"Secrets have a way of making themselves felt, even before you know there is a secret".
---☆○☆---

"Can you please stop clicking pictures of each sketch"?, bella snarled at Otto who was busy in taking snaps of sketches I got a day before in dad's farm.

"And you Ms.Ira Kulkarni", she turned sharply towards me with both hands on her hips, "Can you stop biting your nails please, its gross", she made a disgusting face.

I removed my fingers from my teeth at a jet speed hearing her irked tone, realizing what I was doing just now.

I thought I had already got over my bad habit of biting nails long ago, but alas every hidden bad habits of humans come out during tense situations.

And I'm not exception to the nature's rule.

I didn't get a wink of sleep yesterday night after I returned from the farm house. I was trying hard to connect the dots dad left behind, but everything was in vain.

My mind has been blocked and I couldn't think of any possibilities where the other two lockets can be found or the least whether they were designed or not.

If they were designed, what might be the connection between those and the mysterious place. Moreover how dad came to know the existence of that place and why was he researching on it?

Did the mysterious lady lead him to that place?

Or

Was dad a divine-guardian of that place which solely belongs to temple, just like guruji said to me?

My head was filled with thousands of possibilities but the reality was unknown.

I had a strong hunch that there might be a stronger reason behind all these happenings. Something that is far more beyond understanding of a common man. One that includes the sovereign- the god

After weighing all the choices I have to reach my goal- unveiling the mystery behind that place, I thought to walk in the path of my dad.

In these maze of things, if I aim to unravel the truth within the required time, I have to put all my belief on my dad and should walk on his path.

For that I have to take each and every clue that he has left behind seriously,
and try to connect the dots.

I huffed out a breath with final determination. Yes, I'm going to put my faith on my dad to solve this twisted puzzle.

In this maze of thousands struggles, it's the only lamp of fire I can see now.

Dad, I believe you will support me in every step I take forward from here.

I believe you will lead me towards the reality from this darkness.

With final determination flowing through every bit of my blood veins, I stood up from my sitting position on the floor.

I grabbed the papers from Otto hastily,
searching for those prints of lockets.

"What came over her suddenly?", Otto
mumbled.

"Guys, listen to me carefully", I explained everything on my mind to them.

"So now our first task is to find these lockets?", Otto said scrutinizing the sketches.

"Yes, one I already have. We have to find the other two", I said showing mine.

"It's really unique Ira. I believe this is not randomly made, its designed for a particular task", he said examining the intricate carving of the locket.

I nodded at that. How foolish I am to think he gave it as my 9th year birthday present.

Something flashes through my mind.

"Guys, the locket even had a key with it", I blurted trying to remember where I had thrown it last time.

"Yes, it's present only in one sketch. Rest of them don't have it", Otto said.

"So the one you have is unique", bella
declared.

"Let's search in your dad's study, maybe we can get the rest of them", Otto suggested.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

"This room is itself a wonder!", Bella exclaimed in awe as we stepped into dad's study in our mansion.

"Everything is unique here and I bet they have a history behind their existence", Otto said taking pics in his camera.

"Are you sure you are not lying of you belonging to a royal family?", bella wondered.

I rolled my eyes at her train of thoughts before continuing with my search in the lockers.

"Hey, what is this box?", Otto asked showing me a box that my dad designed.

I took it from him, and applied the same ways dad thought me to open those boxes before.

"Dad had a weird passion of making these kind of puzzled boxes. Infact he gifted my locket in these type of box itself", I said opening the box.

"Oww!! that's really tricky" , bella pouted trying to open another box.

"Hey, you cannot follow the same steps for every box. Every box has unique steps to open", I said applying the techniques dad taught me to open those boxes.

"Oh!! It opened" , bella said in amazement , taking it from my hands.

"Ira, there is something in this one", Otto said jiggling a random box in the air.

There was some metal clinking sound coming from within.

"Let's open it" I said curiosity taking over my face as I tried to open the box.

This one was very unique and different from the ones that dad showed me before. He had a habit of showing me every new pieces that he made.

"Guys I don't think I can open this box", I said trying to apply all the tricks that I knew to open that box, but I couldn't.

"I'm sure there is something very important inside", Otto said seriously.

"We have to find the other ways to open it quickly, Ira. Or we can just break this", bella proposed.

"No we can't break this box, without knowing what's inside. What if it gets crushed?", I uttered thinking of all possible ways to open it.

"Guys, let's do one thing then", I said thinking of a way to get this box out without my family's notice.

