Bewitched by Ruchi Singh
About the Book:
The eternal dance of attraction, lust and love has been going on since time immemorial.
The divine apsara Menaka descends to Earth at Indra’s behest to distract the sage Vishwamitra from the penance that would bring him unimaginable powers. Menaka succeeds in bewitching Vishwamitra, but her actions are destined to have dire consequences for both.
Eons later, their story is set to repeat itself.
Poorva has always played by society’s rules and ideas of decorum. But what happens when her own loved ones betray her in the worst way imaginable? Does she still have to remain bound by their rules?
Rudra plays with power and people like they are pieces on a chessboard. He has no qualms about indulging his desires, be it money or women, but is determined not to be bound by either.
What happens when these two diametrically opposite souls are brought together by fate?
In the game of power, lust, greed and betrayal, some win and some lose. But are there any winners or losers in the game of love?
Like Menaka and Vishwamitra, are Poorva and Rudra too destined to see their story end in tragedy? Or will the divine power prevail?
Standalone novel from the author of #Bestseller 'The Bodyguard' - Undercover Series #1
Read an Excerpt from Bewitched
Was I all alone or were there others too like me? Born the way I had been—out of nothing, yet perfect in our elements. The emptiness made me anxious. I understood my evolution, I now wanted to know my unique identity and destiny.
‘Who am I?’ The question was still valid, but the expectations had changed.
I brought myself to the present and observed the struggle happening around me. The churning of the ocean. The devas on one side and the asuras on the other side of Mount Mandara. Vasuki, the serpent, frothed and hissed as the mountain spun with their combined energy. Various celestial creatures had been born out of the churning ocean, but everyone was waiting for the ultimate prize—amrit, the elixir of immortality.
The desire to be immortal, which had led to the whole mess in the first place. Desire and power—somehow, I knew one should be wary of these two elements.
‘Who am I?’ The identity crisis had begun to bother me.
‘You are water nymph Menaka,’ the voice helped me again. ‘Born of the mind, my mind.’
I frantically looked around and saw him. The man with three faces—or were there four? He sat on a lotus pod, the various objects of a learned man in his hands. Brahma, the creator. The answer came to me as I watched him. My will propelled me forward… and there I was standing beside him.
‘What is the purpose of my existence, rishiwar?’
‘Should there be one?’
‘Yes, of course. Otherwise what is the need to create? We can’t just keep drifting into space.’
‘Maybe that’s the purpose.’ His eyes twinkled.
I smiled and bowed, ‘If that’s the purpose you have chosen for me, your will be done, O’ learned one.’
A loud cheer rose from the crowd below. The pot was finally emerging from the milky depths of the sacred ocean. The eagerness to partake the nectar of immortality made everyone impatient. At that moment, there seemed no difference between devas and asuras. Possessed, they fought each other for the pot which would give them eternal youth and existence. And then appeared Lord Vishnu in the form of Mohini, the seductress.
I chuckled at the drama unfolding. Even the mighty devas had to depend on a woman at the end.
Far away on earth mankind suffered another kind of manthan. How to attain what devas had? I could hear it—the struggle. Everywhere, there was chaos created by desires and ambitions. I looked at Brahma watching the events unfolding. ‘When will it all end?’ I asked.
‘Never,’ he said.
‘Will they go to any extent to get what they want?’
‘Depends on the pull of the want. The manifestation of desire gives the energy to acquire its object.’
‘I don’t like the word “acquire”.’
‘Ignore the semantics,’ he said with an enigmatic smile.
‘Why did you create desire? Isn’t that the root cause of all problems?’
‘Yes, but it is the seed of all innovation and development too.’
About the Author:
Winner of TOI WriteIndia Season 1, Ruchi also publishes romantic short reads under 'Hearts & Hots' collection, besides being a contributing author to many anthologies.
A voracious reader, she loves everything—from classics to memoirs to editorials to chick-lit, but her favourite genre is ‘romantic thriller’. Besides writing and reading, her other interests include dabbling with Indian classical dance forms.
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