Echoes of Time

The morning sun was barely peeking above the horizon when Aarya pushed open the creaking gates. The once majestic palace of Samuthurakulam stood faded and forgotten in front of her. The towering gopurams that had once greeted the kingdom's quests by showcasing its intricate carvings, now stood silent, hiding its beauty and secrets beneath the layers of dust of cobwebs.

The spacious courtyard that was once filled with a variety of flowers is now overtaken by an army of dried-out weeds. As she stepped into the neglected grounds, a weird sense of belonging filled her. There is something here that calls for her. Cracked floors and a musty scent of decay awaited her inside the castle. Over time, someone must have renovated the interiors, painted the walls plain white, and removed most of the decorations.

The once bustling hallways are now barely whispering the stories lost to time. Yet Aarya was not discouraged since the answers she was seeking lay deep within.

"When you said palace, I was expecting something more grander," Aakash says.

"Grander?" Aarya questions.

"Yeah! You know, like the Vettaiyapuram Palace from Chandramukhi. A haunted palace filled with treasures."

"Wasn't the actual palace in Bangalore or something?" Jagan ponders.

"The palace in that movie is inspired by the Bangalore Palace, and was one of the many places they shot the movie," Aarya explains. "The climax portions are actually sets and keep in mind the shooting spots were designed to bring the abandoned haunted feeling. However, those actual palaces are still owned by the descendants of the royal family, or by the government, so it's well maintained and most of the original decorations and architectural designs have been kept intact. On the other hand, when Samuthurakulam became a part of the Chola dynasty under Rajaraja Chola in the 10th century, and the royal family also disappeared over time, this palace was also forgotten. The majority of the things were either moved to other palaces and became part of them, or looted by the thieves who have stopped by over the years. Few more things were removed when a couple of decades back the local politician tried to renovate this place to use as his party office, but that was soon abandoned."

"Wouldn't that make your work harder?" Jagan questions.

"If I was only looking at the surface, then this project is definitely a lost cause. But-"

"You found a map of secret underground routes that no one knows about. I think you have mentioned that already," Jagan interrupts.

"Centuries of untouched tunnels! I can't wait to go through them!" Aakash exclaims.

"What are you talking about? This is as far as I am taking you guys. Those routes are restricted to unauthorized personnel and the public, like you two," Aarya commands.

"Wait what? That's not fair!" Aakash whines. "Why would you bring us if we can't visit the tunnels!"

"I don't think we gave her a choice in that matter," Jagan comments dryly, as the other two argue.

"First of all, Jagan is right. Second, those tunnels have been closed for centuries and no one knows anything about their structural integrity, and what has moved in during this time. Do you know how many inspections need to be completed before I can even peek into those tunnels, much less send anyone down there? I had to literally beg the committee to get permission to even conduct those inspections, and I still won't get full approval until the final inspection gets completed this week. They are literally waiting for a reason to close down this project and I'm not about to hand-deliver one to them." By the end of it, Aarya was tensed thinking about all the hoops she had to jump through for the project.