In all probability, this was a dream. Amitav dimly registered this as he ran in chase of – who was she exactly?? A princess? A fairy? One moment, he had been walking home, thinking about the recent divorce case he was handling. The very next moment, a lady had appeared in front of him. That’s right, she had just APPEARED! She was dressed in a royal gown that accentuated her curves, long tresses that fell over her bare shoulders, eyes that would have been beautiful if they weren’t panicking and alabaster skin that simply glowed with beauty. “Oh!” She had gasped when he held her arms to stop her from falling, for she had crashed right onto him. Then she had looked around in panic. “I must have come to the mortal world! I… the witch…” she looked around frantically and muttered, “I need help!” before she ran away into a thicket of trees. Ever the gentleman, Amitav followed her, wanting to help her. She had proven far too fast for him. He was gasping and panting but he could see and hear her running through the – what the heck!? How did he not realize that the thicket of trees had made way for a forest?! The talking rabbit only added to the fact that this was indeed a dream. “In order to reach the princess, you will have to get past the witch!” The rabbit said sagely. ‘Yeah, all right, ye freaky talking-rabbit!’ Amitav cast a frantic look around him, all the while trying to catch up with the lady. He suddenly found her ahead, standing before a tunnel that had a door made of rocks. She touched the door with her palm and looked behind her. When she saw Amitav, she shook her head, shouted, “Save yourself! Do not come inside!” and ran through the door which had opened when the rocks shifted. Even more intrigued now, Amitav had rushed inside before the door could close again. He calmly sat upon a slab of rock and accepted what he should have, a long time ago. He had officially lost it. Lost the lady, lost his mind, lost every sense of logic and reasoning. What else could explain the panorama around him?? Frankly, when he had rushed inside the tunnel, he had expected it to lead into the basement of some building. He had not expected to come across a wild garden straight from a fantasy land. There were flowers the size of watermelons. And the colours! Everywhere he turned there was a riot of colors. It gave him a migraine. “I told you to not to follow me.” A soft voice said, making him jump. He turned around and saw the lady whom he had been chasing. She sat beside him, looking around as if searching for something or someone. There was an alertness about her posture. It looked as if she was prepared to run at a moment’s notice. “What is this place? Who are you? I am dreaming, isn’t it? Will you run away again? Who is following you? I…” He finally took a breath when the lady raised her palm and gestured him to slow down. “This is the kingdom of Swarnapuri and I am princess Diksha. My father has been imprisoned and my life is in danger.” She said, glancing around everywhere. “There is a witch here who wants to rule the kingdom. She has imprisoned my father at some unknown location and has now sent people to capture me.” Her voice broke. “I have been running since three days. I don’t know how long I will be able to hide.” Amitav gulped. “Can I help you in any way?” She shook her head in despair. “You can save yourself, however.” She stood up, grabbing Amitav’s hand. “Come quickly, I…” The sound of several feet running brought a look of pure panic on Diksha’s face. She dropped his hand and looked at him, fear writ large on her face. “I cannot get caught. Please hide and save yourself some way. Beware of the witch!” She ran in another direction of the garden before Amitav could say anything. He was about to follow her when he felt a piercing pain on his shoulder. He realized in horror that he had just been stabbed and considering that his shoulder was starting to feel cold, it probably had been stabbed with something poisonous. He dimly registered some shouts and snarling noises. There was the sound of feet running away. Before Amitav lost his consciousness, he saw a face looming over him, a face that belonged to nightmares – cruel and maleficent. His last thought was the realization that the witch had found him. Amitav woke up with a gasp. He looked around frantically and touched his shoulder to ascertain that everything was all right. Bright sunlight was streaming inside his room from the window, signaling that it was well over morning. He threw himself back on the bed, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. What a dream! It had felt so real. He could remember every facet of the dream, except for the faces of the princess and the witch. A shudder passed through him when he thought about the later. This much he could remember that there was a lot of maleficence in that face. He looked at the time on his mobile and jumped out of the bed, still reeling under the impact of the dream. He could not afford to nurse the hangover. He had to report to his office within an hour. There were cases to deal with. Reading the file prepared by his intern for his next case did nothing to cheer Amitav. This had to be one of the most complicated cases of his career. I really ought to stop taking cases of celebrities, he thought grimly. He had refused to take this case but the client stubbornly persisted in her efforts to convince him to help her. The person who required his