Part 4 : The Necklace chapter 1 : the deaths
Meenakshi : That hurts even more. Why did you do this to me? What exactly happened here?
Assassin 2: I will explain to you. Look, Meenakshi—your mother discovered the Queen’s chamber and the treasure. But she got stuck in this fort by mistake. The Queen spared her life because she was pregnant at that time. Didn’t you ever ask your father how your mother went missing?
Meenakshi: I read this in the book that writes fate. The fort only spares one life. My mother gave birth, but the Queen never left her alone. The locket brought her back to this place and pressured her into suicide. After this, the government made the 6 p.m. rule. But how do you know this, Assassin 2?
Assassin 2: I know because sir told us.
Shiddharth: Which sir?
Both assassins laughed manically.
Assassin 1: You people are so naïve. Arjun Malhotra, sir.
They entered the chamber.
The night became darker, and silence filled the air.
Assassin 1: Where is the treasure? Tell us.
sir.
Assassin 2 (interrupting): Come on, We are too close now .
Suddenly, Meenakshi and Shiddharth felt terrified. A faded red light began to glow. A slow, heavy breathing sound came from behind the assassins.
Meenakshi (whispering to Shiddharth): How is this possible? I left this pendant in the quarter. How did it come here?
A slow, angry voice echoed through the chamber.
Queen: Because it is my necklace. Your time is over, Meenakshi—and yours too, you bloody greedy people.
A strong wind blew. Her veil lifted. Everyone froze in terror.
Her body was completely black. Her eye sockets were empty, yet white-purplish eyes glowed within them. She wore heavy jewelry all over her body. Deep scars covered her skin, and her fingers were soaked in blood. She was furious—no one had ever entered her chamber before. Only Meenakshi’s mother survived the painful death and was never made part of the Queen’s army.
Queen (slow, heavy voice): Your mother didn’t want you to die before you were born. That is why she asked for time. But now you are here. The price must be paid. You will meet your horrifying death.
Assassin 1: Run!
Before anyone could move, the Queen entered Assassin 2’s body. His body exploded, splattering blood across the chamber.
The Queen slowly licked the fresh blood from her fingers.
Her payal echoed through the fort as she stepped toward Assassin 1. Seeing their chance, Meenakshi and Shiddharth ran. The Queen tore Assassin 1 apart and ripped out his heart.
Meenakshi and Shiddharth reached the open ground. There, they saw the lifeless bodies of Rishi and Vicki.
Meenakshi nearly collapsed in tears. The sound of the payal followed them. She couldn’t see her father.
Shiddharth (trying to calm her): He will be fine. Mr. Rakesh is strong.
From a distance, Rakesh saw them and felt relief knowing his daughter was alive. But then he noticed a dark shadow behind them.
He stepped out of the temple area but stayed close. The Queen’s ghost grabbed meenakshi's leg with her power and dragged him toward her, tightening her grip around his throat.
The Queen threw Meenakshi away.
Rakesh: It’s almost dawn.
Gathering his courage, Rakesh fully stepped out of the temple area and ran toward Meenakshi and Shiddharth.
Shiddharth: I can’t go any further, sir. What did I do?
Rakesh: Don’t worry. I will save you both.
Meenakshi’s condition worsened—her head bleeding, her body covered in scars, coughing blood. It was unbearable for a father to witness.
The Queen lifted Meenakshi one last time, did something with her hands, and then threw her toward Shiddharth.
Rakesh: You are close to the temple area. Go. I will take care of her.
Rakesh begged the Queen to spare his daughter.
Queen (calm but strict): I will not let him go again. I only spare one life. Your daughter may breathe until morning, but you must die too. I will not make you part of my army. I will free you and your daughter.
Rakesh: If this is true, then after killing me, you must free the innocent souls and keep only the greedy and corrupt ones. If you agree, I will kill myself.
Queen: I agree.
Rakesh picked up a gun from the ground and shot himself as the Queen watched. Shiddharth held Meenakshi in his arms.
She watched her father die.
The Queen vanished—her task complete.
Inside the temple, Meenakshi took her final breath. Shiddharth saw the first light of the sun and ran toward the gate, but she died in his arms.
The hairpin glowed again. Thomas and Catherine witnessed everything in shock. The energy circle still remained.
Catherine heard something fall on the stairs. Thomas realized that Arjun Malhotra was the true mastermind—more than seven people had died because of him.
Thomas: Thankfully, I backed everything up on my phone. If we don’t escape, it will upload automatically.
Isn’t that great, Catherine?
Catherine escaped the circle and went to the stairs. There, she found the same locket the Queen wore.
The sound of payal echoed again. Thomas stepped out of the circle and saw the necklace in Catherine’s hand.
Thomas: What were you thinking when you stepped out?
Catherine: I was scared—of dying without treasure.
Thomas: Because of that thought, we are going to die.
Catherine threw the necklace. Strong winds rose. Both screamed.
Thomas’s phone timer rang. He uploaded everything—and died.
Early Morning
Arjun Malhotra reached Bhangarh Fort. The gate was closed, but the pendant lay in front of it.
Arjun: Huh… they died too, but somehow managed to get this pendant out. Great. I hope it has good value in the black market.
