ENCHANTMENT - THE UNKNOWN CURSE
Wake up!! We're late for the flight!!!!
Richard shouted as he pressed the alarm. Vikram slowly opened his eyes.
"What is the time Rich?"
"It's 11 am!!!!"
"What!!!?" Vikram suddenly got up from bed and ran towards the closet. He instantly wears his 5 year old jeans and a brand new t-shirt he bought yesterday.
Meanwhile, Richard got the bag and started to stuff the bag with clothes and other accessories needed for their research in India. They were late for the flight as they were heading towards India for a great research and archaeological adventure.
Before the beginning of this adventure, let me introduce you to Vikram and Richard...
Vikram and Richard are two final year students studying in University of Cambridge. They live in England and were told to do a research work on an unknown temple in southern part of India, by reaching, exploring and understanding the temple's architecture, history, civilization during the ancient period and to get evidences and structural remains from the temple. But something huge is about to come between their way to explore this old, ancient and unexplored temple.
Richard books a taxi and they rush towards the airport. Both Vikram and Richard sit behind talking about the site which they're going to explore....
"Where are we going?" Asks Vikram.
"Southern of India" Richard answered
"Give me the assignment page we got from the University"
Richard handovers the paper to Vikram. The paper describes the site, the region the place and time limit of their research.
"Kalidamba temple??" Vikram is totally confused 🤔 "Never heard of this temple".
"It's somewhere in Kerela. The mountains in the Western Ghats". Richard said with a similar confused expression 🤔
"This University sucks. I thought we'll go to Egypt. Explore Pyramids, Cleopatra, Tutankhamun, or some temples of Maya civilization. But they sending us exploring this old temple. I am damn sure there will be just one statue of the god and we'll just comeback exploring nothing." Vikram not happy with the site they are going to explore.
"If they want us to explore India, they could have given us the Indus valley, or kailasa, Ellora. We're not going to clear this final year of University" Richard totally disappointed 😞.
The taxi stopped, they reached airport. Luckily they reached 10 minutes prior. They went to flight took their seat and discussed about the route they'll be taking to reach the temple.
The flight was bout to take off but one passenger was yet to come. The staff announced at the airport "This is the last call for the passenger - Sujit Subramaniyam to board in" The flight delayed for few minutes for the take off when a man entered apologizing the staff.
"Sorry madam, got a little late😅, sorry, sorry"
Sujit Subramaniyam was a 40 year old looking man with a mild gray moustache and gray hair. He went in and got his seat in between Richard and Vikram.
"Hi if you don't mind, that's my seat 😅. You can check my ticket if you want."
"You reserved this seat right??" Vikram asked Richard
"Yeah let me check once again.. Oh no, instead of 148, I chose 149😭"
"Goddamit. Is there anything you can do perfectly. Now we have to handle this uncle for 16 hours!" Vikram whispered in Richard's ears angrily😠.
"Hellooo guys.. I am Sujit Subramaniyam, I am heading towards kerela. Missing my wife's food alot 😅"
"Hello, I am Vikram and he's Richard. We're heading towards Kerela aswell😓"
"Oohhh, that's great 😃. You must visit my house then. My wife makes amazing payasam. You must try😅☺️"
"Yeah, thanks. We're actually heading towards a temple" Vikram said.
"Wow, which temple?? 🤔 " Sujit curious to know
"Have you heard about Kalidamba temple?"
"What? Kaalidambaa temple 😮? I have lived in Kerala for 35 years and in my 35 years of life I have never heard of any such temple. There's no such temple in Kerela. Someone fooled you hahaahaha 😂."
Both Richard and Vikram are shocked. If there's no such temple, how can the University appoint them to explore such site which does not exist. Richard tried to make a call to the University but the flight began to take off... 🛫.
"Are they fooling us! If there's no such site how can they send us there??" Vikram's frustration increases 😠.
"Calm down. The University we're studying in is not some random University. It's CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY. If they told us to explore this, it must exist." Richard calms Vikram.
"Heyy, you uncle, that temple is in western ghats and we're Students of University of Cambridge. It's not easy to fool us😤." Vikram confronts Sujit and mocks him.
"Ohh really, You guys are from Cambridge University. Let me ask you two simple questions. If you answered these, I'll pay you 50 and if you couldn't answer, you'll pay me 50" Sujit said
"Yeah, go on. Ask us whatever you want." Vikram already prepared for whatever Sujit about to ask.
