(Book 2) Hayden Mackay and The Tears of the Maiden

8. In Depth Explorations

"He?" asked Celina, "He who?"

"Don't you mean..." Tyrell said but I completed his sentence, "Shashi Thribhuvan?"

Doctor swallowed nodding solemnly, "Who else? Only he has the ability to perform such dark deeds."

"What will he get from spreading the virus?"

"He is on a mission on killing the twelve of you," said Doctor, "He must be planning something. But to tell you the truth I am unable to comprehend his actual desires behinds it."

My mind raced and I looked away from him. Shourya did mention that Shashi was looking for Leena. What does he want from Leena? What has Leena to do with the disease? Is Leena even connected with the virus?

"Doctor," I said after a fine evaluation, "Will you mind if we help you find the cure?"

Tyrell shot me a look asking me when I decided that. His hat fell askew and he quickly grabbed it to set it straight.

"No Hayden," said Doctor, "Leave it to me. I will sort things out. But you please focus on finding Yamini."

Yamini! I gritted my teeth. Why he couldn't understand she was the least of our problems. How I wanted to tell him that I didn't want to find her and that she must be with Anmol, I couldn't say it aloud. I wanted to find the cure. I wanted to save Leena and his son Ashvanth. He sniffed again and a sudden rush of sympathy for him spread in my heart. He was in jail for eight years and he was forced to stay away from his son. Now that they were reunited, his son was leaving him, this time only for good.

"So, it's true," said Celina, grabbing my attention, "Shashi is back...with a new plan."

A slight smile tugged at Doctor's lips. "He was never really gone."

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Doctor made us salad for dinner and made sure we were comfortable sleeping on the mat. He provided us with three separate comforters, added a few more logs in the fireplace for the warmth (He asked me to take care of the fire in case it burned out) and tried to lie down and mime sleeping as he fought to keep his thoughts of his son aside.

Celina lay at a distance from me and Tyrell but near enough to listen. She let her hair flow down that it reached till her shoulders and pushing away her funk that always covered her left eye.

"Hayden what did you mean you wanted to help doctor find the cure?" she asked.

I bet they were dying to ask me this even since I asked doctor about it.

"Yeah I was going to ask you the same," said Tyrell resting his head on his palm, "Hello! We have to find Yamini, remember?"

"I am cent percent sure Yamini is working for Shashi just like that traitor Anmol is," I said looking at the wooden canopy rolled with creepers, "I don't want to find her."

"But a job is a job," Celina said, sitting straight and pushing away a strand of her hair, "We have to have a proof that she is with Anmol."

"Guys listen to me," I said slightly irritated, pulling myselves up into a sitting position, "Forget Yamini for a while. We have to focus on what Shourya told us."

Tyrell and Celina looked at each other.

"Don't make me trust Shourya, Hayden," said Tyrell, "Don't you see? He was definitely fibbing."

"Do you trust me?" I asked watching him intently.

"What?"

"I asked do you trust me," I asked, "Tyrell, try to connect what Shourya asked us to and this disease Shashi has started. Shourya mentioned Shashi needed Leena and what do you think he needs her for?"

He batted his eyes twice and said, "Do you think the virus has something to do with Leena?"

"Yes, I do think so," he said as Celina gasped, "Dananjay said Chandrika's child had a cure. I don't know why I have a feeling the child is the one who possessed Aquamarine."

It passed right through me and I was surprised I just said that. Of course, it made all sense- The disease, the cure and the child and the connection with Leena.

"That's a very good theory Hayden!" said Celina, showing a total interest, "You might be actually right. Shourya knows about the cure and Leena has something to do with it. He was trying to tell us something else... only if Doctor hadn't interrupted him."

"If whatever you saying is true Hayden," said Tyrell, "Then...Leena is in grave danger. We should get back to her and warn her."

"Don't worry about her," I said, "She is not alone. Pruthvi will take care of her. He will not make the same mistake he did earlier. And besides it's late. They might be already on their way to Paschimgarh."

"Then we should atleast tell doctor about this," said Celina, "We should tell him about the Maiden's cup."

"No," I said harshly, "Guys, if Shourya wanted he could have told the same to the doctor but he didn't. He told us and only us. He didn't even think of telling Leena straightforwardly. And as you mentioned Celina, he wanted to tell us something else about the cure. If we involved Doctor in this, we might never know what he was trying to tell us."

"Wait a minute both of you," said Tyrell, "Before you make any rash decisions, think first. Hayden, Shashi started this virus. As far as I know he started this virus to kill people. If Leena is involved with cure of the virus, why would he need her? He doesn't want people to get cured right?"

I blinked. I had not thought of this. Shashi only kills. He could never cure. Damn! I hated when Tyrell always made genuine points which I could never ignore.

A slow howling sound resumed its way through the only window that was there above the fireplace. Sudden pattering sound of the snow began right above the roof making us silent for a minute.

"There is only one person who can answer all our questions," I said after a while.

Tyrell sighed as if he understood what I was going to tell.

"You mean..." Celina said but she didn't want to finish her.

I quickly made the decision. I was not proud of keeping doctor in the dark but I had to take the risk to save his own son and to save Leena.

"We leave before dawn and before doctor wakes up," I said, "We have to find Shourya."

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THANK YOU SO MUCH vidhu. YOU SAVED ME FROM MAKING A BLUNDER! :)