Cheran stood lost in thought, searching for a way to win Pachamma's heart.
Observing her closely, he realized one thing—she loved the ball game.
Children played on the street while Pachamma sat on a woven palm cot, watching the game with quiet delight. That same evening, news spread through the village: a grand ball game tournament would be held the following week.
One team had already been formed.
When Cheran told his closest friend, Pariyas, that he would lead the opposing team as captain, Pariyas felt his breath hitch.
This was not just a game.
It was a deadly one.
The Sacred Game
The next morning, far away in the present, Vincent and his team explored another Mayan site.
"Wow… amazing. Truly amazing," Beulah whispered.
The walls were carved with images of the Milky Way, Orion, and distant nebulae—astronomical structures modern science identified only in the 17th century.
Yet the Mayans had engraved them five thousand years ago.
Back to the Past
The ball court was ready.
It was shaped like a capital 'T', nearly thirty meters long, with tall stone walls on both sides. Heavy stone rings were fixed high on each wall.
The goal was simple—and nearly impossible: the ball had to pass through the ring.
The ball measured 25 centimeters in circumference.
Rules of the game were strict:
Hands, feet, and head were forbidden.
Only the hips and knees could be used.
Each team wore protective headgear. The captains were called "Pitchi."
And the punishment for losing?
The losing captain would be bathed, fed a grand feast, taken to the temple…
and his head would be offered to the gods.
The Match Begins
Cheran's team had only four players. To keep balance, one player was removed from the opposing team as well.
Pariyas begged Cheran not to play.
Cheran refused.
With no other choice, Pariyas joined the team. Two more players followed. Pariyas offered to be Pitchi, but Cheran declined.
Across the field stood Bolan, celebrated and feared. The crowd roared his name.
Something felt wrong to Pariyas.
I won't let anything go wrong, he vowed silently.
The match was about to begin—but Pachamma had not yet arrived.
Cheran scanned the arena, restless.
Blood, Sweat, and Destiny
The whistle blew.
Bolan struck first—leaping midair, slamming the ball through the ring with his knee.
Score: 1–0.
Moments later, another stunning acrobatic move.
Score: 2–0.
Cheran's team had not scored once.
Pariyas refused to surrender.
Using his friend Carlos as support, he launched himself into the air, striking the ball with his hip at the last possible second.
The entire arena held its breath.
The ball slipped through the ring by a hair's width.
The crowd erupted.
Score: 2–1.
Pain shot through Pariyas's ankle—but he ignored it.
Bolan noticed.
Targeting Pariyas's injured leg, Bolan struck again.
Still, Pariyas forced his knee upward.
Another goal.
Score tied: 2–2.
The Turning Point
One of Cheran's teammates panicked and struck the ball with his head.
Immediate disqualification.
Now outnumbered, Cheran's team struggled.
Bolan's team scored again.
Score: 3–2.
Just then—
Pachamma arrived.
Their eyes met.
Tears shimmered in her eyes.
At that moment, Cheran realized something stronger than love.
He wanted to live.
The ball flew toward him.
Cheran sprinted forward, twisted his body midair, and struck the ball with his knee—upside down.
The ball shot like lightning.
Goal.
The match tilted.
Bolan smiled. He had been waiting for this.
But before the game could conclude—
At 11:40 AM, sunlight struck the sacrificial altar in a perfect vertical line.
The High Priest entered the field.
At his signal, the referee stopped the match.
Cheran's team was declared victorious, though the target score had not been reached.
No one objected.
Among the Mayans, priests stood just below kings.
And kings themselves feared the priests.
The Price of Victory
The priest walked straight toward Bolan.
Bolan followed him without resistance.
The crowd rose as one and moved toward the temple.
Minutes later, the arena stood empty.
Rituals were completed.
Bolan's head now rested in the priest's hands.
A Promise Beyond Time
Pachamma wiped her tears and entered the field.
Cheran noticed even the first drop she tried to hide.
They stood face to face.
Cheran removed a ring—his mother's keepsake—and placed it on Pachamma's finger.
A promise.
An engagement.
A future bought with blood.
Only then did Pariyas understand everything.
He raised both hands, blessing his friend from afar, and walked away.
Left alone, Cheran and Pachamma stood in silence.
For a moment, they saw it clearly—
A monument of love yet to be built.
Thousands of years later.
The Taj Mahal.