"Why Bandu?"

"It's a cursed place, you will not make it alive from there,"

"Don't be ridiculous, Bandu, when did you start believing in superstitions?"

"There is nothing superstitious about this place. You should go and visit the research team admitted to the hospital to believe. The doctors team there are confused and perplexed on being confronted to treat patients with some unknown bacterial infections and body rashes that don't seem to react to medicines,"

"Ok, I will go and visit the team and will see for myself, bye then,"

"Bye and remember you have Pooja to look after," Bandu said

"Yes, and she has one more brother,"

Yes, he was a brother to both Pooja and Ravi and now he feared for them too. Whoever came in contact with him faced danger and this made him feel more guilty. Why had God given him such an existence? Not only was he living a cursed life, but all those he loved also seemed to catch on to that curse. He never knew of his rare lineage until Sakhi told him about it. He was sure why mother had not told him about it, she too believed that the curse will befall them if the secret was revealed. He too now believed it and so he was reluctant to divulge this secret to comm Seth too.

There was a knock on the door and he let Masan(Samar) inside closing the door behind him.

"Well, what's the news?"

"We have traced her location from her last call,"

"Then did you find her," Bandu jumped to a conclusion.

"When the police team went to that place there was no trace of her or the phone,"

"Now what?"

"They are investigating,"

"Of course they are...I am always hearing that," Bandu said sarcastically and slumped down on the chair nearby.

"One has to investigate, Bandu. They are policemen and not superhumans," he said seeing Bandu get up again to pace the floor.

"Bandu, stop pacing, you are giving me a sprain in my neck,"

He sloshed down again on the bed in frustration.

"I will go there tomorrow,"

"And do what?"

"Search for her,"

"I don't know. At least start my own inquiries,"

"So you are going to 'investigate'" Samar said.

Bandu was flustered at the term and felt embarrassingly helpless.

"I will go mad with anxiety sitting here,"

"You're in love!"

"What!" Bandu looked at Samar aghast and then lowered his eyes and was speechless.

"You are not sure. It can wait. Bandu don't worry, they are bound to make some progress by morning. I will come as soon as I learn of something," he left the room quietly closing the door behind him. then it was him alone again with his fears that seemed to find happiness in tormenting him until Nand came to remind him of dinner. He then freshened up and went along with Nand to his mother's room where dinner was already set up. Samar was in the room arranging the plates for the family. Bandu eyed him with hope but was dejected at his lowered eyes.

"What happened son, are you not feeling well?" it was a mother's concern that outpoured on him as soon as she set her eyes on him.

"Just stressed mother" he replied and sat on the chair beside her so his emotions were not visible to her.

"I know the matters here are too much to handle alone and that too when you are new to it. Take it slowly, Maan," she advised.

"You are right, mother,"

"Did you call Sakhi today?" she asked out of the blue and he gritted his teeth trying to control himself.

"No, mother, it's too late now. Will call in the morning," he said busying himself on plating the food.

"I so much worry about that child. Before I die, I want to see her married and settled, and happy. God knows if it will all materialize," she said with a sigh, taking the plate Sukhi handed over to her.

"It will be all done in its own time, mother. Don't worry and she is such a sensible girl," Sukhi comforted her mother.

Masan had left the room only noticed by Bandu. The dinner was an ordeal for him as he found it hard to chew and gulp down the food, keeping his emotion in check all the time. As soon as he finished his dinner he left the room on the pretext of resting and before that checking up on Nayantara.

"How is she nurse?"

"She drifts in and out of sleep, speaking incoherently. I think she will wake up soon,"

"That's good news. I will come by in the morning again," he slipped out of the room in silence and for a moment thought about Dr. Mathur, who had mysteriously disappeared, and wondered what really happened to him. Was there no one to inquire about him? he wondered. Was he really a friend or a foe in disguise? He had no way of finding out.

He turned around a corner to take the stairs when before him he got a glimpse of a shadow on the wall at the far end that had just disappeared around the corner. As basic instinct kicked in, he decided to follow the shadow, which kept on disappearing around the corner. He caught up with it ahead of him up the stairs and followed it. It was a person in a black outfit. He could not make out much because of dimmed lights in the corridor.

The shadow was making its way to his room, surprising Bandu. Why would anyone steal up to his room? He cautiously approached the door and lay his ear on it, but there was no movement heard. He braced himself for self defense and gently turned the knob and stepped inside the dark room except for the moonlight pouring from the balcony.

He tip-toed towards the switchboard and put on the lights, but at a quick glance, observed the room to be empty. Before he could move a step further he was alerted to a noise from the bedroom. In an instant, he was at the door and waited, to hear intently, but heard nothing.

He turned the knob and peered inside the room. No shadows moved in the trickling moonlit room. He entered the room all alert and moved to switch on the light. He glanced across the room and nearly missed someone lying on the bed. His feet were fixed on the floor as the scene in front horrified him.