♡ꜱᴛᴀʏ ʙʏ ᴍʏ ꜱɪᴅᴇ♡

Cinderella

DEDICATED TO - rashmibanapura <3

MONAMI

We kept staring at the 'M' sign to get what it wanted to convey. The time was ticking close and we had to reach the party. But I decided to solve it first and Karan agreed.

"I don't understand, if they don't want us to attend the party, why did Chachi call me??" I expressed my query looking at nothing in particular.

"For some reason, I don't think she's involved in all this. " Karan said glaring at the chess board.

"But she is scared of Sahas Uncle. She would never dare to go opposite him. " I said.

"There's something we can't get our heads towards. "  Karan said, his eyes still fixated on the board.

"Why didn't Suraj Uncle call you or me to inform about the danger??" I expressed another question.

" I've seen this somewhere. With these stretched lines of 'M's head. " He said, ignoring my question and I looked at the formed sign on the board. Something clicked in my head.

"Damn. There's a painting in Grandpa's room of this which grandma made." I snapped my head towards Karan and we both ran out of the room, straight towards Grandpa's room.

" Shit!! It's locked. Who has the key?? " Karan asked, panting beside me.

" It's in our room. '' I said before running towards my room. It took us around two minutes to come with the key. Breathing heavily, we approached the room.

I unlocked the door and pushed it open. The painting was hung on the right wall, near his bed. I saw it on the day of his death anniversary.

We both stared at it for a long minute before Karan pulled it off the wall and placed it on the bed. We both checked it intently to find any clue but, unsuccessful. Then Karan turned it around to see, it was just plain from behind.

I turned to look at the wall in the hope to find anything when my head snapped back at the voice tearing something. I gasped, seeing Karan tearing the Painting with a blade from its side, still careful not to ruin the painted side. The canvas was thick and I saw something shining inside it.

Another gasp left my lips as Karan pulled it out. It was a beautiful ancient golden coin with a star-shaped outline inside it which made it empty from inside so that we could see through it. We both looked at each other as he held the coin.

" This is the first clue. I guess. " I said, looking intently at it.

"Why is this empty inside?? " Karan asked with a frown. As its thick material was crooked from one side leaving a place to,

" Maybe to combine another part?? " My mind worked faster than a train as I expressed my guess.

Karan quickly took out his phone to see the riddle further.

Next, find the echoes of her laughter and tears,
Within the pages of a book, spanning the years.
But beware the thorns that guard her truth,
A rose, fragile yet strong, a clue uncouth.
When petals fall, revealing the way,
The door shall open to a brighter day.

We read it and our frown deepened.

"You loved reading books. " Karan said and looked up at me.

"Yes?? " I answered more in the question.

"This hints towards some book." He said standing up and I too followed him out of the room with a coin in my hand.

" But the library in my room isn't there anymore." I said.