Back to secret of the east #Wattys2016

Hidden possessions

"Hukum, you really have a good sense of humor. Let me show you the concealed item" He replied further when he is over with his laughing session.

"From where do you want me to start?" He wiggled his bushy eyebrows a bit.

"I think the Main room. Let's see what you are going to show me" I gave him a amused but challenging smile.

"Okay hukum, First of all I will present the glory of Bhanugarh in colorful glory" he bowed like a British butler. No doubt he is English literature major. So dramatic!!

I have observed the wall in front of me where he was approaching and I have noticed a rectangular depression in the wall. He slid his hand inside that rectangular hole and pulled his hand out slowly. A section of wall started moving and coming out of the wall. It was a 5 feet black tile which was moving at a steady pace and then it inverted completely to replace the stone wall section with a beautiful painting of black shiny Hunting fort standing elegantly in midst of thick forest. In the lower left corner of painting, king has been shown hunting a tiger while there was a waterfall running behind the fort. The sky was beautiful with a hue of orange, maybe it is sunset time. The painter has really put out all the beauty of forest with different oil colors. The frame of the painting was thick and made of gold and a thick glass cover was protecting the painting and I could figure out lining of my surprised face in that.

Bhuwan has coughed a little to gain my attention and I looked at him. He was standing on my left side and I noticed that he has uncovered three more painting like the one I was admiring from maybe 5 - 7 minutes.

"How do you like it hukum?" He gave me a cheeky smile.

"I am really impressed Bhuwan ji. I don't wanted to admit it but now I am really curious about the other things you are going to reveal me. Ah!!" I felt pain in my right all of a sudden. May be it is because of light or maybe it is sand particle.

"What happened Hukum?" His concerned voice reached my ears and I asked him to get some water. I wanted to wash my eyes and remove the lenses.

"Hukum let me guide you to bathroom." He held little of my left arm and we went towards the other room. I was peeking through my left eye. Is he mad, there is no water. Or may be yes, who knows!!

"Hukum, I need your ring" I gave him the ring and he hurriedly ran around the room like a headless chicken and I heard several clicking sounds. At last he came to me and make me stand few feet away from my original spot.

He pulled some lever like thing and I heard sliding of another tile. I kept my eyes closed to bear the stinging sensation. After a minute, I felt that water is running in front of me.

"Here Hukum, Please wash your face" He took my hands in his left hand and I felt cool water running on my fingers. I lean down and immediately splashed water into my eyes and gently removed the lenses. The water didn't fell on my lower body means it should be some kind of sink.

"Do you have any towel?" Instantly he handed me the softest towel I have ever used. I wiped my face and looked up. I wish I could see my reflection. I straightened and opened my blue eyes to find a luxurious bathroom of some heritage hotel beside, in front and on back of me.

A 7 feet mirror framed with golden carvings was showing my 6'7" height and a few inch shorter figure of Bhuwan behind me.

"Are you feeling okay? Hukum" His voice was laced with concern.

"Holy hell!! What is all this Bhuwan? When did all these things appear from nowhere." I asked him while looking at the bathtub made up of black marble on my left, a shower room with soft curtains on my right. The place where I was washing my face has black platform with a wash basin and water was running from the tap. I quickly turned it off by turning its lever to right side.

"When you have closed your eyes hukum, I have recited some spells and everything came out from thin air" He gave me an amusing smile and I fake rolled my eyes.

"Sorry hukum, I am telling you. There are some small depressions in all these walls. When you will pull them slightly, it will open a rectangular hole like you saw there inside. There are levers which you need to pull towards you to reveal the objects.

"But these are heavy objects then how you can lift them just by pulling a lever" He smiled like he was expecting the question.

"Its very easy hukum, we can lift these heavy things just like we do with cars, the jack system." He showed me a solid metal box hided behind a big vase near the bath tub. It has a wheel on horizontal position, he told me that when the wheel is rotated clockwise then it acts like a jack and lift the object on a raised platform. When the object comes on the surface, then its position is secured by locking the hinges provided on four sides of the raised platform. I looked closely at the marble floor around the bath tub and found four metal hinges holding the surface beneath the bath tub firmly to the marble floor of the room.

He has used the same mechanism to raise a glass topped mahogany center table along with four big fine leather chairs around it. He also revealed many more furniture like cupboards with fine clothes and other essentials.

"Bhuwan ji, I am really impressed with everything but the one thing bugging me is that how we are able to breathe in this closed room.

"Nice question hukum, I was wondering that why have not you asked it yet" he replied with a smile.

"Well hukum, this room has several windows but since there is sand storm outside, I have not opened them. You know, these windows has three layers which filters the air. All window opening is followed by a thin but continuous water layer which traps any dirt or sand and remove it.  Then at the distance of one feet, there is a layer of processed animal hide which acts as micro filter. The air coming in this fort is filtered and cooled." I was flabbergasted after receiving this information.

"This is damn scientific" I couldn't hold my surprise.

"Hukum, India is not just a land of snake charmers. We Indians especially people of Bhanugarh have acquired scientific knowledge many decades ago but it has been ruined by that bloody wilkinson sahib" he gritted his teeth while his left hand gripped his sword's hilt. Did I hear him right? He said bloody WILKINSON.

"leave it Hukum. Let's go to Bai sa"