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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Aravalli Hills
Rani noticed another crow lingering near the entrance, hesitant to approach. She drew a sharp breath, her patience thinning. "What is it?"
"There's something the other spirits didn't tell you..." the crow began nervously.
Rani shot it a side glance, her voice taut. "Speak."
"They've come to Rudragarh," the crow blurted out quickly.
"Who?" Rani's frown deepened.
"The princess of Roopgarh... Aastha. Her groom, their friends, cousins... It's a large group," the crow explained.
Rani shot up, shock running through her veins. "They did what?"
The crow nodded. Rani began pacing, her mind racing. How had she not sensed this? Something was wrong—very wrong. Was that Shastri priest trying to cast some anti-spell? There was no way she wouldn't have known the moment Veer or Aastha set foot in Rudragarh. This was bad... really bad.
She yelled out, summoning one of her trusted spirits.
"We need to speed up the plan," she ordered the spirit. Its smoky form circled her briefly before settling as a swirling cloud in front of her.
"Speeding up the process is dangerous. It could disrupt everything," the spirit cautioned.
"Things are already unraveling! At this rate, we'll run out of time. Go!" she snapped, dismissing the spirit.
Rani's eyes darkened as she seethed under her breath. "You dare come to Rudragarh, Aastha?"
***
Vedavyas Shastri's Aashram
Vaishali sat in the waiting room, trying to calm her racing thoughts through prayer, but the unease wouldn't leave her. From the moment Aastha and Veer went to visit Rudragarh, Vaishali had been unable to shake off a deep, gnawing fear. She had put on a brave face in front of the others, even telling Veer that Aastha was right, though she herself wasn't entirely convinced.
It had been a week since Vedavyas Shastri performed some of the most intricate and powerful rituals to protect Aastha and Veer. One of them, a complex yajna, was still ongoing and would take days to complete. The Shastri had warned them all to be extra cautious and vigilant. But with Aastha and Veer visiting that dreaded place, Vaishali was now anxious.
She fidgeted in her seat, trying to figure out how to tell him the news. When she could no longer sit still, she got up to find him. She was informed that he was in deep meditation, and though she hesitated to disturb him, she knew she had no choice.
Outside his prayer chamber, she paced nervously. When Vedavyas Shastri finally emerged, his face was calm, but his eyes reflected a deep concern. He had sensed her worry and asked, "Vaishali? Is everything alright?"
