The three of them sat at a local restaurant, enjoying the food. Sonia raised an eyebrow at Ayan and asked, "These mystics don't seem to be what you're looking for. What will you do now?"
Ayan replied with determination, "The hermit told me I'll find my master, so I'll keep searching."
Amelia chimed in with a smirk, "What if that hermit of yours conned you?"
Ayan shook his head. "I have complete trust in the hermit with my life."
"Tsk, I don't get what that hermit did for you to have so much trust in you," Amelia muttered.
"I want to search for the hermits outside this country," Ayan expressed.
Sonia asked, "But how will you get the passport and the visas? You're not at an appropriate age to travel alone, right?"
"I already got my passport using the 'R' card, without my parents' details. It might also help me get the visas," Ayan answered.
"But how will you talk with the local people? Do you know the languages of the country you want to visit?" Amelia retorted.
Ayan shook his head. "No. But, I'll somehow manage."
Amelia's eyes lit up and she showed an excited grin. "I know 12 different languages. Sonia even knows 21 different languages. If you can arrange for our visas, we can help you talk with the local people."
Sonia pulled Amelia and whispered, "But we were planning—"
Amelia hurriedly cut her off with a playful wink. "That was just a casual plan. Besides we don't have anything important to do."
Turning back to Ayan, she added expectantly, "So, if you don't mind us tagging along and helping us with the visas, we can go with you."
Ayan smiled and said, "Alright. I'll try."
-------
Later, Amelia and Sonia met in private.
Sonia looked at Amelia and said in a serious tone, "Are you sure you want to go with Ayan ignoring your father's plan? He won't like it."
Amelia waved it off with a chuckle. "Relax. As long as I'm safe, he won't mind."
Sonia sighed and replied, "Fine, my task is just to protect you. So, I'll follow you anyway. But how you deal with him is up to you."
Amelia smirked, teasing, "Why are you acting like I'm forcing you? You should be happy that I gave you more opportunity to spend time with Ayan."
"You are always going on with your stupid imagination." Sonia rolled her eyes. "We don't have anything going on between us. And Ayan is too innocent and he has never confessed or shown the infatuation that you're always yapping about. Besides, the age gap between us is at least four years."
"Why would age matter when two people are in love?" Amelia retorted.
"Ayan's way more mature than most guys his age. He already looks and acts like an 18-year-old guy, and in a year or two, he'll definitely be a hunk of a man."
Amelia leaned in, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Also, I know that you two slept together that night, so don't act in front of me."
"What nonsense are you spouting now, Amelia?" Sonia shouted in an angry tone.
Amelia laughed and playfully said, "That night with the alcohol party, Ayan didn't return after sending you to your room so I went to check but your room was locked and Ayan was not in his room. I also saw Ayan coming out of your room in the morning."
"Besides, I secretly found out from Ayan that you stole his first kiss," Amelia added in a slow, teasing voice.
Sonia's face turned serious. "What are you even talking about? I never kissed Ayan."
Amelia felt a tug looking at her expression but she shrugged, a smug look on her face. "Go ask Ayan about it."
"Amelia," Sonia stressed seriously with each word.
"If this is all your made-up nonsense, you'll definitely pay for it," Sonia threatened as she left in anger.
-------
Ayan was half-naked in the middle of changing his upper clothes after his daily body practices when Sonia stormed into his room.
Sonia slammed the door and loudly demanded, "Ayan, what did you do to me that drunk night?"
Ayan panicked, his heart raced as he stammered, "I…. uh.."
Looking at his scared and panicked expression, Sonia's heart sank. She angrily rebuked, "What 'I', will you just stand there stuttering or say something?"
Thinking of all the possibilities, Ayan felt there was no use making an excuse so he blurted, "I'm sorry. I was completely drunk that night and….."
Sonia's anger flared as she heard him apologize and before he could finish his sentence, she slapped him, hard.
Stunned by the slap, Ayan became silent looking at Sonia shaking with anger. After some time, he hesitated and slowly muttered, "I'll take the responsibility for it."
"You…." Sonia's voice trembling with barely contained fury but the words seemed to catch in her throat, leaving the sentence hanging in the air like an unfinished threat. Her eyes burned with a mix of frustration and rage as she looked at him. After a moment, she turned and walked out of the room, her steps heavy.
Looking at her leaving, Ayan felt a pang of guilt in his heart.
----------
Meanwhile, outside Ayan's mountain village, two mysterious figures appeared riding horses. Both of them were dressed in black suits. One was dark-faced, a bit taller, and muscular with a guitar-shaped case strapped to his back. Another guy was fair-faced, leaner, and a bit shorter with the chain of a pocket watch dangling from his waist.
The shorter man glanced at his smartphone and said, "Alright, we'll stop here, Kay. This is the village of the target."
The taller looked around, "Don't you think this is a bit too remote, Jay?"
Jay nodded. "No wonder, he wasn't discovered till now."
Kay grunted, "Let's go find him first and get this over with. I'm too tired from this long journey."
Both of them started moving towards the village with the horses in tow.