"What do you mean that it isn't his real name?" Vaani questioned Vallabh. She was quite irritated now. Maybe because she was asking the same question for past hour or so but Vallabh wouldn't listen. 

"Leave it." Dhruv said as he gestured her to leave. They were still standing in the land of Ash and Bones. It seemed like this all trip had taken nearly half of the day. 

Dhruv already had important affairs to be dealt with. If he wouldn't be back on time, every courtier will question where Prince Dhruv, the next king was. Vaani assured him that coming here would help. But, now he was doubting his own decision. "These people don't know anything about relations and values. What they know is only how to sacrifice lives of animals and birds and, leave everyone in far more distress and confusion than what they came here with. I wonder why I came here." 

For past hour or so, Vallabh was doing nothing but strange things. He picked up several bones from the ground and later threw them back, one by one. He opened his pot which (was actually a skull) in which he had some sort of black liquid. 

"Do you have any other thing which belongs to him?" Vallabh asked Vaani, questioning about Neel in particular. 

Vaani gave a small nod and took out a small hankie from her bag. "It doesn't belong to him. But contains some strains of his blood on it." 

"That's far better princess." Vallabh said in a devilish way as he smatched the hankie from her hand. He dipped a small part of the cloth in the black liquid and locked the cloth with his tongue. 

"Umm…" he just muttered as he liked the cloth repeatedly. 

"Can you now give a proper explanation?" Vaani asked, but he tended to ignore. 

What can I even expect from him? Vaani thought. 

There was nothing more here and this was clearly visible. They had nothing to do down here. Dhruv was right. They should leave, should have left long ago. Vallabh did nothing but giving them a bunch of nursery rhymes. And now he's standing there, doing nothing but licking a hankie. 

"You're right Dhruv. Let's leave." She said as she moved back towards her chariot. 

"Why does it matter girl?" Vallabh asked. 

"It isn't the matter if he matters or not. It's just that the rhymes suggest only one thing. That he's…" 

"What you suspect about him is right." 

"What? What do you know Vaani?" Dhruv asked, a bit confused. 

"Dhruv it's.. It's j-just…" 

"You're afraid?" Dhruv questioned back. 

"Ye-No. I am not. It is just…" 

"Wait. The attack that day, it wasn't planned for me right?" Dhruv asked. 

"Yes and no. You were a warning, for him." 

"But why? What do they want?" 

"That's exactly the point boy." Vallabh intervened. "... This was never for him, not for you. Nothing happening now was for any of us. It was all for the Blade of Vish." 

"The what?" Dhruv asked. The expression on his face was of confusion, horror and tension all combined. "Is there anything else I need to know too?" 

"Yes." Vallabh answered as he looked at Vaan, as if wanting her to answer. 

"He has got the devil in his eyes." Vaani answered. 

¤¤¤¤¤

"Wow!" this was the only reaction Chitrakshi was able to give once when Anshu had told the whole scenario to them- How they reached her home, then the demon, Karan's injury, their appointment with Mrs Kaushik, and at last, about Zeeva. 

Karan was still in the medical room, still being attended. She didn't want to mention his injury to Chitrakshi and Shoubdha. But still, she didn't want to keep any information away from them. 

"You guys really messed it up. Quite badly." Chitrakshi commented. 

"So what now?" Shoubdha asked. She was still stressed out because of all this incident. What if they had not made it? What if one of them would have caught? Or worse? 

Anshu took a sip of lemonade as she overlooked at Shoubdha. "You know what Shoubdha, you and Karan are totally alike." 

Chitrakshi nearly mugged water out of her mouth, trying hard not to laugh. "You're mad." Shoubdha replied with a look. 

"No I am not." Anshu replied. "Both of you always ask me what next. I am not Tony or Steven okay." 

"Boney and Teven?" Shoubdha asked back. 

This reminded Anshu of the Thor incident with Karan, reminding her not to mention Avengers to them or in a minute or two, all of them would be declared unknown demigods of the Ancient Indic Civilization. Tony being called son of Vishwakarma, was never on Anshu's to-do list. But still, neither were fighting demons and saving family. But still, one avenger bullshit a day was more than enough. 

"Chitrakshi to Anshu - Chitrakshi to Anshu." Chitrakshi said as she shook Anshu. Was this girl actually like this? Always lost in her own thoughts? 

"What?" Anshu asked as she grazed at Chitrakshi in confusion.

"Do you always travel to other norms while you think?" Shoubdha asked. 

"Sorry, habits die hard." 

"What were you thinking?" 

