A tale of reincarnation such as this! Where a palace curse is hidden along with the past, present, and future of three people! Will the curse end in this lifetime, or will a forgotten story prevail? The immortal love story of Ashi and Vikram Pratap S... A tale of reincarnation such as this! Where a palace curse is hidden along with the past, present, and future of three people! Will the curse end in this lifetime, or will a forgotten story prevail? The immortal love story of Ashi and Vikram Pratap Singh Bundela!<br />
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"Oh God!! How much further do I have to walk?? I don't even have the strength to take another step... my throat is parched with thirst. And water! It's nowhere around... Mr. Vikram Singh Bundela! You chose this path for yourself... so now suffer. My mind had also gone astray... that I forbade the driver from bringing the car. I wanted to surprise, didn't I!! So now be surprised yourself. If you die of heat on this deserted path, no one will even see you." Vikram thought to himself, opening the top button of his shirt.
He glanced at the sun, which was raining fire... but the sun was raining fire so fiercely today that it wouldn't let anyone meet its gaze. On this sun-drenched, hot, and sandy path, Vikram was in a terrible state. The entire path was deserted. Forget humans?? Not even a bird could be seen in this heat... burning sand stretched as far as the eye could see. And even then, when the wind blew... the burning sand would fall directly on the body. Although Vikram was wearing clothes that covered his entire body, even then the hot sand had the power to burn the body from within the clothes.
The wind blowing on this deserted path was whistling in his ears. Again and again, gusts of hot sand accompanied by the scorching wind would rise, scorching Vikram. As Vikram moved further along the path, sand dunes appeared scattered far and wide. Vikram was terribly tired from walking, but it seemed as if this desert was never going to end.
"Did I lose my way? This is the path that leads to my mansion, I know that very well. But by now, I should have crossed this desert. No one is visible around, whom I can ask?" Vikram thought, looking around in search of a person. But alas!! There was no one as far as the eye could see.
Just then, he felt as if someone had placed icy cold hands on his back. The touch was so intensely cold that even in this scorching weather, Vikram felt the coolness of those hands right down to his spine. His entire body shivered with this cold. Vikram spun around sharply. But there was no one behind him. An unknown fear had gripped Vikram's heart, even though he was a healthy 25-year-old young man. But still, not finding anyone behind him, his heart began to beat rapidly out of fear. "My mind is gone!!" Vikram shook his head and took a step forward to proceed.
Just then, he heard the sound of a girl giggling in his ears. Along with this, an icy cold wind touched Vikram. The wind was so cold that it made Vikram's bones shiver. Vikram felt a jolt. He immediately opened his eyes to look again, because a short while ago he was standing alone in the burning desert, and at this moment the scene in front of him had completely changed. All around were large, dense, shady trees, through which sunlight hardly reached the ground, and a cool breeze was blowing continuously.
"What happened?? Where have I suddenly ended up?" he said, trying to move forward step by step. But wherever he tried to move, the trees blocked his path. Vikram tried to get through the trees. Just then, something flew towards him. Vikram quickly moved aside and looked back. It was a snake, which had fallen only 4 steps away from him. If he hadn't moved aside quickly, this snake would certainly have bitten him. The fear of death made Vikram shiver once again. Before he could think or understand anything else, the snake began to move towards him rapidly. To save his life, Vikram started running fast. While running, Vikram's breath started to falter. But if he wanted to save his life, he had to run. Whenever he tried to look back while running, it wasn't just one snake anymore, but with it, many venomous black snakes were emerging from their holes at the base of the trees and moving towards him. To save his life, Vikram kept running through those trees.
As he ran, he entered deep into the forest. Now his legs had also given out. To calm his racing heart and faltering breath for a moment, Vikram placed his hands on his knees and tried to regain his composure. But it seemed he was still unable to control himself. The fear of death had seeped deep within him.
Just then, a beautiful hand appeared before his eyes. Vikram reached out to hold that hand, when his gaze fell on the girl's face. For some reason?? This face seemed familiar to him. The girl, dressed in Rajasthani attire, a ghagra and choli, had her face hidden by a veil, but her face was visible through the sheer veil.
"Water..." Seeing the golden pitcher in the girl's hand, Vikram realized his thirst. Hearing the word "water," the girl's lips curved into a mysterious smile. "This is Rajasthan, Kunwar Sa. Here, water is the most precious thing. Tell me, what price will you pay for water," came from the girl's lips. Her captivating face, visible through the veil, her voice was as sweet as the ringing of bells. Vikram seemed to be under a spell.
"Take anything, but give me water now... otherwise I will die..." Vikram said in a daze. "You'll remember, won't you!!" the girl asked, holding the pitcher with both her hands. "It's a trial, a bet, try me. I am a Thakur, I will not go back on my word," Vikram said with a soft smile. The girl began to pour water from the pitcher into Vikram's cupped hands. Entranced by the girl's beauty and appearance, Vikram made a grimace after drinking the first sip. Vikram found the taste of the water strange. His gaze fell on his hands... where the girl was pouring water from her pitcher. But what was coming out of the pitcher in her hands was not water, but blood. Vikram immediately opened his hands. Startled, he stepped back a couple of steps. "Blood... Who are you?? What are you doing here??" came from Vikram's lips.
Suddenly, the girl's appearance and the surrounding environment completely changed. A voice echoed in Vikram's ears, "You are awaited....." Vikram jolted and sat up. He looked around; he was not in Rajasthan but in New York. He had been having this same dream for many years now, and in the dream, he would reach Rajasthan. Whereas he was sleeping in his luxurious bedroom, and it had been about 15 years since he had come here from India. The AC was running at full speed, but Vikram's entire body was drenched in sweat. His heart was beating so fast as if he had run for miles without stopping and had come to a treadmill. Vikram glanced at the wall clock in front of him; it was 5:00 in the morning. He held his head in both his hands, trying to calm himself. But the same voice was still echoing in his ears. "You are awaited....."
Royals Bundela
Group of Industries Office
New York (USA)
It was 10 AM... all employees had arrived and the entire building was in a frenzy, as if an inspection team was about to arrive. Everyone was rushing to finish their work. They were all focused on completing their work with 100% effort.
Groups of workers were gathered around several tables. These were the ones whose work was almost complete. There was a joyous expression on everyone's face. The company's stock prices had been soaring for the past few days. This was clearly a good sign, but the real trouble for the office staff was the boss's stern and aggressive nature, due to which an army-like rule was being followed throughout the office. There was no room for error. No one wanted to upset the boss with their work and cause the entire office to lose out on the substantial bonus they were to receive for this success. Because of this, the entire office was working like a team. Employees were helping those who hadn't finished their work.
Just then, a gleaming black Audi stopped in front of the office.
As the car stopped in front of the office, the guard quickly opened the door, and a young man of about twenty-four emerged from the car. Over six feet tall, with a muscular build, a slightly grown beard, and a face etched with the world's hardships. From head to toe, he was dressed in an all-black ensemble. The only exceptions were a gleaming Rado limited edition watch with a gold chain on his wrist and a gold pen studded with diamonds, which also had an "R" inscribed on it, attached to his black suit.
The young man glanced at the ten-story building in front of him and walked straight into the office gate. The driver took the car to the personal parking.
To reach the office, the young man used the personal elevator. As he entered the elevator, he placed his hand on the scanner and pressed the button for the tenth floor.
This is Mr. Vikram Singh Bundela.
After losing his parents in a road accident at the age of seven, Vikram took his first step into the business world at the tender age of sixteen.
Currently, his only surviving family member is his grandmother; the rest of his family died in a road accident. While the entire world considers this road accident an accident or a curse, Vikram believes it was a meticulously planned conspiracy, not an accident or a curse.
However, as time passed, certain shadows began to trouble Vikram. Mostly, Vikram had nightmares, but he was still not ready to accept these things at all. Suppressing the fears in his mind, Vikram wore a mask of seriousness on his face. He didn't want to be afraid; rather, he believed in intimidating people with his personality.
When this accident happened to Vikram at the age of nine, his father's cousin, Samarth Singh, and a loyal associate, Pushkar Singh, stepped forward and took full responsibility for Royals Bundela. They groomed Vikram to be capable of bearing the entire burden of the Royals Bundela empire when the time came. Vikram also left no stone unturned in proving himself.
After 3-4 years of hard work, at the young age of 20, he had already made it to the list of the world's most successful businessmen. In the subsequent 5 years, he had worked so hard that his company is now one of the top five companies in the world. From mining to construction, from hotel chains and shopping malls to entertainment and gaming, his company had established a strong foothold in the world market.
He had been on his world tour for the past week, during which he had overtaken about 4 companies and signed good business contracts with several companies, which would greatly benefit the entire Bundela Group of Industries. Because of this, their company's shares had surged so rapidly in the market that they had even surpassed the company that had held the top position for the last 20 years.
This personal elevator only worked with his scanning. No one else was permitted to use this elevator. Whether you call it a good or bad habit, he didn't like to share his personal elevator with anyone.
Their office is on the tenth floor. The elevator stopped directly at the tenth floor. As the door opened, his secretary, Miss Sophia, twenty-one years old, was standing right in front of the door.
"Good morning, Sir," Sophia greeted him with a bow. In response, Vikram slightly nodded his head and started to move forward.
"How is everything else going on here in the office, Miss Sophia?" Vikram asked Sophia.
"Everything is going great, Sir. Congratulations, our company has become one of the top companies in the world. All the employees are very excited about this and want to congratulate you," Sophia said quickly.
Mr. Bundela did not deem it necessary to respond to their congratulations and quickly moved towards his cabin. Sophia hurried behind him, catching up to discuss today's schedule. Reaching the cabin door, Mr. Bundela looked at Sophia, a clear indication that Vikram wanted a strong black coffee. Sophia understood his unspoken request and nodded quickly, saying, "Okay, Sir, I'll bring it."
Sophia quickly stepped out.
Vikram opened his cabin door. His cabin, in a white and black combination, was as clean and decorated as glass. The interior decoration and furnishings of his cabin reflected Vikram's taste. Vikram let out a deep sigh and took his first step inside. Just then, he felt something under his feet that fell as he stumbled over it.
Vikram looked down in surprise. Lying overturned on the floor was a small, pot-shaped golden urn. Vikram, in anger, wanted to call Sophia, but suddenly he felt as if he had seen this golden urn before. As Vikram was trying to recall the golden urn by concentrating on his mind, the sight that unfolded before his eyes sent shivers down his spine.
Hundreds of small and large snakes and scorpions emerged from the urn and were crawling all over his cabin. An unknown fear gripped Vikram once again. He wanted to scream and shout, but his voice was choked within him. Vikram broke out in a sweat out of fear.
