"You are related to Raja Baldev of Ratanpur! That does not find any mention in your bio-data registered here, how come...Bandu?! Did you not deem it worth mentioning?!" It was inspector Mitra letting his shock apparently known to Bandu.

"Sir...sir, you are completely mistaken at understanding the situation here," Bandu said trying to bring the situation under control.

"How is that Bandu?"

"Believe me, sir...it was just yesterday that a letter arrived from Ratnapur, written by the Raja himself that he seeks to see his sister and ask for her forgiveness at having wronged her. He stated that he was on the death bed and before that wanted to make amends. You see...my mother strained her relationship with her family when she eloped with my father and her family on their part tried to trace them and kill them," Bandu paused and saw both men lost in their imaginations.

"Typical royal status saga, I guess," Inspector Mitra drawled.

The police man appeared to have only half believed him from the looks of it. But Ravi gave him an understanding nod.

"But why haven't you left already?" Mitra asked.

"The letter from her beloved brother got her very emotional which led to a drop in her blood pressure. So now I  have to take the doctor's advice whether it would be feasible to take on this travel that far with her delicate health and also..." Bandu paused contemplating to mention the issue of their safety.

"Also...what...Bandu?" Ravi prodded.

"Your fear is valid here, Bandu. Sometimes it's not the enmity, but the outdated patriarchal principle, hurt by the elopement, would still want to satisfy it's ego by seeking death in revenge. But you need not be in fear for I intend to get the tidings of that place from my friend who is posted there. I will let you know if I suspect any foul play,"

"Can there be a possibility that these threating letters are coming from there?" that suspicion arouse from Ravi.

"That is a remote possibility," Bandu seconded it.

"Why?" Inspector Mitra questioned, "They would not have targeted both you and Sakhi if that was the case,"

"That's true, isn't it?" Bandu thoughtfully agreed to that point. The plot got even more confusing.

"I am most thankful for your help, sir. I will wait for your go-ahead before I make any plans for travel,"

"Talking of Sakhi...where is she? She was not responding to my call so I send over a constable to check on her, but found her house locked. On inquiring with her neighbours he came to know that she left in a taxi with her baggage. Do any of you know about her whereabouts? I needed to warn her of the eminent danger she faced after the death of the prisoner, as she too was one of the main witnesses in the case,"

"She has left for Hattipur. She was to take a flight to Hattipur from Yurat today. I too tried calling her but hear that it is switched off. Until she reached Yurat I kept receiving her message, but after that I lost contact,"

"Since she confided in you about her travel plans, what sort of relationship do you share with her?"

"She is a friend of the family just like Mr. Rajput here. Having got acquainted during the case, we kept in touch after that too. Nothing more than that," he stated too firmly.

"As you say, Bandu. I just wanted to know if your friendship went back before the case,"

"No, sir, not at all,"

"What about you, Mr. Rajput, did you know anyone of them before the case?"

"I knew Sakhi as my sister Pooja was her assistant. Other than that I never knew both of them before the case,"

"We still lack to identify the motive behind these threats since clearly there has been no mention of any demand so far other than giving me headaches and I detest its onset. So I intend to pursue this case speedily,"

"We really hope that you bring a closure to this case as soon as possible. We shall take our leave then, sir," Ravi stood up and shook hands with Mitra followed by Bandu who professed his thanks to the man who he now knew to would likely reach his past.

"Why didn't you tell me about Sakhi, Bandu? I would have inquired at the airport?" Ravi laid an accusation at Bandu's feet as soon as they were out of the inspector's cabin.

"With mother's sickness and her revelations, followed by its impact on both me and Sukhi, there was a delay in passing on the message to you about Sakhi's travel. I did not want to come out as being a mother hen worrying about her chicks, so I waited for her to call or message me," he said as they were out walking on the pavement.

"It's 5 pm already and flight must have landed long time back, if not delayed and must have checked-in at a hotel. Did she give you the hotel's name?"

"No, she didn't,"

"And you did not ask?"

"It did not sound proper,"

"For god's sake, Bandu, when she told no one but you about her travel plans, she wanted you to know...the only person she cared about!" Ravi sighed wearily.

"Are you jealous,"

"Do you want me to be?"

