"What do you think is happening in this Palace, Vikram?"

Sub-Inspector Radhika Vajpayee asked as she examined the crime scene with a poker face. Vikram, her junior tossed a peanut in his mouth in return and munched lazily. The constable was in his 50s and has often come across such matters in his 27 years of career. The lady inspector was a new addition, freshly appointed and unpretentious, still trying to wrap her head around this tedious occupation. Chewing another peanut, Vikram strolls carelessly, not minding the forensics and dried blood splattered on the marble.

"I can guarantee it is an animal attack, madam."

Radhika released a frustrated sigh and rolls her eyes.

"Yes, an animal who is capable of raping a female and then hanging her corpse 11 feet high in the air to a chandelier. Great!" She pointed in exasperation and walked towards the senior forensic officer who was taking pictures of the pattern of blood.

"Please tell me you've found anything useful and there's a DNA sample other than the victim." The Inspector asked and the officer pursed his lips.

"I've been scouring the crime scene for the past two days, ma'am. Unfortunately, there's no other clue. A CCTV footage must have helped greatly but the recovered evidence contains static noise for 18 minutes after midnight. We have the scene of the victim entering the hall soundly and then hanging from the chandelier, but nothing in between. If you ask me, it is humanly impossible to conduct such an offense within 18 minutes. Look at these details and the amount of damage her body received is major. 17 broken bones, 32 deep gashes, and..." Radhika raised her hand to silence the man.

"Could it be an animal attack?" her whisper made him freeze and he nodded thoughtfully.

"Only if the animal is the size of a bear, who stands at 12 feet. This area is famous for such tragedies anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the same beast that runs in the forest behind the Palace. I have seen multiple mangled bodies in the past three years, the count only increasing. Nobody has seen this animal but came across his footprints deep in the woods. It is massive. The forest officers had tried to eliminate him on multiple occasions by setting various traps but they didn't even catch a shadow. The beast is smart."

The officer stated while adjusting his glasses and Radhika blinked cluelessly.

"I am a new recruit and this is my first posting. Can't believe my first case is a ghost." The forensic officer smiled sadly, instantly feeling bad for her. The more she will know about this, the more her faith will solidify in almighty. This Kingdom was Cursed.

Queen Mother Vasundhara rang the bell of the temple and entered with a platter filled with holy items and fruits. Damodaran, who was busy reading a scripture near the idol's statue, instantly stands and rushes by her side. She came alone today, without the line of guards and Ambika. Her face was void of any expressions.

"Your highness!"

He exclaimed at her sudden arrival and takes the platter from her hand. Vasundhara joins her hands and watches as the royal priest offers the articles to the Lord of the Universe- Mahadeva, before bringing her some Prasad (sweets).

"The situation has gotten out of hand this time, Damodaran. Today when I looked in the sky at the blazing sun, I realized that its bright rays failed to penetrate the darkness circulating the Fort. So many people have lost their lives in my family. I never got to enjoy marital bliss and always fought for my husband's affection. After Kirti passed away, another death happened In Rajwada Palace. It is time we go see the saint in Nilgiri. I am afraid something might happen to Yagya and Gauri." Tears fell from her eyes as she finally lets her worries slip in front of the old priest.

Damodaran lowered his head in sadness. He knew the inevitable will occur, but not so soon. Something must have gravely offended the demons in that house to make everybody sense their presence.

"Then I must start the preparations. Remember, nobody must know about this journey but the two of us. Strengthen your mind, your highness, for they are betting to see the cracks. Don't let these things weaken your resolve, the real power lies in here. One who gets scared is easily won by the evil."

Vasundhara's lips quivered as she falls to her knees and cried in front of God. The heaviness on her shoulder finally crushed her spirit and she looked older. Damodaran left the Queen alone, not sure how to console her. It would mean crossing the boundaries. It was a plea for help, not for him but for the one who watches over the world.

Digging the knuckles between her breasts, she enters the bathroom and drops the nightgown covering her modesty. A naked and ashen figure surrounded by long tangled brown hair passes in front of the mirror. Turning the temperature of water to hot, she stands beneath the sharp jet of shower. Steam floods the once empty space.

