"So, you were the one who saved us from that monster?" I asked. But she gave me a mean look. 

"I didn't know you are this much dumb!" 

"He is much more. Trust me." Anshu commented. 

They burst into laughter. 

Suddenly, Chitrakshi whispered something in her ear and she left the room. 

"Sister, when did you go to Mumbai? Oh now I get it! That's why you never showed for archery sessions." Blazer boy said. 

"Ahm! Your highness.." Chitrakshi interfered, ".... We can talk about this later." 

Your highness? Who is this blazer boy? 

"Why later on? Everyone is revealing secrets now. I want to know why she went." 

"What if I won't tell you brother?" Vaani said. 

The blazer boy looked pissed off now. 

"What if I pick this boy's eyeballs out?" he said as he pointed towards me. Obviously I was an easy target now. 

"He does not matter to me. You can cut him to pieces." 

"You are talking about me morons!" I shouted. 

"We can even try his sister instead." The blazer boy said. 

My fist tightened. He was no one to say that word. 

Karan understood my condition. He pressed my leg hard. 

"He is the Prince of ETKing. Prince Dhruv, Dhruv is his name. If he wants, he can make you shed blood out of your eyes. Don't mess with him. OK." 

So what if he is the prince charming. He might be older than me. He might be much more powerful, but don't he dare. 

"Brother, you are going too far now." Vaani said. Her tone was harsh now. 

"Or…. I will…" then he said something about my family, something about my upbringing and what not. 

What do you think? What would I do? 

I punched his face. 

HARD! 

"Oooooo!" other Saptas were stunned as he was left with a bleeding nose. 

Dhruv stumbled backward. 

"Neel!" Vaani showed her anger at me. 

But the concern of a sister could no longer save him. Vaani came in between us. Dhruv was still understanding what just happened. 

"How dare you!" Dhruv said while he got hold on Retriver. 

"Neel! Stop this!" Vaani was taking her brother's side. I looked at her. Our eyes met for an instant. I saw her green eyes, fear was clearly visible in them. 

"Oh no!" She said as she stood aside. 

I found SoulHunter back in my hands. Dhruv was going to pay now. 

Chitrakshi and Karan both came forward. I manged my hands towards them, gesturing not to interfere. 

"Neel! You don't know what it will lead to." Chitrakshi said. 

"The fight isn't over yet. Round II begins." I said as I ascended towards the prince charming. 

As I thought, Dhruv advanced. He tend to attack on my heart. I just stood aside. His force led to his disbalance. 

Vaani requested,"Stop this Neel! You don't know what you are doing." 

I knew what I was doing. 

"You are no one to say that" I said. 

"What? You just made things complicated back then, and are making worse now." 

"So now you will tell me? Who didn't even tell her brother about the matters? Who just acted like she was my friend whereas she really isn't…." 

Dhruv attacked at my back. Retriver and SoulHunter collided once more. He pushed me backward. I reacted with twice the original force. 

SoulHunter felt like a part of my body now. I hit on his head by using the back of my sword. Dhruv fell on the floor. 

"Can't you hear what I said? Leave him! That is an order." Vaani said. 

"You are princess right? So Princess Vaani, I am going to make your brother cry for mercy. Stop me if you can." 

I said the hot word! 

Instantly around twelve to thirteen SaptaSiddhis gathered behind Vaani. "No one can disrespect the royal family." they said in union. One of them ordered and the others took their weapons out. It seemed like a mini weaponary- swords, shields, chakrams, spears etc. 

They were thirteen and I was alone. Instantly, Chitrakshi and Karan stood by my side."I won't think I will fight against you." Karan said. 

"You and Anshu are our friends Neel. Anything for friends." Chitrakshi continued. Karan took out his katars, Chitrakshi's hairclip transformed into a mini axe or something. 

"What is it?" 

"A Tabar Shishpar." 

Vani moved her hands in an utter way, gracefully unleashing her daggers. 

"This fight will be fun" I said as the battle started. 

"Stop this!" the walls criticized us. 

I heard that walls have ears but mouth? Well, this was new.

The room froze. Others dropped their weapons, bowing. I still had SoulHunter in my hands, my head straight. I was wrong from no angle so what fear? 

"Fighting like street dogs!" 

"But, he-he started it all Guruji.." Dhruv said. So this was Guruji? I need to be more alert now onwards. "... He started this all." 

"Don't be a crybaby Dhruv. I didn't start it." 

"Shut up spy! As I was saying Guruji…" 

"So the baby is complaining again? Small little baby, small baby.. Small… Small." 

Small giggles were heard. 

"Neel Soni! I see you aren't even dropping your weapon. Want to say anything in your side?" 

