Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

XLI

Bela had received an official letter from Prithvi's team asking her to help with Shaurya's temporary stay the same afternoon Mriga had been informed of it.

As per the procedure, once they get to the bottom of the case, it will be determined whether his identity has been revealed or not. Otherwise, he would be allowed to return to work or he would have to find a new identity.

It reminded Bela of her own situation so frighteningly that she did not hesitate to agree to the same.

From what he had gathered in the last few minutes, it seemed Mriga was not fully aware of the facts surrounding this relocation and Bela chose to follow his lead. He comes from the same school as Prithvi where one is told what one needs to know.

"Mriga, come with me to the room * dadaji. Veer, help Raghu tidy up the kitchen. Raghu, make sure you don't make him tired," Bela instructed everyone once they finished breakfast.

'The arrogance seems to flow in the veins of the woman in this house' Shaurya thought to himself as he bowed respectfully to Bela.

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

Half an hour later

"Make sure you fill the urn twice a day. Sowing water from a well might be a little heavy for him at the moment. Also, introduce him to Vaidya when he comes to open the clinic. I'll be at the station by then. Make sure your dad doesn't bully the guy too much,” he told Mriga as they returned after cleaning the room.

The place was only a few meters away from their home.

"You're cruel, Ma. I've never seen my father bully anyone" Mriga said sadly.

His father was the most gentle person still alive and although he loved his parents equally, he was unable to accept even a single word spoken against his father.

Bela sneered but did not explain herself. He knew that Mriga would not be able to tell the difference between Raghu as a person and Raghu as a father.

For any man, a stranger who is the same age as his daughter would be considered worthless and potentially threatening to her baby.

Although there was nothing romantic between Shaurya and him, Raghu would still be wary of the man, he could risk his life for it.

This was the reason Bela had not told Raghu about Mriga's girlfriend as well until now. She remembers too late that she had not asked Mriga about him since he arrived.

"Your family seems to be very good," Shaurya said as he entered the designated room.

Mriga stopped in the middle of the road in the process of arranging his belongings at the time. He could hear the longing in his voice.

Most likely, he himself did not realize how sad he sounded. He was happy that his back was turning him around at this moment. He did not want to see the vulnerability on his face nor did he want to see the understanding on his face.

Straightening up, he replied, "Well, you will probably eat your words after a few days. My mom is very strict and my dad is a little eccentric. Don't tell me later that I didn't warn you."

He grinned at her words and said, "Thank you for the warning. I'll remember it."

He turned to look at her finally and said, "Try and rest now. You must be exhausted. I'm going to the market to get supplies. Will be back soon."

He stood beside the window, facing her as he said this. Sunlight fell on his shoulders, forming a circle of light around his body.

After arriving home, she might have washed her hair and covered her face like a curtain. His fingers were coiled around his palms, against the urge to circle his cheeks. He nodded and sat on the cot.

After he left, Shaurya relaxed his body and told himself to sleep. He must heal soon.

Under normal circumstances, he did not require a break of more than three to four hours. It was partly because of the demands of his profession but the other reason was that he was afraid of his dreams.

For as long as he could remember, he had nothing to look forward to in his life. At least during the day, he will survive and occupy himself in various activities. But when his mind relaxes, the demon of insecurity and loneliness comes out to play.

Whether it's growing up alone in an orphanage or betrayal by his first love, those memories flow in a nightmare loop. As a result, she usually goes to bed when she is completely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Suddenly he got up and started rummaging through his belongings that Mriga had arranged for him. Finding what she was looking for, she returned to bed.

Wrapping a scarf around her, she sniffed it and smiled at herself, her eyes closing on themselves. While on the boat, he put a shawl around her as she fell asleep. It still carries its aroma.

After receiving a report from the night police officer, Bela sat down at her desk and began checking the pile of correspondence that had been waiting for her.

"Chairman, this just came in with a pigeon courier. He was waiting for your response outside," his assistant entered hurriedly.

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

Pigeons are usually used to transmit urgent information and are therefore treated as a top priority. After their handler retrieves the message, they take it to the intended recipient. Bela took the scroll and kicked it out of the room.

