Patrolling, for the next couple of weeks, tried our patience.

Not having enough Samagraha and the knights only increased the rigors of the law. In the attempt of rooting for the teamwork, we were burning ourselves out.

Fighting with the beasts. Dropping off the injured people in the infirmary. Running from here to there, and there to back here. Sunup to sundown. Coordinating and having long tiresome discussions with the knights. Bearing the wounds received during the mass shootouts. Heavy snowstorms. Voracious appetite and thirst. Getting sick every other night. Sleeping only for a couple of hours, and then waking up early to work extra hours.

We'd spend those few hours of sleep in the Sharad's palace, under Ashwant's and a couple of full-time medic's care. As a result, our plan to talk to Nazira postponed. Leaving her alone, with only a couple of knights guarding the apartment was a painful sore in our hearts. I'd been seeing her only in my mind since the day we had cremated Doctor. Leena would go to the apartment once every two days to give her a quick hug. And Pruthvi couldn't even spare a glance. He wouldn't even be bothered to ask about her welfare. There was just no time for anything else at all.

"She is asking for you," Leena said to Pruthvi. "Just see her once."

"I can't," he said,  hurriedly, "Gotta go. See you tonight."

"Doctor told us not to leave her alone," she said to me. "Hayden, she is alone."

"I'll talk to Ira. But you watch out for Jyran. Okay? Bye."

Despite the help we'd been receiving from our Constellia, the schedule and routine was simply a mess. Reports of the much adverse spots were delivered by Harakara. Upon reaching there on time, it would turn out to be false intimations. During which, the beasts would make the best use of this chance, cause extreme devastation in the places where there were no Samagraha or Knights present to guard. Complaints rolled in. Arguments erupted. And we couldn't thank King Aghasthya and Ashwanth enough for dealing with those adversities on our behalf.

It was an inescapable truth that there was still no permanent solution. However, the efforts were being made from every way possible to reduce the attacks. Ira Zutshi came up with the idea of using buzzer indicators- a magical device similar to a watch invented by Quinn Dumuro, that grasped the smell of blood and helped indicate the precise location of the attacks. Also, the roof-prism binoculars that doubled our night vision.

Large humane animal traps were brought in. Beasts were lured and successfully caught in bulk. But surprisingly, somehow they always found a way to escape. This idea wasn't working out as sketched, but instructions from the Panchayat were intact. For the sake of following the law, we kept slicing our veins and drained blood to lure the beasts into the cages.

Leena sobbed.

Pruthvi sulked.

And I...serene as a seal taking a nap.

That triggered an emotional and mental shock in both of them.

Singh was another solid problem. Despite doing a tremendous job at driving the beasts away, a huge and ferocious animal like himself was scaring the living hell out of the people. Instead of relying on him, Sharad's villagers wanted him elsewhere or rather withdrawn from the team. Thanks to King Aghasthya for believing that his presence was mandatory and essential for quick results. He gave away his word of assurance that Singh was human-friendly.

"Just the beasts. Not humans." I had to remind him every day.

Later next month, deliberate attempts were made to melt the heavy crust of snow. Singh and I were given additional instructions to be on duty round the clock and help Pruthvi and Leena as well. Large bonfires were set up. Artificial lakes were built. This tactic worked a bit. The massive influx of these beastly attacks reduced. They cannot resist playing with water, King Agasthya had said. Whatever the reason was, this continuous snowfall in the country, which actually was Shashi's mediocre attempt to keep himself from getting decomposed, worked in our favor. Halfway through the month of November, the attacks still occurred but were not as frequent. During this time, we managed to blend in with the changing conditions and circumstances. With the King's permission, we split shifts. Pruthvi, Leena and I patrolled during the day, Constellia took over the nights. After a month and a half of the most torturous phase of our life, we were finally granted a brief respite.

The conversation at the dinner that very early evening was supposed to be homelike, academy-like, with no pressure whatsoever required to leave halfway through the meals and run after an attacking beast. It wasn't even seven, and we got ourselves engaged in eating. For the moment, it was as if someone has made us sit at gunpoint and daring us to talk with our mouths full. Three of us were eating in full dead silence.

Ira Zutshi, knowing that we would be returning to our apartment tonight, had prepared meals as if a festival. Full exotic Paramarashtrian cuisine. Spicy, rich and full of flavor. With an aroma that elicited more appetite. Leena's glowing face was evident that she was making an evening of it. Food spiced up with chilies and peppers was burning my mouth but was also the most delicious one I've had in a while. To hell with my mouth. Everything was reminding me of my mom and the magic in her hand. And so I wasn't able to stop. The only one who wasn't enjoying as much as both of us was surprisingly Pruthvi. He was lost in the train of thoughts.

"Something happened today," he said, gently twirling his spoon into his plateful of steamed rice and vegetables swimming in curry sauce. "I think Shashi's men are spying on me."

