RishNova Story Universe
A fictional love story inspired by the history of Kuldhara.
Short Story
Kuldhara – A Love Left Behind
Kuldhara – A Love Left Behind
"A forgotten village. A vanished love. A goodbye that never happened."
The golden sands of Jaisalmer shimmered under the soft winter sun as the annual grand fair filled the air with life. The whole city seemed to be celebrating—rows of colorful stalls lined the dusty pathways, children ran around with wooden toys, the fragrance of spicy snacks drifted through the breeze, and the deep beats of drums echoed across the desert.
Among the crowd was Samridh, a young man from the city, walking with his group of friends. They laughed, teased one another, and playfully nudged through the bustling crowd. On the other side of the fair, an innocent young girl named Isha had arrived with her father from Kuldhara village. Dressed simply, her beauty was soft and unpretentious—large expressive eyes, a calm face, and the kind of presence that felt like a cool wind in the middle of summer.
Fate had its own plans that day. At a busy corner of the fair, Samridh and Isha collided. The sudden bump sent Isha off balance, and she fell to the ground. Startled, Samridh immediately reached out his hand and helped her up. As she tried to stand, her legs faltered again and she stumbled—this time falling straight into his arms.
And in that one brief moment, the world seemed to slow.
The wind grew still, birdsong seemed sweeter, and even the noise of the fair faded away. Their eyes met, and though they had never seen each other before, something unspoken passed between them—something warm, deep, and strangely familiar. Perhaps… it was love.
But the spell was broken when Isha’s father rushed forward, pushing Samridh aside. Grabbing Isha’s hand firmly, he said in a stern voice, “Let’s go home.”
Isha quietly nodded, glancing just once more before disappearing into the crowd with her father.
Samridh stood frozen for a moment, watching her vanish. His friends, grinning mischievously, teased him.
“Brother, when were you going to tell us? You already have a girlfriend and didn’t even mention her?”
Samridh ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head with a smile. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t even know her.”
One of his friends leaned closer, “Well, now you can. I know that girl—she’s from Kuldhara village, not far from here. Give me a day, I’ll get you her complete details.”
Samridh’s lips curled into a quiet smile. “Alright, brother.” And with that, they continued roaming the fair, though his thoughts were far away.
The next day, his friend returned with everything about Isha. Without wasting time, Samridh set out for Kuldhara with his friends.
In the village, Isha was on her rooftop, gazing at the sky, lost in the memory of yesterday’s meeting at the fair. She remembered the sudden collision, the steadiness of his hand, and the warmth of his arms.
From a distance, she spotted him approaching and instinctively smiled—before rushing to her friend Sikha. She asked Sikha to find out why that boy had come to the village. Sikha approached Samridh and after a brief talk, returned to Isha.
“He says he came to say sorry,” Sikha reported.
Isha first smiled faintly but then replied a little coldly, “Tell him there’s no need to be sorry. Because of him, I couldn’t see the fair, and now that moment will never return.”
Sikha relayed her words to Samridh, and he quietly returned to Jaisalmer.
The next day, he came again—this time with a neatly wrapped gift. He handed it to Sikha to give to Isha. When Isha unwrapped it, she found a delicate pair of silver bracelets. For a moment her eyes softened with happiness, but then she closed the box and said, “Give it back to him. I can’t accept it.”
Sikha returned the gift, and Samridh walked away silently.
This became a pattern. For several days, Samridh would return to Kuldhara, and over time, the walls between them began to melt. Slowly, Isha and Samridh began meeting in secret. They would spend hours talking by an old well at the edge of the village, away from watchful eyes. Every day, Samridh traveled the long 18 kilometers from Jaisalmer just to see her.
One day, Samridh told Isha that he had to go to a relative’s house for two days for a big celebration.
“I’ll bring you lots of gifts when I return,” he promised.
Isha lowered her eyes, a little saddened that she wouldn’t see him for two days. “Alright,” she said softly. Then, after a pause, she added, “Bring the bracelet I returned to you that day.”
Samridh smiled at her words and pulled her into a hug.
But fate had other plans.
That very night, a tragedy struck Kuldhara. The state minister, Salim Singh, had taken a liking to the daughter of the village priest. He sent a threat—if the priest did not marry his daughter to him, he would destroy the entire village. Word spread like wildfire to all 84 villages of the Paliwal Brahmins, who valued their honor above life itself.
That night, under the cover of darkness, the people of all the villages gathered. They made a united decision—no one would bow to Salim Singh’s demand. Instead, they would abandon their homes forever.
By dawn, Kuldhara and all its neighboring villages stood empty—deserted. No one knew where the Paliwals went, and no news of them was ever heard again.
Two days later, Samridh returned to Jaisalmer, his heart full of excitement. With the bracelets and gifts in hand, he went straight to Kuldhara. But when he arrived, he found silence—broken houses, abandoned streets, and not a single soul in sight.
A passerby from a nearby village told him what had happened.
Samridh stood still, the bracelets heavy in his hands, his heart sinking with the weight of loss.
He had come to give her gifts, but instead, he found an emptiness that no gift could fill.
And so, the fair where they had met became the only memory of their love— a love that began with a stumble… and ended without goodbye.
“
The deepest pain is not losing someone—it is never getting the chance to say goodbye. – Rishabh Bhatt
”
STORY SOURCE
This story is adapted from “Incompleteness At Every Turn”
"Incompleteness At Every Turn" is a book about life’s unfinished stories, deep feelings, and the beauty of being imperfect. Instead of happy fairy-tale endings, it shows real life—moments of love, loss, hope, and healing that do not always have a perfect answer. Written in a simple yet touching way, the author shows that it is okay to feel incomplete. In fact, our incomplete parts are what help us grow, learn, and keep moving forward every day.
