Arjun's Pov
The car slowed down to a halt, tires crunching over gravel as three exhausted souls looked out at the scene in front of them. They'd been driving for five straight hours, their legs numb, their minds dazed. But what stood ahead of them made all three go silent.
A temple. Not just any temple.
It rose from the earth like a relic untouched by time. Weathered stone, ancient murals painted on its wide outer walls, and dozens of trees standing around it like loyal sentries. The domes shimmered gold in the sun, but faintly—as if veiled in memories. The whole place radiated an old-world reverence, a kind of quiet magic.
"Whoa," Vikram muttered, swinging the car door open.
Ravi followed, stretching his arms so dramatically that his spine cracked like firewood. "I swear even my butt has started praying for relief."
"Mine reached moksha halfway through Haryana," Vikram added.
Arjun just smirked faintly and got out. The wind stirred his hair gently, the temple calling to him in a way he didn't quite understand. There was something sacred about this stop—unplanned, but exactly what they needed.
They walked up the temple steps. The stone underfoot was warm, ancient, and carved with symbols in a language forgotten by time. Murals depicted divine beings, mortals in distress, and curses raining from the sky. Arjun stared at one particular panel where a goddess raised her palm, her eyes glowing in fury.
"Dude," Ravi said, pointing at a carving. "That guy looks like you. Same brooding face. Like he's thinking about taxes and heartbreak at the same time."
Vikram chuckled. "Arjun's probably cursing a goddess in that mural."
Arjun only smiled. "Close enough."
They made their way toward a shaded stone bench under a massive peepal tree. The rustle of leaves was the only sound for a moment.
Vikram broke the silence. "Alright, man. Spill it. Why are we really on this dramatic road trip to the middle of nowhere?"
Ravi leaned forward. "And don't say sightseeing. Nobody drives five hours straight unless they're running away from a breakup or heading to spiritual rehab."
Arjun leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. His face had the usual confidence—mischievous, cocky—but behind it, something darker swirled. "You really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely."
He took a deep breath. "Alright. Welcome to the tragic tale of the Raisinghanis—India's wealthiest cursed family."
"Oh, this just got interesting," Vikram whispered.
Arjun spoke as if he were telling a campfire story, voice low, slightly mocking, but controlled. "Many years ago, a witch—yes, a literal witch—cursed my family. Said no male in our bloodline will live past the age of sixty. And no girl child will ever be born to our name."
Ravi raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what? You mean—?"
"No daughters," Arjun nodded. "Only sons. And all destined to die before they hit six-zero."
Vikram stared. "That's dark, dude."
Ravi laughed awkwardly. "Well, no wonder you're always so dramatic. You've got death looming like a nosy neighbor."
Arjun shrugged, like it didn't matter. "My grandfather died at 58. My uncle at 45. And my father—he turns 60 next month."
The laughter faded.
"But," Arjun added, forcing a grin, "I'm here for answers. Maybe even a loophole. Who knows? Maybe I'll flirt my way out of the curse."
Vikram, trying to lift the mood, leaned back. "Or maybe the curse will fall in love with you. Knowing your luck."
Ravi looked around dramatically. "Any witches watching? Arjun's single and ready to mingle with magical entities."
Arjun chuckled, but his eyes drifted toward the temple's core. Something pulled at him. Not just the curse. Something... or someone.
"Also," Vikram said slyly, "is this trip *also* about that mystery girl from the club?"
"Ah, yes," Ravi added. "The one with the eyes and the disappearing act. What was her name again? Oh wait—she never told you."
Arjun looked up, amused. "You two have better memories than sense."
"She ghosted you harder than Natasha," Vikram laughed.
"Natasha didn't ghost me," Arjun replied dryly. "We ghosted each other simultaneously. Mutual ghosting. Very millennial."
Ravi looked toward the temple door. "Speaking of our love lives, shall we go ask the priest if our soulmates are stuck in traffic or just nonexistent?"
Vikram clapped his hands. "I want to know if mine's rich and low-maintenance."