legal assistance was Page-3 sensation Tia. She created news wherever she went. From stumbling out of parties drunk and disoriented, to marrying one of the richest business tycoons in town, Tia had done it all and the media loved her. That she never behaved herself in front of the media and gave them enough controversies, gave more impetus to the media to stalk her relentlessly. Rajesh Shah, the said business tycoon and Tia’s husband had filed for divorce against her and had refused to pay a single amount as alimony on the grounds that she was emotionally unavailable and had ill-treated his daughter from his first wife who had died under mysterious circumstances. What made this case even more complicated was that Tia’s mother Kiran Mehra had approached Amitav on her daughter’s behalf. Tia was, in fact, okay with the divorce but her mother stubbornly refused to accept the charges levied against her daughter. Kiran had filed a case against Rajesh for defamation of Tia’s character and costing her mental peace. What a cluster-mess…Amitav thought. He decided to meet Kiran Mehra and hear her out. He could always refuse to take up the case. —@@@— “Thanks for agreeing to meet me, Mr. Chatterjee.” “Please call me Amitav. I will be frank, Mrs.Mehra. I have read everything about Tia and I am sorry to say that her reputation does not favor her chance of winning this case.” Kiran sighed. “I knew you would say this. But hear me out, okay. Everything that the media reports about Tia is wrong. She never drinks. She deliberately projects a rough image about herself to the media. I fail to understand why. She wasn’t like this before she got married to that loser. Please meet her once. I will convince her to come here. Hear her side of the story.” Amitav played with his pen, unable to refuse the request of a pleading mother. He sighed and nodded. “Please come tomorrow. I would like to meet Tia and get to know the facts from her.” —@@@— ‘If only you could look past me, You will see there’s more to me!’ ‘This is not my alarm’, Amitav thought as he regained consciousness. His mind dully registered that someone was singing. He felt weak, terribly weak. Just the thought of getting up seemed to require herculean efforts. He realized he was lying on a bed. He looked around, trying to make out his surroundings. It seemed to be some sort of a cottage. There were large windows that let in bright and warm sunlight. The walls were a light shade of green, reminding him of summers of his childhood. A pleasant aroma of lavender wafted inside the cottage. He tried to shift on his side but a sharp pain shot across his shoulder and made him gasp. The singing stopped. He regretted it. The voice had been beautiful and extremely soothing. “So, the sleeping beauty has woken up.” All his senses went into overdrive when he saw the witch saunter towards him. She was of medium build. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a long gown of red hues that covered every inch of her frame. The red color added to the element of fear that she generated. Where was the hat, the pointed nose and the black robes?? They sure got witches wrong in the movies and books! Her face was the most arresting part. It was harsh. There was no softness here. Sharp cheek-bones, a firm mouth that showed no signs of having ever smiled and the eyes… oh the eyes! They were cold and distant. She could have been pretty if not for the malice reflecting on her face. This was someone to avoid at any cost. “I… How did I… Why did you…” He sputtered miserably, unable to form a coherent sentence. She shook her head in disgust. “Weakling.” She muttered and sat by his side on the bed. “You are not of this kingdom. Where are you from, and how did you end up here?” Amitav remembered Diksha’s comment about the mortal world and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “I am a mortal! I just came…” The rest of the sentence died on his lips as he took in the change in the witch’s face. Her eyes widened. She tried to speak something but no voice came out. “Look, I was just walking and before I knew it, I was in your kingdom. It must have happened before, right? Innocent people ending up here for no reason and with no motive…” He said, hoping that he sounded convincing. He could not do anything to help Diksha but he sure was not going to put her in more danger. As it is, he had no way to know whether she had made it across safely, wherever she had headed off to. The witch narrowed her eyes, as if trying to read his mind. He panicked. Could she?? In sheer desperation, he started thinking of the awful reels he had recently watched – the ones where ‘Time-travelers’ warned about dire things happening in the world for the year 2024. Come to think of it, how long had he been in Swarnagiri? Did time move at the usual pace here? “How long have I been here?” He asked the witch who was still glaring at him as if trying to decide what to do with him. She sighed. “A day. The spear used on you had a poisonous tip.” “Who were those people? Why did you save me? How did you come there at the right time? Were you already there when…” He stopped when the witch’s eyes widened. “You are too curious, mortal! Don’t make me regret having saved you!” She got up and walked out of the cottage. ‘Charming host, this lady… Wait, I didn’t even ask her name.’ Amitav thought drily. ‘Well, you are going to be here for a while. There will be ample opportunities.’ His mind remarked in ill humor. Just when he was about to relax, she came again, this time carrying an earthen bowl in her hands. She grinned without humor when she saw the panicked look on his face. “This is some sustenance for you. Open your mouth.” She said, holding the bowl threateningly over his face. “What is it made of?” He asked in despair. The evil grin was back on her face. “It would be in your best interests to not to know that. Open your mouth.” She said again. “Wait… I just remembered something. Who was singing a short while ago?” “One of my pets. You do not want to meet it.” Amitav gulped. Nope, he did not want to meet any singing pet. “Now if you are done with your never-ending questions, OPEN YOUR MOUTH!” The witch raised her voice. Without a word, Amitav opened his mouth and let her pour whatever the stuff was. It tasted divine, that much he had to give it. He tried not to think about what the stuff must have been made of. It tasted like some herbal concoction, but there were many animals who ate only herbs. Who knew what animal she had… No, best not to go down that lane. “Why are you trying to save me?” He asked, his voice slurring. His eyelids felt heavy and sweet sleep beckoned him. Before he closed his eyes, he saw her cruel face looming over his and whispering, “Who said I am??” Amitav whimpered in his sleep, and it was this whimper that woke him up. He sat up, feeling utterly spent and disjointed. He checked his mobile and saw that it was 6 in the morning. Too early for him to wake up but there was no way he would be going back to sleep now. —@@@— Amitav had to admit that Kiran Mehra carried herself better than Tia who was simply lagging behind her. He gestured the ladies to sit. In her early thirties, Tia usually looked like a model in her social media profile. Today she seemed to have dressed herself down. Wearing a simple tshirt over jeans, she looked like a college student. There was an aura of indifference around her. When she dismissed him with one look and shifted her attention elsewhere, Amitav got a glimpse of the infamous Tia that the society loved and hated in equal measure. “Ms.Tia, I would like to hear your side of the story. Please understand that being completely frank with me will work best in our favor if I were to take your case. So do not keep any secrets and please let me know all pertinent details that I should know.” Tia leaned back on her chair. “Rajesh feels I am emotionally unavailable. I was just a trophy wife, I guess.” “The media projects a wrong image of her. She is a teetotaler and has never touched a drink in her life.” Kiran said fiercely. “I can vouch for her.” Amitav looked at Tia questioningly. She shrugged. “I just wanted the society to think that I love my drinks.” “But why?” “It doesn’t matter. I cannot prove anything.” Kiran interjected. “Rajesh also labelled her as a spendthrift. I would like to state that every dime she gets from him, she spends it on charity. There is a hospital that she supports, a pet-adoption agency that she funds regularly and also an old-age home which she visits every week. She manages the home and even works there on weekends. The media never shows this side of her!” Kiran breathed deeply trying to calm her agitation. “She is a brilliant software programmer. Not many know this about her.” “What about the allegations of mistreating Rajesh’s daughter Akshara?” Amitav asked. It was exactly this part of the case that made him hesitate to defend Tia. He firmly believed that anyone who mistreated kids did not deserve any defense. “Those are lies!” Kiran exclaimed in dismay. “It seems Akshara herself has confirmed that Tia dominates her and is usually very rude to her. The part that I find deeply disturbing is that, Tia took her to a party and then totally ignored her. The girl fell into a swimming pool and had to be rescued by other people while Tia blissfully sat drinking with her friends.” “Lies! All lies! I would like to meet this…” Amitav calmly raised his palm to stop Kiran’s outburst and gestured to Tia. “I would like to hear your take. What happened there really?” Tia casually blew over her nails, keeping her attention fixed on them. “Leave the girl out of this. She is just a kid.” She looked at her mother with a bored expression. “I told you this would be a waste of time. I do not wish to fight Rajesh’s allegations. Can we leave now?” Kiran looked at her in dismay. “But Rajesh will destroy you! Mr.Chatterjee can probably help you.” Tia smirked. “Who said I want help??” As the mother-daughter duo left arguing, Amitav kept thinking about who Tia had reminded him about when she had smirked in the end. He had seen that look somewhere. —@@@— ‘Look into my heart, you will find it soft and warm, It has a gift for you, a song…’ Like last time, the singing stopped abruptly. Amitav felt uneasy thinking of whatever was singing in such a beautiful and captivating voice. It was as if the entity sensed his presence and warned the witch, for she walked in, dressed today in a dark violet gown that somehow made her seem more menacing. “The mortal made it through another night.” She said mockingly. It irritated Amitav. “No need to look so disappointed about it.” He sharply reverted. She seemed to be taken aback by his reply but quickly gained her composure. Before he could lose his courage, Amitav blurted out. “Can you show me around? A little bit of walking would refresh me.” He