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(This is an article / story contributed by a member of the public. This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this article are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, and actual events is purely coincidental.)
Ammuma (grandmother) continued with her bogeyman stories. Madhevi was addicted to them since childhood and wouldn’t let a day pass without hearing them. Today it was about Krishnan Channar who killed his sister brutally for marrying a Muslim. It is believed that it was the ghost of the sister who killed Krishnan to take revenge. There is even a temple for her to rest where everyone can enter without religious boundaries. Girls visit there and do poojas to the athma to marry the person they like. “That’s how I convinced my parents to marry your Appoopan.” Ammuma laughed and said at the end of the story.
The next morning, Madhevi sneaked out of the house and ran to the Ambala Kulam. That’s where she would regularly meet her lover. “I have found a way to convince our family of our marriage. I can do a pooja and the athma will make it happen.” But the lover was not convinced, “What marriage??? I’ve told you I need some time. So please stop telling me this nonsense.” “So, you have no intention of marrying me??? You are playing with me, right? Just die in this pool. I don’t want to see you again.” Madhavi cried and ran to her house. When she reached home, ammuma was ready with her day's story.
Today’s story was about Madhevan Channar after whom Madhevi was named. “He was the first channar. He has bought many lands and expanded our wealth. But nobody talks about him. You know why?” She said by lowering her voice, “He knew Manthravaadam. It’s said that whatever he said would happen. He feared that his black magic might bring evil to the family, so he left the properties and responsibilities to his brothers and decided to stay at another house known as Ambileezhethu.”
All of Ammuma’s stories were scary. But this story stayed with Madhevi. She also wanted to do the same. To make happen whatever she wanted. Madhevi was the second daughter of Sekharan Channar and Devaki Channathy. Madhevi’s elder brother Rameshan Channar, his wife Bhavaani Channathy and their daughter Unnimaya lived in the same house.
The next day she woke up to people screaming from the house nearby, which was her lover’s house. Later she found out from her achan (father) that he drowned in the Ambala Kulam and the body was found in the morning. Madhevi was shattered by the news of his demise. She couldn’t help but cry in the corner of her room. But he was such a good swimmer. There’s no way that he would drown in the water. She remembered her last words to him. “Did I curse him?”, she thought to herself. The same thing happened to Govindan too. Govindam was Madhevi’s younger brother, Sekharan Channar’s youngest child. Many years before, during a fight between the siblings, Madhevi had said to Govindan that she wished he never existed. After that, no one saw Govindan. Achan searched him for years but couldn’t even find his body. She realized, ‘Her curses come true.’ Her wishes did come true.
Days passed and Devaki Channathy noticed changes in Madhevi’s behaviour. She always stays in her room reading some books and has stopped talking to everyone. Soon things started falling apart. Unnimaya fell ill and no vaidyan (an ayurvedic doctor) could understand the cause of it. Heavy rain and winds swiped away the rice fields. Shekharan Channar soon noticed Madhevi's strange behavior and searched her room only to find an old book on necromancy. That day Unnimaya died due to severe illness.
Shekharan and Devaki now knew the cause behind all these and decided to encounter Madhevi. Madhevi didn't even care that her parents knew about it. When her mother asked her about her behavioral changes and the book, what she did was cast a spell. The next moment Devaki was lying there unconscious. Shekharan was utterly shocked to see Devaki lying on the floor. What shocked him more was Madhevi's expressionless face. Shekharan had no time to think. He grabbed the sacred thread that he carried with him and tried to strangle Madhevi. She couldn't even move her body. Her eyes rolled as she ran out of breath. Tears rolled down Shekharan's eyes as he strangled his daughter. He had to do this to his daughter to save his family.
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