The Cursed Temple of Vikramgarh, 9th Century

The night was dark, and the faint light of oil lamps flickered in the temple's sanctum. An old sage, whose eyes held centuries of wisdom, sat in deep meditation. Before him was a mirror—the Kaaldarpan.

"This is not just a mirror of time," the sage said softly, "It is a gateway to secrets the world has forgotten. Whoever gazes into it will know their truth, but will they be able to bear it?"

Some disciples standing around him were afraid. "Gurudev, this mirror is meant for another era. It must be hidden away now."

The sage took a deep breath and wrapped the mirror in a golden cloth. "Whoever finds it will not just be a part of history, but its creator."

Then they lifted the mirror and proceeded towards a secret tunnel, where it was to be buried forever...

2025, A Hilly Region of Maharashtra

Arhaan, a curious but eccentric student from Mumbai University, had come to this hilly area on a college tour with his friends. The place was famous for the remains of ancient civilizations, but Arhaan was in search of mysteries.

When everyone was resting at the campsite, Arhaan quietly set off towards the hill. He loved adventure, and when he saw a deserted cave, he couldn't stop himself from going inside.

It was cold inside the cave. In the dim light of his torch, he saw some ancient drawings on the cave walls—strange symbols, some ancient language, and in the center, a mirror.

"What is this?" Arhaan muttered.

Suddenly his foot hit a rock, and he almost fell. He looked—an old, dusty chest!

With a beating heart, he opened the chest. And there it was—the Kaaldarpan.

As soon as he looked into the mirror, a bright light spread before his eyes. And then, he saw his own reflection in a different form—but it wasn't the Arhaan of today.

He was part of an ancient civilization. He held a mysterious object in his hand, and before him, a huge door was opening, behind which lay some hidden secret.

"What is happening?" Arhaan was startled. But now he couldn't escape it.

The Whispers of Time

Silence reigned inside the cave. Only Arhaan's soft breaths and the rapid beating of his heart broke the stillness. He was still staring at that mysterious mirror, its surface faintly glowing. It was no ordinary mirror—there was something about it that was pulling him in.

"Is it really ancient?" he wondered to himself.

There was a layer of dust on the mirror's surface. He gently wiped it away, and then—a slight tremor ran through his hands. As he tried to bring it a little closer, strange scenes began to float before his eyes.

Suddenly...

The walls of the cave seemed to recede into the distance. Time stood still, as if some invisible force was pulling him back.

For a moment, he felt like he existed in two places—one, in the cave, and the other, somewhere else.

He stood in the middle of an ancient city. There were mud houses all around, people were walking around in ancient clothes, and the sound of conch shells was coming from the temples.

"Where am I?" Arhaan looked around, but no one answered.

Then, a heavy voice echoed—"Have you touched it?"

Arhaan turned around quickly, but there was no one there. Then, suddenly, everything became hazy. In the next moment, he was back in the cave—he still held the same mirror in his hand.

Was it a dream? Or something else?

His head started spinning. He checked his watch—only two minutes had passed, but he felt like he had spent hours there.

"No, this is no ordinary mirror."

Arhaan put the mirror in his bag. No matter how mysterious this thing was, he wasn't going to leave it here.

As soon as he came out of the cave, a gust of cold wind touched Arhaan's face. His breath was fast, and his heart was still pounding. The other students and professors were at the tour camp, but he felt as if someone had noticed his absence.

"Did anyone see me going into the cave?" he wondered.

His mind was still full of that experience—the ancient city, the people there, and that mysterious voice.

"Was it just my imagination?"

But when he lightly opened the bag and peeked inside, the faint glow of the Kaaldarpan was enough to assure him again—it was no dream.

The Shadow of the Night

A fire was burning near the tour camp. Some students were looking at the day's photos in their cameras, while some were discussing ancient civilizations with the professor. Arhaan quietly sat down near his group, but his mind was elsewhere.

"Hey Arhaan, where were you?" his friend Kabir asked.

"Just wandering around here and there," he said dismissively.

But just then, Professor Mehta said something interesting that startled Arhaan.

"Do you know, centuries ago, a mysterious saint used to live in this area? It is said that he created an object that could transcend time."

Arhaan's heart started beating fast.

"Are they talking about the Kaaldarpan?" he thought.

His eyes suddenly went towards the forest, and then he felt it—someone was watching him.

Nameless Shadows

Arhaan looked carefully behind the bushes. There was some movement there. Someone was there, watching them.

"Is it just my imagination?"

But in the next moment, a black shadow was visible there, and then it disappeared into the bushes.

Arhaan's mind was now restless.

Is someone else also looking for this mirror?

Was it just a coincidence, or did someone already know about it?

He didn't know yet, but it was clear that the Kaaldarpan was not just a mysterious object, but a door full of secrets—and now he had become a part of this game.

The Mysterious Message

The night had grown deep, but there was no sign of sleep in Arhaan's eyes. The rest of the campsite had fallen asleep, but the same strange experience was going around in his mind—the Kaaldarpan, that ancient city, and that shadow hidden in the bushes.

He slowly opened the bag and looked at the mirror in the light of the torch. The surface of the Kaaldarpan was faintly glowing, as if it too was awake.

"The Kaaldarpan was not just a mirror. It was a key to unlocking the layers of the past. And now, Arhaan didn't have much time."

"Should I look at it again?"

His heart was telling him to touch it and see, but his mind was refusing due to some unknown fear. Just then, suddenly the wind picked up, and there was a stir in the nearby bushes again.

Arhaan became alert.

"Is anyone there?" he whispered.

No answer.

But the next moment was frightening—the burning fire in the camp suddenly went out.

Arhaan quickly closed the bag and looked around. The whole camp was plunged into darkness. A strange rustling sound was coming from the distant forest.

And then...

"Arhaan..."

A slow whisper echoed in his ears. He turned around quickly, but there was no one there.

"It was just the wind... or something else?"

His heart was beating loudly. And then, there was a soft sound of something falling near his feet. He looked down—an old, yellowed paper.

He picked it up with trembling hands and began to read it in the light of the torch.

"What you have picked up is not just a mirror, it is a door. But behind every door, something is hidden. Don't look at it again... otherwise your world will change."

Arhaan's hands started trembling.

"Who wrote this? Does anyone know that I have brought the Kaaldarpan?"

Suddenly the stir behind the bushes happened again, and this time it was the sound of someone running.

"Someone was spying on me!"

Without wasting a moment, Arhaan put the paper in his pocket and quickly moved towards his tent. Now it was clear—he was not alone. Someone else was also a part of this game.

Now, what happens next:

* What exactly is the secret of the Kaaldarpan?

* Will Arhaan dare to look into the Kaaldarpan again, or will he take the warning seriously?

* Who was that mysterious shadow—another researcher, a hunter, or some other power?

* Are the deep secrets of history about to be revealed?