Chapter 20 Deception and Shadow
Three pairs of eyes turned towards the door simultaneously Neer presence had suddenly filled the air of the chamber with a sharp clear stillness like the water of a lake turning to ice His blue eyes usually like a calm ocean were now deep and unfathomable like hidden currents beneath the surface He asked again placing his words carefully in the air Who is being thrown out of the palace
Agni rose from beside Nirag A faint creaking sound came from his joints as if he had been frozen in one posture for too long He went to Neer and his steps were deliberately light and normal He placed his hand on Neer shoulder and his touch was light but the muscles beneath his fingers were tense
No one Neer Agni said and his voice carried a strange light fake flow I was just scaring this rascal so he would reduce his mischief a little I do not understand why he acts so childish forgetting his age
Neer looked at Agni face for a moment and then fixed his gaze on Nirag A gentle smile played on his lips He went near the bed and sat down He placed his hand on Nirag sweat soaked cheek and then leaned down and gave him a soft kiss Can such a thing ever happen He said and his voice had a sweet fatherly tone That Nirag would be cast out by his Tauji by his own hands The one he lifted from the river and brought here in his own arms
Agni tried to smile The corners of his lips rose but there was no movement in the muscles around his eyes That smile looked like a mismatched mask stuck on his face with its edges beginning to peel
Neer grabbed Agni hand His palm was cold and moist while Agni palm was dry and warm Agni come with me I have some work with you He said and without waiting for any further reaction he pulled Agni out of the chamber With the sound of the door closing that tense silence returned to the chamber which had been broken by Neer arrival
Nirag and Anvay let out a long trembling breath of relief together Anvay sat on the edge of the bed and patted Nirag back Do not worry He said trying to keep his voice as steady as possible Margdarshak Agni will handle everything Hmm Like always
Nirag nodded yes but his eyes remained fixed on the door through which his father and uncle had gone There was still a thin veil of fear on his face which showed in the furrow between his brows and the slight trembling of his lips Anvay gave another pat and silently left the chamber
Left alone Nirag body shrank He pulled his knees close to his chest and rested his forehead on them After a while he got up and stood before a large polished bronze mirror kept in the room Initially the mirror showed him as he was Face pale Dark circles under the eyes Hair tangled An ordinary tired youth
Then slowly the reflection began to change The lines of the face hardened and the corners of the mouth stretched into an unnatural crooked smile On Nirag head in the mirror a black open eye emerged and the pupils of his own eyes expanded and turned completely black as if ink had filled them Nirag quickly turned his head away and his breath quickened
A voice came from the mirror smooth and sweet but with a metallic coldness What happened Nirag Why are you turning your face away This is you in the mirror It is your own face Are you turning away from yourself
No Nirag said loudly but his voice was cracked I am not this I am Nirag Not Andhak Void
The reflection in the mirror laughed a cold echoing laugh Really But you yourself are a part of Andhak Void A drop of my blood The offspring of the emperor of darkness made of evil and shadow
Nirag slowly turned his head back towards the mirror Now the reflection had completely changed His entire body was surrounded by a thick black smoke like aura that seemed to be emerging from the surface of the mirror Nirag raised his finger and touched the mirror The bronze was cold as ice beneath his finger
No He screamed and pulled his hand back I am Nirag Not Andhak Void
The shadow formed in the mirror raised one finger and pointed at Nirag and its fake smile widened further Nirag covered his ears with his hands No I am not Andhak Void I am not Andhak Void His voice turned into a painful echo in the room He stood there trembling for a few moments until the reflection in the mirror slowly returned to normal and the laughter echoing in the air fell silent
Nirag gaze fell upon a small decorative dagger kept on a table at the other end of the room He walked slowly towards it He picked it up The handle was cold and heavy He came back before the mirror The mirror now only showed a scared boy with a gleaming blade in his hand He raised the blade near his neck and the coldness of the steel touched his skin
Looking into his own eyes in the mirror he whispered If I do not exist then Andhak Void will also not exist
