April 1960. Ranikhet Estate, Shimla.

The next few days just whizzed by.

It was spring and the wild vernal flowers bloomed here and there.

The entire estate was dotted with wild multi –hued flowers.

The air was heavily laden with an intoxicating fragrance of ripe fruit that was ready to be plucked.

It was a heady, quaint aroma that seem to remain with you and give you a hangover.

My figures were all worked out.

Two days before I had hit a jackpot.

I was searching the office of Surya Pratap who had been away on one of his trips.

His mahogany desk was exotic and lined by drawers that fortunately had no locks.

I turned them all out and went through each and every scrap of paper but to no avail.

There should be some shred of evidence to nail him.

I was feeling flustered now.

My hand hit on the table top thrice in anger when I heard something rumble.

After a careful perusal, I realised that the table had a secret compartment.

I managed to open it and slid my hand inside.

I found a sheaf of papers.

I closed the compartment and hid the papers in my bag and left the room before anybody saw me.

I ran up to my room, locked the door and started reading through the papers.

There were some bonds, fixed deposits and bank pass-books.

After carefully evaluating their total value, I realized it nearly tallied with the amount that we thought had been embezzled from the estate over the years and had been adjusted in the wages of the workers.

How could he steal from his own family and exploit the poor farmers to meet his extravagant lifestyle?

Such avarice had to be punished.

I slipped the papers into my bag and awaited Inderavadhan's return.

I waited outside under the pretext of taking a walk for I wanted to speak to him before he entered the house. I did not want anyone to know what I had discovered.

His jeep climbed up the muddy road leaving a trail of dust behind.

I waited with baited breath as he stopped the jeep. But before he could step out, I slid into the seat next to his. He looked tired and eyed me questioningly.

"Drive out into the country." I said in a clipped tone.

He took my cue and just drove out speedily leaving a trail of dust behind.

I was nervous and did not know how to frame my words for I was not sure how he would react.

I just decided to show him the papers and own up that I had ventured to explore without his or Ma Saheb's permission.

He would fire me for my transgression but I was ready to bear the brunt.

He drove quietly and did not ask me anything but looked grim.

At last he stopped in a secluded spot.

"What is it, Jasmine?" He asked me grimly.

I did not utter a word but bought out the sheaf of papers tremulously.

"I found these in a secret compartment in Surya Uncle's office. I know that I should not have searched his office without your permission but you were not to be found and with Surya Uncle and Kokila Madam away, I thought that it was an opportune time to search the office without anyone knowing."

Inderavadhan did not still say anything.

He perused the bonds, the fixed deposits and the pass-books.

"Jasmine does the gross value of this horde tally with the figure that we arrived upon the other day?" He asked me angrily.

I nodded silently.

"The thief, I shall kill him! I went to see the wholesalers who had bought our produce since he took over and they all have been bribe to keep shut for they claim that our produce was not of high quality and so the price paid had been less than the market price. They are all hand –in –glove. I am very sure that I will not sell them this year. But from where will I find buyers at such a short notice. The fruit is all ready to be plucked. Nobody is ready to give me the market price for the scoundrel was smart enough to do his manipulative networking." He exclaimed angrily.

"What about those buyers with whom Mr Pratap used to deal?" I asked him.

"I don't have their names for he has burnt the records and nobody will open their mouths for they all believe that he shall not be nailed. Surya and his coterie have created a reign of terror." He said.

I took out my copious notes and showed him a list.

"I was reading Mr Pratap's journals in the library and I found that he had made diligent entries of the people he was selling to at various times and I had taken down their names on an impulse. Have a look and see if you know them."

"I am ready for the battle ahead." I laughed out

Inderavadhan was dumb –struck and snatched the list from my hand and read it.

"Jasmine, all these people are the most respected names in the market and Surya made us sell to the loathsome lot when we were dealing with the best. Jasmine, you are a life–saver!"

He hugged me tightly and as our hands clasped sparks flew.

He gently put my errant curls behind my ears as his fingers traced some design on my forehead.

I was lost in the magic of the moment.

Suddenly, his clasp tightened and his lips brushed mine.

The musky fragrance tantalised me all the more and I found myself kissing him back.

His fingers ran through my wild mane as he kissed me lovingly.

My fingers explored the ragged lines of his face.

We sat there in companionable silence gazing into each other's eyes quietly.

"Tomorrow we shall go and meet these people and you shall come with me. We have to be very careful. I don't want anyone to know where we are going .Surya has his men everywhere. So we shall leave separately and meet outside the estate. You can tell everyone that you are going to town for your college books. Be careful about these papers. Give them to me. Don't tell Ma Saheb anything yet. I shall speak to her myself."

He handed me a pocket –knife and told me to keep it with me as Surya's goons are all around.

"I don't want you venturing out of the estate alone or with anybody else except me. You understand! I am not scaring you but you have to be careful". He looked at me fiercely.

Suddenly the grim look melted.

"Do you know that the blue of your eyes deepens when you are scared and I want to lose myself in those blue depths?" He said silkily.

I smacked him and he laughed.

"I was worried about you." I shot back.

'I am safe. I am their daughter's beau and they cannot touch me." He shot back arrogantly.

I laughed and said, "The arrogant ogre is back".

"Behind that angelic face is a shrew always ready to fight. Keep your claws ready for Gayatri for she saw us leaving together." He announced with pleasure.

"Why do you always drag my reputation to shreds? Everyone thinks that I am going to steal you from Gayatri." I said.

He smiled his enigmatic smile, patted my dishevelled hair into place, playfully tweaked my nose and drove back.

"I am ready for the battle." I laughed out merrily.

When we reached back, it was dark and the lamps had been lit.

Gayatri met us in the foyer and stopped us.

"From where both of you coming at this dark hour? Don't you know that girls don't go out with boys after dark?" She fumed fire.

"Gayatri, sweetie, I am a witch with blue eyes and my powers work in the dark all the more."

I replied sweetly with an innocent smile.

I waved to Inderavadhan and murmured a goodnight airily and ran off.

Behind me I could hear the Ogre's deep laugh.

I slept that night dreaming of ogres and witches.