Nandana Menike realized that grandma had been entrusted with the responsibility of preparing lunch for the valuation officers. Koinmenika was so unlucky that her fate had not given permission for her to find time to look into her own daughter's matter, which required priority. Instead, she had to fulfill the requirements of the bungalow under the command of Bernard, as she had no other options as a servant there.
Bernard was in a world of desperation for the failure to get a proper valuation for his properties. He employed almost all strategies to get a reasonable compensation for the acquisition of his lands and other properties.
When Koinmenika and her niece reached the bungalow, Periyavar had been preparing a bite for the visitors.
"You came not with the Hamu…?" inquired Periyavar.
Koinmenika could not hear what he said and he looked at Nandana Menike and asked again.
"He told me he would be going to take Koinmenika…"
He was trying to get the reason as why they didn't come with him.
"Went to the town saying he wanted to buy something… will come soon…"
"Did you keep the rice on the hearth…?"
Periyavar kept a clay pot aside opening a container filled with rice. From that onwards Koinmenika went on preparing lunch. Nandana Menike entered the second floor to clean it responding to a request made by Periyavar. Beside the settee, there was an empty liquor bottle. Half-burnt cigar butts, small pieces of bite lying on the floor here and there, had made the place rather untidy. Nandana Menike realized that Bernard had spent the night on the settee. The main entrance of the third floor had been closed as it was usually done in the absence of Bernard. The time mentioned for the visitors' arrival had exceeded nearly an hour.
Soon after the preparation of the lunch with the help of Periyavar, a few vehicles entered the three tiered building as expected by Bernard. All treatments and refreshments had been arranged by Bernard himself.
"Seem to have forgotten the lunch…"
"That's true… Can't remember when drinking…" Periyavar reported the situation on the second floor to Koinmenika.
"Where's the girl…?" Koinmenika showed her vigilant nature
"May be in the room… not seen in the living room…"
"Went to the room…? She should have come down when these gentlemen came here…" Her words came out involuntarily.
Koinmenika felt that Nandana Menike's stay at the second floor was not that much safe? She therefore thought of a way to get her down.
"Prawns… are it enough now…?"
Periyavar came running to the oven as he sensed the toasting smell of the prawns. He served them on to a dish thinking of how much Bernard preferred to have them as a bite.
"I will go up with this and take the girl down…"
When Periyavar went up to the second floor, he could see the visitors enjoying a drink together having discussions on various topics, rather in a loud voice. Those were beyond his comprehension. Among the visitors, only the Village officer was known to him. He in fact felt happy to see Bernard having a chat with the officers light-heartedly. Periyavar believed that a viable solution was underway to settle the land problems, which had really confused Bernard's world.
When Nandana Menike was informed by Periyavar to go to the first floor, the Village officer became rather inquisitive and passed a hint to the officer seated next to him. Since Bernard was having a chat a bit away from the officers, Nandana Menike found it rather difficult to leave that place passing the Village officer.
"Hmmm, this is Koinmenika's niece… Isn't she…?" The village officer asked that question from Koinmenika herself.
She remained in silence making no response. Periyavar promptly came to take Nandana Menike away from that place as she was found to be feeling terribly uncomfortable. Since Bernard had stood obstructing the flight of steps, Periyavar took her to the first floor through the front door of the second floor.
"Aha… you are already in the bungalow…?"
He couldn't take his sensual eyes away from Nandana Menike though he was a father of two daughters who were older than Nandana Menike. His look frightened her to a great extent.
* * *
Kapilasena, marking the boundaries and fencing the new block of land in the new village of Ulhitiya, came back to Dumbara after a couple of days. Yasawathi's disappearance without going to Ulhitiya with Kapilasena, stirred up Koinmenika and her niece. Kaiplasena got disoriented by the news of Yasawathi's sudden move.
