The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

84. Unruffled

Rudra was busy poring over the materials sprawled over his desk while trying to get back into the habit of studying. Though Avinash asked him to take a break from the UPSC prep owing to the incessant attacks by the lady in red that had everyone scared and scarred, Rudra knew it was time for him to recommence leading a normal life devoid of any negativity. Hence, he was busy that evening, catching up with the preparation and hoping to make up for lost time.

That was when a knock at his door alerted him, and he looked up from the thick tome he was perusing through. "Yeah?"

Shweta ambled up to him and ruffled his hair. "Feeling better? It doesn't hurt as much, does it?"

He chuckled at the concern in her intonation and the solicitude flashing in her glossy orbs. "I am fine."

She flashed him a brief smile before extracting a large A4-sized envelope from a brown paper bag. Forwarding it to him, she said, "I really liked the girl. I wonder why her family moved back to Chennai, but she surely sent you a birthday gift."

His heart dropped, and he exchanged a furtive glance with his mother before accepting the envelope with a little bit of hesitation. "Gift?"

"This came in the mail the day after you came back from Bhangarh, but the label says—"

"Open on your birthday," he said, eyeing the black label affixed atop the envelope, embellished with the pearly handwriting of his ex-girlfriend. "Thanks, Mom," he muttered, ripping the sleeve.

"Open on your birthday, Rudra."

He huffed. "Do you think I will wait?"

Laughing, she left the room, and he hurriedly shut the door before plopping back at the desk and emptying the contents on the table.

Out came a neatly folded sheet of white paper and a piece of jewelry. The same locket he had seen Chitralekha wear in his dreams. The same one that Shravani adorned around her neck from time to time. The one that she tactfully replaced before heading inside the ghost town, which ultimately led to him getting saved from the dubious intentions of the lady in red. He picked up the chain and twirled it in his hands with a frown on his face. The scrapes and scratches staring at him, the dullness of the metal surface, and the broken beads told him that this was the original ancient piece that Kalavati so desperately needed.

Focusing his attention on the folded paper, he pried it open and perused through the handwritten letter left behind by the girl.

Dear Rudra,

Happy birthday! I am hoping this letter finds you in good health. I am positive that our friends have not only saved you but also reprimanded you for being such a big fool. I would have loved to know how it all went down, but by the time this letter reaches you, I must be living in the peaceful afterlife with my sweet Prince.

I am still apologetic over every little bit of trauma I caused, and the deaths that happened in my presence will haunt and torment my soul for the rest of eternity, but I will try to atone for it. I hope you will be able to cope with the loss of me going away from you. I know how fond you are of me, and trust me when I say this, you are very important to me too. I wish you luck and success with all my heart.

The main motive behind me writing the letter is to beseech you to take care of this locket. Kalavati was planning to use it. That means this is somehow a source of dark energy. Make sure it does not land in the wrong hands.

Will you do it for me, Rudra?

Your best friend from yore,
Chitralekha.

"Dark energy?" he mumbled. "In this locket?"