said, hoping that she would not read any motive behind his suggestion. He did have a motive – to see his surroundings and find whether there was any route to escape. Dream or not, it was upon him to act and save himself. The witch regarded him thoughtfully. “Can you walk?” He got up and waited for a few seconds to get some stability. Then he took some steps gingerly and although he felt slightly dizzy, he realized he could walk indeed. He stepped out of the cottage, the witch lingering uncertainly beside him. “What’s your name?” He asked her, not really paying any attention to her. He was mesmerized by the beautiful lawn that lay at the entrance of the cottage. It was neatly trimmed and was adorned with plants bearing beautiful multi-colored flowers. From no angle did it look like a witch’s cottage. Speaking about the witch, she had been silent for a while. Amitav looked at her and saw her staring at him, an indecipherable expression on her face. “What? I just asked your name.” He said. The silent witch was scarier than the one making open threats. She took a deep breath. “No one has bothered to know my name in a long while. I was worried that it will fade away with time.” She looked at him, a curious look on her face which, Amitav felt, had softened a fraction. “Mithra.” She said, her voice a soft lament. For few seconds, she wasn’t the scary witch. There was a look of melancholy on her face. Then she looked at him and as if remembering that she was supposed to be scary, she scowled. “Do not think that you can fool me in any way. Come inside. That’s enough strolling for the day.” “When will you free me from whatever this is?” He asked in despair. She looked at him thoughtfully. “It is not yet time.” She said and walked inside. Amitav lingered outside for a while, not really wanting to get inside the cottage. “Psst!” He looked around and found the ridiculous talking-rabbit hiding behind the wall of the cottage. It looked around, ensuring that the witch wasn’t nearby and whispered. “Get past the witch to find the princess!” “Not you again!” Amitav shooed away the rabbit. “ARE YOU COMING IN OR SHOULD I LET OUT MY SINGING PET?” —@@@— “Do you believe in dreams?” Amitav asked his colleague Tarak. They were having lunch at the cafeteria of the building where the law firm was situated. Both worked for the same firm and over a period of time, had become good friends. “Depends. If it is a good dream, I will believe. If it is a dream where bad things happen, I will ignore.” Came the taciturn guy’s logical reply. “Spoken like a true seeker of logic and reasoning.” “What happened? Are you having strange dreams or nightmares? I would advise to not to ruminate too much on them. They are just dreams, after all.” Amitav inhaled deeply. “I have been having this dream, you know, a recurrent dream that progresses every night…” He shared the details of the dream with Tarak, who to his credit listened carefully and without any interruptions. There was a thoughtful expression on his face while Amitav finished recounting the details. “Perhaps this isn’t a dream, but a message from your subconscious mind.” Tarak said. “A message?” Tarak nodded. “Perhaps your subconscious mind is trying to tell you something about someone. I have read about this. Many a times, we overlook something really important and stumble upon it when least expected. It could come in the form of a memory or a dream. Pay attention to your dream. It could be something important.” Amitav nodded. It had to be a message, for the rabbit had spoken in Tarak’s voice. —@@@— Amitav was sure it was the third morning here. He was stuck with a witch and had no idea of where the princess Diksha was. ‘Uncover my soul and you will see, There’s so much, so much, more to me…’ He silently got up from the bed, wanting to know who was singing. He had regained enough strength to tiptoe towards the room from where the voice was drifting. He stood at one corner of the wall and leaned over slightly to catch the singer unaware. His jaw dropped. It was not any pet. It was Mithra who was singing so blissfully. What was even more shocking was that, she looked completely different. Her face was no longer cruel or harsh. She was Mithra but a softer version – almond-shaped eyes, hair falling around her face in pretty ringlets, a smile that brought out her true beauty… This was Mithra, all right, but not the ornery witch that he had known. Suddenly sensing his presence, she turned around. Amitav saw resignation in her eyes. “You are not evil.” He remarked. She stood still, looking at him wide-eyed as if to gauge his reaction. “Does Diksha know this?” He asked and was not surprised when she nodded again. “I take it you have not imprisoned her father anywhere?” “Our father! Diksha is my sister. She wants to usurp the kingdom and has imprisoned father. I am the only one standing in her way. She cannot fight me because I have magical powers. The only way to defeat me is…” She hesitated. “If she develops a soft corner in her heart for any mortal.” Amitav turned around and saw Diksha enter the cottage with a triumphant look. “It was prophesied that only a mortal could soften her heart and weaken her powers. You did exactly that.” Diksha said grinning at Amitav. “So I was a part of your plan to weaken her.” He said, hating that his voice quivered. “You did well. I will remember to reward you when I become the queen.” Diksha exclaimed. He looked at