Part 19 Consequence

Arnav stood looking at Arvind. He didn't want to tell him what he had seen in the crematory last night, and he didn't know if Arvind would trust him. So, he decided to see what he would do. He saw a Mehandi on Arvind's palm. He sighed in relief. He applied it before the Murthy brothers applied the magic paste on his head.

"Arnav, I have to take a bath immediately. I don't know what he applied to my head."

Arnav nodded. Arvind rushed to the washroom to take a bath. Arnav came downstairs and saw Chandra Murthy going to Khushi's room. He stood as if he didn't see him. He wanted them to apply the paste on their head. Then, only they would be quiet. Otherwise, they would keep trying to use it. Notably, he wanted to see if the Mehandi was protecting them. As he expected, Chandra Murthy called Khushi. She came out, having Mehandi on her palm. She had not removed it yet. Arnav smirked.

"When did you go to the temple, Khushi?" Chandra Murthy asked.

"Will go in an hour, sir"

"Is all the work done?"

"It will end today, but Uncle wants to make a platform around the temple. The platform work will start tomorrow."

Chandra Murthy was thoughtful.

"Platform? Did Mama tell you?"

"No, he told Arnav sir..."

"Oh..." he turned to leave but stopped, frowning.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at her head.

Khushi could not touch her head as her palms were with Mehandi.

Chandra Murthy dusted her hair and applied the paste on her head. He walked to his room with a winning smirk. Khushi closed the door again.

Arnav was thinking about Arvind. What would be his next move regarding Krishna Murthy? He doubted Krishna Murthy. He knew that, but what would he do to his brother-in-law? After all, he was his wife's brother. It seemed Arvind already doubted them. Then why was he keeping them in the palace? It was just because he had no one? If that was the case, could not he have used the situation in his favour to marry Khushi? Didn't he know his brother-in-law would be the biggest hindrance to his marriage? He might not have considered it when he allowed them in the palace. After all, Khushi was a kid at that time. Arnav analysed.

Arnav got ready for the temple. He kept the remaining Mehandi in the fridge, as he decided to apply it at night and keep it for the whole night.

On the other hand,

Chandra Murthy went to Krishna Murthy's room gladly.

"I applied the paste to Khushi's head. From here on, she will be under our control. You, too, would have applied it to Mama's head, right?"

"I applied it, but that idiot Arnav spoilt everything."

"What do you mean?"

"He came there at the right time and noticed the application. He asked about it before Mama, and he doubted me."

"Doubted? What do you mean?" Chandra Murthy was horrified.

"Yes, Mama had seen the black paste. He doubts me."

"What the hell... what if he doubted me too? He will not trust us for anything."

"Do one thing. If he talked about it, hit me in front of him and ask him to throw me out of the palace."

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, if you support me, he will throw both of us. One of us should be in the palace. If we leave the palace, we will lose our rights forever, and the Mystic's words will come true... it will not happen. Try to be loyal in his eyes. Then only we can move our cards."

Chandra Murthy nodded, but they didn't know Arvind's plan.

Arnav was having breakfast with Khushi when he noticed the Murthy brothers glaring at him. Though he ignored them, he knew their stomachs were burning. It was clear that they were furious with him for spoiling their plan.

Arnav stood up, finishing breakfast. He gestured for Khushi to come with him. She nodded ok and was supposed to go, but she stopped hearing,

"Khushi, is it necessary for you to go to the temple when Arnav is there?" Chandra Murthy asked, expecting her to OBEY him, but Khushi looked at Arnav without answering him and said,

"Yes, sir. I should go to the temple because Uncle Arvind assigned the work to me," She said.

Murthy brothers looked at each other shockingly. They could not believe Khushi had defied them. How could it happen? Why didn't Khushi obey them? More to their disappointment, Khushi walked to Arnav and said,

"Let's go, Arnav, sir. We have a lot of work."

Arnav nodded and followed her with a smile. He was so glad that the black magic didn't work. That meant the mystery man's word about the Mehandi was accurate. He could not believe the simple leaf had the power to restrict black magic like a big thing. Was this why the groom and bride apply Mehandi on their palms to protect themselves from evil eyes and vibes on their wedding...? How thoughtful our ancestors were! He supposed.