The scalding aqua when greeted her flesh, roared at the cold shivers emitting from her bones. Feeling weak and lightheaded, she settled on the floor and let the unforgiving spray burn her. She wanted to feel something. Anything but this hollowness clogging her pores, this tightness, and pain in her chest. They need to go. She was dying to breathe deep for the simplest task has now become difficult. With every gulp, her lungs screamed in protest. They were filled to brim with this indefinite pressure that the smallest amount of air hurt them.

Under the blistering onslaught, she stared at the white tiles with bloodshot eyes. Her tears have long dried. Now, this itch in her flesh was bothersome. She wanted to dig her nails deep into the skin and scratch it away. But she couldn't reach deep enough to locate it.

The ominous sight of Rekha's corpse kept revolving in her mind, making her heave in suffocation. Rocking back and forth she started humming a foreign melody, that sounded unfamiliar to her own ears, but strangely it brought little comfort. The after-effects of this melancholy raised goosebumps on her flesh and she sensed the bizarre atmosphere.

Where a mournful silence engulfed the entire Fort, she could still feel the vibrating air. As if it was filled with energy. A kind she failed to understand. Nobody was doing any chores or following daily routines, yet the gloomy day followed its agenda of tormenting agonized souls. When she woke up, she felt as if she is being watched. If the paranoia wasn't enough, her mother-in-law decided to shift her from the forsaken Rajwada Palace into the Chitrakoot Palace. All her belongings were arranged in the room beside the Queen mother's so the old woman can look after her while taking care of the paralyzed husband.

After two days of that unholy incident, Gauri woke up from high fever. To her astonishment, her stranger husband was in her bedroom and looking out of the window with a rigid stance. She saw his broad back in a white shirt and his hands were lazily thrust in his pockets. Sensing her shifting in the sheets, he suddenly turned around and her breath got stuck in her throat. Her eyes refused to blink, not daring to miss the details of a mountainous persona. It was their first meeting face to face.

Surely, he was a big man, intimidating and powerful, but the dark eyes reflecting the depths of his broken soul said otherwise.

He is a true warrior.

Her mind screamed as he slowly approached her bedside and lifted a glass of water. She watched in a daze as he offered it to her before unpacking a few medicines and dropping them in her open palm. Not a word was exchanged, not a single graze on flesh was received, still, she felt as if he was drinking her in. His sharp nose, high cheekbones, and thin lips were the stamp of an aristocratic background. Light stubble was dusted on his angular jaw. It wasn't the simple clothes or his build, but the aura surrounding him that defined his presence as the master of all. Domineering and calm before the storm. Both light and gloom were settled on his shoulders. As if he was in a constant battle.

All the rumors she heard from peasants were false.

They said he was kind and intelligent.

No

If you look through her eyes, he was hauntingly beautiful poetry, begging to be read. You must read every word slowly with a strong cognizance, for the complexity can't be solved by naïve minds.

Her heart thundered when he rested his large palm on her forehead for a second and then backed away. She watched his every move warily. In her subconscious, she was aware, that he was a predator, a silent one.

"The fever is gone."

He mumbled softly and settled on a chair in front of her. His right ankle rested on the left knee as he examined her expressions and intertwined his fingers.

"A tragedy has befallen in the Palace. What we saw was disturbing. I collected that the girl was your handmaiden. The police are investigating the case and constantly asking for your statement. I have sent them back and cleared you are in no condition to talk about it. Mother has insisted to shift you to Chitrakoot palace, in her residence and I have agreed. The longer you'll stay here, it will affect your mental health. Until the real culprit is caught or told otherwise, you must stay away from the Rajwada Palace."

She bit her lip at the coldness in his tone. It instantly cleared how she was an unwelcomed entity in his house. The formal way in which he addressed her sets the boundaries. She was nobody but a responsibility by the law. Lowering her head, she nodded once and heard him leaving the room with long strides.