Arjun wanted to turn back and exit his cabin, but surprisingly, in his very first step, he had reached the exact center of his cabin, and snakes and scorpions surrounded him from all sides. They were all moving towards Vikram. As Vikram tried to move out to escape, a snake coiled around his legs. Vikram slammed his foot hard on the ground, but it was no use; instead, the snake tightened its grip on his legs even more. After that, many snakes began to climb all over his body. Vikram's condition worsened with fear. Just then, a snake flew through the air towards him and passed right by his ear. Vikram jerked aside and immediately turned to look back.
It seemed as if a voice was echoing in the air near his ears.
"You are awaited...."
Vikram felt a tremendous jolt. Just then, someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
No response from Groq.
After drinking two glasses of water, Vikram was feeling a bit more relaxed.
"What are you doing here?" Vikram asked Alpak, placing the empty water glass on the table.
"Waiting for you..." Alpak said.
"Waiting for you..." The word again pushed Vikram back into the dark alleys he had just escaped from. He was terribly shocked.
"What... what do you mean?" Vikram asked hurriedly, nervously.
"Relax, brother, relax!" Seeing Vikram so flustered, Alpak tried to calm him by putting his hand on his shoulder.
But today, Vikram didn't seem to care about any of these things. The word "waiting" had made his normal heartbeats race even faster. Hiding his nervousness, he asked Alpak in stern words, "What were you doing?"
"Waiting for you..." Alpak said, emphasizing the words slightly.
"Speak softly, I can hear you! But why were you waiting for me?" Vikram asked.
"I'm not your demanding girlfriend, waiting to empty your pockets," Alpak said irritably.
In response, Vikram glared at him with mild anger.
"Don't look at me like that, it scares me, as if you'll burn me to ashes with your eyes. Sometimes, scare Madam Aarti too with those big eyes of yours, who stick to you like Fevicol..." Alpak said, as if shooing away a fly from his nose. Meanwhile, Vikram was looking at him askance.
"I had some important work with you and had to tell you something, that's why I was waiting for you." Seeing Vikram looking at him like that, Alpak quickly explained the reason for his arrival.
"Just tell me, or are you waiting for an auspicious time, for me to give you a couple of slaps so that all the words come out of your mouth like a recorder!" Vikram admonished Alpak lightly.
"I'm telling you, I'm telling you... Why do you lose your temper so quickly? But first, you tell me, why are you so nervous?" Alpak asked, looking intently at Vikram's face.
Just then, there was a knock on the cabin door. Alpak and Vikram's attention shifted there. By then, Vikram had managed to compose himself.
"Yes, coming..." Vikram said.
Miss Sophia had brought Vikram's coffee. She carefully placed the coffee on the table and had just opened her mouth to ask Vikram something when Vikram signaled her to leave with a glance. Alpak was watching all this intently. He made a displeased face as Sophia left, just as he had been excited by her arrival.
"Miss Sophia, can I get a cup of coffee too?" Seeing Sophia leaving, he called out from behind.
As she was leaving, Sophia turned back, chirping happily, "Of course, sir."
In her happiness, she might have said a few more words, but Vikram's deep, cold eyes doused all her enthusiasm. She lowered her eyes.
"Then, a strong, powerful coffee of my choice, from your beautiful hands." Alpak flirted openly with Sophia.
Sophia cast a downward glance at Vikram, who was looking at her angrily and could fire her at any moment. Meanwhile, Alpak was eagerly waiting for Sophia's response, his heart in his mouth.
"I'll bring it right away, sir." Understanding the intensity of Vikram's gaze, Sophia deemed it wise to quickly leave the cabin.
"What was all that?" As soon as Sophia left, Vikram asked Alpak.
"What was what?" Alpak feigned ignorance, turning Vikram's question back on him.
"I told you before to leave your senseless antics outside. But you were flirting with my secretary, in my office, in front of me?" Vikram asked directly.
"Not at all! I wouldn't dare!" Alpak raised both his hands in surrender.
"She brought coffee for you, and I ordered coffee for myself." Alpak replied carelessly.
Vikram was still looking at him sharply. So, Alpak decided it was best to change the topic.
"Come on! Forget all this. First, tell me? When I entered this cabin, why did you look so dejected?" Alpak steered the conversation back to the original topic.
But by now, Vikram had managed to compose himself completely.
"I knew it, this is what happens when you spend the whole day ogling at girls!!" Vikram said.
"What do you mean?" Alpak asked with a mixture of surprise and astonishment.
"The way you keep staring at girls who come and go!! That's why your eyes have betrayed you before their time. Get your eyes treated before they completely deceive you." Vikram said, picking up his coffee mug from the table.
"Are you saying that when I entered this cabin and you were terribly nervous and drenched in sweat, that was all a deception of my eyes?" Alpak asked.
"Of course! Stop making baseless assumptions. I wasn't nervous at all. I'm just a little tired, and frankly, I'm fed up with your talk." Vikram said, rubbing his forehead with his hands.
"That's quite evident..." Alpak said calmly.
"What's evident?" Vikram asked.
"I don't understand, brother! Why do you take so much stress from work? You work like a machine day and night." Alpak said with some displeasure.
"You won't understand anything anyway!! Anyway, let's forget all this. You tell me, why were you waiting for me?" Vikram paused as he said the word "waiting."
"Yes, I had forgotten about that. Dad called." Alpak informed him.
"Samarth Kakosa? What were they saying?" Vikram asked.
"What else would they say? They were angry with me because you refused to take me with you... and on top of that, your security wasn't that good there, so they were worried about you." Alpak said, making a face.
"And..." Vikram asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"And what? You switched off your phone and sat down, and now all your phone calls were coming to my phone... Pulkit Kakosa also called." Vikram said.
"What were they saying?"
"What else? You had asked them to reopen the Rajgarh City project. They had spoken to the government. They received a positive response. They have no problem reopening this city project, only some contracts need to be rewritten and some need to be reviewed for revenue. To finalize all these things, your presence will be required there. They are just waiting for you to sign the files..." Alpak explained casually.
"Waiting for you..." These words started ringing bells in Vikram's ears again. The coffee mug, which was halfway to his lips for the last sip, stopped there, and Vikram's hand began to tremble.
Vikram's gaze fell on his trembling hand, and the next moment, he saw something different in his coffee mug. Vikram felt as if the coffee mug was now filled with blood, not coffee.
A shiver of fear ran through Vikram's entire body. The coffee mug slipped from his hands and fell, spilling blood all over the cabin. Vikram now saw only blood splattered everywhere in the cabin. Vikram closed his eyes in fear.
Vikram was terribly shaken to see blood in the mug instead of coffee. His hands started to tremble, and the coffee mug slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. Blood splattered all over the floor.
The mere thought that poisonous insects, snakes, and scorpions would emerge from this spilled blood and advance towards him sent a shiver of fear through Vikram's entire body. A tremor of fear spread throughout him. To protect himself from all these things, Vikram tightly closed his eyes and gripped the armrest of the sofa with his hands.
Meanwhile, Vikalp jolted upright. He couldn't understand why Vikram had dropped the coffee mug. Was Vikram angry about something? Vikram didn't usually smash things in anger, so why suddenly like this? Vikalp wondered.
Vikalp cast one glance at the broken coffee mug on the floor and another at Vikram's face, with his eyes closed. It was clear from his face that he was under immense stress. The taut lines of stress were clearly visible on his face, and by closing his eyes, Vikram seemed to be trying to calm the storm raging within him.
Suddenly, Vikalp seemed to understand the reason for Vikram's condition. He placed a hand on Vikram's shoulder.
"If remembering certain things causes pain to the heart, then what's the need to remember them? Why not forget the past?"
Hearing Vikalp's voice, Vikram seemed to emerge from those dark, terrifying visions. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. Then, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at the floor with vacant eyes. As usual, the floor was perfectly clean. Only a little coffee and shattered pieces of the mug lay scattered. Vikram was observing them very intently, as if the broken pieces of the mug were giving him an indication of his own state. His condition was no different; he was severely broken from within.
"What are you looking at so intently on the floor?" Vikalp asked.
Vikram didn't reply. Instead, what was Vikram trying to find amongst those small pieces? He reached out a hand towards a piece of the mug. Vikalp caught his hand midway.
"Oh, leave it, brother! I know you like cleanliness, but these pieces might hurt you. And besides, we don't lack servants. Wait a minute, I'll call Miss Sophia, she'll clean it up," Vikalp said quickly.
"You know, brother! These broken pieces of the mug are laughing at me!" Vikram said absentmindedly.
"What?" Vikalp was astonished.
"Yes, brother! These broken, scattered pieces are telling me about my condition. Their state and mine are exactly the same," Vikram paused for a moment.
"Miss Sophia will gather and throw away the pieces of this broken mug. But what about my heart? It's broken into pieces in such a way that I can't even gather its fragments. What do I do with it? What about those pieces that pierce my heart every moment? Should I gather them too and throw them away?" Vikram asked Vikalp.
Vikalp understood Vikram's state. He had no answer to Vikram's question.
"I can't do this!" Vikram said helplessly, cupping his head in his hands.
"Have you gone mad, brother? Why don't you try to understand? What's past is past. You yourself say that there's so much competition in today's world that if we stop for even a moment to catch our breath, we'll fall far behind in the race of life. Then why? Why have you kept yourself stuck there until now? Why don't you move beyond those memories!" Vikalp asked, holding Vikram by the shoulders.
Hearing Vikalp's words, Vikram gave him a weak smile and looked at him.
"Memories of Rajgarh! If they cause so much pain, then why don't you forget them? Why do you deliberately want to go there again? Why do you want to get involved in the same project again," Vikalp asked.
"Because I want to know the truth!" Vikram said with complete confidence.
"What truth do you want to know, brother? The one that is just an illusion! Something that is untraceable, which suddenly appears before your eyes and deceives people?" Vikalp asked.
"Yes, I want to see that illusion...." Vikram said, getting up from his place.
"Alright, I'll accept your point that it's an illusion, although my heart never wants to accept that Maa Sa and Papa Sa died in a road accident. And that too due to some ghost or illusion? Why does my heart repeatedly tell me that this was a well-planned conspiracy," Vikram said, taking two steps forward. Hearing Vikram's words, Vikalp tightly closed his lips. The truth was that his heart also never wanted to accept that there was a curse associated with Rajgarh Haveli or that a malevolent spirit dwelled there.
But out of fear of his Papa Sa (Samarth Singh Rana), he couldn't say anything openly about it. Yet, Vikram, seeing and understanding everything, even after the accidents happening to him, was refusing to accept this.
"I want to know what exactly that thing is? And why is it after us like this? What have we done to provoke it? And what does it want from us? Until we delve into the problem and try to find the root cause, people will continue to scare us with this problem. Because of this fear, Big Maa Sa has kept me away from myself, from my home, for the last 15 years," Vikram said.