They stood and started walking toward the inner sanctum.
"Coming, bro?" Ravi asked.
Arjun shook his head. "Nah. I'll wait out here."
---
**Inside the Temple**
The inner sanctum was dimly lit, fragrant with incense. A priest sat cross-legged, his beard almost touching the floor.
Ravi bowed slightly. "Baba, we seek insight about our future wives."
The priest opened one eye. "Names and birth times?"
After some hesitant mumbling, he traced something invisible in the air.
"To you," he said to Ravi, "she comes soon. Much closer than you think."
Ravi grinned. "Heard that, Vikram?"
Vikram beamed. "Tell me mine's a princess."
The priest looked at him for a long time. Then calmly said, "Your soulmate is not yet born."
Silence.
Vikram blinked. "What?"
The priest shrugged.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NOT YET BORN'?! Is she in the *planning* phase?! Is my love life still in *beta testing*?!"
Ravi doubled over laughing.
"Did I just get legally cursed by astrology?" Vikram cried.
---
**Outside the Temple – The Shivling**
Arjun wandered, drawn toward a quieter corner. And then he saw her.
His mystery girl.
Wearing a pale blue suit, golden hoops catching sunlight, an anklet jingling gently as she shifted. She stood in front of an ancient Shivling, palms joined, whispering a prayer into the wind.
She was the stillness in the chaos. The calm in the storm.
Arjun froze.
Something cracked inside him. He didn't want to flirt or impress. He didn't want to speak or even breathe.
He just... wanted God to give her what she was asking.
He would trade anything. Everything. The curse. His name. His life.
Just let her be happy.
Was this love? Was this madness?
Or maybe it was the first real moment of peace he'd ever known.
He took a step forward.
But a yell shattered the moment.
"NOT BORN YET?! BORN WHEN?! WHAT IS SHE—A TIME TRAVELER?!" Vikram's voice rang through the temple.
Arjun sighed and turned around.
He rushed inside.
"What the hell is going on?!" he demanded.
Ravi was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. "The priest just told Vikram his soulmate isn't born yet."
Vikram looked ready to combust. "I'm going to grow old ALONE. I'm cursed too! The priest cursed me!"
"You were already cursed," Ravi gasped. "It's called your personality."
Arjun groaned. "You two are hopeless."
Realising this he go out once again to find her
But Arjun rushed out of the temple, his heart hammering in his chest, desperate to find her again. But as he reached the spot where she had stood, there was no sign of her. The soft rustle of leaves, the distant hum of the wind—nothing else. Just the empty space, the ancient Shivling, and the faint echo of her presence.
Frustration gnawed at him. He paced in tight circles, scanning every inch, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, a flutter of movement, but it was futile. She was gone.
He sighed deeply, his hands running through his hair, feeling the weight of the moment. And then, something caught his eye—a glint in the soft light near the base of the Shivling.
A small, delicate anklet. The gold caught the sunlight, and Arjun froze, his breath catching in his throat.
It was hers.
He bent down, his fingers trembling as he picked it up, the cool metal smooth against his skin. His heart thudded in his chest as the realization hit him like a storm. She had been here, and now... she was gone again. But she had left a part of herself behind.
He held the anklet close to his chest for a long moment, not knowing what to make of this strange, fleeting connection. It felt like a symbol of something far bigger than just a passing encounter—a bond that existed beyond time or logic.
"Why do I feel like I've just lost something that was never really mine?" he murmured to himself.
As he stared at the anklet, a quiet, unsettling thought settled in his mind: Was she real? Or just a dream that he would wake from when the curse claimed him, just like everything else in his life?
With a quiet sigh, he tucked the anklet into his pocket, his fingers lingering on the cool metal as if trying to hold on to a part of her—something to keep him grounded. Something to remind him that, maybe, just maybe, there was more to life than curses, fate, and the relentless pursuit of power.
And then, as if in a trance, he turned back toward the temple, walking away from the place that had just offered him a glimpse of peace... only to be swallowed by the uncertainty that awaited him at every turn.