Chapter 26 (Trip to Pandher)
Pandher Palace:
It was 9 am in the morning when Piya and Abhay almost reached Pandher Palace. They started their journey very early so they could finish their work quickly. Abhay gave a look at the innocent angel sitting beside him in the car who's sleeping now. "She looks pale and there are dark circles around her eyes. Seems like she hasn't sleep the entire night." Thought Abhay with concern. A strand of hair fell on Piya's face and he lovingly moved it behind her ear so noone could disturb his own sleeping beauty. Abhay knows she must be dead worried but she is pretending to be happy and normal. It's only 4 days to the full moon night and the ritual of opening the well. Everything is becoming dense and vague now. The worst part is he found journal no. 6 in the old house and no trace of journal no. 5. It was nowhere. Abhay talked to Haseena last night that true love can break any spell. Haseena agreed that there had been examples of such enigmatic love in the history which has overpowered all powers, spells, magic or wickedness in the world but the problem is no spell has been created ever to prove true love. It's unexplainable, unattainable and impossible to decipher. No magic or enchantment can prove true love only Abhay's true feelings can perform it's own magic in the ritual. So they have to take this dangerous risk since Abhay has to take part in the ritual anyway. Abhay agreed as he is willing to take any risk for Piya. Abhay stopped the car infront of the old palace. It's been slightly damaged at places. Piya was still in deep sleep. He touched her cheek gently with the back of his hands. Piya smiled in her smile like a baby and it brought a huge smile of Abhay's face. He got down from the car and opened the car door from Piya's side. He slowly kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Wake up sleepingbeauty...look where we are."
Piya slowly opened her eyes and smiled, "We are here already?"
Abhay smiled, "Yes. Now you eat something first then we will enter the palace. You look pale and the way you slept in the car tells me you haven't slept all night."
Piya made a strange face with the name of the food, "No thanks Abhay. I won't eat anything. You can have anything you want but I'm not hungry."
Abhay was surprised, "But you look pale Piya. Just look at you. You have dark circles. You need feeding."
Piya was still reluctant to eat, "Abhay I don't feel like eating please. If I feel hungry I will eat later. Ok? And what's with my dark circles? Don't I look beautiful to you anymore?"
This statement made Abhay speechless. Piya was still inside the car hanging her legs out of the car. Abhay bend on his knees and took her hands on her knees and kissed each of her fingers once. "Even if you become fat, your hair falls down and they become grey I would still love you the way I do. It's your beautiful heart that makes me go crazy not just your beauty."
Piya gave a radiant smile as his words sounds like some beautiful music to her ear. She kissed the top of Abhay's head twice and said, "I heart you and you always makes me fall harder for you Abhay."
Abhay was more then happy to see the glow back in her face. He loves to see her smile. He prompted, "now we should enter the palace I suppose cause you said we need to go back as early as possible."
Piya got out of the car. "Yes. I have some errands to run in the evening so need to go early" but then she looked at the palace and stopped at her place. Numerous memories hit her on the present as she saw her birthplace after almost 75 years. "It looks like a graveyard..." she murmured looking lost. Abhay understood her emotions and squeezed her hands and spoke softly, "I'm with you. Are you sure you can go inside or I can and take stuffs which we need... "
Piya squeezed his hands back and smiled a little, "no I want to go there. It's a proof of my existence and you are with me so I'm not afraid of anything."
They walked inside the palace finally which now looks almost like some ancient haunted house by the half demolished and careless look.
As planned Abhay showed his ID to the caretaker and said he is the History professor from Mount College and Piya is his assistant and they came here to do some research on Pandher Palace.
They passed the huge iron door and entered the area which looked like a hall. Some furniture are still covered with white cloth otherwise the place is roofed with dust, cobwebs and the palace has completely lost it's charm. Piya's heart wrench seeing her once beautiful palace into such a mess. The caretaker was showing the hall and the area around that to Abhay and Piya but she was completely lost in her thoughts. Abhay question to the caretaker brought Piya to the present world, "There is no portrait or painting of the royal family around anywhere?"
The caretaker nodded, 'The paintings of the king and queen have been moved upstairs. You can see them but there are no paintings of the princesses. There are strange rumors and stories about them that the elder princess eloped with someone before the wedding and the King disowned her for disgracing the family and the younger princess scarified herself trying to save her sister who has been exiled from Pandher. All the paintings of the two princesses had been burnt. Rumor has it that both died or killed by a Shaman because they were involved in some magic. Per yeh sab to sirf log kehte sahab. Yeh bhi suna hai ke ajtak logo ko jungle me aur is palace ke bahar Rajkumari o ke atma dikhayi deti hai (Piya glared at the caretaker but he didn't notice). Woh dono kumari chale gaye na so unki atma ko shanty nehi mili. Bohut logone dekha hai do khubsurat ladkiya dour rahi thi garden me... unki payel ki awaz bhi sunayi deti hai !!!"
