Himprayag
Ahilya didn't possess a silver tongue to pander to the egos of these ministers of the court nor did she have any time for these useless tactics. But Mithilesh was born for playing games, unfortunately. Gayatri had warned her enough number of times to keep her guard up and emotions under control.
Keeping that mantra in mind, she ignored his provocations and stared unseeingly at the wall in front.
"Ah, both of you are here. Good…" he looked from one to another and sighed.
During their growing up years, he had hoped that they would rule the kingdom together, one supporting the other but it was apparent real soon that both of them would prefer to kill themselves than collaborate.
"I will keep this short. It seems that I have outstayed my welcome in this birth. The Vaidya has given me six months at best. Hence, I am giving both of you no more than hundred days to prove your emphatic superiority over the other. You are free to use whatever method you deem fit. Only remember that by the end of it, one of you will be ruling this kingdom. So don't lose your credibility and honour in front of your people to such an extent that it is irredeemable. These are the people who are meant to respect and follow you by law. But if your actions make you seem unworthy in their eyes, the road ahead will be bumpy for you as a ruler. Understood?" he spoke brusquely.
Both of them stood in shock, absorbing the startling announcement. Looking at one another, they realised that neither had known about the king's ailment.
Ahilya bowed deeply and said, "I will not disappoint you, father."
At her solemn expression, Mithilesh gave a short bark of laughter and mocked her, "There you go, behaving as if the weight of this entire world is on you. I hate to break it to you. You are not that special or important, sister. Don't take stress. I won't go too hard on you. And remember to keep that childish temper of yours in control. Even the loser needs to keep her image intact in front of the world."
Ahilya's eyes showed the naked hatred which she was feeling towards him at the moment but she stuck to her guns and didn't utter a word. The king shook his head and walked away, leaving the two of them in the room.
Eastern Zilla
"Make sure to carry a spare set of clothes as instructed by Guruji yesterday," Chiranjeev reminded the guys before they went to bed.
Three hours later
"What is the point of you insisting on coming along? Not only will you slow us down, it will draw attention in case someone spotted us. And all for what? You can't really participate in any simulation exercises with this foot of yours," Abhirath whispered as Mriga stood on one leg at the exit door that night.
Her expression spelled mutiny clearly and Abhirath sighed.
"I'll carry her," unexpectedly, Chiranjeev made the offer and bent down to have her climb on his back.
Even though she was completely taken aback at his offer, Mriga didn't waste another second and hopped on.
Abhirath didn't know what to make of this guy. Usually the most aloof of the entire group, he was the closest to Abhirath in terms of temperament and his offer just now was against his personality.
"What is his motive?" Abhirath thought to himself while the others walked ahead of him.
"Thank you!" Mriga whispered in Chiranjeev's ear while his legs ate up the distance in quick strides.
Apart from a nod, he didn't say anything.
Half hour later
The four boys had been split into two teams and sent on a camouflage task. The rule was simple. First one team was given ten minutes to identify a way to hide themselves and the other team got twenty minutes to find them and then it was reversed. They had to use only the resources available in that man-made jungle and quick thinking on their feet was the most requisite skill here.
"So, if you have troubled the entire group and risked an increase to your injury, I am assuming that your coming here tonight had a purpose behind it," Ramanujam turned to address Mriga who was sitting under a tree.
Vandit and Chiranjeev had just left to look for the first team.
Mriga smiled at her teacher's reading of her actions and stood up with difficulty before speaking what was on her mind.
"Is Chandragarh undergoing some sort of secret turmoil?" she asked him out of the blue.
For the first time ever in so many months of knowing him, she saw surprise flitting on his face but Ramanujam brought it under control immediately.
"What made you ask this question?" he countered.
Mriga had been wondering about it for the past many days now and this was the only thing that made sense to her. She had finally decided to ask instead of speculate.
She replied with all honesty, "I have no idea. But my instinct has been telling me this for some time now, based on the happenings and the changes around me. Please don't misunderstand. I didn't ask you this to confirm my theory nor have I discussed it with anyone else. The purpose was to enquire if there is any way that I and the others can be of help in a concrete way. I know that we are lacking in skills but I am sure that all of us would be willing to put our best out there, if needed."
The usually poker faced Ramanujam cracked a smile at her passionate speech and patted her head.