"That's not how it is, brother! I've tried many times, in subtle ways, to talk to Papa Sa about this, to try to get some information from him. But he scolded me badly and clearly said that there is no curse and no malediction. Big Maa Sa has only sent you here to study. And wherever Ram is, there is Lakshman. I can't live without you, so I forcefully followed you here too. Then you settled your business here. And so far, we haven't had an opportunity to go back to India.... Simple," Vikalp tried to explain to Vikram.
"That's what you think, my brother! But it's not the truth. The family absolutely does not want me to go back to Rajgarh. I overheard Big Maa Sa and Samarth Kakosa that night. Big Maa Sa clearly said that if she wasn't afraid of this curse, she would never have let me go away from her," Vikram revealed.
"But what was the outcome of that? Has that curse left me alone? Or is that curse not affecting me? No, brother! It's nothing like that. The curse of Rajgarh Haveli, or that fear, still tries to scare me today," Vikram said.
"What?" Vikalp was shocked to hear such a significant statement from Vikram's mouth.
"What are you saying? Tell me clearly.... Who is scaring you? Or who has tried to scare you?" Vikalp became restless.
"What are you saying?? Tell me clearly... Who is scaring you?? Or who tried to scare you??" Vikalp became restless.
"Who can scare me?? One who himself likes to instill fear in others about his own existence. You know I am not afraid. But yes, since childhood, I have had some inklings. Some vague, tangled memories, in which I always find myself surrounded by troubles. Everywhere, snakes, scorpions, blood coming out of a shining golden urn, and a woman with a terrifying face.
At first, all these things used to appear in my dreams, trying to settle inside my heart in different ways, but when I decided to dismiss these mental illusions and move forward, now those dreams have started to overwhelm me in every way – while sleeping or awake, sitting or standing.
All this doesn't let me move forward, and when I try to look back and remember all these things, try to return to my past days, everything feels familiar. It feels like Rajgarh is waiting for me, and a voice constantly whispers in my ears, 'You are awaited...'"
This word, "awaited," has kept me restless. I can't understand anything. I am completely entangled in the web of these terrifying dreams," Vikram told Vikalp about his trouble casually. After all, how long could he keep his troubles to himself? Vikram now needed a companion who could understand him and his problem, not mock it by calling it a mental delusion. And in such a situation, no one was more trustworthy than Vikalp.
"What??" Vikalp was jolted with surprise hearing such a big thing from Vikram's mouth.
"According to you, all this has been happening to you since you came to America from India, since childhood, and you are telling me this today?? Didn't you think it necessary to trust me this much?? Brother, you are my brother... Besides the blood relation between us, we also have the strongest bond of friendship, through which we can openly share our hearts. I used to tell you all my matters, and still do, but you never felt it necessary to tell me what you were going through??" Vikalp had many complaints against Vikram.
"Brother, first try to understand me!!" Vikram interrupted Vikalp.
"What should I try to understand?? My own brother, whom I trust blindly, doesn't trust me!! He hides all his matters, all his problems from me. Yes, tell me, what do you want to explain to me?
Brother!! I have been with you from my birth till today, and whenever I asked you about waking up at night, you always dodged by making an excuse that you were missing your stepmother and family. Whenever you used to wake up in the night drenched in sweat and distressed, you would console me by saying that the scene of your 'Bade Baba Sa's' terrible accident was flashing before your eyes, which was causing you distress. You never felt it necessary to tell me your real problem... And today, when the water has gone past the limit, you are telling me all this??" Vikram was not only surprised but also worried, and concern for Vikram was also evident in his words. Arjun was understanding Vikalp's words.
Vikalp didn't even remember since when he had been with Vikram. He was the son of Vikram's father's cousin, Samarth Singh Bundela, who was the maternal cousin of Rana Abhimanyu Pratap Singh Bundela. Both were raised from childhood together, under the same roof, and besides the brotherly relation, a friendship also blossomed due to being of the same age.
From home to outside, everyone called Vikalp Vikram's Lakshman, and Vikalp till today had no idea what circumstances his brother was facing?? Vikalp felt regret for his own negligence.
"Look, stop blaming yourself. First, listen to me, I understand that you have every right to complain. But try to understand my problem too. After all, what could I have told you?? That Vikram Singh Bundela, whose one glance is enough to scare even his enemies, is himself scared of his own inner fear, which is not real!! There is no problem, just a mental delusion. Whoever hears about this problem of mine will call me mentally disturbed... Everyone will say that due to the workload, Vikram Singh Bundela has gone mad at a young age..." Vikram finally revealed everything to Vikalp.
"Since when have you started caring about the world, brother?? The world follows your thoughts. Where your thoughts go, even the thoughts of the great do not reach. Since when have you started following the world's thinking... No one will call you mentally disturbed. Just as you, I, and all of us have an existence in this world, similarly, this other world also has an existence. I wanted to talk to you on this matter many times, but you would dismiss my words, and Papa Sa would scold me and shut me up. Believe it or not!! All these things happen," Vikalp said his piece.
"So, you believe in the existence of these things??" Vikram asked.
"Absolutely, brother!!"
"Then you must also think that my Papa Sa's death happened due to this curse??" Vikram asked the next question.
"Yes, sometimes my mind tells me that these things also had a hand in 'Bade Baba Sa's' accident..." Vikalp said, lowering his eyes.
"Absolutely not!!! Papa Sa did not die, but he was murdered, which was entirely a well-thought-out conspiracy, and I can say this with full confidence because if these things were deadly, they have been trying to scare me since childhood and would have taken my life by now," Vikram said, standing up.
"I am also ready to accept your point that 'Bade Baba Sa's' death was not an accident but a well-planned conspiracy, but my mind cannot deny that whatever is happening to you is not a part of that curse," Vikalp said, trying to explain to Vikram.
"Then it's fine!! You tell me then, what should be the way to get rid of this fear in my mind or that curse? After all, there must be some way to escape this curse? Or to control this fear? Because my life has a simple principle: either break the problem, or break yourself and scatter. In both conditions, victory is yours," Vikram said firmly.
"Meaning?"
"Its meaning will be understood on that day, when I confront this curse. Then we'll see who succeeds in instilling fear in whose heart?? On that day, either this curse will end forever from the Bundela family, or the Bundela dynasty will end!!" Vikram's eyes had a peculiar, deep glint of fighting even death, which for a moment made Vikalp fear too.
Rajgarh State
Rajasthan (India)
As Bikram was recounting his experiences to Vikalp, it was daytime in America, but nighttime in India. Shatrupa Devi, the Rajmata of Rajgarh and Vikram's grandmother, was resting comfortably on a soft, plush bed in her magnificent Bundela Palace. Unaware of any impending danger, she was enjoying a peaceful sleep.
From the royal rule of kings to today's democratic system, time may have changed, but the grandeur and splendor of Rajgarh's royal family and the royal Bundela Palace remained unaltered. The palace stood with the same might it possessed during the British era or when the Bundelas ruled the entirety of Rajgarh.
It is said that time erases those who do not adapt to its changes. However, the Bundela family had always prepared themselves in accordance with the changing times. As a result, while neighboring and surrounding princely states vanished without a trace, the Bundela family of Rajgarh had maintained their prestige in every sphere to this day.
Where previously the state's revenue sources were taxes and tolls, today, thanks to the Bundela family's foresight, companies like Bundela Group of Industries and Bundela Empire, wholly owned by the Bundelas, generated significant turnovers of billions of dollars. Today, "Royals Bundela" was among the top ten companies not just in India but in the world, and the Bundela family was among the world's top ten richest families.
Generation after generation had not only preserved their prestige but also their ancestral traditions to this day. Vikram Singh Bundela was currently the heir to the entire Rajgarh state. Or rather, he was the uncrowned king of his state.
About 16 years ago, after losing her only son and daughter-in-law in a road accident, Shatrupa Devi had once again taken the reins of the entire Rajgarh into her hands. Declaring her only grandson and the last surviving heir of Rajgarh state, Vikram Singh Bundela, as her successor, she had sent him abroad for his education and, in his absence, managed the entire Bundela affairs with the help of her nephew, Samarth Singh, and her loyal confidant, Pulkit Singh.
When Vikram stepped into the business world at the young age of 16, Shatrupa Devi retired from the business world. Her time was now fully dedicated to prayers and active participation in politics. Even today, the head of the Bundela family, Rajmata Shatrupa Devi, held significant influence in politics. Regardless of which party formed the government in the state, Shatrupa Devi still held the reins of power.
Shatrupa Devi was a beautiful and gentle woman of about 60 years. Even at this age, one could tell that time had had a minimal effect on her. Only two to four wrinkles graced her face, showcasing her maturity. Anyone looking at her beautiful face could only imagine how radiant she must have been in her youth. Even at this age, her hair cascaded down to her waist, and her well-maintained physique spoke volumes about her upkeep.
Around 12:00 AM, Shatrupa Devi suddenly felt her throat become dry with thirst. The thirst woke her up. The soft light from the lamps in the luxurious bedroom was dimly spread, and at this moment, Shatrupa Devi was wearing a light-colored, soft, and smooth silk sari. Fumbling, Shatrupa Devi reached for the bedside switch and turned on the table lamp beside her. The room was now dimly lit.
The light was sufficient to clearly see everything in the room. The Bundela Palace was, as its name suggested, a beautiful royal palace, and every room within it was a priceless testament to the Bundela family's royal taste and immense wealth. The room was decorated with modern amenities while keeping in mind royal grandeur. Everything in the room was an antique piece. From the floor to the walls, priceless tiles were installed.
The ceiling of the room featured exquisite craftsmanship. Thick, beautiful, and expensive curtains hung from the doors and windows, and the centerpiece of the room was the chandelier, imported from abroad and worth millions. As soon as the side lamp was turned on, its reflection caused the chandelier to sparkle in seven colors, giving the entire room a unique, rainbow-like aura. If the bulbs in the chandelier were switched on, its beauty would have seemed to bring a direct rainbow into the room.
"Why am I suddenly so thirsty in the middle of the night?" Shatrupa Devi murmured to herself, touching her throat.
"It seems I forgot to drink water today," Shatrupa Devi thought to herself. She had a habit of drinking water half an hour after meals. She closed her eyes, trying to recall, and immediately remembered that she had indeed drunk water. Then why the sudden thirst? And to such an extent, as if she hadn't drunk any water all day.
"Perhaps the spices in the vegetable were too strong today. I didn't notice due to the taste and ate it. Now, my throat is burning with thirst because of it. Well, whatever it is! I must drink water. Without water, neither the thirst nor this burning will go away." Shatrupa Devi gently got up from her bed and slipped on her soft slippers. Walking slowly across the expensive carpet spread in the room, she approached the small refrigerator located within the room. Shatrupa Devi opened the refrigerator to get water, but she was completely stunned by what she saw.
"Oh God!! How can it be that there is no water in any bottle today??" Bottles were lined up in the fridge, but out of about 12 bottles, not a single drop of water was found. Shatrupa Devi was very surprised.
