PAHELI : A MYSTERY

VIKRAL & 101 SACRIFICES

KASHI HAD CHANGED A LOT WITH TIME FROM BEING AN EMPIRE TO A VILLAGE. BUT ONLY THINGS THAT HAD NOT CHANGED WAS FEAR OF VIKRAL.

HIND, A PROSPEROUS LAND DIVIDED INTO THREE EMPIRE CALLED KASHI, TAKSHILA & MAGADH, ACCORDING TO THEIR EXISTENCE.

KURU, THE PRESENT EMPEROR OF KASHI; DIDN'T WANT HIS SON VIKRAL THE CROWN PRINCE TO BECOME THE NEXT EMPEROR. AS FROM THE BEGINNING VIKRAL WAS CRUEL. WHEN HE WAS AT GURUKUL; USED TO HARM THE LOWLY. DAY BY DAY HIS CRUELTY WAS INCREASING . FROM KILLING INNOCENT ANIMALS TO HUMANS HIS BRUTALITY DIDN'T STOP. WHICH GAVE BIRTH TO TERROR AMONG CITIZEN OF KASHI.

ONLY THING THAT MATTERED TO HIM WAS POWER. TO BECOME ONLY EMPEROR OF HIND, HE PLANNED A CONSPIRACY AGAINST HIS FATHER.

"YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING, HIND WILL NEVER BE YOURS" KURU SAID IN ANGER.

"EVERYONE WILL BE MY
SLAVE FATHER; THE ONLY HINDRANCE IS YOUR PRESENCE, CAN'T YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR YOUR SON" VIKRAL WHISPERED IN KURU'S EAR. AND STAB HIM WITH A DAGGER.

AND HIS GREED TO BECOME THE ALMIGHTY LED HIM TO DIVE TOWARDS THE WORLD OF BLACK MAGIC, AFTER YEARS OF TAPAS; VIKRAL BECOME AN OCCULTIST.

"YOU JUST HAVE TO SACRIFICE
101 PEOPLE TO FULFILL YOUR DREAM MY LORD , YOU SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE LAST ONE SHOULD BE BORN AT NIGHT OF ROHINI KAALA AND SACRIFICED AT KAAL MOUNTAIN NEAR BHAIRAVA TEMPLE IN EVENING DURING ROHINI KAALA ITSELF. IT IS THE TIME WHEN SUN ENTER THE PATH OF MOON WHICH CARRIES THE POWER TO CHANGE ONE'S DESTINY " HIS SERVANT ADDED.

FOR YEARS HE SACRIFICED MANY PEOPLE. AND ATTACKED OTHER TWO EMPIRES USING BOTH HIS POWER OF TANTRA & ARMY.

ON HIS WAY IN SEARCH OF THAT LAST PERSON HE HEADED TOWARD MAGADH. BUT BEFORE HE COULD ENTER THE BOUNDARY OF MAGADH HE HEARD CHIMING OF ANKLETS FROM NEAR BY TEMPLE. VIKRAL STOPPED AND SAW A BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN BLUE SAREE, RUNNING TOWARD THE ENTRANCE HALL OF TEMPLE. ONLY HER DOE EYES WERE VISIBLE BEHIND NANDI, SHE WAS WHISPERING SOMETHING IN HIS EARS WHICH CATCHES THE EYES OF VIKRAL, HER BEAUTY MADE HIM CURIOUS TO KNOW HER IDENTITY. SHE MADE HIM FORGET HIS OATH. THE ONLY DESIRE LEFT IN HIM WAS HER.

"WHO IS SHE , SHE BELONGS TO ME " WITH GRIM VIKRAL SAID. AFTER A WHILE HE HEARD A VOICE FULL OF INNOCENCE "MAY I HELP YOU, I THINK YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE" SHE ASKED HIM OFFERING SOME PRASAD. BUT BEFORE HE COULD SPEAK SHE WAS ASKED TO LEAVE IN A BEAUTIFUL PALANQUIN. AND SHE WAS NO ONE OTHER THAN PRINCESS VAISHALI OF MAGADH , THE ONLY SISTER OF EMPEROR DUSHYANTA.

"ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MARRY YOUR SISTER TO ME OR BE READY FOR THE CONSEQUENCES'' VIKRAL SAID WITH A WICKED SMILE LOOKING TOWARDS DUSHYANTA.

"FOR THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF OUR FAMILY AND MAGADH I'M READY TO MARRY HIM" SAID PRINCESS VAISHALI, AND SHE STARTED CRYING.

HELPLESS TO PROTECT MAGADH, EMPEROR ALSO AGREE WITH HER SISTER TO MARRY HIM.

UNAWARE OF THE TRUTH THAT VIKRAL HAD SACRIFICED DUSHYANTA AT THEIR WEDDING NIGHT, VAISHALI STARTS HER MARRIED LIFE...