Echoes - Beyond Threads Of Time

🔹 Unraveling Mysteries🔹

Sanjana

The next morning, we reach the entrance of the Agra fort, and as soon as I step into the fort complex, I'm hit with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia.

The red stoned fortress stands tall and proud before my teary eyes, as if to spread its arms open to welcome me home. This is probably what Bran must have felt in Amer Palace, a feeling of unmistakable belongingness and homecoming. As if my wandering soul finally found an abode.

Bran gently squeezes my hand as we walk through the entrance, the familiar courtyards and corridors overwhelming my senses.

"It's like I've known this place forever", I whisper gently, afraid to break the magic of this moment.

"I feel the same way, princess", Bran says with a gentle smile.

"Do you feel it - the warmth in the cool breeze? It's a very relaxing sensation. But, there's also a weird chill here, like a mystery waiting to unravel. It's strangely paradoxical."

Bran nods at my words, but I don't think he quite understands the feeling.

"Come on, let's look around. We just have a couple of hours until the appointment with the royal family", he says and pulls me towards the Jehangir Mahal, the first living palace quarters in the fortress after entering through the main complex.

As we navigate the palace, the feeling of homecoming in my soul increases manifold. The arched corridors, the intricate patterns, the Persian engravings - it's too familiar and homely.

"Let's get out of this place please, it's too overwhelming. Come, I know where we have to go."

I take Bran's hand in mine, and together we walk through the corridors that I usually race through in my dreams, wearing my heart on my sleeve. But, there is no fear, anxiety or haste this time, just curiosity and excitement. It's a beautiful feeling. As we pass through the halls and corridors, I show Bran the path I take during my dream, and he listens attentively, looking around with a sense of wonder.

After a long walk from Jehangir Mahal to the Private Meeting Rooms through the Royal Gardens, we finally arrive at the familiar entrance to the special illuminated room where I collapse breathlessly every night, and the view that welcomes us is breathtaking.

An intricate pattern of interwoven mesh design laces three huge windows on the wall opposite the entrance of the room, a clear view of the Taj Mahal visible through the holes in the mesh. The sunlight filters through the web, making beautiful patterns on the floor - a breathtaking dance of light and shadows illuminating the small room. There is a complex pattern of glasswork on the roof of the room, some of which reflect the natural light in the room, making it look brighter than the rest of the rooms. I can't help but imagine how beautiful it would look when sunlight filters at a specific angle that reflects from all the mirrors repetitively.

"This is where I collapse at the end of my dream", I tell Bran, who looks equally awestruck with the sight of the room.

"I feel like I've been here before too, princess, several times actually. This may sound ridiculous to you, but it's the kind of place I'd choose to propose someday."

Laughter bubbles in my bosom and escapes my lips unwillingly. He winks in response and we sit down at the raised platform in the middle of the room, and enjoy the serenity of the beautiful place.

_________

"Princess Inaayat Sultana Mahal of Agra, from 1921, you say?", Princess Amaara Nazneen Shah asks for the second time as we narrate our story to her brother and her.