Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya

Part II: The Haunting Begins

Chapter 15: A Revelation of Shadows

The air in the palace felt heavier than usual, as if the very walls were closing in with secrets long buried. Maya had begun to grow weaker with each passing day, plagued not only by nightmares but by the constant, oppressive sense of being watched. The flickering shadows in the corners of her vision had grown more distinct, and whispers echoed through the halls when no one was there.

Determined to uncover the truth, Maya had taken to speaking with anyone in the palace who might have known Rani Aranya more closely. And there was one person in particular who had served the late queen with unwavering loyalty-Meera, the elderly maid who had been in the palace since before even Raja Vikram had ascended to the throne.

Maya found Meera in her small chamber, kneeling before a shrine, her weathered hands clasped in prayer. The maid's back was hunched with age, and her gray hair was tied neatly in a bun. The room smelled faintly of incense and herbs, creating an air of quiet reverence. Maya hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Meera, may I speak with you?" Maya's voice was soft, though there was a tremor of urgency she couldn't hide.

Meera rose slowly, her joints creaking as she turned to face the queen. Her eyes, though clouded with age, still held a sharpness, a wisdom that came from decades of witnessing the palace's secrets.

"Of course, Maharani," Meera said, bowing her head slightly. "What troubles you?"

Maya took a breath, unsure how to begin. "I need to know about Rani Aranya... about her final days. There are things happening in the palace-strange things-and I believe they're connected to her."

Meera's eyes darkened, and her hands trembled slightly as she clasped them in front of her. "The palace has always held its share of mysteries, my queen. But Rani Aranya... her story is not one easily spoken of."

Maya took a step closer, her heart racing. "Please, Meera. I've seen her in my dreams. I've heard the whispers. She's trying to tell me something, and I believe it has to do with how she died."

Meera sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, as if weighing whether to share the burden of her knowledge. Finally, she looked up, her voice heavy with resignation.

"Very well. You deserve to know the truth. But be warned, Maharani-what I'm about to tell you is not for the faint of heart."

Maya nodded, her pulse quickening. "I'm ready."

Meera motioned for Maya to sit on the small stool by the window, while she herself sat on the edge of her bed, her old bones creaking as she lowered herself. She folded her hands in her lap, her gaze distant as she began.

"Rani Aranya... was a woman of great beauty and grace, as you know. But there was more to her than what most saw. She was deeply in love with Raja Vikram-obsessively so. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she believed they were destined to be together, and that their love would last for eternity."

Maya felt a chill run down her spine at the word obsessively. "Obsessed?"

Meera nodded gravely. "Yes, Maharani. Her love for him consumed her. She feared losing him, feared that his heart might one day wander, even though there was never any reason to doubt his devotion. The fear gnawed at her, ate away at her soul. And so, in her desperation to bind him to her forever... she turned to dark practices."

Maya's eyes widened, her heart pounding in her chest. "Dark practices? What do you mean?"

Meera hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper, as if even speaking the words could summon something malevolent. "Rani Aranya dabbled in dark magic-rituals forbidden by the gods. She believed that if she could bind Raja Vikram's soul to hers, he would never leave her, not in this life or the next."

Maya's breath caught in her throat. She had suspected something sinister, but to hear it confirmed sent a wave of nausea through her. "She... she used magic to bind him?"

"Yes," Meera continued, her eyes glinting with the weight of the secret she had carried for so long. "She sought the help of an ancient sorceress, a woman who practiced in secret. The rituals were dangerous, and the price for such power was steep. Rani Aranya gave herself over to the darkness, willing to sacrifice anything to keep her hold on the Raja."

Maya's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the stool. "But... what happened? Why didn't it work?"

Meera's expression became sorrowful. "It did work, for a time. The Raja was bound to her in a way no one could understand. His love for her was... unnatural, as if something beyond his control kept him by her side. But dark magic comes with a cost, and the more Rani Aranya used it, the more it took from her. She grew ill, her body unable to withstand the forces she had unleashed. Her obsession destroyed her from within."

Maya's mind raced as she pieced together the implications. "So... her death wasn't natural. She wasn't poisoned, but... the magic killed her?"

Meera nodded. "Yes, Maharani. The magic drained her life force. By the time she realized the price, it was too late. The sorceress warned her that if she didn't stop, it would consume her. But she couldn't let go-not even for her own life. She died trying to hold on to what she believed was hers."

Maya felt a deep sense of dread settle over her. "But why now? Why is she haunting the palace?"

Meera's voice grew even softer, as if the walls themselves were listening. "Her soul is bound to the palace, just as she tried to bind the Raja to herself. She cannot rest, not until her hold on him is complete. But now... now that you are here, she feels threatened. She believes you've taken what is rightfully hers."

Maya's blood ran cold. "She's targeting me... because of Raja Vikram?"

"Yes, Maharani. She sees you as a rival, as someone who has taken her place. That is why the hauntings have intensified since your arrival."

Maya sat in stunned silence, her mind reeling. Everything that had happened-the strange occurrences, the whispers, the cold drafts-they all made sense now. Rani's ghost wasn't just haunting the palace; she was trying to drive Maya away, to reclaim the love she had lost in life.

"What can I do?" Maya whispered, her voice barely audible.

Meera sighed heavily. "You must be careful, Maharani. The more you grow closer to Raja Vikram, the stronger her presence will become. She will stop at nothing to break your bond with him, even if it means destroying you."

Maya's heart sank. She had come to love Vikram deeply, but now she realized that their love was at the center of something far darker than she had ever imagined. She wasn't just fighting for her place in the palace-she was fighting for her very life.

---

Later that evening, as Maya sat in her chambers, the weight of Meera's words pressed heavily upon her. She glanced at Vikram, who was seated by the fire, unaware of the storm brewing around them. Could she tell him the truth? Would he believe her?

As she pondered her next move, a cold breeze swept through the room, extinguishing the flames in the hearth. In the dim light, Maya saw a shadow flicker near the door-Rani's shadow.

And this time, Maya knew it wasn't just her imagination.