"Noble Lady!" Suruchi, the maid, entered the room of Lady Neelakshi, the foster mother of Late Nagarvadhu Mrignayani. The old lady, with wrinkled skin, grey long hair and blue eyes, was sitting on her bed and was lost in her own thoughts. A day had gone by, after the demise of her foster daughter. Her mind was drowned in agony and anger as the thoughts of Mrignayani's brutalized body didn't leave her alone for even a moment. The horrifying memories of the Lady's corpse were flashing in her mind.

"Yes?" the old Lady responded to the call. She gasped as she came to the reality from the world of her own thoughts.

"My Lady," Suruchi addressed in a serious manner and said, "His Majesty has sent some royal investigators to work on the case of The Late Lady Mrignayani's murder case."

"Why they've come here?" The old woman barked, "My daughter is dead now and there's nothing anybody can do! Please leave me alone!" After hearing about the death of Lady Mrignayani, Lady Neelakshi seemed to have lost a bit of sanity. She remained alone in the room after Mrignayani's dead body was taken for cremation.

"It's His Majesty's order for investigations," Suruchi tried to explain, "They entered in, anyway...."
"I can't deny His Majesty's orders," The old Lady nodded as she regained control over her emotions. It was difficult for her yet she gathered up courage. She stood and rubbed her teary, reddened eyes. Then she wrapped a silky shawl around her and walked towards the meeting hall.

"Pranaam! Hail to Noble Dharmavijay!" The Old Lady greeted Dharmavijay, with respectful and generous gesture.. "Pranaam!" He greeted her back with a respectful manner, "Lady Neelakshi! By His Majesty's orders and as per the Judicial Laws of the kingdom, I'm here to investigate the murder case of Late Nagarvadhu Lady Mrignayani."

Lady Neelakshi knew that he didn't need her permission to start his investigation in the mansion. He still maintained his courteous behaviour.

"Yes, I know..." she sighed.

"Thank you for your cooperation, My Lady," he said with a gentle and sensible voice, "I'm really sorry for what is happened but I promise the real culprit would be caught soon." He looked at the fragile old woman and sympathized with her. He could've not disturbed her but it was all part of the case.

"My Lady," He added, "May I begin my investigation."

"You don't need my permission, do you?" She glared at him. Her eyes were heavy with tears, cornered near the eyelids.

He glanced at his young apprentice, Pandit Gyanmurti. "Gyanmurti," he whispered to the 18 year old lad, "I hope that you'll manage to inspect the victim's room." The royal investigators had no idea about how much he would be helpful but still gave him a chance.

"Sure, Noble Dharmavijay," He complied and gestured one of the servants to guide him. He was accompanied by two senior investigators.

Dharmavijay assigned responsibility of questioning the servants and the guards to his other comrades. He faced Lady Neelakshi and saw her standing still like a statue.

"Thank you," He bowed down a little and said, "As a part of investigation, I need to ask you some questions."

***********

The room of the Late Nagarvadhu was closed from the moment her body was taken out. None of artifacts, not even the bloody bed sheet and curtains, were changed. The bright well-lit room was now drowned in darkness.

"Open the door," Hemant Kumara, one of the senior investigators ordered with a thunderous voice. The guards opened the door and the cold still air of the closed room was disturbed.

The door opened with a cracking sound as the guards pushed.

"Revant," Hemant gazed at his fellow investigator and said, "I hope you have the sack to carry evidences."

"Yes," He nodded unfolding the sack.

"Give it to the new lad," He commanded him and then drifted his eyes to Gyanmurti, "Oh Young man, I hope you carry the evidences carefully. You're new in this job and it's your first case.... better observe us how we do it." He didn't mean to underestimate the clever lad. Instead he wanted to give him experience of observing the evidences from a closer view.

"As you say, my master!" He accepted his order and took the sack from Revant.

All of them entered in the room. The bedroom was dark and had an awful aroma of decaying flesh covering it. The windows were closed and the curtains shielded the room from the tiny light rays escaping through niches in the wooden shutters of the windows. The air was still and unmoved. It was partially illuminated when the door was opened.

