Recap:-

"Of course I am, he is my fiance."

I definitely did not see this coming.....

Now:-

"He is your fiance?" My voice carried my utter shock.

" Well, not really ...." She trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

" It is a yes or no question, Durga. There is no option in between them."

She sat heavily on an arm chair, her loose strands casting a dark shadow on her face.

I glanced at the anxious expression on Ravij's face, he looked ready to be in any other place but this. Sensing my lingering gaze, he quickly filled a glass and handed it over to Durga. How curious !

" He was my fiance."

" He broke it off?" I felt very sorry for her.

"No. It is a very long story."

"I have all the time in the world." I sat on my bed again.

Ravij's head jerked towards me as if to remind me of my impending arrangements but my cool glance silenced his upcoming protests.

Her sigh escaped in the cool morning breeze.

" I was very young, some months old, when my parents arranged my nuptial with the son of Nagavanshis, who was a year elder to me . Mr. Nagavanshi and my father were friends. My mother died when I was five."

It was the first time that Durga had mentioned her mother but she spoke about it with such calmness, that it shocked me.

" I am sorry", I found myself saying.

"Don't be. It was years ago. I don't even remember her properly. Actually, it was Mrs. Nagavanshi who took care of me then. She was a very kind lady and always so giving", a sad smile adorned her face, " Dan was sent to London to complete his education when he was 9. It wasn't until recently ,when he heard of his parent's death, that he returned."

" How...?"

" The cause of their death is unknown. Let's just say that it was not due to natural causes." Her dark eyes glanced up at me, their smoky depths twinkling with emotions, " Dan was the heir to his father's business. He took over the position about three years ago but that is when strange news started reaching our ears."

" And what were these strange news?" I was really inquisitive now, who was this man who let go of this Angel?

" News about his ruthless business campaigns, he is clinical to the suffering of the peasants from whom raw material is taken at a very low price but that's not all...."

Her eyes now had a different tone, as if she was trying to convey a message, " It is strange but if anyone ever turns down his proposal, they are mostly found dead."

I was sure that my eyes were nearly hanging out of my socket, " Dead?"

" Yes. So, you can understand my Father's reservation when Dan decided to pursue our old engagement two years ago. My father firmly turned him down."

" So, you are free of any engagement now?" This thought made my insides sore with joy, don't ask me why.

Half a smile was visible on her rosette lips, " Yes, I am but Dan would like to think otherwise. He surely does not know how to take a 'no' for an answer but we have a saying for people like him in hindi- 'laton ke bhoot baton se nahi mantey.' "

I frowned, "What does that mean?"

" Those people who are used to getting a beating will never understand anything by mere words." She was smirking now.

I chortled, shaking my head, " You are something, Durga!"

As she got up to leave I asked her, " Dan for Daniel?"

She threw back her head and laughed heartily, " It is Dan for Danish.He does not like the Indian touch in his name but he'll never be an English, no matter how much he wished that he was." Her voice now held an edge and for once I was scared of those resolute eyes which stared at me with.... hatred? But the expression was gone very soon. I blinked and looked away. Must be my imagination.

At exact 7 I found myself waking down a snaking alley into a plantation. This Nagavanshi fellow had not only an inquisitive personality but also a penchant for ridiculous wishes. He wrote to me three days ago wishing to see me in a nearby plantation in relation to a matter of highest secrecy. Who does an official meeting in a plantation?

I straightened the invisible creases of my mid-night blue tail coat, wishing that I was back inside, perhaps talking over tea with Durga. The crunching of concrete under my leather sole was accompanied by similar sounds, I was being followed, not by an armed assassin this time, but by Ravij and the others -"For protection" Durga had argued. I can never turn her down when she looks like a younger version of Mrs. Periwinkle.

I squinted to see the tall, wiry frame of a man behind the curtain of fog. Is this him?

"Mr. Nagavanshi?" I called out.

" Oh, Good morning." A voice with polished aristocratic lingo replied. The fog parted and I saw a man, of about my age and height. He had a long,hooked nose and dark, contemplative eyes. His gaze reminded me of a hawk- this was the kind of man one must look out for.

" Good morning to you too, Mr. Nagavanshi." I gave him a tight smile.

" Lovely weather we are having here, don't you agree, Mr. Fall?"

" Lord Fall, if you may." I also wanted to tell him that the weather was so nice that my behinds were nearly freezing off but I held my tongue, mother would be so proud of my patience .

" Lord Fall, I should have known. I have heard so much about you." He flashed his ultra-white teeth and I reigned over my urge to wrinkle my nose.

" I was not aware that I was so famous."

" Oh but you are. It is always the same- the just Lord, the considerate Thomas. I can call you Thomas, right?"

Only if you want to find yourself 6 feet under. I nodded my head stiffly.

