Devasena shot her body up from the extra soft bed, cushioned with pillows all around. She had been on this very bed earlier. 

All she remembered was, she had crossed the canal, her head had swirled. 'First time drinkers syndrome'. And she had begun to fall. Everything had gone blank soon after.

Waking up on this bed wasn't strange anymore, but what estranged her was the morning lights that poured in through the single open window, and the person sitting just at her feet, smiling. 

Avanthika. 

" Avanti! Oh my god! You here? " , Devasena was startled beyond imagination. Avanthika found her way to Sreebhoomi? 

Though she had told everything back then to Avanthika, and she was smart enough, but given the strange dweller of this place... 

" Where's he? " , Devasena felt her heart pacing without a reason.

" Who? " , Avanthika questioned, utterly calm. 

Devasena bit her lips. 

" Amarendra! " 

To this Avanthika looked around as if searching for the person. 

" Every door..from the main gate to this room was opened wide. I saw no Amarendra... " , she shrugged her shoulders 

" And as promised, you will be thrashed more than you can imagine. I woke up around 3 in the night to find you nowhere. I had to just terribly call you, and rag my brain until I ran upto here with much courage. I hate old palaces and forts. " , Avanthika glared. 

And it was justified. 

Devasena got down. Avanthika too. She immediately grabbed Devasena before she could set out for another expedition in search of the man. 

" We are going home. " 

Devasena helplessly stared at her, and then nodded in positive. 

Avanthika swiftly led her down a corridor that led to the living room itself, and Devasena herself felt lost even after the third visit. 

The doors were actually open and no one was anywhere to be seen. Avanthika almost guided Devasena out of the main gate, who toppled numerous times looking around for the man in question. 

But he didn't appear.

They boarded an autorickshaw and throughout the journey, both of them remained quite. 

Just before getting down, Devasena couldn't help but ask the driver, " Bhaiyaa... Is Sreebhoomi haunted? "

The driver immediately chuckled. " we too believed that didi, but since that NRI heir returned, and is still existing alone, the rumors have started appearing as rumours. " 

Devasena breathed a sigh of relief, while Avanthika watched the process carefully. 

He's real then.

Back at the PG, the room appeared extremely foggy. 

" What's this? " 

Avanthika herself shouted out seeing the smoky weather inside the room while Devasena coughed and cleared the air before her eyes. The windows were already open, and Devasena looked out. 

" they must have burnt scraps nearby, and the smoke reached the rooms. " 

Avanthika squeezed her nose. 

" Why do you think he didn't appear before our eyes for once? " , Avanthika raised her brows. While Devasena searched for the answer in mid air. 

And then twisted her lips. But remained quiet.

" Because if he's been following you, he knows my whereabouts as well. And since I'm sure I  will recognize him as some bee buzzing around you at your college fests and bla, he too must have known about my strong memory and observation senses. " 

Avanthika clapped and laughed. Devasena too couldn't contain her smile. Avanthika indeed was smart, but the girl boasted a lot too. 

But again, what could be the real reason of his absence? 

" how did you reach the bedroom straight? " , Devasena suddenly asked Avanthika.

" who said straight? Almost every other door was locked. "

Actually. Devasena knew the saga of closed doors. 

" listen Devasena. Stop visiting Sreebhoomi. You have a life. And a great career as a painter ahead. Please don't waste time on these bullshit and pure bluffs! " 

Avanthika got up to arrange for some dry breakfast. Devasena kept sitting. Just because she couldn't handle the vodka, she had to let him go...

**

The person stood with brows together while the man before explained. 

" our shop will lead you to never discovered or even not much talked about historical artefacts, clans, paintings and what not. I personally detest mainstream. This curio shop was my grandfather's. But when it transferred to me from baba, I began collecting things which people hardly heard about. And surprisingly, people gathered interest! " , the man rubbed his hands in joy, a chubby bubbly fellow in mid sixties. 

The person slowly began walking down the length of the not so large room, but like chokingly packed with stuffs. A curio shop down one of the narrowest lanes in Bhopal. 

The chubby man walked along. 

" Strangely, you are the second person in just some time span who came looking for stuffs of Maahishmathi, a kingdom I never heard of until I read a book. The book was so beautifully written that I couldn't contain my desire to visit the place where the kingdom was once situated. " , the man was too joyous.

The person spoke, " and what did you find there? " 

" Hahah! A strange story. The palace still stands on the banks of Narmada, but almost completely demolished. People around only know, it used to be a huge kingdom almost five centuries back, but unlike many clans which demolished due to foreign invasions, it demolished because of... " 

" Antaryudh. ", the person completed and went to take up an ornament that lay in a box at one corner of a table. A ring. 

The joyful man said, " so rightly chosen. It's from Maahishmathi. The last king's little finger's. " 

The person caressed the ring...and slowly uttered... " Mahendra... "

 After sometime the person asked, " and what else did you gather? " 

" Hahah! Not me. The biggest local curators did. Very few things could be gathered from the palace. It's believed, there was mostly a fire outbreak..." 

The person placed back the ring. 

" Some little antiquities like these, and three paintings, of the lady rulers, only...that too very much worn out. "

" and one painting of a man too...who supposedly..." , the person stopped because the ever joyous man now seriously nodded in negation. 

" No dear! Strangely enough no one found any painting of the kings of the clan. Supposedly...the fire destroyed patriarchy. " , with this the man burst out into a devastating laughter. 

And the person nodded too swiftly, as if enjoying the thing. 

" And the other person who visited you even yesterday I believe, he took only three paintings of three women. Right?" 

" Right." 

" did he tell his name? " 

" I made a bill for Mr A.B.  " 

The person stared blankly, and almost whispered. " existential crisis of lookalikes. " 

" sorry? " , the man asked. 

" nothing. You tell me uncle, isn't Mahendra a better name? "

" Err... Better than? " 

The person walked back to the corner of the table and picked up the ring. 

" Pack this for me. " 

The chubby man happily took it from the person and went over to the billing counter. 

" What name shall I bill for dear? " 

" A. M. " , the person reciprocated the smile.