"Just got Another point to prove that Shoubdha and Karan are totally alike." 

"No we aren't!" Shoubdha replied, slightly higher than expected. "Why is you needle stuck at that same number?" She continued. 

"Why can't it?" Anshu didn't know why she was eager in carrying forward this conversation but teasing her was damn fun. "You two are totally alike. I swear." 

"See now. You always like to tease me. First with your brother then him. Can't you see me as a happy single?" 

"But.." 

"We are not going to continue this conversation." Shoubdha declared. "Or I am leaving." saying this, Shoubdha got up. 

"Okay girl. Not a single word more. But seriously Shoubdha, What's the problem? He is decent." Chitrakshi jumped into the conversation. But later did she realized what she said.''Ok, maybe a little extra lover-boy type. But still. He isn't a bad choice."  

"He is not at all like a person I can even date…" Shoubdha said as she remembered the very morning that day, Karan openly took a chance on her. 

"Shoubdha I think…" Anshu tried to say something but Shoubdha decided that it was the time to end, "No! I think I should have cleared it out far before…" 

"Shoubdha -" 

"Let me complete! He is nothing but a normal teen wondering if I would go out with him, I won't. Seriously. You know why? Because he ever takes things seriously. He takes things far more lightly. He thinks that he can do anything. But actually he can't even do a single thing. All he knows is boasting. Take your example Anshu…" She said as she looked at her." Didn't he assure you that nothing will happen? Didn't he assure you that he can handle things but actually he didn't. He messed them up more. He and his big mouth! I hate people who do that." She took a deep breath as she finished her words. After she was assured that her breathing was back to normal, she looked back at her friends who turned their heads in a big no. 

"Say it." Shoubdha was shocked that none of her friends replied. 

"He is right behind me right?" She asked to which her friends gave big nods. 

"Screwed!" 

Shoubdha carefully turned around. Half she was expecting Karan to shout at him, half she hoped that he wouldn't take the words personally. 

But as she turned, she saw a face she hadn't seen on him in all these years. Eyebrows curled inside, his eyes were shut closed and his lips were moving up and down rapidly as if he was controlling not to say anything to her. 

"Now that's good Anshu." this was all Karan said as he lifted his hands. "But I couldn't fully understand what they were saying." he said as he took off a small ball like thing from his ear and handed it to Anshu. 

"That's what you call a rap…" She said as she led a sigh of relief. "... don't worry, you will eventually master it." She said as she gave him the earpods back. Karan wore them in his ear as early. 

Chitrakshi and Shoubdha stared at Anshu in horror. "What was that?" 

"That's what you call an earpod." She replied as she took her smartphone out of her pocket. "Volume was full, he might haven't heard a word." 

"What's that?" Chitrakshi asked, half amazed to see a smartphone for the first time. 

"That's a Samsung J6. A high class smartphone. But I don't know how to explain it to you… Well, it's just a thing we people from the mortal realm use." 

"I really don't want to get in this cuboidal thingie. Thanks for the save actually. How did you do it?" Shoubdha asked. 

"I increased the volume to full, the second you asked me to shut up." Anshu replied as she dropped the volume. "Thanks but no thanks guys." 

"Hey! I was loving that." Karan complained as he put the earpods out. He looked upset. He seemed to love that song the second he heard it. Well, this was also because it seemed to soothe his injuries. He was still not in the best shape. The effect of injection wore off after a few hours and he had to ask the medic to fix it up. It was great that he was neither infected nor poisoned. But the medic strongly suggested him no running for the next few days, taking away from him the only thing he was good at. 

Anshu clapped her hands, basically drawing the attention at herself. "Later music lover" She turned to Karan as she continued "We have things to discuss first. So to the answer of both of your questions, Karan and Shou- Okay. So what we know for sure is that this girl Zeeva knows a lot. And she has given me an advice, to ask the princess herself." 

"Don't say you're going to the palace." Chitrakshi feared this was her friend's very idea. She could read it! Mind reading, duhh! But still, had she lost it? 

"I actually am planning to do the same." Anshu replied

See, Chitrakshi was right! 

"You really don't know what you're saying!" Shoubdha added. 

"I do." Anshu knew she did. Just did. This was something every female had, name it sixth sense or instincts. 

"How can you expect the truth from Zeeva? We don't even know who's side she's on." 

"I have no other choice." Anshu replied as she got up. 

"Anyone's coming?" 

