India was a diverse country wrapped in the fabric of different cultures and traditions and most importantly, the mouth-watering scent of spices which I could smell from my bedroom. I freshened up and went downstairs to find Abhay cooking the most delicious dish I would be ever having in my entire life.
The rest seemed to share my sentiments too.
We were in India right then. We took extra five days leave to come to India and spent more time here, especially with the walls written in history, temples built in believe and statues marked with the honour of freedom.
Ilira was reading the papers in the balcony, Enin was doing her morning routine makeup and Sobul was doing the push ups on the grass, outside.
"Morning"
I took the pot and helped Abhay lay the food on the table. Ilira joined us.
"Good morning. We should call them too"
I laid out my plans after the breakfast on the table, with the lanterns turned on, on both sides of the room. I had ransacked my grandfather's library these past few days and came to a conclusion.
"Are you ki-"
I shushed Enin and silence returned once again. I could hear the breeze through the small crack on the ventilator but apart from that, there were no noises.
"Thou must not disrupt the speech"
She rolled her eyes, and the rest held in their laughs. We were in 1990s, living a life of torment and dictation. I laid out the papers with the books on the table and began, first I cleared my throat.
"It dates way back when King Bulubos Artrent was the king of England- the kingdom where the sun never sets. Gentlemen, and gentlewomen, it started from his rule. The cards of never-ending success stacked beside each other, till forces and marches pushed the cards to fall on top of each other"
I took up a stack of paper from the table and showed each one to them. Though not a pea went inside their heads. I did it for myself.
"Kings after kings, conquests after conquests, at last the secret was said to lurk. A document, a treaty of sorts. Here comes the work of the secret society. Have anyone ever heard of the name Serebanas?"
Sobul shot up his hand in the air.
"I do. I do"
"Good. Well, they were a cult. It is believed that all the kings, governors and the moguls were a part of that cult"
Ilira shot her hand up in the air.
"Yes, young lady"
"Kind sir, are we about to sign off our soul to the devil next?"
They snickered. I kept my smile and went to the board I spent last night making.
"Actually, no. Praise the Lord for that. But we are going to go to this place"
I pointed at the red dot.
They squinted their eyes when what they saw was a dot on the South Side of the sea.
"The fuck! Are you serious? There's nothing there"
I shook my finger at Sobul.
"Uh uh! Such vile literature. Anyway, we are going to this place. I had been working hard recently and according to my research, the direction it seems to lead is right here. On nothing"
Silence surged once again. We held eye contact for what felt like minutes before someone had the gall to break the icy tension. I should take a picture; their look of flabbergasting was one to be behold daily.
"Wow, we just watched a real time process of a human going to madness"
Enin said.
"Take a break. Let's go to the libraries, you like them, don't you?"
It was a guaranteed reaction. I took off my cap and pleaded with them.
"I know this is crazy. I don't know if I'm crazy myself yet but-"
Abhay gently pulled me towards him and stroked my hair.
"Calm down, okay. Sit"
The lanterns were put out and the lights were turned on.
"I just- this has been my entire life, my blood, sweat and tears. I don't understand it either, but I must. I- It's my research. After everything, I found crumbs of location coordinates on the transcripts and its where it leads, please, believe me. If none of you are coming, I'm flying there myself"