Part 1 Khushi the Explorer
A girl called Khushi was running, turning behind again and again. A few men were chasing her. She didn't know who they were and why they chasing her. She just came back to Delhi, after visiting Puri Jagannath Temple. She went to Puri Jagannath Temple, not because she was a sincere devotee but because she was so much interested in the ART and culture of Ancient India.
Her grandfather seeded such interest in her. She heard many stories from her grandfather from Indian history. He even taught her Sanskrit and Prakrit languages. Being a smart kid, Khushi learned it interestingly. It helped her to read Epigraphs. She was so curious to know new information, she liked reading them. So, she visited many temples in India.
A few years ago, her parents were killed in a mysterious way. At that time, she was studying in college. She didn't know why her parents were killed. After her parent's demise, she avoided stepping into their old house but stayed in a women's hostel.
As she belonged to a rich family, she never lacked money. She didn't know how her family was rich. Because her father was a government school teacher... Of course, a History teacher. Her grandfather was an archaeologist. She thought they belonged to a Royal family.
Here, she was running, being chased by a few men. She ran into a crowded street. There was a masque in the street along with a lot of shops. She entered a textile shop without thinking.
"I need this burqa. How much is this?" She asked.
The shopkeeper looked at her top to toe as she didn't look like a Muslim. Khushi understood the meaning of his awkward gaze.
"I need this for my college drama" she grinned.
"Oh..."
The shopkeeper was suspicious yet, he gave it to her.
Khushi came out of the shop cautiously, looking here and there. After making sure of they were not there, she stepped out of the shop, wearing the burqa in a blink of an eye.
She saw one of the men who chased her talking on the phone at the end of the street. He was wearing a red shirt that showed him highlighting. She stood listening to him, pretending like, buying apples in the nearby road shop.
"Don't know where did she go. We missed her. I don't know what will SIR say"
Khushi altered. SIR? Who was their SIR? What did he want from her? Who was he? She became curious. She wanted to know who was behind her. Not only that, she didn't want to leave it just like that.
So, she followed him. He waited on the main road for a while. A man came there on a bike. The redshirt man sat on the bike and left.
Khushi stopped an auto and asked the driver to follow them. After forty-five minutes of the ride, the bike stopped in front of a lonely bungalow. Cutting the auto meter, Khushi hid behind a tree and saw them going inside the bungalow.
Khushi slowly moved towards the bungalow. Without making noise, she walked to the backyard of the bungalow. She stopped hearing, a grumpy voice. She had heard the voice before. Though the voice sounded different it seemed familiar to her.
She slowly peeped inside the bungalow through a window. Her eyes widened. An old man was sitting on the chair, being tied to the chair tightly. He was her grandfather's friend Mr. Nayak. It was clear that he was beaten up brutally. She could see blood clots on his face.
"I don't know anything about it... even Khushi doesn't know about it. She is a kid. I was with her grandfather all the time. Yet, I don't know anything about it then how could she know? Please leave me..." he pleaded.
Khushi had no idea what he was talking about. Without wasting time, she removed her phone and called the police.
Disconnecting the call, she noticed inside. Nayak seemed to faint. Khushi became nervous. She stayed there watching their moves, waiting for the police.
Within a few minutes, police reached the place. The goons saw the police and ran out through the backdoor. The police rescued Nayak. Khushi rushed in.
"Dhadaji..." She tapped his cheek.
Taking a water jug, the inspector passed it to her. Khushi sprinkled water on his face. He slowly opened his eyes putting into the effort. He opened his eyes wide seeing Khushi in front of him.
"Khushi... Khushi, you here? Why did you come here? Go from here. These guys are so bad." He said nervously.
"I know Dhadaji... that's why I brought police here to rescue you"
"Are you here to rescue me? Thank the Lord..." he became relaxed.
"Why did they kidnap you, sir?" the Inspector asked.
"They tortured me asking about Khushi's whereabouts but I didn't say anything. Thank God you came at the right time"
"Please come to the police station and write a complaint about them," the inspector said.
"Sure sir..."
Khushi helped Nayak to stand up. She brought him to the police Jeep and got inside with him.
"Khushi, you don't have to come with me to the police station. You go I will meet you later" Nayak said.
"That's ok Dhadaji. How will you go to the police station alone in this condition? I will come with you. I have no problem in that" she said adamantly.
Nayak leaned and the seat, sighing.
After filing a complaint on the goons, Khushi took Nayak to the hospital and treated his wounds. Then she brought him to his residence.
"What's all this Dhadaji? Who are they? Why are they behind me?"
"Whaaaat? Are they behind you?"
"Yes, they chased me from the railway station"
"But, how did they know you are in Delhi? Even I don't know you came back...!"
"I don't know anything, Dhadaji. I heard one of them talking on the phone. He addressed someone as SIR. I think someone is behind this. By the way, what did they ask you? What did they want from me?"
"They asked me about your grandfather's SAND CLOCK"
"Sand clock?" She frowned.
"Yes... Your Dhada had a Sand Clock"
"What's special in that?"
"It's a kind of time machine"
"Whaaaaaat? Time machine?" she almost shouted in disbelief.
"Yes... I have no idea where he got it. I know he traveled to the past many times"
Khushi was shocked, surprised, bewildered, what not? Was her grandfather a time traveler...? She could not believe it.
"You mean, is my Dhada a time traveler?" she asked with disbelief.
Nayak nodded yes.
"He did that with the help of the sand clock"
"But, I had never seen any sand clock at our home..."
"I saw the sand clock only one time. I didn't know it was a time travel machine at that time. Later, your Dhada told me once but didn't tell me where it was. I don't know what he did with it."
"Are they behind me for the Sand Clock?"
"Yes..."
"But, I don't know anything"
"I know... I told them but they didn't believe me"
"But, how do they know about it?"
"An archaeologist called Rudraprathap worked with your Dhada. He was nagging your Dhada asking for it. I think, after that, only your Dhada would have hidden it somewhere"
"Where is Rudraprathap now?"
"I don't know. After your parent's demise, he met me once and asked about the Sand Clock."
"Whaaaat?"
"Yes... I doubt he might be behind your parent's murder"
Khushi became thoughtful.
"You should be careful, Khushi. Thank God you are an Explorer. Please go somewhere else. Don't come to Delhi for a few days until this problem came to an end"
Khushi was silent. She said nothing. She could not. That was an unexpected truth in her life. Sand Clock, her parent's murderer, RudraPrathap, everything was new. She didn't know how to react to it. Taking her backpack, she walked out of his house, saying nothing.
She came to the hostel and fell on the bed. Was that true? Was the time machine even possible? She sat on the bed jerking and left the hostel.
She never stepped into their old house after her parent's demise. But today, she was ready to do that. She unlocked the house and got in. The house was full of dust as it was unmaintained. She stood at the entrance and ran her eyes. She went to Dhada's room and searched in it. There was nothing she could appreciate. She checked the floor, slamming her feet if there was any secret door but nope. She was fed up.
"Where did you keep it, Dhadu?" She murmured.
Her sight fell on a big size Teddy bear. She shrank her eyes. It was a birthday gift from her Dhada. She remembered what he said when he gave it to her.
*Don't ever miss this*
Khushi rushed to the toy and took it in her hand. She checked it turning left to right. She saw it with hand stitches below its left leg. She pulled the stitch and saw a SAND CLOCK in it that was only two inches in size.
To be continued...