A person stood before the History section of the White Club's Library. 

'The Demolished Dynasties' was placed back carefully, a little book with wine red hardback, and the name written in gold.

The library was almost clear at this point of the day, and the little number of readers present didn't at all care to buzz around the History section. 

The person had very well known the CCTV placements, being a keen observer. No, not typically a book thief, but at times observations did good. Real good.

The History section fortunately lacked a camera placement. And that was only because this public History section didn't really house precious collections. Those were in separate cubicles, well protected.

The person slowly pulled out the book, shifting gazes from side to side. No one around. 

In a split second, a zip deep inside the jacket tore open to slide a book between its length.

Minutes later, the person walked out, with bags clear, apparels clear superficially, and with a smile at the security.

++++++

Devasena wanted to throw a dish at the person right before, who was now frantically laughing. 

Just a few moments earlier she had freezed to the point of death, vivaciously shouting his name. The person sat before throughout, but didn't care to make a sound. When the lights returned, he began laughing out loud when she had turned completely pale.

" Are we playing a game here? " , Devasena stood up with a thud. 

" A game of frightening someone without a damn reason? From day one you are doing strange things to me. I'll go to the police. " 

Amarendra slowly stopped laughing, and kept staring at her, without blinking, to a point that she had to break the eyelock. 

That uneasiness...

" You are free to go anywhere you wish. I didn't bring you back here... Devasena! " 

Devasena could feel her heart stop for a while. Never in life had she heard her name being pronounced so beautifully, so distinctly, so deeply, so passionately... 

"from this moment,till deaths do us apart, I am yours... Devasena! "

WHAT??

No. The person before her didn't utter a word now. But she clearly heard that, 'Devasena' uttered exactly in the same way.

" Who spoke? " 

Devasena didn't know what she was into. But the same exquisite fear began grabbing her again. This palace didn't house anything that could make her feel good. She always felt sick.

" Are you alright? " , Amarendra remained sitting. 

She was not. She shut her eyes tight, to maintain balance. 

And then she suddenly screamed, " Why do I hear voices? Why do I have visions? Why did you bring me here that day? Why are you ruining my normal life? "

Devasena breathed hard. She felt giddy again and not so alright.

Amarendra stood up. He walked towards her, stood right before her and said, " Life is a mystery Devasena! But, it's really not that you have to solve things right away. Everything has it's time, and you will get your chance, if not now, maybe centuries later. A beginning is all we needed. Now...ease up.   "

There was no reason to ease up at all, but this man , the man in question and his reassuring eyes did release a ton of burden from her mind it seemed. She really felt less heavy now, though not particularly understanding a word he said. 

" Water? " 

Amarendra brought a jug from the table to her. She needed that desperately. 

" So... Do you know anything at all about me?" 

Amarendra had walked a few steps away from Devasena now, placing the jug back on the table and then throwing at her the question. 

Devasena wasn't sure what she was supposed to tell. She had known little things, but the identity of the person had already split into two. 

So has hers... 

" Forget the paintings. " 

Goodness! The man could read minds it seemed. And that left Devasena even more mute. 

" Fine. Lemme introduce myself. I am Amarendra. I have never used the surname of my family because surnames don't make us, us.  Names do. If I had used though, it would be a Bhawaani. Though recently I have started using a B. Not sure what it stands for. " ,he smiled. And this time the smile had more meaning. 

" Why don't we walk and talk? I know you are a black belt, a Marshall artist too. Come let's walk upto a place you would love. " 

Amarendra began walking from the living room to an adjacent corridor. Devasena, who followed him quite comfortably now...or rather almost hypnotized, could recognize the corridor immediately. 

A night at a palace.

He talked while walking, 

" I was born and brought up in UK. This palace was abandoned by my forefathers due to issues I never took interest in knowing, as it was. They took nothing from this palace while shifting abroad. 

Recently I came to know from my parents that this house, whose papers still remain to our names, is on the verge of demolition and the contractors are offering a heavy pay. 

Look around. Do you think this house is demolishing? " 

Devasena looked around. 

" Not at all. "

Amarendra smiled and entered into a room. 

" This way. " 

In a moment the room lit up with a switch. 

" The Royal Weaponry. "

Devasena had never witnessed such vastness. The room was just too big to cover at a glance, and lining the walls were shelves that housed weapons of all kinds. 

Devasena like in a trance walked upto the shelves, Amarendra walked along. 

Swords, blades, Shields, Axes, Spears, Guns...

" Zamindaars usually don't have much use of such a huge weaponry. But my great grandfather rather took typical interests in collecting types of weapons."

" goodness... " , she uttered. 

" Do you know handling any? "

" only a bit of archery. " 

" Cool! Come! " 

Amarendra took her to another end of the room. 

Here dummy dolls stood in a line. And at a distance, a point was marked. Beside that, a shelf housed different sizes of bows. 

Amarendra handed over a stack of arrows to Devasena. A smile crossed her face for the first time. She chose a bow, stood on the point, placed an arrow, stretched...and... 

There stood the doll, arrowstruck. 

" Bravo! "

Amarendra clapped. 

Devasena, proudly continued her shots, hunting down almost all the dolls in the line, without a single miss. 

" You are brilliant! "

Devasena, smiling wide was about to place back the bow, when Amarendra said, " three arrows in one shot. Try!" 

While he himself took up another bow, and his stack of arrows. 

Devasena immediately lost confidence. Because she knew this was not her arena. Who could pull three shots at a go?

Amarendra came and stood just beside her. 

She squeezed her brows, " I don't know the process. " 

" Of course you know. " 

With this, he showed his four fingers instead of two. 

"Naadve!"

Immediately,unconsciously,making an eye contact with him,a couple of words escaped her lips, as if spoken by a different soul,  

" Manibandham 

Bahirmukham... "

She confidently raised her bow, placed three arrows, her wrists directed outwards. 

A different energy rose within. 

Amarendra smiled. And  immediately slipped his right hand past her waist, grabbing his bow with his left ,and pulling three shots at a time.

" Dwajaa! ", he shouted and let the arrows leave. 

Devasena, hypnotized, did the same. 

As six arrows hit a dummy at a go...a current passed through Devasena once again, and his breath, past her ears, burnt her alive.