The Curse of the Royal Family

[the.good.rakshash]

This is a tale from long, long ago. During the end of 9th century, there was a kingdom on the banks of river Jhelum in the plains of north western India. The Shinokya Kingdom stood tall, proud of its warriors and its learned men. The King was a shrewd and just ruler, Ranvijay,  and his Queen was Amrita, a woman of few words but with a mind sharper than any talwar in the region. 

Shinokya was one of the oldest dynasty in the region, its roots dating back to 500 BC. This is a tale about the royal family of this kingdom, the secrets they kept, and the price they paid for it.

The sun was slowly setting, watched by the sharp eyes of Princess Maya as she leaned against the cool marble balcony. The cool evening air was a welcome respite after a hot summer afternoon. The fresh smell of jasmine and marigold floated in the air, carried by the gentle breeze. She watched the guards light the torches along the courtyard, their orange glow flickering to life against the deepening twilight. 

One of the guards, a middle age man, caught a glimpse of Princess Maya standing above the courtyard in the balcony and froze midway. The dying rays of the setting sun lit up her perfect, milky white face and made her dark, cascading hair shine. She was wearing a purple sari, her favorite color. The sari was made of the finest silk, with gold embroidery that caught the light in a way that made her look even more radiant. One of the straps of her blouse had slipped down her shoulder, revealing a hint of the delicate collarbone beneath. She didn't bother to fix it.

The princess was a sight to behold. The guard couldn’t help but stand there for a few seconds, transfixed. The 20 year old Maya looked like an apsara brought down straight from the heavens. Maya's eyes flicked down to the guard, catching him staring. The beauty from moment ago vanished, replaced by the most repulsing, disgusting look on her face. The guard quickly averted his eyes, feeling the heat rise to his face. He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Maya averted her gaze as if her eyes would be polluted by staring at him any longer. She turned back to the courtyard, her fingers tracing the cool marble balustrade. The guard hurried away, his sandals slapping against the stone. She turned back to the courtyard, her fingers tracing the cool marble balustrade. The guard hurried away, his sandals slapping against the stone.

The past few months had been a series of unfortunate incidents happening with the royal family. Maya looked at a path on the far end from the balcony, the one in royal gardens. Her elder brother, Prince Ranjith and the heir apparent, had suddenly collapsed while on his morning walk. It all started from that day. The royal doctors were called upon but none could diagnose the illness. Ranjith was a picture of health, strong and vigorous, but within hours he was reduced to a shadow of himself. His skin had turned pale, almost translucent, and his eyes, once bright with intelligence and chivalry, were now hollowed out. Currently he was bedridden, slowly wasting away in the royal chambers. 

This incident was the first in a series of strange occurrences that beguiled the palace. In the next couple of weeks, there were many reports from the royal servants about seeing a ghostly figure roaming the palace corridors in the night. It was almost every night that screams of terror would be heard from the servants' quarters. The guards would rush in with their torches, only to find nothing but empty rooms. The servants would swear that they had seen a woman in torn red sari, her long hair covering her face and her bare feet turned backwards as she glided around the palace.

Similar incidents happened around the same time where royal guards had spotted strange, unknown men walking inside the palace in a strange way but they would vanish into thin air as soon as they were approached.

Then came the most troubling incident of all. Yesterday night, Maya's elder sister, Queen Kaveri of Sindh, who was currently resting in the palace during pregnancy, woke up the entire palace with eerie screams that seemed to come from the depths of her soul. Maya along with her parents, the king and the queen, and a dozen guards rushed to her chambers. Kaveri was lying on her bed, screaming in a language no one could understand. Her eyes were wide open, staring at something that wasn’t there. Her hands were clutching her swollen belly, her face twisted in terror. 

There was a bone-chilling hissing emanating from within her womb, like the sound of a serpent coiled tight. But the sight of her swollen belly was what made everyone present tremble with sheer terror and fear. Her belly had gone dark, in an unnatural shade of green. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spine. 

Maya vividly recalled the scene. Kaveri, her face contorted in a mask of terror, huddled on the floor, clutching her distended belly. "Maya," she had gasped, her voice barely a whisper, "something is wrong. It feels… wrong."

Maya had rushed to her side, her heart pounding in her chest. She could almost see the baby thrashing violently within Kaveri's womb. Then the outline become more clearer and Maya could see something from the womb pushing against Kaveri's skin, stretching out her belly further. The sight was horrifying. The baby was moving unnaturally from within her sister's belly, forming what looked like limbs against the stretched skin. Kaveri’s screams pierced the night as the shape inside her shifted again. The sight was both terrifying and utterly bewildering. Hours had passed, filled with the frantic ministrations of the palace physicians. Finally, the baby's movements had subsided, but the unsettling green hue remained for a while longer, a chilling reminder of the unseen forces at play.

