Anikaa & The Mystery of the Painting

29. The Musk Deer

"What are you talking about?" asked Jiyu taken aback. "I was so worried about you...,"

"That you ran for your skin praying that Gnomons should finish me and Raymond as soon as possible," said Anikaa.

"Anikaa this is ludicrous. I just went out of the pit to get help," said Jiyu.

"And who took us to the pit at the first place- you, who lied about Gnomons-you, who took us to the howling forests- you, who took us to Vikshi's- you, who brought us here- you- Jiyu," said Anikaa sternly "or...I should say Agung."

Jiyu looked calmly for a moment and then his eyes turned from gentle to apoplectic.

"How do you know?" asked Jiyu, his voice dire.

"It seems the musk deer has realised its worth," said Anikaa in a steely tone, her eyes blazing golden.

Raymond looked incredulously at Jiyu and then back at Anikaa. Both of them looked out of the world and were glaring daggers at each other.

"Musk deer? Anikaa, I am not able to understand a single thing," said Raymond exasperated.

"Allow me to recite the story this time Jiyu, you can definitely fill in where I am lacking," smirked Anikaa.

"Agung aka Jiyu, a young boy of Himkhasa tribe once found the gems in the heart of Himalayas. Ignorant of its power, he took the gems to his home- to his tribe and first time experimented the gem on the young boy who wandered to Himkhasa by mistake. The gem saved the life of the boy and his lamb and the story spreaded, bringing people to Himkhasa. To preserve their culture and seclusion the tribe left the Himalayas to Sunderbans. By now Agung had realised that the stone was not a mere article to fulfil wishes but the access to immense power and invincibility. So, he faked his death to steal the stone from his tribe because Himkhasa people never craved for power but peace, knowledge and spiritualism. Everything was according to his plan; he staged a planned attack on Himkhasa to steal the gems. But, his plans were thwarted by Dechen who reached the gems before him and hid it in the tent of Shalini's group. So, what happens now?" Anikaa paused. Her eyes fixed at Jiyu.

"Agung changes his name to Jiyu and starts searching the members of the group- one by one. He met them and after being convinced that they don't have the gems he killed them in the form of a natural death so that nobody gets suspicious that someone is looking for gems."

"It's my style," said Jiyu callously.

"So, after years he found my mother had the gems?" asked Raymond breaking in.

"No. The gems were with Lauren. She had kept them for years and when I came looking for gems, the wench passed them to Shalini," said Jiyu in an icy tone.

"You killed Aunt Lauren," growled Raymond drawing the implication.

Jiyu shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Then, Jiyu met Shalini. But, Shalini became suspicious of him. On a phone call with Bhagyashree she realised, ten members of their group were dead. It ticked her and so she sent the gem to Bhagyashree enclosing them in paint bottles. She wrote the riddle as a clue on the canvas, hid it with a layer of paint and went to Thailand," said Anikaa.

"What? You mean she met Jiyu before going to Thailand," asked Raymond.

Anikaa tilted her head to see Jiyu's cold face and smirked.

"Yes. She met Jiyu the week before going to Thailand and she sent the gem in the parcel to Bhagyashree that week only. Thailand was their meeting point and when he demanded the gems which she naturally refused, he attacked her."