Read: "Horror fiction: As hauntings intensify in a haveli, the legend of a cursed queen starts to feel real"

[Vivek Pinto]

By: Neil D'Silva

Published in: Scroll

Date: June 19, 2026

Source: https://scroll.in/article/1093233/horror-fiction-as-hauntings-intensify-in-a-haveli-the-legend-of-a-cursed-queen-starts-to-feel-real

Note: Please access the source to red the entire article

"An excerpt from ‘The Curse of the Maharani’ (Rupa Publications, 2026) by Neil D’Silva."

"Samika chose her words carefully. 'There’s talk about an ancient queen who is still in the haveli.' In the mirror, she noticed that Nivaan had fallen asleep. 

Maanas’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but otherwise he did not flinch. 'Yes, I know. I have heard those stories. There are tons of websites mentioning our haveli as a haunted location, some even listing it among the top ten haunted havelis in India. But, let me put it this way,' he said, his eyes on the road. 'I’ll be happy to see the haveli get converted into money.'"

Excerpted with permission from The Curse of the Maharani, Neil D’Silva, Rupa Publications.