"Done!" Arthur said with a beaming smile. Rubbing a spirit dipped cotton ball on the crook of my arm where the syringe was inserted minutes before.

" Ball up your fist and fold your fore arm up" Arthur said holding the cotton on the crook of my arm with his gloved thump.

I nodded meekly and followed his instruction.

"stay like that for sometime" Arthur again instructed.

He took the samples of my blood in three separate tubes and Athena closed the mouth of the tubes with a sterilized cork and stuck a label to those which held my blood. She scribbled something over the three labels of the three tubes before keeping them inside a sterilized and zero bacteria certified box.

Both of them were having their clinical gloves and face masks on.

I felt like I am in some Ebola rehab camp though all these stuff are being staged inside my dad's study.

She sprayed a sterilizing liquid inside the box which contained the tubes.

Everything seemed professional and scary to the core for my least liking and limited knowledge.

I blinked like an owl staring from Arthur to Athena.

"Hey! Cool it Pearl! You are a brave champ, aren't you? There is nothing to worry like you are spinning inside your mind" Arthur tried to make the situation under check with light and smooth talks patting my shoulder encouragingly.

I felt like laughing hysterically when Arthur pointed out my trumpeting mind accurately.

"I am , of course. But not with syringes and weird looking masked people. You guys are right now giving me willies and creeps. But see I am brave enough to put up a glassy and blank facade like nothing affects me ." I said chuckling nervously.

Arthur snickered correcting his specs. Athena came lowering her mask to her chin and flashed a dazzling smile.

"You possess a tongue fully steeped in humour" Athena remarked flamboyantly.

I grimaced.

"Yeah and that tongue gets its humour coating to its tip when I am placed in such dark situations" I retorted sarcastically.

And that was enough for them to burst out into laughter and giggles.

After calming her laughter to chortles Athena moved back to her duty which needed her attention.

"Is everything prim darling?" Arthur inquired turning his head toward Athena. She was seriously going through some paper works and taking some points down in a letter pad.

"Sure Love, They will be safe in here till tomorrow morning. I guess you guys will make it up to there before that." Athena said gazing at the box whilst copying something in a note pad.

Also feeding some information in a tab at the same time with her left hand.

"She is an expert in multitasking." Arthur said following my gaze and looking at his wife with ardent adulation and admiration.

"And remember one thing I will be accompanying you in this. No more arguments or your puny philosophies and theories accepted as far as my decision triumphs. Got that. You know it is better to cave in to Athena's decision than fighting a cause that will be lost." Athena said in finality

Arthur's pleasant features dulled a bit when he heard Athena.

"As you wish my boss" Arthur said forcing an ecstatic look on his face and saluting her playfully.

Athena stared at him for sometime. He seemed a bit lost while snapping the rubber glove against his wrist a bit forcefully staring at it bleakly.

Athena came forward and took his hands in hers taking him by surprise. He stared at her pleadingly.

"Art! I know you are not at all happy with this decision because of your protective concern ad loving care for my welfare and goodness. But it never works out that way Artie. I too am cocerned for my love, my being and my world which is now encapsuled in you. I can't think of a second where you won't be with me.. l I have to do this for you, for us, for everything we are striving for. when I confessed my love for you it wasn't just because you confessed yours. I meant every single word uttered for you. The day I fell hard for you was the day I realized that Athena is equivalent to ground zero without her Arthur. And that realization did hit my whole being this hard that I can't think of doing anything without your presence. I will forever follow you like a shadow wherever you go or you are meant to be. Nothing can break the bond we are sharing" Athena said placing her hand on his shoulder and peering deep into his eyes.

Tears fell out of the corner of Athena and Arthur's eyes.

"And it is up to you to decide whether my shadow is dark or mystifying" Athena said playfully the next split second in an attempt to release the pent up emotional stir.

"You will always be my mystifying charm No doubt about that matter" Arthur said smiling slightly holding her cheek and wiping away the stray tears.

I really don't know why but I felt like crying my eyes out when I saw the depth and intensity of love and genuineness they share for each other.

I lowered my gaze not being able to stand the situation I got to witness. I was sure they are going through some hard times in their life.I looked at my palm and then my gaze traveled up to my forearm. I was shocked initially and then grimaced upon viewing my forearm which looked smooth and soft for my least liking.

