She’s back….who knew we would miss the original Karaked, with her lip curled in disdain.

Goosebumps and chills, as Karaked appears in present time, much like the first time with Kadesurang. It’s raining and dark, she’s watching a car pass by. But this time, instead of appearing before the car and causing a wreck, Karaked just looks sadly at it, at the little girl in the car. We know her to be Phuttan, Kadesurang’s distant relative. The car met the same fate as the last time, with Karaked getting reborn as Phuttan, much like Kadesurang getting reborn as Karaked.

The accident took both her parents’ lives, but Phuttan could not recollect the accident. She grows up under the care of her aunt, who keeps her at arm’s length because she believed Phuttan to be cold and incapable of love. In actuality, aunt could not feel for Phuttan, and ships her off to boarding school. We fast forward twelve years, Phuttan is twenty, independent and sharp. It is like seeing a toned-down version of the original Karaked, who isn’t afraid to speak up for herself, but still has that sassiness deep down inside. You know how you have to keep your inner bitch contained until someone sets it off? (Am I speaking for myself?!) Phuttan knows how to self-regulate. We can see that she is fully capable of making friends and being true to herself.

Kadesurang’s mom ordained as a nun (along with Reurng who ordained as a monk) feels a connection with Phuttan right away, she feels that Phuttan could very well be Kadesurang reincarnated. She wishes her happiness throughout this lifetime, and perhaps her decision to stay in the temple forever will help offer merit to Phuttan. Later Phuttan encounters a relic while at a jobsite, and its familiarity terrifies her to the bone. We all know this to be the Krishna Kali of 300 years ago, the one that took her soul out of her former body, and now it is taking her back to Ayutthaya. How poetic, is that? The theme of karma can be so creatively written and explored in different ways, which means we may get the rug pulled from underneath us again. I still remember being completely mind blown by the revelation of karma in the first story.

Only this time, Phuttan has returned to a familiar stomping ground, challenged by the same things that contributed to her demise, but this time around, will she choose to respond to it differently? She is a new person after all, having gone to hell and back. In this new life, she’s a handy person, she’s knowledgeable – at the age of twenty she remembers everything she has read – and she’s a good cook. This will come in handy as she goes back in time.. face her maker.. and perhaps meet her soulmate and fall a little bit in love.

It is worth mentioning the landscape of the era. Ayutthaya has a new king, things are dicey; Khun Pan is dead, his contributions notwithstanding; Mali is released from the crown prince’s harassments; Marquess and his lady Karaked are raising their grown twin sons, Rit and Reung, and two daughters, while Karaked tries her darnest not to break the hearts of these proud Ayutthayan and lies that their kingdom remains intact even three hundred years later. Bearing the pain of the loss of Ayutthaya all to herself. Goosebumps and chills, my friends.