A Tale Of Love (On Hold)

ABHI-RAJ

RAJ (Captain in Vijay Sena)

The dry branches cracked beneath my feets as I walked through the deep thick tree cover of Maharani Bhumi's palace. Soon the once beautiful and gorgeous courtyard of Aakash Manjil came into view which is now forgotten within the tree covers of Devgiri. The grounds around it lies at one of the most weakest part of fort making it extremely hard to sneak in due to the intensive patrolling around here. I wiped the sweat formed on my forehead despite the chill. The roof of the courtyard was itself said to be made up of glass. If memories of General are right then this is were Tara ji counted her last breaths. If not here then I think this investigation for three years will surely be waste of resources and manpower.

The place must be vibrant once upon a time I thought as I pushed open the splintered wooden door and put my feet inside the once rug covered white marble. Few rays of light filtered in through the dirted and muddy glass panel. The walls are filthy and maybe covered in green moss. My yellow eyes examined each and every crack and croony of the room to see any thing of even a minute importance but the room was striped bare of any necessities. Total blank. I trailed my clothed hands over the greenish walls that still hold the remainder of pastel colour they were once painted but now chipping off.

The place is falling apart due to being in disuse for so long. The dust lined each and every surface visible and invisible. At some places the glass had broken and fallen down. I gingerly walked on the floor trying to avoid leaving any type of clues that someone might even be here. The place was devoid of any life form except for rodents. I frowned as I saw a closed and locked door at the end of the corridor. The door itself was like a normal one except for the reinforced iron lock on it which looked already rusty. I am sure no one opened it in years. I took out the equipments useful to pick up a lock and started my work.

"Damn it." I said even after thirty minutes of work the lock was fixed on its original position not moving for a single moment. I withdrawn my pin and began to look other ways to see if there is any other way to enter the chamber. I stepped out and rounded the place. A single large glass window stood out from what I suppose should be the opposite of the locked door. The sun was at the middle of sky but as I have observed not a single soul venture this place neither in daylight nor in moonlight. But I better not get caught in mid day sneaking around the place of past wife of King while posing as a servent. Vijay might find someway to take me out of jail if anyone found me but I know better than rising suspicions.

One single mistake and you can imagine the muscles and bones you have grown over the years will find their way in a animal's intestine. After nearly getting devored by leapords thrice in a row makes people feel wary of their own shadow. "Bhoo." I jumped at the sudden intrusion of my twin brother's voice who is currently laughing at me. "Chup." I said keeping a finger on my lips to emphasize my actions. He made a serious face and dangled something infront of me. I quickly snatched it out of his hand and traced it in between my fingers. "From where did you got it ?" I questioned him. Being a excellent theifs before becoming a law biding members of Vijay Sena I know that this key is absolutely correct match for the lock inside.

I looked at my brother through squinted eyes. I swear on the name of holy God of... "I took it from the bottom of the banyan tree. General told that it was the place where he use to hide his things." He said lifting his hands in surrender. I pursed my lips and looked at the banyan tree a bit far away from the place where I am standing. Indeed if one looked close enough they could be able to see that someone dug out a small place. I signed as I went back inside and opened the lock which nearly fallen off completely due to rust. I cringed at the sound as the door gave away to the room.

The air in here tasted stale. The cowebs decorated the corners of the rooms along with few strands here and there. The once transperant glass is now opaque with dirt and grim. But what stood out more was the way things are present in the room. If not for the thick layer of dust I might have thought that someone had just gotten up in this room. The bed was pushed in corner, the red silk sheets which adorned it are unmade. Making them look as if someone slept in them and left without making them proper. The jar on table is still half filled with water, the fruits kept in the bowl are rotten producing a pungent smell which didn't affect me. Atleast it is still better than the smell of rotten meat in the cave we have to spend a night in Tirupati mountains.