"Ok. So tell me - what came first, an egg or hen??"
"What? What nonsense question is this? This still not figured out yet."
"Hmm, give me my 50" Sujit brings his hand forward
"No! First tell me the answer!" Vikram shouts on Sujit
"Ok then, The egg came first. Evolutionarily speaking, ancient "proto-chickens" mated and passed on a genetic mutation in a fertilized egg, resulting in the very first true chicken. Furthermore, eggs with hard shells existed hundreds of millions of years before chickens evolved."
"Huh? But how are you so sure?" Richard asks Sujit
"Because I am an archaeologist and an historian" Sujit proudly flexes his profession.
Both Richard and Vikram were surprised and shocked 😳.
"Give me my 50 quick." Sujit brings his hand forward again
"Yeah take this" Richard hands him 50 pounds.
"Tell me your next question" Vikram said
"I'll ask you once we reach kerela" Sujit replied.
"We both are studying archaelogy. We have no clue about this temple…" Richard said
"Well, I am going kerela after my research on Maya civilization. It was very difficult but finally, my papers are ready!"
"Damn! That's nice, but you know that egg came first but don't know about this temple even after staying in Kerela for more than 35 years😠😠!!"
"Look, I really don't know about this. The Western Ghats are still unexplored. There are so many temples in Kerela about which we know is just their names. But I can join you if you don't mind."
"It'll be great to have an experienced archaeologist like you by our side" Richard fascinated by Sujit.
It's around 3 am. The flight is about to land. Everybody are sleeping. Sujit snoring hard disturbing Richard and Vikram. Both couldn't sleep because of him.
Suddenly a plane experienced a turbulence and everyone woke up.
Sujit instantly opened his eyes and shouted "What happend?!!! What happened!!!!?"
Richard and Vikram tried to calm him down. Vikram said "Nothing the plane shook because of your loud snoring☺️"
Sujit looked at Vikram annoyingly. The staff announced that the plane is going to land within 5 minutes. Everyone woke up. Richard and Vikram getting prepared for their new, unknown adventure.
The plane has landed, Richard and Vikram followed Sujit who's looking for his wife around the airport.
"Sujit!! Sujiiiiiiit!!!!" His wife shouted
"Ohh, there you are. I missed you so much darling" Sujit came towards her and hugged her. Richard and Vikram looking at them from a distance.
"Come let's go, meet my juniors, Richard and Vikram" Sujit introduces both of them to her.
"It's great meeting you. Please come and stay at our house"
"Thanks. Actually we booked a hotel to stay at. Thank you 😌"
"Aiyoo, why wasting money. Please visit our house for today. Just for today"
Both Richard and Vikram accepted their request and followed Sujit. They reached Sujit's house by 5 am. As they were tired due to flight, they took a mild breakfast and took some rest. They later woke up and went with Sujit to explore Kerela. Sujit introduced them with cuisines which were a bit too spice for both of them to tolerate.
"How's it?" Sujit asks after Richard and Vikram ate spicy curry.
"🥵🥵 You said it's not that spicy 🥵. Give me some water. Quick" Vikram begging for water with tears in his eyes.
"Hahahha, it's not that spicy. Here, take this sharbat"
Vikram and Richard felt releif after drinking sharbat. They both explored many places - kochi, Alleppey, Periyar sanctuary.... After a long journey from England and then in Kerela. They reached house around 7pm and we're having dinner 🍽️ .
Sujit leaves with his wife, 8 year old son, 3 year old daughter, and his father who was a farmer during his time.
"So what's the purpose of coming to Kerela?" Sujit's father asks Rich and Vikram.
"Actually we're here to explore a temple"
"Well, there are many temples in Kerala, which one caught your eye?" Sujit's father asks them.
"Ummm, Kalidamba temple." Vikram replied.
Sujit's father slipped the cup from his hands after hearing the temple's name. His eyes opened huge, his hands began to shake when he heard the name.
"What you said?? Kaalidambaa? Get out! Get out of my house before I kill you!!!"
Sujit and other members got up, clueless of his father's anger and began calming him down.
"Pappa, what happened??" Sujit asked
"Get them out of my house immediately, they both want us to be dead."
