Sun Moon & Stars Volume III Curse Of The Third-Eye

Chapter 68

A very alluring aspect of Bose Villa was its white-painted walls. The colour somehow gave freedom of interpretation, matching the spectator's innermost thoughts. Some took it as a peace before the storm. For some, it was a statue of purity, while to some it was absolutely an obscure thing to even spare a thought.

To Jhilum, however, it was duty.

Usually, her day started at a normal hour of eight and continued late into the evening. But with an exception, she woke up in the early hours of breaking dawn and went straight to the backyard. 

She had tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. A very stinging pain pierced her heart every second. She knew she was being called for help and finally, when the pain was too much to bear, she woke up.

She was one hundred percent sure that she had heard a peacock's call. Not just any peacock rather a rare one. Mostly nonexistent for the common people, but protected and worshipped by elemental tribes.

Jhilum opened the latch to the back door and rushed out. The sight almost paralysed her. She gasped looking at the bleeding peacock, trembling in pain and crying for help.

"Ethi!" Jhilum cried kneeling in front of the wounded bird. "How-who.." she panted, "who-did who did this to you?"

The bird couldn't manage to communicate. A single tear fell from her eyes desperately staring at Jhilam. 

Jhilam understood. 

She looked for any sign of trespassing and then shouted, "Paoli! Pablo!"

Hearing her pleading cry two of her students came running into the backyard. They almost stumbled down watching Jhilum holding a large golden peacock.

"Is that real?" the teenage boy asked and was suddenly smacked on her head by the teen girl beside her. "Idiot! Questions later, she needs help."

The two of them helped Jhilum carry Ethi into the house. They quickly shut off all the windows, the entrance and exit points of the house. Then took the bird directly into the small altar Ela had built inside the house.

It smelled of jasmine and sandalwood coming from the freshly burned incense sticks. Large brass lamps burned on either side of the small idols of the twin gods Ashwini Kumara, placed in the middle of the altar.

Jhilum joined her hands and bowed. She took a second before stretching her left hand and pressing hard on the small corner of the main altar on which the idols stood. Slowly the top of the altar just in front of the idols' feet shifted revealing a narrow opening. Sliding it further Jhilum opened a hidden storage space.

"Who sent her here? How could she have known that you are a healer?" the teen girl asked watching Jhilum closely. She was about five feet tall and had a round face with her hair pulled up tightly in a heavy bun. She was lean but a bit curvy from down below her waist, although hidden in her baggy clothes. 

Compared to her the boy was taller and athletic. Otherwise, by facial features, he was almost the same as the girl. Only his features were sharper and he had an insanely long nose which didn't go well with his hair shortened in a crew cut. 

If looked closely anybody could have guessed they were siblings.

"Ethi belongs to Aditya..." Jhilum replied taking out several containers, a mortar and pestle, clean clothes and long needles. "Quick, Paoli, hold her still," she instructed the girl. "And Pablo, prepare the antidote. She looks like she has been attacked by a Baghrol."

"Hold right there guruma," Paoli looked alarmed at the mention of Aditya's name. "You said Ethi belongs to the prince. Does that mean he is ..."