Niyati Yaari

[attr="class","appcontent2"]Though some things have changed over time, Niyati is still the same girl that had grown up in the jungle. She's ambitious, determined, callous, stubborn and bold. Although born a girl, she takes a lot of her father's traits. She's always been able to hold her own, firing back comebacks that would put even the hardened man to shame. She comes off as a strong woman who knows exactly what she wants in life and knows how to get it. Being a lawyer also doesn't help her outward image. She's not afraid to say whatever's on her mind and doesn't really care the consequences. She's always up for a challenge and won't turn down a dare. She's the best party buddy, always seeming to make a crowd for herself. But, the woman side of her, is also there. At one time, she had been a lovely bride and had even smiled and blushed. She had dreamed of children and growing old with her husband. Although pushed aside, this side of her is still there. The results are a flirty, sexy woman who knows just what her body can do to others. She's not afraid to flaunt it and much like the feline that dwells in her very being, is a very graceful dancer. She'd been contacted by many movie producers and entertainment owners but she's always turned them down. She tried modeling once and, although her poses were a hit in magazines and the fashion world, she hadn't felt it was her calling. Aside from her amazing self confidence, Niyati can actually be a wonderful friend. She very rarely holds grudges, finding them to be a waste of time and is easy to forgive. Though she does aim to please, she doesn't much care if she pisses you off. She doesn't have time for your drama. Unlike many of her were cousins, Niyati doesn't flaunt her animal side. In fact, she prefers to live day to day as a human. She only sees her affliction as a job, versus a real part of her. Even on the full moon, she'll find some out of the way place just to enjoy the moonlight and reflect on her past mistakes. Sure, she's changed thousands of people just like her but she's made no move to find them or create a "pack". In fact, through out history, she's pretty sure she's remained anonymous. She doubts the weretiger's she changed even knew their origins. The thought doesn't really bother her, though. Being immortal, she doesn't want any worries or cares. She just wants to live each day to the fullest.

[attr="class","appcontent2"]Niyati's family were warriors of their village. They were tasked with keeping the village safe during trivial times. They were also avid hunters, well known in the region for bringing down ever the largest of beasts. Niyati's parents only had daughters, her and four others. Deprived of a male to carry on the skills of the family, Niyati's father decided to teach his daughters to hunt and Niyati instantly grew obsessed with bringing down the hardest of the prey; a Bengal tiger. So rare, they were rarely seen in the wild. Their elusiveness was what inspired the Yaari family to use the Bengal Tiger as their family image. Because of this Niyati's father never killed a Bengal, respecting the animal too much to do so but it didn't deter Niyati. She went through her father's vigorous training and as she grew, made herself aware of every tree and blade of grass in the mountains around her village. But problems arose that put her goals a little behind. When Niyati was fourteen, her younger sister, Alaka was killed one day when she was done by the river washing her clothes. Only large paw prints around her body proved what had killed her, making Niyati's need to kill a Bengal all the more real. But, the tragedies in Niyati's life weren't over yet. At sixteen, her family was attacked by raiders and her father killed, her older sister, Pari, taken for the slave trade which left on Niyati, her twin younger sisters and her mother left to care for one another. At this time, Niyati was quickly coming into her own as a woman and was drawing the attention of the men of the village. Several times, her hand was offered in marriage but Niyati easily talked her mother out of the union. It wasn't until she gained the attention of a prince that she could no longer deter her mother's opinion. Since her father had died, the Yaari family had become financially unstable and the idea of marrying Niyati into royalty was a chance of a lifetime.

Before she knew it, Niyati was engaged to be married which left her mother with only her younger sisters to support her. Only ten years old, they hadn't received the training from their father that Niyati had and feared that her sisters wouldn't be able to support their mother and that their only futures were to be married off to some wealthy merchant or farmer. After the marriage to her new husband, Ravi at only seventeen, Niyati attempted to make sure her mother had plenty of money by giving her some of jewelry to sell at the market, telling her new husband she'd simply lost it or that her servants stole them. But eventually, he caught on and forbid her from giving her mother the family jewels. So, in desperation, Niyati decided to pursue her last hope, bringing down the rare white Bengal tiger. Back when her sister Alaka had been killed by the river side, Niyati had taken time to investigate the scene and, aside from the massive paw prints around the body, Niyati had come to find white fur and weeks later, had over heard two villagers discussing seeing a white tiger in the mountains east of the village. Besides getting revenge for her sister, Niyati knew the price that fur could give for her mother and sisters and would stop at nothing to acquire the beast's fur.

