Ashtram and Niranya walked side by side toward the grand doors of their estate, but there was an undeniable weight between them. Ashtram’s hand, strong and reassuring in hers, sent a warmth through her veins, yet the unease in Niranya’s chest refused to be soothed. It was as though something was about to change, something monumental—and she feared she wasn’t prepared for it.
They reached the gates of the estate, where a man in his forties stood waiting. His posture was rigid, the kind of stiffness that came from years of discipline, but his eyes told a different story—narrowed, intense, filled with urgency. His clothes, though fine, were not the typical business attire; there was a distinct sense of danger about him, something primal that made Niranya instinctively take a step closer to Ashtram.
Ashtram’s voice broke the silence, cold and commanding, yet with an undertone of curiosity. “I’m Ashtram Raghuvanshi. You wanted to see me.”
The man didn’t waste a second, stepping forward with an urgency that made Niranya’s pulse quicken. “I need to speak to both of you,” the man said, his voice low and tinged with something that could only be described as sorrow. “It’s about your past, Mr. Raghuvanshi. Something that cannot wait.”
Niranya’s heart fluttered erratically. She could feel the gravity of the situation in the air, as if the man’s words were laced with something ominous. Without thinking, she moved even closer to Ashtram, silently seeking his protection.
The man hesitated for just a moment, his gaze shifting between them, as though making a decision. “It’s about both of you... and the curse and the boon.”
The words hit Niranya like a storm. Her confusion deepened, and her gaze flickered to Ashtram, who stood motionless, his hand tightening around hers. His usual stoic expression shifted ever so slightly, a flicker of something darker passing across his face—a look that Niranya had never seen before.
The man didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He stepped into the grand hall, his presence almost suffocating the air around them. He carried an old manuscript bound in weathered leather, the pages yellowed with age. He was careful with it, as though it were a fragile relic, something precious yet laden with secrets.
Niranya watched, transfixed, as the man approached Ashtram. His hands trembled slightly as he extended the manuscript to him. “This,” the man said, his voice a solemn whisper, “is the manuscript that holds the truth of the curse that changed your life.”
Ashtram’s fingers hesitated for a fraction of a second before he took the book from the man. He ran his hand over the leather cover, a wave of strange familiarity sweeping over him. The room was still, the air thick with anticipation, as if the walls themselves held their breath. Niranya, standing at Ashtram’s side, leaned in to catch a glimpse of the ancient tome. Her curiosity was a sharp knife, cutting through her unease.
The man’s gaze softened for a moment as he continued, his voice reverberating with both reverence and sorrow. “This manuscript was written by the lady who unknowingly cursed you... the mother of the girl whose fate was intertwined with yours.”
Niranya blinked, confusion deepening as she glanced between the man and Ashtram. Ashtram’s jaw tightened, his grip on the manuscript tightening. The weight of the words—the history they carried—pressed down on them like a suffocating force.
The man stepped closer, his voice softer now, yet still filled with sorrow. “She was a panditian, a woman with powers beyond the ordinary. My ancestors were her trusted principles, her followers. She was known for her wisdom, her kindness... but there was a darkness in her heart that grew after she cursed you.”
Niranya’s voice trembled as she spoke, the words feeling foreign on her tongue. “But what does this curse have to do with... her daughter?”
The man’s gaze flickered to Niranya, his expression heavy with grief. “The lady, in her unbearable grief, believed that Ashtram was the cause of her daughter’s death. She thought he was responsible for her daughter’s suicide. And in her torment, she gave Ashtram a curse, thinking it was the only way for him to pay for what she thought he had taken from her.”
Ashtram’s entire body tensed, the air around them growing thicker with the intensity of his emotions. His face remained unreadable, but Niranya saw the slight flare of anger and pain in his eyes. For the first time, she saw a crack in his armor, a glimpse into the depths of his suffering. She reached out instinctively, her hand touching his arm, offering a silent comfort.
The man continued, his voice barely a whisper now. “She was consumed by guilt. She believed that the darkness that surrounded you was the reason her daughter chose to end her life. But the truth, as it often is, was far more complicated than her assumptions.”
The man paused, letting his words hang in the air, the truth settling slowly around them like a suffocating fog. “In her despair, she wrote this manuscript. She detailed everything—the curse, her guilt, and the Boon that was supposed to bring balance. But instead, it became the very thing that would torment you.”
