The forest was dark.
The trees stood close together, their branches twisting against the night sky.
Somewhere, an owl called.
And through the darkness walked a king.
Carrying a corpse. On his shoulder.
There were, one imagines, easier ways to spend an evening.
THE CORPSE WAS OCCUPIED.
But King Vikram had made a promise: retrieve a corpse from a cremation ground and deliver it to a waiting ascetic.
One small complication.
Inside lived a Vetala—a restless spirit better known as Betal.
And Betal had a most unfortunate habit.
He talked.
A most talkative spirit.
HE TALKED.
Some ghosts rattle chains. Others haunt corridors.
Halloween merely gave them a yearly public relations campaign.
Betal preferred storytelling.
Every tale ended with a riddle. And the rules were wonderfully unfair.
If Vikram knew the answer but remained silent, his head would shatter. If he answered, Betal would escape back to his tree.
The king was brave, wise, and determined.
Unfortunately, he was also incapable of leaving a question unanswered.
And so Betal began another story.
Three Suitors. One Very Awkward Resurrection.
MANDARAVATI WAS ALIVE AGAIN!
Once, near the Yamuna, lived a young woman named Mandaravati.
Three young men wished to marry her. Before a choice could be made, she fell gravely ill and died.
Heartbroken, the men went their separate ways.
The third hurried back, recited the charm, and—
An extraordinary miracle.
A moment for tears, celebration, perhaps even a feast.
Unfortunately, the three men immediately began arguing over who should marry her.
The first claimed his devotion had never wavered. The second insisted he had performed the sacred rites. The third pointed out that he had, quite literally, brought her back from the dead.
Poor Mandaravati. Barely resurrected, and already surrounded by matrimonial negotiations.
Betal stopped speaking.
Then came the question.
05 / THE GHOST'S CHALLENGE
“Tell me, O King. Which of these three men should marry Mandaravati?”Vikram considered the matter. Betal waited.
But before the king answers, what do you think?
ONE IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION
Make your choice before reading on. Betal is watching.