"Revant," Hemant Kumara ordered, "Open all the windows and inspect the bed as well as the wooden shelves. Pandit Gyanmurti, assist him." He paused and turned towards the guards saying, "I'll interrogate the guards who were present here."

Revant and Gyanmurti opened all the windows and began their inspection, while Hemant approached the guards for more details.

******

Dharmavijay, along with his investigating officers, stood silently in the quarters of his investigating unit. He sighed as he saw the Hemant Kumara and his team entering in.

He looked at all the men standing in front of him, "I hope all the officers are present here. I had divided the unit into teams. So let's see what evidences all have got. We'll start with the statements of the guards at the entrance gate as well as in the compound. Raghunath, please give me the overall verbal report."

"My Lord, Noble Dharmavijay," Raghunath bowed down and said, "I and my men strictly questioned the guards. Many of them say that there was no suspicious activity going in or near the whole estate. No one heard any scream or cry for help. But there's a catch. For almost a week, none of the admirers of Nagarvadhu had approached her. Though the last outsider who visited her was a man named Sangram Deva, just two days before her murder."

"Wait a moment," Hemant Kumar interrupted, "Is he the same officer, the loyal man of Prince Chandrakant, who's missing?"

"As I investigated further," Raghunath concluded, "Yes, He's the same man."

"Divakar," Dharmavijay called out the man who noted down all the verbal information, everybody spoke.

"Yes, My Lord!" He stopped jotting down and bowed down to his senior.

"Make three copies of the official draft of the same report," He commanded in patient voice, "Send two copies to me, while the third one will remain with you."

Divakar nodded but felt that it was strange. Dharmavijay always ordered him to make two copies. But this time he asked for three.

"Raghunath," The leader courteously asked him, "Please continue."

"As I said my Lord," He continued his statement, "The guards even told me that Sangram Deva used to visit her often. Once in two weeks, one of them recalled. Many thought that he was one of her admirers. I think he might be somebody more than an admirer. So here I finish my report. I promise that I'll send the written report before sunset."

"Okay, Raghunath," Dharmavijay sighed and then said, looking at another man with plump physique, "Now, Ishwardas, what about the servants and other guards inside the mansion? What were their statements?"

"My Lord, Noble Dharmavijay," Ishwardas began reporting after inhaling some air in anxiety, "I interrogated the maidservants and the guards who witnessed Lady Mrignayani's dead body first. According to them, everything was unexpected. The maidservants, Ruchika and Suruchi, were the closest personal assistants the Late Lady ever had. They were always responsible of waking her up, dressing her up and to serve her as she ordered. At the morning of Kama festival, both the maids woke up late. They hurried up to the door to wake up the Lady but she didn't respond. At last they had to break open the door with the help of guards. At that time, the maids witnessed the dead body of The Late Lady. According to them, she had practiced her dance act for long hours a day before."

"Have they mentioned Sangram Deva or any other person from outside who came to meet her?" Dharmavijay questioned with a cool mind.

"Yes, I asked them about the people who met her in past few days," Ishwardas answered, "They answered that she had met the royal musicians and had practiced with them. And about others.... she had gone to meet Her Highness Queen Aruna and His Highness, Prince Chandrakant. She didn't attend any of her admirers in these days. But Sangram Deva.... she met him just two days ago. According to the maidservants, he used to visit her often. According to Ruchika, Lady Mrignayani was somewhat annoyed during their short conversation. She couldn't understand what they talked about. As they both were known to converse in some other language, none of them understood what they talked about. So here I end my verbal report."

"Sort of a code language?" Revant said with a low voice.

"We can't jump to conclusions," Dharmavijay said with a peaceful tone, "We still don't know what kind of relationship they actually had." He turned to Ishwardas and said, "Ishwardas, your official report must be submitted as soon as possible."

"Yes, my Lord," He bowed down.

"Hemant Kumara, what about the evidences you and your men found...?" His question was interrupted when the closed door was knocked. All the members of the unit were alerted and then looked at the door.

Dharmavijay gestured one of the junior investigators to open the door. As the door opened, they found a royal messenger with a scroll. "A message from Lord Shaurya Someshwer to Lord Dharmavijay," He informed, lowering his eyes and gave it to the junior investigator.