Maya stood on the balcony wondering what had happened to her family. Why was this happening? What was happening? She had never believed in the supernatural, never given any credence to the whispers of curses and ghosts that the servants murmured about in the dark corners of the palace. But now, after everything she had seen, she wasn't sure what to believe.

Maya noticed a sudden commotion down in the courtyard below. Servants and guards hurried toward the palace gates, their voices rising in a mix of urgency and confusion. She leaned forward, her fingers tightening around the railing. A short while after, the guards came back surrounding a very old looking women and few other people dressed in dark blue clothing. The old women in the center looked like she had sunken eyes with a long white hair. She also had a long scar running from her forehead to her neck on the left side of her face. She wore a long necklace. Maya couldn't make out from distance what it was made of but it definitely looked like tiny skulls. 

Maya figured out what was going on. Her nostrils flared and her blood started to boil. She turned around and sprinted towards her mother's chambers. The sound of her anklets echoed in the palace hallway as she arrived outside the queen's chambers. Maya didn't bother knocking. She pushed the heavy wooden door open with enough force that it swung back and hit the wall.

Queen Amrita sat at her desk, quill in her hand documenting something which seemed important. She lifted her head slowly, her sharp eyes locked onto Maya as she entered. She looked as elegant as ever. Dressed in dark red saree, she didn't look like she had aged a day since Maya was a child. Her hair appeared from within the pallu dbangd over her head. 

"Maya my child, what brings you to my chambers"

"I know what you are doing mother. Calling some old hag to come and perform her witchcraft here in the palace. Have you lost your mind?"

Queen Amrita looked outside for a fleeting second before she turned her head back to Maya. "Oh it appears that she has arrived. Great!"

Maya's nostrils flared again.

"You can't be serious. That woman looks like she crawled out of a grave. What is she supposed to do? Wave some incense and chant some gibberish to make everything better? We need doctors, not some—"

"Maya," Amrita cut in, her voice as smooth as silk but with an edge that made the princess stop mid-sentence. "Sit down."

Maya hesitated, her fingers curling into fists. She hated when her mother used that tone, the one that made it clear she wasn’t asking. With a huff, she crossed the room and dropped into the chair across from the queen’s desk, her sari swishing around her like a storm cloud.

"Listen child," the Queen said in a measured tone, "I understand your skepticism. But Chakor is a experience priestess from the Temple of Rheekha, and is from a long line of shamans who have served the royal family in secret for generations now."

Maya scoffed, rolling her eyes so hard it should have hurt. "Oh please mother, must you always resort to these childish tales? We love in the modern world mother, there are astrologers, mathematicians and various other scholars advancing our civilization, making new discoveries in Nalanda and all over the land. Meanwhile you call upon some ancient witch woman to wave her cursed bones and incense at shadows that are not even there. We are the royal family, we should be promoting  science and logic, not superstition and fear. What if the nobles see this? What will they think of us? That we have lost our minds to fear and have started believing in ghosts and curses? That we are weak?

Amrita leaned back in her chair, the faintest hint of a smile touching her lips. "You are so quick to dismiss what you do not understand, Maya. But tell me, what do you propose we do instead? The royal physicians have examined Ranjith and Kaveri, and none of them have any answers. The best they can offer is that it is some kind of illness, but they cannot even name it. What would you have us do?"

Maya’s jaw tightened.

She leaned forward, her fingers pressing into the polished wood of the chair’s arms. "Then we find better physicians. Send messengers to Nalanda, to Taxila. There are scholars there who understand the body, who can diagnose diseases no one else can. We don’t need some scarred woman muttering over bones to tell us what’s wrong with Ranjith or Kaveri."

Amrita’s gaze didn’t waver. She just opened her mouth to reply when two guards appeared at the door , bowing deeply. "Your Majesty, our King wants your audience. The priestess has arrived. They are currently seated in the pavilion in royal gardens. Please allow us to escort you there.

Queen Amrita stood up, her movements fluid and deliberate. "We will continue this conversation later, Maya. For now, you can follow me to meet Chakor or  retire to your chambers if you so wish." Queen Amrita stated as she dbangd the pallu of her saree over her head, which was the telltale sign that her patience had run out. Maya watched as her mother walked towards the door, her back straight and regal as ever, the guards quietly following her.

