Haunted

Amara is the lone daughter of Williams and Mary. Her parents died in a plane crash when she was just two years old and Amara was brought up by her paternal grandparents. She has completed her engineering in computers and infomatics and came to her home town at Tehran, the ancient land of Persia where her grand parents presently stay.

She has a long term relationship with Alexander who has been her classmate and boyfriend right since her college. Amara is soon going to be engaged to him in her ancestral mansion.

"Hey darling! How are you? I called you twice, but you did not lift the call?" Alexander's message went concerned. Amara looked at her grandparents who acted oblivious but with controled titters seated at either side of her on the table. "I will call you later." She pressed the send button and started having her meal silently.

After having a relaxed dinner she was laying on the couch with her head in her grandmother's lap. She is the darling of her grandparents Victor and Lima. Though today Amara is twenty one years old she is still the baby girl of Lima. Every day after having dinner she would lay down and listen to a story from Lima before going to bed.

Today when her grandma was about to narrate to her a Cinderella fairy tale Amara stopped her and pointed to a life size picture hanging on the wall in front of her. "Grandma today I want to learn about her."

Lima stiffened with the statement and Amara noticed it but did not know why. "I look exactly like her and that is why I'm intrigued to know about her." She clarified to her grandmother.

Lima patted the cheek of Amara with love. "You are very beautiful just like her, the fourth generation born after her death and the only heir of this vast property, buildings and estates."

She plays her hair silently lulling her to sleep. "It is late in the night and you need to rest. I believe you have to meet Alexander tomorrow early in the morning. Isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Amara sighs and yawns with her eyes gradually shutting off and Lima exhaled a huge breathe of relief. "He is going to Germany to inaugurate his new firm. His father is slowly passing down all his businesses to him. He is very busy now-a-days." Amara tells Lima almost welcoming the dream world.

Lima was glad she had smartly diverted her grand daughter from the horrific story. Gently playing Amara's long black hair she asked. "Why don't you join him at Germany? He would feel very happy."

Amara suddenly opened her eyes to Lima's dismay. "He told me he would finish all his works and take me there on a honeymoon."

Amara then sat up beside Lima going all alert and the cells of Lima were making a havoc at the possible question of her grand daughter. "Grandma, you told me innumerable stories till now. But you often evade the story of this lady. Even today after three generations, when I walk on the streets of Tehran I hear people talk about her kindness and valour. There is huge monument of her near the clock tower. Don't I have the right to know about my forefathers grandma?" Amara pouted like a little child of three.

Lima felt suffocated to her grand daughter's question, droplets of sweat settled on her forehead. But she wouldn't give up. She tried to mask the dreadful story from her innocent Amara.

"I'm having headache sugar. I wish to go to sleep. Tomorrow is a huge festival at Tehran. Do you remember? It's the thirteeth of September." She pulls the cheek of Amara like she was a kid. "We distribute cookies and chocolates along with clothes to the needy. I have to go to bed early and start making preparations from early in the morning." Lima was about to get up from the couch but Amara held her hand to stop her.

"Grandma please, stop making excuses, I want to know about her." She requests pointing to the huge photo of the mysterious lady who looked exactly like her sending strange vibes.

Lima sighs sending a silent prayer to God to protect her unsullied grand daughter and started her narration as usual in the most interesting way.

Princess Veronica was the second born to the King Achilles who ruled the ancient land of Hamster. With big black eyes and long hair she was a beauty since her childhood but unlike most of the woman she did not want to embrace the tenderness of a female attributed to her.

When she was just twelve years her mother died with a cardiac problem and her father succumbed to panic attack followed by a paralytic stroke.

At such a tender age Veronica held the sword to protect her kingdom. She does a lot of things she doesn't want to, she kills people merciless, rips the skulls off their neck when her nation is attacked but she is not black as she is painted. She has the heart of gold as tender as cotton from inside.

People needed a hero so that's what she became, a numen to win over the knavery. A single emergency message when evil strikes and she is on her horse as ferocious as a wild tigress, a warrior of justice ready to rip the sprite out of his flesh.

Veronica is the symbol of bravery, victory and valour. She was a virago, a heroic maiden.  People are broken and hopeless when they come to her because she is the judge, a healer of all their problems.

As successful as her name suggests the true meaning of Veronica is - a cloth impressed with the image of Christ. Just like Christ wanted to spread humanity and kindheartedness among the people Veronica was the personification of benevolence and compassion.

She is the vigorous hero of the nation, a successful champion with eyes of a hawk, the ferality of a lion and the heart of a mother. Princess is not just a prefix but a super power inbuilt in her name - She is The Princess Veronica.