His smile widened, " Only last week I was visiting Mr. Pradhan and he won't stop talking about how amiable and hard-working you are."

" He is a very nice man." I smiled fondly.

" That he is but far too trusting if you ask me." His eyes cautiously surveyed my face.

I had a sudden urge to sucker punch him. Who was this man to bad-mouth Durga's father? It's essential to add that my show of anger is a rare occurrence.

" Was there some particular reason behind calling this meeting? Or were you planning to discuss weather and people, Danish?" I spat out.

He took in a harsh breath, " I see, you know a thing or two about me also." Did I just stepped on a weak point? Oh joy! " I'll get straight to the point then. I am here to extend a business proposal."

"And?" I coaxed him.

" It is about Indigo plantation."

My eyes suddenly snapped to his, " What role do I play in this?" I was trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

" YOU are not essential, Thomas", he said in a silky voice and I tried not to frown, " your signature is. I want them on my paper to legalize the policy."

"May I ask what policy you are referring to?"

" You have already seen it. You rejected it a fortnight ago."

Now I remember the file I was reading it before the Indigo flower had arrived.

"And it was rejected for a very good reason. Your policy in practically looting the common man!" I tried to get the point into his thick skull.

He smirked, " Now don't go around stating facts, My Lord. I know what the policy states but I also have a very handsome gift for you- 10 lakh rupees - in cash."

I glared at him, " Are you trying to bribe me, Sir?"

" Of course not, My Lord. How can I ever do such a blasphemy! I just offer you- a humble gift." That annoying smirk was back with full force.

" Did you come here in a carriage?"

" What?" He seemed astounded by my sudden question.

" A carriage or a car?"

" A car, sir."

" Good, then ask your driver to get it ready because you are not staying here a minute longer. Good Day to you, Danish!" I was a Lord after all, I will call anyone anything I want, thank you very much!

" Did you just ask me to leave?" He hollered, indignantly.

"I am afraid I did. Good Bye, now."

His eyes narrowed, catching a striking resemblance to that of a feline.

" Good Day to you too, Thomas." He hissed as he shook hands with me and quickly added, " You know, I have faced many men like you before. You'll be out of India before you even say transfer."

My smirk remained intact in its place, it was an essential facade to intimidate the man but my mind was not so arrogant, each of his words were being analyzed, studied and stored.

His wiry form disappeared out of the winding alley. Ravij who was standing a good distance away and out of our hearing range watched me with curious eyes.

I approached him with a smile, " Got over faster than I expected. I would fancy a cup of tea." As we started walking back to the cottage, I hastily pocketed the lone Indigo flower which Dan Nagavanshi has shoved in my palm during our handshake.

The following day I continued to think about the flower, so he was the one who tried to get me murdered. Clearly, he wanted me out of the way to implement the policy but when the assassin failed he tried a different approach - " By hook or by crook" as they say. However a different inquiry soon found its place in my mind- How did he ever came to know about my whereabouts ? None but Jones in the Kolkata office knew about it because he was the one who posted me the official documents, I'll get to this point later. So, other people who knew about this were Durga, Ravij, Mr. Rahim and his house helps. Maybe my primary instincts were right- the Gardner was indeed the mole! I need to investigate him and soon!

_*_*__*_*_*_*_*_**_*__*_*__*_*_*___*__*_*__*_*__*_*_*_*_*_*__*_*_*_*

It is dark and windy in my bedroom chamber and I am sure that this is a dream because never in real life is it possible that the Faux- Reaper would be sitting on the window sill, staring at me intently. Dream indeed.

Those dark robes are bellowing and those orbs are shinning with amusement.

" You finally came around", the voice is filled with reminants of a laugh.

" How may I entertain you, madam?" I pull off the blanket and immediately shiver. The cotton night shirt is hardly acting as an insulator but why should I worry? This is just a dream.

" I am afraid that you have something that belongs to me."

" Is that so?" I decide on playing dumb.

" Yes, indeed. Now, give it back because stealing does not become of a Lord."

"And to sneak into someone's room definitely suits a Lady?" I bit back a laugh.

Those eyes seemed annoyed, suddenly a strange thought seized me- I wanted to know how she would look when she was angry.

" You are playing games with an Assassin?" She found this immensely funny.

I just shrugged.

Her laughter abruptly ceased, " I can kill you in a moment's whim."

" But you won't." I smirked.

" Why is that? Do enlighten me." She came to stand next to my bed and I drew closer, unconsciously.

" Because then you'll never find where I hid your something."

" So, you do admit to stealing." She sat down on my bed, very close to me, the woman had no inhibition and strangely enough I just did not care.

"Why don't we do this? You answer my question and I'll return your possession."

" Seems fine to me", that curious voice murmured, " what is your question?"

