We came back home after having a bath, the two of us by ourselves. I didn't tell Hridi that I was able to breathe underwater. Maybe this was magic from some fairy. I am going back home today. I am leaving. I said goodbye to everyone.
Grandpa: "You take great care. Always stay with Hridi. Don't go far from her."
Me: "You're acting strange. What's going on? Will you tell me honestly?"
Grandpa: "You'll know when the time is right. And don't come here."
Me: "But why? Why can't I visit?"
Grandpa: "Do what you're told. And Hridi, keep Hridu company all the time. Never leave him by himself."
Hridi: "Alright, Grandpa. Don't worry about her."
I realized that they were all hiding something from me. They are afraid on my behalf. If they tell me, what will be wrong? If I knew, I would not take any action that could land me in trouble.
We went inside the car to go home. Father was driving, mother beside him, and I and Hridi sat behind. The car went off the rails near the river and couldn't be started. I and Hridi got out. I went to the river and splashed some water on my face.
Father: "Hridu, don't go there. The car will be repaired in a minute."
Me: "Dad, I just want to wash my face a bit."
Mother: "Hridi, go with him, please."
Hridi: "Hridu… brother, why do you do such things sometimes? Tell me."
Me: "Why?"
I wetted my hands in the river and splashed water on my face. Then, to clean my hands, I wetted them again. It was as if someone held my hand. I did not know what was happening. I tugged very tightly but my hand was not coming out. It was as if something in the water was not allowing me to come out.
Hridi: "What's wrong? Come on."
Me: "I'll come, but my hand won't come out of the water. It feels as if someone's holding it."
Hridi: "Let me see." (Hridi came over and as she did, my hand came free of the water.)
Me: "It just let go now."
Hridi: "That's it. Don't joke around like that. Let's go."
Me: "Okay, let's go." (She found it funny.)
Father: "Everyone, get in the car. The car's fixed."
Me: "Okay, let's move."
We started walking again, but everything that had happened with me was keeping replay in my head. I couldn't make any sense of it.
Am I so pretty that a sky-fairy would fall in love with me? And I heard that magic from sky-fairies does not hold water. and the whole story of water-nymphs is only myth. Then why is all this happening to me in the water? I do not understand any of it.
…
I returned home. When I arrived there it was already late afternoon. I ate something and slept well. I woke up at midnight suddenly.
Hridi: "Lazy—how long are you going to sleep? Get up at once. Won't you have dinner?"
Me: "Dinner? Isn't it morning already?"
Hridi: "A fool—don't you know it's nine at night?"
Me: "How long have I slept. You could have woken me at least."
Hridi: "No, you were sleeping; I let you sleep for a while."
Me: "You did well."
Hridi: "Freshen up. We will have dinner."
…
I headed towards washing my hands. I hadn't noticed earlier, but there was a ring on my hand — a very beautiful ring. How did I get it? There was a little, glossy pearl in the setting. Wait, I recognize these pearls. Yes, I remember: since 1891 these pearls vanished from the seas. Not only from the sea, but the pearls existing on our continent also vanished abruptly. People are sure that it was done with some dark sorcery.
Yes, these are those pearls. But how did it come on my finger? I did not know. I tried to take off the ring, but it would not budge. What sort of trouble am I in? Well, the ring is very pretty. It would be even prettier on a woman's finger.
I tidied up, descended to the lower floor and finished the rest of the dinner, and returned to my room. Hridi was tired and had fallen asleep, but I sat out on the balcony waiting for yesterday's fairy. There was no sight of her today. Frustrated, I was going back inside when a voice spoke.
Fairy: "Aren't you going to your room?" (Suddenly a light came in front of me.)
Me: "I knew you'd come."
Fairy: "So you're going to use 'you'."
Me: "Okay, sorry — I'll use 'you'."
Fairy: "Hmm."
Me: "Why did you take so long to arrive?"
Fairy: "I was right here the whole time, enjoying watching your frustrated face."
Me: "Oh."
Fairy: "Hmm. I missed you tons today. You left in such a hurry yesterday."
Me: "My mother was calling me, so I had to come back."
Fairy: "I've been told that there are good ones and bad ones. Which are you?"
Me: "I'm a princess."
Fairy: "That isn't what I'm saying. Are you good or bad?"
Me: "I don't even know."
Fairy: "If you're coming to love me. it is against the rules for fairies to love human children. And you're a princess — if you love me, hundreds of jinn will come and slay me."
Me: "Never. Nothing will ever happen to you."
Fairy: "See, even if I'm not a jinn, even without visiting your country, I know lots about you. If I love you, my fate will be death, and if you love me, your wings will be removed and you'd be like a human. At last we'd have to separate."
Me: "None of that will happen. I'll be a queen — everyone will do what I tell them then."
Fairy: "If you are a queen, would you still stay with me?"
Me: "I will take you to the land of fairies."
Fairy: "Never. I would never go."
Me: "You will go. If not, I'll force you."
The fairy gripped me and flew away. I did everything I could to break free but couldn't. I know less about fairies, but some way today I just understood so much — I have no idea where I got it from. I attempted to break free, but she flew higher and higher.
Me: "Let me go, please."
Fairy: "If you don't love me, I'll make you love me forcefully."
Me: "Don't think it's because I dislike you. You'll be loved by everyone because you're a fairy. But I like to have the love of my own close to me as well as my family — things you can't offer."
Fairy: "Forget your family. I'll be your everything."
Me: "You must be a bad fairy, or you'd not be abducting me like this."
She remained silent and flew away.
Suddenly we were wet by water from somewhere or someone. The fairy's wings were wet too. We both started falling to the ground. My ring began to ache. Then I was thrown pretty far away. What I know next is that I ended up on a large lake and then became unconscious.