Arnav came to the temple with Khushi. His eyes wavered to the temple, searching for the mystery man, but he had not seen him.

All of the cleaning work was done. As Arvind said, he sent the worker to make the platform. They measured around the temple and noted that they needed to buy raw materials to build the platform. Arnav asked them to make the platform a little wider. The workers didn't deny, as they were ordered to follow Arnav's order.

After sending them, Arnav concentrated on the whitewash work. Khushi came to Arnav with a buttermilk glass and handed it to them.

"Thanks"

"It seems the platform is wider than what Uncle Arvind said."

"Yeah... this is not a time-being work. The platform seems thin in some years because people will start using it. It won't harm if it is a little bigger. If we plant trees around the platform, it will look so great"

Khushi smiled delightedly.

"Do you have an idea for planting trees around this platform?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"Wow...Platform around the temple, and trees around the platform... what an idea sirji...!"

Arnav smiled.

Khushi was about to leave, but Arnav stopped her.

"Khushi one minute..."

"Yeah, tell me."

"I want to talk to you."

Khushi nodded her head like, tell me.

"I woke up last night getting disturbed from my sleep"

"Are not you comfortable here?"

"I didn't mean it. I woke up in the mid-night. I saw something then."

"What?"

"A blaze through the glass window"

"Blaze? What blaze?"

"To know that only I went out of the palace through the northeast direction", he said, reading her expression that changed into a horrified one.

"Northeast direction? It was a crematory... why did you go there? That too in the mid-night?"

"Did anyone die in the village yesterday?"

"No..."

"Then, what was the blaze about?"

Khushi became thoughtful.

"I saw something there."

Khushi looked at him fearfully.

"Somebody were doing Pooja..."

"Pooja in the crematory?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"It was about black magic."

"Black magic? Oh god... who dared to do that?"

"why?"

"I already told you. this is a holy village..."

Cutting her,

"Then, why are people involved in such activities?"

"They may not know about the consequences or, they may not believe it"

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, Arnav sir, if anyone in this village does anything bad, their wish will never come true, and black magic is a more dangerous thing. They will face worse. They may lose their lives also."

Arnav frowned.

"I can't believe such activities take place in this village."

"People who were involved in this seemed to care about it. Why are you bothered?"

Khushi bit her nails nervously.

"Do you know who they are?"

"Murthy brothers"

"Whaaaat?" Khushi shouted in shock and then closed her mouth.

"Murthy brothers?" She asked in a low tone.

Arnav nodded yes.

"Oh, God... why does their brain think that way?"

"I'm going to tell Arvind sir about them," Arnav said.

"But why?"

"It's because the black magic is to control Arvind, sir..."

Khushi widened her eyes.

"Not only Arvind sir but also we two..."

"Whaaaat? We two?"

Arnav nodded yes.

"The wizard made a paste and gave it to them. He asked them to apply it on our heads."

"Hey, Bairava... he touched my head this morning"

"I saw that"

"Why didn't you stop him?"

"It's because I restricted the paste form from working on us."

"Restricted? How? You, too, know black magic? No way... you can't be a wizard... how did you do that then?"

Arnav raised his hand and showed his palm, which was covered with Mehandi.

"Arnav sir... why are you posing like a God? Do you think yourself a god?"

Arnav rolled his eyes. He held her hand and showed her palm.

"Mehandi... so?"

"This is what protected us from the black magic"

"Whaaat? Mehandi?" she sighed, wearily.

"It's not me but the mystery man who said that last night."

"Did you meet him again?"

"Yes, after coming from the crematory, I saw him standing outside my room. He was the one who asked me to apply it"

Khushi looked at her Mehandi-filled palm unbelievably.

The place jerked suddenly as someone shouted. All of them looked at the woman.

"Kali temple Pandit found dead in the Kali temple. The gazebo of the temple collapsed on him..." She shouted.

People started running to the Kali temple. Khushi also ran. Arnav followed her. he was shocked to see the man dead in the cracks of the gazebo. He was none other than the Wizard.

To be continued...