Maya's grip on the armrests of the chair tightened until her knuckles turned white. She hated being brushed aside so casually, especially when what she said was logical and reasonable. But she also knew when it was time to concede defeat, at least temporarily. She stood up, the sound of her anklets ringing out in the chamber as she followed her mother out of the room.

Both of them reached the pavilion where the king and the priestess were seated. Queen bowed before the King and took a seat next to him. Maya stood   behind her mother, arms crossed. The pavilion was open on three sides, letting in the cool evening breeze. The scent of jasmine and damp earth filled the air. Maya’s eyes flicked to the priestess sitting across from them. Up close, Chakor looked even more unsettling. Her scar was a jagged line, pale against her dark skin, running from her temple down to her jaw. Her eyes were sharp, almost predatory, like a hawk watching its prey. She wore a necklace of tiny skulls, each one no bigger than a thumb, their hollow sockets seeming to stare right back at Maya.

King Ranvijay cleared his throat, his voice steady but weary. "Priestess Chakor, I have already filled you on everything, but I suppose you already know much of it."

Chakor did not nod, did not blink. She simply stared at the royal family with those unsettling eyes. Then she spoke, her voice low and rough. "Your majesty, I know everything."

"Yeah of course she does" Maya muttered under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. She didn't bother to hide her skepticism. The priestess's eyes flicked to Maya, lingering for a moment before returning to the king.

"To tell you what's is going on in the royal family, I have to tell you a tale from a long time ago, time where the Shinokya dynasty first took over the land."

"Here we go" Maya shook her head  , rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms tighter. She didn't care about some old story.

King Ranvijay gave Maya a warning look before he spoke.

"Please proceed Chakor."

Chakor adjusted her position on the silk cushions and began.

"About 600 years ago, this land was ruled by a fierce tyrant named Mihirandra. He was son of once famous ruler Jayendra who was loved by the his population. Mihirandra was just 16 when he grew tired of the old king's generosity and decided to take the throne for himself. He poisoned his father and took over the kingdom. Years passed and Mihirandra now was a firm Maharaja who conquered all the land around the fiver rivers. The population suffered under his rule but none could dare to do anything about it, such was his fearsome reputation."

Everyone's eyes were on her now, even Maya's reluctant curiosity was piqued. "Then one day, two young men from far east, from the land where the river Ganga flows, travelled here. These were no ordinary boys. These two young lads had travelled all the way over here in search of a place to settle down. These boys were young, so young that even the moustache hadn't yet grown on their faces. They were named Shaurya and Virendra.  They were thrown out of their warrior tribe and were now looking for a land to call their own. After arriving, they quickly got to know of Mihirendra's tyranny and decided to rally the people against him. The people were afraid, but they were desperate. They had nothing to lose. So they joined the two young men. They were just boys, but they had a fire in their eyes that the people hadn’t seen in years. The boys trained the normal folks and soon turned them into a hardened army. They ran the rebellion and after a tough battle, they won. Mihirendra escaped, and the land was free from his tyranny."

"What does all of these have to do with us?" Maya interrupted, her voice laced with impatience. "Some old story of rebels overthrowing a villain. I fail to see the—"

King Ranvijay raised his hand slightly, silencing her. "Let her finish."

"Quite a feisty one, isn't she?" Chakor said, her voice a dry whisper without a hint of emotion. She looked at Maya with those unsettling eyes before continuing with her tale. "Shaurya and Virendra. There full name was Shaurya and Virendra Shinokya. The two founding fathers of your dynasty and your bloodline. Shaurya and Virenra took over the throne and ruled the land in a diarchy. They were just and fair and the land prospered under their rule. The people loved them, and the land flourished. Year passed and they now had children the age of Princess Maya here. Shaurya, the older one, had a daughter named Princess Maithili. She was beautiful and kind, beloved by all. And Virendra, the younger one, had a brave and chivalrous son named Prince Lokesh. These two were the two heirs destined to carry on their fathers' legecy. The royal priest had already predicted that their union would be blessed by the gods, and their child would bring prosperity to the kingdom like never seen before. Everyone was overjoyed. And now when they were of age, the royal priest announced that the wedding of Maithili and Lokesh would be held in the next full moon. The entire kingdom was preparing for the grandest celebration in its history. Both Maithili and Lokesh loved each other."

