(Book 3) Hayden Mackay and The Shaatrumani Stone

16. Clan of Matsyasvi (Part 1)

I have important things to do. I have to find Pruthvi and then his sister, Nazira. Can anyone please stop my nose from poking into some unrequired businesses?!

"Hayden what are you doing here?" Ashwant Veer asked again, walking stiffly towards me.

It has been more than a month since I had last seen him. He looked leaner but healthier as always but his mustache seemed to have grown a little bit wider. Sure it was sunny but temperature was drop dead cold. It was impossible for a person to roam around in a sleeveless shirt, revealing his compact arms. On noticing carefully, his hair and arms were wet, streaks of water running down from the tips of his fingers, which he wiped them away quickly.

"I am here on a job," I replied him finally, stuffing the scroll inside the inner pocket of my jacket, "But I think I am doing everything else but the job."

"Did my father send you here?" he asked, slightly frowning.

"Yes, he did," I said, standing right in front of him now as I watched his swollen lips.

"Alone?" he asked.

"No, me and Pruthvi."

"Pruthvi is here too?"

"Yes."

"On the same job?"

"Yes."

"Where is he then?"

"He is lost."

"He is lost?"

"Alright, enough!" I cried out, flinging my hands up and controlling myself from spilling out more information than required, "What are you doing here, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in Sharad's palace cooking lunch?"

Doctor had told us  Ashwanth was one of the best cooks in Dakshinpur just like Ira was and so King Aghasthya had hired him as his main chef in his palace. But he wasn't supposed to be here, what the hell was he doing here, in Rawat?

He batted his wet eyes and then said, "I was on my way, until I saw you."

I peeked behind his shoulder at the dense forest and then said, "This doesn't look like your way."

He scratched his head finding hard to answer me. "Look, Hayden..."

"That's alright," I said, immediately, "You don't have to answer me. It's your private business. So, no big deal."

He wasn't my close friend. His personal life was out of my league. I have better things to do and to know what Ashwant was doing here in the Rawat's forest didn't come under the list. So without wasting anymore time, I simply smiled at him and turned around to walk back to the palace.

"Listen Hayden," said Ashwant pulling me by my shoulder, "Did you see anything weird about an hour ago?"

"No." I replied instantly.

And then it hit me, the reason why I wasted my precious time. "Yes, I mean, I don't know. It was crazy. I think what I saw were human eyes in the water, but the way it was swimming wasn't humanly at all. But don't worry. I am so being paranoid these days."

"That was me!"

I gaped at him like a fish. My brain jammed for a second.

"Excuse me?" I asked, baffled, "Did you say that was you?"

He took a deep breath. "Look, just don't tell my father about this. He will be so mad."

"Of course he will be. Because he loves to keep secrets. But why would you say that was you?"