Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

XIII

Mriga knows that Yash is very interested in joining the Finance department. She also knew that after refusing an offer of help from her mother, she would probably go find her department head and ask him to hire her.

So, he must be prepared with proof of his job offer before he can do that. Therefore, he went and asked Prithvi for help the night before and within minutes, he had submitted three work letters from various places claiming to have hired him for this semester.

"Oh! I hope the task is not too tiring or heavy for you" said Vandit concerned.

Suddenly, Mriga felt a stabbing sensation in his neck. Turning to the side, he saw Yash scowling at them.

In a hurry, he waved at her with the intention of introducing the two of them. But Yash did not approach them.

He stood there and assessed the skinny man, giving him a look that seemed to be telling the man to retreat.

"Perhaps, we can catch up on a refreshing glass of lassi* the next time I visit the market and if you work around there. I'll ask you the address of your workplace later," Vandit told Mriga but his words pouted Yash's face.

After he left, Yash finally walked towards him with a reproachful expression on his face.

"There's absolutely no need to give him an address, actually, don't share that detail with anyone" he frowned.

Mriga witnessed Yash's side for the first time and found it very charming.

"I promise I will not give it to anyone, except to you and Ishani" he said solemnly.

He was the first guy she really liked.

Although friendly, she has never teased or encouraged other boys before, unlike most of her colleagues who believe that 'exercise makes them better and wiser'.

"We're gonna be late for college. Come on," he said and went towards the room where they had a class schedule together.

...****************...

That afternoon

Mriga tries very hard to follow what Prithvi is trying to teach her. But the figures on the different maps continued to avoid it.

"Guruji, it seems like I can't understand the meaning or the meaning of these photos," he said grimly after the first twenty minutes.

Prithvi was wearing his usual white robe, this time combined with a bright blue belt and matching ribbon in his hair.

While giving him a pampering look, he said, "It's only been a few days. What you see here are the basics of guerrilla warfare strategy. You don't have to cram it. These maps are here to tell you that one can find solutions to a problem in a variety of different and not necessarily conventional ways. For now, just focus on one map. Think that if you were a General instead of the one who drew this, what you would have done was different to make sure there was no infiltration at the border."

Mriga bowed in concentration and spent the next half hour trying to draw a rough but similar map to the one he had learned.

He hands his version over to Prithvi, who is immersed in some complicated-looking coded reports.

"I'll take a look at the map you proposed after class and give you the same feedback tomorrow. Now is the time to test your intelligence. Do you know how to play chess?" he asked her.

Mriga nodded her head vigorously and replied, "Yes, my mother taught me how to play when I was a child. But I'm not good at it. I've been playing the game for eight years now and still haven't managed to beat him once."

Prithvi looked at him expressionlessly and thought, "I don't either."

During that summer, they played chess to fill the time while waiting for news from various sources. Charulata is a formidable player who attacks the opponent's movements aggressively and lightning-fast.

It was as if the other person was being pressured to play faster as well and had no time to think about his movements. With this tactic, he had defeated Prithvi in the game, over and over again, no matter how hard he tried.

They were in a precarious moment and the intensity glittered in that stifling little room.

Suddenly a group of fingers took a piece and plucked out the fortress that stood in defense of the Mriga king.

"Check and Mate", Shaurya grinned and stood there in his grim attire.

"Oh, this is so unfair. Why are you helping her and not me?" Mriga is upset with her mentor who just shows up.

He felt very close to victory just a moment ago.

"Of course, I'll help my teacher. Who're you?" said haughty.

With wounds written all over his face, he replied, "Your disciples."

"All right, you two stop fighting. Win or not win, you play a cruel game of chess. Nice work. Ah ... Look at the clock, yeah! It was past the prescribed learning hours. If Ramanujam finds you sleepy and tired in the morning, I will not take responsibility for it" Prithvi told him very seriously.

Bowing to her, she said good night to him while completely ignoring Shaurya and walked out of the room.

"What brings you here at this hour?" Prithvi asked him, all the signs of humor instantly gone from his face.

Since Shaurya is a secret and important agent, he does not move around the campus freely unless there is a special reason. His arrival to Gurukul at an hour like this is not a good sign.

