Abhimanyu asked, "Alright, and where will we stay?"
Shruti said, "You can stay in a hotel in the city. You might be connected to this case, so until you are proven innocent, my officers will keep an eye on you. If you try to run away, you will automatically be considered guilty."
Abhimanyu smiled and asked, "And will you pay for our hotel stay?"
Abhimanyu had moved quite close to Shruti.
Shruti said, "Look, I don't have that much money. Besides, judging by your car and clothes, it seems you all are well off."
Abhimanyu smiled and said, "You judge people by their clothes?"
Shruti, startled, said, "No, I mean..."
Abhimanyu said, "Alright, never mind. Anyway, you only have 1000 rupees in your purse. Who will let us stay for that amount?"
Abhimanyu opened a purse in his hand and counted the money.
Shruti quickly checked her back pocket.
Shruti angrily said, "How dare you steal my purse?"
Abhimanyu said, "You are falsely accusing me, ma'am. I picked this up from the ground."
Everyone was shocked at Abhimanyu's audacity, especially the constables, as Shruti was their strict senior whom everyone feared. For someone to steal her purse right under her nose and without her noticing was quite alarming.
Deeljeet nudged Saagar and said, "He is just like you."
Saagar was also holding a purse in his hand, counting the money. He said, "By the way, this purse has 5000 rupees. Is this bribery money?"
A constable named Tripurari, who handled the station in Shruti's absence, said, "That's my purse."
Saagar said, "Oh, I found this purse, so I should get a reward, right?"
Tripurari took the purse from Saagar's hand, saying, "Ma'am, these people seem like thieves."
Hearing this, everyone started checking their own purses.
Abhimanyu said, "That's very wrong. You can't make such accusations without any evidence."
Shruti said, "Show me the papers for your car parked near the campsite."
Deeljeet showed his ID and the car papers on his phone, which made Shruti calm down a bit.
Deeljeet, looking at Saagar and Abhimanyu, said, "These two were just joking, ma'am. Please forgive them."
Shruti glared at Abhimanyu.
Abhimanyu said, "So, you haven't told us where we can stay."
Shruti, annoyed, said, "Fine, you all can stay at my place. There's enough space."
Tripurari said, "But ma'am, they could be involved in the murders."
Shruti replied, "Yes, and this way, I can keep a close eye on them."
Neha said, "We came here to enjoy, and now we're stuck in all this."
Deeljeet said, "Look, ma'am—"
But Abhimanyu interrupted him and asked, "Is there something you can't handle from here?"
Deeljeet replied, "No, it's nothing like that."
Abhimanyu said, "Then why not stay for 2-3 days?"
Deeljeet said, "Look, brother, I know you love solving these cases, but it's not just you and me here; there are girls too."
Abhimanyu reassured, "Don't worry, nothing will happen to them."
Then, looking at Sher Singh, Abhimanyu asked, "Will you come with us?"
Sher Singh replied in his own language, "If ma'am agrees to take me."
Abhimanyu looked at Shruti and asked, "What about him?"
Shruti said, "Do you think my house is a zoo? People will run away scared just seeing him."
Abhimanyu said to Sher Singh, "She doesn't want to take you, so you can stay in the jungle."
Hearing this, Sher Singh left.
Abhimanyu said to Shruti, "See, you've upset him."
Shruti said, "Stop your nonsense. It's already quite late. Let's go, and the rest will continue the search. I'll be back by 6 a.m. Inform me if anything happens."
Abhimanyu and the others packed their stuff at the tent location and got into the car. Deeljeet asked, "Brother, why did you do all that? We could have left easily, but still—"
Abhimanyu replied, "It's fine. You all go; I have some work here."
Jhalkari said, "Well, I think Abhimanyu Babu is right."
Abhimanyu, surprised, asked, "How do you know my name?"
Jhalkari laughed and said, "You just introduced yourself to that constable a while ago."
Abhimanyu thought to himself, "But I typed my name; I didn't say it out loud, and Jhalkari didn't see that information. Something is definitely strange with her, but I can't figure out what."
Jhalkari asked, "What are you thinking?"