"No pappa, they're my students"
"Ooouuuuutttt😡🤬"
Suddenly the lights went off, extremely dark, winds blew harder, trees started to fall. Dogs began to bark. It was a new moon night 🌑.
"She is going to come.... To kill us all. Please God save us. Sujit, I am telling you, we're not safe now..."
Sujit tried to calm down his dad but his father panicked so hard he got a heart attack.
Sujit took his father straight to the hospital as quick as he can. Doctor checked his father and said everything is alright and Sujit can now meet him. Meanwhile Richard and Vikram decided to leave the house and book a room in hotel. Sujit's wife gave them the address of the nearby hotel.
"You can now meet him. He is alright" doctor said to Sujit
Sujit ran towards the room. Tears in his eyes went towards his father. His father called Sujit.
"Son, I am in this world for few minutes"
Sujit immediately called the doctor but his father held his and and said no.
"No son, my time has come. Let me die here peacefully"
"No pappa, I can't leave you😭 I am nothing without you"
"You are my dear. Listen to whatever I'm going to tell you. Very carefully -
50 years back when I was a farmer, I worked in the fields of a landlord, he abused me, tortured me, but I kept working hard for your mother, for my mother....
One day I was so tired of the work that I took some rest in the Ghats. I went to sleep and woke up hours later, at night. I was not able to comeback and lost my route and was trapped in the jungle.
Finding my way out in dark night, I came across a cave, I tried to avoid it, but because of no light I was not aware that I was going inside it. I went in.
As I went deeper, I saw nothing but darkness. I had no fire, only thing I was dependent on were the walls of the cave. The walls took me to the small pond inside the cave. I could feel the water on my feet. I went closer and suddenly fell down. I was unconscious. I later opened my eyes and so light. There were fire torches made of wood and fire attached to the walls. When I looked up, I saw a huge hole 🕳️. I realised fell into that hole and came down. I went forward. After moving ahead for a few meters, I saw something I couldn't believe........
There were 5, yes, 5 men who were half naked, some baba kind of people. Who were litting a sacred fire and were celebrating. I looked with more focus and saw a long necklace like chain of dead skeleton around everyone's neck. I understood. They'll kill me if they saw me.
I decided to go back and make my way out. But I didn't saw a rock behind me and I fell down and that made a noise. All those 5 people looked at me and ran towards me. They had a sickle in their hand and wanted to kill me. I ran at my top speed and unaware from where I came, I headed wherever I saw a path to escape. They were behind me, all 5 of them. I was running for almost an hour but couldn't make my out of that cave. So I decided to hide, between the walls and rocks of the cave. Those 5 men with their torches and swords, sickles, came searching me. They were shouting - KALIDAMBA......KAAAAALIDAMBAAAA....
........KALIDAMBAAA👹👹. I was scared I looked for a way to escape but I saw a skull 💀 ☠️ right beside my foot. I kept my mouth shut and waited till they leave. One of them shouted "She'll come, She'll come to kill you. She'll destroy your family hahahahaha 😈😈👺👺👹"
I waited and went the opposite way, luckily I found a way out and came out of the cave. I was so lost that I reached home in the morning. I was panicked, was shaking even after I reached home. I told this horrific event to my friends father, who was a priest. His name's Srinivasa Iyer, his son, Srikanth Iyer is also a priest in Bhagyavathi temple......
Aaaaaahhhh, son my end has come. I was scared to lose my family until you came in my life. I saw you growing up just the way I wanted. I saw your happiness, hardwork and honesty in your work and your love towards family. You are just like your grandfather....
Sujit, you have to save your family from this. She might have come"
"Who....????" Sujit asks
"KALIDAMBAAAA......"
Breathing stopped. The hands which were holding Sujit's hands are now dead.
Sujit is crying. He has no idea of what his father has experienced. He has to go beyond the reality to see what is they mystery. What curse his family has to suffer. There are many questions in his mind and only one man to answer - Srikanth Iyer, the son of the priest who knows the truth.........
Will Sujit be able to find the reason of his father's death. Will he save his family. Who is Kalidamba?, what is it?, who were thos 5 men? The questions will be answered in the next part of this horrer, mysterious adventure -
ENCHANTMENT - DEATH IS NEAR
🌑 Thank you 🌑
