After a hurried shower, Bandu went over to the stable to meet Toga and Dara. Both were happy to see him. He briefly explained to Toga about Dr. Mathur and warned him to be careful. On the way back he visited the kitchen for the first time and became awestruck at the vast space and uniformed men and women meticulously working hard to cater to the day-to-day meals for the occupants of the palace.

There were all modernized pieces of equipment and expensive utensils and cutlery from all over the world. The silver, copper, and brass wares were stored separately. He met the main chef and manager of the kitchen Shri Maheshwar Dolha. He was not only the oldest cook of the palace but was even elder to Raja Saheb. He knew everyone and everyone respected him. Bandu was charmed by his personality and liked him and his kitchen. He talked of his children who were working at different hotels as chefs.

Bandu too wanted to be a hotelier someday, he dreamed as he walked through the palace. On his way back he took a quick visit to Nayantara to check on her progress, but she was still in and out of slumber the nurse said. She reminded him of Sakhi and decided to give her a call. It was only 7.30pm and there was still time for dinner. She picked up instantly after two rings. Their initial conversation starts slowly with a hi and hello.

"When are you leaving for Bali?" Bandu asked.

"Err...Bandu...I am at Chalhat now,"

"What!," Bandu stopped in his tracks, "Whatever for?"

"Bandu, I told you about the team getting sick. They are here at this hospital and their condition is quite delicate. Nisha wanted to meet me urgently and was very insistent. My fear pulled me here to her,"

"What did she say?"

"I could not talk to her as she has slipped into a coma and the doctors said that her chances are slim. I just don't understand what's happening,"

"The others, how are they faring?"

"They are all sick and I cannot bare to see them. They are all hallucinating and screaming in pain. They are covered in painful rashes so much so that they are tied to their bed so as to not harm themselves in the process of scratching or rubbing on their wounds and dislodging them further. It's so heartbreaking to see them like this," she sniffled into the phone.

"That's never heard of ever happening anywhere. What do the doctors say about this?"

"They spoke about their initial diagnosis as heat stroke and an unknown bacterial infection. So they are conducting research and will soon find out,"

"Where are you now miss Sakhi?" he could hear some noises.

"I am returning back to the hotel from the hospital in a taxi,"

"When are you returning back?"

"Tomorrow, as I have nothing to do here now. I will...hey!...stop! what's happening?!" she was screaming, "Help! help!..." her shriek was now distant and then fell silent.

"Sakhi!!! Are you alright" it was Bandu who screamed in agitation.

"Help!!!" he heard a muffled scream and then the line went dead. Bandu screamed her name feeling helpless and stood there with the phone stuck to her ears, lost in dread.

"Mr Bandu...Bandu..."

He turned around at the familiar voice.

"Samar! Samar! She is in trouble," he began to let out a series of babbling words in desperate fury, "Women are so stupid,"

"Whom are you talking about?" Masan asked and the angry eyes turned to him.

"Miss Sakhi. Why had she to go there now? I had warned her numerous times to be careful, but it fell on deaf ears. OH! God what am I supposed to do now?" he said running his hand through his hair and holding it tightly.

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know, Samar, she was screaming for help over the phone in the midst of our conversation," he began pacing in the short span, "Do something, Samar, please help!" he held Samar's hands and pleaded with him.

"OK...ok, calm down. I will contact comm Seth and try to coordinate with the police department there. By the way where was she?"

"Chalhat. She was in a taxi returning back from the hospital after meeting her team admitted there,"

"Ok then let me hurry and contact comm Seth," he said and scooted off in haste leaving Bandu standing alone.

"Whatever comes I will leave for Chalhat tomorrow," he decided in resolve and walked to his room not wanting to disturb mother with this bad news.

Waiting was something he could not do at that time. He felt helpless and all sorts of fatalities crossed his mind, that might have befallen her. He kept pacing his room like a caged animal, mumbling to himself. He tried to call her many times but heard the same message over and over again that it was switched off. Then when finally his phone rang he picked it up in a hurry without checking for the caller.

"Did you find her Samar?" he blurted out anxiously over the phone.

There was silence on the other side and he repeated the question.

"Hello...Samar...did you get any information about her?"

"Hello...Bandu... it's me, Ravi,"

"Ravi..." he repeated that name trying to search through the haze of Sakhi's thoughts, "Yes Ravi...how are you" he finally got through, "Sorry I was a little disturbed," he stammered.

"Not disturbed, but terrible I would say. Tell me what happened. Whom were you talking about?" he prodded Bandu to speak.

But Bandu needed no prodding, "Ravi...its Sakhi, she is in trouble,"

"What happened? Where is she?"

"She's in Chalhat. I was talking to her a few minutes back and then she started screaming for help and the phone went dead,"

"Chalhat...why is she here?"

"She had gone to meet her team who are hospitalized there and was on her way back to her hotel in a taxi,"

"That's bad Bandu. Chalhat is a city of thieves and murderers, it's their heaven. Some are retired and repenting, while some are molding young ones to carry on their lineage. Rarely would you find a population with no such background,"

"Ravi...how do you know these things? Or are you frightening me by clowning around?"

"No, my dear friend, I am not joking. I am stationed here in Chalhat army base, have been here for almost three years, and know quite a few goons down here. We have to deal with them sometimes. They do anything for money"

"If you are there then can you help find her...please?"

"That goes without telling Bandu, " he assured, "Is this Ghatti a part of her research work that was stolen?"

"Yes...Ravi it was,"

"Then there is a possibility that she was kidnapped again for the research and will be taken to Ghatti,"

"I don't know, maybe or maybe not," Bandu now pausing to dread carefully, "Ravi..."

"Yes, Bandu?"

"Whatever happens, don't cross over to the village of Ghatti,"