On the other side Neer was pulling Agni by the hand towards the council chamber and his steps were fast and determined Inside the chamber Minister Krishnadas was studying a long scroll He saw both of them enter and immediately bowed his head in greeting Pranam Maharaj What are your orders for me Please command
Neer glanced at Agni for a moment and then turned to the minister Minister you have helped us a lot You raised and nurtured our son Nirag for ten years and took care of him We still need your help His voice was formal but there was a clear respect in it
The minister folded his hands Command me Maharaj My life is for the service of this kingdom
Neer took out that same piece of paper from the pocket of his robe that he had found and extended it towards the minister The secret of this paper must be unraveled Its language and the material it is made of It does not belong to our land Find out where it came from and why
The minister took the paper carefully and held it up to the light His eyes narrowed As you command Maharaj Pranam He turned immediately and walked out of the chamber his fingers tapping the edge of the paper
As soon as the door closed Neer turned to Agni Who could be keeping an eye on us He said and his brows were slightly furrowed Has anything been found about that intruder Did the soldiers find any clue
Agni was looking at Neer but his gaze was lost as if he was watching some distant inner scene The redness of his eyes had dimmed
Agni Neer waved his hand in front of him Did you find anything
No response
Neer stepped forward and grabbed Agni shoulder with both hands and shook him Agni Agni
Agni jolted as if waking from a deep sleep There was a wandering look in his eyes Yes Yes Neer
What happened Neer asked and his voice carried a sharp edge of concern What thought were you so lost in
Nothing Neer Just tiredness Agni said and he fixed his gaze on a vase kept on the table
Neer stepped forward and brought his face so close to Agni face that their breaths mingled What happened Agni You seem worried Is there something His blue eyes were trying to penetrate Agni red eyes Are you hiding something from me
Agni lowered his gaze and his jaw twitched Nothing Neer
No Neer said firmly and he took Agni face in his hands forcing him to look into his eyes You are hiding something Tell me Now
A struggle appeared in Agni eyes He took a deep breath as if a drowning man was surfacing That Neer A message came from Margdarshak Through a messenger He has some urgent work with us That is why he has summoned us to the Tapobhumi Soon
Neer grip loosened A faint glimpse of surprise appeared on his face and then it turned into a gentle understanding smile Really So this is why you were worried We miss Margdarshak
Agni nodded yes and his voice was a little heavy I thought you might be sad about leaving Nirag You would not want to leave him like this right now
Neer smiled and patted Agni shoulder No Agni If Margdarshak has remembered us then we must go Nirag and Anvay can handle themselves now They have grown up And anyway He winked Anvay is with Nirag He will protect him
Agni kept looking at Neer and inside his mind a black sticky knot of guilt began to spread Forgive me Neer I am lying to you I am taking you to the Tapobhumi using Margdarshak name But I have no other way to free Nirag from this shadow of Andhak Void Margdarshak is the only hope And if you stay here If you see Nirag in the form that I saw Your heart will break I cannot see that fear in your eyes
You are lost in thought again Neer voice brought him back It seems you are more worried about Nirag than I am
Agni tried to smile again and this time it was slightly better Yes Perhaps
Then be ready Neer said walking towards the exit of the chamber We will leave for the Tapobhumi at dawn tomorrow Right
Agni nodded Yes
Neer stepped out of the door and then stopped He turned back to look Agni was still standing there with his back straight but his shoulders seemed weighed down by an invisible burden Agni Neer called out
Agni looked at him
Why are you running away from me Neer asked and there was a strange soft reprimand in his voice
Agni gave no answer and just walked towards the door
Outside in a high dark gallery behind a heavy fold of the curtain black gloved hands were holding a small black bird Those hands quickly wrote on a piece of silken paper Agni and Neer depart for Tapobhumi at dawn Only Nirag and Anvay in the palace Security is loose This is the right time The message was tied to the bird leg The bird flew out of a window straight towards Suryapuri in the darkness of the night
As the bird disappeared a smile emerged from behind the curtain A row of white teeth gleaming in the dark A hand came out and in it was another paper This was a detailed map of the Prakashgadh palace With a red blood like ink a large X mark was drawn on the map Directly above Nirag private chamber
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