Abhimanyu said, "Nothing, just wondering if you are more beautiful or Jhalkari Devi."
Jhalkari, blushing, said, "Oh, you!"
Abhimanyu said, "I think you're more beautiful than Jhalkari Devi."
Jhalkari replied, "Well, you are quite handsome too."
Rehana asked, "Aren't you going back to your village?"
Jhalkari said, "Yes, it's getting late. My father will be angry, but he might understand after hearing about the murders. I should go now."
Saying this, she quietly left.
Abhimanyu watched her leave, humming the same song, and then she disappeared into the darkness.
Rehana noticed Abhimanyu staring and said, "Seems like you really like her."
Abhimanyu replied, "No, it's not that. This girl is quite strange and mysterious."
Rehana said, "Now even this girl seems mysterious to you?"
Neha asked, "What was so strange about her?"
Abhimanyu said, "What excuse did she make to leave her house?"
Neha said, "I don't understand."
Abhimanyu explained, "If you pay attention to her words, she said villagers are also dying, but she was roaming outside fearlessly at night."
Rehana said, "But she said Jhalkari Devi protects her."
Abhimanyu said, "If that's the case, why are villagers being killed? Can't Jhalkari Devi protect them?"
Neha said, "But Jhalkari believes Jhalkari Devi will protect her."
Abhimanyu asked, "So, will the priest believe the same?"
By then, Deeljeet had started the car and was driving behind Shruti.
Saagar said, "Maybe the priest also believes Jhalkari Devi will protect him, that's why he named his daughter after her."
Abhimanyu said, "Yes, but seeing the villagers die, wouldn't he be scared?"
Saagar suggested, "Maybe this girl sneaked out of her house secretly."
Abhimanyu said, "I don't think she sneaked out because she wasn't nervous at all. It seemed like she roams these jungles at night regularly."
Neha said, "You're overthinking it. Maybe you really are interested in her. Are you cheating on our Nitya?"
Abhimanyu replied, "It's nothing like that."
After a while, they all reached Shruti's house in the police quarters. In the living room, there was a whiteboard with articles related to the case pinned to it, and connections were shown with ribbons. Case details were written in marker.
Arun said, "This looks like a spider web."
Abhimanyu walked up to the board and started examining the case details.
Abhimanyu thought, "Even Saili couldn't gather this much detail."
Saili said, "Yes, some details aren't available on the internet."
Abhimanyu said, "True, but gathering so much detail in one murder case indicates that the investigation is going in the wrong direction. There's a lot of background information about this thief, but one thing is clear: he went to the village to steal. The most valuable thing in the village was the trident, which is made of gold. Anyone could have come to steal it at night because the temple doors are never closed. Yet, the trident was never stolen; instead, the thief was killed by it. Any clue must be in the temple; I should go there."
When Shruti saw Abhimanyu at the board, she came over, turned the board around, and said, "Your details will also be added to this board soon."
Abhimanyu asked, "How did the trident return to the temple?"
Shruti said, "I don't know. When the constables were taking the trident to the forensic department, it disappeared on the way and later reappeared in the temple."
Abhimanyu said, "I think to solve this case, we should visit the temple again."
Shruti said, "I went to the temple; there's nothing special there."
Abhimanyu, smiling, asked, "How many times did you go?"
Shruti said, "Once, and the temple is always open."
Abhimanyu said, "Then let's go again."
Shruti said, "Alright, we'll go tomorrow morning."
Abhimanyu said, "Tomorrow morning and at night too."
Shruti asked, "Why at night?"
Abhimanyu said, "Because many shady things happen at night."
Shruti said, "Then why not go tonight?"
Abhimanyu said, "No, we won't find anything right now. Whoever committed these murders has noticed us, so they've gone into hiding. We won't find anything significant tonight."
Shruti said, "Alright, fine. There are two rooms here; the girls will sleep in one and the boys in the other, and I'll sleep in the living room. So, everyone go to your respective rooms now."
Abhimanyu thought to himself, "She's giving direct orders, but never mind."
Then Abhimanyu said to everyone, "Alright, let's go. I'm really sleepy." Saying this, he stretched and started heading to sleep.
