A night without end

The dusk that never ends

It was a dusk that never ended. Prathama's mother stood on the side of the wall that was nearest to the well. Pratham stood at the well ground level. He had climbed down but where the well seemed to take a narrow turn,his body did not allow him to follow his twin. He who always had been the strongest felt weak and his sister who had always been the weaker of them two , became fearless. As he started losing his breath, his sister insisted that he climb up and be ready to the haul her out should that be required. So at his twin's instructions , he went up to keep vigil. Later he would think how easily both he and his mother listened that day to his sister. It was as if they were in a trance. 

Prathama climbed down even as he climbed up and waited with the long rope that was tied to each of their waists. He wishes Malik was alive. But he had not been for a long time. He had however known Malik was going on an exposition to the old palace or fortress grounds. Malik had little hope of returning so he had wished Pratham to take that place for his sister. For the last few years he had done that but today as he looked round and his stomach rumbled, he threw out everything and felt weak and sick, as if an unforgivable loss was to happen again. 

Far below him, as if in a different world, Prathama assured him that she can see. The lights that they had dropped tied to the ropes had fireflies .. a brilliant idea of his mother, saying that they will always give light and not catch fire .. Prathama carried her own torch but she was not as skilled as him in managing it one handed. Ofcourse Pratham knew no one him consider him skilled after today. She prayed to everyone and kept periodically shouting down to her sister to ask if all was okay. He wished they had got more people. No one came to this area of the forest. Even animals never visited, which while good meant there was no one to hear them . Ofcourse their adventurous attempt was so unbelievable that no-one would have allowed them this journey down to the end of the well.. 

Prathama spoke to someone he heard. It was not his mother. Though he was far above he knew she was trying to get an answer from the voces she heard. Ghosts!!!  

May be not, if they were Ghosts then why would they need to be freed. He wanted to run away and get more people and then he wanted to climb down. But while there was still some light outside, the well was pitch dark. He wondered where had all the fireflies gone. Had they also been worried and scared to silence. 

Much below Prathama prepared to disconnect with her twin. She knew that was the only way to save him from feeling all the terror of what may happen now. it was her destiny to see and feel it. It was Pratham's destiny to continue the line in the palace. He had to live. He had to tell the tale of a twin who was brave thought Prathama. In her little life that would be the biggest blessing. Slowly she opened the jar of fire flies and they gladly fluttered up.. just like the others. this was a one way journey and she would not need fireflies .She would never climb up. If there was a way out it will be through the path she will discover for the souls that lingered in the dungeon. 

Far down she could hear her mother dig at the wall slowly but surely. There was sound of water nearby. She hoped her mother did not end up digging that and flooding her home. It was their plan to dig from the palace , but each time she and her twin dug something, it hit an iron wall. Last month their mother discovered their secret and was heart broken but she agreed to keep it a secret. She knew her daughter was going through a difficult phase of feeling every emotion of the Princess. She feared as Prathama grew up she will also feel all the harm that was done to both of them and. It survive.Prathama'sfrequent health issues had become a testimony to this.

As Prathama reached the end of the well..the flame held steady, showing that there was oxygen supply from somewhere. She tried to figure out the next course. A bat flew away from her, but today she not bothered. She looked up and saw a window like structure to takehe wall. There were steps built in.. and she started climbing them. The calls of her twin sunder but she ignored. She concentrated on her steps. It was evident that someone had made these steps much later. They stood out of the plain mossed surface  but allowed her to progress. They were however far apart..almost as if a grown up, tall man had done them for himself. Malik were you here..Prathama whispered. 

The air seemed to whisper back and say..Yes he was. She imagined him doing these stairs.. as he climbed trying to save her from her destiny. As Prathama peeped from the window, she almost shrieked as it was not the dungeon or even an old palace corridor, the window opened straight to a steep fall into the valley below the palace. With hand on her heart, she climbed down hurriedly? Precious time was wasted. But she now knew where to look for an entrance. She ignored the narrow lanes and by lanes that seemed to grow from the floor of the old well. From one came the sound of her mother knocking on the wall. 

No Ma.. she shouted. Don't do it. 

Then without waiting , as this approach was necessary to be completed by dusk as per old beliefs, when the pair were captured, she started digging with the small tools she carried on the floor. The floor would have an opening that would go to the dungeon. The sadist King would have told prisoners whom beloved to t*****e,that freedom laid on top of their head. He stopped all aids from outside,  by creating false leads like the window and the lanes. 

It seemed the night will fall,but it did not. People started to notice that the dusk,the deepening darkness was progressing very slowly. Some noticed the forest full of lights. The elders whispered fireflies.. then they prayed. Something wasn't right but they could not in their wildest dreams imagine that Prathama was reopening the infamous dungeons from within.