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Preface: Introductions

Thomas Read

Thomas Read, Tom to his friends, was only four years old when he set foot into Nainapur, a world that was in stark contrast to the land where he was born. Toms father Christopher Read was a British archaeologist by profession and his mother Sarah was an Indian Christian. The story of how they had fallen in love and moved to their mansion in Nainapur is for another time. When Tom first arrived in Nainapur, almost everybody there looked more like his mom than his dad. Also, most of them spoke a language that was certainly not the English that he was used to hearing and speaking. It sounded very alien and cacophonous.

The palatial bungalow that they moved in was built on a sprawling estate, known as the Dsouza Estate and spread over three acres, surrounded by the lusciously green and hilly terrain of Nainapur. The property had originally belonged to Toms great grandfather, his moms grandfather, Colonel DSouza.Toms grandfather, that is his mothers father, was an eminent archaeologist with the Archaeological Suvey of India. Toms father Chris Read who was also an archaelogist worked for the British Museum. Once when the ASI and the British Museum had collaborated on a joint expedition, they had worked together and had become good friends. Later on they had worked on several such expeditions and it was during one such expedition that Chris Read had saved Mr. DSouza from a freak accident. After that Chris Read and Sarah Dsouza who were already in love had got married. When Toms grandfather retired from active archaeology he moved to DSouza estate. He always wanted his daughter and son-in-law Chris to move to Nainapur as he did not want to live all alone in the huge estate. Although Toms dad Chris was initially hesitant and preferred to live in London, one summer when they went to Nainapur for holidays Chris fell in love with the place and decided to retire from active archaeology and move to Nainapur. Mr.Read used the huge space available in the estate to setup a beautiful hotel named The Read Bed and Breakfast, which over the past several years had become a very popular destination for tourists visiting Nainapur.

Ravi SinghRavis father Laxman Singh had started out as a chauffer to Chris Read but because of his dedication and hard work he quickly became Mr. Reads personal assistant. Over the years Chris Read had grown to trust Laxman Singh so much that he was made the Administrative Manager of The Read Bed and Breakfast.

Ravi Singh was just five years old when his father Laxman Prasad Singh had brought him and his mother to the palatial mansion of Sarah and Christopher Read, soon after Toms younger sisters birth. Sarah Read was looking for someone who would help her with the new baby and Laxman Singh has suggested that his wife could help.. Ravi had accompanied his parents and had stood at the hallway gaping at the tall ceilings adorned with expensive chandeliers, broad wooden stairways and exquisite antiques that decorated both sides of the grand living room. The room was in fact larger than his entire house.

Ravis dad used to pick him from his school and drop him at the Read mansion every day. The first few days were awkward for both the boys as Ravi spoke only Hindi while Tom knew no other language besides English. Tom was initially reluctant to share his toys with this somewhat untidy looking boy. However, over the next few days prodded by his mother Sarah, Tom began easing up to Ravis company. After all he did not have many friends in the new town. Both of them conversed in their respective mother tongues, making little sense to the other. However they seemed to enjoy each others company. This was the beginning of a friendship that had grown stronger over the next eight years.

Laxman Singhs association with Chris Read had improved their financial situation significantly and it meant that Ravi could be sent to a good, albeit a Hindi medium public school. Tom on the other hand got admission into Green Valley International School, one of the most prestigous and popularschools in the region that received patronage from wealthy Indian businessmen and expatriate foreigners alike.

Suzy Chen

Tom had been twelve years old and in his sixth grade when Suzy Chen had joined the Green Valley International School. Born to a first generation Chinese American father and a Chinese mother from the village of mainland China, Suzy had spent her initial eight years in the US. Suzys dad had always been a busy executive travelling frequently outside the US and as a result Suzy was extremely attached to her mom. When her mother passed away after a brief struggle with cancer, Suzy was devastated and started getting lonelier. When her father was transferred to Stuttgart, Germany on work he took Suzy along with him, but she never liked it there. After two years in Stuttgart, Suzys father returned to USA only to be asked to go to India to set up the bank s Outsourcing centre near New Delhi. On advice of some Indian colleagues her dad sought admission for Suzy in Green Valley International in Nainapur which was about 150 kms from Delhi.

In the eleven years before coming to India, Suzy never really had a close friend. Even at Green Valley she continued to maintain a distance from her sixth grade classmates at school as well as her hostel mates. Although she was a very bright girl, the frequent changes in school across countries had disrupted her academic continuity. During the first term she struggled with her grades. Tom, who sat next to Suzy at class had noticed that this aloof girl hardly interacted with anybody. Although she was very reluctant in speaking to him as well initially, she gladly accepted when he offered to help her with her studies.

Over the next two years Suzy spent several weekends with the Reads and for the first time in her life she experienced what it meant to have a family that lived together. She started accompanying Tom and Ravi on their weekend excursions riding behind on Toms bike, much like what Ravi used to do before he had his own bike. Her dad visited her every month and with every visit he noticed his daughter looking happier and livelier. On her thirteenth birthday Suzy had asked her father to buy her a bicycle, the first time she had ever asked him for something, and he had been more than glad to get her one.

