TALES OF TAJ

CHAPTER XIII

PLOT STORY:

Ava, a 26-year-old woman, is instructed by Mask Man to meet Ruby and use their friendship to trap and destroy her and her family. Ava is hesitant but agrees to follow Mask Man's plan.

As Ava attends Ruby's Mehndi ceremony, she begins to develop feelings for Ruby, which complicates her mission. Meanwhile, Ava's parents, Johnathan and Emily, arrive unexpectedly, adding to the tension.

Dipti, Ava's ally, helps her navigate the situation while also hiding her own feelings for Ava. As the story unfolds, Ava's loyalty is tested, and she must choose between her mission and her growing emotions for Ruby.

*Subplots:*

1. Ava's inner conflict: Ava struggles with her feelings for Ruby, which contradicts her mission to destroy her.

2. Dipti's loyalty: Dipti's true intentions are unclear, adding suspense to the story.

3. Ava's parents' arrival: Johnathan and Emily's unexpected arrival adds tension and raises questions about Ava's past.

4. Ruby's vulnerability: Ruby's emotional state makes her more vulnerable to Ava's manipulation, but also raises questions about Ava's morality.

*Themes:*

1. Loyalty vs. Emotions: Ava's conflict between her mission and her feelings for Ruby raises questions about loyalty, morality, and the power of emotions.

2. Identity: Ava's past and her relationships with her parents and Dipti raise questions about her true identity and motivations.

3. Morality: The story explores the gray areas between right and wrong, encouraging readers to question Ava's actions and motivations.

MAIN STORY:

Ava stood before Mask Man, who told her, "My dear daughter, you're now 26 years old. It's time for you to meet Ruby. Be cautious, Ava - use your friendship with her to trap her, and then destroy her and her family. I've trained you to never fall for anyone's lies. The time for your revenge has arrived."

Ava hesitated, saying, "Yes, sir."

Mask Man said, "Ava, from now on, don't tremble or stutter before me. I want to see confidence in you."

Ava, this time with confidence, replied, "Yes, sir."

Ava curiously asked, "Sir, what's your plan? How will I meet Ruby?"

Mask Man burst into laughter and said, "Have you heard of the Ramayana, Ava?"

Ava replied, "Yes."

Mask Man laughed and said, "Ravana's Lanka had a traitor, Bibhishan. Similarly, there must be someone in Ruby's inner circle who can help us."

Ava thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there is someone."

Mask Man eagerly asked, "Who?"

Ava smiled and said, "Suresh."

Then, Ava and Mask Man went to meet Suresh. This time, Ava also wore a Joker mask to conceal her identity and protect her plan.

Mask Man promised Suresh that he would give him all of Nikolas's property and also asked for his help in killing Ruby.

Suresh thought for a moment and questioned Mask Man, "Why do you want to kill Ruby?"

Mask Man replied, "I'll tell you my reasons later. For now, let's discuss your role. Will you help us kill Ruby?"

Suresh, bowing his head in agreement, said, "Yes, of course."

Mask Man said, "From today, you'll address me as 'sir,' and my son as 'sir' as well."

After their conversation, Mask Man and Ava left.

Ava asked Mask Man, "Why did you call me your son?"

Mask Man replied, "It's essential that Suresh doesn't discover that you're a girl, especially since you're about to enter his household and trap Ruby."

Ava nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, sir."

Ava thought to herself, "Today, our plan begins. Today is Rajesh's Mehndi ceremony, and Ruby's Mehndi is also today. And today, a member of their household will die."

Ava said to herself and headed to take a shower.

Ruby was sitting anxiously in her room. She suddenly stood up and said, "I need to talk to Ava."

Ruby walked towards Ava's room. Ava had finished her shower and was wearing a beautiful Mehndi-colored kurta.

Ruby entered Ava's room and stood behind her. Ava turned around, and Ruby was standing very close to her.

Ava lost her balance and fell on Ruby, but Ruby tried to save herself and Ava from falling to the ground. They both ended up falling on the bed.

Ava looked at Ruby and asked, "Ruby, what are you doing here? Today is your Mehndi ceremony. Everyone must be looking for you."

Ruby replied, "I needed to talk to you."

Ava asked, "About what?"

Ruby said, "I'm worried about Angel."

Ava smiled and said, "Ruby, I found out about Angel. She's already reached England."

Ruby sighed in relief and said, "Thank God."

Ava was happy to see Ruby relieved.

Ava said, "I don't know why, but you look beautiful when you smile."