There was nobody in the house now, except servants. As everyone went to offer prayers in the temple. Today marks tenth day of the celebration. There is only eleven days left for the end of the chariot-festival and for stuti's marriage now.

I have to be quicker.

"I will just confirm there is no one in the home now, you can bring it out after I send a signal to you", I said wrapping all those sketches and the box in a bag.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

I sneakily stepped out of the study room and noticed there were not a single soul in the home.

I huffed out a relieved breath and texted Otto to bring the bag near the mansions main gate, still checking if anyone returns home early.

"Where is this idiot now ?", I mumbled worriedly waiting for Otto.

"I'm here", a very excited voice of Darsh reached from behind me.

I closed my eyes hearing a voice that irked my inner demoness instantly.

Calm down Ira this is not the time.

I turned towards the buffon with a wide small that didn't reach my eyes.

"Well, luckily this time I was not referring to you", I said making his face fall.

"You don't have a soft heart towards me", he pouted like a child denied of candies.

"I have a soft-spot for you", his face gleamed with new found joy.

"That's newly dug behind our garden", I said and moved away from his sight not watching his reaction as I saw Otto coming towards me with the bag.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

I felt somebody following me as I was walking through the streets to meet Adi.

I ignored it as my delusion and began walking through the empty roads hurriedly to reach his mansion which is situated at the outskirts of the main village , gripping my bag tightly.

As I took few steps forward, I sensed the shadows of few men behind me, almost trying to reach me.

My senses became alert. It can't be a coincidence that they are behind me from almost five minutes on this secluded road.My heart's pace accelerated at the thoughts of them following me to get hold of this box.

Are they same people who murdered the old sculptor?

My breathing quickened at the thought
of being killed at the center of the road in the broadlight.

I can't die without getting answers to all these mystical things, without knowing the reason for my dad's and the oldman's unjust death.

Oh God!!!, what will be the plight oh my family members if something happens to me?

A shiver ran down my spine as I saw them quickening their paces behind me. With a strong resolution to not die in the hands of these cruel people I began to run clutching my bag hard to my chest .

Dad please help me.

"Hey!! She is running.catch her quickly"

"Hey, take that bag from her"

I heard the men shouting behind me but I didn't stop to look at their bloody faces, as my only goal was to save these things from them.

Who are these people and how they got to know about the things I'm carrying?

Are they local thieves?

If there was only one person, I could have stopped and faced him bravely.
But from their footsteps and voices I'm sure they are more than three.

I was running fastly as Adi's mansion was only few steps away and I failed to notice the uneven road ahead of me.

"Oww!! I fell down as my foot twisted
on the rough ground scratching my hands.

"Stop there you bitch", the man shrieked as he came near me.

They were four men running to reach me all covered their faces in masks, only letting their eyes free.

"No", I whimpered trying to get up , holding my paining leg and gathering the bag in my hands.

I started to limp towards the mansion,
with my aching legs. Sprinting towards the gates which were only few steps to reach.

"Ah!!!!!", I let out a loud shriek, as ifelt a sharp thing piercing through my skin
almost slicing my body into two halves.

"You bitch, give us that bag", the bastard snarled behind me.

I'm losing this battle today.

"Help!!!!!!", I screamed in my gruff voice unable to take a step ahead as the bone piercing pain shot through my body.

I groaned trying to move my aching body forward.

"Help!!!, pleas.........", i attempted to shout for the last time as they almost reached me.

My vision started to became hazy, and I felt my body slumping from the pain, as I felt a cold liquid flowing through my back.

"Mam, are you ok", I saw few guards running towards me as my vision blurred and the bag fell from my hands.

"Bloody hell........Ira !!!! .............", I heard
Adi's tensed voice approaching me.

"A....A....di....., I whimpered as another jolt of unbearable pain passed through my nerves.

"Shh.....just don't speak....be quiet", Adi
said anxiously holding my slumping body to his warm one.

"My B....ba......", I tried to speak up but my words got hitched in my throat.

"Shh...baby, it's ok. I have got you", he said hugging me to his warm body as I felt his heart racing unrhythmically in his chest against my ears.

"Shit!! You are losing blood,Ira", he said as I tried to keep my eyes open staring at his handsome face which was now filled with lots of emotions.

"Don't close your eyes. sweetheart ...
plea.......", but I couldn't fight against my pain any longer letting darkness to consume me completely.

I'm sorry dad. I failed you.

☆☆☆☆♡☆☆☆☆

And next chapter will be in Adi's pov.