"How can this be?? Did Paro forget to fill water? This Paro! She is becoming more forgetful and lazy day by day. I will ask her properly in the morning and give her a good scolding. But what should I do now?? It wouldn't be good to wake anyone up right now. I'll get water from the kitchen myself." Shatrupa Devi thought to herself and walked out of her room towards the kitchen.
"Amazing!! Where are all the servants today?? And Nirmala is also not in the kitchen...." Shatrupa Devi had come out of her room and reached the kitchen, but she found no one. Even Nirmala, the maid who worked in the kitchen, was not there, and there was complete darkness in the kitchen. Feeling around in the dark, Shatrupa Devi tried to turn on the bulb from the switchboard in the kitchen, and it felt as if something flew past her ears very quickly and sat near the gas stove. Shatrupa Devi turned sharply and tried to see.
"What was that??"
Nothing was clearly visible in the dark, but two glowing, terrifying eyes were staring at her. She could see two deep eyes, shining like bulbs, which sent a shiver down Shatrupa Devi's spine.
"Who!!! Who is there???" Gathering all her strength, Shatrupa Devi asked, but there was no response. Instead, the glow of those eyes began to prick her face. It was as if those eyes had penetrated Shatrupa Devi's eyes, right into her heart, and were successfully instilling their fear within her.
"Who is there??? I am asking you to come forward. Who is in the kitchen???"
Just then, something flew past her from behind, very close to her, and went by rapidly. Shatrupa Devi's heart stopped beating for a moment.
Witnessing so many terrifying sights at once was making Shatrupa Devi's condition worse. Although she was a Rajputani, the Rajmata of the Rajgarh principality. Not only was her personality influential, but she herself was a woman with a strong heart. She knew how to stand firm even in the most difficult situations. That's why, after losing her husband, she didn't let herself crumble despite being completely broken by the grief of her only young son and daughter-in-law's death.
For her grandson Vikram and the heritage of this Rajgarh, she had maintained her composure in the eyes of the world and stood strong at this juncture.
However, this was perhaps an event... or the beginning of such events... whose bitter and terrifying memories still lay dormant somewhere in her inner self. Today, whatever had happened had served to gently awaken this fear that had been sleeping in her heart for years.
"No, no. It's nothing like that. It's all my imagination. It seems I've thought too much. Many years have passed since that incident... Its shadow is nowhere in our lives now. There's no one here besides me!! So who else could it be...." Pushing away all the apprehensions from her mind, she composed herself and closed her eyes to relax.
It was still quite dark in the kitchen, and her eyes couldn't see anything. So, she tried to touch the wall with her fingers. Soon, she found the wall at the edge of the kitchen where the switchboard was located. Since it was her own home, she didn't have much trouble finding the wall.
As her fingers were fumbling in the dark for the switchboard on the wall, she suddenly heard the sound of jackals howling from afar, and amidst this, she also heard the hooting of an owl, which seemed to be sitting quite close to her.
In the dark, black night, these terrifying sounds had shaken the door that Shatrupa Devi had buried in her chest and tightly shut about 15 or 16 years ago.
"No!! This cannot be." Shatrupa Devi tried to control the fear in her mind and reassured herself, but the sound was rapidly approaching her.
Now Shatrupa Devi was terribly scared, and she opened her eyes.
As these sounds came closer to her ears, her heartbeat started racing like a bullet train, so fast it felt like her heart would burst out. She placed her hand on her heart to control her rapid palpitations. With great difficulty, she managed to utter...
"Who is here??? I am asking you to come forward. Who is in the kitchen???"
Nothing was clearly visible in the dark, but two glowing, terrifying eyes were staring at her. She could see two deep eyes, shining like bulbs, which sent a shiver down Shatrupa Devi's spine. For a moment, Shatrupa Devi was scared, but the very next moment, her fingers seemed to have found the switchboard. She turned on the light.
In front of her, a large owl was sitting on the slab, staring at her. As soon as the light came on, the owl flew out of the kitchen through the window and disappeared into the darkness. Shatrupa Devi's heart skipped a beat.
Seeing the owl fly out, Shatrupa Devi let out a deep sigh of relief.
"How silly of me!! What was I even thinking, I almost had a heart attack from unfounded fear. It was God's grace that I found the switchboard, and the one I feared turned out to be just an owl." Sumitra Devi now regretted her foolishness and had managed to calm herself down considerably.
Standing by the switchboard, Shatrupa Devi scanned the kitchen with her eyes. Everything was perfectly clean. Nothing was out of place or spilled. The kitchen, decorated in an Indo-Western style, was telling its own regal story. Shatrupa Devi seemed to be searching for something with her eyes, taking in the entire kitchen.
Perhaps she was checking if anything else was hidden. Just then, she suddenly heard the loud sound of a door opening and closing just as quickly. The door was slammed shut with such force, as if done in great anger. The sound was so loud it felt like a powerful bomb had exploded right next to her ears. For a moment, her ears went deafeningly silent. Then, suddenly, it felt like a cold draft brushed past her ears. This icy cold wind, touching her ears, sent its chill down her spine. She shivered for a moment from this cold sensation. Shatrupa Devi turned back abruptly.
The window through which the owl had flown was still open, and its shutters were still playing with the wind. Sumitra Devi placed a hand on her forehead.
"This Urmila! She's becoming more careless by the day... she forgot to close the kitchen window... Now if the window remains open, owls and bats will come inside at night." Muttering curses at the maid, Shatrupa Devi moved to close the window.
"Thank God only an owl came in, otherwise if the window remained open like this in the darkness of the night, anything could have come in during the monsoon season." The words that came to Shatrupa Devi's mind for "anything" were snakes and scorpions. But as soon as these things came to mind, she shivered terribly... Her heart and mind simultaneously raced in different directions, fleeing from the fear of dark, black shadows. So, she stopped herself from even uttering the word.
"I don't know what's gotten into me! It feels like my mind has gone haywire! Today, only nonsensical thoughts are entering my head. What possessed me to come down to the kitchen for a drink of water? I should have asked Paro for water using the intercom from upstairs. Now if I wander around like a soul in the middle of the night, these are the thoughts that will come to my mind." Shatrupa Devi scolded herself harshly to shake off her erratic thoughts.
"I just came to the kitchen for water, and now I'll just take the water and go back to my room. I'll deal with everything else tomorrow morning, and I'll settle scores with these servants in the morning. It seems like they've all fallen into a deep sleep, not waking up despite all the noise. Look at this guard, even the corridor lights aren't working properly today. The lampposts are barely showing their own shapes... how can they light the way? Not only that, but they've turned off all the lights inside and outside the palace." Shatrupa Devi was also angry with the servants. And the window that wasn't closing was only fueling her anger! The more she tried to pull it shut, the more jammed the latch felt.
"I won't let them get away with this! Tomorrow morning, I'll deal with each one of them. I'll give them a good lecture and settle the accounts for this carelessness..." Saying this, she somehow managed to close the window and breathed a sigh of relief.
She turned back towards the kitchen, intending to get a bottle of water from the fridge. The sight before her left her completely shocked.
As soon as Shatrupa Devi closed the window and turned back towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge, her eyes widened in astonishment at the sight before her.
"Where have I come?" The words suddenly escaped her lips.
Everything had changed in an instant. She was standing in her luxurious, Indo-Western style kitchen, but where had she suddenly come? This wasn't her kitchen, not even her palace's servant quarters.
It was the room of a very old hut. The walls of the room were made of mud, and the roof was likely made of wood and clay tiles, along with straw. The mud from the walls was crumbling and falling in places. It seemed as if the walls themselves were unable to bear their own weight, let alone support the roof, and this extremely old hut could collapse at any moment. For light, a flickering earthen lamp was burning on a small mud platform built within the room. Its light was so dim that it could barely spread illumination even in its immediate vicinity. The rest of the room was dominated by darkness.
Shatrupa Devi's mouth hung open in astonishment.
"Oh God, where have I come to!!"
This was the room of a very old hut. The walls of the room were made of mud, and the roof was likely also of wood and mud tiles with thatch. The mud from the walls had crumbled and fallen in places. It seemed as if the wall was failing to support its own weight, so how could it bear the weight of the roof? This extremely old hut could collapse at any moment. For light, a dim, flickering earthen lamp was burning on a small mud platform built within the room. Its light was so faint that it could barely illuminate its immediate surroundings. The rest of the room was dominated by darkness.
Just then, a gust of strong, foul-smelling air hit their noses. A putrid, stinking odor permeated the entire room. The smell was like burning leather or the stench of burning hair. Whatever it was, this stench was unbearable for Goddess Shatrupa. Goddess Shatrupa felt suffocated by the odor.
She wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible and breathe in the open air. Otherwise, this rotten stench had made it difficult even to breathe. The smell made her feel nauseous. She felt like vomiting. Somehow suppressing her nausea, she stood in place and scanned the entire room.
Everything was not clearly visible in the darkness, but she tried to see in the dark. Gradually, her eyes managed to discern some things in the darkness. Then she felt that there might be a door in the opposite wall, from where the moonlight outside was splashing in through the bottom of the door. It was from the light spread beneath the door that she deduced the presence of this door.
She began to try to leave from there. As she was moving quickly towards the wall, her foot struck something in the dark, and there was a loud sound like a bone breaking. It felt as if fragments of her broken bone were piercing her leg. She bent down to look, but nothing was visible in the dark. So, she bent down and picked up the fragment from near her feet.
She turned the fragment over and over to examine it in the flickering light of the lamp. Upon seeing it, she was stunned.
"This is a part of a human skull. But how is it here?" A wave of fear gripped Goddess Shatrupa.
Goddess Shatrupa quickly threw the bone fragment in her hand away from her. But the fragment struck another bone, and the sound of two bones clashing echoed in the room. The sound was so loud it felt like a powerful explosion. Along with this loud noise, black smoke also spread throughout the room. Fearfully, Goddess Shatrupa almost screamed, but she put her hand over her mouth to suppress her cry.
After some time, the black smoke gradually cleared, and with eyes that had managed to see in the darkness, she now saw only human skulls scattered across the floor of the room. It felt as if she had been placed amidst only human skulls. Wherever she looked, only human skulls and bones were visible. Goddess Shatrupa began to tremble with fear.
Her heart started beating faster, but still, she showed courage and somehow began to try to get out of there. Somehow, stepping among the human skulls, and at times stepping over them, she slowly managed to reach the vicinity of the door from where the moonlight was faintly filtering in from underneath.
Reaching the door, she removed her hand from her mouth, which she had placed there to stop herself from vomiting. As soon as she removed her hand, the strong stench hit her nose again, and this time it numbed her mind. Composing herself, she somehow extended both her hands with all her might to open the door.
