An Indo- German Expedition

Dear all,

Sorry was travelling. Next episode will be posted today.

Shwetha

 

Chapter 15

Although the castle had a heating system, Arjun was trembling in the cold. He was sleepy and tired. Since he couldn’t open any of the doors and find a way out, he had crept to the floor and lay still. He tried to listen carefully, if his name was called out by the other three teens, but there was complete silence. He was deep inside the tunnel and he knew unless the managers come to rescue him, it would be impossible to escape. What if they don’t turn up tomorrow? What if it was a routine to check this tunnel only once a week? He started panicking. If the other teens had escaped the man hunter, they would inform the police and find him out, he thought. But what if they are caught by him? How would our parents feel when they see us dead? We should not have listened to Aarushi. Damn it was a mistake. He repented his decision badly. He didn’t know when he fell asleep inside the tunnel. When he finally woke up, he was in a warm room and loud voices could be heard. He squinted his eyes to see the teens looking down at him anxiously.

Oh god. You woke finally, Maya cried.

Aarushi was also in tears and Ishaan gave a reassuring smile.

But, what happened? How did we escape? Arjun wanted to know.

The trio trembled. It was Ishaan who spoke first.

It has been a miraculous night Arjun. We missed you while crouching down the staircase and hid in the kitchen. When we were only minutes short of getting caught, there was a woman who came around. She was elderly and we could not see her face in the dark. She held the man by his neck and in a matter of seconds, he crumpled to the floor. She told us where you were lying unconscious. So we pulled you to the car and drove back home.

But who was she? How does she know we were there? Arjun was extremely confused.

She didn’t answer any of our questions, Aarushi replied in between sobs. Am sorry Arjun. Am so sorry all of you. I should not have dragged you all to this trap. She cried unstoppably.

Maya hugged her and patted her.

No Arjun, She didn’t reveal her identity, Ishaan told him. But when we got into the car, she gave me a piece of paper. This is encrypted. I am trying hard since we reached here to decode it. But in vain.

He produced the crumpled piece of paper to the others.


The four teens looked closely. Arjun quickly got up to bring a notepad and a pen.

When two clerical souls were united

Elf goes with Elf,

White you see down, Dark it is on top,

Arrow and Red sky spilled blood.


Together they read it several time and could understand nothing. Finally they decided to split the lines amongst themselves and work on it.

Why don’t you as a reader guess what is the riddle?

The answer will be revealed in the next chapter.

 

Chapter 16

Maya picked the paper in which the riddle was scribbled by Arjun. She read out the sentences aloud one more time giving a pause after each word.

When two clerical souls were united

Elf goes with Elf,

White you see down, and Dark it is on top

She looked at the three confused faces and waited in silence. Suddenly Aarushi jumped from her chair and squeaked,
Hey elf is eleven. The German word for elf is eleven. Isn’t it Ish?
Oh yes. You are right-Ishaan beamed.
So what is it now? Arjun pulled the paper towards him.
Eleven goes with Eleven?
Maybe eleven people go with eleven other people?
But who are these people?
Does it indicate the stars?
I don’t see anything significant in eleven.
Are there eleven places maybe?
Is it a code for a name?

The teens scratched their heads.

ELEVENGOESWITHELEVEN

Arjun quickly tried all combinations of this word and ended up red faced. I don’t find anything from this.

Just take Eleven and Eleven, Ishaan urged.


ELEVENELEVEN

Nothing again. Just that I see a lot of E in it.

Maybe, does it refer to a place with E?

Europe?

England?

Ethiopia?

Or a person?

I don’t remember anyone having a name beginning with E

The excitement was draining away and they were very tired. It was 4am in the morning, and they were extremely tired with the night’s events.

Shall we all get back to bed and solve this tomorrow? Maya badly wanted a nap.

They agreed and retired to bed. In ten minutes all were asleep except Arjun.

I have solved so many puzzles in school. How is that I am unable to crack even a word. He got out of the room and pulled a chair near the fireplace. Trying hard to focus on the cryptic message he wrote and rewrote it on a paper.


Half an hour later, he was scratching on his paper, and staring at the fire. Aarushi had come out of her bed. She was unable to sleep as well. Seeing Arjun with the paper, she felt relieved.

Hey you nerdy guy, she whispered.

Arjun didn’t look up but just smiled.

She softly touched his head and sat next to him.


Arjun, this is something to do with us. With you and me.

Yes, I agree Aarushi. But in what way?

I have a crazy logic. But am not sure if it sounds sane enough.

Go on

You and I were the king and queen of the palace and we were either killed there or we killed someone there in our previous birth.


Arjun didn’t answer.

The fact that I saw you in a royal attire defends your argument. But how would you justify the horses chasing Ishaan and Maya? The card game? The book which had my image? And the man hunter today?


There was silence.

He had written eleven in all forms he had known. Aarushi stared at the paper for some time.

11 11

After some minutes, she picked a pen a put a dot between the numbers.

11.11

What if it is a date?

Oh my god. You are a genius.That is right. Arjun, screamed. How did I miss it? He shook hard.

But 11.11 of when? Which year? He searched for the paper and read it one more time.

When two clerical souls were united


This line should definitely tell us when. If not it should be the third line. But let us try this. Clerical souls? Could it be two special people? Important stars? Maybe a special eclipse year? A year in which a new star was found? Or two stars merged? Aarushi was thinking aloud.

Arjun was silent. He was writing fast in a paper.

What are you doing?

It is 1540 Aarushi, he said calmly,

But how do you know?

Clerical, here means religion. Souls are two people. Clerical souls refer to people from two religion. In 1540, Akbar was the first to approve and encourage inter religion marriages, by marrying a Hindu Rajput princess.. And this fits.

But, how could you be so sure? There could have been other inter religion marriages before this as well?

Am sure, because, when I was running through the palace, in the room of portraits, I saw a small portrait of an Indian royal couple with their names. I do not remember the names but it was dated 1540.

Come on Arjun. It was dark and you were running. How could you be so sure?

Arjun stared at her for a few seconds before answering.

Do you remember the candle holder which we pushed to escape from the man?

Yes, I do.

What was the color of the rope that was wound around the bottom portion of the holder?

Arjun, are you crazy? I didn’t even see the holder properly. Did it even have a rope spun around it?

It was a red thin silk rope braided and had golden tips with blue beads.

Aarushi’s mouth fell wide open.

Hey…..she was lost for words.

But what does it got with Akbar and us? Does this mean we are?


No. I don’t think we are reincarnations of Akbar. It has although got something to do with 11.11.1540.

Now the question is what happened on this date.