"Then what happened?" Queen Amrita asked, her voice calm but her fingers tightening slightly around the arm of her chair. Chakor exhaled slowly and continued. "Just before the royal wedding, the kingdom was attacked by the very ruler who was once defeated by Shaurya and Virendra. Mihirandra had not forgotten his humiliation. He had spent years in exile, harbouring a bitter hatred for the men and the lust for their blood. He had silently gathered a small yet loyal army and with the support of a neighbouring ruler, they launched a surprise attack on the kingdom. Your ancestors fought bravely. In the battle, Prince Lokesh was matched against the son of Mihirendra, Chirayu, who hated Lokesh with all his being. He believed that everything Lokesh had was stolen from him—his father’s legacy, the throne, the kingdom. The duel between the two princes was fierce, sword clashed against sword under the hot sun. But in the end, Prince Lokesh was young and his inexperience cost him. He was fatally wounded but managed to end Chirayu's life before succumbing to his injuries. The battle was won and Mihirendra once again escaped but this time fighting shelter in a cave inhabited by tribe of tantriks, sorcerers who were known for their dark arts. The kingdom was saved but the cost was too high. Prince Lokesh was dead. The entire kingdom mourned the loss of their young prince who had fought bravely in the battle."

"Mihirendra on the other hand, practiced dark arts under the tantriks and emerged from the cave a changed man. His hair had turned white, his eyes now burned with a sinister yellow light, and his skin was marred with dark scars that pulsed with an unnatural energy. Through his twisted ways, he managed to put a devastating curse on the royal family and before the royal priests could do anything, the curse had already claimed the life of King Shaurya. King Vijendra sent out a search for kingdom's best priests and shamans and it was then that the Temple of Rheekha was established. My predecessors found that the curse had no cure. But as predicted by the royal priest earlier, the union between Maithili and Lokesh was supposed to be blessed by the gods. Such union would eliminate any curse no matter how old and strong it was. But with Lokesh gone, the union would never happen. The royal family was doomed to suffer the curse for generations. But my predecessors were no ordinary shamans, your majesties. They deviced a way to keep the curse at bay temporarily. King Virendra adopted an royal orphan and named him Princess Lokesh. Maithili was married to him and the curse was temporarily averted. The princess gave birth to a male heir, and generations later your own royal bloodline descends from that union. This is still practiced unknowingly to this day. This is the only way to keep the curse burried.  Answer me Queen, what happened to your father?"

Queen Amrita's fingers stilled on the armrest. Her gaze flickered to the priestess, then back to Maya. "My parents were killed in a coup, and I was left as a royal orphan. My uncle who succeeded the thrown adopted me out of pity and years later I was specifically asked to marry King Ranvijay by his royal priests."

"Exactly," Chakor said, her voice low and deliberate. "And tell me about the marriage of your eldest daughter, Kaveri."

"The royal astrologer suggested that Princess Kaveri should marry Prince Kalyan of the Sindh"

"And can you tell me about Prince Kalyan?" Chakor asked.

The King replied. "Prince Kalyan was orphaned as a child when his parents succumbed to an illness. He was adopted by the regent and was later crowned the King of Sindh. Princess Kaveri was married to him and now they are expecting a child."

"You see the pattern here?" Chakor asked.

Maya who was silent this whole time, her arms still crossed, finally spoke up. "So what you are saying is that we are all doomed to suffer because some ancient tyrant cursed our bloodline? And the only way to avoid this curse is to marry an orphaned royal?"

"Precisely" Chakor said, her voice low and deliberate. "The curse can only be averted by the union of Shinokya's eldest child and an royal orphan who was adopted into royal family. But that is not the solution. It is only 

a temporary fix."

"If we married Princess Kaveri to King Kalyan, why did the curse return?" Queen Amrita asked.

"That's what's bothering me. I can't answer your question yet," Chakor said as she looked into the distance. Her scarred face remained impassive. The breeze stilled for a moment. Somewhere above them, an owl screeched, its cry echoing through the empty courtyard like a warning. "I need to access the spirit realm to seek answers."

"Ok I have had enough. I tolerated you up until the point you started talking about curses and spirits. I am not going to sit here and listen to this nonsense any longer." Maya said as she stood up abruptly, her sari swishing around her. "This is ridiculous. We are not some superstitious villagers who believe—"

"Enough!" King Ranvijay's voice cut through the air like a blade. He looked at the servant waiting on the sides. "Nandini, escort Princess Maya back to her chambers. Her presence is no longer needed here."