"No," he had set his own trap with that reply and stopped. Ravi just shook his head and retrieved his phone and got working on it.

Bandu moved at little ahead. Ravi's words struck him deeply on his heart. "I care for her more than anyone," his cry came out as a whisper only the winds could hear. He didn't know what stand to take regards his heart. He didn't know if he was the right person to commit to her and was not sure of her feelings too. It maybe just a passing phase, because the case had brought them together and it was possible her feelings could wean off after their interactions ceased. Why would an educated person like her chose to be with an uneducated person like him.

"The flight was on time and Sakhi was on board that flight," Ravi disclosed walking towards him as he cut off the call he made.

"Then why didn't she call?" it was Bandu's turn to worry.

"If she didn't call, you should have called. Danger follows her too, remember! We should lookout for each other and she has no one to inquire about her if she disappeared all of a sudden. So don't be shy, Bandu, if you have to be a mother hen then be one,"

"OK...ok. I was wrong. I assumed that she must be busy and would call later. I too did try calling her later but it came switched off. Now what should we do?"

"Now we have no choice but wait for her to call. We have no idea where she has put up also. Why did she go to Hattipur anyways?" he asked as they walked to the bus stop.

"To visit her father's bankers," he answered in aloud tone to be heard over the traffic sound as they stood on the pavement to cross the road. They managed to successfully get themselves across the road and step on the tiled pavement. Ravi still had the plaster on but it didn't seem to bother him much as he carried it on the sling and walked with a spring in his steps. The wound on the forehead was remembered by a small tape on it.

"How is you headaches now?"

"Trouble makers don't stick with me for long," he gave a short laugh, "Have to return to duty in a day or two. Pooja's doctor has got himself out of station on a training and will be back after two weeks after which a date for the surgery will be set,"

"Oh, that's good news, at least you will be safe from any accidents,"

"I am not a coward to run away from danger,"

"I didn't mean in that sense. I meant you will not be targeted at your camp,"

"If not me then Pooja too can be their target," he said instantly and that set Bandu's pulse racing.

"Oh my god! I didn't realise that!" he had stopped walking.

"Don't run up the wall, Bandu. Nothing will happen to her. We have to worry about Sakhi now. If she doesn't call then inspector Mitra has to be brought into the picture so that he can take action on it,"

"I am sure she will call...I am sure," Bandu chanted in despair and at that precise moment his phone rang startling him for a second but then dived his hand into the pocket to retrieve eagerly hoping it to be her call, but his face fell when an unknown number was flashing on the screen.

"Come on...answer it,"

"Yes..yes," he shuttered and answered the call, "Hello...miss Sakhi!" he exclaimed stopping in his tracks as Ravi bumped into him from behind. Bandu seemed to be highly intent on listening to what was being said from the other end.

"But you are alright, I suppose...please tell me," he was pleading.

"Ok, I will wait" he stood staring at the phone long after it disconnected.

"Well are we waiting for her to pop out of the phone?"

"No...no...just..." he was plainly embarrassed.

"Ok...Mr. Blush...what did she say?"

"That she lost her phone, but, where and how...she doesn't know. It was at the time of boarding the flight, when she decided to call me, she realised that it was missing. There was nothing much she could do then and even recollecting the numbers was difficult as it was all stored in the phone. Worst of all was the fact that she had even lost the bankers contact and walked into three branches before she located the right one. She has finished her work in the bank and will be on the flight to Yurat in the morning tomorrow," Bandu sighed.

"That's a relief to know that she managed everything well. I will let inspector Mitra in on this development," Ravi had already set out on his phone.

For Bandu he felt as though a tight knot that had tightened around his heart had unravelled.

"Done that," Ravi spouted.

"Is there a direct transport to Ratanpur, Ravi?"

"Let's see" and began to dig away into that phone of his again as Bandu watched in awe at the speed and knowhow of his friend on the instrument. Bandu still had trouble sending messages and making call on the phone and so he did not turn his attention to other services the phone offered. After two three minutes Ravi was talking again.

"It says here that there is a direct train from here. You are lucky,"

"Oh...we have already reached the bus stop...so we part here...Ravi," Bandu said stretching his hand out duly met by the other in a strong shake and a rather a much more firmer grip than intended, Bandu thought and the man's face had a comical expression and that made him feel strange.