As soon as she reached out to open the door, a scorpion suddenly began to climb rapidly onto her hands. To protect herself from the scorpion's sting, she began to shake her hands. But the scorpion crawled along her hands, and Goddess Shatrupa felt a tingling sensation all over her body from the scorpion's movement. This tingling made every hair on her body stand on end. Goddess Shatrupa felt as if several venomous insects were slowly climbing onto her. With all her courage, she caught the scorpion with her other hand and flung it away from her.
Now Goddess Shatrupa could not stay there for even a moment. Although nothing was clearly visible in the darkness, she had a definite sense that she was surrounded by venomous insects and scorpions.
Somehow protecting herself, she opened the door in one swift movement.
But could she come out of it?
Wait for the next part to know...
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
As soon as the door opened, the bright moonlight bathed her entire body. Just as she was taking a step outside, a large python hanging from the roof of the hut’s doorway opened its enormous mouth and lunged towards them with a venomous hiss. The force of the hiss was so strong that, for a moment, the hot, fiery air scorched Shatarupa Devi’s face and her entire body. Shatarupa Devi jerked her steps back. Had she not pulled herself back quickly, she would have likely been swallowed by the giant python’s mouth by now.
Seeing this sudden brush with death, Shatarupa Devi’s hands and feet turned completely cold. She trembled in place. Just then, a hand reached out towards her.
In the moonlight, she looked closely at the hand extended to support her. The hand felt very familiar.
Then she remembered that this was a hand she could never forget. Even in this moment of death dancing around her head, seeing this hand gave her sinking heart a lifeline. As she reached out to grasp the hand, it moved forward on its own, quickly pulling her outside and then releasing her abruptly. Shatarupa Devi fell forward onto the ground.
Her knees were badly injured. But still, enduring her pain, she first raised her face to get up. Her hands felt as if they had touched a slab of ice. The blood-chilling cold made her hands numb. She looked at what lay before her eyes, what her hands had touched. Seeing the corpse lying before her, a loud scream escaped her.
Death was dancing all around her, and it was a terrifying and horrific death that made even a strong-hearted woman like Shatarupa Devi lose her senses.
Just then, suddenly, in the darkness, a hand reached out to help her, pulling her from the darkness and casting her into the light. As Shatarupa Devi was trying to regain her composure and get up, she saw the corpse of her husband, wrapped in a shroud, before her eyes.
In an instant, the body wrapped in the shroud began to rot and decay horribly. The shroud draped over the body, torn in places, fully revealed the corpse's grotesque condition.
Where the moonlight had previously shone outside the hut and a gentle, cool breeze was blowing, a sense of gloom and a putrid stench gradually began to spread throughout the surroundings. Slowly, this place too was now enveloped by some negative force.
In the darkness of the night, even the rustling of leaves sounded like noise near her ears when the wind blew. Now, along with the rustling of leaves, Shatarupa Devi could hear the distant cries of jackals and dogs. The sudden howling of jackals and dogs in the quiet atmosphere created an atmosphere of not only gloom but also fear.
Shatarupa Devi looked intently at her husband’s corpse. She wanted to reach out and touch him. She wanted to feel his presence. But now, after seeing the terrible state of the corpse with her own eyes, she lacked the courage. Her husband had died of a heart attack, and she could not possibly mistake his corpse. She could say with certainty that this corpse was her husband's. But the corpse lying before her eyes had so distorted its appearance in an instant that it was no longer recognizable.
The corpse had been torn apart by insects in places, and even now, hundreds of repulsive insects, small black snakes, and scorpions crawled on his body, diligently tearing at the corpse and making it even more horrifying.
Seeing her husband's corpse in such a state, Shatarupa Devi's mind flashed back to the day her husband had a heart attack. He kept screaming, "Someone save me from these snakes and scorpions..." He died on the way to the hospital, and the doctors there declared him dead.
Shatarupa Devi couldn't understand where the snakes and scorpions were in this clean body and how they could be removed from his body. But the real irony began when they brought the corpse back from the hospital. On the way from the hospital to home, the corpse's condition worsened even more, to the point that it couldn't be brought home. From midway, it was sent to a funeral parlor.
Shatarupa Devi returned during those days. She started screaming and crying like a madwoman. One by one, she rapidly tried to catch the insects from her husband's body and throw them out, shouting, "No! This can't be happening! No! Leave my husband alone."
As she was throwing an insect out, her hand accidentally brushed against the bedlamp placed beside her bed. She received a shock from the lamp, and Shatarupa Devi snapped back to consciousness, sitting up abruptly.
Shatarupa Devi awoke from her dream.
She was in her luxurious bedroom at this time. The dim light of a night bulb spread across the bedroom, making everything perfectly clear. Shatarupa Devi reached out and turned on the side lamp with the bedswitch. The entire room was filled with a decent amount of light, making the whole room visible. The room was absolutely clean. Not a single snake or scorpion, let alone any dirt or dust, was anywhere. Finding herself safe in her room, Shatarupa Devi gained some courage. She was trying her best to look around with wide eyes, wondering if she was truly in her room, or still under some delusion, or back in the old hut?
Even after coming to her senses, her body was trembling uncontrollably. She folded her knees and rested her head between them.
"Oh God!! Was this a dream? Such a terrible dream?" Shatarupa Devi still couldn't believe she had had such a bad dream.
"Everything felt so vivid, happening right before my eyes. After about 15-16 years, Shamsher came into my dream again. The same days are returning. These nightmares!! These nightmares had stopped bothering me. So why today, after so many years, did I have the same dream? What calamity is about to happen now? Oh Mahadev!! Help me. I don't understand what I should do now? To save the last lamp of this family, I have kept my life's only support so far away from me. Then why don't these things leave us alone? What should I do now? Protect my child, Lord."
"I have been broken and shattered twice. After my husband's painful death, seeing the bodies of my only young son and daughter-in-law was also very difficult for me. With great difficulty, I have held myself together only for Arjun, and if anything like this happens again, I won't be able to pick myself up. The Pratapgarh dynasty will be wiped out." Shatarupa Devi, with her head buried in her knees, was weeping profusely and pleading with God for help. At that moment, if anyone had seen her condition, they would never have believed that she was the same Shatarupa Devi whose slightest glance could make the state government tremble. She looked in a very miserable condition. As she cried, Shatarupa Devi started hiccuping and felt thirsty. She checked the time on her cellphone. It was almost 4:00 AM. Remembering what had just happened to her, Shatarupa Devi's hair stood on end. She didn't have the courage to get up and get water herself.
However, her habit of waking up early in the morning for a workout, of leaving her bed quickly in any weather, made it impossible for her to sit in bed any longer. Even with the air conditioner running at full speed in the room, she felt restless. Her throat was dry from thirst, and it felt like her life would slip away if she didn't get water immediately.
Gathering some courage, she put her foot under the bed and slowly walked towards the window. After opening the hut's door, the memory of what had happened made her lose the courage to even open the window. With trembling hands, she reached towards the window and yanked it open. A cool gust of fresh air washed over her entire body. At the same time, the loud sound of a conch shell blowing from a nearby temple was heard.
For a moment, Shatarupa Devi was frightened even by the sound of the conch, but when her ears realized that it was the sound of a temple conch, she closed her eyes, embracing the sacred sound within her. Along with the sound of this sacred conch, the strains of Shiva stutis, sung by a melodious voice, began to float in the atmosphere.
For a moment, Shatarupa Devi was frightened even by the sound of the conch, but when her ears realized that it was the sound of a temple conch, she closed her eyes, embracing that divine voice within her.
When the mind is very troubled, nothing anywhere feels good. That was the state of Shatarupa Devi at this time. The night's dream had entangled her so much that she was extremely agitated. Because of this, even this beautiful, pleasant morning had no effect on her. But this is how it happens, "Hari's name for the defeated." When a person is defeated everywhere, they see God in the end.
In this temple built in the northeast corner of the palace, the Kulguru, along with his wife, was performing the abhishekam of Lord Shiva in the early morning. Because of the microphone installed in the temple, the chanting of all the mantras could be clearly heard in the palace in the morning. Shatarupa Devi was a woman of modern culture. She didn't have much inclination towards excessive worship. But yes, she knew how to preserve the cultural heritage passed down to her. Therefore, all the daily routine tasks that were performed during her in-laws' time were still being carried out in this palace. Since she couldn't worship herself daily, she had appointed a priest for the temple.
Along with the sound of this sacred conch, the words of Shiva stuti, sung by a melodious voice, began to float in the atmosphere.
"If defeated by the world, I come to your door.
If defeated even here, where shall I go, O Lord!!"
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
"He who is defeated by the world, comes to Your door.
If I am defeated from here too, where shall I go, O Lord!!"
As the lyrics of this familiar bhajan fell into her ears, she began to ponder.
"It's true! When we are troubled from all sides, only then do we remember God in the end. I have tried every possible way to escape this curse and undo its effects, but to no avail. Now, only God remains as a path. It is said that God does not close all doors at once, and even when all paths are closed, He opens a small window of hope. I must think about this window option now. After all, how long can I keep running away from the main problem like this?
Vikram has also been asking me to come to India for a long time. How long can I keep him there by making excuses? His roots are here, and his heart yearns to return home. Before Vikram comes to India himself and gets involved in these matters again, or before any untoward incident occurs, I must sort out the matter here myself. As soon as possible, I have to find a solid solution to this problem as before, and I must talk to the Kulaguru for this. I can no longer postpone this." Shatrupanji was thinking to herself, standing by the window.
Gradually, the horror of the night, along with the darkness, was also dispelling the ill omen that had spread throughout the royal palace. As the sound of the mantras grew louder, it was creating a sacred atmosphere by encompassing this ill omen. To absorb this positive, holy energy within herself, Shatrupadivi closed her eyes and joined her hands in prayer right there by the window.
As the gentle, cool breeze began to lift the burden from her mind, Shatrupadivi also slowly began to drift off to sleep.
She didn't even realize that she had an important meeting at "Royals Bundela Jaipur" at 9:00 AM today. Her mind was preoccupied only with the dream from last night and Vikrant's security. She could no longer bear to see her grandson sacrificed for these things.
"Shatrupa!" Paro, her maid, gently shook Shatrupadivi, who was asleep on the couch by the window. Besides being her maid, Paro was also her childhood friend. She had come to this Pratapgarh Palace from her parental home with Shatrupadivi. Because of this, the relationship of master and servant had not yet formed between them. The continuous accidents in the royal palace had also isolated Shatrupadivi from her family and everyone else. In such a situation, Paro was not only her friend but also her confidante and confidante.
"What is it!!" Shatrupadivi opened her eyes, slightly annoyed.
"That's what you should tell me, what is all this??" Paro gestured towards Shatrupadivi's current state.
"What is what? Is there something?"
