When Aastha met Veer, she knew they had a connection.
However, the connection would be from two centuries ago, she never could have imagined.
A love story that remained unfulfilled, broken by evil, and destroyed to ashes - whose reference hide...
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2005, Roopgarh
"Tejas! If Maa sa, finds out, she will be upset.." A 7-year-old Aastha mumbled nervously. Her cousin who had just celebrated his 16th year birthday a couple of days ago was in no mood to listen. He looked at the 4-year-old Sanvi and asked, "Saanvi, would you want to come with me to see the old fort?"
Saanvi jumped excitedly, "Tes bhai sa, I can see choti-choti windows in walls?" Little Saanvi, who couldn't pronounce the alphabet J, had always been obsessed with embrasure -the tiny holes in the fort walls used to place cannons. Tejas rolled his eyes, "Of course dear sister! There are hundreds of them."
"Me coming!" Saanvi bounced, hugging Tejas, who ruffled her hair in return.
Aastha sighed. A part of her enjoyed watching the ancient architecture and stories surrounding it, but there was also a part of her that was obedient and didn't want to go against her mother's words.
"But, Maa sa?" Aastha spoke again.
"Maasi sa, will not know. Elders won't come home until late evening.. they have gone to the event in the neighbouring district. I have made all arrangements to go and come back, without our families knowing." Tejas grinned.
"But-"
"Suraj will come too!" Tejas announced, looking at the 12-year-old Suraj, who was fidgeting in the corner with a storybook. He hated going against his parents. It had been only two years since he found out that he was adopted. Until then, Suraj had been a rebel and did things his way. But the moment he found out his parents didn't birth him, Suraj had gone through strange emotions that completely overpowered him and redefined his life. He had stopped lying, and rebelling, and thanked his parents every day for the life they bestowed on him.
"I think.. Aastha is right.. Maa sa will not be happy. No one will be happy. it's not safe and we are all a bunch of kids." Suraj voiced.
Tejas scoffed, "Speak for yourself, buddy. I am an adult here, old enough to do what I want."
"I think it will be fun. Aastha, come na." Veer's excited voice caught Aastha's attention. She no longer hesitated. As long as Veer was with her, everything was fine. Aastha felt as though her purpose in life was to be next to Veer, sticking close to him and keeping him all to herself to play hide and seek.
Suraj glanced at Veer and Aastha. The two of them were like two peas in a pod. Stuck to each other like glue every summer vacation. He remembered when Aastha was just two years old and Veer five. That was the first time they had met. She was cribbing and wanted attention from her mother, while Meethali wanted to engage with the guests. Aastha wouldn't stop howling and begging her mother to carry her around. Veer had quietly sat next to Meethali and stared down at the baby. Aastha had stared right back at him curiously. When he forwarded his hand, Aastha grabbed it. In seconds, Aastha had stopped crying, and she was fascinated by Veer. She would forget her mother in his presence.
