Beast and his Fair Maiden

The Curse Revealed

Once upon a time...

There was a boy who was pretty, good looking and notorious... no one knew the reason for his cold behavior, however that was, how he was

His name was Agni Barhi, King of Jwalana, he had beautiful golden eyes which looked like two pits of fire ,a straight nose and an unsmiling mouth, his hair were black with beautiful red streaks, which gave an unreal appearance. He attracted men and women alike.

His only fault was.... he had no respect or courtesy or patience or empathy for anyone, he had firmly locked his finer emotions in a chest and thrown away the key. Only emotion which he did display was anger, anger at its most violent form.

Well who could blame him, if they knew his past, but the problem was no one knew it. All he presented to the world was his god-like presence, with no human emotions.

However he made one mistake, mistake which would cost him everything .

There was a woman in her thirties , pretty still, all she wanted wanted was a place for night, so she could give her kids bread for the day and roof for the night.

But Agni would not allow it, until the woman could pay in cash or kind !

The woman begged for mercy, begged for her children's life, but all she got was fury, fury for refusing the king.

She then turned into a celestial figure with a beautiful translucent glow, her hair dark, streaked with silver, her eyes pale, her lips rose, her skin clear, dressed in silver saree.

Her kids turned into small dragon's, breathing fire, as they hissed at Agni

"From now on, you will turn into a dragon! When fury grips you, you will change, you will become a dragon who breaths fire, who is merciless ,just like you, no one will love you, as you deserve, my kids will guard you on my behalf, now Agni Barhi, you will always be in my trap! " She cursed, as she dissipated as if she was never there.

The fury gripped Agni! How dare she curse him!? But curse showed it effects, as his fury rose, his body broke, he felt the twist and pop of bones as they rearranged, his skin changed color, there were scales.

He looked at himself, instead of a man of eighteen, there was dragon, red in color, wings as huge as ships, tail which was big enough to crush 10 houses at a time. Face the mask of savageness, he breathed fire as he opened his mouth, the only thing familiar was his golden eyes.

He wrecked havoc as he went, his fury had no sign of abetting, as he felt the full blow of the curse, destroying houses, injuring people and harming himself. The dragons follwed him as he raged, feeling their presence was a prison which he could not escape.

Agni flew and flew, leaving hollow villages and cries in his stead

Until he saw a girl, small she was, just 11 or 12 , she was dancing in a garden, singing serenly, there was a look of pure joy on her face

"Happiness is a virtue, Politness will take you far, Only if you let your Anger go, will you shine like star! "

Hearing her song, Agni calmed, listening to her sweet words he felt peace spreading over his body ,his anger was subsiding, so was his horrendous form .

He became himself again, but the dragons were in his palace in a still form, waiting for him to lose control, to come to life again, a reminder of his curse, his fury, his mistake.