Maya opened her mouth to protest, but the look on her father's face made her close it again. She let out a loud scream in tantrum and walked back towards her chambers, stomping her feet hard against the marble floors. Nandini, the servant who was standing beside, walked behind her, bowing deeply, not daring to look straight into Maya’s face.

King turned his attention to other group of servants and commanded. "Ask Priestess Chakor of what she needs and commence the preparation immediately. We need to perform the ritual as soon as possible." 

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This was a new concept I thought of. Please bare with me as there are few more chapters to establish the plot before the spicy action. Please comment if you like this kind of story and would like to see me continue. I have written two more chapters and would surely love to continue if people like the idea. Thank you

[Glenlivet]

Please continue.

[the.good.rakshash]

Nine days had passed since Chakor arrived at the royal palace. The King had done all the preparation but Chakor firmly said that ritual  could only be done on a full moon night.  The night had arrived, the sky was clear and radiant with stars. The palace staff had prepared the basement chambers as per the priestess’ instructions. The chamber was vast and cold, the walls lined with black stones that gleamed dully in the torchlight. 

In earlier times, this used to be a dungeon used for the most dangerous prisoners. But King Ranvijay's predecessor four generation ago abolished the practice and turned it into a storage for royal artifacts and records collecting dust. Today it was all prepared for the ritual as per as Chakor's instructions. In a wide open space, the alter was prepared, fire burning in the center. The floor was covered with a thick layer of white ash, and around the alter, the bones of sacred animals were arranged in a perfect circle. Various herbs, flowers and other weird ingredients were neatly prepared and kept in baskets.

The royal family, including Maya had gathered here below the palace. King Ranvijay and Queen Amrita stood in center, both standing tall and proud, hiding their inner turmoil really well. Beside them, the pregnant Queen Kaveri, their eldest child, stood beside Maya. Both the princess were dbangd in finest of saris and jewellery but their faces showed signs of anxiety. Maya was skeptical about all this yet her curiosity had brought her here.

There were no royal guards present. Just the royal family and priestess Chakor. Chakor walked and took a seat in middle of the circle by the fire. She looked like she was in deep meditation or in a trance, ready to begin any moment. Maya felt a chill run down her back as she watched the flames flicker in the circle. The entire atmosphere was eerie and she could feel her skin prickle with goosebumps. 

Chakor closed her eyes and started chanting mantra's in an ancient language no one understood. The words were harsh on the ears, almost guttural in their sound. Maya felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. Chakor picked a dead rat from the basket nearby and slit its belly and let its blood fall into the fire. The flamed hissed and suddenly extinguished. Then Chakor threw some powder into the extinguished embers and then the fire roared again, this time with a terrifying red flame.

A collective gasp escaped the royal family. Maya's eyes widened. The flames were unnaturally bright, casting long shadows that seemed to move on their own. Kaveri instinctively took a step back, her hand instinctively moving to protect her swollen belly.

Then after a while Chakor opened her eyes and her pupils were completely gone. The white of her eyes had disappeared again and turned blue. When Maya's eyes met hers, Maya could feel this strange feeling as if she could see the visions that were never there. She saw a strikingly beautiful young girl standing by a window in palace, then few kids playing in the royal gardens, a tough man fighting  against enemy battalion and then a woman being crowned with the royal crown. These scenes were flashing so quick that within moments she saw these images like fireworks in her eyes. She shook her head and blinked rapidly trying to make these visions go away.

Chakor's voice cut through her thoughts, "I need silence now, Maya. If you don't respect the ritual with your mind, it will affect all of us."

Maya wanted to snap back, to tell this woman she had no right to speak to her like that. But something stopped her. A strange power in Chakor's voice that made her feel as if her words were binding her like invisible chains. Maya swallowed hard and nodded despite herself.

Chakor lifted her fingers and pointed at Kaveri. "Come here child. Sit by the fire. Before we proceed, I need to get rid of it" she said pointing at Kaveri's belly.

Kaveri clutched her belly with motherly instinct. "You want to get rid of my baby? I can't allow that" she said in a firm voice despite being terrified. "Not your unborn child, but the darkness residing within your womb"

Chakor said with a voice that was too calm. Kaveri’s fingers tightened around her belly, her knuckles turning white. "You mean the thing that appeared the other night?" Maya asked, her voice sharp. "The thing that made her belly turn green?"

Chakor’s gaze flicked to Maya, her blue eyes unblinking. "Yes. It is a fragment of the curse. My cleansing ritual will get rid of it. It is necessary before I try to find the root cause of the curse returning."