"I found him. Traitors," replied Shaurya.

Chandragarh's main income is generated from the exports they send to various if not all neighboring countries.

This is because the initial network that Abhaidev and Devyani have built to keep small countries like their own, safe and economically developed, many years ago.

And as Devyani wanted, the brothels in the current regime were run exactly as the norm set by her almost a hundred years ago. The rules are strictly followed, both in terms of cleanliness and safety.

As the norm, the head of the brothel community works closely with the head of the zilla spy network.

In Central Zilla, Prithvi communicates with the head of the brothel mainly through Shaurya, who can get in and out of the place easily, dressed as a bastard.

In recent weeks, there have always been reports coming about various types of destruction and theft of goods that have been ready to be shipped from the port of West Zilla.

This damage not only led to monetary losses but also lost face for traders and provinces.

Since this 'accident' was too frequent that it could not be called a coincidence, Prithvi had received a request from the 'Suraksha Chakra'* head of the Western zilla. They cannot identify the problem in the end.

Shaurya's job is to find out if there is a conspiracy under him, nationally or internationally or whether it is a local issue related to the zilla.

For the past three weeks, she had spent her nights searching for clues and pieces of information in the places she used to visit.

Unknowingly, Mriga has accompanied him on this mission, acting as his henchman and giving him the appropriate protection - two young men out for a fun night out!

"Who is it," Prithvi asked him.

Apparently, the head of the merchant association in Western zilla had formed a relationship with some Sapsindhu merchants, where they took profits and sold inflated items to the Saptsindhu people.

"So, he decided to avenge the merchants through this method," Prithvi guessed.

"Where is he now?" he asked Shaurya.

With an evil smile, his beloved disciple replied, "I guess the wine he drank tonight was too intoxicating for him. She was sleeping in the room of one of the whores in my favorite brothel."

Prithvi started pacing around like his usual, when he was thinking. His wooden stick is right next to the table where he played chess with Mriga, some time ago.

"Why did he decide to come to the Central zilla after doing all this? Does he have an accomplice here?" he mused.

"I can't figure it out. Maybe the police can question him about it when they arrest him. By the way, how do you want me to pass that information to the police chief?" he asked, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Prithvi looked at him sternly and said, "Don't you dare send the pigeons with a message like last time. I had a hard time calming down the pigeon handlers why they shouldn't give us information when the police came calling at their doorstep, not knowing anything. Can you not be subtle about these things? Don't go looking for trouble. You're no longer a naughty beginner. You're the leader who's gonna soon have some special forces under your command, it's time to stop thinking about pulling jokes and growing up."

Shaurya shrugged his shoulders and said, "Then I will have an informant make money by sending him an anonymous tip. I owe it to him from another time. To be a leader, I think I like to play while they are in training. Otherwise, as you know, I'd rather work alone."

"One cannot always work alone. Maybe you should try to pick one from the next group of candidates and train someone according to your method of operation. Working with such a person will not be that difficult," Prithvi suggested.

Although Prithvi is Shaurya's supervisor and much more experienced, he doesn't like stuffing things down someone else's throat. He believed that having faith in the abilities and judgments of his subordinates, made them perform better.

Shaurya nodded his head without commitment and got up to pour a glass of Tulsi* water for himself from the urn stored on a wooden bench next to the wall.

"Why is Mrignayani here at this hour? Isn't the exercise done in the morning?" he asked curiously.

Prithvi raised an eyebrow and asked in a curvy tone, "Are you the only one allowed to use non-conventional methods while training potential high-potential trainees?"

Shaurya almost choked on the water.

Noticing his reaction, Prithvi continued, "What are you so surprised for? Do you really think that I won't find out that you're straying from the module and bringing that underage beginner to places that ARE ABSOLUTELY not suitable for his age and experience. I mean I should feel grateful that you didn't take her to a brothel! I don't think there's any other crime he didn't know about, three weeks under you."

Shaurya recovered after the initial shock and kept his face expressionless under the verbal whip of his teacher.

It is better to receive the punishment in a single dose than to get it little by little.

...----------------...

