Kirtidev sighed in resignation.
"Katyayani is a good child. But I truly wish she treated this place as her own instead of living away from us. Even though she has remained hidden, I can see glimpses of brilliance in her, reminiscent of her father. Unfortunately, in all these years, she has never truly acknowledged her lineage. Had she shown the inclination, my Bali clan would have stood a chance to shine again in the future. But I am afraid she isn't…" his voice trailed off and he was lost in his thoughts till the time a steaming cup of fragrant tea was placed in front of him.
"As for the mysterious death, the investigative officials fulfilled their purpose of making sure that no one could accuse my family of being unjust and unruly. Since a matter this big couldn't be hidden, it was only right to be thrown to them. Once everyone was aware of a fair proceeding being held, the officials weren't needed and hence needed to be sent away," said Kirtidev with a shrug.
Bhadrak revealed a tiny smile at his master's plainspeak but didn't react.
Kirtidev continued albeit in a more serious tone. "But the fact that a stranger or more managed to break through the perimeter of my mansion without being caught questions the level of safety measures which exist here. More than that, what is worrisome is the killer who managed to smoothly carry out the whole operation in plain sight. Even if the victim and the perpetrator were not a part of the Bali mansion, this whole thing couldn't have taken place without the knowledge and cooperation of an insider with a considerable amount of influence. If I don't ferret this person out, it will come back to haunt me, sooner than later."
Kirtidev finished responding to Bhadrak's earlier question with a deep frown.
Dharitri's chambers
"Eldest Miss, calm down. Your grandfather was only angry at your parents and was taking it out on you. Like you said, that person or his death has absolutely nothing to do with you. Even if the corpse were to be identified by someone at a later stage, there are many people whom he had an issue with. He was under the employment of the third family and removed dishonorably later. Moreover, he was accused of stealing from fellow servants. Nothing or no one except for the old nanny can link him to you," Ekakshi tried to console a pale looking Dharitri.
Dharitri suddenly seemed to come alert when she heard the maid's last set of words. With a fire in her eyes, she nodded and squared up her drooping shoulders.
"Someone come and add a few more pieces of wood to the fireplace. Can't you see that Eldest Miss's room is freezing cold. It seems all of you have become lazy and need a good discipline," Ekakshi called out to the secondary maids who were standing outside the inner room in a threatening voice.
The mood in Katyayani's inner chambers was as grave as that of her eldest cousin.
"Young Miss, are you sure that you want to stir the waters? Mandodari didi intends to wait out the opponent and let them show their tail first. I believe that we will get to know about the people behind the Royal Music Academy during the musical competition," Trini was sitting cross-legged on the floor while Eka was combing Katyayani's lustrous hair in front of the fireplace.
Katyayani shook her head, earning her a frowning tug from Eka's hands. "Only in the troubled waters, can one fish! If the opposite side has us in sight already, it means that there is someone who knows something substantial enough to go to such an extent and create trouble for us. Rather than playing passive, it is better to shake up the hornet's nest. We have already been stung, it's their turn now!"
Trini nodded and replied with a smile. "Alright! I was getting bored due to lack of excitement here, anyways. I will go upto the Dharamshala first thing tomorrow morning and look at the records."
For all the females who had been supported by the Dharamshala in the time of their need, there was a system put in place to communicate with their benefactor (Katyayani and her people) after starting a new life.
After bringing them under the Dharamshala's shelter, they were only asked to repay the kindness debt via loyalty and by giving information about the people and happenings around them after being rehabilitated into the society.
A few shops had been set-up across the continent which sold herbs and sundry medicine. These places were manned by few of the old trusted women who had helped Katyayani's mother set-up the Dharamshala early on.
They now earned their livelihood by selling the products made under Chatvari's guidance and also acted as Katyayani's eyes and ears.
There were ten such shops currently operating, five in the major cities of Mandhaar, two in Adra's capital city and one each in the capital cities of Vasi, the Western Kingdom; Bharani, the Southern kingdom; and Kadinga, the Eastern Kingdom.
Everytime, any of the reinstated females from the Dharamshala had some interesting or suspicious news to report from their respective areas, she conveyed it to these stores in a pre-arranged coded manner.
The news was then sent straight to the Dharamshala where only the most trusted staff of Katyayani handled the collation of this information. It was then linked to any previous information, if it existed about the family or person whom it pertained to.
The final summary was then periodically sent to the cabin.
Though this information gathering system existed even before Katyayani took over managing the Dharamshala, it became a lot more systematic and organised under her. Moreover, her interest was not in the information per se but the implication or the connection that it might have on other things.
Of course, that analysis was carried out by her, helping her understand the geo-political scenario in and around Mandhaar.