Not only had Shatrupadivi not slept all night, but her condition was also bad due to fear, and Paro had just woken her from a light sleep, so she hadn't understood Paro's words. In fact, Paro had gestured with her hands towards Shatrupadivi's state, but not understanding anything, Shatrupadivi quickly sat up, flustered. She felt as if Paro was pointing to something on the ground or that something was crawling on the couch.
Even after getting off the couch, Shatrupadivi's fear did not subside, so she started dusting her clothes. It seemed as if something had gotten on her clothes, and she was trying to shake it off. Paro watched her silently. She couldn't understand what she was doing.
"Get away from me! Leave me! Someone help me." Shatrupadivi kept trying to remove something from her sari, shaking it repeatedly.
"Shatrupan! Have you gone mad? What are you doing? There's nothing here..." Paro tried to gently explain to Shatrupadivi, but Shatrupadivi seemed not to hear anything. She was tearing off the silk work on her sari and throwing it away as if something was on it, like crawling insects or scorpions.
"Stop it, Shatrupan! There's nothing here..." Paro grabbed Shatrupadivi by the shoulders and shook her vigorously.
When Paro shook her, Shatrupadivi came to her senses and looked at Paro with questioning eyes.
"What are you doing? I was just asking you why you are sleeping on the couch instead of your bed? And you are..." Seeing Shatrupadivi so flustered, Paro sat her back down on the couch, holding her by the shoulders.
"I just couldn't sleep last night, so I came here, and I don't know when I fell asleep so soundly that I didn't notice anything. When you suddenly woke me, I got scared." Shatrupadivi made an excuse, looking around.
Paro, who had been with her since childhood, knew Shatrupadivi's every action. She understood that Shatrupadivi was hiding something.
"Alright, Shatrupan! I accept that you are telling the truth, that you couldn't sleep so you came near the window. But the way you woke up flustered wasn't normal. Tell me the truth, what's the matter?" Paro asked as if scanning Shatrupadivi.
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
"Hey!! I'm telling the truth, it's really nothing. And why would I lie to you?? I couldn't sleep for a long time last night. Even with the AC on, it felt muggy. I was feeling hot. At first, I thought I'd just lie down in the garden for a bit. My mind would feel lighter. But then I would be going alone, and your questions would start, and you were sleeping so peacefully, so it wasn't right to wake you up. That's why, thinking of not going outside, I just opened this window. I didn't anticipate that the moment you saw me here, your barrage of questions would begin. Otherwise, I wouldn't even sleep here." Shatrupa Devi got up quickly.
"Alright, no problem!! If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you to. Look at the time!! It's 8:00 AM, and you have a meeting at Rolls Bundela at 9:00 AM. Get ready quickly and come downstairs. Everyone is waiting for you at breakfast. Pulkit and Samarth have also arrived." Seeing Shatrupa Devi's condition, Paro decided it wasn't right to pry further.
"Oh my god!! Oh my dear Paro. If it weren't for you, what would have become of me??" Shatrupa Devi exclaimed, almost hitting her head.
"Now, what did I do??" Paro asked, feigning ignorance.
"Oh!! You reminded me, otherwise, I had no idea that my video conference with Vikram is at 1:00 PM today. He's been on a world tour for the past week." Looking at the clock, Shatrupa Devi sprang into action. Her workout time was gone, so she quickly headed towards the washroom.
Outside, Paro was cleaning their room, and inside, Shatrupa Devi was showering quickly, thinking a lot. The most important among her thoughts was the upcoming video conference meeting with Vikram.
"You got ready so quickly today, usually it takes you at least an hour to shower," Paro said as Shatrupa Devi emerged swiftly from the bathroom.
"Oh yes!! I told you, I have a meeting with Vikram at the office today..." Shatrupa Devi said, fastening her watch.
"And that's why yesterday night, waiting for his call, when did you fall asleep?? Or did it happen that you couldn't sleep all night and only fell asleep in the morning."
"It's not like that!! I spoke to Vikram yesterday. Vikram was tired and fell asleep as soon as he arrived, so I couldn't talk to him. Later, if he tried to call at night, I was asleep," Shatrupa Devi replied quickly.
"Did you really fall asleep?? Or were you waiting for his call all night?? And then, sitting on the couch, sleep overtook you in the morning." Paro said, looking deeply at Shatrupa Devi, whose sadness was evident on her face.
"Oh no!! It's nothing like that, I spoke to Vikram, so I was relaxed. It's just that I couldn't sleep. You, really, you just cling to me. Okay!! I couldn't find my phone, it was somewhere around here after I talked to Vikram." Shatrupa Devi tried to change the subject.
"Was it somewhere around here, or did you throw it somewhere in anger because you couldn't talk to Vikram??" Paro said suggestively, her eyes darting around in search of Shatrupa Devi's phone.
Hearing Paro's words, all the events of yesterday came rushing back to Shatrupa Devi. It had been more than 2 or 3 years since Vikram had stopped talking to her on the phone. Even yesterday, despite countless attempts, Shatrupa Devi couldn't talk to Vikram. Vikram had also tried multiple times to put her on a conference call, so that at least Shatrupa Devi could hear Vikram's voice. But Vikram seemed to capture even the sound of her heartbeat, and he had hung up the call. He had blocked Shatrupa Devi's number on his phone.
And this was the reason why Vikram's number had been unreachable for several days, and it had necessitated Viklap visiting his office to meet him.
"Here's your phone!! Luckily, its fortune was good, and despite your desire to smash it, it survived this time." Paro handed Shatrupa Devi her phone.
The phone was found lodged in the carpet. Thank God, despite being thrown forcefully, due to the soft and plush carpet, the phone remained intact.
"I feel like throwing you out the first thing, but alas!! Nothing happens according to my wishes." Shatrupa Devi said with annoyance.
"I admit you have anger, so show it to him!! Who is truly responsible for your condition. I don't know what you gain by taking your anger out on this lifeless phone?? You don't even want to take the name of the one who deserves your anger. You sent the one who deserves your love across seven seas, and when he wants to come here, you don't want to let him. What do you want, after all?? I just don't understand." Paro said irritably.
Ignoring Paro's words, Shatrupa Devi glanced at her phone.
"This is showing a red battery," Shatrupa Devi said, exasperated.
"Don't worry, I've charged both your power banks. Take this. And I'll also put the phone on charge; by the time you have breakfast, your phone will also be charged. You just come down and have breakfast peacefully, everyone is waiting for you." Paro seemed to have a solution for every problem.
Seeing Paro taking so much care of her, Shatrupa Ji felt guilty. After all, Paro had never made any mistakes, ever. On the contrary, Paro had always stood by her like a shadow in her joys and sorrows. While people who promised to stay together for lifetimes had left her alone in the middle of the turbulent sea.
"No one is waiting for me, Paro! Waiting is written in my destiny, Paro! No one is waiting for me, everyone is waiting for him..."
"Only!! And only waiting for him..." saying this, Shatrupa Devi's eyes welled up.
The word "waiting" also made Paro's heart pound with a familiar sense of dread.
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
"Hey! I'm telling the truth, it's nothing. And why would I lie to you? I couldn't sleep for a long time last night. Even with the AC, it felt humid. I was feeling hot. At first, I thought I'd just lie in the garden for a while. My mind would feel lighter. But then if I went alone, your questions would start, and you were sleeping so peacefully, so it wasn't right to wake you. That's why, thinking of not going out, I just opened this window. I wasn't expecting my questions to pour out the moment you saw me here. Otherwise, I wouldn't even sleep here." Shatrupa Devi got up quickly.
"It's okay! If you don't want to tell, I won't press you. Look at the clock! It's 8:00 AM, and your meeting at Rolls Bundela is probably at 9:00 AM. Get ready quickly and come downstairs. Everyone is waiting for you at breakfast. Pulkit and Samarth have also arrived." Seeing Shatrupa Devi's condition, Paro didn't feel it was right to pry further.
"Oh my god!! Oh, my dear Paro. If it weren't for you, what would have happened to me?" Shatrupa Devi said, almost in a gesture of hitting her head.
"Now what did I do?" Paro asked, feigning ignorance.
"Oh! You reminded me, otherwise I had no idea that my video conference with Vikram was at 1:00 PM today. He had gone on a world tour for the past week." Shatrupa Devi sprang into action as soon as she saw the clock. Her workout time had passed, so she hurried towards the washroom.
Outside, Paro was cleaning their room, and inside, while showering quickly, she was thinking a lot. The most important among these was the meeting with Vikram via video conference.
"You got ready so quickly today, otherwise, it would take you at least an hour to bathe," Paro said as Shatrupa Devi emerged quickly from the bathroom.
"Oh yes! I told you I have a meeting with Vikram at the office today..." Shatrupa Devi said, fastening her watch.
"And that's why last night, waiting for his call, you fell asleep at some point? Or did it happen that you didn't sleep all night and only fell asleep in the morning."
"It's not like that! I spoke to Vikram yesterday. Vikram was tired and slept as soon as he arrived, so I couldn't talk to him. Later, if he wanted to call at night, I was asleep," Shatrupa Devi replied quickly.
"Did you really fall asleep? Or were you waiting for his call all night? And then you dozed off on the couch and fell asleep in the morning." Paro said, casting a deep glance at Shatrupa Devi, whose sadness was palpable from her face.
"Oh no! It's nothing like that, I spoke to Vikram, so I was relaxed. It's just that I couldn't sleep. You really get on my case. Okay! I can't find my phone; I kept it somewhere here after talking to Vikram." Shatrupa Devi tried to change the subject.
"Did you keep it somewhere here, or did you throw it away in anger because you couldn't talk to Vikram?" Paro asked, glancing around in search of Shatrupa Devi's phone.
Shatrupa Devi, hearing Paro's words, was reminded of all the events of yesterday. It had been about two or three years since Vikram had stopped talking to her on the phone. Yesterday too, despite countless attempts, Shatrupa Devi couldn't speak to Vikram. Vikram had even tried to put her on a conference call several times so that Shatrupa Devi could at least hear Vikram's voice. But Vikram seemed to catch even the sound of her heartbeat; he had hung up the call. He had even blocked Shatrupa Devi's number on his phone.
And this was the reason why Vikram's number had been unreachable for days, and Vikalp had to go to his office to meet him.
"Here's your phone! It was lucky, that despite your desire to smash it, it survived this time." Paro handed Shatrupa Devi her phone.
The phone was found stuck on the carpet below. Thank God, despite being thrown forcefully, due to being soft and plush, the phone was intact.
"I wish I could throw you out first, but alas! Nothing will happen as per my wishes," Shatrupa Devi said with annoyance.
"I admit you're angry, so show your anger to the one who is truly responsible for your condition. I don't know what you gain by taking out your anger on this lifeless phone! You don't even want to name the one who deserves your anger. You sent the one who deserves your love across the seven seas, and when he wants to come here, you don't want to let him. What do you want in the end? I just don't understand that," Paro said irritably.
