Chapter 44: Veer’s Last Words

The heavy door rattled as Satya rushed toward it, pounding his fists against the wood. "We're locked in," he hissed.

Saanvi scanned the chamber, her pulse racing. "Whoever did this doesn't want us to leave."

Devraj cursed under his breath. "They must have followed us."

Satya turned to the diary in his hands. If they were trapped here, they might as well find out why. With a determined breath, he opened the book. The pages were fragile, yellowed with time, but the ink remained bold, as if Veer's final words had been waiting to be read.

The first entry was brief:

"If you're reading this, I am either dead or close to it. But I won't leave without recording the truth. Meera... I hope you find this one day."

Saanvi's breath hitched at the mention of Meera. She moved closer, her fingers gripping the pages as Satya flipped further.

The next entries detailed Veer's life as an artist in the palace—the beauty of his work, the whispers of jealousy among the courtiers, and the growing tension between him and the Rathore family.

Then came the truth.

"They found out about us. Meera and I. The night we planned to run away, her father's men intercepted us. I was captured. She was taken back to the palace. I don't know what happened to her after that."

Saanvi clenched her fists. "So they really did try to escape."

Satya turned to the next entry.

"I overheard the guards. They don't plan to kill me quickly. They want to make an example of me. A traitor who dared to love beyond his station. But there's more… something I wasn't meant to hear."

Satya's fingers tightened around the book as he read the next lines.

"Meera was never meant to marry a nobleman. She was supposed to be sent away. A political move. But she fought back. She refused. And for that… they planned something worse."

Saanvi's heart pounded. "What does that mean?"

Satya shook his head, flipping to the last few pages, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"I don't know where they took her. But I heard them talking about a hidden chamber. Not in the palace. Somewhere outside the walls. A place where secrets are buried. If anyone ever finds this diary… that's where you'll find the truth."

The final entry was hurried, as if Veer had written it moments before his fate was sealed.

"I hear them coming. If I don't make it out, let this be my last sketch… the place where Meera was taken."

Satya turned the page, and there, in faded charcoal, was a rough sketch of an old temple—half-buried in overgrown trees, hidden from sight.

Saanvi's eyes widened. "I know this place."

Before they could react, a voice echoed from beyond the locked door.

"You should have left this alone."

A shadow shifted under the doorframe. Their pursuer had returned.

And this time, they weren't going to let them leave.