" What is you name?" I had feeling that if I could see her lips then they might be twisted in an amused smirk.

" Anamika."

I was shocked, I had not expected her to part with this information so willingly.

" Okay, your bracelet is in the...."

"Don't bother, I already have it", She held out a silver cuff in her hand. Those eloquent eyes were dancing with humor and I again had urge to know how she actually looked when she was amused.

"If a person is desperate enough to hide something but still wants to keep it close then what better place than the lockers of the side table", and she sat right next to mine, " This is a good bye then, Thomas." She walked over to the window.

" You know my name."

" I know a lot about you", she glanced at me over her shoulder, " no use asking how."

" May I ask why?"

"No."

An awkward pause ensued in which I contemplated my next statement, I had no one with whom I can discuss this issue- even talking to Durga about this seemed inappropriate- how would she feel to know that her former fiance is a murderer.

She was going to sit on the sill again when I said, " Anamika , you won't mind me asking a question, would you?"

" If it has nothing to do with my identity."

" Actually, it has to do with the Nagavanshi fellow I had a meeting with today."

" Nagavanshi?" Now she seemed curious.

" Yes, he tried to bribe me into signing a contract about Indigo plantation and I said no. The man you intercepted that day was also sent by him."

" What is your question?" She asked, irritated.

" Did I do the right thing by turning him down?"

" This is a long answer, mind if I sit." Without waiting for my permission she plopped herself on the sofa and placed her long legs on the coffee table. I'll admit that she was tall for a girl, a fact I found attractive but presently I was feeling sad for the footprint covered table.

" Nagavanshi is a snake!" Her low voice was now animated," What do you know about the Indigo plantation?"

I reproduced all that I had read in the book and ended with," the protest was a peaceful one."

" Did you read that from an European source?"

" I did. How do you know?"

"You English people are so insistent on telling people back home that everything is nice and flowery here."

" What do you mean?" I was asking this question a lot now a days, a fact that I despised.

" The Indigo planters maintained Lathiyals  under them, a group of fighters whose sole function was to scare farmers into doing Indigo farming or to pay heavy taxes. During the Blue rebellion also known as Indigo revolt, the farmers took arms against these lathiyals. Hence my dear Thomas, this was in no way a peaceful revolt. Now, what your friend Nagavanshi wants is to bring back the plantation time. If he can get a royal seal from your government then he can again buy Indigo from peasants at a very low price and sell it to your people. He already has his little organized army of lathiyal."

" There is no demand for Indigo right now." I pointed out to her.

" Demands can always be made. Tell some aristocratic woman that Indigo robes are back in fashion and then watch her rush to the nearest shop. Dan will make sure of this, after all it is a woman who indirectly runs a country's economy. Now, you are missing the main point- What matters is that right now there is only one man who stands between Nagavanshi and his multi-million pounds- You!"

" That's why he wants to kill me."

" Yes, that or he'll try to send you back to London. He has contacts in high places."

I sighed and threw my head against the head board.

" Thomas", she continued, "you must understand that you are no longer that common London boy who seeks refuge in his piano or whose favorite person is Mrs. Periwinkle." How did she know that? Oh yeah, this is a dream.

" You", she said holding my eyes in a hypnotic gaze, " are a man of the second highest order in a country which needs you because with great powers, come great responsibilities. Will you save those poor people crying out for help?"

I vigorously nodded.

" Good, I must go now."

" Wait, what are you then?" I suddenly asked.

" I am sorry?" She asked confused.

" If I am the savior then what are you?"

She might have smirked, I am not sure, but the wave of rebelliousness and recklessness practically rolled off her, " I am the necessary evil. To save guardians like you. Good night, Thomas." She sat on the window sill and then jumped out off it. I sat paralyzed for a second, then remembering that this was all a dream, I slipped into the lalaland.

The next morning I woke up as a sneezing mess, I opened my side drawer to search for a medicine and imagine my surprise- the cuff was gone!

What on Earth? The next thing I did was to look for Rajiv. I found him in the kitchen roasting a chicken.

" I beg your pardon, Sir." He said as though he was not sure of what he had heard.

" What does Anamika mean?" I asked, now out of patience.

" It means someone without a name."

" Oh, thank you, Ravij." I walked out of the kitchen. Last night was not a dream after all..........

Clarification ( before you all decide to scalp me :P ) :- Thomas Fall is a lucid dreamer, his dreams look much like realities. Lucid dreamers can come up with strangest of things, a name mentioned only in the passing can be given to an individual in a dream. This is what Thomas thought had happened with him until he woke up the next morning.

A/N:- I hope many things are making sense now? If not then don't worry, we will solve this mystery with Lord Fall because there are many more questions to be answered. Happy Reading. More of ANAMIKA in the next chapter ;). Ciao! :)