Ignoring Paro's words, Shatrupa Devi glanced at her phone.
"This is showing a red battery," Shatrupa Devi said exasperatedly.
"Don't worry, I've charged both your power banks. Here, take it. And I'll put the phone on charge too; by the time you have breakfast, your phone will also be charged. Just go downstairs and have breakfast peacefully, everyone is waiting for you." Paro seemed to have a solution for every problem.
Seeing Paro take so much care of her, Shatrupa Ji felt a pang of guilt. After all, Paro had never made any mistakes. Rather, Paro had always stood by her like a shadow in her joys and sorrows. Whereas people who promised to stay together for lifetimes had left her alone in the middle of the storm.
"No one is waiting for me, Paro! Waiting is written in my destiny, Paro! No one is waiting for me, everyone is waiting for him..."
"Only! And only for him..." Shatrupa Devi's eyes welled up as she said this.
The word "waiting" made Paro's heart throb with the familiar feeling of fear.
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
"No one is waiting for me, Paro! Waiting is written in my destiny, Paro! No one is waiting for me, everyone is waiting for him... only for him...." Saying this, Shatruroopa Devi's eyes welled up. The word 'waiting' made Paro's heart pound with that familiar fear.
"What are you saying like a madwoman?? Who is waiting for whom?" Paro, as if understanding Shatruroopa Devi's words, did not want to understand them.
"And what else should I say, Paro!! Everyone is waiting for Vikram to come to India. Vikram Singh Bundela is also waiting for me to tell him to come to India myself. Until I personally call him to India, he will not come to India, and to get his way, he has even stopped talking to me. He doesn't understand why I have kept him away from myself?? He is the only reason for my life, yet I have kept him away from myself. There must be a reason behind it, right!! Why doesn't he try to understand it?
How have I spent these 15 years, stone-hearted? Why doesn't he try to understand it? He wants me to try to understand him, while he doesn't know that I understand him perfectly. This boy is becoming as stubborn as his father and his grandfather. Just as they didn't listen to us and did as they pleased, he has also become headstrong.
Showing his anger by not talking to me was a way of his father and grandfather, not just his. In this way, they too made me do as they pleased. But not anymore!! Now I will not bow down to anyone. For a moment's happiness, I cannot write a lifetime of sorrow for myself," Shatruroopa Devi said angrily.
"It's not like that, Shatruroopa! Why do you always think the opposite? At least try to talk to him, he has been away from home, family, and everything for so many days, he must also feel like coming to his country. To come to his home, family, and people. Since he is saying it, just call him for a few days and then send him back. After all, his work is established there abroad, isn't it? How long can he stay here leaving his work?" Paro said, trying to find a middle ground while explaining to Shatruroopa Devi.
"It's nothing like that, Paro!! You feel that he wants to come back to his home, family, his kingdom, and his country for a few days to meet them. Whereas I know very well why he wants to come to India?" Shatruroopa Devi said, getting up from her place with a strange restlessness.
"Okay, then you tell me, if he doesn't want to come to meet his family and country, then why does he want to come to India?" Paro also asked calmly.
"He wants to come to India only to get his hands on the Rajgarh Mediciti Project again. On that Rajgarh Mediciti Project!! Because of which his grandfather, his father, his mother, and God knows how many people from our family lost their lives?" Shatruroopa Devi said in her restlessness.
"What are you saying, Shatruroopa? Are you in your senses? Which Mediciti Project have you named? Do you know!! What is there? Knowing and understanding, how can you let him do that? Why can you let him play with fire like this?" Paro was immensely surprised.
"I know and understand everything, that's why I kept him away from myself with a heavy heart. But he knows nothing, nor is he ready to understand anything. To keep him away from this project, I am refusing to let him come to India. I had completely shelved and closed this project, but he wants to reopen it again... He doesn't want to come to India to meet us, rather he just wants to come here to play with fire. He wants to play with that fire in which my entire happy family has already been burnt.
You know, for all these things, I also sent that boy Vikrant away from here. With great difficulty, I have saved my Vikram, and I will not let this happen while I am alive. I will not let my Vikram play with this fire. Even if my eyes remain open in waiting for Vikram, I will never allow Vikram to come to India," Shatruroopa Devi said, making a strong decision.
Paro, to some extent, completely agreed with Shatruroopa Devi's words. She also definitely wanted Vikram to come to Rajgarh. But to come back to his home and family. Not to come to play with fire like this. And certainly not for that land, for that project. But hearing Vikrant's name after so many years, she felt a bit uneasy.
"To tell you the truth, my heart also waits for the day when my grandson will come to India after 15 years. It's been 3 years, I haven't even seen Vikram on a video call!! Nor have I heard his voice!! These ears are still waiting to hear his voice, it feels like he will suddenly come out and say, 'Badi Maa, what are you doing here? Come on, I'm hungry. I'm waiting for you.....' It feels like sometimes, with the desire to hear these words, my eyes might close," Shatruroopa Devi was as if pouring her heart out to Paro.
Shatarupa Devi was opening her heart to Paro, as if she were placing it right in front of her.
But it wasn't that Paro was unaware of the pain in Shatarupa's heart. She understood that no matter how hard she tried, family was family. The way Shatarupa had lost each and every one of her family members, one by one, was such that the fear of being left alone had settled within her in a way that she didn't want to take any risks with Vikram. And somewhere, Paro knew that her fear was absolutely right. Even though Arjun, who was educated abroad and had modern culture, wasn't ready to accept this or perhaps didn't know about it. But they had seen it happen to themselves; how could they not believe in that terrifying truth?
"You are thinking too much, Suchitra. It can't happen. It's been 15 to 16 years since that incident. In these 15 years, there's been no mention of those things. Everything has been normal. If everything is normal, then why are you still clinging to that? Why don't you move on? Forget the old things and take a step forward..." Paro tried to pull Shatarupa Devi out of those dark thoughts, strengthening herself.
Upon hearing Paro's words, Shatarupa Devi smiled wryly.
"Do you think I've been stuck in those alleys all this time? I haven't made any effort to get out. No, Paro! I promised Shamsher that I would never be a traveler of those dark alleys, and I wouldn't let my son become one either. But I couldn't do it. Abhimanyu didn't listen to me. I couldn't stop my son either. And you asked me last night, didn't you? Why I slept on the couch?" Shatarupa Devi asked, pointing towards the couch. Paro nodded in affirmation.
"Last night, those darknesses took me to those dark, scary, and terrifying alleys. No matter what I do, my past won't leave me. Last night, I was again buried in those dark alleys. But Shamsher! Shamsher stretched out his hand in front of me and pulled me out of the darkness and buried himself in those darknesses forever." As Shatarupa Devi spoke, two tears rolled down her eyes.
"But how did it happen?" Paro was still surprised.
While Shatarupa Devi stood firm, smiling wryly despite the difficulty.
"My point is that it was all over, wasn't it? After Abhimanyu and his bride's death, the Guru performed a massive puja. The sequence of scary dreams and terrifying things stopped. It's been 15 years since then, and we've lived in peace. In these 15 years, you haven't seen any dreams or experienced anything in this entire palace. So, what happened suddenly?" Paro asked, bewildered.
"The sequence stopped, Paro! It didn't end. It stopped because we took Vikram away from here, from all these things. But after years, it's started again because of Vikram." Shatarupa Devi said, looking at Paro.
"What? Because of Vikram! But what did Vikram do? He's sitting far away, across seven seas. He doesn't even know about it." Paro didn't like Shatarupa Devi blaming Vikram.
Although Shatarupa Devi was Vikram's biological grandmother, Paro had also loved Vikram dearly. She had raised Abhimanyu Pratap Singh Bundela and then Vikram Singh Bundela with her own hands.
"I knew you'd take his side. But this is my truth. Even sitting across the seas, he's doing what we don't want to do here in India, Paro! He must have thought of getting work for the Rajgarh Medicity Project or done something related to the file work that I don't know about yet. Otherwise, nothing would happen like this." Shatarupa Devi said, slightly angry.
Paro listened to Shatarupa Devi's words in confusion.
"You said he isn't like his father and grandfather. No! He's the same Bundela blood. And like them, he's equally stubborn. He'll ruin himself with his stubbornness, and this time, along with his ruin, the entire Rajgarh dynasty will end. He just doesn't want to understand that." Despite seeing anger, sadness, despair, and frustration on Shatarupa Devi's face, Paro felt like she wanted to do something.
"Making assumptions about someone without thinking is not right. Say something positive, Shatarupa!" Paro got a bit scared after hearing Shatarupa Devi.
"What difference does it make what I say, Paro? What will happen will happen. And since this stubborn Vikram has decided to head towards destruction...then destruction will happen, won't it? This time, we can't stop it, no one can..."
"What difference does it make if I speak of good or bad omens, Paro? Whatever is destined to happen, will happen, as these people have planned. And when this stubborn boy Vikram has already decided on destruction... then it will be destruction! Today, even we won't be able to stop this destruction, no one will be able to stop it..."
"What are you saying, like a madwoman! Don't worry, everything will be alright. Have faith in God. You try to explain to Vikram with a cool head, once. My child is very good and understanding. You'll see! He'll give up his stubbornness if you explain." Paro said, trying to calm Shatrupa Devi. But deep down, her heart was also filled with fear.
"That's why I want to go to the office on time today, and I don't want to give Vikram any chance to escape. So that I can have an open and honest conversation with him on this matter, face-to-face. Until now, he has refused to even listen to any of my attempts to talk. He doesn't understand that just as much as he is waiting for my permission to come to India, I am also waiting to see him alive and well in front of me.
What does he think, that I don't have the desire to see my grandson with my own eyes? To touch him with my hands and gaze at his face? It was my heart's wish to see him grow up before my eyes. And today, now that he has grown up, I want to see his family established. To see his children, to cradle them in my lap.
... But amidst all this, I cannot forget that his wait is greater than all of ours, which has been hanging over our family, over this Rajgarh palace, like a curse for centuries. He is only waiting for Vikram to come to India. So that he can cast his net over our Vikram..." Shatrupa Devi said, picking up her laptop.
Paro understood her words. A lot was going on in her mind, but since Shatrupa Devi was already late for the office, she didn't want to say much more.
"What happened! What are you thinking now?" Shatrupa Devi asked.
"Nothing special! But it is important." Paro replied, dismissing the topic.
"Not special, but important. How did these two words become separate?" Shatrupa Devi asked in surprise.
"I'll tell you. Today, after you return from the office, we'll talk about this matter. These things are not as special as your meeting with Vikram today, and the conversation is important because perhaps it will lead to some way out, by which we can stop Vikram from coming to India. Or at least call him safely." Paro said. Shatrupa Devi nodded in understanding.
Vikram Singh Bundela had troubled both of them with his stubbornness. Both were in a great dilemma. Unaware that someone standing at the door was glaring at them with dangerous intensity.
