"Princess, the medicine we sent to Mr. Chiron to check. Today, He came with the result."
Ira's heart skipped a beat. The way Raksheet is talking, it means there is something wrong. "W-What did he s-say?" She asked, breathing heavily, hoping everything to be normal.
"He said that....the medicine's were poisonous. It had a poison in very low amount but it can kill someone by its regular intake. And it's very hard to detect it." Raksheet paused to see Ira's eyes filled with tears. She was hardly controlling her tears, staring in his eyes blankly.
He cupped her face "Don't worry, everything is fine now." He took out the medicine bottle that Chiron gave him. "Look, Mr. Chiron gave this medicine for grandfather. It will remove the poison from his body. He will be fine soon."
She took the bottle from him with her shaky hands, tears falling down from her eyes nonstop. She looked at the bottle for a long time before asking in a low voice "Poison?"
Raksheet was not able to hear what she is saying, so he asked "What?"
Ira looked up at Raksheet with red teary eyes "P-Poison? Someone gave poison to my grandfather? Why?"
Raksheet's heart ached to hear Ira's innocent question.
"He never did anything wrong. Then why someone want to kill my grandfather?!" She burst in tears, Sobbing uncontrollably.
Seeing Ira's heartaching state, Raksheet pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tightly. He rubbed her back. She was crying hardly and sobbing so badly that even Raksheet's eyes were getting moist.
Viraaj never did anything wrong to anyone. He was just living his life to protect his granddaughter and give her a happy stable life like others. Why would someone want to hurt him, even kill him? Who hate him this much that he didn't hesitate to give him poison?
"W-Why someone want t-to kill my grandfather?" She asked in between her sobs "H-He never d-did anything wrong." She repeated again and again as if she want to protect her grandfather and tell Raksheet that how good her grandfather is.
"I know." Raksheet said, rubbing her back to calm her. "I know, he is a good person. He never did anything wrong and I know that. And that's why, we have to protect him. We have to stay strong. We can't cry like this." He broke the hug and held Ira's chin to make her look at him.
"We have to find that intruder and till then, we have to take care of grandfather very much. He will be sad if he got to know that someone want to kill him. We can't let him know this. Not only him but anyone else. If this matter got leaked, that intruder will be alert. This matter should be only between me and you. Don't cry like this infront of grandfather. Try to be happy and cheerful infront of him. Give this medicine to him so that he will recover soon. Okay?" He explained and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"But why him?" She asked, tears again welled up in her eyes. She was totally messed. Her face was red and so her eyes and her cheeks were wet with tears.
Viraaj is the only one who loved her when everyone rejected her. He is the only one who gave her hope to live. He was the only light in her dark life. Why someone want to snatch that only light from her life?
Raksheet hugged her, resting her head on his chest "I don't know." He said with a heavy heart 'I really don't know why.' He thought.
Next day, Raksheet was sitting in his office, in a dilemma thinking whether he should tell everything to his grandfather and father. They will worry about Viraaj but it's not a small matter he can handle completely by himself.
Finally, after thinking for may be one and half hour, he decided to tell them. It's a big matter and he has already did so many things without telling his elders. He can't hide anything anymore.
He collected the evidence, result of medicine checkup and the fake medicines and went towards his grandfather's chamber. He asked a soldier to summon his father in his grandfather's chamber.
He knocked on the door of his grandfather's chamber "Grandfather, I need to talk to you."
Abhiveera was sitting on the chair near the window. He turned his gaze from the book he was reading to Raksheet and furrowed his eyebrows "Come in." He closed the book and placed it down on the table.
Raksheet entered in the chamber and sat down on the chair opposite to his grandfather.
"What happened?" Abhiveera asked.
"Let father come first. I want to talk to both of you." He said, feeling guilty that he didn't informed his father and grandfather about such a big matter.
"About what?" Abhiveera was unable to understand what his grandson is talking about.
At the same time, Ashwant knocked on the door. "Father, may I come in?"
Abhiveera nod and gestured him to sit next to Raksheet.
Ashwant walked towards Raksheet and sat down on the chair beside him. "Why did you called me?" He asked to Raksheet.