"Nothing sir!" I said "... I did no wrong. So what to fear about." 

"I see. You have a lot of ego.."

"Self respect." I corrected. 

"I think you should learn some manners…" 

He sounded pissed off. 

"... As a punishment, you will be trained under Princess Vaani's supervision until new order. Respect her, obey her. Otherwise it won't be wise. Hope you will learn from it." 

Except me, Chitrakshi and Karan, there was a flood of joy flowing in everyone's heart. 

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

"So you are saying that he called you for an interrogation?" I asked Anshu. 

In between the fight, Anshu just went out the room. Later when I got the chance, I was the first to ask why. Anshu told me that Guruji himself asked her to meet him.

"So what did he asked you about?" 

"Nothing much. He just about our family, about how we did things in our day to day life blahh blahh…" She paused for a moment lost in thoughts. Few minutes later, she continued "... He asked about mom and dad." 

"What did you tell him?" I was worried now. 

"Just about what mom and dad told us about themselves- house wife and nine to five job thing. But he looked quite confused at that time." 

"Nothing much I think then." I said, ending the conversation. Karan entered the room with cheese burgers. 

"Gueg is sbs hsbbs.. He vdhdbsj bdbsbbs hhdbsb." he said. 

"I think you should finish your food then talk." Chitrakshi came from behind. 

They sat near us. "I trhdv wesdd shcyjc tchfhu." Karan said while taking another bite. "Man! Finish your food." I suggested him. "I didn't think we would ever be able to eat cheese burgers here." Anshu said, quite amazed. 

"Guruji said you two would like these. So he insisted." Chitrakshi answered. 

"So this is all you want to talk about?" I asked. 

"Nah.. There's another…" 

I saw the nerve marks on her forehead. I paused, still trying to say something. I never interacted much with people. The thoughts coming to my mind were- don't. You will make the situation worse. I gathered the courage to say

"You do know that I can read thoughts right?" Chitrakshi said, reminding that I couldn't hide things from her. 

"Thanks" I said, "... Thanks to both of you." 

Anshu gave me a- You? How? - look. 

Chitrakshi got the flow. "What Anshu, why this look?" 

I gave Anshu a - shut up! - look. 

But she never kept hers. 

"Well… He is one of those guys who never talks to anyone. He keeps his calm and stays out of the group." 

"Does he talk to girls?" 

"No. Except me, he doesn't talk to anyone. He stays long away from girls which makes me wonder about his brain."

Karan and Chitrakshi laughed. 

"I also talked to Vaani, she said he hardly said your welcome. Girl! How do you handle such a brother?" Chitrakshi added. 

"I myself don't know how." 

What was happening? My sister was revealing my secrets. Someone should remind me to scold her later on. 

Karan finished his burger by the time. "This thing, it was good. I might eat another one." 

"Now bark." I said, focusing my attention on him. 

"What?" 

"What you were saying." 

"Oh that…" 

"Yes." 

"... Guruji was calling you." 

"Oooooo!" Anshu and Chitrakshi in union. 

"What did you do now brother?" Anshu asked. 

"I myself don't know." I replied as I went out. 

I hurried up towards the room where Guruji rested. 

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Knock knock 

"Come in Neel." 

"Guruji you summoned me?" 

"Yes my child. I thought it was time for us to discuss about some matters." 

"And what are they?" 

"About the exchange." 

He slowly moved towards his desk. Taking out a small cuboidal figure. It had tattered covers, loose threads, oil marks, scratches etc. In one word, the book was prehistoric. 

"This, a book?" 

"It is not any book, but the Book of Keeps, personally recommend by me to anyone who wants to know about this place." 

"But I want to know about myself. Not about other things." 

"You are connected to this place more than you can think of." 

What did he mean? 

"Read some extracts a day. It will clear all the questions you have. Trust me." 

I trust Chitrakshi, I trust Karan, I even trusted Vaani once. So why no to him. 

"I will Guruji. I will." I promised. 

"And…" his tone hardened, "... You shall not be messing up in fights again Neel." 

"But-" 

"Not engage in fights. You might had send many Saptas to medical wing if I hadn't interfered." 

"I can't do that." 

"You don't know what you are capable of." 

"I don't understand." 

"You don't need to. Sometimes it is better if you stay off the topics." 

"But-" 

"Besides…." his voice hardened again, ".... Your work as Princess Vaani's PA will start from tomorrow morning. Sleep well." 

How could he? I wouldn't have worked as Vaani's trainee if he hadn't ordered so. I think I doesn't matter much to him. Hence he didn't tell me the truth. 

I went to my room, lied on the bed thinking about what will happen on the very next day. 

"Good night Neel." I said to myself as tiredness took over my body.