Bhairavi went looking for Samanya and found him in his bedroom. He was trying to call someone. Finally frustrated at being unable to reach the number, he threw his phone on the bed and sat beside it, clutching his head.

'Samanya, hey are you alright?'

Nodding, he rubbed his face to pacify himself before smiling sadly at her, "Hey, it's completely alright. I understand. You don't have to leave practice and come and get me. I just...felt...I don't know, envy at the thought of you preferring his company over mine in Mayuri's party. Forgive me, Bhairavi. Don't waste time over this. Go practice. "

'Practice is over. He left.'

Samanya jumped up at that, "What? What do you mean!? I just left you guys in that room and came here."

Bhairavi smiled before explaining the entire thing to him, from the reality where time stood still, to the identity of the man. After hearing everything Samanya struck his forehead with his palm, embarrassed, "I was jealous of Lord Kal Bhairava, who is like a father to you. God, I am so stupid. What must he be thinking of me."

Bhairavi laughed at his reaction, 'Hey it is perfectly alright. Wait a second, why were you jealous of him though?'

Samanya blushed and tried to deny and avoid answering but Bhairavi could be stubborn when she wanted to. Finally he conceded, "Fine. Yes, I was jealous. Because I am a foolish Rakshasa who wants you all to himself and does not like sharing you. You are my best friend, Bhairavi, as well as the girl I like and am attracted to. Can't exactly lose you now, can I?"

Bhairavi did not know how to respond to that. She really liked him but matters always stayed uncomplicated when they did not have a label. Plus, since her life was on countdown at the moment, she could not really think about it properly.

Samanya understood her dilemma and put a finger under her chin to push it up so that her eyes met his. "Bhairavi. Just because I expressed how I feel about you does not make you obliged to do the same. Especially in such a situation. Think about it later. If you survive." he added playfully and got a punch for that.

'Very inspiring,' Bhairavi added sarcastically before pulling him in for a kiss. She did not know if she would get to kiss him again, and she really did not want to miss out for one last time. Samanya seemed to realise her reasons and was reluctant to part when they paused to catch their breath. He caressed her face and tried to have his fill of looking at her, her dark, expressive eyes, her straight nose with a slightly rounded end, her soft cheeks, and those tempting lips.

He realised it was impossible. He could not imagine existing without her warm hugs, or her bright, rare smiles, or her punches and sarcastic retorts. No matter what, I cannot let anything happen to her, Samanya promised himself.

Bhairavi simply shut her eyes and enjoyed his warmth, the feel of his fingers brushing her cheeks and his other hand rubbing her back, patiently holding her for as long as she needed him to.

Gathering her thoughts and courage, she finally decided to get up and go home. She had to tell Namma everything, explain it to her and make her understand. Her only consolation? If anything happened to her, Namma would still have Summer for company and Samanya to look after her. She could trust Samanya with Namma's care if anything happened, she knew that.

'I better go home. Namma needs to know. She deserves to. Who knows when Bhay comes knocking. Let's see if I can get her to shift back to her old house with Summer. That way she will be safer and out of harm's way.' Samanya nodded, "Come, let's take you home."

As they walked back, Bhairavi checked her watch and saw it was nine already. 'Where did all the time go!? Time did not pass while I practiced!' Bhairavi exclaimed. "You were in Tapasya for six hours, approximately. Time passes differently while one meditates, as you know. What might have been a short conversation of a few moments equals to hours in our reality. You hungry?"

Bhairavi nodded, feeling the dull gnaw of hunger which she had been ignoring for so long. "Come, Namma must be worried." They walked faster and reached home. "Namma? Namma! We are home. Please don't call the police on me, I haven't kidnapped Bhairavi." Samanya joked before entering the house, and then became silent as he froze in place.

Bhairavi knocked into him and looked quizzically at his sudden change. Samanya wordlessly pointed out the body of Summer lying in the middle of the living room while the rest of it was in utter disarray.

Horrified, Bhairavi ran to Summer and checked for her heartbeat before breathing a sigh of relief. She was simply knocked out, and there was no sign of injuries. Her worry returned and she told Samanya to scout the bedrooms while she checked the dining room and kitchen. He nodded and they parted with Bhairavi carrying an unconscious Summer in her arms.