Raksheet took a deep breath before speaking. "I have something really important to tell you." He placed the fake medicine and the result of those medicine checkup on the table.
Abhiveera took the medicines in his hand and Ashwant started reading the result.
After reading the result completely, Ashwant was shocked and asked "What? Poison?"
Raksheet nod and pointed towards the medicine in Abhiveera's hand. "Yes, in this medicine."
Abhiveera and Ashwant both looked at the medicine and Abhiveera asked "What kind of medicines are these?"
Raksheet sighed heavily and asked "Do you remember the day grandfather fell sick in our palace?"
"Of course we remember." Ashwant replied "It was such a hard day to deal with. His majesty's health detrotried suddenly and Ira's father yelled at her, thinking she is the reason of his father's bad condition. I can't forget that day." He said with a tired expression.
Raksheet nod "Yes. Actually that day, grandfather didn't fell sick suddenly."
"What?" Abhiveera asked.
"Grandfather, the medicine you are holding right now, is the reason grandfather fell sick that day."
"What?" Ashwant asked shocked. "How? Did he ate these medicines?"
Abhiveera was shocked as well but he don't know how to react. He was just staring at medicines blankly.
"Yes. He ate these medicines. The thing is, the day when he fell sick, that day when he and Ira were returning to his chamber from armoury to give him medicine, Ira heard some footstep's sound coming from near Grandfather's chamber. But they didn't see anyone so they didn't payed much attention. But that day, someone indeed entered in Grandfather's chamber and changed his actual medicines with these fake medicines. When Mr. Chiron did Grandfather's check up, then Ira remembered these all things and asked me to investigate this matter." Raksheet explained.
"What did you find from investigation?" Abhiveera asked, still staring at the medicine.
Raksheet looked at Abhiveera and Ashwant in hesitation and feeling guilty for not informing them about it before.
"I asked Mr. Chiron to check the medicine and he said that the medicines are poisonous. And the poison could be from either Pravaat kingdom or Bayar kingdom."
Abhiveera quickly looked up at Raksheet with wide confused eyes. "Bayar?"
Raksheet nod slowly "The plant of this poison is seasonal plant. It can be found in pravaat and Bayar only. Pravaat kingdom has stopped selling it as previous emperor banned it but Bayar.....as we know Bayar still supply weapons and other things they shouldn't and may be they are also selling this poison."
Everyone fell silent. The silence was as if soon a big strom is coming towards them to destroy everything, each and every thing, their happiness, peace, love, trust, present, future, nothing can be saved if they don't response soon.
But Raksheet broke this silence by saying "The most disturbing thing is that, i got some information about the intruder who changed the medicine."
"Who is he?" Ashwant asked curiously.
"I-It is not confirmed but.....Vikram said that according to his investigation, Veer was the one who came running from the direction of Grandfather's chamber at that time and he was looking scared and worried."
The silence again fell in the chamber, not knowing what to say and how to react, everyone was just looking at the medicine and result paper.
"It's not confirmed yet, is it?" Abhiveera asked.
"No. But all the evidences are pointing towards him only. He was the one coming from Grandfather's chamber and the medicines are very costly, only a nobel or royal family member can buy it." Raksheet informed "There are only two people to doubt on, either Veer or Abel because the poison is from Bayar. Either Veer has made alliance with Abel without anyone knowing or Abel is doing this all by himself-"
"You know we can't doubt on anyone like this, right?" Abhiveera said, looking all displeased with Raksheet's words.
Raksheet breathed, feeling uncomfortable to see his grandfather like this for the first time. He nod "I know." He managed to say. "That.....That's why I didn't tell anyone about it except for you two. Mr. Chiron gave a medicine for grandfather to remove the poison from his body. He will be fine soon but his life is still in danger."
"Then what should we do now?" Ashwant asked, sighing deeply.
"A-Actually, I have a plan. And....I have already started preparing for it." Raksheet said hesitantly, not knowing how his grandfather will react. "I am sorry I didn't informed you about it before." With an apologetic look, he looked at his grandfather.
Abhiveera sighed in displeasure that such a big matter was hidden from him and the person who hided it is his own grandson he trust the most. "What plan?" He asked looking at Raksheet and trying to look all calm.