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

Bela took the scroll and fired her assistant from the room.

...'You and I are reflections of each other. Unfortunately, the time for separation is approaching. Do you remember the South zilla beach where we first went? I'll be waiting for you at dawn at the same place tomorrow. Always yours.'...

It was an unsigned message but Bela didn't need a second to realize who it was from.

But what happened to him to contact her so urgently? He sat there, deep in thought before calling his assistant back to the room.

"Tell the messenger that no scroll should be sent back. Besides, I'll be out for an hour this afternoon," he said.

As Bela predicted, Raghu wandered around the house feeling sour. The sound of pots and pans could also be heard from outside the courtyard. Mriga met her mother that night in a tormented state.

"I've never seen you in a bad mood. He's been yelling at everyone since mom left. He doesn't even forgive me. I don't remember the last time he scolded me" she told me of the confusion while crying.

Bela hid her smile. It was not good to confuse his daughter by giving her the wrong reaction.

"Don't worry. Mama's gonna talk to your dad. It seems my expectation of adult behavior from him is an unrealistic desire" he murmured to himself.

Mriga did not know whether to laugh or worry about her mother's words. He knew that the polite-sounding woman could be quite frightening even without raising her voice.

Dinner was a quiet event that night in their household. Apparently, Raghu had received a lot about the treatment of guests and such from his wife and was subdued throughout the meal.

Shaurya absorbed everything that was happening around him. This was the first time he had interacted with the family in such a close distance and it was a bitterly sweet experience for him.

Bela had been observing the young man ever since he came. She doesn't know much about him except from what Mriga told her and it's all superficial things.

His daughter looked amazed by the man's spy skills, but knew nothing about his background.

There was something sad about her that reminded Bela of her younger self. Or maybe the fact that he too has been eliminated after failing a task. Regardless, he found himself attracted to her.

"Mam won't be back in time for dinner. So, you're gonna have to take over my housework for tonight, okay?" Bela instructed Mriga before leaving the house the next morning.

His daughter nodded, but neither the father nor his daughter asked anything about the reason for his delay coming out.

There is an unspoken rule in this house where everyone is free to pursue their lives in the way they like as long as the dignity and sanctity of the relationship is not affected. Not that they don't care about each other.

Bela hid her emotions tightly throughout the day, but as she walked towards the top of the hill at the end of the day, her excitement level was extremely high.

He had spent the past years holding back and hiding most of his true personality. But that was the price he paid to screw up the mission.

Although he did not know the purpose of the meeting tonight, every nerve in his body became lively and tingling.

He had bought some hot* samosas and packed them up to carry. If his memory is not wrong, he used to like it a lot.

"I know you came early, as always. But I beat you. I checked the place. There's no one around now" said a voice from behind the tree.

"And I saw that you had grown taller and also a little heavier. I wonder if bringing this food here is a good decision or not" Bela replied in the same tone.

Prithvi came out from the shadows and bowed to touch his feet.

"I haven't heard that scolding for a long time, Charulata didi. I'm sure all the officers at the police station are afraid of you" he said, laughing hidden behind his words.

Bela raised an eyebrow towards him which made him look at her. It's like seeing himself. It seemed that he had subconsciously chosen many things other than just skill, in that short summer, many years ago.

Handing over the samosas to him, Bela found a place that was not easily visible even if one were to climb a hill and come there.

There was so much that Prithvi wanted to tell her, ask her but he knew this was not the right time. He had risked exposure and came to her for some reason tonight.

"I'm here with a request," he began, without wasting any time.

Bela looked at him with an unwavering gaze and she took it as permission to continue. It was as if he was returning to being a naive eighteen-year-old trainee under him.

There was something about his aura that made people want to straighten their backs while talking to him.

"I want you to train Shaurya for a certain mission in the next few weeks. The modules should be rigorous and comprehensive, concentrating specifically on the abilities he or she needs for this task. I've asked Rani Samyukta for permission for this. Other than you, me and the Queen, no one else is aware of the plan at this time. To be honest, I came to you not only because of your skills, but also because you haven't been part of the system for a long time now" he said frankly.

