A Story by Archaeologist Dr. Anjali Rao

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The Moon Statue in the Valley of Shadows
It wasn't a place you arrive at by chance. The valley lay hidden between two rugged ridges in northeastern India, beyond the maps that still bore names. The paths leading there weren't trails, but the tracks of shepherds and wolves. And yet every line, every instinctive step, led there—as if the valley hadn't been found, but remembered. Dr. Anjali Rao had set out at dusk, as an old astrologer had advised her: "Go at the new moon, return at the full moon." She had smiled, but he had meant it. And now, as she descended the final slope between gnarled trees and trembling grass, she knew why. The valley opened beneath her like a bowl of stone. No houses, no tracks. Just wind, dry grass, and a chill that came not from the temperature, but from the silence. The sky was almost black, but full of light—the moon, round and still, hung like an eye over everything. And then she saw it. The statue wasn't built. It was part of the rock face, carved from it, born of it. A female figure, larger than life, with closed eyes and an expression of such profound calm that Anjali stopped involuntarily. The face was delicate, soft, almost vulnerable. Her head tilted slightly toward the sky, as if she were listening to a song no one else could hear. The light of the full moon fell directly on her face. It was no accident. It was intentional—an architectural, ritualistic intention. The shadow of the world receded before the light of the sky to reveal the goddess. Anjali approached slowly. The ground was covered with old flower remains—dried, decayed, but clearly once laid down. Someone came here. Again and again. Maybe not every month. Maybe only in dreams. Beside the statue, she found small stone tablets, semicircular, barely inscribed. Some showed stars, others just circles. And on one, at the very back, was a single word: Chandralekha. The name of the moon line. Or was it a name? Perhaps a title. She sat down in the dust, wrapped her shawl more tightly around her shoulders, and let her gaze wander to the statue. The moon was directly above her now. The shadows of the crevices disappeared.