That came as a shock and made me stop from filling up my plate again. "Shashi? Or Shourya's?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. It does."

He shared a glance with Leena and fell in dilemma as much as I did.

Zarina Khan's prediction about our parents and Nazira could have gone wrong, but her knack to see things in the past wasn't meant to be taken lightly. It was this prowess of hers that had shed some light on Pruthvi's ability- the immense, never seen before, strength to destroy the tomb made of wood of the Holy tree, Vrindahina. The tomb, where the ill-smelling Shashi had hidden his original body.

Apart from being Shashi's major fear, Pruthvi was also the most wanted Samagraha by Shourya Pradhan. He believed Pruthvi to be the best choice to guide his clan to righteousness and to stop them from becoming Shashi's full-time servants. But just like me, he wasn't sure about taking up the responsibility. Shourya had given Pruthvi time to think, but not an option. He had warned of his return with this request until Pruthvi accepted.

If it was Shourya's men spying on Pruthvi then it wasn't much of a matter to worry, but if it was Shashi's...

"Anyway," Pruthvi said, grimly, "I had this intuition for a few days. I thought it was just the beasts messing around. But today I spotted a group of people, watching me from behind a hut. I wanted to get to the bottom of this, so I followed them. But before I caught them, they changed direction and disappeared. You know, Purvachand is freaking Manhattan of the country. Tall huts, and huge industries everywhere. Searching for them was tough. Unfortunately, I couldn't waste time on them so I had to return. And then later this evening, I caught their smell again. I followed and finally spotted them ...only this time, they were already dead."

"Dead!" Leena shrieked. "What do you mean dead?"

Pruthvi made a face. "Dead as in, departed. Demised. Deceased."

"Stop being ridiculous!"

I held Leena's hand, stopping her from freaking out. She was shaking with fear, and it was obvious. These damn laws had no effect on people using dark magic for their selfish affairs, but were forcibly being stuck down the throats of the people with pure hearts, or rather on those carrying stones in their pockets. Funny, how paranoid we'd become. We all knew, committing one single mistake called for life imprisonment.

"Pruthvi, did you..."

"No!" He shouted, terrified, "God, no! Why would you even think that I killed them."

It was difficult not to give him a penetrating stare. "I was asking, did you get to see who killed them? Do you have any clue?"

He sighed, leaning back to calm himself down. He wiped his specs and put them back on. "No. I did not. I swear."

"Relax," I said, "It is just me and Leena. You are not sitting in front of the Panchayat. And unless King Aghasthya comes to know about it, you don't have to answer to anybody. Okay?" I wiped my mouth and had a full glass of water. "I'm done eating. I gotta go write my diary and then see you in Nazira's room."

"What after that?" He asked, stopping me from walking away. "What if he asks? It happened in the place I usually roam. Many people have seen me walking down that lane almost every other day. I...I don't know, Hayden. Put me in jail for killing Zarina Khan. I'll be fine, but if I go to jail..."

"You don't have to worry about the things you didn't do," I said. "And I think you are thinking too much. Just let it go."

"Hayden, I don't know what to say when he asks."

"You know what?" I said, thinking profoundly, "Our fear will put us in trouble more than we already are. So let's face it. Let's go to King Agasthya, right after we talk to Nazira, and tell him that you are being spied on."

His eyes bulged open. "What! No way! He'll ask me why I haven't come to him first."

"Pruthvi, he is our King. We report directly to him. And didn't you notice in this past month? Every second he has been working hard to help us. To get us out of trouble. Of course he goes by the book and he is going by the book in front of Panchayat as well, twisting the rules just for the sake of us. And why not, he is a Paramarashtrian by blood."

"So what are you saying?"

"Not saying. Asking. Just relax. Be calm. And let's do our part and let the king take over from there. Remember what Doctor used to say? If Shashi takes a step then we have to take two. It's high time we put this statement in use."

"What if he chickens out and put me in jail?"

"Then I'll murder someone and go to jail with you. I ll murder another one and throw Leena under the bus with me. Whatever it is, we will be there with you."

He grimaced. "You wouldn't do that."

"If you don't want me to do that, then get yourself out of this fear. Protect me and Leena as well. Talk and speak the truth. We have other things to worry about. Shashi's men spying on you should be at the bottom of your list because him being a wackadoo is not your fault. Okay?"

He kept staring and I repeated my question stressing it. "Okay?"

He then responded with a gentle nod.

"Good."

"Is that what have you been doing?" Leena asked.

"Sorry?"

"Observing King Aghasthya?"

I shrugged. "He promised to train me after all. It may or may not come in handy, but I'm still making him do it in my way. Also learning what to and what not to do, at the right time and place, which I seem to be terrible at." I smiled at her when she had that 'we have known that for a year' expression. "Take your time to finish your meals. I'll see you later."

"Make sure if she has left the door open first," Leena said, with a raised voice. She knew very well that I had no intention of writing my diary.