Chakor's voice was low, deliberate, like she was speaking to herself more than anyone else. She reached into the basket beside her and pulled out a small clay pot. She took a fistful of powder from inside and threw it into the flame. The flame grew larger, this time turning into the colour green. Kaveri threw herself back in terror, her hands pushing in front of her belly. Chakor began reciting ancient mantras again. She picked up a dagger and slit her hand , letting the blood drip into the green fire. The flames rose higher, twisting like living serpents.

The flame had grown bigger but the temperature in the room dropped significantly. Chakor opened her eyes again and stood up. She shifted her gaze on Kaveri's belly and muttered something under her breath. The smoke from the fire rose and circled over Kaveri's head. The smoke began to took shape of a snake. Chakor raised her hand in the air and began pulling an invisible thread. With one simple tug, Kaveri was pulled forward as if there was actually a thread attached to her and in hands of Chakor.

Maya could see Chakor's face struggling and now covered in sweat. She now began using both her hands pulling something invisible. Kaveri's body started jerking and her belly began to swell. The green glow beneath her skin intensified as she let out a choked scream. The invisible force seemed to be pulling something out from within her. Maya watched horrified as Kaveri fell completely on the floor and began twisting in deep agony. Her fingers cramped into claws and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Her eyes were open so wide that it seemed like they would fall off any moment.

"STOP!!" Maya cried. "Can't you see she is in pain? You will kill her." Maya tried to move forward to stop Chakor but both King and Queen held her back tightly. Maya struggled in their grip, her eyes locked on Kaveri's trembling body. The green glow inside her sister's stomach was spreading, the outline of the unborn child clearly visible beneath the stretched skin.

Kaveri's body started rising from the floor and her body stopped about two feet above the ground. It was a truly horrifying sight. Her hair and her limbs dangled from her body like dead branches in a storm. Kaveri’s back arched unnaturally, her spine curving like a drawn bow. Her mouth was wide open, her tongue sticking out. Her sari had completely blown away and she was only in her blouse and petticoat(skirt). Her belly had bulged into inhumane proportions with the green hue covering her entire torso. It looked like a terrifying demon was trying to rip itself out from within her. Tiny hand like things began to stretch out from withing her as if her skin was made of rubber.

Kaveri's throat finally managed to let out a loud scream that sent shivers down everyone's spine. Even the guards stationed upstairs had heard the chilling the sound but it was so disturbing that they didn't dare come down. The small room was filled with the sound of Kaveri's screams echoing off the stone walls.

The King and the Queen had to hold Maya back with all their strength so she wouldn’t rush forward. Chakor pulled with all her might and finally a black writhing mass erupted from Kaveri’s mouth in a violent gush. It had no shape and was like a inky blob with long , jagged tendrils. Chakor raised her hand and slammed the thing with all her might into the green flame.

The black mass shrieked, a sound like tearing silk, as the fire consumed it. The green flame flickered violently, then collapsed back into the firepit, the room instantly warming again.

Kaveri crumpled to the ground like a broken doll, gasping. The green hue on her stomach faded, her skin returning to normal, only the faintest hint of discoloration around her navel. She clutched her belly, trembling, her voice raw. 

"I can feel my baby. It is not harmed. I couldn't feel it earlier" Kaveri said, breathing heavily, words coming out between ragged breaths. "It's... it's still there." She pressed her hands against her belly, her fingers trembling as she felt the faint movements of her child. She offered faintest of smiles and then passed out from exhaustion. 

Her parents grip lightened only slightly and that was all Maya needed to free herself. She dropped to her knees beside Kaveri, her hands hovering over her sister’s belly. The skin was still warm, but the unnatural green glow had vanished, leaving only a faint, sickly yellow tinge around the edges. Kaveri’s chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, her face damp with sweat and streaked with dirt from the stone floor.

Maya gently lifted Kaveri's head and placed it on her lap. She brushed the hair away from her sister's forehead, feeling the dampness of her skin. Her fingers trembled slightly as she checked Kaveri's pulse, feeling the faint but steady rhythm beneath her fingertips. All her earlier scepticism was gone. Maya had seen enough to know that this was not some trickery. This was real. She looked up at Chakor, her eyes filled with a look which demanded answers.

Chakor was breathing heavily too. The thing had managed to exhaust her of all her strength. She sat down on the floor crossed legged and rested her head in both her hands. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was still heavy. Maya watched her for a moment, her fingers still brushing Kaveri’s damp hair. 