Mriga was very tired the next morning. Extensive lack of sleep and exercise has weighed on his body and mind. How will he drive for the next seventy odd days?

"You look like a horse-drawn carriage hit you. Do you really need that money? Last I heard, people in the police or army are among the highest paid. So your mother's salary can't be that bad. Also, all housewives withdraw the minimum wage to avoid forced dependence on their partners. So your father must have earned that income along with his income from farming," Ishani commented as she stared at the pale face of her friend and the dark circles under her eyes.

Mriga gave him a tired smile and said, "It's just a new schedule and I'll need some time to get used to it. In a week or so, I'll be back to my usual self."

He wanted to distract Ishani from this topic.

Then continued in a lighter tone, "I don't think you should frown too much. The side of your eye will look as if a crow landed on it and decided to stay there permanently. And your current average appearance will get worse."

Ishiani lunged at her friend with a sullen face, but Mriga, who was faster and lighter at her feet, escaped the attack, causing Ishani to fall to the floor with a thud.

Controlling his bubbling laughter, he sat down crouching and asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?"

Ishani glared at him and said, "I have an important message to convey to you, but seeing your behavior in the last few minutes, I have decided to hold it back. Unfortunately, someone else has to pay the price for your cruelty, while waiting endlessly until you arrive."

Mriga immediately stood up straight and began to persuade him with a singing voice, "What message? Who's waiting? Is that Yash? When's? Over where? Come on, you can't be so cruel. I'm just teasing you. You're mine sparrows, no, my goose. No one is smarter, better, and kinder."

Ishani put her hand on her ear, "Stop. Remember to never try singing in front of others unless you want them to die from ear bleeding."

Mriga's lips lowered down upon hearing his friend's harsh words. His face looks gloomy. Ishani suddenly felt guilty and stood up from the floor.

"Oh ho's. I was just kidding. Now who's acting like a soft flower?" he tried to comfort his friend.

But Mriga's eyes and mouth remained down, making Ishani feel very uneasy.

"How about this? What if I tell you about the South Prince's message to you? That'll make you feel better, won't it?" he tried again but his friend remained silent.

Now Ishani is fretting over having made Mriga so upset. But he ventured.

"Yash met me at the foodhall last night and asked me to tell you that he would be waiting for you at the Gurukul entrance at 10 a.m. He had projects that he had to visit in the nearby shops. Since this weekend, he hopes to spend time with you. What the hell are you saying? You think you'll be able to get out by then?" he asked, hoping this would cheer up his friend.

But Mriga's shoulders started to shake.

"Yes God! Is she crying now?" Ishani is worried.

Stretching out her hands, she held Mriga's shoulders and raised her face, only to realize that her evil friend had been laughing all along.

Mriga finally stopped laughing and raised her hand in surrender, "Now don't be mad at me. There's no other way for you to give me information that fast. I was late for my class. And I will die waiting until nightfall, to hear this from you. So thank you very much. Now, I have to rush to the lecture hall to learn how to be a good administrator. See you in the dining room tonight."

Ishani stared at her friend's carelessness in disbelief, but a smile appeared on her face after she left.

"Oh, wait. He didn't tell me if he was going to meet Yash or not. Actually, do I really need to ask her? His face turned into a full moon after listening to it, I'm sure I know the answer," he snorted to himself.

...****************...

Last day of the week

Mriga has just returned from the sports field after a grueling workout under the strict guidance of Ramanujam. He was brutal as an instructor and had no tolerance for any weaknesses.

He had already dared to ask her the morning before if there would be any training held at the weekend.

The rigid answer is – 'if you can eat, sleep, and bathe on those days, why don't you practice?'

To avoid his anger, he arrived ten minutes early this morning and started with a warm-up before he came.

Over the past week, he had undergone interval training.

On the first day, he had explained the logic behind it, "Since you are an athlete, you have basic level stamina. Now we need to cash in on it and take it to the next level of fitness. As a secret agent, you must be ready at all times for the unexpected. Vigilance and agility will be your best friends in those moments."

......................

*Lassi - Butter milk

*Tulsi – Holy basil, has many medicinal properties.