Who knew a small glitch in time would impact so many lives? Who knew a broken soul could be pieced together by a mistake? Who knew Fate had a soft spot for love?
Destiny rolled its dice, and Time made its move.
Punch. The stone-cold young lady only...
"I'll go," declared prof. Swiftly turning around, he rummaged hurriedly in his dusty canvas bag and pulled out a handheld torch light and huge floodlights with a metal framed stand. Clicking the switch of the smaller torch, he flicked it to life and directed it into the darkness. The light beamed through the stale air and shined bright at the stone floor kissing the last stair. Carefully, the old man adjusted the brown rim of his dense glasses sliding down his nose bridge and began his descent down the ancient stairs.
Silence other than the careful and dull steps of the professor contaminated the air around us all. I could feel the two young souls next to me also hold their breaths in bubbling excitement and nervousness. It was after all, a marvelous dream coming true for us.
ChandraAranya Empire...one of the biggest empires to supposedly span India in the 1600s...yet it was one of the most intriguing and mysterious one till date. Their lengthy history of almost 700 years remains unknown with little proof of their existence other than this Kaala Bhairava Temple and several mentions of vast empire's deeds in historical scriptures of other kingdoms. And today, here we were, walking through a secret door that could lead us into the long-lost history of a magnificent empire.
Picking up a bright headlamp from the big bucket with all my essentials from the tent, I strapped it to my sweaty forehead, fastening the clasp securely at the back of my head. Grabbing my heavy and pricey video camera I brough along to document each and every discovery of our excavation, I punched the record button immediately. I turned the lens towards me as I spoke with overflowing excitement. "Today is June 18th, 2024. We finally were able to unlock the little door in the temple," turning the camera around, I focused its glimmering lens on the opening. I clicked the power button to my head lamp as it brightness flooded the stairs. "I'm heading down after Professor," I say as I carefully record my movement into the underground compartment.
It had been maybe a total of 10 or 15 stairs until my dirty bare feet collided with the cool and even floor of the cold room. Turning my head around, I noticed prof setting up the flood lights in a corner as he wrestled with the stand to set it up right. Eventually the metal frame ceased its wobble and stood tall holding up the heavy lights on its shoulders. A small click sounded proceeded the overwhelming amount of light in the extremely dark room.
I could hear the subtle echo of two more pairs of feet lead into the dusty place. The entire team was down here, but my attention was unbothered. My focus remained on the intelligent device held tightly in my hands. Cautiously taking steps, I recorded the entire room, as I tried to briefly expand further on what information my eyes could collect.
The chamber was ample and could easily hold up to 50 people at once. The floor, ceiling, and walls all were built of the same black stone that made up the entirety of the temple. Of the four sides of the room, one kissed the side of the stairs rising up into the temple. The wall residing opposite it had a huge and intricate stone archway, leading further into a seemingly dark stone maze that continued below the surface of the earth. The third wall held organized racks of weaponry. Talwar (curved swords) with intricately designed handles, dhal (circular shield) with royal designs on the surface, spears with sharp blades on both ends, impressive bow and arrows lined the wall, neatly placed in stands. But...some seemed to be taken for usage and never returned or replaced? Several of the spots on the stands and shelves looked to be empty.
Moving onto the next and final wall, I noticed several paintings lining the wall. Underneath each frame, words were painted with delicate and ornate strokes of expensive paint that hadn't faded despite the time they've endured. Each frame held a couple seated in a luxurious chaise, dressed in extensive clothes and jewelry that screamed of their status. Their bodies projected the nature of their royal titles. Their eyes exhibited the qualities they mastered to rule the mighty empire. This wall held the paintings of ChandraAranya's kings and queens.
Focusing on each of the colorful and quite realistic arts pieces, I recorded everything on my handy camera. My entertaining companions can be heard in the background, delving into deep discussions of the objects lingering around us. Ignoring their chatter, I continued...until I reached the second painting from the end.
Staring at the pixel screen of the camera, my heartbeat picked up quickly. Air seemed to be caught tightly in my throat and my eyes bulged out. Whipping my face away from the camera, I glanced at the painting hung up in front of me. Time seemed to halt for a moment. The dusty air around me didn't move as the light shined through it. The dull chatter in the background faded to silence. My own heart froze in fear and anticipation.
Just like the previous few portraits, this one held a pair of royalty. Their bodies were situated similarly, the King seated on the chaise as the Queen stood behind him with her jeweled hands delicately placed on his broad shoulders. Their clothes and jewelry sparkled brightly and spoke of richness. Their eyes shined with confidence and power while their soft smiles spoke of their humble hearts.
I stepped back in utter confusion and before I could notice, I tripped over my own two feet and stumbled backwards. My butt collided roughly with the solid stone floor, yet my eyes remain glued to the young couple in front of me. The camera in my hands continued documenting without an injury from my fall. It remained on my thighs where it had fallen but rather faced me partly, recording my own horrified expressions.
Hearing my abrupt accident, Dhruvi rushed to my side first. Her palms grabbed onto my arms as she attempted to stabilize me on my feet. But my mind couldn't ignore the bothering situation engulfing my mind and soul. My smaller palm wrapped around her wrist and pulled at her quaveringly. Pointing towards the young Queen captured in painting facing us, I asked her. "D-Dhruvi, tell me t-that's not m-me." Her gasp after a few seconds only drastically intensified my fear.
Her gasp wasn't the only one. Two more followed closely behind. It was real. This wasn't a joke. It was a play of time, one which poured fear into my veins. "Samrat Kaala Bhairava Varma and Samragni Panchami Devi," read D's crush from the Sanskrit letters at the edge of the painting, "1625".
As the realization sank into my devastated brain, the air in the room felt heavier than before. The weight of history pressed down on my shoulders, and the ancient gaze of the painted royalty pierced through time itself. The significance of the discovery hung in the air and everyone in the underground chamber seemed to be appalled. The echoes of centuries old history sounded in this room, but now, the past and present seemed to be colliding, and I couldn't help but mutter slowly, "who fucking knew, history could be creepier than horror movies?"
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Hehehehe, another chapter 🥳Let me know what you guys think in the comments and vote for the chapter if you liked it! Get ready for time to play it's trick! Hahaha, see you next time!
