Chapter 21
The sky was still tinted with the faint blue of dawn when Aariv quietly slipped back into the haveli.
The corridors were silent ancient silence, heavy and watchful.
Every step he took echoed softly on the marble floor.
He clutched the copper plate tightly in his hand, his heart racing.
Pandit Harinarayan’s words still rang in his ears “jitna tum Veeransh ke kareeb jaoge, utna hi maut tumhare kareeb aayegi…”
He swallowed hard and pushed open the bedroom door.
The moment he did, his breath froze.
Veeransh was sitting on the couch, back slightly leaned, eyes sharp and dark as storm clouds.
The faint light from the window cut across his face half in light, half in shadow but his eyes glowed with something unreadable, dangerous.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.Then Veeransh’s voice came, low and cold.
“Kaha gaye the?”
Aariv’s fingers tightened on the copper plate. His eyes darted here and there anywhere but Veeransh’s gaze.
Veeransh leaned forward slightly, his voice turning harder.
“I asked something, Aariv.”
Aariv took a step back, his throat dry. “V ..vo… main”
“Tell me.”
The tone left no room for hesitation.
Aariv looked at the floor, his lips trembling. He didn’t know how to explain how to tell him about the temple, the curse, the fear that now coiled inside his chest.
When he didn’t respond, Veeransh suddenly stood up. The sound of his shoes against the floor made Aariv flinch.
Veeransh began walking toward him slow, measured steps like a predator closing in. Aariv instinctively stepped back, his back brushing against the wall.
“Mr....R.. Rathore…”
But Veeransh didn’t stop. In the next second, his arms came up and he pinned Aariv against the door, palms flat against the wood on either side of Aariv’s shoulders. The slam echoed through the room.
Aariv gasped, his eyes wide. His breath hitched as he instinctively curled his palm against his own chest, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.
Veeransh’s face was inches away from his. The scent of his cologne mixed with alcohol hung between them.
“Answer me when I ask something,” Veeransh growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Aariv’s throat tightened. His lips parted. “V...vo… main…”
“I said answer me!”
The sudden roar made him flinch violently. Tears welled up in his eyes instantly, glistening under the soft morning light. His body trembled.
Veeransh froze. For a split second, the sight of those tears made something inside him twist painfully but his pride and fear pushed it away. He looked away for a moment, exhaling sharply, then turned back.
“Kisne kaha tumse ki tum bina bataye bahar jaa sakte ho?” His tone cracked slightly, in pure anger but something else panic hidden beneath it.
“Jaante bhi ho is time akele bahar jaana matlab kya hota hai? Tum musibat ko khud bulake la rahe ho!”
Aariv pressed his back tighter against the door, his tears spilling silently.
Veeransh’s jaw clenched. He stepped even closer, his words trembling with emotion now, not rage.
“Tum samajhte kyu nahi, Aariv? Tum mere ho ab… tumhara naam mujhse jud chuka hai!”
His voice shook slightly, eyes burning.
“Mujhe barbaad karne ke liye log tumhe hi chunenge… tumhe samajh nahi aa raha kya matlab hai iska?”
Each word was like a confession veiled in fury.
Aariv’s tears glimmered in the dim light, his breathing shallow and uneven.
Veeransh stood close, chest rising and falling with the weight of his words, the air between them trembling with tension.
For a long, heavy second, neither of them moved.
Then Veeransh exhaled sharply, voice low but trembling with anger.
“You’re crying just by my voice…” he said, his jaw tight, eyes locked on Aariv’s tear streaked face.
He stepped a little closer, his tone hardening with every word.
“Aur tum akele gaye the? What if someone attacked you?”
Aariv’s lips parted to speak, but no words came out.
Veeransh’s voice rose, cutting through the silence like a blade.
“Hath bhi pakad leta koi toh chhuda paate? Bolo?”
Aariv flinched, pressing himself back against the door as his fingers clutched the fabric near his chest. His throat felt dry, his voice barely a whisper.
“Main… bas… main kisi se milne gaya tha…”
“Kisi se milne?” Veeransh snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Kaun si aisi meeting thi jo sirf itni subah vo bhi bina kisi ko bataye ho sakti thi".
