**Chapter 7:
I took the remaining 'pinkish' stone and put it in between my eyes.
The stone shone brightly and a fancy golden staff appeared before me. It is a beautifully crafted staff with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. The top of the staff is a pinkish stone bloomed lotus.
I looked at kanaka to see what she will say.
She looked at me like I was the bane of her existence and said, "That is the staff of PadmaLoka. I don't know which level it belonged to."
"What are the levels?" Kiaan asked Kanaka, the cow.
Kanaka said, "PadmaLoka's work force is divided into levels. Each is powerful in its own right, so it is just a classification. The new travelers who come from outside the realm, to intergrate themselves into the PadmaLoka are the lowest level and the royal family of PadmaLoka is highest level. In between are spirits, merchants, teachers, miners and much more."
Kiaan and I nodded.
"So everybody in that realm has a staff? Like identification papers?"
Kanaka shook her head, "It is much more than that. I don't know for what exact purpose though, as I am not native to that realm."
"Now, I think we need to gather with everybody to eat lunch. Let's discuss this afterwards." Mehul said.
Everybody agreed to meet here two hours after the lunch. Kanaka disappeared to god knows where.
We went back to the bus to meet the people of our group.
Mehul suddenly announced, "If we are bringing fifth member to this mission, I want to bring Heer into what we are about to do."
I looked at him as in really looked at him, "Oh my god, you are really serious about her. It is not even a week yet."
Mehul cleared his throat, "Actually, I asked her on a date this morning."
"Already? Your potential love story is going faster than super speed express train."
Agastya snorted.
"I feel such ease talking with her. After my grandmother and you, I didn't feel need to talk to anyone else. Now I want to spend more time with her."
I winced, "I understand your affection, I really do but, can you please stop saying I'm after your grandmother."
Agastya, Kiaan and Mehul laughed at that. I gave them a look.
"So you want to bring your date in the mission?" Agastya asked.
"No, I want to inform her. I can't ask her to come in this uncertain situation."
Kiaan and I nodded.
That's a good idea.
"So how are we doing this?" Kiaan asked.
"I think Mehul will talk about that with Heer." I said looking at Mehul and he nodded.
"I will." He said.
"Now, let's go and eat. I am famished." I said.
Heer and Ira came just now and are heading towards dining hall in the temple lodge. We went to join them.
The menu for today is Pongal (Sweetened rice porridge), tamarind rice, puri (fried flat bread) with potato stew and Gulabjamun (fried donut balls soaked in syrup).
Kiaan liked Pongal very much and I like Tamarind rice and Gulabjamun. I looked at Heer and Ira to see that they are taking pictures of Gulabjamun and Pongal.
I sighed, "Guys eat first. This is a humid area, flies will come."
Ira nodded absentmindedly, "Did you take the pictures already? The lighting here is not ideal for the pictures."
"I didn't take pictures. I just ate the food." I said.
"Keya doesn't like to take any pictures for her social media." Heer complained to Ira.
"No, correction; I like taking pictures. I don't take pictures for social media." I said.
Ira looked up from what she is doing, "I followed your account and your special group last year. Your pics are uploaded constantly. Even yesterday's pictures are there."
I smiled, "Oh that? Tejas or someone from my group will send day to day pictures on our projects and send it to my boss; my boss manages my social media accounts. And I don't know what special group is though."
That got the attention of Kiaan, Ira and Heer.
They are looking at each other with wide eyes. The only unsurprised people are Mehul and Agastya; they are nodding their heads in resignation.
"So you don't know how popular you are?" Ira and Heer asked together.
I gave them a deadpanned look and then frowned.
Wait a minute.
I looked at them and asked, "Is the special group, my fan page or something?"
Kiaan nodded "Yea kind of."
My eyes widened, "Woah, it is amazing. Last month senior journalist Mr. Rao said to me that he has a fan page with 1500 members. If he has 1500, I must have at least a thousand members. Wait, I will go and call the boss. I will ask him to give a thank you message on my behalf to the group."
"Thousand?" Kiaan said hollowly.
"I know." I said excitedly.
Ira cleared her throat and asked, "Why are you not involved in your social media?"
Agastya said, "I will tell that. After the college she joined as a junior to an investigative reporter in the NATTGEO channel. Her senior asked her to create various social media accounts where she can participate actively. That's when she encountered a newly budding group called 'flat and square sun'".
"What happened then?" Heer asked.
"Keya tried to point that, just look up at the sun in the sky and what shape they see? They can't cope with that logic and accused her of practicing evil and everything. They decide to come at her in all her social media accounts." Agastya said.
I closed my eyes and shivered.
"That's it?" Heer asked.
"What do mean that' it? It was horrible." I said.
"They are just bullies." Ira said.
"Just bullies she says.." I muttered. Ira and Heer rolled their eyes.
Kiaan nodded, "Idiocy is sometimes traumatizing."
I looked at him in wonder and sighed, "Thanks ma, you got me."
Ira, Heer and Agastya laughed.
I gave all of them a betrayed look. Mehul patted my back. Heer followed Mehul's hand and frowned.
I snorted, "Don't get a jealous with me. I ain't snatching your boyfriend." Heer sputtered.
"Boyfriend?" Ira asked confusedly.
"Yes," I said excitedly, "Dude here asked her on date yesterday." I whisper shouted, pointing at Mehul.
"This morning." Heer and Mehul said at once.
Ira cooed loudly when they both went blubbering mess.
After a lot of poking fun at the new couple, I excused myself, "I'm gonna make my boss a phone call, before I forget."
Everybody collectively sighed.
What are they sighing at?
Rude.