After few moments, Chakor opened her eyes, the earlier dark blue shade in her eyes lightened but not gone. She looked at Maya and then at the rest of the family. She spoke in a tired voice.

"Your highness, it's done. The curse's fragment has been removed from her womb. Your daughter and grandchild is safe for now. Now I will proceed to find out why the curse returned," Chakor stated in a tired voice. Her face still showed signs of exhaustion, but her eyes were now clear and steady.

She started chanting mantras again. The green flamed turned back into a normal one as she offered dead animals as sacrifice and chanted the mantras in an ancient language. The flames crackled and popped, casting flickering shadows on the damp stone walls. Maya watched as Chakor’s lips moved, her voice a low, rhythmic hum that filled the chamber.

It look a long while before Chakor opened her eyes again. This time, the pupils had returned and her eyes were perfectly normal. "Gather around everyone," Chakor said, her voice steady despite her fatigue. "I have found out why the curse has returned. And this time, there is a way to end it once and for all. But it may take a big sacrifice from  one of you.

The firelight flickered across Chakor’s face as she spoke, casting deep shadows under her sharp cheekbones. Maya’s fingers tightened around Kaveri’s hand, her nails digging into the soft skin. She didn’t care if it hurt. She needed something real to hold onto.

King Ranvijay stepped forward, his voice low but firm. "Speak plainly, priestess. What is this curse, and why has it returned?"

Chakor’s gaze flicked to him, then to Queen Amrita, then to Maya. "When you married your daughter to the King of Sindh, the curse had seemed to fade for a while as it has always done after a royal wedding."

"Then why did it return?" King Ranvijay asked. 

"Because of a coincidence that was never meant to happen. Let me explain." Chakor’s voice grew quieter, the firelight making her scars stand out like faint lightning bolts.

"Reincarnation is a phenomenon that has always existed. When a body dies, the soul leaves for the afterlife, where it is judged and sent to heaven or hell. After spending time there, the soul is sent back to the world of living to start a new life. Usually, contrary to popular belief, the soul sheds all its mortal attachments and memories of past lives before being born in the new body. Some still remember fragments of their past life but they usually go away as they grow older. Souls that couldn't make it to the afterlife because of some unfulfilled desire or some trauma from their past life remain in limbo and wander around as ghosts. But there is no in-between. A soul either moves on to afterlife or stays in the world of living and roams around as a ghost."

"Prince Lokesh, whom I told about you earlier was cursed by Mihirendra. He placed a curse which never allowed Prince Lokesh to be born into royal family again. Over the generations, Prince Lokesh's soul has suffered a lot, born into poverty and misery. He has been born into the bodies of slaves, beggars, and peasants, each time experiencing a different kind of suffering. Over the centuries, his soul has grown twisted, filled with rage and bitterness. The curse has made sure that his soul is never allowed to move on to the afterlife. It is stuck in an endless cycle of suffering and rebirth. We at the Temple of Rheekha have always observed and kept tabs on each reincarnation of Prince Lokesh just in case if an highly unlikely scenario like this would happen. Currently he has lived a life of a beggar on the outskirts of the royal capital and is in his final years. But more about that later."

"Princess Maithili on the other hand, faced a different fate than Prince Lokesh. She lived a normal life, fulfilled her duties and died a natural death. But when the time came for her soul to leave the mortal world and move on to afterlife, something unnatural happened. She left the mortal world but couldn't make it to afterlife. She was stuck in-between the two worlds, something which is nearly impossible."

"Why did that happened?" Queen Amrita asked. "Was it because of the curse?"

"No," Chakor shook her head. "As I said, something like this is highly unlikely to ever happen. There is no explanation behind it.  It is a cosmic anomaly. But it happened. Princess Maithili's soul was trapped in the void between the worlds of the living and the dead. She could not move on to the afterlife, nor could she return to the mortal world. She was stuck in a state of eternal limbo. She could see everything that was happening in the mortal world but she couldn't interact with it. She could feel the emotions of the living but couldn't communicate with them. She was neither alive nor dead, neither here nor there. She was simply... stuck."

Chakor paused, her eyes scanning the faces of the royal family. Maya’s fingers were still wrapped around Kaveri’s hand, her knuckles white. "But then a coincidence happened, something so impossible that no one could have predicted it."

Chakor’s voice dropped lower, the firelight making her scarred face look even more severe. "After centuries, her soul was finally able to move to the afterlife but at that very moment, Princess Maya, Princess Maithili's direct descendent, stepped on the very ground she was cremated on.