"Will she ever come with me like that without telling you all…? And…. even Gunadasa's were also there…"
Koinmenika and Nandana Menike guessed that she had gone to Ulhitiya with Kapilasena as they had no other options to think about. They considered it to be a great blunder for not taking any effort to look for her and clinging on to one thing. Koinmenika fell into the pit of dilemma being unable to ascertain the root cause for Yasawathi to leave home in that manner, as there weren't any apparent reasons either. Koinmenika stroked her chest by herself as she felt a mild pain from a corner of her heart.
"Is it due to that woman's black magic…?" A sudden thought struck Kapilasena's mind regarding the saffron colour thread found a few days ago.
"Oh… that also could be possible…" With a heavy breath, Koinmenika partly agreed.
"What can we do now Bappe…?"
"Anyway I'll go and see… don't know whether she has gone there…" Responding to Nandana Menike, Kapilasena got ready to go to Yasawath's ancestral home.
Both grandma and the niece heaved a sigh of relief thinking that at least from his journey they would be able to get some sort of solace.
"In fact, she wanted to send that spell back… It is ME who didn't take an interest to do so…" She sighed stretching both hands towards the sky.
"Grandma…, let's be patient a bit more till Bappa comes back…" Nandana Menike took her Grandmother inside the house thinking she was more likely to fall ill again if she suffered like that.
Kapilasena came back on that day itself after the sunset, bringing no news about Yasawathi. He did everything possible to trace where she had gone. His face had grown with exhaustion.
"What shall we do now…?"
Kapilasena held a sympathetic look at Koinmenika as she was found to be praying all kinds of gods for help. Nandana Menike understood that Kapilasena was suffering from an unbearable pain over the disappearance of Yasawathi.
"I will meet Gunadasa tomorrow morning… to see what they have really done…" said Kapilasena emotionally.
"What can HE do…?"
"He was with me most of the time during that Ulhitiya journey… He did regret over the problems created in vain because of these children…"
"Will Gunadasa admit that his wife has done this…?"
"I suppose… without telling him, all these plans might have been carried out secretly…" Koinmenika expressed her plight resentfully.
Koinmenika was hesitant as to how they could get Gunadasa's support, if his wife had cast a spell on them.
"Don't worry… Let's see… First I will tell the matter to Gunadasa. If the spell was cast for Yasawathi to get lost, there should be a way to neutralize and even send it back to the person who sent it as well…" Kapilasena heaved a long breath to dispel his pain.
The smell of arrack blew along with his long breath was felt by Nandana Menike.
"Bappe… better… have your meals now…"
"No need Chuti Menike… had a cup of tea from the boutique at the junction over there on my way back…"
Nandana Menike understood that he was telling a lie.
"Kapila Puthe (Son)… shall I come with you to meet Gunadasa…?"
"Not necessary Punchi Amma… Gunadasa's wife will become suspicious of us if she sees you…"
Kapilasena's thoughtful expression made Koinmenika aware of the true nature of the context. Kapilasena served his dinner onto a plate and asked Nandana Menike to keep it in his room. She thought he would take it when he felt hungry. Kapilasena sat on the knee-high ledge observing the invading darkness, wearing the same dress, which he had put on in the morning. He looked around. He could see only a layer of uncertainty before his eyes. Nandana Menike placed the plate of rice on the table inside the room. Afterwards, she sat beside Kapilasena like a helpless creature looking for some help. Through darkness, she could see his eyes shining. Tears had wetted his eyes.
"Where has mother gone Bappe…?"
Nandana Menike's voice seemed to be more of a painful appeal. Kapilasena stroked her head affectionately as he could understand her suffering due to two main reasons. One was the social stigma attached to her life as an illegitimate child, whose father was not known and the second was her mother's sudden disappearance. It seemed that he darkness of desolation had encroached her life from every direction.
"With a twisted mind, she may be wandering here and there, because of that spell cast… You need not worry or fear daughter… I'll somehow find her out…"
She clutched his hands in the belief that he would do it as he promised.
* * *