Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya

Part II: The Haunting Begins

Chapter 17: The Forgotten Crypt

The palace had grown deathly quiet. The once-bustling halls were now deserted, filled only with the distant echoes of footsteps that didn’t belong to anyone living. General Bhanu had always been a man of action, a fearless warrior, but as the strange occurrences in the palace became impossible to ignore, he knew he needed to dig deeper. The hauntings were growing stronger, and the walls of the palace seemed to whisper secrets that had long been buried.

Bhanu stood in the royal archives, the dim light of a flickering lantern illuminating the dust-covered shelves filled with ancient scrolls and ledgers. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the documents before him, searching for anything that might explain the dark forces at work in the palace. A long sigh escaped his lips as he wiped his brow, frustration gnawing at him.

Rajguru entered the room quietly, his presence announced only by the soft shuffling of his robes. "You’ve been here for hours, General," the elderly priest observed, his tone cautious. "What are you hoping to find?"

Bhanu didn’t look up, his hands methodically flipping through another scroll. "There’s something we’re missing, Rajguru. The palace wasn’t always like this. These hauntings didn’t start with Rani Aranya’s death. I need to know what lies beneath this darkness."

Rajguru frowned. "Some things are better left buried. The past is dangerous to meddle with, General."

Bhanu looked up, his eyes hard. "Dangerous or not, people are dying. Servants whisper about being haunted, Maya is growing weaker by the day, and the Raja himself is close to breaking. If I don’t find out the truth, this palace will crumble."

Rajguru hesitated but nodded slowly. "I have sensed a disturbance far older than Rani’s spirit. There is something… ancient. But even I don’t know what it is."

As if on cue, a low rumble vibrated through the walls, causing a few scrolls to fall from the shelves. Bhanu clenched his fists, staring at the dislodged papers as if they held the answer. "Then we find out."

Hours passed, the two men pouring over old maps and records. Finally, Bhanu came across something that made his pulse quicken—a faded drawing of the palace’s foundations, detailing an underground structure that had long been forgotten.

"Look at this," Bhanu said, pushing the map toward Rajguru. "There’s a crypt beneath the palace."

Rajguru’s eyes widened as he leaned over the map. "A crypt… But no one’s spoken of it for generations. It must have been sealed off centuries ago."

"Exactly," Bhanu replied, his voice low. "Sealed off and forgotten. Until now. I believe whatever dark force is haunting this palace is tied to what’s down there."

Rajguru took a deep breath, his brow furrowing in concern. "The crypt was likely meant for members of the royal family, but the fact that it’s been hidden suggests something sinister."

"I’ll gather my men," Bhanu said, rising to his feet. "We need to get down there and see for ourselves."

"Be careful, General," Rajguru warned. "If the crypt was hidden, it was for a reason."

Bhanu nodded, though the grim look in his eyes showed that he understood the danger. Yet he was not a man to back down. He left the archives and quickly assembled a small group of trusted soldiers, each equipped with torches and weapons. Despite the growing fear that had settled over the palace, his men followed him with unwavering loyalty, trusting their general’s judgment.

As they made their way through the palace corridors, Maya appeared at the far end, her face pale and drawn. "General," she called, her voice trembling. "Where are you going?"

Bhanu stopped, turning to face her. "There’s a crypt beneath the palace. I’m going to find it."

Maya’s eyes widened in alarm. "A crypt? You can’t go down there. The spirits—"

"The spirits are already here, haunting this palace," Bhanu interrupted gently. "If we don’t uncover what’s causing all of this, they will consume us all."

Maya bit her lip, clearly torn between her fear and her desperation for answers. "Then I’m coming with you."

Bhanu shook his head. "No, my lady. It’s too dangerous. Stay here with the Raja. We’ll return with what we find."

Before Maya could protest further, Bhanu and his men moved forward, descending into the depths of the palace. They followed the old map, navigating through narrow corridors and forgotten passageways that had long been sealed off from the rest of the world.

The deeper they went, the colder the air became. The stone walls dripped with moisture, and the flickering flames of their torches cast eerie shadows that seemed to dance of their own accord. After what felt like hours of descending, they reached a heavy iron door, rusted with age.

"This must be it," Bhanu murmured, running his hand over the worn surface. With a deep breath, he motioned for his men to step back. "Stand ready."

Two soldiers stepped forward with crowbars, forcing the door open with a loud creak. As it swung open, a gust of icy air rushed out, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of decay.

Inside was a large, dark chamber lined with stone sarcophagi. Bhanu stepped forward cautiously, his eyes scanning the crypt. "Stay alert," he warned his men. "We don’t know what we’re dealing with here."

Suddenly, one of the soldiers let out a startled gasp. "General, look!"

Bhanu turned and saw what the man was pointing at—a stone slab had been overturned, revealing a small chamber beneath it. Inside, they saw the remains of royal figures, their bodies long decayed, their faces frozen in expressions of terror. They had not been buried with respect—they had been entombed alive.

"Gods above," Bhanu breathed, stepping closer to inspect the remains. The truth began to dawn on him as he surveyed the scene. "These were members of the royal family… buried alive. But why?"

Rajguru, who had followed them down, stepped forward, his face pale. "I had heard whispers long ago of a betrayal within the royal family, but I never imagined… This is why the crypt was sealed."

"These are the restless souls," Bhanu said grimly. "Their anger is fueling the hauntings. They’ve been seeking justice for their unjust deaths."

As the realization set in, the walls around them began to rumble, and a low, ghostly wail filled the crypt. The soldiers shifted uneasily, their eyes darting around the dark chamber.

"We need to leave," Rajguru said urgently. "Their spirits are waking."

But before they could move, the shadows in the crypt seemed to come alive, swirling around them with a malevolent force. The temperature dropped even further, and the wailing grew louder, almost unbearable.

"Back to the palace!" Bhanu shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Move!"

With their hearts pounding and fear clawing at their every step, Bhanu and his men retreated, the haunting cries of the forgotten dead echoing in their ears as they fled the crypt and sealed the door behind them.

As they ascended the stairs back to the palace, Bhanu knew that the secrets they had uncovered were only the beginning. The crypt beneath the palace had unleashed a force far darker and more dangerous than any of them had imagined. The haunting was no longer just a ghostly presence—it was the wrath of a long-buried past, and it would not be silenced easily.