That very incident broke the barrier separating the worlds of the living and the dead. It was a cosmic accident of fate, something so rare that it defies all logic. Princess Maithili’s soul was pulled back into the mortal world as she was just about to cross over."

Maya's breath caught in her throat. A cold weight settled in her chest. The fire before her seemed to dim, the shadows around it lengthening like grasping fingers.

"You feel it now, don't you Princess Maya?" Chakor’s voice was softer now, almost pitying. "The connection. The pull."

Maya swallowed hard, her voice sharp despite the sudden tremor in her hands. "This is absurd. You're saying my ancestor is haunting me?" Maya's voice came out sharper than she intended, laced with the anger she always used as armor. She forced herself to stand, her knees stiff from kneeling too long. Kaveri still lay unconscious on the floor beside her, her breathing shallow but steady.

Chakor laughed. "I know you won't believe me. Come here child, let me prove it to you." Chakor held out her hand without waiting for Maya's consent. Maya hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, her chin lifted in defiance.

Chakor collected some ash from the fire burning and pulled Maya towards her with the same hands. But instead of pulling towards Chakor, Maya was thrown backwards on the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs. When she looked up, she couldn't believe her eyes. There was a milky white figure standing before her. Maya moved a bit to have a proper look at her face. What she saw was a face with ethereal beauty. She had never seen  such a face in her entire life. The woman was wearing the most exquisite sari Maya had ever seen – a shimmering red that seemed to glow from within. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back in perfect curls, framing a face that was flawless. Her eyes were like molten gold, full of intelligence and power. She had a nose that was perfectly straight and lips that were plump and red. Maya’s breath hitched in her throat as she stared at this vision.

The woman’s presence filled the chamber with an otherworldly aura. Maya felt both terrified and mesmerized at the same time. She tried to speak but her mouth was dry, her words catching in her throat.

"That is Princess Maithili, " Chakor said. Maya couldn't believe it. She then noticed a thin thread sticking out of her chest that was connected to the woman. It was a thin silver thread, barely visible but glowing faintly.

It took a moment, but sudden realization fell upon Maya. Everything that Chakor said earlier all made sense. Her eyes were opened wide looking at the ceiling, defeated and dejected. She took a deep breath and stabled her emotions. 

"It's ok, I believe you," Maya said. "You can make her go now."

Maya’s voice was flat, but her fingers curled into fists at her sides. The ghostly figure of Princess Maithili still hovered before her, the silver thread between them pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

Chakor nodded. "As you wish." She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The figure dissolved into mist, the silver thread unraveling like smoke. Maya exhaled sharply, her shoulders slumping just a fraction. The weight of what she had just seen pressed down on her, but she refused to let it show.

Maya stood up again, and without saying again, she sprinted out of the basement and towards her chambers. Queen Amrita tried to follow her but Chakor stopped her.

"Stop! Let her go. She deserves some alone time. Especially after what she has just realized." Chakor’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. The Queen hesitated for a moment before nodding. She took a deep breath, her fingers brushing against her husband’s arm, seeking comfort in his silent strength.

"What has she realized Priestess?" King Ranvijay asked.

"Remember I told you that there was the key to end the curse once and for all? And that there was a sacrifice requited from one of you. She is the sacrifice." Chakor said.

Her voice was low, almost reluctant.

The Queen's eyes widened in shock. "You mean to say that my daughter has to die to break the curse?"

"No," Chakor shook her head. "She doesn't have to die. But the way things are, death would be better for her."

Queen Amrita stepped forward, her voice sharp with panic. "What do you mean worse than death?"

Chakor took a deep breath. "Our Temple of Rheekha was established almost 600 years ago just to end the curse. And this is the chance to do it. I would have done everything in my power to end it. But I am not heartless. And I am also a woman. I will and also request you all, not pressure Maya into making a decision. I will tell you what sacrifice she has to make. The only way to end the curse to fulfill the prophecy the royal priest made when King Shaurya and King Virendra were still alive. The union between Princess Maithili and Prince Lokesh would be like blessing straight from the gods. No curse would survive such a union. It would be a bond so pure, so sacred, that it would break the chains of fate itself. Here we are using the world union in very sanitized way. The union means coming of two bodies coming together and birthing a baby. Princess Maya will have sleep with Prince Lokesh current reincarnation and as I said earlier, he is 71 years old beggar, completely senile and filthier than a swine in the royal stables. This is the sacrifice that needs to be made. The union between reincarnations of Prince Lokesh and Princess Maithili. Princess Maya understood everything and that's why she ran away, she needs time."