Abhimanyu thought to himself, "I can't send Ramika alone for the investigation. Who knows if there is some dangerous spirit there, and she can't enter the temple, which means I'll have to investigate this case myself."
On one side, everyone went to sleep. On the other side, the lion had walked quite far into the jungle. The hair near its mouth suddenly started burning, and within moments, it turned into a human.
The man said, "Thank goodness my powers are back. I thought I would remain a lion forever. Anyway, I'll investigate what I came here for tomorrow. But that boy I saw in that glimpse, Abhimanyu, he might be connected to all this just like me. But for now, I'll keep this a secret until I gather complete information. I don't know how I got caught by that flying man, and he blocked my powers temporarily, turning me into an ordinary lion. But I don't understand how that boy healed me. Who knows what else I'll see in this life? I didn't think Black Demon was connected to all this. In the army, he seemed like just an ordinary soldier of the Night Demon." Saying this, the man went into a cave, and from there, he took a small underground path and went inside.
The next day, Abhimanyu woke up at around 4 AM and went outside to meditate in the garden for an hour. After 5 AM, he started his normal workout when Shruti, in her gym outfit, came outside. She seemed to be there for a workout too, but seeing Abhimanyu, she was surprised.
Shruti asked, "Do you exercise like this every day, or are you trying to impress me?"
Abhimanyu, smiling, asked, "Would you be impressed by just this?"
Shruti said, "You should learn how to talk to a police officer. By the way, how old are you?"
Abhimanyu replied, "Between 20 and 21."
Shruti said, "You're a few months younger than me."
Abhimanyu said, "Age is just a number."
Shruti said, "Did you even bring your gym clothes on this camping trip?"
Abhimanyu replied, "Yes, we were going to be camping outside for a while, but you spoiled our camping plans."
Shruti said, "Well, we have to follow the law."
Abhimanyu said, "Yes, you're right. By the way, what are your hobbies?"
Shruti said, "Nothing special. Daily exercise and duty take up all my time."
Abhimanyu said, "You seem quite dedicated to your work."
Shruti said, "Enough about me. I'll get to know more about you all later anyway. But for now, tell me something about yourself."
Abhimanyu said, "Alright, first of all, my name is Abhimanyu Pratap Singh. I'm from Patna. I completed my intermediate studies at Agrasen School of Talents in Delhi, and after clearing NDA, I completed two years of training. My posting is next week."
Shruti said in surprise, "You're an army soldier?"
Abhimanyu said, "Do you have any doubt?"
Shruti said, "No, I didn't expect you to be from the army. If that's the case, you could have easily left from here and removed others from this case too. Why did you stay?"
Abhimanyu said, "Consider it that I'm interested in this case, and I won't leave without solving it."
Changing the subject, Abhimanyu asked, "When are we leaving for the village?"
Shruti said, "In half an hour."
By 6 AM, everyone had entered Shivpura village and gathered at the Panchayat office. Inspector Shruti was informing everyone about the murder that happened last night and also asking about the other murders that had occurred there. Other constables were taking statements from the villagers.
Ignoring all this, Abhimanyu started heading towards the temple, and his friends followed him.
Rihana asked, "Where are you going?"
Abhimanyu said, "Let's go to the temple, the one that is so mystical."
Seeing them heading towards the temple, Shruti and the others followed them.
When Abhimanyu and his friends reached the temple, they were astonished. Even Shruti and the other policemen were surprised. Only the villagers were smiling as if they already had an idea about this.
Shruti immediately called the station and asked if the trident was still there.
A voice from the other side said, "Ma'am, we were about to inform you that the trident has suddenly disappeared."
Hearing this, Shruti hung up because the same thing had happened during the last murder.
Abhimanyu, smiling, said, "If things stolen from here return in the same way, it makes sense how it's still secure without any security."
Abhimanyu removed his shoes, washed his feet, and as soon as he stepped inside the temple, the bells started ringing. Seeing this, no one else dared to enter the temple.
Abhimanyu went before the idol of Lord Shiva, joined his hands, bowed his head, and thanked for another chance. As soon as he said this, a white light emanated from the hand of the idol and fell directly on Abhimanyu, but perhaps no one else could see this.
