SYNOPSIS- Distraught Parents
The Dreaded Conspiracy - 7
Story so far:
Raghunathan searched for his son in the palace but could not locate him. He asked the guards if they had seen his son go outside to which they denied. He, thereby, disclosed the existence of a secret passage in that chamber to the Queen. Since the guards had not seen him go outside, he had to have taken this route although it was highly unlikely for it was only the King who knew about it. Raghunathan instructed Padmavati to ask his men search for Vijaya in the kingdom while he himself searched for him in the passage.
In this chapter 'The Distraught Parents': King Raghunathan searched in vain for his son in the passage.
He, then, entered a jungle that the passage led to where he searched for his son but met with no success. As he came out of the jungle distraught and jaded, his subjects helped him get back to the palace. When people asked him about his son, he did not say much except that efforts were on to trace him. The Queen was crestfallen to see him come alone. As instructed by the King, she had sent his men to look for the Prince who were yet to return. They happened to be the only hope for them at the moment. In this hour of grief, the couple became each other's support and tried to alleviate their grief by speaking words of hope. Although from inside they were heartbroken. They just could not figure out where their son had so mysteriously disappeared. Was it not the other day that they had kissed his forehead before retiring to bed? To learn the next move of the royal couple in search for their lost son, read the intriguing and touching Part 7 of this thrilling story.
THE DREADED CONSPIRACY
7. Distraught Parents
Much to the King’s chagrin, he did not get any response! He searched in the entire jungle for hours together and then made his way to the palace on barefoot completely disillusioned.
People were aghast to see their ruler walking along in such a jaded manner and came to his rescue. They ensured his safe journey by accompanying him to the palace.
By now, Vijaya’s mysterious disappearance had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. The people asked the King about his son but he did not talk much about it except saying that efforts were on to trace him.
On reaching the palace, Raghunathan met Padmvati who was crestfallen to see him come alone. However, seeing the King so tired due to fatigue and grief, she suppressed her emotions and made him sit on a throne.
As neither of them had taken anything since morning, she ordered for some meal, which they took only partly. Both of them did not feel like taking any food in the absence of their son. After some time, the King felt better and he spoke with the Queen, “Did you send my men in lookout for our son?”
“Yes, O Maharaj! They are yet to return back!” Padmavati answered.
“As for me, you know it! I failed, O Queen! I failed! I searched in that chamber and in the jungle but had to return dejected! He is not there!” Raghunathan lamented.
“It’s okay, Maharaj! Your aides are yet to return! Let’s pin our hopes on them!” Padmavati consoled the King even as her heart wept inside.
“But tell me, Maharaj, why did you not come through that passage while coming?” she asked.
“Padmavati, once you come out of the passage through an opening and close the lid, you cannot open it again!
Thereafter, if you want to enter the secret passage, you can only do it through this chamber. I closed the lid, O Queen! Since I had to search for Vijaya in that jungle, it was not feasible to keep the lid open. What if someone finds it during my absence?”
Padmavati nodded her head in understanding. “Tell me, Maharaj, did you ever hint to anyone of the existence of a passage here? It could be that you did it inadvertently!”
“No, O Queen! You are the first person to whom I disclosed the secret today. And therein lays the irony! It is certain that Vijaya would not have gone inside that passage all by himself.
That means somebody had to take him there! But that appears improbable for no one except me knows about the passage. We are compelled to think that Vijaya has been taken to that passage for the guards did not see him go out of this chamber. I just fail to understand this!”
Just then, they heard a familiar voice, “Maharaj!” As both of them looked in the direction from where they heard the voice, they found Biksham and Vikrant standing before them!
Raghunathan welcomed them and after they were seated, Biksham, who appeared very tense, spoke up, “Maharaj! I have come to know everything! Usually, our people are full of life and gay! But today while returning from our trip, both Vikrant and me observed that there was a pall of gloom which had set in the kingdom.
People appeared very perturbed which made us feel that something was wrong. On enquiry, we learnt that Vijaya had disappeared from the palace! Maharaj, I just could not believe it!” Biksham exclaimed shrugging his shoulders. “Same is the case with me!” Vikrant agreed with Biksham.
“Even we are at a loss to understand what is happening!” the King rued. “By the way, how was your trip?”
Both the ministers informed Raghunathan that their trip was successful. The King asked them to rest and assured them of availing their services if the need arose. He did not want them to go in search for his son when his other allies were already doing so.
After the ministers had left, the King spoke with the Queen, “You will agree that both of us are in a state of shock and dejection! Therefore, it could be that we are not able to think with a clear mind as to where could Vijaya possibly be.
How about disclosing the secret of this passage to a third person on whom we repose faith and trust? May be he could come out with some ruse about Vijaya’s whereabouts after learning about this passage, that we just could not think about due to our sombre state of mind.”
Padmavati agreed. “But who could that third person be, Maharaj?”
“How about Biksham, O Queen? We consider him to be part of the family and, of course, he’s intelligent!” Raghunathan spoke his mind. Padmavati acceded to his proposal.
After a while, the King called over Biksham and apprised him about the secret passage and it’s operation. “….You must be knowing Ramlu, Biksham? I had employed him years ago to clean and polish all the golden items in the palace once a month.
I had given him specific instructions that he should not clean and polish the golden platform, where this idol stands, very hard…”
“I can understand that, Maharaj! You feared that while polishing or cleaning, should he unintentionally push the platform hard and it moves, he might discover the existence of the secret passage!
But, I believe, Ramlu is an excellent worker, isn’t it Maharaj?”
“He is, Biksham! He only used to do what was told to him and did that to perfection. It is a pity that he has left his job and is now away in another kingdom to look after his ailing parents.” “I know about it, Maharaj!” Biksham acknowledged. Raghunathan continued, “Anyway, I told you about this just to show the care I took to ensure that this passage always remains a secret.
Then how could anyone learn about it? Biksham, now that you know about this passage, can you throw light into our son’s mysterious disappearance? Does anything strike you that has not crossed our mind?”
Biksham was in deep thought for a while. Then he spoke up.