"Isn't Shaurya's identity compromised?" he asked, not offended by his frank words.

"We don't know to what extent it was exposed and to be honest, I need him in this mission specifically because he has been exposed" he replied expressionlessly.

"So, he's the bait. I assume that you suspect a mole in the system" Bela said.

Prithvi enjoys a new feeling where despite having no information, Charulata already connects the dots and makes patterns. He had learned this particular skill just from her.

Nodding his head, he waited for his answer.

"I'm happy to help but I honestly don't know what you want me to teach him that he hasn't learned under your guidance. Mriga told me that she was your favorite student and a very good spy. I'm just a police officer for an almost peaceful province. I'm afraid you might come this far without success" he said in a pragmatic tone.

Prithvi shook his head before he even finished speaking.

"Tell him what you taught me. Let him shadow you, watch you. I need him to learn the art of deciphering people's personalities, their weaknesses, their strengths. He needs to learn to lie, fluently and convincingly. He has the potential, is fair in need of sharpening and there is no one better than you in this field. Shaurya will start a very important task for us. Failure is not an option. I need him to be equipped with every possible weapon in his arsenal to increase his chances of survival. Can you help me?" his feelings flowed through his words, shocking Bela.

"Don't tell me you're this emotional in front of your students. Now I'm worried about what kind of spies we produce," he said sharply, reminding him to calm down.

Prithvi stood up straight and said with a sniff, "Everyone including your precious daughter is afraid of me. I'm the best intel chief in Chandragarh's history to date."

Bela hid her smile and snorted at her words.

He then goes on to tell me a bit about the mission he needs to be prepared for by Shaurya.

Although he did not divulge the details, he made sure to tell her about the type of opponent he might face or the scenario he could find. This was to ensure that he drew an accurate in-depth training program for her.

"Are you planning on staying tonight?" he asked her after they finished discussing the details.

Prithvi smiled as he understood that he had agreed to help.

"No, I'm not staying. But I have another request," he said, opening the food parcel.

Bela looked at him in fear and replied, "For someone I haven't met in over fifteen years, aren't you being too demanding?"

Mouth filled with food, she finally choked on her laughter hearing her senior's words. He knew that he was the kind whose skin was sharper than his bite.

"Persis. Since I haven't seen you in years, you have to accommodate as many of my requests as possible as compensation for those years," he said, sounding like a grumpy boy.

Before he could refute his intentions, he had already spoken further.

“Please convince Mrignayani to take part in the seizure of the Queen's throne,” he said with a sincere look.

Bela's eyes widened. These were the last words he expected from her.

"Based on my impartial observation of her growing competence, I feel she has all the Queen talents Chandragarh needs in the years to come. He is brave, compassionate, intelligent, and humble" he said very seriously.

Instead, Bela was at a loss for words. He did not know how to react to this request.

Whenever he thought about his daughter's career path, he just wished he could contribute to the welfare of his country.

That was why he gently encouraged her to work on being part of the Suraksha Chakra team. And he said the same thing to Prithvi now.

"Wouldn't sitting on a throne be the noblest way and one of the toughest ways to contribute to the country" he said.

"I assume that you told me this because Mriga refused to participate," he said after a while.

Prithvi is adept at the art of avoiding questions. So, he chose not to tell her about the conversation between him and Mrignayani that took place in Gurukul.

"Two days ago, he went to the dean's office and got the form but he hasn't returned it which means he's considering it. I just want you to help him make the right choice" he told Bela.

As per Prithvi's instructions, all applicants' names were notified to him directly when they took the form from the dean's office.

He did not know the reason Mriga changed her mind since the last time she spoke to him, but at least she had gone and searched the form voluntarily.

That was reason enough for him to push his candidacy in front of his mentor.

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

*Dadaji - Grandpa

*Interpretation of – Reflections implies that the message must be read in reverse. Therefore, the note means it is time for them to meet at the top of the North Zilla hill where they last met many years ago. The meeting time was set at dusk the next day.

*Samosa - Fried savory snacks made from flour, with potato stuffing in them.