(Book 3) Hayden Mackay and The Shaatrumani Stone

20. The Thribhuvan Portrait (Part 2)

"There were steps," Pruthvi continued, "that took me way down and I realized it was taking me almost under the ground to another room just like the secret room beneath the throne. It's entrance was huge, abnormally huge. There were parts and pieces of glass everywhere. I guess the walls were made of glass, like our training room, atleast it seemed to me so."

Although Pruthvi was an expert in technology, he didn't seem to have a knack of explaining things well. But I understood what he was trying to say and so I didn't ask him to repeat which could have only made it more confusing. Frowning, I asked, "So?"

"It was completely shattered, as if there had been an incident in the past, like a huge blast or something. It was tough for me to find anything that could help me get out of there, it was too spooky. Not knowing what to do, and where to go, I just sat down on the floor and slept."

"Huh?" I asked, nonplussed, "How can you sleep if it was such a spooky place?"

"I know," he said, "I do have some sleep issues. Leena always says I sleep too much..."

"Okay," I interjected, realizing that that might be the time I had slept dreaming about Zarina Khan, "Let's get back to the topic. How did you wake up then? I am sure you aren't carrying your horrible alarm with you."

"I was awakened by some noises. When I got up and looked around, I found two people standing inside the room."

"Who?"

"Shourya," he said and quickly added, "with Anmol."

My mouth dropped. "Anmol? Anmol is here?"

"Yes," he said. He adjusted his glasses up and swallowed a bile, finding it hard to say the rest, "Hayden, they are planning big this time. Can you imagine there is a stone that has the only power in the world to kill us?"

"The Enemy Stone," I said, words rushing out of my mouth, "also called as the Green stone. I know about it."

"Don't call it a green stone," he said, harshly, "Green stone is mine."

I blinked, jerking back. His sudden reaction eerily reminded me of what Ashwant had told me a couple of hours ago, that how the emerald was always compared with The Enemy Stone, and that had led to some consequences like war among the Samagraha themselves.

This was second time he was reacting this way and the first time was when...my eyes flew wide open on remembering when. Of course, I had seen the stone already. It must be the same green stone in the painting down in the secret room. The woman in purple saree must be Lady Drishtika, and the baby...was the baby grew up to be Lady Chandrika's husband?

"It's also called Shaatrumani Stone," he continued, grabbing back my attention, "and the most scariest thing is, Anmol already has it."

"What?" I exploded, "It was Anmol who stole it?"

He snapped a look at me. "Stole? What do you mean?"

"I will tell you later, it's a long story," I said, "Finish yours. Did they see you?"

He shook his head. "No, not right away. I just hid behind the wall and heard them speak for a while."

"About?"

"About how the stone shall be used on us. They were talking about a curse that is needed to be lift off." His eyes began to shimmer and it worried me to core. "Hayden, to lift the curse, it seems a blood of Samagraha is required."

I sat stock-still, trying to control my nerve. "You mean the one who can lift the curse is among us?"

He nodded gravely. "And...and Anmol was saying that they have been preparing the Samagraha to have no objection in giving away his blood... from the past two months."