Kaliyug - A Cursed Prince

It was a quiet night. Kaliyug's father sat watching TV while Kaliyug worked on a math problem with Jeeva at the table. Kaliyug had been stuck on the same problem for a while, and his father, growing impatient, finally snapped.

"Show me! I'll help you." But before he could, Jeeva solved the problem effortlessly.

"How long were you stuck on something this simple?" Kaliyug's father barked. "Jeeva solved it in seconds! Never mind, I'm bored now. Enough studying—let's play cards!"

He got up, fetched a deck, and gathered everyone at the table to play rummy. Kaliyug studied his cards with intense focus, then grinned and placed 100 coins on the table. His father bet 50 coins, and Jeeva, watching quietly, considered her options.

Kaliyug bet 100 coins, which made Jeeva think he might have weak cards. But with two jacks and a ten in her hand, she believed she could win and confidently placed 200 coins.

"Let's see your cards," Kaliyug's father said.

Kaliyug revealed his cards—two queens and a jack—while his father had three queens and a jack. Jeeva was shocked to see that Kaliyug had tricked her into betting more coins.

He made it seem like he had weak cards, but he was stronger than I thought. Real life is the same. People who seem weak may just be pretending.

The game continued. In the next round, Jeeva had two queens and a king. Kaliyug smiled again and placed a small bet of 50 coins. His father bet 100 coins, and Jeeva hesitated.

Kaliyug is playing his trick again, but I won't fall for it this time, she thought, betting only 50 coins.

When the cards were revealed, Kaliyug had only two tens and a nine, while his father had two jacks and a queen. Jeeva won but realized she gained very little. She suspected Kaliyug had tricked her again by deliberately losing small amounts.

The game went on until midnight, with Kaliyug ultimately winning. Everyone then went to bed, but Jeeva couldn't sleep. She lay awake, thinking about Kaliyug.

Kaliyug is a master at reading people. He appears weak, but he's not. He shows different sides of himself depending on the situation. Is he really the person we think he is?

The next morning, Jeeva woke up and went to greet everyone. Kaliyug's father was packing his bags.

"You should stay a few more days," Kaliyug said.

"No, I have to go now. Take care of your studies," his father replied, stepping outside to catch a taxi.

"Your dad is nice," Jeeva said with a smile.

"Yes, but he's a bit overprotective," Kaliyug replied, heading to the kitchen to make coffee.

"I wish my father was like that," Jeeva murmured sadly.

After breakfast, Jeeva announced, "My punishment is over. I can move back to my hostel now."

"Stay for coffee first," Kaliyug said, pouring her a cup. Jeeva drank her coffee, hugged Kaliyug, and left for the hostel.

Later that morning, Kaliyug arrived at school. It was unusually peaceful, with students chatting quietly. Something felt off. From the rooftop, Vinoy stared down at him. At the gate, Jeeva smiled as she watched Kaliyug walk in. On the ground floor, Kunal and Rumi exchanged glances. Raj and Kamli observed from the second floor.

Everyone seemed puzzled by Kaliyug, as though he was hiding something.

"Kunal, you can figure out someone's weakness by studying their strengths," Rumi said.

"Exactly. Use your power to look at Kaliyug and tell me his reality," Kunal urged.

Rumi's eyes glowed red as she focused on Kaliyug. "He's just a powerless boy. Anyone could take him down in an instant."

"Then why is Jeeva dating him?" Kunal asked, confused.

"Maybe because he's cute?" Rumi teased.

"Stop obsessing over him. Vinoy is our friend, even if he's been acting strange. Let's go to the mall later. I need new clothes," Kunal said, pulling Rumi into a hug.

Meanwhile, Raj and Kamli watched Kaliyug enter the school. Raj was furious.

"If it were up to me, I'd have kicked this kid out long ago," Raj fumed.

"Relax. Wait for Vinoy's signal," Kamli replied, dragging him to class.

Vinoy continued to glare at Kaliyug from the rooftop, his eyes glowing red.

Kaliyug and Jeeva walked to class together, oblivious to the attention they were drawing. Many students, especially those in the powerful class, resented their relationship.

Outside the school, Kunal spotted a boy in a uniform from Kaliyug's old school.

"Hey! Wait!" Kunal called, catching up to him.

The boy stopped, looking wary. "What do you want?"

"I need to ask about Kaliyug," Kunal said.

The boy's face went pale. "Kaliyug?"

"Yes. What can you tell me?"

Without a word, the boy dropped what he was holding and bolted, shouting, "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

Kunal was left stunned. Why did he act like I mentioned a devil's name?

Just then, Rumi appeared behind him.

"Ready to go shopping?" she asked, playfully punching his shoulder.

Kunal laughed, and the two headed to the mall. After buying clothes, Rumi suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Kunal asked.

"That vendor over there—the one selling polar bears—he's part of the gang targeting powerful people," Rumi whispered.

"We should call the police," Kunal suggested.

"No time. Let's catch him ourselves," Rumi said, grabbing Kunal's arm.

The vendor noticed them and created a smoke screen to escape. Kunal used his powers to clear the smoke, and they chased him to the mall's exit. He jumped on a bike, and Kunal did the same, with Rumi riding behind him.

The chase ended abruptly when police stopped Kunal and Rumi for running a red light. They were taken to the station, where they explained everything.

"Next time, leave it to us," the officer said sternly.

"Sorry, sir," Rumi muttered as they were let go.

Back at the mall, Kunal couldn't shake the feeling that Kaliyug was hiding something far bigger than anyone realized.