"The alarm will ring to alert you that an hour has passed, as usual. I am going to prepare dinner. After you wake up, we will resume mental combat."

Bhairavi nodded with a small smile, and hoped it was convincing enough. On closing her eyes, she started to focus on each of her senses. First the skin, she felt goosebumps erupting and concentrated hard to make her focus immune to any tactile sensation.

Next she focused on her ears to shut out any noises coming from the kitchen, next her nose, to make her sensory nerves not smell, next her tongue, and lastly her eyes to not register phosphenes.

As she focused on them, she felt the familiar black swirl engulf her and take her to the Sea of Consciousness. Normally, while meditating she kept herself in contact with reality to not lose herself and easily return, but this time she detached herself and on reaching the Sea, she did not hesitate. She plunged deep into the Sea of Consciousness with only one goal in mind, to find the answer to her question, Why was she the way she was.

Instead of 'Om', she kept on chanting the Mool Mantra of Goddess Tripura Bhairavi, Om Hreem Bhairavi Kalaum Hreem Svaha. She lost count, lost track, lost every bit of consciousness except uttering Om Hreem Bhairavi Kalaum Hreem Svaha. As her mind filled with warmth, she felt liberated from her human consciousness and form, she traversed towards the warmth and simply floated into it.

Bhairavi resurfaced in the Ocean of Consciousness. She felt human again. Travelling through the black swirl, she slowly reached out to her senses, felt her reality pulsing around her, and opened her eyes.

A stricken Samanya was pacing the room, glancing at his watch, cursing and pacing again.

'Samanya,' she spoke with clarity in his mind.

He jumped in surprise before turning to look at her angrily, "Are you crazy, Bhairavi? What is wrong with you? You began doing Tapasya without even telling me? Do you have any idea how worried I was? I had to lie to Namma when she video called for she was so worried..."

'Samanya,' she cut his rant short, 'I know who and why I am.'

As she explained her visions to him, she wrote a letter to Namma, explaining it all briefly to her as well. A wide-eyed Samanya stared at her after she finished.

"So you are the...surrogate...I mean...daughter of the Goddess herself. That explains the similar powers....and your pendant! That's the reason your powers triggered."

Bhairavi fingered the pendant and clung to its familiarity, 'We need to leave for Aritar, Samanya. What time is it, how long was I out for?'

Samanya looked away, before answering, "Five days have passed since you began Tapasya. Why do you think I was so worried? The length of Tapasya varies according to the goal in mind, since yours was an uncomplicated one, it was achieved in days with your Divine blood and mental powers. Otherwise, it might have taken years."

Only then did Bhairavi realise her folly and why Samanya was so angry at her. Had she not been the daughter of the Goddess, she would not have woken for a long time. But five days had passed. She could not delay any longer.

'We leave on the earliest flight to Bagdogra. We will drop this letter at my house on the way to the airport.'

"But Bhairavi, are you sure that you are ready? I mean....I know how strong my father and brothers are, and you are walking straight into their kingdom."

Bhairavi's mind flashed back to the red gleam in Jaragarbha's eyes, the lust in his gaze, and she smiled sharply, Maa had been right, 'I know how to defeat him, now.'

A/N

Since we crossed 200 reads am pretty happy and decided to upload another chapter today. So enjoyy. And don't you forget to vote!

XOXO,

Kaushiki