The Urban Chronicle ✔

14: Even Mighty Princes Have Daddy Issues

Three days passed since we visited the village. Nothing important occurred during that time.

We contacted Ishaan, Neel’s best friend that I mentioned before, and filled him in about our current fix. Initially he thought it was a prank call and even teased Neel for being overly friendly with me all of a sudden.

I didn’t blame him though- even I wouldn’t believe Tvisha if she randomly called me when she was supposed to be in detention with someone she disliked immensely, and told me that she had time travelled. Now that I think about it she believed me quite fast, but then she always believed in magic. It must have thrilled her to know that magic actually existed.

Too bad it wasn’t the kind that involved wands and flying brooms. We had to video call Ishaan and show him the palace room, only then did he believe us.

So Tvisha and Ishaan were working together to see if they could gather any information about the tablet or any leads to assist us in our quest. But so far they had found nothing. It was pretty disheartening but we couldn’t let our morale down because of that.

Neel had talked to King Ashoka about the phone calls and the fact that time ran at different speeds on either side of the portal. Unsurprisingly, His Majesty had accepted his story right away and had also assured him that he would pass on the information to his court scholars and update us if there was any development regarding our case.

I was still a little angry with Ashoka because he hadn’t accepted my word just because I was a girl. But who cares?

Forgive and forget. Yeah, that’s my new public relations management policy at the moment for all these arrogant blue bloods. They keep finding ways to get onto my nerves.

I gazed out of the carved windows and marveled at the star lit sky. I can’t find the appropriate words to express its beauty. I stared in awe as I spotted the Orion and the Big Dipper.

My Grandfather used to take me stargazing when I was little and it was one my childhood memories that I cherished about him. I can’t forget the stories he told me about the constellations. It used to be hard to spot them though because the pollutants and dust in the air would cover most of the stars and made it difficult to spot them. Sometimes it was impossible to see any stars in the sky altogether. Here the pollutant free sky gave a splendid view of the numerous stars.

I must say I have an unhealthy obsession for shiny objects and I could have stared at the luminous gas giants all day if only I hadn’t been disturbed by the sound of a galloping horse in the distance.

I furrowed my brow as I saw Prince Mahindra riding across the palace ground towards the exit. Where on earth was he going at this late hour? It was almost eleven and I’m sure he didn’t have any princely duties to carry out right now. They could certainly wait until tomorrow right? I decided to follow him to find out what was so important that he had to leave in such a rush.

“I’ll be back!” I shouted to Neel as I ran down towards the stable, without waiting for his answer. But his ears work perfectly as he so politely informed me earlier, so I’m assuming he heard me.

I panted as I reached the stables and doubled over to catch my breath. I found the lovely black stallion that I rode the other day in a stall on close to the door, and climbed onto its back. I patted its neck above its mane and it whinnied in recognition. I guided it slowly, out of the stable and in the direction that Mahindra had headed.

I trusted my instinct as I navigated along the path to the woods on the far side of the palace grounds. Although it was past eleven, the moon shone through the gaps in the foliage overhead and helped me see where I was going.