Ashtram’s fingers tightened around the manuscript, the weight of the truth pressing on him. His mind swirled with the revelation, each word of the manuscript cutting deeper into the wound he had carried for centuries. The pain that had become part of his existence now felt like an aching, unbearable truth.
The man spoke again, his voice a hollow echo. “The lady... she never stopped seeking redemption. Even after her death, she regretted the curse she placed upon you. She hoped that someday, someone would find this manuscript... someone who could understand the truth of what she had done.”
Ashtram stood still, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were haunted—distant as though he was lost in the past. The anger, the confusion, the guilt—all of it swirled inside him, threatening to break free. Niranya stepped closer, her eyes soft with understanding. She didn’t know all the details, but she could see the depth of Ashtram’s pain. This was something he had lived with for far too long.
“We will find the truth,” Ashtram whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. “And we will break this curse, no matter what it takes.”
The man’s eyes glistened with a mixture of sorrow and hope. He nodded slowly, his voice gentle. “It will not be easy, Ashtram. But the first step... is understanding the past.”
The man’s voice dropped lower, almost reverent. “The lady trusted my ancestors very much. That is why she entrusted this book to them, to be kept safe, guarded from those who would misuse it. For generations, it has passed down through my family, and now... it is with me. I have come to you because it is the right time.”
The man’s eyes locked with Ashtram’s, as though imparting the weight of an ancient truth. “I want to tell you something—your Boon... has already been born.”
Niranya gasped, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. The air seemed to freeze, the truth hanging like a heavy weight between them. Ashtram turned to her, his expression unreadable, but the tension in the air spoke volumes.
The man’s lips trembled slightly as he spoke his name, the final piece of the puzzle falling into place. “I am Shaurya Rathod,” he whispered, as if the name itself carried the weight of generations. “And it is time for the truth to be known.”
Shaurya paused for a moment, his gaze shifting between Ashtram and Niranya, before speaking again, his voice carrying a heavy, reluctant truth. “Ashtram… your wife, Niranya, also needs to know something about her past… something she does not yet know.”
Niranya’s breath caught in her throat, confusion and uncertainty swirling in her chest. She turned her eyes to Ashtram, whose face had gone eerily still, his expression unreadable.
Niranya's voice trembled as she spoke, her curiosity now turning into apprehension. "About my past? What is it?"
Shaurya's gaze softened, but there was an undeniable sorrow in his eyes as he stepped closer. "What I am going to say now will break you, but you have to be strong and listen carefully, my child."
Shaurya's voice was heavy with the weight of the truth he was about to reveal. "Your parents... they did not die in an accident, Niranya," he began, his words slow and deliberate, each one piercing through the silence. "It was all planned... when you were just five years old."
Niranya’s knees buckled, and she stumbled back slightly, her hand instinctively reaching out to Ashtram for support. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her mind struggling to process the enormity of what she had just heard.
"No..." she whispered, shaking her head as if to ward off the impossible reality. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, flickered between Shaurya and Ashtram, searching for any hint of reassurance. But the look in Ashtram's eyes—cold, distant, filled with an unspoken sorrow—only confirmed the truth she was afraid to face.
Tears welled up in Niranya’s eyes, blurring her vision. "What do you mean? My parents—" Her voice cracked, the words faltering as the foundation of her entire life began to crumble.
Shaurya’s expression softened, filled with pity. "I know this is hard to accept, but you need to hear the whole truth, Niranya."
Shaurya’s voice grew even softer, a deep sorrow lacing his words. "It was all planned to end you, Niranya. But before they could harm you, I saved you from them..."
"You saved me?" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief and fear. Her heart raced as she tried to make sense of it, the words she had always known about her past unraveling into something darker, more sinister.
Ashtram's voice was ice cold, dangerous in its calm. "Who were those who wanted to end my Angel's life?" His gaze was fixed on Shaurya, the intensity of his question hanging in the air like a threat.
Shaurya hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with a mix of caution and sorrow before he spoke, his voice steady but heavy with truth. "They were not just anyone, Ashtram. They were powerful, ones with connections that reached far beyond the ordinary world... they were the ones who sought to destroy both of you, and it all started with your curse. I also don't know who was behind that but his intentions are very dark."
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