Okay, let's do it, Bhairavi told herself as she walked up to her beloved cafe 'Fudge you' just as the clock struck twelve. Stepping aside to hide in the shadow of the neighboring Italian restaurant, Bhairavi cracked her knuckles nervously.

"Don't worry mistress, you will do just fine," a feline, young voice assured her. She could not explain further how her voice sounded because there were no human adjectives to define it better, but it sounded natural coming from Summer, who had refused to call her by her name.

Nodding at the reassurance she put a finger to her lips and Summer obeyed. 'Samanya, I am going in. You stay close to the store room window, and remain alert. If Bhay does not release Namma, which I doubt he will, I shall reach out to your mind and signal. Then, you rescue her and take her home.' Samanya nodded and squeezed her hand comfortingly before taking off.

'Okay Summer, it's you and me now. Peek and tell me what do you see.'

"Well, mistress, I see...." Bhairavi waited. "...nothing."
'What!?' she asked in disbelief.
"Yes mistress, the cafe is unguarded and dark. It can be a trap." Bhairavi smiled at her adorable pet's innocence in pointing out the obvious before becoming serious. 'Yes, you are right. Then let's walk right into it. I'll go first. You stay back near the door and wait for my word.'

Hearing no reply she probed into Summer's mind and found her day-dreaming of Cinnamon milk and fish cutlet. 'Summer!' Bhairavi's sharp rebuke pierced through her craving daze, "Yes mistress?"

'Focus! Now come on.' Bhairavi strapped a sword on Summer's back, as a precaution before they walked to the cafe. Summer hid near the gate and Bhairavi took a deep breath before entering.

It's funny how humans can sense and taste fear, Bhairavi thought as she felt her nape prickle and her skin crawl. Her mouth filled with the metallic taste of fear as she saw Namma lie motionless in the middle of the cafe. The cafe was dark and she could barely see the outline of Namma's body, but the dim light from the street lights confirmed it was her. Bhairavi made no move towards her.

Instead she ducked and rolled to her right as a blade slashed at where her shoulders were a moment ago. She kicked out her left foot before standing in a fighting stance and mentally reached out for the light switches, and turned them on. The room filled with bright light and cruel laughter. Bhairavi felt terrified at the sight in front of her.

A man stood in front of her, aweful and terrible at the same time. His eyes were a smooth, unflinching black and glittered with malice. His features, inhuman and hypnotizing, held no softness and his complexion was marble-white. He emitted fear and aversion of such intensity that Bhairavi's entire being seemed to quiver and scream. Never before had she been so grateful of being without voice for she knew she could never speak in front of him.

She felt sorely underprepared but tried to not show it. Bhay watched her, amused, he loved to see how he invoked fear in people. But his glee abated when he realized she did not display any of it. 'I have come. Release her. Now.' Most people begin with begging to be spared, here a Manavi was making demands, Bhay was livid yet intrigued by her, "Tell me, Bhairavi."

She shivered on hearing his voice in real life. "What do you see? Most people, even Gods see what they fear the most. What do I appear to you?"
This infused some strength in her, instead of answering, she asked, 'How did you find me?' Bhay smirked, "I'll answer that if you will."

'How do I know you will keep your end and answer?'

"You don't. I could have killed your grandma by now. Take that as a sign of honor and proceed."

Bhairavi answered with narrowed eyes, not buying his excuse but going along, 'I see you for you. Not as any illusion of fear.'

Bhay smiled at that, although internally his rage was building, "Ah, interesting. Now, my turn. It was very easy. You see, I was right next to Bahurupi when my grandson called. After he lied at my insistence and ended the call, I killed him and took his phone. Modern technology is truly amazing as it took me only a minute to locate that the call came from a cafe named 'Fudge you' and the rest was googled and found by another very capable, young Rakshasa."

Bhairavi felt sick to her core, Samanya's friend Bahurupi was dead because of them. 'Why are you doing this? Invoking destiny deliberately, I mean.' At that Bhay's face contorted with rage and scorn, "Because I refuse to be threatened by a puny Manavi. I have gotten millions of you killed. You think you are special only because you speak in minds? I'll show you your place."

He took a step forward but Bhairavi refused to back down, her blood was boiling, yet, she kept her cool, 'Let Namma go and you can have a go at me.'