Mithra who was watching it all in silent poise. “You kept me alive and safe, knowing that I could bring your downfall.” Mithra didn’t answer, gazing at him with an uncertain look in her eyes. “Is there any way to help you?” He asked her. She gulped. “If the mortal chooses me over her, then I will regain my powers. But I understand if you do not wish to. Just remember that if she offers you a reward, ask to be sent to your home. Trust me, you will be safer there.” Amitav finally realized what the rabbit had advised him. He walked over to Mithra and stood beside her. Diksha’s smile froze. “You… you can’t be choosing her! She is a witch! She has magical powers. She can destroy you! Look at me! I am a princess and I can make you a prince right now!” Amitav looked at Mithra and smiled. “I got past the witch and found a real princess.” “No!” Diksha shouted as soldiers appeared seemingly out of nowhere and captured her. Amitav woke up, the shrieks of Diksha still ringing in the deep recesses of his mind. But he wasn’t concerned about that. He remembered Mithra’s face this time. It was Tia. —@@@— “For your mother’s sake, give me a chance to help you.” Amitav laid down his final card against Tia who was trying her best to be uncooperative. Tia sighed. Everything about her seemed to tame down. Gone was the dispassionate stance. The Tia that sat before him looked like the weight of the entire world was on her shoulders. “I do not drink. My lifestyle is not just parties or pubs. Everything my mother said was true. I did not mistreat Akshara in any way. I love that child. Which is why I do not want to drag her name in legal matters. If I drag this case, she would be affected emotionally. She has already lost a parent. Rajesh is the only one she has. I do not want to disrupt her world.” Amitav shook his head. “What about the image you create for the public? Why ruin your reputation deliberately?” She shrugged. “The media made mountains out of molehills in my case. They have projected a wrong image of me so many times that I decided to give them exactly what they want.” The words, although said nonchalantly, carried a world of grief and anger. “We have to do something about the allegations Rajesh has placed against you. Why do you think he is doing this?” “It is all about money. He doesn’t want to pay alimony. There is another woman in his life. He wants to divorce me for her but doesn’t want to pay the alimony. My already-tarnished reputation worked in his favor to portray himself as the wronged one. I know Akshara. That child loves me and knows that I love her too. Her father must have convinced her to lie against me. I do not wish to cause any harm to her, which is why I do not want to fight this case.” Amitav tapped his pen on his table thoughtfully, a plan hatching in his mind. —@@@— Amitav and Rajesh were engaged in an epic stare-off and neither of them showed signs of giving in. On Amitav’s insistence, Rajesh had come to his firm on the sole condition that neither Tia nor her mother should be present there. Amitav agreed, for he had already assembled his cards to present and shock Rajesh. “I want you to know what you are dealing with. Tia has enough in her favor to drag this case as long as she wishes. It would be in your best interests to withdraw the case with dignity.” Amitav said. Rajesh smirked and shook his head. “Do your worst.” “All right. Tia is only concerned about Akshara and the effect this trial will have on her.” Amitav said and presented a file to Rajesh. “This is a collection of petitions from the various charities that Tia is involved in. Every organization has only good words to say about her and has promised to stand and vouch for her character whenever required.” Rajesh silently opened the file and studied the signatures. He visibly gulped. Some of the people were well-known in the business industry. “Watch E TV tomorrow at nine. There is going to be a special documentary on Tia. The journalist will be visiting every organization that she funds and will be showing her amazing work. What you have against her, Mr. Rajesh, is only some baseless allegations and some old images or videos that were circulated a long time ago. Tia’s goodwill far outweighs the slander that you aim to heap on her. Think about it.” Rajesh shut the file in anger and made a hasty exit. The next week, the newspapers carried a public apology by Rajesh for his soon-to-be-ex wife Tia. They both had agreed for a mutual and smooth divorce, with Tia receiving a reasonable amount of alimony from Rajesh as well as visitation and staying rights with Akshara. Kiran had withdrawn all her charges and the case was closed amicably. —@@@— “Why are we still meeting?” Amitav asked Mithra. They were seated on a slab, watching a fountain at the centre of a pond. Mithra looked at him in amusement. “Can’t I meet you just like that? As a friend perhaps?” Amitav smiled. “Yes. That sounds fine.” They sat swinging their legs, two friends enjoying a peaceful evening in quiet companionship. —@@@— Few days after the case, Amitav found Tia waiting in his office. She looked different. There was a relaxed air around her. “I never thanked you properly for helping me.” She said, fidgeting with her purse, a gesture that amused Amitav. “Would you care to join me for lunch today?” She didn’t look at him, aiming her question at her purse. “I mean, just like that. As a friend.” He smiled. “Yes. That sounds fine.”