It is not like I am against possessing a smooth and soft textured skin.

But something felt not so right considering the fact that moments before there was a whole fresh thick patch of reddish scar on the surface of my forearm, but the astonishing fact is, there is not even a faint trace of such an existence now .

"How do you feel now?" Arthur asked pulling me out of the reverie I was in.

I blinked my eyes and cleared the coast of my thought.

"Well, after getting a fair share of the blood removed from my system I feel light and dizzy like I am floating like a feather in the thin air." I said gliding my fingers and hand in a rhythmic way to indicate the floating of the feather and etching a feign dreamy look on my face.

Arthur let out a small chuckle shaking his head and pushing back his spectacles that was at the verge of sliding through his long crooked nose.

"You are humorous than I thought you to be" Arthur said pointing his laced index fingers at me with a slight snickering when my past retort again tickled his funny bones.

I was a bit shocked when he openly admitted this. Apart from casual introduction on the day of their arrival there was nothing much to brag about Arthur and me being friends sort of people.

We don't have any record of close connection,fair talks or even getting acquainted for that reason still it was a great revelation for me that he had kept a fair analysis of my character before getting acquainted with me.

That felt fishy and creepy at the same time.

Why people nowadays I get to meet talk to me and interact with me like they had known me for eons or better since my birth?

That single thought apparently had everything to do with me I guess. I heaved a heavy sigh.

"You are the talk of our little tinsel town Pearl. Don't brew unwanted ideas.Kathy keeps on jabbering about you and Saffy like her whole life depends upon mentioning your details" Arthur tried to make things easy and sensible through his explanation.

But you see scientists are already tangled and jumbled kinda people who always run after an ample explanation for something but never grabs hold of the right one until and unless they become a picture on the wall to behold.

The same crisis goes around with Arthur as well.

Athena tapped his shoulder and glared at him for sometime.

He corrected his specs and stared at her with a sheepish grin on his face.

"You are making it worse Artie! Poor Pearl she looks all flustered and famished" Athena said with a look of concern and putting her hand on my shoulder and patting my head fondly like a sister.

"I am good. Nothing to ponder over or worry about" I said looking at my fingers.

"Lie down for sometime, Pearl. Change this dress. We are going out tonight itself as we can't afford to wait. But it will take some time to process the matter. Meantime take a nap. I will come with you. There is a chance for giddiness and inertia to get hold of you as you have given three big tubes of blood." Athena said and I nodded feebly.

The door to my dad's study, in which we are now in, burst open and Om stormed in. Before making his way towards Arthur he tilted his head towards my direction and smiled at me innocently like nothing had ever happened.

Rage slithered through my vein at this callous and impassive ways of men

Om walked towards Arthur and leaned forward and whispered something to him which my ears failed to catch .

Sreeni uncle came and joined the men shortly for the discussion.

Athena helped me to a couch and made me sit on it before excusing herself and joining the men in the talk.

I sat there rewinding the happenings of the day in my mind.

"Show me the crook of your arm pearl" Athena's voice dragged me out of the semi reverie I was in.

I involuntarily held out my arm glancing from my arm to Athena in confusion.

She held a stoic expression while taking away the cotton kept for absorbing the remnants of blood.

To my astounded state there was not a single drop of blood staining the cotton.

Athena stared at me and then my arm, which looked perfectly fine despite the fact that a long syringe was inserted moments before.

There was not even a trace of such a poking mark on my skin.

Athena turned her head towards the direction where the men stood and nodded her head.

Sreeni uncle and Arthur held a grim countenance whilst folding their arms and staring at me thoughtfully.

Sreeni uncle skimmed his fingers in circular motion along his Bulganin .

Josh pushed back his spectacles and blinked his eyes still a trace of nonchalance could be seen.

"Let me check you Pearl" Sreeni uncle dragged a chair towards me and sat before me.

Athena handed him the clinical gloves and mask. He took it from her with a curt nod.

Athena shuffled towards a corner and stood there witnessing the progression of events. Arthur joined her within a blink.

Sreeni uncle smiled at me and blinked his eyes at me playfully like I am a kid of one or two.

