Veil of Time

Episode 1

Somewhere in a forbidden temple, a royal lady is standing alone in front of the statues of god Osiris and Goddess Isis. The moonlight couldn't reach inside the temple. Only a single fire-torch lit the space, its unsteady flame casting shadows on the stone walls. There is a strange silence in the whole temple premises.

The statues are carved from dark stone, almost blending into the shadows of the temple, with only a faint, flickering light revealing its features. Their faces are calm, but their eyes seem to watch, almost alive in the stillness of the night. Around its base, sacred symbols are carved, but they’re barely visible in the dim light. The air feels heavy, as if the statue is not just stone but something more. The shadows shift slightly, and for a moment, it feels like the statue might move, like it’s aware of the woman standing before it. Everything is quiet, but the silence is thick, almost as if the temple is waiting for something to happen.

The lady was observing the statues. Her expressions couldn't hide the turmoil going in her mind.

"Pardon me, Your Excellency. You requested this." The sound from behind broke her trance. She looked back. A maid is standing in front of the door, holding a decorated box.

"Come inside and put it on the table." She ordered. The maid obeyed her order and left.

Again she looked at the statues.

"What have I done, Lord? Where did I lose my way? I wanted… I only wanted to protect my people, to save the land my father left behind… to honor his name." She choked on the last words.

Her fingers clenched the hem of her robe, her entire body trembled, not from fear, but from the crushing weight of everything she had endured. The royal mask she wore so often in the courts, in front of her people, had crumbled away, leaving only the raw, vulnerable truth of her suffering.

The tears now streamed down her face, but she didn’t wipe them away. They fell freely, unchecked, as if they were the only release she had left.

“I gave everything,” she continued with her shaking voice, “I fought. I sacrificed. I became what they needed me to be. I wore the crown, played the role… But it’s never enough, is it?

“I killed parts of myself to wear this crown. The girl I used to be? She’s gone. I buried her under the weight of politics, of royal duties, of endless diplomacy. I had to—there was no room for weakness, no room for mistakes.” Her voice grew softer, "but in doing that, I lost myself.”

“Lord,” she whispered again, her voice so soft it was almost a breath, “I’ve given up everything. What more can I offer? What more do I have left to give? Can you be my side? Or, this is the last night?" She almost collapsed.

Egyptian God Osiris, her lord. And his queen Goddess Isis, . Osiris, the god of the afterlife, and Isis, the goddess of magic and motherhood, together represents the cyclical nature of life and death, rebirth, and regeneration. Though, their devotee is feeling helpless today.

The lady sighed. In every moment she is probably recalling her life filled with death, defeat, resurgence and beastly politics!

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"What the hell are you trying to do, Ananya?Are you mad or what?" A young man came sprinting toward Ananya, who was leaning dangerously over the railing of the bridge. She froze, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Dev?" she muttered, " A...actually, did you watch the new season of-"

"Don’t try to change the subject, Ananya. What the hell is going on?" He shouted worriedly, coming closer.

She backed away from him, gulped her saliva and panicking. Dev's sharp glare noticed her uneasiness, still he stepped forward again. She stuck with the railing, clenching it tightly. She could feel the warm breath of Dev.

"Are you deaf?"He asked mockingly. She only shook her head hurriedly.

"Then speak up!" His stern voice made her flinch. She looked here and there, but nobody is seen.

Dev couldn't hold his patience and cupped her face making her maintain the eye contact.

"Can you now open up now?"

After a few seconds, she gathered her courage and tried to tell, but her eyes couldn't bear the weight and she started crying.

Dev's grip on her face softened as the tears fell. His breath caught, and the fierce edge of his voice melted into something softer.

"Hey, hey… Ananya," he murmured, his thumb gently wiping away her tears. "You don't have to do this. You're not alone."

Ananya nodded again, the words catching in her throat as the weight of her emotions threatened to drown her. She looked at him, the pain in her eyes impossible to hide.

"I can't… I don't know what else to do, Dev," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Raj… I lost him, and now… I… I…" She couldn't finish, but her hands instinctively moved to her stomach, her grip on the railing.

Dev's eyes followed her movements, and realization hit her like a freight train. For a moment, he said nothing, a silence hanging between them thick with unspoken understanding. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, almost reverent.

"Ananya... are you...?"

She nodded weakly, tears still streaming down her face. "I'm pregnant, Dev. And I can't do it. I don't know how."

Dev left her face and ran a hand through her hair. For a second, he seemed lost in thought, wrestling with the flood of emotions that hit him. But then he took a deep breath and stepped closer again, his expression gentle, his voice quiet.

"You don't have to do this alone," he said firmly. "Raj may be gone, but I'm still here. And I promise… I won't let you go alone."

She looked at him confused. "What do you mean? You-"

"I mean," Dev interrupted, taking her hand in his own, "I'll be here for you. Both of you." His gaze dropped briefly to her stomach. "We'll figure it out. Together."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Dev... you can't say that. You don't have to do it just because..."

"I'm not doing this because I have to," Dev said, squeezing her hand. "I'm doing this because I want to. I care about you, Ananya. I always have."

For the first time in what felt like ages, Ananya's heart skipped a beat. Dev's words were so sincere, his touch so warm. It was like a lifeline in the middle of a storm.

"But what about the Raj?" She whispered "I… I feel like I'm betraying him."

Dev's expression softened. He moved closer, placing his hand on her forehead. "Raj loved you, Ananya. He wants you to be happy. He wants you to be safe. I promise you… I'll take care of you and the baby. I swear."

Ananya looks at him, her tears are falling. She could see the determination in his eyes, the promise that he wouldn't leave her, no matter how hard things got. And for the first time, a small flicker of hope lit up inside him.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dev smiled softly. "Dead serious. I'll marry you if it's to make sure you'll never be alone again."

Ananya's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea how they would navigate this, but in that moment, she trusted him.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice fragile but hopeful. "Okay, but I cannot be yours. I am sorry. Will you still marry me?"

"Ofcourse, I can't let you commit such sin."

Dev pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in a warmth and security she hadn't felt in months. The weight of the world no longer felt heavy.

"You're safe now, Ananya," he murmured. "We'll be fine. All of us."