(Book 3) Hayden Mackay and The Shaatrumani Stone

5. Drishtika Messenger (Part 2)

"What!" I gasped.

This can't be true. This isn't happening.

Sharad's prison was hailed to be an extremely secured one. Or atleast that was what we were told about it. King Aghasthya had once mentioned to us that for a sinful person like Zarina Khan, an advanced clairvoyant, rotting in his jail was the only punishment to fit the crimes she has committed.

"Who is this someone you are talking about?" asked Pruthvi, flabbergasted, "How did this happen?"

"We don't know," said Lithika, "But grandpa and others are trying to figure this out."

From the corner of my eye I spotted Leena holding Pruthvi's hand, who hung his face down, trying to squelch his disappointment. Zarina was his family, and who apart from me could understand what it was like having a monster born in the same family.

I instantly turned around at Ira, who was standing cross armed, looking at each one of us holding an equal amount of agitated expression.

"Mrs. Zutshi," I said, "Do you know where Doctor is?"

"He is well aware about it, hun. He already left to meet the King of Sharad."

"Then what is his walking stick doing here?" said Leena picking up the stick that was resting on the table.

"We came here to give that to you," said Dhanunjay.

"Mrs. Zutshi," I said, not caring about Doctor's stick, "Can we go to Dakshinpur too?"

"Sorry, hun," she said shaking her head, letting me down, "Doctor specifically asked me not to send you there. He didn't take it well, that I used the powder without his permission last time."

"But...I want to know what's happening there."

"You can do it from here," she said, "Doctor wants me to use the Drishtika Messenger."

"Drishti...what?"

"I'll show you," she whispered, walking towards Leena and taking the stick from her.

I noticed Tyrell was rather comforted. Leaning onto wall with his hands in his pocket, he was looking nonchalantly at Ira and her actions. Pruthvi and Leena clasped their hands and walked around to have a proper view. Dhanunjay, on the other hand, sat on the chair beside the table, having his hand on his forehead. For the first time I was finding him in casual jeans and a brown shirt, nothing like the designer wear he usually preferred. Lithika standing beside him seemed rather tensed. Watching her and Leena side by side was making my stomach churn. If they swapped their outfits, and body language, no one could ever guess their true identity.

Ira, holding the stick above, harrumphed grabbing my attention. She walked towards the only wall in the cabin that wasn't carrying any paintings. She clasped both her hand with the stick and shut her eyes tight. Her lips started moving and it seemed to me as if she was reciting a command.

Thanks to the many lanterns lit inside the cabin, I noticed the color of the wall against which Ira was standing, began to change. Pale yellow was now turning into milky white. My eyes shrunk as the wall illuminated brightly. Then I had to blink twice to see Ira's creation. There was a floating rectangular white screen hanging in the air against the wall. The whiteness, then slowly dissolved, creating slightly blurred images of the giant hall that reminded me of King Aghasthya's court.

"That's my grandpa with Doctor," said Lithika, "And the members of the Gram Panchayat. They were gathered to discuss this matter."

"Doctor sent this message for you," said Ira to all four of us, "He wanted you to see what he had seen a while ago."