Her thoughts evaporated with a sharp knock on the bathroom door.

"The breakfast is served, princess."

Ambika's scratchy voice came from the other side making her sigh. She turns off the shower and lifelessly walks toward the mirror. The sweat was washed off. From pale, she has now turned red and pink. Her body burned and alive. Looking at the mirror with hollow eyes, she lifted the corner of her lips in disdain.

She thought she was smart and had a silver tongue. She thought she was sharp in dealing with the toughest situation. But the incident in Rajwada Palace broke those delusions. And for the first time, she saw how pathetic she was. One shocking scenario was enough to muddle her rationality and scatter her thoughts. She was putty in the arms of the unknown. She wasn't fearless.

Clenching her fists on the counter, she glared at herself in the mirror and hardened her jaw.

She had cried a lot, suffered a lifetime of fright in the past two days, and felt hopeless and unsafe. All because she wasn't able to get a hold of her brain. But now she knows the trick. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the ache in her chest, she closed her eyes, to take a moment, a break from reality to tap into her fierce soul which was pushed back into the murky depths by the fear. When she opened her eyes, the smile on her lips wilted and pursed into a straight line. The worries between her brows disappeared and focus descended in its place.

Pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin, she smirked in devotion, now in control of both her mind and emotions.

Yes, she has fallen on her knees and cried in horror, but no more. An innocent girl has lost her life and she would be sinning if she grieved in silence and didn't help in bringing justice.

How lost must have Gauri felt to put a leash on her free mind? To control her thoughts. This is not something an intelligent person would do. But a genius is always known to do the right thing at right time. She can't afford to lose her mind or get lost in the wild river of emotions at a time when the clueless are frightened and mourning. She mustn't abandon the strength pulsing in her blood.

Wearing a plane and blue silk saree, she fills vermillion in the partition of her hair and diamond bangles on her wrists. Covering her head with the free drape of saree, she leaves her room to have breakfast with the Queen mother. When she entered the dining area, found the old woman slowly feeding her husband.

Smiling softly at the sight, Gauri cleared her throat lightly and bend to touch their feet.

"Good morning, mother."

Vasundhara smiled at her tiredly and gets up to caress her cheek.

"How are you, my dear? Did you sleep well last night?"

No, she was not fine and had passed the night by turning sides, because every time she closed her eyes, the scene from that horrible night flashed behind her lids.

Smiling at her mother-in-law in assurance, Gauri took an empty chair and Ambika quickly started filling her plate with breakfast. Although she didn't feel like eating, Gauri knew her body needed energy and people here had already so much on their plates to worry about her.

She took a spoonful of Poha and started chewing. Contrary to spicy, it tasted somewhat odd. Gauri was well versed in cooking and knew that the chef in the kitchen of palace was one of the best. She frowned and looked at the Poha carefully. The color was slightly red.

Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to eat. They must be too stressed out to care for little things.

"Gauri..."

Vasundhara called lowly and turned to face her. The daughter-in-law instantly straightened in her chair.

"I am afraid that due to recent circumstances, we wouldn't be able to continue with other post-wedding traditions for the next two months. Even if Rekha isn't family, she was still a part of this palace. A good person. The Pagphera ceremony has to wait. In the meantime, I must accompany her poor father to Kaashi for the last rites. The girl died an unnatural death. It wouldn't be easy for the soul to move on to the next world. I've convinced Damodaran to conduct a pooja in her name and it will take 8 days to complete. This is the least we could do for that loyal girl.

Can you do me a favor by taking care of your father-in-law during this period? I would be busy with the rituals and travel?"

At Vasundhara's genuine plea Gauri smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Yes, mother. You shouldn't consider it a favor. It is my duty to look after him, he is my father as well. I am relieved that you are taking such a huge step for Rekha. We owe this to her."

"Thank you, my dear."

Vasundhara smiled briefly and then turned towards a frowning Ambika.

"Ambika, from now onwards, Gauri is your responsibility until I return. Make sure she is comfortable."

The dutiful handmaiden nodded and for the first time, passed Gauri a small smile.