Rajjo’s voice stirred him from his reverie, ‘The story doesn’t end here. When Jhujjar’s niece was getting married, his sister asked the king to help, who sarcastically asked her to seek the dead Hardaul. The dead prince apparently attended the wedding and served the guests. The local woman exclaimed that even today it is believed that Lala Hardaul attends weddings he is invited to and most locals leave an invitation card for him and seek his blessings as well. A small temple close by has made the prince into a God, claiming that he is still alive.’

Harsh looked away, watching the sun sit on the riverbed in the horizon. He turned back to look at Rajjo as she spelled it out for him, ‘In his death he found what he was looking for. He was a folktale, he was an enigma, he served at his sister’s wedding, he was somewhere between dead and alive. He was never fully dead, he was never fully alive.’

A sense of forboding engulfed Harsh. She was trying to tell him something. Her husky voice whispered in his ear, ‘He became the dead prince who is still alive. These people live somewhere in the legends of the dead prince.’

‘What do you want from me?’ Harsh stared into her beautiful eyes, a hint of panic lacing his voice.

Rajjo took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, boldly.

‘You have to let me go.’

The river had eaten the sun, a dark veil descended on the riverbank. The twinkling lights adorned the domes and came alive. Perhaps the sun was resting in the riverbed. What if it decided to stay there and never come up? What if the riverbanks were cursed in darkness forever?

‘I made a vow, if you were to live, I would give up my life, my riches, my faithlessness. I would destroy Guru Maa Durga. He granted my wish and now it is my turn to fulfil my promise.’

Harsh wanted to scream, but he could not find his voice. He brought her face very close, holding her tight – hurting her with his grip. ‘So you can give up everything, dissolve the empire.’

Rajjo knew this was the difficult part. A sharp piercing gunshot echoed in the evening sky. Followed by the temple bell. Rajjo could feel the bullet tearing her heart. ‘It won’t happen as long as I am alive, they will keep selling his name through the Durga trust, even if I retire I will be Guru Maa Durga for them, in this lifetime. If I need to keep my promise, I need to finish her. As long as I am alive, she will live on too.’

Harsh was stunned into silence. A storm raged in his heart. The chants of the priest, the sound of the temple bells and evening prayer faded out, until he could hear no sound at all.