The Strategy : Cauldron Tales (by Mudra)
Armaan turned in the bed lazily... He was in a nice dream. He and Ashu were flying on their broom sticks...
Nice cool breeze... Suddenly a bad stench and lightning... He never knew lightning sounded like his name... And the lightening struck... next to his bed. Armaan jumped and opened his eyes...
Saroj Bala ji (aka SB) was standing with a disgusting looking object in her hand... Wake up, my dear! And could you please kindly tell me why is this lying here?'
Amma! I am going to put it for wash... anyway, why hurry?'
Hurry up young man! Otherwise you will lose all your customers to Madam Maulkins... do you like it?'...' By the way, you look smart if you wake up early!'
A tawny owl zoomed past the open window and crashed the alarm clock on the side table. SB untied the scroll. It was from DB. The owl dipped its peak in Armaan's tea, nipped a bread crumb and flew away.
"Dear SB and Armaan, we are all meeting at Ashu's place at 11.00 am sharp to discuss our strategies against the fears I have foreseen."
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Bua, there was no need to get tensed up! BB will take care of everthing!'
No Bachchi! Didn't you see... Ashu's leg was broken... And took four days to heal... Only a dark wizard can do this!'
Yes Nidhi... you DB is right. We have to be careful! Let us wait for the others to arrive and then discuss this.
In a while meeting started...
DB announced that it was Mallika in the disguise of Bellatrix at KGH!
Nidhi, Armaan, SB were aghast! 😲😲😲... BB smiling!
She opened her bag and took out a frame... and hung it on the wall. It was a picture of a stern looking lady who it turned out was Dr. (Mrs.) Kotnis (1934-2004)... Dr. Kotnis's daughter-in-law... DB instructed her to go to her frame in the room Mallika disguised as Bellatrix was lying and give a commentary from there...
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Mallika's room at KGH
Mallika got up and sat on her bed...
She unfolded the Nasty Naksha' which is a handy map of KGH... she had stolen it from Ashu sometime ago... found Nidhi nowhere on that map, no nurses either... This is the time to strike...
She pointed the wand to herself... and turned herself into Bellatrix ... Sneaked out of the room to look for Ashutosh!
She entered his room stealthily and searched his pockets... found a two-way mirror ... Showing Armaan's room in his house... she took that and kept it in her pocket!
Then she took a purple colored love potion from her pocket and mixed it with his peppermint potion!
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Ashu's house...
Dr. (Mrs.) Kotnis had come back and duly reported Mallika's secret activities to the group there...
BB nodded at Armaan... You know what you have to do Armaan.'
BB, I have the counterpart to that mirror... Ashu and myself used it during our detentions in school. I will use that to keep track of Mallika's activities...'
He got up, tied his cloak and went out accompanied by SB.