Suzy liked being with Tom, who was extremely protective of her, almost like an elder brother. The only thing that he was jealous of was that she had learnt to speak better Hindi that him in just three years of being in India. But Suzy had a way with languages and like most girls she was punctual, had keen attention to detail and a very perceptive and sharp brain.

Rajveer Pratap Rathore

Rajveer Pratap Rathore was the son of Virendra Pratap Rathore, Maharajah of Jadhavpur in Rajasthan. Technically, Virendra Pratap was no longer a king, but he prided in the title and his ancestral glory and continued to maintain a lifestyle befitting a king. As a child Raj had been a pampered kid, mostly by his mother Maharani Sita Devi and by the numerous ushers and attendants who kept following him everywhere inside the massive Haveli in Jadhavpur where they lived. Sita Devis love for Raj combined with his own passion for food had contributed to his rather rotund disposition. His friends lovingly called him Chubbo, inspired by his chubby cheeks and Raj never used to mind it. He was like that, a lazy but happy go lucky chap who enjoyed a laugh even at his own expense.

Raj also studied at the Green Valley, but although he was not from Nainapur his mother had ensured that he did not stay in the boarding hostel. She had rented out a large apartment near the school with four attendants to look after him; including two chauffers for the two cars that were at his service, a domestic helper and most importantly a cook to take care of his gastronomic need.

What is the point in sending him to Nainapur and not allowing him to stay in the hostel his dad had argued. The entire purpose to put him a boarding school is to make him more independent, and here you plan to pamper him more than he is used to at home. But his mom ultimately had her way. She also ensured that she visited him every three months for a week or two to make sure that her son was being taken care off.

