“No, it’s his family’s decision”, said Vaanya, “because he isn’t ready yet.”

  “But he’s a grown man now”, said Earon

  “But still it’s not safe for him”, she said, “I am starting to realize that you are not safe for him.”

  “What are you saying? I’ve always brought him back and looked after him as I promised,” he said, “you didn’t, I did.”

  “True, but you are also the reason why he runs away,” she said, “It’s your image, your love for exploring the world and living with freedom is bad for Yaan.”

  “Oh please…don’t remind me”, he said, “the picture you are describing right now is of me, who is long dead since his birth, I left everything to protect him and all I have left now is my past stories which are the only think keeping me alive, and you are saying that is a threat to him.”

  “Please stop, both of you”, Yaan came in between them, “why don’t you just throw me to the villagers like that, if I am the reason, you two are fighting over such a petty thing?” Yaan walked out of the room.

  “Maybe I should talk to him; he will understand,” said Earon

  “Yes, you should”, she said, “it seems like he only understands you.”

  Earon entered in the room and found Yaan sitting at the table looking out of the window.

  “Don’t take it to heart, Yaan”, said Earon and sat beside him, “we are all like family and conflicts happen in a family.”

  “Really?” Yaan asked, “So you were both fighting knowingly because it’s a family thing, and it's like festivals to celebrate our family.”

  “Looks like this language doesn’t work anymore”, said Earon with a smirk

  “I’m not a child anymore.”

  “I know”, said Earon

  “I understand what my mother is saying, but I want to live my life.” Said Yaan, “someday I have to leave this house.”

  “And you will, but you have to wait patiently, the time will come”, said Earon,

  “but when??”

  “Have patience, time will show itself, and you’ll know that it is the time to leave.” Said Earon as he stood up from the chair

  “Is it true?” asked Yaan while looking at Earon.

  “What?”

  “That old you is dead, and all you have left is just stories, is it all because of me?” asked Yaan

  Earon came back and sat beside Yaan, “you’re man now, I know you can understand things better so I won’t lie to you” he said, “when your parents were moving away from village, I stopped them by saying that I will protect you for your entire life, and for that I can’t go to exploring anymore so yes it killed the old me but I got a nephew who means to me more than my old friend, your father.”

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  “I don’t doubt it at all, uncle”, said Yaan, “but you're lying to me again, you know you made the wrong decision by leaving exploring. You know inside that the old you didn’t die, your true self died, and a fake one lived on.”

  “I guess you should have been back there”, said Earon with a laugh. Yaan smirked.

  “I guess soon I’ll be able to go exploring by myself, as you grew so much,” said Earon, “that you told the right thing which no one was able to guess about me, soon you’ll be ready, and then I’ll go exploring.”

  “You accepted that easily?”

  “So, what’s the problem with that?” said Earon

  “I mean, everyone finds it difficult to confront the truth about themselves.” Said Yaan, “and… you’ve got no problem with that.”

  “Looks like I’ve got a smart nephew,” said Earon with a grin, “that’s right, most people find it difficult to confront the truth about themselves, but I’m okay with it, as everyone should be, but they are not. Accepting your flaws, mistakes and strength is better instead of denying them, but people love to live in ignorance.”

  “I don’t want to be like them.” Said Yaan

  “Don’t worry, you will never be them”, said Earon, “by the way, I was only able to find you because I knew which type of places you like, but why on earth did you go inside that house?”

  “I like exploring such places”, said Yaan, “like you.”

  “Yeah, it was my thing”, said Earon with a grin, “but you should be careful, even when I used to explore such places, I used to know about the place first, because believe me, there are many places which are not safe.”

  “Why would you say something like that?” asked Yaan

  “Please Yaan, consider this as an instruction in exploring if you want to keep exploring and living your life.” Said Earon

  “But what happened? I’ve visited such places before, but you never mentioned this,” said Yaan, “and suddenly you are giving me this instruction, what happened?”

  “Nothing, just remember it.”

  “Was the house I visited was not safe?”

  Earon paused and said, “That was a witch’s house who did terrible things some 80 years ago, that is why she was burnt with her whole house, so please remember the thing I told you.”

  “So what?” he asked, “Are you trying to say it is haunted?”

  “No, I didn’t say that,” said Earon, “all I’m saying is to consider safe places to explore from next time, is that understood?”

  “Yes, uncle,”

  “Good, did you find anything at the place?”

  Yaan paused for a second and said, “No, uncle, I didn’t find anything except that the place was filled with rodents.”

  “Get habitual to them, you've got to love them if you want to keep exploring the old and ancient places”, Earon went outside the room.

  Yaan took out the book he found in the witch’s house.

  Uncle is going to kill me for this.

  He put the book on the table and removed the leather cover around it and removed the dust over the diary by a cloth. He opened the diary and his eyes widened; he kept turning the pages and then closed the diary.

  This is not just a normal book, it’s a grimoire, filled with all kind of spells, ritual and information about herbs. Probably, this grimoire belonged to the witch who used to live in that house until she was burned alive by the villagers; she definitely hid it so that this grimoire would stay safe.

  Should I tell my uncle about this? No, if he learned that I have this grimoire, then he will try to get rid of it. Such a thing shouldn’t get lost. I always wanted to learn about magic and spell work, and now I have this grimoire, I can’t let anyone know that I have this.

  He got up from the chair, moved towards his bed and hid the grimoire under the mattress of his bed.

  “Yaan!! come outside,” Earon shouted

  “Coming!!!” Yaan shouted and went outside the house, and found Earon standing beside the logs of wood

  “What happened?”

  “Well, if you have returned home again,” he said, “then you can give me a hand in work, don’t you?”

  “Sure, uncle”, said Yaan and glanced at him.

  “What are you looking at? Start chopping the wood,”

  Yaan took a log of wood, placed on the platform and picked up the axe planted on the ground. As he was going to strike the wooden log, he spotted his uncle going inside.

  “Uncle!”

  “What?” asked Earon by turning back.

  “I think giving a hand in the work means helping, not doing the work alone”, said Yaan

  “You should check again, the meaning has changed”, he said with a smirk and went inside the house.