When Aastha met Veer, she knew they had a connection.
However, the connection would be from two centuries ago, she never could have imagined.
A love story that remained unfulfilled, broken by evil, and destroyed to ashes - whose reference hide...
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PART 1: CHASING NIGHTMARES
The glow of lights from the huge chandelier fell short against the sunlight beaming into the vast room. The beautifully carved mandala designs on the high ceilings, huge arched pillars standing proudly around the room, and small rays of sunlight peeping in through the Jali screens, illuminated the room with high spirit.
The curtains danced as the breeze buzzed in through the open windows. Decked in a simple lehenga, the princess of Malavar, stepped into the room. With her, every step, the gunguroos tied around her feet made a rhythmic noise. Serenity filled in the room as she twirled around, dancing smoothly to a tune of her own. Humming softly, her lips curved into a satisfactory smile as her limbs moved on their own. Her whole body surrendered to the God of dance, she was like a peacock rejoicing during the monsoon.
The bright sunlight that was filling the room with warmth, was slowly camouflaged against the deep dark clouds that created a canopy of darkness over the majestic palace. The room was now engulfed with negativity, blood, and everything that is evil. The curtains caught fire and the flames filled the room with smoke.
Pain, agony, and unbearable emotions hovered over her face as she danced until her legs started to bleed. The fire caught the end of her veil, spreading across her body, burning aflame along with the room. The beautiful mandala design in the ceiling was wrapped with dark smoke. the gorgeously lit room, was now, nothing but a room of ashes.
Falling on the floor in anguish, the princess watched her mother, her father, her brother, and her twin sister at a distance with a dreadful look. "The evil will now be dead." Someone from behind yelled.
"We have to destroy you before you destroy the world." Her father said, his head held in shame. Tears fell out of her eyes but did nothing to put the fire to rest.
She watched her helpless brother, cry in sorrow. She could hear him beg everyone to spare her life, vouching for her innocence. No one heard him, just like no one ever cared to hear her cries. "You will have much more peace on the other side, my dear laado." Naani Sa said who sat next to her. The fire didn't touch the elderly lady. The princess remembered, her grandmother, was no longer in this world. Perhaps, that's why she was the only one who dared to touch her burning body. Then again, her Naani Sa was the only one who had held her even when the whole world called her an evil princess. Her Naani Sa would always hug, comfort, and kiss her, calling her angel, instead of chudail like everyone else.
"Are you sure Naani Sa?" The princess asked in dismay. She didn't trust anyone now. The betrayal from her own family had broken her heart, mind, and even her soul.
The elderly woman nodded with teary eyes. "Yes, my dear. Rest now."
The princess was about to rest, but that's when she felt a presence. "Mohan." The princess called. The prince of Umangiri, stood next to her family watching her in shock and pain. He didn't bother to save her, he didn't bother to protect her. Why didn't he?
Hadn't he always promised her that he would care and protect her until his last breath?
Did he break his promise? All his promises were fake?
The princess immediately stood up, betrayal from the man she bared her soul to, burned her more than the fire that was swallowing every cell in her body. "You...! How could you Mohan?" The princess yelled.
He took a step, to comfort her. However, her sister stopped him. "She is evil, Mohan... She is not real." Her sister told him. Mohan, with teary eyes, stood back, helplessly.
"I will come for you again MOHAN! And I will destroy you! I will kill you, Mohan! I promise, I will." The princess cursed before she turned into ashes. Finally falling into an endless abyss of misery. Her Naani Sa lied too. There was no rest on the other side. There never was.
***
Aastha woke up with a jolt, screaming. She felt her body burn as if it was set on fire. She touched herself frantically, the beads of sweat dripping from her head to toe.
"Aastha??" Saanvi, Aastha's cousin rushed into the room.
Watching her cousin, Saanvi in agony and confusion, Aastha soon suffered a convulsion. An uncontrollable jerking of her limbs, her head shaking, while her heart sped up rapidly for nearly a minute before she fell unconscious. Saanvi held her elder cousin in her arms as the rest of the family rushed in.
Aastha woke up several minutes later, having no memory of the nightmare that left her disoriented. Her family sat by her bedside. Suraj, her brother was fixing the curtains, Saanvi was by her side, next to her mother Meethali who was stroking her head. Her aunt Kanika, who was Saanvi's mother sat at the end of the bed. The men of the house, her father Raj and his brother Jai, stood by the doorway in worry. Aastha sighed, yet another nightmare followed by a seizure. Even doctors don't really know what's wrong with her. Nobody did.
"You guys, go to sleep. I am fine now." Aastha told everybody.
Saanvi offered to sleep in the room but Aastha refused. "Please, go! I want to sleep, alone."
"But Aastha.. I.." Meethali tried to coax but Aastha listened to no one. She pushed everyone out of the room and sighed deeply. Pulling her diary that was tucked under the bed, she started to write whatever she could remember.
She could never recall her dreams. Whether it was a nightmare or a good dream. It was always blurry. But Aastha made an effort to jot down whatever she could understand of those blurry visions.
Palace, curtains, fire, gunguroo.. That was all she could recall. Shutting the book close she laid down. It was 2 am. Hugging her diary close, Aastha fell asleep an hour later.