Abhay showed much interest into the GHOST of princesses, "really? Tell me have you ever seen the ghost of any princess? How do they look and what were they wearing?" Piya squeezed his hand to stop but Abhay was having a hard time suppressing his laughter.
The caretaker shook his head vigorously, "I never saw them and these are just rumors but I heard girls crying inside the palace. So don't stay long till night. I have to go outside now you can do your work."
As soon as he left Abhay started laughing, "Piya, tumhari bhoot kaise dikhti hai I wanna know."
Piya laughed as well, "uff Abhay... you are too much. Stop it and get back to work. I know where to find the things. Let's go upstairs. You can go to the last corner room on the second floor through the hallway there should be paintings of the royal family. You can see them and I would rather not go there" (she sighed deeply).
Abhay stroked her shoulder, "sure you can find alone?"
Piya nodded, "yes."
Piya headed towards the place which used to be her mother's room. Nothing looks the same for sure and it reminded her if the memories where her mother used to sit by her mirror and she used to chat with her and her eyes become moist. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked for anything that used to be her mothers. But nothing was there which she could take. She wanted to open the ancient Almira but couldn't so Piya decided to use a little magic. She opened the almira with magic and looked behind carefully to make sure no one was coming. It was empty and covered with dust. She found a dupatta lying carelessly on the foot of the almira. It was queens and she could recognize without any effort. She looked at the light blue dupatta and the beautiful patchwork on it thinking of her mother. She quickly shoved it into her bag. She knows it has a secret camber at inside the drawer but Piya doesn't have the key anymore. She used her powers again to open it. Some papers which now looks yellow and going to torn soon and yes a sketched photo of her and her sister Maithli. That is what she was looking for. She put it here herself back long 80 years ago. She smiled at the photo. She and Maithli sitting side by side. It was sketched by Siddartha. She and maithli both wearing their favorite lehengas. her curls hanging behind her shoulders and Maithli's long mane of hair pinned into a clip. both smiling. other things were her mother's silver hand mirror and a gold hairclip. It was given by her grandmother and it was always supposed to be her's. She quickly shoved it all into her bag and locked the almira before anyone else could come. Abhay walked in the moment she closed the door of the almira. "What are you doing?' Abhay asked her looking suspicious at her guilty face. "Nothing. But I got what was needed and what were you doing?"
'Let's go from where and will tell you later. Come. Our work is done."
They walked into the garden and Piya pointed at the place which used to be a beautiful fountain, "look Abhay. It used to be so beautiful no one took care of it. Me and Siddartha used to play in this place when I was a teenager. He always plucked flowers from the garden for me and gave me each and every day. There look.. we used to sit there and chat. He made my sketch while I was sitting near the fountain."
Abhay looked at Piya's beaming face, "Hmm... he was really in love with you isn't it? And you seem to like him as well. I'm jealous!!"
Piya laughed, "ABHAY.. common. He was my best friend remember? And yes he was always in love with me but he knew too well I never was and doesn't matter. He ended up marrying my sister remember?"
The both stopped their conversation seeing the caretaker coming. "aap logo ka kam khatam ho gaya?"
Abhay nodded, "yes. We are done taking the notes that was needed (showing the notebook in his hand) thanks for your help. We should leave now."
Abhay noticed Piya didn't utter a single word in the entire journey when they started for Dehradun again because she looked lost. He understood visiting her birthplace which abandoned her long away must be painful. He held her hand, "You don't look good. I got your fav chocolate muffins. You should eat something."
Piya tried to smile, "I'm alright. And thanks I'm not hungry."
Abhay (raising his eyebrows), "really? Bad liar!! You look paler now. What's with the food? Why are denying to even drink water since morning? What's wrong?
Piya tried to change the subject, "Nothing. You didn't tell me what I took? I got my mother's dupatta and her mirror and a hairclip which was supposed to be mine. But you didn't tell me either what you got?"
Abhay got distracted, "Well. I got a silver dagger wrapped in black velvet behind your father's portrait (piya's jaw dropping expressions gave Abhay much satisfaction) well I just touched the portrait and it clicked some hidden chamber. The painting moved away and I was so shocked that couldn't do anything for several minutes then I saw there's a chamber and I found this. I donno what made me took it but my sixth sense told me it's important so I did."
"If it's hidden offcourse it's important. Keep it safe. We will ask Guruma. Maybe she will know and it must be something important. We are good thieves by the way."
Both laughed and rest of the journey Piya became silent again. When they reached Dehradun Piya requested Abhay to drop her infront of the shopping mall. Abhay sounded incredulous, "seriously? This is your important work? SHOPPING?"
Piya smugly replied, "You will know later but there's something important I need. Just drop me na."
Abhay muttered, "Girls" and Piya smiled thinking of the evening.
Chapter 27 (updating on page 14)
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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