Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya

Part III: The Unraveling Truth

Chapter 22: Possession and Betrayal

The night was dark, and the air in the palace was thick with an oppressive silence that seemed to settle like a heavy fog over everything. The grand chambers, once vibrant and filled with warmth, now felt cold and uninviting. Raja Vikram stood near the window of his private quarters, staring out at the garden below, lost in thought. The moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting long shadows across the room.

His mind was restless, still reeling from the conversation he’d had with Rajguru and Maya. He knew something was deeply wrong in the palace. The hauntings had worsened, and now his beloved Maya had fallen victim to them. Yet, despite everything, he couldn’t bring himself to fully accept the idea that his former love, Rani Aranya, could be behind this. The woman he had loved so dearly... how could her spirit become so twisted?

A sudden noise behind him startled Vikram from his thoughts. He turned quickly, eyes scanning the room. It was Maya, standing at the door. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a strange, glazed look. She stepped into the room slowly, her movements almost mechanical, as if she were being pulled by an unseen force.

“Maya?” Vikram called out softly, taking a step toward her. “Are you all right?”

She didn’t respond, her eyes fixated on him but not with the warmth and love he had come to know. Instead, there was an icy coldness in her gaze. Vikram’s heart skipped a beat as an unsettling feeling washed over him.

“Maya?” he repeated, his voice growing more urgent.

Without warning, Maya lunged at him with a sharp, predatory swiftness. Her fingers curled like claws, and her strength was unnatural, as if she were possessed by something far more powerful than herself. Vikram barely had time to react, stumbling backward as she struck out at him.

“Maya! What are you doing?” he shouted, grabbing her wrists in an attempt to stop her.

Her face twisted into a cruel sneer, and a voice that wasn’t her own came from her lips—cold, bitter, and filled with malice. “You thought you could forget me, Vikram? You thought you could replace me with this… this weakling?”

Vikram froze, the blood in his veins turning to ice. The voice was unmistakable. It was Rani Aranya.

“No… it can’t be…” Vikram gasped, struggling to hold Maya back as she continued to lash out at him, her strength overwhelming.

“It is me, Vikram,” the voice hissed through Maya’s lips. “I loved you! I was yours, body and soul. And you betrayed me. You left me to die. Now, I will make sure you suffer as I did.”

Maya’s eyes, now glowing with an unnatural light, bore into his, full of hatred and vengeance. Vikram fought to keep her from harming him, but the strength behind her possessed form was too much.

“Maya, please! Fight her!” Vikram begged, desperation in his voice. “You have to fight her!”

But Maya’s body continued to thrash, her hands clawing at his face and chest, her voice now a terrifying mix of Maya’s and Rani’s. “She cannot hear you, Vikram! She is mine now! You will pay for your betrayal, for abandoning me!”

Suddenly, the door to the chamber burst open, and Prince Arav, the young warrior and trusted ally of Vikram, stormed in. His eyes widened as he saw the scene before him—Maya attacking Vikram with a ferocity he had never seen.

“Maya!” Arav shouted, rushing forward to intervene.

He grabbed hold of Maya’s arms, pulling her away from Vikram with all his might. She fought against him, shrieking in anger, her body writhing like a creature possessed. Arav managed to wrestle her to the ground, pinning her arms behind her back as she continued to struggle, her voice still twisted by Rani’s spirit.

“Hold her!” Vikram gasped, catching his breath as he staggered to his feet. His face was pale, his eyes wide with shock.

Arav held Maya down, his muscles straining as he fought to keep her still. “What is happening to her, Vikram? What is this madness?”

Vikram ran a trembling hand through his hair, his heart pounding in his chest. “She’s possessed, Arav. It’s Rani... Rani’s spirit is inside her.”

Arav’s eyes narrowed, his face grim. “We need to get her to Rajguru. He’s the only one who can stop this.”

Maya let out a bone-chilling laugh, her head snapping up to glare at Vikram. “Rajguru cannot save her, Vikram! No one can. She will die just like I did, and you will be alone, haunted by your guilt for eternity.”

Vikram’s hands shook as he looked down at Maya—no, at Rani, who now held control of her. His mind raced, filled with dread. He couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t lose Maya, not like this.

“Rani, listen to me,” Vikram said, trying to remain calm despite the terror in his voice. “You don’t have to do this. I never wanted you to die. I loved you, but you have to let go. You can’t keep holding onto the past.”

Maya, still under the grip of Rani’s spirit, laughed again, her voice filled with venom. “Let go? I will never let go, Vikram. You are mine, and I will not rest until you are with me in death.”

Arav, still holding Maya down, looked up at Vikram with a grim expression. “We have to act fast, Vikram. If we don’t find a way to stop this, Maya won’t survive much longer. The spirit is draining her.”

Vikram’s heart clenched at Arav’s words. He looked down at the woman he loved, her body trembling under the weight of Rani’s possession. He had already lost one woman he loved—he couldn’t lose another.

“What do we do?” Vikram asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Arav shook his head, his jaw clenched. “We take her to Rajguru. Now.”

Without another word, Arav pulled Maya to her feet, holding her tightly as she continued to struggle. Vikram followed close behind, his mind a whirlwind of fear and regret. The haunting had spiraled out of control, and now, the love of his life was caught in the crossfire.

As they made their way through the darkened corridors of the palace, Vikram couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out. Rani’s spirit was growing more powerful by the day, and if they didn’t act quickly, they might lose Maya forever.

Maya’s voice, now quiet and desperate, broke through the silence. “Vikram... help me...”

Vikram’s heart ached at the sound of her voice—her real voice, pleading for him to save her. But before he could respond, Rani’s malevolent laughter echoed through the halls once more, drowning out Maya’s cry for help.

And Vikram knew, in that moment, that the battle for Maya’s soul had only just begun.