SYNOPSIS- Quest For Culprit
The Dreaded Conspiracy - 11
Story so far:
King Raghunathan retrieved gold coins from the house of the horse-keeper, Vedant. His wife told the King that Vedant had maintained that this was a gift by the King for looking after Chandrika, the horse, so well. A blatant lie which nailed Vedant's culpability! Later, when the King confronted Vedant with facts, he admitted to his guilt. He told the King that once when he was coming back home, a man had met him and offered him a green paste. He wanted Vedant to mix this paste in the hay before it was given to the horse for eating. The man apprised the horse-keeper that after eating the hay in a short while the horse would get a burning sensation that may make her go berserk!
In this chapter 'Quest For Culprit': Vedant denied to do the man's bidding of mixing the green paste in the hay that was fed to the horse.
However, when he was offered gold coins as a reward, greed substituted his otherwise noble character and he agreed. This was the reason for the horse running amok that evening which almost put the lives of the King and his son at peril. The King imprisoned Vedant and consoled his grieving wife that he would ensure a job for her so that she can make ends meet in the family in the absence of her husband. The next step was to find that man who had bribed Vedant into doing this terrible act. What plan was devised to get hold of this person? Read the spine-chilling Part 11 of this absorbing story as the royal couple close in on the culprit who was making their lives a nightmare!
THE DREADED CONSPIRACY
11. Quest for Culprit
“These are gold coins?” Vedant exclaimed in awe as he opened the aluminium box.
“Of course they are, my dear friend! What’s more, all of them can be yours! See how generous I am! For a small favour I am offering you so much!
Let me tell you something, Vedant! Even after working with the King throughout your lifetime with sincerity and honesty, you will not earn this much! So, what are you thinking?
Grab this opportunity which I am giving you!” the man urged.
This did the trick! Vedant’s greed to get the custody of this wealth overcame his otherwise noble character and he agreed! **
Vedant who was confessing his culpability concluded, “Maharaj, I kept these two boxes in a bag in which I carried my lunch daily. After going home, I showed my wife this gold coins and falsely claimed that they were a gift to me by you for my meritorious service.
I told her that you liked horses very much and were pleased with me for the care I took of Chandrika. She believed me and we kept this in a drawer of a pedestal in the kitchen. We decided that we would spend this amount only in case of any emergency in the future. The next day I did as I was instructed and then you are well aware of what happened, Maharaj!”
The King and the others appeared very upset after hearing this confession of the horse-keeper. Tears trickled down the eyes of Vedant’s wife. She could not believe that her husband had betrayed his master and even her.
Raghunathan looked at her and spoke with her politely, “I can understand your feelings! I will punish your husband for he has committed an act of treason. However, I promise you that you will not be left to your fate during his term of punishment. I will ensure that you get employment somewhere so that you earn enough to meet ends in the absence of your husband. I am sorry for all this!”
The lady thanked the King, gave her husband a poignant look and went away from the King’s chamber. Raghuanthan asked his guards to take Vedant and keep him in a cell meant for prisoners.
“What a traitor he is! How could he do this to you?” Padmavati snarled.
“I share your feelings, O Queen! Now, I wonder as to who is this man who lured Vedant to do this terrible crime?” Biksham pondered.
“What strikes me is that this man may not be the main conspirator for he would not expose himself like that! It is possible that the master brain behind all this, could have come to see Vedant incognito but why would he take this risk when he can get his work done through his aide?
We have to get this aide alive, Biksham! I want you to call the palace artist, Gopal, and then take him to Vedant. Let Gopal draw the man’s sketch as described by Vedant. I suspect that this man could be roaming around in disguise as a safety measure just in case Vedant is caught. I will ask Gopal to make more sketches of this man like say, if in the original drawing he has a bald head and a big moustache, the next one should have him with hairs and likewise.
Thereafter, I will distribute it among you and our other aides and want all of you to search for him in this kingdom. If you find anyone looking similar like him, bring him here and we’ll question him!”
Biksham and the Queen agreed with what the King said. “I will do the needful, O King!” So saying, Biksham took his leave. Then, Padmavati made the King aware of her thoughts, “O King, Vedant told us that the person gave him some green paste which would instill a burning sensation in the horse and make her act violently.
Could this be that this green paste is made out of some poisonous herb? If such an herb exists, in all probability, it should be somewhere in this kingdom. Let’s call our palace physician and tell him about this green paste and it’s harmful effects. He may help us in finding out what this herb is. Thereafter, let’s check in all the gardens of this kingdom to see if we can locate this herb.
If we succeed, let’s question the owner and we may get a clue to this mystery!”
“That is wonderful, O Queen!” Raghunathan applauded his wife. He instantly called Kartik, the palace physician, and told him about the green paste and it’s perverse impact on Chandrika. Kartik thought for a while and then referred to a plant, which had sharp, thick and oval-like green leaves.
A green paste could be made by grinding the leaves of this plant, which was used for applying on areas where there were rashes. It was an effective medicinal herb but if imbibed could result in a reaction like what happened to Chandrika! Raghunathan sent Kartik alongwith some of his guards to each and every garden of the kingdom for finding if such a plant was being grown in any of them.
After Kartik had left, the King and the Queen sat beside Vijaya. “I thought that he was solely responsible for what happened to Chandrika on that evening. But it seems that is not the case now, O Queen!” felt the King.
“It could be, but what our son did that day was, no doubt, wrong!” Padmavati observed. The King acceded. Soon, Vijaya woke up and the parents put aside their tension and grief and spend time with him.
Later during the day, the King called Biksham, Vikrant and his other council of ministers and discussed as to how they would go about searching for the man who had enticed his horse-keeper to conspire against his son.
It was decided that all the ministers would form groups consisting of their trusted aides and go in different locations of the kingdom looking for the culprit. The King wanted them to go on foot and in disguise so that it would not raise any speculation among the people that his ministers were roaming around in the kingdom for some purpose, which might alert the man he wanted in his grasp.
Late in the afternoon, Gopal met the King. He showed him a few sketches of the man, which he had drawn from the description of Vedant. Both the King and the Queen had a good look at the pictures. Did they find the face of the person familiar?
(To Continue)