"Relax sweets, take a deep breath and exhale it slowly and gently" Sreeni Uncle instructed me gently like a starter to whatever that is about to happen.

uncle casually checked my pulse and so many random stuff which includes eyes,tongue etc.

"May I have a look at your neck, Pearl" Sreeni uncle asked looking at me.I pulled back my hair to other side of my shoulder and turned my head for a better and clear view of my gash for him.

"Athena!" after scrutinizing the gash for a few moments he called for Athena.

She rushed towards me putting on her gloves and taking a closer look at my gash. she touched the affected area gently and traced the pattern with her gloved finger for sometime surveying the density and texture of the wound.

She leaned back and stood straight exchanging meaningful and knowing glances at everyone assembled here.

"Hmm..things are like that" Sreeni uncle said thoughtfully when Athena looked at him.

"How many blood samples do you have now?" Sreeni uncle asked looking at the box kept on the table.

"Three tubes sir, Plain samples to be precise" Athena readily answered showing her three fingers up.

"Good!" Sreeni uncle said appreciatively yet a shroud of grimness cloaked over his features.

Om scurried towards Sreeni uncle and whispered something to him before taking out his phone and going through it.

A beep blared out of Sreeni uncle's phone. He hastily took it out and checked the message seriously.

"That will surely do" Sreeni Uncle said to himself.

"Pearl, sorry kiddo. We need two more sample tubes of your blood." Sreeni uncle said in an apologetic tone but his demeanor didn't give the indication of genuine apology. He was more focused in oozing out my blood than being sorry about the blood loss. How vampiric?

"Sir is this the one?" Athena queried handing a small bottle to sreeni uncle. He checked the label scrutinizing the chemical and remained still like he is in a meditative trance.

"This is the one" He snapped suddenly in an exaggerated tone like a crazy scientist.

He inserted the syringe through the seal of the bottle and drained the the chemical into the syringe . He handed the empty bottle to Athena. He began to tap and shake the tube. the chemical inside it seem to evaporate leaving a few drops here and there on the tube.

My eyes widened like saucers when I saw this phenomenon.

"This particular chemical is my invention and it has its effect for what we are up to." Sreeni uncle said smiling proudly.

Good I am doomed. I looked at Athena fearfully like an attempt to escape from the Frankeinstein seated before me with a crazy smile.

Athena nodded at me with a smile but that wasn't enough for my petrified and mortified soul to escape the torment I was in.

Arthur and Om were discussing something seriously Arthur at times pointed at my neck, fore arm and explained things with animated and serious expression.

"Don't you worry child. There is no question of life hazarding factor in this one. Instead it will restore the strength and energy you have drained ." Sreeni uncle affirmed happily.

I don't think any scientist will ever openly admit that their ideas are prone to backfire. But the one undergoes everything will learn a great lesson in all this.

I drew in a deep breath.

I winced when Sreeni uncle inserted the syringe into my vein.

"Easy Pearl!This may cause you a tad more pain than the usual ones along with a burning sensation in the affected area.Take it easy makka." Sreeni Uncle warned me and soothed me with comforting words.

Athena held my shoulder and ran her hand along my arm

He slowly pulled back the hind cork and blood rushed inside the tube like it was in wait for a releasing order.

Every single nerve of me experienced a burning sensation making my head spin around and eyes bulged out at the impact.

My chest tightened and a constricting feeling overtook my lung area making it difficult and hard for me to breath.

I clutched the edge of the couch I was seated. My vision blurred and strained.

"It's gonna be alright champ" Arthur said encouragingly patting my shoulders.

I nodded with a shiver. As minutes crawled by I felt a bit normal and sane. Everything seemed fresh and good for me.

After the blood oozing ritual was completed. Sreeni uncle tapped the tube taking a good look at blood which by now transformed into a purple shade.

Sreeni uncle handed the syringe to Athena with a grave expression.Om and Arthur exchanged glances and then stared at Sreeni uncle seeking some answer.

"Its okay! We will see to it soon" Sreeni uncle said thoughtfully after a moment's silence.

Om stared at me gravely.I held a monotonous and blank expression

"Take Pearl to her room, Athena! We need to sort out certain stuff meantime." Sreeni uncle demanded and Athena nodded readily.

"Come with me" Athena said holding her hand out at me.