Ruby blushed and said, "You're flirting with me, aren't you?"

Ava laughed and said, "You're so beautiful. Sometimes I wonder..."

Before Ava could finish her sentence, Dipti interrupted, "Sometimes you wonder what?"

Ava and Ruby felt uncomfortable seeing Dipti. Ava got up from the bed, and Ruby also stood up, looking awkward.

Dipti laughed and said, "You two are getting anxious for no reason. I didn't misunderstand anything. Besides, Ruby will be my sister-in-law, so I can joke around with her."

Ava forced a smile and asked Dipti, "What are you doing here?"

Dipti walked up to Ava, held her hand, and smiled, saying, "I came to tell you that Uncle has agreed to our marriage."

Ava's expression changed to happiness, and she exclaimed, "Really?"

As Ava and Dipti hugged and talked, Ruby felt uncomfortable. She smiled and said, "Ava, I'll go downstairs. Grandpa must be looking for me."

Ava looked at Ruby with a mix of tension and a faint smile, saying, "Okay."

As soon as Ruby left the room, Ava locked the door and grasped Dipti's hand tightly, saying angrily, "What are you doing here? Did you forget? You're always lurking around me."

Dipti laughed and said, "Your Highness, perhaps you've forgotten why you're here. You forget your revenge when you're around Ruby. You're too kind to your enemy."

Ava asked, "What do you mean?"

Dipti smiled and said, "I've seen you in pain whenever I hold your hand in front of Ruby. It's as if..." Ava cut her off, saying, "Don't even think that. I don't love her."

Dipti smiled and said, "I didn't say you did. If you have developed feelings for her, forget them and remember only your hatred. Don't forget your mo..." Ava interrupted, her anger rising, "That's enough, Dipti. Let's go downstairs. We have work to do."

Ava went downstairs and saw Ruby wearing a beautiful henna-colored suit. Ruby looked like a princess, and Ava couldn't help but stare at her for a while.

Dipti stood beside Ava and asked, "Ruby looks beautiful, doesn't she?"

Ava's eyes dropped, and she smiled, saying, "Yes, she does. I didn't expect..." Before Ava could finish, she realized she was talking to Dipti.

Ava looked at Dipti and laughed sarcastically, saying, "What do you think? Do you think I'd say something like that?"

Dipti smiled and said, "Your Highness, you're not lying to me, you're lying to yourself."

Ava said, "That's not true. Ruby is just my enemy."

Just then, Ava and Dipti saw Johnathan and Emily arriving at the Mehndi ceremony. Ava was shocked to see them in India.

Ava's face tensed up, and she asked Dipti, "What are they doing here? What's going to happen now?"

Dipti was also tense, saying, "Maybe Uncle invited them. I told them you're Johnathan's daughter from England."

Ava panicked, saying, "Why did you tell them that?"

Dipti explained, "So they'd agree to the wedding."

Ava said, "God knows what'll happen now. I can't kill anyone in front of them. They love me and want me to be a good person."

As Ava's parents were welcomed by Mr. Mukherjee, Johnathan thanked him for inviting them to Anurag's wedding.

Mukherjee pointed out Ava to Johnathan, saying, "And that's your daughter Ava."

Johnathan and Emily were shocked and happy to see Ava, as they hadn't attended a wedding with her in a long time.

Johnathan curiously asked, "Where's Ava? I want to meet her."

Mukherjee pointed Ava out, saying, "That's Ava."

Emily quickly ran to Ava and hugged her, saying, "Dena told us you were going to India with your friend, but he didn't tell us you'd be attending a wedding."

Ava was emotional, seeing Emily after so long, and said, "I'm happy you both are here."

Ruby approached Ava and greeted Emily with a handshake and a hello.

Emily asked Ava, "Is this your friend?"

Ava replied, "Yes."

Emily blessed Ruby and congratulated her on her upcoming wedding.

Ava looked at Ruby and suddenly realized that Ruby's wedding to Anurag was just two days away. Ava started to feel a pang of discomfort.

As Ruby was taken away by Rajesh's fiancée for the Mehndi ceremony, Ruby's eyes welled up with tears. Ava could feel Ruby's pain.

Dipti sat beside Ruby and asked the attendant to write Ava's name on her hand in Mehndi. The attendant mistakenly wrote Ava's name on Ruby's hand instead of her fiancé's.

Dipti saw the attendant write Ava's name but didn't say anything. She looked at Ruby and thought, "I wish Ava realized her love for you before your wedding and took you away with her."

To be continue....