Aariv’s gaze faltered. His heart pounded against his ribs.
“Pandit… Pandit Harinarayan,” he said quietly, almost pleading.
At that name, Veeransh froze.
For a heartbeat, all the blood drained from his face. His hands, still pressed against the door, trembled faintly before he clenched them into fists.
The silence that followed was deafening.
When Veeransh finally spoke, his voice was low, cold but beneath it, there was something almost… terrified.
“Tumhe kisne bola unse milne jaane ke liye?”
Aariv looked up, confused and scared. “Main… main sirf sach jaanna chahta tha…”
Veeransh turned away sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Tum samajhte kyun nahi ho, Aariv? Tum jis sach ko jaanna chaah rahe ho, wahi tumhe khatam kar dega!”
Aariv blinked back tears, his voice trembling.
“Phir mujhe andhere mein kyun rakha gaya hai? I deserve to know the truth! Mujhe haq hai jaane ka!”
Veeransh turned around and said
"Bahut bura aadmi hoon mai Aariv , don't test my patience warna maine apna haq dikhana suru kiya to tumhe achha nhi lagega."
He said and left the room without listening to anything.
The door closed with a dull thud behind him.
Veeransh’s footsteps faded down the corridor until only silence remained.
Aariv stood there for a few seconds, frozen, staring at the empty doorway as if hoping he would return.
But he didn’t.
His eyes burned, the weight of his own heartbeat echoing in the stillness. Slowly, he turned back toward the bed and sat down, his fingers trembling as he tried to wipe the tears that refused to stop.
The faint light of the lamp made his eyes glimmer half broken, half determined.
He whispered to himself, voice shaky but firm,
“Pata to mai karke rahunga, Mr. Rathore…”
His fingers clutched the bedsheet tightly.
“Jab itni parwah karte hain meri… to dur kyu bhejna chahte hain mujhe?”
He looked up at the ceiling, as if searching for an answer in the silence of the old haveli.
But the only sound that came was the distant creaking of wooden beams and the low howl of the wind pressing against the ancient walls.
Aariv stood up, walked to the window, and looked out.
The courtyard was bathed in silver moonlight calm on the surface, but heavy with something unseen.
The trees swayed like they were whispering secrets to the wind.
His heart ached. Not only because of Veeransh’s words, but because somewhere deep inside, he could feel that Veeransh’s anger wasn’t hatred it was fear. A fear too dark to be named.
He pressed his hand against the cold windowpane and whispered again,
“Main aapse dur nhi jaunga ab… chahe kuch bhi ho.”
He turned back toward the room, eyes falling on the old chest near the corner. Something about it caught his attention a faint shimmer, like soot or ash had been disturbed.
He frowned, stepping closer.
When he leaned down, he saw a thin line of burn marks small, curling symbols like those he’d seen earlier on the wall. His breath hitched.
The same strange shape. The same scent of burnt sandalwood.
“Phir se…” he murmured.
His fingers hovered just above the mark, hesitating.
He could feel a faint heat, as if the mark was alive.
Suddenly, a cold gust of air passed through the room though the windows were closed.
The lamp flickered wildly, shadows stretching and curling on the walls like dark hands.
Aariv gasped and stumbled back.
His voice trembled, “K...Kaun hai wahan?”
No answer.
Only the soft sound of the wind shifting, and then… a whisper.
Faint. Barely there.
“...Aariv…”
His eyes widened. His heart nearly stopped.
The voice had come from nowhere or everywhere.He spun around, scanning the room. Nothing.
But the air felt heavy, pressing against his chest.
He stumbled toward the bed, clutching the blanket, his pulse hammering.
The whisper came again softer, sadder.
“...Don’t trust… the blood…”
And just as quickly as it came, it was gone.
The lamp went out with a hiss, leaving the room drowned in darkness.
Aariv’s breath shook as he sat down, curling his knees close.
He didn’t know if it was real or if he was losing his mind but deep inside, he knew one thing.
Whatever this curse was… it was alive And it wanted him to know something.
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