“This temple is not that scary as you thought isn’t Appu?” Varshika who was looking around the beautifully intricated inner walls of the temple, “Akka, seriously? I mean it’s not scary but it’s mysterious somehow, who will be believing that a powerful Yaksha who literally built this temple in such an opulence way, will be shattered by one silly reason of rejecting a human young girl for marriage or love? “Aparna raised her brows looking at the one statue of a six and half feet tall man’s statue which is now still standing but the head of that statue was half broken from side of its forehead to the chin area. That Idol looked so detailed just like the other sculptures and designs in the temple. That idol looked very intriguingly beautiful, the carving of jewels, clothing and the broad shoulders, veins, hair… every detailing was like someone took their time to sculp it out… “And this is beautiful... although destroyed…” She muttered softly lost in that detailing.
“This idol here near the entrance inside the main temple sanctum, is beautiful… like I know I am 5’2 and this idol is nearly six and half tall, still this god or gate keeper with destroyed face looks attractive... I mean the idol is attractive” She was still looking at the statue like a little smitten kitten. “Do you know whose statue was that? Ritu told me… it belongs to that Bhairava himself, who liked to place that statue in front of the main sanctum, to say that- although he is a powerful Yaksha, he is still down to Kubera and servant of Shiva himself...” Varshika said while looking like tease to flare Aparna and yes it did work, Aparna backed off scrunching her nose and adjusting her glasses “Agh! Where are these Ritu and Chandu! I don’t want to be here! Waste of time!” Aparna went away hiding her embarrassment and Varshika bite inner cheek holding a small smile on her lips… she knows too much about how cute and how that girl is fighting her inner demons to hold on, sure Aparna is the hard shell to crack, but her getting into the situations, she is a girl who could try to ride two boats at the same time…even in her mind literally a part of her is intrigued, another was scared.
“Aha!! Ritu, can we live here forever? I will be cleaning this temple only for him…” Chandra said moving across the main mandapa of the Kubera temple and Ritu was giggling out “Seriously? And Chandramma, we can’t stay here forever because it’s cursed.” “But those butterflies, fireflies and-” Chandrika was cut off as Ritu continued to speak “Look, I too don’t know that mystery but there is lake behind which I saw early in the morning, that lake was according to the temple history was once a pure water lake with many healing properties, but now it is polluted and a healthy human being can’t survive more than 12 hours, we are already in the temple premises so compensation time is extra two, so…. We have another one hour or else; can you smell that pungent some sulphury and rotten smell? That’s the smell coming from here, so…. come let’s go out...” Ritu explained as Chandrika realized the smell coming from the back of the temple, closed her nose followed the lead out of the temple.
“Ritu papa how we get the hell out of this temple? we have a life out there and here you guys exploring every inch for your archaeological so-called quest!” Aparna was fuming while she stood up from the temple entrance steps. “Let’s go… And we can’t live here anyway” Ritu walked down without a word, Chandrika and Aparna followed her. “Are we leaving?” Varshika who as standing near the entrance shrine looked puzzled. “Yeah, we are, but why you look puzzled? I did get my quest, and we got a beautiful night spent here, exploration is over, right? And we are not returning back any way?” Ritu said obvious. “But… I don’t think this unexpected exploration is over?” Varshika pointed towards a corridor of the temple prakaram this time her expression was not only puzzled but almost scary… “What are you-” Aparna’s words stuck in the throat… There was tall, toned silhouette standing, draped an Antariya which is simple and ragged but not tattered, a figure which can only be found in Puranas and epics… His presence itself changed the air around, mystic and fear... His black orbs were piercing towards them through the sunlight… he just raised his hand to place on the nearby beautifully intricated pillar… exposing his arm to the light... which was as toned as a strong and tender as a Banayan tree’s pillar roots (subconsciously, Chandrika’s throat went dry, Aparna held her breath with a mix of emotions, Ritu swallowed hard and Varshika’s pointed finger was shivering)
“CHAL BHAG!!!” Aparna yelled, Ritu took her cue and rushed while Varshika was trembling but managed to run along with her. But Aparna who yelled couldn’t move an inch! Because Chandrika held her and was already about to drool over that specific arm itself!!
“VADULE!! NEE YENKAMMA VADDULE!!! CHASTAME!!” (LEAVE!! YOU IDIOT WE WILL DIE!!!)
She screamed her lungs out. “I like this one!!” Chandrika said biting her inner cheek…a small sinister smile curling but it was disturbed even before anything happened as Ritu and Varshika were yelling and within few minutes the girls ran out the temple premises, crossing the shrine… Without glancing back…. except for Chandrika who is not really impressed with their decision to run away, and she saw his face blurry, just his glance was enough for her to lose her breath…tantalizing……. captivating... but again, she came into the present and they ran until they saw some other trekkers.
A deep sigh escaped from his throat. “Akkatta, Yemiti veeru? Naa Devi ni lagesukuntunnaru? Huh? Pilichinadi veere, eppudu vaddannadi veere? Mammula choochutaye paapama? Parameshwara!” (Oh God, what are these girls? How can they snatch my beloved from me? Huh? They are the ones who called and now they are the ones who are distancing? Is just glancing at me like a sin? Parameshwara!) He came out revealing himself just always how he was, simple tattered Antariya and Uttariya but still got that cursed mystic glow in him….
To Be continued......
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