Paro, who was talking, suddenly noticed the girl. With a gesture of her eyes, she asked Shatrupa Devi to look towards the door.
"What, Big Mother and Paro Mother! You both get so engrossed in conversation that you completely forget that someone is waiting impatiently for you downstairs. Now, will you hang him up upstairs in anticipation of your arrival?" About 21-year-old Aashi, a naive and extremely beautiful girl, looked at Shatrupa Devi and Paro with her big eyes filled with complaint.
Her demeanor made Shatrupa Devi and Paro smile, even in this moment of distress.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have college?" Seeing Aashi, Paro scolded her sweetly.
Hearing this, Aashi made a displeased face.
"I have to go, but as they say, you can't worship God on an empty stomach. So how can I study? I couldn't go to college on an empty stomach either." Aashi said, placing her hand on her stomach and making a very cute puppy face.
Shatrupa Devi burst into laughter at her antics.
"Oh dear! Then you should have had breakfast..." Shatrupa Devi said, affectionately patting Aashi's head.
"Without you?" Aashi asked Shatrupa Devi, with a lot of love and hope in her big innocent eyes.
"No, no! Without her, why would you eat? Would the food go into your stomach without her? It would go into Shivakshi's stomach next door." Paro said teasingly.
"See, Big Mother." Aashi said, clinging to Shatrupa Devi.
"You too, Paro! Whenever you see her, you keep talking to the child." Shatrupa Devi said with a smile.
"Your child! She's not a child anymore. She's a full 21 years old. Her mother was saying this just yesterday. In a few days, it will be time for her to go to her marital home, and look at her behavior. It's just like a little child." Paro seemed ready to scold Aashi in front of Shatrupa Devi today.
"Oh! That's enough, Paro. That era is gone when girls used to tremble at the mention of their in-laws' house. My Aashi is very good. She's one in a million. Wherever she goes, she'll brighten up that house with her behavior." Shatrupa Devi was not ready to hear a single word against her Aashi.
"I agree with you that her behavior is one in a million. But good behavior alone doesn't fill the stomach. For that, one needs to know how to cook something. But from your words, it seems that their stomachs will be filled with her behavior. They won't even need to eat roti." While praising Aashi, Paro added a jab of sarcasm.
"I agree with you that her behavior is one in a million, but good behavior alone doesn't fill the stomach. One also needs to know how to cook. But from your words, it seems like their stomachs will be filled just by her behavior. They won't even need to eat roti." Paro added a sarcastic remark while praising Aashi.
"Oh, stop it! It's as if you've set your heart on my daughter. Our Aashi won't get a home where she's made to work day and night. Our Aashi will move from one palace to another. No one there is going to send her to the kitchen." Shatroopa Devi sided with Aashi.
"That's right, Badi Maa Sa. You're the only one in the whole house who understands me. Otherwise, everyone else is just ready to get rid of me." Aashi complained about Paro to Shatroopa Devi, making a face.
"You're right about that, girl! The whole family has nothing else to do, so what else would they do? They all gang up on you. They forget that you finish all their work before they even start." Paro said, laughing.
"When did I ever say I finish everyone's work alone? Even my own work doesn't get completed without help, so when did I ever say such a big thing!" Aashi said thoughtfully. Paro smiled and gestured for Shatroopa Devi to look at Aashi.
"Oh, stop it, Paro. It's done. Honestly! You're getting old, but you still act like a child with the children." Shatroopa Devi gestured with her hand to calm Paro. Then she turned to Aashi.
"What is it, dear? Why were you looking for me?"
"Oh, Badi Maa! I was so caught up in Paro Maa's words that I forgot why I came to call you here. Ah, I remember." Aashi exclaimed loudly, hitting her forehead as she remembered.
"Mom downstairs is calling you for breakfast. Papa and Kakosa are also waiting for you there. Let's go quickly." Aashi said, almost pulling Shatroopa Devi up by her hand.
"Why don't you just say you were waiting for Shatroopa more than them? You won't be satisfied unless Shatroopa eats too," Paro said with a smile.
"Your own Kunwar Sa told me to take care of Badi Maa Sa." Aashi said to Paro, emphasizing your words and implying something.
At Aashi's demeanor, Paro placed her hand on her cheek and looked at Aashi with a smile.
"Yes! You do everything Kunwar Sa says..." Paro said smiling.
"Enough, enough! Don't cook up so many fantasies." Aashi, understanding what Paro was about to say, quickly spoke up to clear her side.
"Even if he hadn't said so, we would have definitely taken care of our Badi Maa Sa. We wouldn't have left our Badi Maa Sa to cry alone like this. Come on! Badi Maa Sa. If we start answering their questions, it will be lunchtime by then, and their questions and answers still won't be over." Aashi said, almost dragging Shatroopa Devi downstairs.
"Alright! Wait a moment, dear! You go, I'm coming." As she reached the door, Shatroopa Devi seemed to remember something.
"What is it now, Badi Maa Sa!" Aashi made a somewhat displeased face, almost bored.
"I have some important things, dear! It's getting late for the office too," Shatroopa Devi explained lovingly, gently touching Aashi's cheek.
"Okay, okay, I'm going, but you come quickly, or I'll be really late for college today." Aashi reminded Shatroopa Devi and quickly headed down the stairs.
"My Aashi, the hope of my life! Vikram didn't leave you in my care, but rather, I'm waiting for Vikram to come so I can hand over your responsibility to him and be at peace." Shatroopa Devi said softly, smiling, which was overheard by Paro, who was standing there.
"That's a very good thought, Hukum Sa!"
Hearing Paro, Shatroopa Devi looked at her in surprise. Paro burst into laughter.
"That's a very good thought, Shatroopa! But I didn't know you thought that way!"
"What do you mean? I can't think that way!"
"No? You can think that way, but I never imagined you would have thought about it for so long. A girl like this, you won't find her anywhere in Rajasthan, let alone the whole world. From her looks and features to her studies, she's excellent, and her heart is also completely pure. Her family background has been thoroughly checked and is good. I say, don't let this relationship slip away. Call Vikram as soon as possible and get Aashi and him married." Paro said.
"I'm thinking the same, I just want to know Vikram and Pulkit's thoughts once," Shatroopa Devi said with a smile.
"Yes, but definitely ask Vikram once. These are today's children. They want to do everything according to their own will. Otherwise, I don't think Pulkit will refuse this relationship. Alright, let's go downstairs..." Paro said.
Both of them calmly came down the stairs, where the whole family was waiting for them at the dining table, but another unforeseen event was waiting for them inside the kitchen.
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
Royals Bundela Family
Standing on the stairs, Shatrupa Devi looked at her new family assembled at the dining table. After losing her own family, these were the only people left who filled the emptiness in Shatrupa Devi's life and were considered her own in the name of family. Their laughter and lively conversations had not only greatly reduced Shatrupa Devi's loneliness but also saved this palace from becoming dismal. Otherwise, after Vikram's departure, Shatrupa Devi had been utterly alone in this vast palace.
It wasn't that Vikram was her only family. But yes! She didn't even like the name of the other one because she had never liked giving him her name, even though it was his right, which he had somehow acquired. This very thing had irritated her, causing her to throw him out of the house the moment she gained control of her property.
Samarth Singh was seated first at the dining table. He was Shatrupa Devi's brother's son, meaning her nephew. Vikram was his son, who was currently in New York with Vikram. There was once a friendship between Abhimanyu Pratap Singh and Samarth Singh, just as there was between Vikram and Vikram today. After Abhimanyu Pratap Singh's departure, Samarth had stepped forward to take responsibility for Abhimanyu's share and, thinking of not leaving his aunt alone, had come to live in Rajgarh forever. After him, Pulkit Singh was seated in the chair opposite, of the same age as Samarth Singh.
Samar Singh, Abhimanyu Pratap Singh, and Pulkit Singh were all in the same class. Their friendship was famous from school to university, and in this friendship, Pulkit Singh accepted to work in his friend's Royals Bundela Group instead of going abroad for work. Although there was a much bigger story behind it. Abhimanyu Pratap had helped a lot in saving Pulkit Singh's new world. Because of this, Pulkit had dedicated his entire life to his friend's name.
Otherwise, he had better offers than the Bundela Group, but when he gave his best for the Bundela Group, within just 4-5 years, the Bundela Group started competing with the top ten in the country, and currently, it was included in the world's top ten, for which Pulkit Singh was entirely credited.
While Samarth Singh looked after all the security matters related to the royal family, Pulkit Singh completely looked after the business of Royals Bundela. Besides being Abhimanyu Pratap Singh's most trusted friend, in Vikram's absence and until his majority, Pulkit Singh had managed the entire business.
Pulkit Singh has two children, Aashi and Anshuman, both twins and around 21 years old. The beautiful Aashi is bubbly and mischievous, while the smart and good-looking Anshuman is a sensible boy and, after completing his post-graduation studies, helps his father in managing the business of Royals Bundela.
Seeing Shatrupa Devi approach the dining table, everyone stood up from their seats to show her respect. Shatrupa Devi wished everyone good morning with a smile, and as soon as Shatrupa Devi sat down, everyone else sat in their respective places.
Pulkit Singh's wife, Navya Singh, and Samarth Singh's wife, Damini Singh, started serving breakfast to everyone. This was the old system of this royal family; the food was always prepared by Maharaj Ji in the kitchen, who was the old chef of this entire family. A special maid, Urmila, was kept to assist him. Food was first offered to God and the cow mother, and only then was it served to the household members. The entire task of serving the food was on Navya Ji and Damini Ji.
Everyone's breakfast was almost complete, but Aashi was still preoccupied with a single piece of bread.
"Aashi! You were told to eat breakfast, not to look at it. Hurry up." Anshuman interrupted Aashi. Anshuman was getting irritated seeing Aashi playing leisurely with her breakfast.
"Aashi! I'm saying this for the last time, stop playing with bread like this and finish your breakfast quickly. We are getting late for college." Anshuman said to Aashi, glancing at his watch, looking annoyed, but Aashi's slow pace showed no change. She was leisurely eating her breakfast, breaking off small bites and enjoying it.
"Aashi, be a little faster! You're getting late for college..." Navya Ji interrupted Aashi reluctantly because she knew that if she didn't stop her, a Mahabharata would break out between the brother-sister duo right at the breakfast table today.
"Oh, Mom! You always say that food should be chewed thoroughly... You eat as if the train is about to leave... In such a hurry, food doesn't digest well, and the probability of many diseases increases.... So, I feel like eating slowly. Please pass the sugar jar." Aashi said, extending her hand towards Navya Ji.
At her action, Shatrupa Devi and Pulkit Singh, along with everyone else, smiled, while Anshuman was fuming, and Navya Ji felt like hitting her head against the wall.
Har Har Mahadev 🙏
