The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

59. The magician

Rudra and Shravani were busy peering at the Qutb Minar edifice standing tall in front of them while they were plopped on one of the nearby benches. The crowd visiting the famed monument was creating a ruckus, screeching, clicking pictures, and clapping their hands in ebullience, but the young couple was not getting deterred since their gazes were locked on the old structure while tranquil silence reigned between them. Not that talking to one another would've been of any use, given the horde of people visiting the location were too loud for any discourse to occur.

Nevertheless, Rudra raised his voice to make himself audible. "I have always been fascinated by this edifice. It's a representation of how history changes its course within the span of a few moments. So many secrets locked away in its walls, knowing it all, unable to tell a single soul."

She let a small smile develop on her face. "Holds true for every ancient place."

"Even Bhangarh." He suspired. Biting his lips, he turned towards her. "That clairvoyant asked us to find out what the curse on Bhangarh is all about. The locals might know about it, she says. Do you remember anything related to what the curse entails?"

Her brows furrowed. "Curse..." Gulping, she shook her head. "Nothing about a curse. I... I don't remember anything. What does she need us to find about the curse?"

He rolled his eyes. "I still think she is a fraud, and she is only using my mother's blind faith in these things to extort money from her." He clicked his tongue. "But a small part of me does want to believe that she will be able to vanquish Kalavati and help us get rid of that evil ghost once and for all."

She hummed. "I hope so."

He chortled. "You must be very happy with the proposition of going back to Bhangarh. You like it there. It's home, apparently."

She glimpsed away with a fond smile playing on her lips. "It is. Home. It feels like home."

"Do you think..." He took a sharp breath. "I was under the assumption you were Chitra, but if that ain't true, do you think she is still stuck there like the rest of them?"

She peered at him with her lips parted as she fiddled with her bracelet. "I wouldn't be surprised, Rudra. A lot of people indeed ended up getting trapped there, and if I am not too wrong, and if my recollections aren't deceiving me, no one actually knew what happened to Chitra or where she ended up. No one did."

He tugged at his hair in exasperation. "I wouldn't want her to be stuck there for an eternity." He glanced at her with a lot of hope swirling in his eyes. "Do you think we can help her free herself without having to deal with Kalavati? Because we are going there, we may... as well... try."

She tucked her hair behind her ears. "We need to find someone who can carry out the piece of complex magic, given Chitra is indeed there." She took a deep breath. "I am not sure if we will be able to execute the feat without putting ourselves in more danger. I say we go there, we do whatever the clairvoyant wants us to, and we leave the place. For good this time."

His palms clenched into fists as a pang shot through his heart at the thought of Chitra's suffering and loneliness for the past four centuries. Perhaps she was there, perhaps she wasn't, but if the former were indeed true... "Chitra and I are never going to meet." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Ishita is right. I should let go of my obsession with the girl and live in the present. Would serve me well."