Avantika And Her Quest

Secrets Revealed

Morning came and with it came back my worries with full force. I did not know what to do anymore but I knew that something was hidden in the prime minister's room, something of great importance. My curious nature always got me into trouble and it could very well lead me into trouble again this time but I had to do it. I was going to sneak into his room at night. I knew that Arjun or Uncle Suryakant could not know about my plan as they would never let me go. I had to do it by myself. But before I could formulate a plan, I heard a knock on my door. I was not expecting anyone and had to scramble to find my veil before opening the door.

There stood Urvashi dressed lavishly in jewels and resplendent clothes. I was even more surprised, What was she doing there?, I thought. I asked her exactly that but I was a meek person, so my question held a certain uncertainty and vulnerability. She just regarded me with condescension and told me that we had to entertain the courtiers that evening. I just nodded my head so she would leave me alone. She did not linger and walked out. I did not know what to do. I had to sneak into his chambers that day because I knew Uncle Suryakant could tell that something was on my mind otherwise and I would not be able to carry out my plan and also I had delayed enough, my people were getting desperate.

I decided that I would have to leave as soon as the sun set. I could not be around when the dancers came to call me for the festivities. This gave me a certain sense of security because, if Sangharsh was busy entertaining himself and his courtiers he would not notice me. I planned everything carefully. My trip to his chambers earlier proved useful as now I knew where his chambers were located and knew the best way to get there unnoticed. I decided to take the path from the deserted west wing, it gave me enough cover to pass through unnoticed. I knew that I was supposed to go to meet Arjun and Uncle Suryakant that night and that they would be extremely worried if I did not turn up. But, I had to risk it.

Dusk soon came and I quietly slipped out. It was amazing how every footstep and heartbeat sounded deafening to me. Every rustle of the wind and shadow had me tense. I quietly crept to the prime minister's chambers. When I got there I was not surprised to find it creepily dark with no traces of light. I had had the foresight to bring a candle from my chambers. I carefully drew my lock pick that Arjun had got me as a birthday gift for my tenth birthday. I silently thanked him for it even though he had bought it as a prank saying that I would never use it. If I walked out of this alive, I guess I could boast about it to him. Shaking out these thoughts from my head I felt as if I had skillfully picked the lock and stepped inside. The room was eerily clean and tidy for a mad man like Sangharsh.

I walked to his desk and looked through his papers and all his scrolls but there was nothing extraordinary. I looked for any secret compartments in the desk but found none. I was quickly getting frustrated with the lack of discovery and walked around his room for anything that I may have missed. Suddenly my gaze fell upon a bookshelf, the bookshelf reminded me of something but I did not exactly remember what. Then suddenly it clicked I had seen it in a portrait behind my grandfather. I was confused as to how Sangharsh had managed to get his hands on this bookshelf. The books in this shelf document the history of our dynasty and were believed to be lost forever as my grandfather had this in his room where his kingdom was attacked. I remember his palace was set ablaze by the soldiers from the kingdom of Vrijji. The King had wanted to take over our Kingdom but he never succeeded. My father had escaped in the battle and married my mother. Their alliance had strengthened his tiny army that had fled with him and he regained our kingdom.

Then suddenly it all seemed to click together, my father's fear when Chetiya attacked, his resignation as if he knew what was happening and why. Uncle Suryakant's worry and reservedness when I told him about Sangharsh. Sangharsh was the prince of Vrijji, he resembled his father a lot which made him look familiar to me as I had once seen a portrait of his father in an abandoned room of the palace. He would have been the ruler of our kingdom if my father had not defeated him. As I fingered the books on the shelf, with a spinning mind, a lever creaked somewhere and a hidden passage opened up.