¤¤¤¤¤

Back in the palace, Vaani's behaviour was driving Dhruv nuts. From the second she set foot in the palace, all she could be seen doing was calling the palace servants and guards and giving them orders of bringing - artifacts, scrolls, manuscripts and books, tons of books. It seemed to Dhruv like she was doing all the study she had to do in the rest of her life on a single day. 

Was Dhruv helping? Of course not! Study was something he used to sit far away from. He couldn't poke his nose twenty four seven in a scroll, or testament, or observing artifacts. Greatly, he had his own brains, his own logic, which held him good for becoming the next to the throne. 

While his sister was busy staring at all these weirdos, he was standing feets away from her with his sword in his hand and a mirror in his front. Defeating one's own self is the best way of combat. His sister had told him that at some point of time. So for now, he was doing the attack as well as planning the counter for the same at the same time. Now that's what we call multi-tasking. 

Swish! The sound came as Dhruv aimed to stab the person's shoulder, his shoulder. Now he had to counter it. This was easy, push the opponent's sword up with the help of yours and slash at his legs. Now as a counter, he needed to jump. A child's play! Dhruv thought as he attacked again. And hence our sweet little Prince continued his practice. 

Soon as Vaani started searching for the information in books and documents, she understood the fact that if she wanted this to be a secret between her and Dhruv in this palace, she had to take the books herself rather than ordering any servant for it. To make things as desired, finish the job yourself. She thought. Who knows if she leaves any evidence. Taking this same thought in her mind she made her mind to go to the palace library herself. 

"Dhruv I am going downstairs. Don't let anyone enter here behind my back okay?" She exclaimed to her brother who was so lost in his training that he might not even have heard what she asked him. 

Going to the Pustakalaya (library) wasn't that hard. Her father loved books as much as her mother did. So on her birthday, Vaani's father, the late king Chityaverma, transformed a section of the castle into a library. One could find information related to any topic down there. All she had to do was go down some stairs. 

Vaani reached there after a few minutes. Thankfully no one noticed. Even the ones who did, she gave those servants worthy answers. 

As she touched the wooden gates of the library, feeling those beautiful wooden carvings on the gates, she felt as she had travelled back in time. It had been years since she even looked at those gates. From what she remembered, realizing that it was years back, she still remembered that the library was far big. 

"Uhm-My Princess, here?" 

Vaani was terrified at this. As she turned around, she saw a lean, thin bony man in formals along with a turban. She forgot that they had a librarian too. 

Well, leaving a palace full of guards and servants in order to go to the mortal realm had given her a fair amount of experience. 

"Yes Ramlal kaka, but what's the point of being so surprised?" She replied in a casual tone. 

"Complete respect your Highness, but you stopped visiting the library after your mother's -" 

"I - I know kaka." She interrupted him in between. That topic was personal. "Anyway, if I stopped coming here does it mean I cannot come ever again?" She asked as she gave a small smile. 

"No-No your Highness, you can. I mean who am I to stop you? Tell me your highness, how can I help?" Ramlal kaka asked as he bent a little to show respect. 

"Kaka, I am researching about a topic in particular. It's quite private, national security I mean." Vaani can't believe how bad a liar she was! No way he was going to believe her. "So I just want you to not let anyone inside until I am done, including you. Do thou have any objection?" Vaani half expected him to raise an objection. 

"No problem your highness. As you wish." was all Ramlal Kaka said as he walked out of the library. 

Vaani's eyes seemed fixed at the view before her. The library was the same as she remembered. A big hall which seemed like a sea of knowledge; a little light of the sun coming from the top- a clever effect her father ordered to be built specially for her. Repeated reflection of sunlight at different angles made that happen. 

God! I sounded like Anshu! She thought. 

At the left side was a section dedicated to scrolls, the right one to manuscripts and the front to books. And in the middle of all these were the ancient Indian artifacts, anything you can relate an artifact to: statues, stones with inscriptions, paintings, you had it all. 

In short, it was worth coming here. Everything was just as she remembered except the condition the library was in. The condition was really bad. The wood used in the shelves had diminished in quality, many manuscripts were eaten by insects and color on walls had faded. She decided to renovate it once this shit was over. 

Vaani made a quick glance throng the books, as so to find the book she was searching for. 

Ashwatthama--the lost immortal 

No! 

Aryans and the foundation of civilization. 

No! 

Afterlife and cycle of rebirth. 

No! Okay, not now but maybe later. 

Bramhacharita - Living a Strict Virgin forever. 

Hell No! 

Bramha rakshas and Ghosts. 

No! 

Brahaspati- The Guru of the Gods

Gotcha! 

