25) Chapter

As Mekala disappeared into the bustling crowd of Mahishmati, her heart raced—not from the chaos of the streets but from the lingering thoughts of Vishnu.

The cart was long gone, and she expertly wove through the crowd, her posture poised but her mind far from calm

Around the corner, a finely adorned palanquin awaited her. The bearers straightened at her approach, and beside them stood Varuna—the son of the Kalachurri chief minister Bhaskar, her fiancé in name if not in heart.

He wore a stern expression, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings before it softened slightly at the sight of her

"You're late, Mekala. Do you know how many palace guards I had to bribe to make sure no one asked questions about you wandering outside the palace?" Varuna spelled curtly.

Mekala's expression remained calm, though her thoughts churned. She gave a faint nod, her voice quiet but steady.

"I needed air, Varuna. Let's leave it at that."

"Air? The streets of Mahishmati aren't exactly known for their tranquility. You look... distracted." Vishnu asked with a raised eyebrow.

She climbed into the palanquin without answering, settling onto the cushioned seat. Varuna followed closely, his tone sharpening with concern as he took his place beside her.

"What happened out there, Mekala? You're not yourself. Did someone say something to you? Threaten you?"

Mekala's fingers brushed the edge of her golden dagger....the same one that had pressed against a thief's throat hours ago. Her mind, however, wasn't on the thief but on the quiet, steady presence of Vishnu.

"No one threatened me, Varuna. I handled myself perfectly well."Mekal spelled with  a sigh

"That's not the point. You shouldn't have been out there alone in the first place. If something happened...." Varuna spelled.

"Nothing happened. I don't need a lecture, Varuna. I need quiet."Mekala said quickly cutting him off.

Her tone was sharper than she intended, and Varuna moved back, momentarily silenced. But his eyes stayed on her, narrowing slightly as if trying to decipher the emotions flickering across her face.

"You're hiding something." Varuna asked soflty after the pause.

Mekala turned to look at him, her expression unreadable. For a moment, she thought of telling him—of admitting that for the first time in her life, she felt... conflicted.

But she couldn't. Not when the man occupying her thoughts was an unknown traveler, possibly insignificant, and yet impossibly captivating.

"Believe what you want, Varuna. It doesn't matter." She said coldly.

She turned her gaze to the curtained window of the palanquin, letting the rhythmic sway of the journey lull her into silence.

But her mind wasn't still. Images of Vishnu flashed unbidden—his calm demeanor, the way he stood frozen yet ready to protect, the sincerity in his voice when he spoke to her.

She closed her eyes, trying to will the thoughts away, but they refused to fade.

Finally, as the palanquin came to a halt outside the palace gates, Mekala spoke, her voice quiet but resolute.

"Stop asking questions, Varuna."

He looked at her, confused, but she didn't wait for his response. She stepped out of the palanquin with the grace of a princess, her face composed but her thoughts anything but.

Yet somewhere in the depths of Mahishmati, the memory of a stranger lingered, pulling at her heart in ways she didn't yet understand.

Behind her, Varuna followed, his expression unreadable as he watched her walk ahead. He knew something had changed in Mekala, but for now, he chose to hold his questions.

The palace gates creaked open, and she stepped inside without a backward glance.

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Vishnu and Adithya finally arrived at the old stone shrine hidden within the royal gates of Mahishmati. The temple was ancient, its walls crumbling under the weight of centuries. Shadows danced ominously as the moonlight barely pierced through the thick foliage above

"Are you sure this is the place? It looks like even ghosts gave up haunting this dump." Adithya whispers quietly.

"Yes, Adithya. Ereya's information is never wrong. Let's just find the priest." Vishnu spelled calmly.

They entered cautiously. Inside, sitting cross-legged near a dimly lit oil lamp, was a stern-looking man in priestly robes. His expression was as unyielding as the stone walls around him. The man didn't speak, didn't move—he simply stared.

"That's him? He looks like he hasn't spoken to anyone since the last century. Are we sure he's alive?"Adithya whipers nervously.

"He's alive, Adithya. And stop whispering; it makes us look suspicious." Vishnu said in a hurry and moved towards the priest.

As they stepped closer, Vishnu cleared his throat.

"We were sent by the Chalukyan prince Ereya .You need to help us to—"

Before Vishnu could finish, the priest suddenly stood, moving with unsettling speed for someone so stone-faced. Without a word, he grabbed both of them by the arms and shoved them into the temple's inner chamber. The heavy stone door slammed shut behind them with a deafening thud.

"What just happened?! Did that guy just lock us in?!"Adithya said his voice was filled with panic.

"What is he doing?! Open the door!"Vishnu shouted while baging on the door.

Silence took place for while . Then a gust of wind extinguished the one only lamp, plunging the room into complete darkness.

"V-Vishnu... Do you think... there are... g-ghosts in here?" Adithya said , his voice was trembling.

"Adithya, ghosts aren't real."Vishnu spelled looking annoyed.

"Oh, really? Then what's breathing down my neck right now?!"Adithya asked panicking further.

Vishnu turned sharply, his eyes wide in the pitch-black room. A faint rustling sound filled the air, sending shivers down both their spines.

"That's probably just... bats. Or rats." Vishnu said while gritting his teeth.

"Oh, great! Rats and bats. What's next, cobras? Or maybe the ghosts of those rats and bats?!"

Just as Adithya was on the verge of a meltdown, a sliver of moonlight filtered through a crack in the wall, illuminating the chamber.

The light fell directly on a massive stone sculpture across the room. The figure of a horned demon loomed, its sharp teeth bared in a menacing grin. Its eyes seemed to gleam unnaturally in the moonlight.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"They both screamed together.

Adithya clung to Vishnu, trembling like a leaf. Vishnu shoved him off, trying to regain his composure.

"Why—why is that thing smiling at us? It's a DEMON! We're doomed!"Adithya was almost in tears.

"Adithya, calm down. It's not real. It's just a sculpture."Vishnu said taking a deep breath.

"It doesn't look like just a sculpture. Look at those teeth! I bet they've eaten plenty of people like us!" Adithya said pointing at the sculpture.

Vishnu squinted at the sculpture, stepping closer despite Adithya's protests. He studied the intricate carving and furrowed his brow.

"This isn't just any demon. This is Mahishasura, the great asura slain by Durga."Vishnu spelled.

"I don't care if it's Mahishasura, little-sura, or your-sura! Just stay away from it!"Adithya said hiding behind Vishnu.

Ignoring him, Vishnu reached out and touched the sculpture's eyes. The instant his fingers made contact, the wall began to rumble. Dust and debris fell as the entire panel slid aside, revealing a hidden passageway.

"What did you do?! Oh god...Did you just wake him up?!"Adithya said jumping back.

"No, I opened a door. See? No ghosts, no demons, just clever architecture." Vishnu said grinning, finally relaxed.

"Clever?! You call this clever? I call this a death trap! A passage?! A Passage! It's probably a tunnel to more demons! Why do you keep touching things?!"Aditya said pointing at the passage.

Vishnu stepped into the passage confidently, glancing back at his panicked friend.

"You coming, or are you staying here with your 'ghosts'?"

"Fine, but if I get eaten, I swear Vishnu I'm coming back to haunt YOU!"Adithya spelled hesitating.

They disappeared into the passage, their bickering fading as they ventured deeper into the unknown.