Page 151 of Twisted Sins

“I’m happy that you have finally accepted your destiny,” a familiar voice said.

Nandini looked up to see the seer coming out of a room inside, holding a small wooden bowl.

Nandini joined her hands and greeted the older woman. “I wanted to meet you to talk about a few things.”

The seer stepped closer and put a dot of ash on Nandini’s forehead. “Take this ash from my twenty-one-day prayer. Put it on your forehead every day. The danger isn’t gone. It’s getting closer.”

Nandini didn’t understand why the seer was praying for her safety, especially when, according to the seer’s premonition, Nandini would stab Rudra in the heart and kill him. However, Nandini didn’t believe that premonition.

But Nandini didn’t bring up the topic.

“I want to find out about Rudra’s parents,” she said instead. “I also want to know why my family is blamed for their deaths.”

The seer watched her silently before gesturing her to sit down.

Nandini sat on one of the low stools placed in the room. The seer sat across her.

“Rudra’s parents are Bhairav and Radha,” the seer said. “No one expected Bhairav to become the clan head.”

Nandini was surprised. “Why?”

“Because Bhairav was the younger heir and he constantly clashed with his father. Bhairav was the best warrior in the Kabali clan but was also a rebel. He wanted the clan to have a permanent settlement, schools, and other modern facilities to enable the clan to progress with the changing times. Bhairav’s father wanted to continue maintaining the centuries-old tradition of the Kabalis. But when the older Kabali heir announced that he was leaving the clan to become the temple protector, Bhairav became the only heir.”

“What happened to Rudra’s uncle?” Nandini asked.

“He was killed inside the temple when he tried to stop the Goddess Statue from being stolen. His throat was slit and body set on fire.”

Nandini sucked in her breath. There was so much violence and brutality she understood why her father chose to fake his death and not bring his family to Singoor.

“Bhairav became the clan head, but much to the surprise of everyone, he fell in love with an outsider. The clan initially didn’t accept, but Radha’s kindness and generosity took them in. She worked tirelessly alongside her husband to develop the Kabali clan through the unrest in Singoor.”

Nandini’s heart clenched, wishing she could have met Rudra’s mother.

“The Kabali heir was born soon after, and he showed promise to become a strong warrior and able leader like his father. But everything changed on the night when the young Kabali heir turned seven years old.”

Nandini felt sick inside her stomach, knowing it was the night Rudra’s parents were killed.

“Your family is blamed because it was the Thakvars who had sent the assortment of drugged sweets to the Kabali clan as a gift, which was followed by an attack at midnight during which the majority of the Kabali warriors were slaughtered, including the Kabali heir.”

Shock passed through Nandini at the cold, calculated murder.

“How do people know the Thakvars sent the sweets?” she asked.

The seer looked grim. “The baskets in which the sweets arrived were of the Thakvar clan colors and insignia. The Kabali heir was to meet with your uncle and aunt the next day to discuss the peace in the region.”

Despite the evidence, Nandini refused to believe her uncle and aunt would plan such a murder.

“Why would they want to kill the Kabali clan? The Thakvar clan was equally powerful.”

The seer looked at her. “People say that Madhav Thakvar wanted complete control of the oil wells in Singoor. He didn’t want to share it with anyone else.”

But Nandini hadn’t heard anything about the oil wells that the Thakvar clan owned.

“Where do these oil wells exist?” Nandini asked.

“They are in the holy lands. Many clans depended on the oil wells for their wealth. But when the goddess Shakti's statue was stolen, the oil wells were closed. No one is allowed to go close to them.”

The goddess statue was stolen nearly thirty years ago. Any clan that depended on the oil wells for its wealth would be motivated to eliminate the other clans and gain complete control.

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