title corresponding to that day's letter and write my post based on it. To make it more challenging, I have decided to write a serial story. The novel I have selected for today is 'Hidden'

Leave Me Never

Chapter 8

(Read the previous chapter here)

“Weird!” That is what they called her behind her back in office. Kayra had sworn not to join the corporate world when she stepped out of college but when she had left home forever, it was this very world that had supported her and given her the bread and roof she badly needed. She had changed companies, switched jobs but in the previous year, she had come back to the corporate world again, surprising even herself. It was not like she was bad at it but she was the girl who had bigger dreams and this hectic corporate life wasn't what she had wished for herself. But that fateful night had changed so many things in her life!

Images of that night started flooding her mind again. It had become a memory that kept on returning to haunt her time and again. No matter how far she had come, how many miles she had put between herself and the past, the memories refused to fade. She had kept the secret hidden, unknown to anyone but her and Shruthi. As much as she tried to escape those wretched memories, they kept on invading her mind without her knowledge and strangled her. The images were still clear; they were etched in her memory and every time she remembered them, a chill ran down her spine.

She jumped out of her seat when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She was about to shout when Ritwik rushed on with apologies. “Relax Kayra. Sorry if I startled you. I was just wondering if something was wrong. You look troubled” said Ritwik, withdrawing his outstretched hand, which had rested on Kayra’s shoulder few seconds ago. Her face was completely white, like she had seen a ghost. “Kayra?” Ritwik asked loudly this time trying to get her attention. That seemed to break her trance. “Uh… Oh… I… Ritwik… Excuse me” and with that Kayra fled out of her cabin to get away from the prying eyes of her colleagues. She needed time to compose herself.

“That girl is weird” said Rhea as soon as Kayra was out of earshot. Ritwik didn't answer. He was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He was sure it wasn't about what he did but there was something else that was on Kayra’s mind which was bothering her. No matter how confident she appeared to be, there was something vulnerable about her. There was something that haunted her; a secret, perhaps, that she kept hidden and a secret that he was hell bent on unravelling! 

To be continued...

About today's novel: Hidden in the 10th novel in the House of Night series by P. C. Cast. The truth is out. Neferet's evil has been exposed, and the High Council is no lonfer on her side - but she is far from done wreaking havoc in the vampire world. First, a mysterious fire ravages the stables. Then, Neferet makes a devastating move that will test them all. With the tension at breaking point and friendships on the line, can the nerd herd come together to stop the spread of Darkness before it's too late?

PS: Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2015. 

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)