Infinite! - 35

The Best!
​

Sivaraman was startled to say the least, but the smile on the 'mad' man's face seemed to widen. "Don't you recognize me, Siva?", he asked. Siva couldn't. "Remember! I came to the temple once and praised your grandfather about placing those 4 bana lingas around the lord!", the mad man added. Siva got him now. "Tell me! Are you the one who was on the vimana? And what is your name by the way?", Siva asked. "Call me 'mad'. That suits me, Isn't it?", said that old man and laughed. Siva was more confused. "Can you answer me please?", he pleaded.

"Do you know what is kept inside this temple?", the mad man asked. "You mean the secret treasure?", Siva asked. "Secret? But this is a known secret that I am talking now! Known to everyone, but understood by none!", the mad one said and smirked. "I don't get you Sir! How do you know my grandfather?", Siva asked. "I met your grandfather many years back and yes, I know your father too! Come, lets go and see him!", he said and started walking faster. Siva had to almost run with him and wondered what information could he be possessing.

Prasad meanwhile had this bickering with Guna, the locksmith still on. Both were in a foul mood. "I am going there tomorrow and I don't want you!", declared Guna all of a sudden. Prasad didn't say anything to that. Guna then spoke to their boss who asked the phone to be given to Prasad. "You have done a great job Prasad, to come this far. Now stay away and leave the place say, for a good week or so. Already there are people who started suspecting you and even a couple followed you!", their boss said. Prasad didn't say anything but felt his blood to curdle a bit. "How can they omit me in this?", he kept asking himself. "Yes Sir!", he said and cut the call, but vowed to stay and see till the end. Guna meanwhile had his next day's plan ready and went out possibly to procure things that he wanted.

Aravind had come back, unaware of what had happened, but wondering whether his boss was using Prasad to do the finding first and may go all over once the secret is out. He did not doubt the cunning of his boss, but just worried that he did not know the next step in that puzzle. He told Banu that he had some work in Chennai and left early that night. He had some tools to buy and a needed lot of time which he didn't have, to decide the next step. He instructed the sweeper to cover the temple just in case and follow Prasad as stealthily as he could and gave a five hundred rupee note for that. He went to the nearby city first and got two powerful torches and spare batteries, knives and other special equipments which he thought, were needed for the task. If worse comes to worst, he wanted to be the one first to act. He then got some grenades through his sources two guns too. He had a gun license so it was not a problem.

Meanwhile, the mad man and Siva had reached Siva's house. The mad man was interested to see Parameswaran, who was peacefully asleep. "Poor guy! Chose to live completely under his father's shadow!", the mad man said. They moved to the kitchen, then. "Do you know whats so special about this 31st?", the mad man asked. Siva said, "Isn't that a full moon day? Am not sure there is anything special other than that!". "Perhaps you will know that on that day! Something will be revealed to you and I assure you child! Thats the best one can get!", the mad man said and moved out. Siva intended to follow him and ask more, but by then he realized that the man came and spoke only when he wished. "See you in a couple of days!", the man said and added - "Don't worry about your father! He will get better!". Siva felt relieved a bit and wanted to thank the old man. He was also curious to know what special would happen that day. He was contemplating this when the power went off.

For the first time, his eyes noticed something gleaming dully in the kitchen.

 

Thanks Pallavi for your prompt response and continuous support. There will be a flurry of events soon, as the day approaches. And this story will end on that 31st, with some caught, some changed and some injured. -rgs

 

SriGeetha,

Thanks and happy to receive a first from you. I am overwhelmed to see a response after a long time to this seldom watched, rarely read story.
But I lost the interest then itself and stopped due to lack of responses and support. And I don't blame readers either. This seemed to get better and better and prolonged too. It might take me a couple of weeks to regroup and if interested, let me know, so I can try making it again. I still remember the ending because, that came to me first when I started writing this story. -rgs