¤¤¤¤¤

Dhruv was still practicing with the mirror. The endless training had shown its effect. His muscles were pumped up and he was literally drowning into sweat. It had been days since he had attended his training, weeks since he had got his hand on his sword. The inquiry for the boy. Moreover, he had some meetings with the courtiers and ministers for the past few days, regarding serious topics such as defence related upgrades in the army and about the regular recruitment process. Why was he always asked to answer the people? Next King, duh! He mostly left the decisions of such topics upto Vaani. But since Neel's disappearance, all her focus was on finding him, ignoring all other subjects of interest. This shifted his concentration on her. It had been an hour or so since Vaani had left. He still couldn't understand his little sister, a problem maybe every brother in the world faced. 

Considering this topic, the Prince of ETKing related himself to the fellow being lost, Neel. Both of their sisters never listened to them, both of them never considered the advice of their brothers. 

"Your Highness are you inside?" someone asked from the other side of the gate, most probably a servant. 

"Yes. But don't come in. I am coming out in a minute or two." Dhruv replied as he rested his sword against the wall. He took a deep breath as he opened the door. 

"Yes?" he asked as he saw one of the guards of the King's court standing in front, bowing him. 

"Sorry for the inconvenience caused, your Highness. But I am here to inform you that Senapathi has asked for your consultancy in some state decisions." he said. 

"Tell him to wait." Dhruv replied as he stretched his arms a little. "... I will be arriving shortly." he continued. 

"My pleasure, your Highness." As the servant said these words, he once again bowed to the prince and went to tell the Senapathi the reply. 

Dhruv made his move back to his room as soon as the servant left. His room was as big as that of his sister's. At the front he had a large window from which he was able to view the front way leading to the palace. 

This was a thing every prince had. 

A king is the one who is more of his people than of his family. Vaani quoted it back when they growing up. He couldn't answer why his sister had such deep thinking, or why she quoted that much. It just was like that, no reasoning, nothing. He has his abilities, she has hers. 

 This drove Dhruv back to the servant's notice. Senapathi. He had to meet him but back when he looked at his appearance, he was in shambles. His hair was messed up, he was covered in sweat, and worse, was stinking! He had to change clothes too. He would be a prince of no world if without his crown. Doesn't every prince have one? 

Thinking about his crown, he found himself lost in memories… 

Dhruv was back in the King's Court, all ministers and army commanders, including Senapathi, were too present there. Dhruv was moving his head in every direction possible, trying to understand the situation. Every single face present there that day was familiar to him including cute little girl with green eyes, standing near a woman in royal clothing, Vaani. He was six back then, Vaani was five. Nearly five long years had passed since their father's demise. 

After everyone had assembled, Senapathi got up from his throne and announced, "Today we all have gathered here as so on the request of our last queen, Queen Rambha. Our queen has some important decisions to be made." he said as he looked at the woman standing near Vaani. 

Choti Maa, that was what Dhruv used to call her back then. 

"What is it your Highness?" asked the a man with long white beard and small eyes. He was wearing a turban along with a staff in his hand. He was the MahaMantri (Minister of State, also advisor of the king and queen.) 

Queen Rambha moved towards Dhruv and caught his arm. Together they approached to what seemed the King's throne. Queen Rambha caught Dhruv in her arms and made him sit on the throne. Then she turned to address the people. 

"The people of ETKing, I now present before you  Prince Dhruv, our next king." She said as she put a crown over his head. 

"People of ETKing, I have ruled over this vast empire for all these years in the absence of our king." She addressed the courtiers as the words escaped from her mouth. her eyesight shifted at her children. Both Dhruv and Vaani were far too small, even now. She waited for five long years thinking that both of her children needed her. Was what she doing right? But it was far too late to think about that now. 

"All the courtiers present here, including Senapathi and RajMantri, I Queen Rambha in all her senses sound, is giving the last order to this clan. I declare our late King Chityaverma's son Dhruv as the heir to his throne. 

And for further security purposes, I, Queen Rambha, is leaving the kingdom in exactly two hours. Don't hope for my return. It won't happen soon. 

But in my absence, I am giving the responsibility of the growth and upbringing of my children in the hands of the RajMantri. In my absence, RajMantri ji will take care of the kingdom till Dhruv's sixteenth birthday, which happens to be the same day on which he will be crowned as the king. 

In the name of the Holy Trinity, 

Long live our kingdom! "

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

A lot is going to get revealed guys. Stay tuned.

Dedicated to RubikaChandra

Girl you're the one who has got the devil inside her.