"I don't need your permission to kill you, Bhairavi. But I shall fulfill your last wish. I won't kill her." Suddenly, his palms were blazing and he cupped the fire before tossing it at different parts of the cafe. As the cafe caught fire and it spread, he grinned, "But the fire will. Let's see if you can save her."

With that, he attacked. Bhairavi was ready to fight but she had to get save Namma before she caught fire as well. 'Samanya! Now! Cafe is on fire, save Namma! I'll draw him away.' She barely deflected his powerful blow with her sword as it almost fell from her grip while sending the message.

Gritting her teeth, she moved back and Bhay pressed in. As she played on defense and did all she could to not be skewered and stay alive, from the corner of her eye she saw Samanya grab Namma and leave. Not wanting to be grilled alive, Bhairavi changed tactics.

She faked a move to the left before kicking him right where the sun did not shine and ran outside. She got the time to take a few precious breaths of fresh air before a livid Bhay hit hard with his sword and her wrist bore the brunt while deflecting. Promising herself that she would workout everyday if she survived this, Bhairavi bit back a scream of agony and decided to hold her sword with two hands. It would slow her down but she would at least be able to lift it.

Letting all the agony flow, she willed hundreds of swords with flaming blades and as she struck, they rained down on Bhay. She knew that it hurt because he she heard his scream of agony. But it had been enough to only injure, not defeat. When Bhai stood, she saw he was bleeding from several wounds, but it had only slowed him done and enraged him further.
"You bitch, I should have sliced you in the darkness when you came."

'Like a coward? Oh wait, that's what you are!' Bhairavi taunted him. She was already becoming tired. Her wrist hurt like hell and she had numerous bruises and aches, while her mind was working overtime with her powers. Bhay's next strike was a cruel one, in which he feigned a strike to her left, which was already difficult for her to intercept with her bruised right wrist. Instead, he jabbed the handle of his sword hard into her chest and kicked her.

Determined not to die cowering, she stared back, finding it hard to breathe. Her chest felt like it was on fire. But the killing blow never come. Instead, a flash of gold jumped at him and gouged out his eye. "That's for kidnapping Namma and hurting my mistress, you cactus man. I hope it hurt."

'Summer!' Bhairavi weakly exclaimed. "You never gave the word, mistress!" Summer pouted, while Bhay howled in rage and pain as his eye bled, almost mauled to the skull. "You wretched cat, I should have killed you back there." As he lifted his sword to strike, a known hand took the sword strapped on Summer and intercepted the strike.

"Why don't you show me, what you got, Grandfather?" Samanya's calm voice said. Before Bhay could reply, Samanya attacked and as they parried, Bhairavi heard Bhay taunting him, "You? You are that Manavi's pet dog now!? How dare you associate yourself as my grandson when you have been nothing but a weak fool, a betrayer, a spineless Rakshasa. You are not worthy of belonging to my legacy."

Bhairavi watched them fight anxiously, for she could see the words affect Samanya as his moves become reckless and emotional with the passing minute. Summer helped him in her own way, biting Bhay and mauling him, and moving away quickly before he hit her. But that was not enough to subdue him.

Remembering her promise to Samanya's mother, she pulled herself up and decided to help him. Gritting her teeth at the pain in her chest, she stood, a tad unsteady, and looked for her sword. Finding it lying a little distance away, she limped towards it. Her right knee, which had been battered from practice, was screaming for attention after being kicked by Bhay again. She realized she had given Bhay the upper hand because she was scared of him and the fear he invoked in her.

Lord Kal Bhairava's words came back to her, she could only defeat him if she gave up on her fear. But she did not know how to do that. As she bent to pick her sword, she heard a cry of pain and Bhay's triumphant laughter, "There! Now you won't stain my name anymore." After that, everything felt like it was happening in slow motion.

Bhairavi screamed Samanya's name mentally and turned to see Bhay drive his sword further into Samanya's stomach before twisting it. Samanya's face drained of all color and pain contorted his face as he clutched the sword and fell, blood gurgling out of his mouth.

A/N

Hi my lovelies! Sorry for being MIA these few days, I had been rather unwell and thus could not update the chapters. But I made up for the missed four days by uploading four chapters today. So...enjoy and do vote and comment!

Love,
Kaushiki.