After that, the bells stopped ringing. Smiling, Abhimanyu looked up and then started exploring the area. Some people were also performing morning prayers. After he left, the others also did a quick prayer and started exploring the surroundings.
The temple was quite large area-wise. There was a pond behind the temple, and around it were some closed-off places with a lot of debris. The path ahead was blocked, and there were many such places. People would comfortably go only to the accessible areas and pray there.
Exploring the temple, Abhimanyu reached the pond area. There were steps around the pond, and the water seemed quite clear. But there was no one around the pond or behind the temple.
Abhimanyu went near the pond and stood on the lowest step, observing the area. As he turned to leave, a girl startled him by calling out, "Boo," and moved her hands towards him.
Abhimanyu wasn't scared by the sound, but he thought he might fall into the water due to her hand gesture. However, he saved himself with a quick foot movement.
Abhimanyu took a couple of breaths and said, "Were you planning to push me into the water?"
The girl was none other than Jhalkari.
Jhalkari said, "I was just joking."
Abhimanyu asked, "How are you here?"
Jhalkari said, "This is my village, and I am the daughter of the priest. If I don't stay near the temple, where else would I stay?"
Abhimanyu said, "Yes, that's true. But I don't see anyone around. Doesn't anyone come here?"
Jhalkari said, "Mostly children come to bathe here after some time. Others bathe at home and leave. Anyway, what were you observing in the pond?"
Abhimanyu said, "I was just thinking about its depth. By the way, how deep is it?"
Jhalkari said, "It's as deep as a five-story building, which is why no one comes to bathe here except for some naughty children who know how to swim."
Abhimanyu said in surprise, "That deep?"
Jhalkari said, "Yes, this temple is quite big. What we know about this temple is only 30% of the actual temple."
Abhimanyu asked, "Where is the cellar where you found that letter?"
Jhalkari said, "I can't go there right now because my father has assigned me some tasks. But I can tell you the way. There is a room on the left side where there's a big box, but it's actually a passage. If you turn the wheel there counterclockwise, a door will open inside the box. From there, you can go down. Alright, I'll leave now." Saying this, she left.
Abhimanyu then turned and reached the room. He saw the wheel on the wall.
Abhimanyu understood that Jhalkari was talking about this wheel. When he turned it counterclockwise, he heard a sliding sound. He went to the box and opened it to find a passage going down. As soon as he jumped into the pit, the door closed automatically. It was a very dark place.
Abhimanyu's eyes suddenly turned golden, and he could see the room clearly. It was some kind of passage and he was somewhere in the middle, as there were paths leading in both directions.
Abhimanyu, considering the direction, said, "The temple is that way, so I should go in that direction."
Abhimanyu walked in that direction and reached a room with shelves filled with many books, a table, and it seemed like no one had been there for years.
Abhimanyu looked at the books, which were very old and contained information about that era, like the law system and other details.
Abhimanyu said, "These books are quite useful for learning about history."
Abhimanyu opened and copied each book one by one. After some time, he found a book about the history of Shivpura
As soon as Abhimanyu copied the book, he sensed that someone was about to enter the place. He immediately transformed into a snake, shrinking to the size of an earthworm, and hid in a small crevice to observe the room.
When the man entered, Abhimanyu was shocked to recognize him. It was none other than Black Dragon. Few people knew about Black Dragon, but Abhimanyu had once worked with him and had investigated him, learning that his real name was Sidharth Shukla.
Black Dragon entered the room and looked around before approaching the bookshelf. He found the book he was searching for, the same one on the history of Shivpura and the temple, and took it before leaving.
Abhimanyu thought to himself, "I should follow him. This is getting more mysterious."
He followed Black Dragon, and after a while, they reached a spot where Black Dragon moved a stone, revealing a hidden passage in the wall. He then entered.
Abhimanyu slithered behind him, but after a short distance, he heard a noise. Black Dragon stopped and suddenly transformed into a lion, shrinking to the size of a cockroach and hiding.
Abhimanyu wasn't too surprised by this, having seen a glimpse of a transforming man before and realizing it was indeed Black Dragon. However, he hadn't shared this information with anyone.