"What the hell are you doing here at this time?", came a thunderous voice.

I stilled at my place, seeing uncle Briju as he finally moved away from behind the tree where they were speaking.

He is very calm and sweet person, a father figure who took care of me and stuti as his own children after dad passed away.

Hearing his raging tone for the first time really surprised me. The thought of telling him about everything crossed my mind for a second.

No, I can't tell him anything. If he informs grandpa then my family members will make a mountain out of an ant-hill.

"We were going out for a night-walk casually, as I was bored inside". I lied through my teeth.

"In this time? It's almost the time to sleep", he replied gazing doubtfully towards me.

"Ha! well, I'm used to sleeping late at night, uncle", i told him looking at my phone for the time, "this is the time, I usually leave my hospital after work", I told him letting out a chuckle nervously.

He relaxed, almost believing my lie.

almost.......

"Then why was Adi waiting here? do you know each other?", he asked scrutinizing both of us.

"I was just strolling by, Uncle" ; Adi came to my rescue and told him about yesterday's dramatic encounter.

"Thanks Adi, for helping out my daughter. She really needs to learn proper cycling", he chuckled , revealing how bad my cycling skills are.

"Uncle!!! not you too", I huffed glaring playfully at him.

The truth is I really sucked at handling the cycle, other than at straight roads.

"Ok, it's already late. I'm going to meet your grandpa", he said.

"You carry on uncle, I will just take a walk for few minutes and return back", I told him.

"Ok then, come back early, it's really not safe outside, at this hour", he warned me casually.

He is too protective.

"Oh, don't worry, Adi will be there with me", I assured him.

He took his leave still eyeing us weirdly, as if not believing us.

"Couldn't you signal me he was with you", I glared at Adi, letting out a relieved breath.

"Oh, so the big girl is scared of her uncle now"?, he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not scared of anyone. I'm very brave, strong and independent woman", I told him widening my shoulders and puffing out my chest.

"And coming for the girl part,I'm not a girl, I'm a woman".I said moving forward with him.

"That I can see", he mumbled lowly.

"What did you...... aaaah!!! , I shrieked moving behind him, clutching his sweatshirt tightly, as something suddenly crashed into me.

"What was that"?, I peeked from behind
to see a big burly cat with wild black hairs, moving away from us.

"Oh! It was that being", I sighed.

"If I'm not wrong , I just heard a speech by some brave woman", he smirked
looking straight at the road.

"Oye! that was me", I scowled at him.

"Indeed. That was you", he looked at me stating the obvious.

"Please, don't tell me, you like cats" I asked him having a look of horror on my face.

"No, I don't like them", he continued, "but I don't mind having one in the future", he halted his steps, looking straight into my eyes, "that too a wild one", he finished.

"Oh!! then I have to stay far away from you", I joked, looking away from his golden-brown eyes.

dangerous territory.............

"Will that person be available, at this hour?", I inquired.

"Yes, he is waiting for us", he said.
                  

**********

Here we are, waiting for the man who might help us.

"It's a very old-house", I say looking around the deserted place, where no houses are built except this one.

"Yes, he has no family. This is his ancestors home". Adi told me. "He was a sculptor, during his young age and his
predecessors were involved in building our almost 900 years old temple", he told.

"Oh, then he might be knowing everything about temple right?", I ask him curiously.

"Nobody knows completely about the temple", a gruff voice of an old-man interrupts us. We stand up greeting him.

He is almost in his late-80s, with white hairs-just like a snow. His eyes bulging out of his wrinkled face.

"Oh, you are Bhaskardev Varma's grandson, right"?, he asks Adi, smiling at him.

"I have heard you are building companies here, to help our villagers", he praises him. "Keep up the good work son, just like your father used to do", he tells remembering Aadi's parents.

"Son, tell me how can I help you?", he looks towards us both curiously through his big-popping eyes.

Adi asked him about any ruined-out place, around the village.

I explained to him every little thing I could remember from the cave that I saw in my dream, right from the inscriptions that were written on the walls, to the carvings of celestial nymphs I saw.

He listened to everything carefully.

"Well, there are lots of places with inscriptions and carvings in this village.
Almost every temples of the village is ancient and you cannot point out to one, in this case", he finally told.

My mood sours, losing the only hope we had.

Suddenly something flashed into my mind.

"Is there a place u know, where there are two snakes twisting around themselves, forming a pattern of big network of circle", I asked him desperately.

"Snake knots?", he whispers to himself.

"Follow me", he tells and takes us into the old room, where he has stored lots of books and papers as old as this world.

Adi helps him in finding that particular book.

"This is the oldest and the only book which I think can answer your questions", saying that he dusts the book and opens it after chanting prayers for some time. The pages are paled and uncut.

"See these carvings carefully and tell me if it's similar to any of these", he says and starts turning the pages after pages of the ancient book, which had different styles of snakes entwined.

I find the same image, that I saw in my dream on the door of the cave. I point out to it.

"This is the exact one, I saw". I tell him contended that I found the same one.

"Do you believe me now?", I ask Adi turning towards him, who is observing it intently.

"Huh", he let out an unbelievable sigh.
"Where can we find this place with this design,Sir"? he asks the Oldman.

"This is not just a design, son, it's known as snake -knot. There are different types for different tasks , for good snd for evil", he says almost angrily.

"Sorry, sir". Aadi apologizes respectfully.

"This is found in Goddess Bhairavi temple", he said.

In the temple? no way, I have scrutinized every part of it today, after my weird dreams.

"No, sir. Its not possible. I have grown-up  here, I have not seen it in the temple", Aadi asks him confused.

"It's there. Its in the same temple. Every small writing and drawing in this book
is from the time of temple construction", he continues.

"Even these carvings are found in the temple, but have you seen them?", he asks pointing towards other different unique carvings in the book.

"No", we tell him simultaneously.

"This book is from my forefathers, who took part in constructing the temple",
he explains.

"Some structures are hard to find, because they have built them in such a way that normal person is not granted access to them".

"Is there a way to find out the place where this snake-knot is present?", I ask him in desperation.

"Currently, I don't have any idea, but I can find it out in two or three days, it
will be definitely written in one or the other book", he informs us.

"Thank you so much, grandpa. We will come to meet you after two days". I informed him and we bid our farewell after taking his blessings.
           

***********

Dear readers pls vote and comment if u like this chapter.It inspires me to write.