She carefully tiptoed around the shards of glass and broken furniture lying on the floor, careful as to not make a sound to alert the intruder, if he was present still. She peeked into the dining room and found a message scribbled over the once beautiful peach wall.

The message was written in blood, she checked, and it read, 'If you want your grandma alive, come and get her from your cafe at midnight.' Samanya found her staring at the wall. He made her sit on a chair, and lay Summer on the dining table before sprinkling water on her.

"Fucking hell."

Samanya jumped on hearing that and moved away from Summer as she rubbed her face and spoke again, "Fuck, my head is killing me. You got any painkillers?"

Realising that the two of them were not hallucinating and that her cat could speak, Bhairavi rubbed her face and wondered if anything was normal in her life anymore. 'Summer, you can speak?' she spoke mentally.

"Ah, mistress Bhairavi. Hello. Can you ask your Rakshasa boyfriend to get me some meds and a glass of milk? I need some nutrition before I can explain everything." Bhairavi sighed and nodded, 'Samanya.'

He still stared at a speaking Summer,

'Samanya! Pay attention.' That seemed to bring him back to his senses, "Yeah?"

'Please get Summer some...painkillers and milk...'

"With cinnamon, please," Summer added.

Samanya blinked before going to the kitchen, muttering about how he had never met a talking cat before. "Talking cat. Heh. I am not a cat," grumbled Summer before stretching and coming to sit in front of Bhairavi. 'What do you mean? And who are you, really?' Bhairavi asked, her mind disturbed and imagining violent scenarios, each one worse than the other with Bhay torturing Namma and killing her.

Summer puffed her chest, if that was even possible, before speaking, "I am a lioness cub. Actually, I am your birthday gift from Goddess Tripura Bhairavi. She told me to go and stay as a sleepy pet of yours, and look after you. Since she put the Maya on me, you could not penetrate the dense layers that only a God or Goddess can manipulate, and saw me only as a cat. Now I can shed it, finally."

And as the cat started licking herself all over, Bhairavi saw the Maya ripple around her. Right in front of her, Summer transformed into a lioness cub before rubbing her head on Bhairavi's arm. Not knowing how many surprises one can handle on a night, Bhairavi scratched her behind her ears and watched Summer purr and enjoy the affection.

Samanya came back and this time he did not show surprise on seeing a baby lioness rub against Bhairavi. He kept the bowl of milk on the table along with the meds, and put a plate of sandwiches in front of a grateful Bhairavi. Then he smiled nervously, hesitating to go near Summer.

"Oh come here, you Rakshasa boy. You give good massages. You are too young, you barely live the Rakshasa way or have any of their mannerisms," while Summer lapped and drank the cinnamon milk, Samanya gave her a massage and Bhairavi stared.

Finally after she finished and ate human painkillers, which Bhairavi doubted would be effective, she decided to get over the weirdness and asked, 'Summer. Please tell us what happened.'

"Okay. Namma came home early evening, accompanied by her friends who stayed for a cup of tea. After they left, she started emptying the baskets and cleaning up. Suddenly the bell rang and Namma thought it was you. But the door opened and..." Summer shivered, "I saw a giant Cactus-man walk in. Terrified, I hid under the sofa. I hate cacti." Bhairavi and Samanya nodded and looked at each other knowingly. Bhay appeared to each as their worst fear.

"But Namma was terrified of the man and kept telling him to leave and that they were....divorced? The man ignored her and looked around the house....for you, I guessed, before cornering Namma and slicing her palm with a knife.

I could not bear it any longer and I decided I would die attacking the scary cactus than let him hurt Namma. But he caught me by my nape and hit my head against the wall. Since I am extra weary and immortal, being the daughter of Maa Durga's lion, I did not die but passed out till you woke me up." That explained the bloody message.

Namma must have struggled to escape, that explained the mess in the living room and dining room as well.

"Eat, Bhairavi. You need your strength." Samanya said before pressing her neck muscles which were taut with tension, trying to ease them. Bhairavi groaned before burying her face into her palms. This was not how she had planned facing Bhay. She had wanted Namma to be away from this mess, instead of being right in the middle of it. "Eat mistress, you need to defeat the cactus-man and get Namma back." Bhairavi half laughed, half sobbed at that before biting into a sandwich, and said, 'Don't call me mistress.'