A Tale Of Love (On Hold)

THE GOLDEN WOLF

MAHARAJ AYUDHIK

I entered my study hoping that this fools didn't screwed up anything yet. They are classified jokers and pranksters of our main team. But that hope mixed with dust as soon as I saw a rusty trunk, two old armchairs and a ancient dressing table in my study. "What the hell is this ?" I asked fluming as they looked at me sheepishly like a child caught with his hand in sweet box. "Actually....." Abhi began rubbing back of his head. "Actually what...." I asked folding my hands infront of my chest tapping my foot on the floor waiting from their answer. "Wefoundarvindammechanisminaboxsowebroughteverythingpresentthere." Raj said in single breath looking at the carpet which became much more interesting than my face.

"Repeat again properly with gap in every word." I said punctuating each and every word. First of all after nearly three weeks of silence Chitra spoke with me and here this idiots are wasting my time on few useless pieces of furnitures. "We went to Aakash Manjil and found that one of the rooms had been locked. The key was hidden in place you told. The entire courtyard was stripped naked of all furnitures except the one locked room. Except for the thick layers of dust and cowebs anyone would have thought the owner wasjust outside. Everything was were it was meant to be. After searching through the trunk we found this." The calmer and more mature twin Abhi said passing me a small box a tad bigger than my palm.

I looked at the locking mechanism and immediately understood their distrust. Arvindam mechanism. The only mechanism they don't know how to solve. Sure Raj looked igited. Then it clicked in my mind if they already found this box then what this old furniture is doing in my room. "What about this furniture ?" I asked to the pieces looking out of place in the brown and green decor. Abhi scratched back of neck before replying sheepishly. "Oh.., This furniture. We don't know if there are anymore hidden places in the furnitures so we brought each and everything. The others are in your chambers." He completed giving me a sorry look as I facepalmed myself. Give them one work they will do one and half.

"Out." I asked them as they happily óbeyed happy that they didn't got a scolding like last time. I still remember one time when they were thirteen and I sent them to collect intel on the bandits as impersonating as servant boys. I doubt even god knows what happened they mixed poison in the food and ale killing all except one member of the troop of one hundred and fifty. To our horror they even dragged that person half alive to our base and asked to introgate the bandit ourselves. He was lucky Arjun was unable to see his misery and ended his life with single stroke to his neck but not before we got what we want to know. Of course Aditi made them both stand in water of Vaigai in the chill of winter.

It was either that or give us the reason and apologies to entire troops for putting themselves at higher risk and nearly getting killed. At last Aditi showed mercy after three days when they finally fainted due to hunger, fatigue and exhaustion. They still refuse give us the reason. I took a breath as my hands began to trace the carvings on the or wooden box. It is sure made up of red chandan. The wolf carved on its top was extremely elobrated. I can easily feel the markings for mouth and eyes. I half thought that it's teeths can pierce the skin of my thumb. I settled it on the table and began to unlock it. Sweat dripping down my forehead. It is one of the most difficult mechanism.

Luckily Bhumi Maa taught me how to solve it before she passed away or else I would have been died a long time ago. I let out my breath as I turned the final knob and the a quick 'click' told me that the box was opened. I lifted it cover discovering a pure brown colour jade slab resting inside. Nested in a red cushion and four bottles of corrosive acid. A single wrong turned would have led to the breakage in bottle does distroying whatever was inside. It is rectangular with a very elobrated golden wolf howling. I turned it's sides half expecting the wolf to come into life but it stayed where it is carved. I hold the slab in the light of now setting sun. The orange light refracted from it causing a strange pattern on the farther wall.