"What happened?" he asked gritting his teeth, trying to stay calm, for the news.

"Someone's been to my room. It's in a mess. My bags have been ripped open and its contents strewn all over. The wardrobe, drawers and the even the bathroom has been ransacked. I just don't understand what's happening,"

"Please sit down...calm down...Miss Sakhi and tell me what happened," Bandu said trying to lead her to the nearest seat. He was afraid she might take a fall.

Blotting the sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief in her hand, she sat down on the nearby sofa. Nearly frightened to tears she sat there quietly and accepted the glass of water that Bandu offered her. After talking a few sip she returned it.

"In the morning, I was informed over the intercom that Dr. Mathur wanted to meet me in the library, to show me some archeological piece that would interest me. It took me around ten minutes to reach the library situated at the far end of the palace on the ground floor. But to my surprise there was no one there, but decided to wait for him in case he was delayed due to some reason. I lost track of time as I began to randomly go through the varied collection. It was a treasure island concerning me. After half an hour I realised that Dr. Mathur was not coming and it confused me, so I returned back to my room to find it in this state. I called up Ramesh and informed him as I do not have Dr. Mathur's number. He arrived with palace security to assess the damages and assured me of compensation. He was also initiating a police investigation in this matter too. He offered to prepare me a new room but I declined as I was to leave in a few hours,"

"Any valuables or cash missing?"

"No...nothing was taken and that's what puzzles me. What were they after?"

"Maybe they got the wrong room," Bandu murmered absently.

"Wrong...room?" Sakhi caught on to it, "What do you mean?"

"So many people are staying in the palace. I was informed that there were rifts between the relatives regarding the partition of the property. They have filed cases against each other at the police station too. Maybe they intendent to frighten or hurt each other in some way," Bandu explained more to himself than to her and really hoped it were true, because it was a better gift than her been injured in any manner.

Her face seemed to change as she took in Bandu's revelation and was sort of calmed down.

"But it was so disturbing. After the trauma of being attacked and kidnapped, my nerves are still jittery and jump at any incident. I was really scared,"

"Yes...I know. You look ready to breakdown. Come let's go to mother's room for breakfast. She is expecting us and will start worrying," he said forcing a smile on to his face.

"Oh...I forgot about it in this mess. Let's...let's go then." She said and rose to her feet.

"Something's happened? Why do you both look worried?" mother's keen eyes observed as the duo made their entry into the room. They shot glances at each other and busied themselves at seating themselves on the sofa. But a pair of eyes followed Bandu all the way.

"Yes mother there was an incident related to Miss Sakhi this morning. Somebody ransacked her room," Bandu finally said.

"Ransacked! How preposterous and that too in the palace. Have you informed the manager, dear? How frightening" she said getting agitated, "I just can't imagine how thing are going downhill since brother's illness,"

"Mother, don't fret yourself. Everthing has been taken care of," Bandu said calming his mother.

Just then the door opened and Ramesh came in followed by two attendents carrying breakfast trays. After placing the food on the table they left the room except for Ramesh.

"Dr. Mathur has asked me to convey his apologies for not being able to join you all for breakfast. He has gone to town on an urgent errand,"

"What urgent matter?" Bandu now half afraid of something worse happening to the doctor and sought Sakhi's eyes who had a worried look on her face. Ramesh seemed to be in a rush and did not respond to his question.

"Please enjoy your breakfast and Miss Sakhi, a personnel from the police department would be arriving shortly to take down your complaint. I will let you know when he arrives," after his announcement with a straight face he gave his glasses a push up on his nose and left.

"God knows what's happening here. I fear for my brother's life," mother brought out her anxious thoughts.

"Please eat mother,"

"I have lost my appetite,"

"That won't do mother. You have medicines, which cannot be taken on an empty stomach," Bandu said and held a plate of upma in front of her, which she unwilling took bringing relief to everyone in the room.

Everyone sat down with a plate of breakfast of their choice. Bandu too had lost his appetite long before thinking about the doctor's urgent matter. So was Sakhi as she nimbled on her sandwitches lost in some thoughts of her own. The only happy members were Sukhi and her children as she scolded them for dropping their food and was trying hard to infuse in them some manners.

"You met Dara" his mother's voice sounded loud from among the clatter of spoons on plates and at once the noises ceased. His eyes flickered around in his plate and his tongue felt tasteless.

"Yes" he said without looking up and continued to spoon his plate without really eating and the others resumed their eating.

"The children told me about it" she said keeping the half eaten plate on the table and took up a glass of water to drink. Sukhi got up and hurriedly began to prepare a cup of tea for her mother.

Bandu remained silent as he recollected the events of the morning and it was too overwhelming. He couldn't describe his own emotions other than feel them brewing inside him like a storm. He kept his eyes down and began to munch on his food. He was thankful that mother refrained from further discussing the topic. For Sakhi it was an unknown terrain but one look at Bandu gave her the idea as to how gravely sensitive the topic was for him that he went unresponsive even to his own mother.

He finished eating and was handed over a cup of tea by his sister. He carried that along with his thoughts to the balcony overlooking the front gate and the garden. From the palace two roads encircled the garden to meet at the two gates. One road was to enter the palace and one to exit. Both roads were adorned with lowering trees along the sides, giving ample amount of shade. They were beautifully trimmed and maintained. He saw several people working in the gardens. As he sipped his tea he suddenly noticed a white vehicle moving through the trees on the road. The vehicle came into his clear view only when it neared the palace and his hand banged the cup on the saucer when he realised that the he was seeing an ambulance followed by a car at it's tail. They disappeared under the cemented canopy.

He turned to move away, but was stopped as a flicker of movement on the road caught his eye. It was a police jeep and following it was the police van. The note flashed in front of his eyes and he grew pale. Something had happened for sure. His heart began to thud loudly and he began to pray silently. But fate was fate and you face it.