Dearly Detested : Enemies to lovers - Theme based one shot book

Witchcraft

Written by :  Hansiniii

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The leaves under his feet crunched as Ashwin walked through the forest, searching. The trees majestically stood with arms knotted.The foliage became thick and lush, forming an arch of fairytale-green above our heads. Arthritic boughs, gnarled with age, dripped their bounty of nuts onto the path. Briars, brambles and berry trees flanked the trail, making it impenetrable on either side. Shuffling noises came from deep in the interior, deadened by the cunningly woven web of leaves.

Ashwin's sharp eyes looked for any hint of a witch. Upon hearing a movement of a human's feet, he reached out for a poisoned arrow from the quiver on his back and aimed for the place from which the sound came. He moved slowly towards the sound, careful to not make any noise.

As he cleared a branch, there stood a woman in her mid twenties, examining a plant with close attention. She wore a white dress, her hair flowing around. She looked like any other normal woman, but she had a strong and sweet aura.

Suddenly he felt something move beside him, but when he turned, it turned out to be a squirrel. He turned his attention back to the woman with his bow raised, but the woman was gone!

"You're a hunter aren't you? Andha maan ah pudikanum ah? Naa ungalukku help panren, but ithu thaan last time. Neenga inime animals ah hunt panna koodathu. Inga irukkara animals ellame endangered, so please let this be the last." She said, looking at him with earnest eyes.

The woman looked ethereal. She had eyes like a doe, and she emitted a different glow from within. Not an inhumanly glow, a charismatic glow. It was captivating.

"Uhh, naa maan pudikka varala" Ashwin said, not knowing how to respond.

"Ohh appo andha puli ah va? By the way, en peru Sivaangi! Unga peru?" She asked, starting to move forward, signalling him to follow her.

"Umm, en peru Ashwin. Enga porom?"

"Ennoda veetukku. The city is far from here, so you must be tired. Have some refreshments before you continue your work." She skipped forward happily.

Ashwin did not understand. She was not like the ones he was used to. He did not talk with them, he straightaway killed them. The only one who he saw talking killed his family. Right in front of his eyes.

He was around 15 at the time. He was on a vacation in a similar forest with his and his friends' families. Him, Pugazh, and Rakshan. They were the best of friends, till date. On that fateful day, the boys had gone to pick firewood when they heard a blast from their campsite. They ran towards them, but a woman with a cruel expression on her face stood before the unconscious bodies of the parents. She had a stick in her hand and when she saw the boys, she laughed and vanished. That was the last he saw of the woman. The only parent who managed to escape was Rakshan's mother.

She took the boys under her wing from then. They all lived together from then and studied together. After studies, they all took upon hunting down witches and killed them. They wanted to avenge the death of their families.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sivaangi pulled out a stick, probably her wand, and opened the door of a house. The stone cottage looked cosy. Small plants adorned the garden.

"Welcome to my humble home!" Sivaangi led the way through the door. Ashwin was in awe. The place was simple yet beautiful. Two needles knitted by themselves, while a broomstick cleaned the floor. Witchcraft.