In the middle of the night, she snuck away from her husband's bed and geared herself up, heading into the mountains she'd spent her childhood learning. She spent three days and three nights in the trees, no food and no water just to catch a glimpse of the beast. However, it wasn't until the night of the fourth night she got her wish. She'd come across a hut deep in the mountains and outside the front door, the white fur blazed brilliantly in the moonlight as it rested on it's side. Niyati didn't hesitate. She pulled her bow back, aimed, and let loose her arrow. But this was no ordinary beast. It quickly rose from it's spot and dodged the arrow, turning it's golden eyes onto her. Niyati jumped down from the tree and drew her knives. She wasn't afraid of this beast. It had slain her sister and shamed her family name. Drawing up strength, she attacked the beast. It had put up a good fight, even managing to gouge her side but Niyati was able to pierce the beast's heart and kill it instantly. However, when she did, she was surprised to find she was no longer alone. From inside the hut, an old woman had appeared, her face solemn. She began to talk to Niyati, explaining truths to her that had been shrouded by her father's blindness. The white tiger she had killed had been the woman's familiar, a beast she had tamed to protect the very village her father thought he was protecting. On the fateful day her sister had died, it had actually been the tiger who had dragged her sister's body from the river when she had been dying but had later died on the shore from her wounds. In fact, it had been her own father that had killed Alaka. He'd taken her deep into the woods for "training" and had intended, instead, to sell her to the slave trade. Alaka had fought back, which is where she had acquired the wounds and had fallen into the river upon trying to return home. Because she wasn't able to swim, she had fought to keep from drowning and by the time the tiger pulled her from the water, she was too weak to hold on. Finding her later, Niyati's father put her laundry with her body, to make it appear as though she'd been killed while washing her clothes. The old woman also explained that years later, when the raiders had attacked and taken Pari, it was compensation for Alaka escaping and killed her father for his inability to uphold their agreement.

Realizing that the tiger had only been trying to save her sister, Niyati felt an immense surge of guilt and couldn't help but cry over the beast. The old woman told Niyati that there was one way her guilt could be forgiven and, without knowing the consequences, Niyati agreed. Without so much as a word, the old woman spoke some ancient words and the tiger glowed, breaking down into gold particles before it was quickly absorbed into Niyati's skin. The old woman explained that for her crimes, her guilt would be forgiven so long as she took the tiger's place in protecting the village. Terrified, Niyati returned to her husband, giving him some excuse for being gone. She was confined to the house for her abandonment and it was during this time, she realized just what the old woman had done to her. She had felt slightly strange the last week, extremely moody and unable to sleep at night and it wasn't until the night of the full moon, did Niyati truly experience the old woman's curse. In the light of the full moon, Niyati's body broke and stretched, bringing forth the spirit of the beast, brilliant white fur glowing under the light of the moon. Terrified at what was happening to her, Niyati felt no control of her own body. Watching as if from third person, she watched herself tear apart her husband and his servants and then leave the house and attack the people of her village. By the time they appeared, Niyati was able to gain some semblance of control. Before her, stood her two remaining sisters, hands shaking but eyes determined. She could see herself in them as they brandished their weapons, ready to take a stand against her and protect others. She attempted to contact them, tell them who she really was but when she approached them, all they did was scream at her and threaten her with their knives. Little Saniya, who had always been a little shy and innocent, held an arrow pointed at her, brown eyes determined and brave. These were not the sisters she had left behind. Gaining some more control of herself, Niyati was able to turn her back on her sisters and walk away, determined to leave the village and find the old woman in the mountains but as soon as her back was turned, she felt the sting of an arrow as it buried itself into her shoulder. She roared, anger welling up inside her as she began to lose control again. It was all just poor timing. As her sisters moved in to finish her off, Niyati turned her head and managed a bite to each of her sisters before a group of mean appeared, brandishing weapons and threatening her before she took off into the jungle.

Since that fateful day, Niyati has been searching for her sisters who, along with their mother, had left the village. She wasn't even sure if her sisters were alive or not. She spent the first hundred years at her village, protecting it as the old woman had cursed her to do but eventually, her curiosity got the better of her and she decided to see the rest of the world. It was during this time when she was exploring the world, she realized that her bite could turn others like her. This led her to believe that her sisters were still alive and that they, too, had been cursed into a tiger form. Though thousands of years have passed and she's given up on finding her sisters, she keeps the hope in her heart that they are alive and well and that they were able to smile again.