The Star - Chapter 1 - Page 2 - Page 2

The specs of dirt fell through the already dry weather, causing the agitated and irritated girl to cough and hiss in frustration. With a fierce shadow of determinism on her face, she attacked the dusty shelves once again, a filthy weapon at her aid. Her eyes squinted in concentration and her hand tried to move as fast as they could. She had resolved to complete the task before five in the evening.

"Chhaya!" A middle-aged woman entered the room with a duster in her hand. Apparently, she had taken a decision of cleaning the house before the college starts again. The young girl always seemed to find excuses and run away when it came to landing a hand to the house chores. "Don't do it so fast, and so recklessly! You made the floor even more dirty!"

Chhaya looked down from where she stood on a three steps stool and casted an annoyed glance at her interrupter. "I will clean it all Masi!" She said. "Let me complete the shelves and ceiling first, then I will clean the floors, I promise!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep!" Her Masi chided. "You can't clean all of these by five. Don't be disappointed if the doors are locked."

"Masi!" Chhaya whined. "I only make promises I can keep!" She pouted. Only a couple of weeks were left till the college re-opens, and the friends had decided on living this days with as much fun as they can. Today's plan was to go to Shalini's house and watch a romantic action movie with some scoops delicious ice cream. To her disappointment, and exasperation, her aunt had given her a deadline of cleaning the storeroom by five if she wants to step out of the house. Chhaya wasn't complaining about her aunt's authority, in fact, it is now that she is coming to understand the purpose of keeping her on leash. A young girl can go wrong in more than one ways, and an upper hand is necessary to keep her in track. She was glad to have a guardian in her late mother's sister. She was practically her mother today, by heart, though not by blood.

However, when it comes to house chores like dusting, laundry and cleaning, it shuts down her sweetheart chambers and turns her into a bratty child. But her Masi seemed determined to wipe that one of the rare flaw in her.

At the end of the day, she did keep her promise. She had cleaned the shelves and brushed off the cobwebs from the ceilings and cleaned the floors even. Happy with her accomplishment, her Masi didn't stop her from enjoying the evening. Only reminded her to keep her cell-phones with her all the time, like any other parent.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Shalini asked, trying to collect the last of her ice cream on her plastic spoon. The four girls sat around the television in living room, helping themselves with few scoops of ice cream in the hot weather.

"Let's go to that fair that has come around. I heard they are packing up by this weekend." Kajal suggested. Street fairs come around during almost all the holidays and festivals to attract audiences.

"I heard they are boring." Chhaya said.

"Then how about those Kailashgarh caves?" Kajal stood up on her knees in excitement. "Let's explore them!"

"That sounds like a good idea." Shalini said.

"Are they not a little too far?" Chhaya asked, uncertain of her aunt's decision.

"Not that far. Just about an hour." Shalini replied. "And we will talk to aunty, don't worry about that."

"Oh no!" Chhaya shook her head in disapproval. "No way! Remember what happened last time you went to ask for permission? You almost had me grounded. How could you ask for permission to visit a Greek Museum by showing her the pictures of artifacts?"

Chhaya clearly remembered the face her aunt had made when Shalini had pulled up the museum's site. It was the last thing she wanted to show to her aunt. She wasn't very surprised to see her aunt's reaction to the vision of naked men's sculptors. The group of girls erupted into a resounding laughter at the memory.

"Fine, but just take the permission yourself then. I am sure she won't say no." Shalini said.

"There are no naked men there, anyway." Riya said after a moment of silence, causing another round of laughter around the room.

After bidding goodbye to her friends, Chhaya started for home. She was gifted a car from her Masi when she had received distinction in her class last year. She was very proud of her beautiful, black achievement. She drove towards home, the directions memorized by her heart.

It was a strange weather. When she and Kajal stepped out of Shalini's house, she didn't expect cold weather to meet her skin. It was almost an end to summer, and monsoon will start soon too, but she didn't know meghraja had planned his arrival this soon.

The rain did materialize that night. It was a light drizzling, but it did come. Since there were no street light along this road, Chhaya had to keep her eyes focused to pass through the dark areas covered by trees, her only aid the car's lights that didn't show anything beyond a couple hundred feet.

In the absence of light and diffractions from rain, Chhaya almost ran over the body that lay in the middle of the road. She instantly applied brake, parked the car right at the spot and ran to assist the stranger. The first thing she noticed was the huge red stain on his chest, certainly blood. He was a middle-aged man, somewhere in his thirties. He had a stubbled chin and a exhausted expressions, even at his unconscious state. Chhaya found the pulse in his arm, and exhaled in relief.

"Uncle?" She lightly tapped the man's face. "Uncle, can you hear me?"

To her surprise, the man slowly opened his eyes. When he found her face in focus, he tried to speak. "Pr-Professor..V..Verma."

"Professor Verma?" Chhaya frowned. She looked around, wondering if there will be anyone to help. "I will call the ambulance, please try to keep your eyes open."

Chhaya felt his hand wrap around her wrist and she looked at him alarmed. "Uncle.."

"Sundar Col..colony." He stuttered. "House number 14. Take me."

Sundar colony didn't take the least effort. She had lived in Sundar colony for about four years now. The man was sitting in the front sit next to her, so that she can keep an eye on him and call ambulance if an acute emergency arises. The stranger, however, was bent on not going to hospital for whatever the reason may be.

Chhaya quickly parked the car near house number fourteen and ran to knock on the door. She has no idea who lives here, but guessed it would be someone with Verma, as the stranger had mentioned it. An old man with greying hair answered the door, scrutinizing her.

"Yes?"

"Sorry, but there is someone who asked me to bring him here. He is badly hurt and needs medical help." She lead the old man to the car where the stranger breathed heavily, trying to keep his eyes from closing.

"Vijay!" The old man exclaimed, recognizing his friend.

Within next few minutes, Chhaya and the old man who she discovered was indeed, Professor Verma, shifted the man named Vijay to a room. Surprisingly, a man who looked more of an engineer, judging by the graphs and mess of papers on table, knew how to treat a patient severely hurt by a short knife-like object.

"Thank you for brining him here." Professor Verma spoke, his expressions revealing nothing about his emotions, just a slight worry. "You should return home now."

"No problem sir." Chhaya smiled. "I am glad he is alright. I live just a few houses away. House number 9."

"You're a kind heart." The professor responded. "Take care."

After the young girl was gone, the professor turned and walked back into his friend's room with urgent steps.

"What happened?" He asked the now conscious, and better-conditioned Vijay.

"They attacked." Vijay said grimly.

"Where is the Prince?" Professor asked, imagining the worse.

"They took him." The man replied quietly.

"You let him get kidnapped?" The professor thundered, making the sick man cringe in fear. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"I tried!" The man said softly.

"You are alive!" Professor glared down at him, as if accusing of living. "You were to protect him until the death has arrived! Until the last breath!"

Vijay looked down at his hands helplessly. He knew he was supposed to protect him until death. But he was already unconscious and defeated.

"We have to find him. Get ready, we will set out right now."

Vijay looked at the professor and then turned his gaze to look at his chest that was covered in thick white bandages. To him, the professor seemed to have gone bonkers, lost the number of brain cells as the number of his age increased.

"Come on!" Professor growled, and Vijay timidly got up from the comfort of bed, following Professor Verma. "What way did they go?"

"Towards the mountains." He pointed to the direction where the old rocks, living and dead, stood and sat along the bank of a river. The valleys and mountains of Kailashgarh.