Date 26/5/2009Chapter 1: The Forbidden OakRavi was sweating profusely despite the fact that it was late autumn. The temperature in the hillside had started reducing rapidly as dusk descended. The cool winds blowing against his face gave a sensation as if the sweat on his forehead was freezing into little icicles. What he had just seen had scared the living daylights out of him and sent him racing down the steep and sparsely forested hill that he had been climbing. The excitement of getting back and revealing his discovery to his friends caused his heart to beat wildly. As his wet shirt clung to his back and made him shiver, he cursed himself for not bringing his sweater.Far towards the west he could see the sun setting as it bathed the valley in hues of orange and pink. He had reached a narrow flat land between two hills and as he looked back he could see the singular massive oak tree standing on the edge of the hill he had just descended. He felt brave to have managed to go almost right up to the forbidden oak. The fast fading light had him worried as he thought that it would take him another ten minutes to climb the other hill and reach the woods from where he had started his hike. Although he was a brave boy, he wasnt foolish to not realize the dangers of staying on after dark in these parts of the woods, especially after what he had witnessed there. By the time he returned to the point where he had started, the sun had disappeared in the horizon and it was quite dark all around.Ravi dusted his clothes and examined the scratches on his arms from the thorny thickets that he had to crawl under, on his way down as well as on his way out. He quickly gathered some loose rocks and stones lying nearby and created a mound to mark the point from where he had descended down the dense hill. It was indeed getting late and Ravi quickened his pace. The sound of the dry autumn leaves rustling under his feet pierced the eerie silence that surrounded him. Quickly he reached the narrow, dim lit mud road from where he had taken a detour into the woods. He found his bicycle that he had parked leaning against a large pine tree. He quickly got atop its seat and started pedalling fast. He had to reach home before his father returned from work. It was almost nine by the time Ravi had showered and hastily devoured his dinner. He sneaked into his tiny bedroom, the smallest room in their two bedroom apartment. He took out his old Nokia phone, handed over to him after three years of usage by his father and with strict instructions not to take it outside the house. He quickly typed out an SMS to his friend Tom Founded the route 2 forbidden tree.. Meet u 2morrow at ur place. Ask Suzy and Raj to come also. Owning a mobile phone was a luxury for Ravi, unlike his richer friends. As he always had limited talk time, if he had to speak with his friends he gave them a missed call and then waited for them to call back. However, it was pretty late to speak with Tom and hence he had sent an SMS.Tom, who was also preparing to get into bed, smiled as his read the message. He thought to himself Oh, the great founder has founded something again. At the same time he felt proud of his friend. Despite studying in a Hindi school, Ravis fluency in English had improved a lot thanks to his friendship with Tom. However his grammar was far from being perfect and caused his International school educated friends to laugh every time he spoke. However they never made fun of him and always encouraged him to speak in English. Tom typed on his swanky new iPhone Cool, letz meet 2moro morning 10 am, same place. Hav informd Suz and Chubbo as well. Cya. Ravi wished it were already morning as he was dying to meet Tom, Suzy and Raj. Chided by his mother to go to bed, Ravi put his mobile under his pillow while complaining Ma, its only 9:30 and tomorrow is a Saturday. Why do I have to sleep so early every day? His mom was in no mood to listen and switched off the light in his room. However, Ravi could not sleep for the next two hours. He tossed and turned in his bed, thinking of what he had witnessed that evening and fantasizing about possible things that he and his friends would discover when they went back to the forbidden oak. He finally dozed off dreaming about a magical world that lay beneath the oak tree.Date 28/5/2009Chapter 2: The Read Bed and BreakfastRavi, Ravi wake up, it is nine o clock already, called his mother shaking him vigorously. Ravi woke up with a start. He had been dreaming all night about the forbidden tree and had overslept. He looked at the old clock which hung in a slanted manner on the wall and jumped with a start. He was to meet his friends in one hour and he was already late. Mom, no homework today, please, he pleaded in Hindi. I have to be at Toms by 10, give me my breakfast quick he blurted, toothpaste foaming at his month. It was quarter to ten by the time Ravi finished stuffing his mouth with his breakfast. Quickly putting on his worn out canvas shoes he jumped on his bike, pedalling it double fast as he was already late for his meeting.He weaved through the crowded main street, which also happened to be the central bazaar or market place of Nainapur town as he narrowly avoided a cow lazily munching away at some littered rotten vegetables. Quickly he navigated past the last shop in the bazaar, drove around the market square and finally down Russell Road. Russel Road was the main road that went downhill towards the less populated and more scenic part of the town. After cycling for about ten minutes, as he approached a sharp bend he guided his bicycle down a narrow by lane road that led to a large flat land. There was a small board by the side of the lane that said Cedar Lane. Aptly, the road was lined on both sides with tall deodar cedars and rhododendron trees. There were a couple of small bungalows on either side. At the far end of Cedar Lane, about 300 meters off Russell Road, Ravi saw the huge gates that were the entrance to Toms mansion. The tall arch that formed the entrance to the mansion had DSOUZA ESTATE embossed in bold. Toms mother Sarahs maiden name was Dsouza and the estate had belonged to her grandfather. When the Reads had moved to Nainapur, the DSouza Estate only had a bungalow and much of the estate was thickly forested with deodar, pine and rhododendron trees. However, soon Chris Read not only renovated the grand bungalow, but decided to develop the estate commercially. He cleared some of the trees and constructed a hotel at the far end of the estate. The hotel was named The Read Bed and Breakfast and was inaugurated with much fanfare. Nainapur was a popular tourist destination popular as much for its beautiful landscapes and pleasant climate as its heritage historical monuments. The Read B&B with its fifteen cosy and classily decorated rooms offered a perfect place for tourists to live in a homely, close to nature environs. The hotel provided the best location in all of Nainapur and the superior service provided by the hotel staff ensured that business had flourished in the eight years that the Reads had lived in Nainapur. In all these years The Read B&B had retained its charm, with its ornately decorated rooms, lush green lawns where guests had their morning breakfast, tall trees lined all along the boundaries and a dense valley on the far side that was home to a variety of exotic birds. Every morning the lawns were visited by peacocks that fearlessly strutted around the hotel guests and bright green parrots that restlessly flew from the trees to the hotel rooftop and back to the trees. The more adventurous guests, if they dared venture beyond the trees into the dense valley, could witness thrushes, robins, woodpeckers, munias and the occasional kingfisher. One could also witness a small waterfall, that was more of a gentle stream cascading down the valley during the summers but became a gushing waterfall after monsoon, winding its way down the hills to finally merge with the river at the valley. It was a perfect paradise for the relaxation seeking tourists and the personal attention given by the Reads and their staff, made their stay most worthwhile. The Read B&B was frequented by several renowned personalities including politicians, movie stars and sportsmen. Except for the one occasion when a jackal had wandered into the estate right at breakfast time sending the panicked guests running helter skelter, the Reads hospitality business had run without any blemish all these years.In these eight years, despite their vastly different lifestyles Tom and Ravi had become the best of friends, a bond made stronger by their passion for adventure. Over the years they had picked up each others language very well, although Ravi learnt to converse in English much better than Tom could speak Hindi. As they went to separate schools, they hardly met during weekdays, but they ensured that they spent most of weekend together, exploring the woods of the Nainapur and nearby hills. Initially, they would both go on Toms bicycle, taking turns at the pedal while the other sat behind on the pillion carrier. However on Ravis twelfth birthday, his father bought him a bicycle. Although it was a very basic bicycle compared to Toms brilliant red BMX bike, a gift from Toms dad that same year, it now meant that they both had their bikes and could now explore every dangerous nook and corner of the hills.Ravi was a natural athlete, and fearlessly ventured into dangerous terrains. Tom, on the other hand loved adventure, but relied on Ravis confidence and bravado to venture into all the spooky places around Nainapur. When it came to academics Ravi was only an average student, while Tom on the contrary was a brilliant student who always topped his class. On weekends, when he was not outside with Ravi and his other friends Suzy and Raj, Tom spent hours either reading books from his fathers impressive library or researching the Internet on various topics that were taught at school. His passion for reading had made Ravi once jokingly ask Tom Is that why your last name is Read?. Huh, now thats not funny Ravi, Tom had retorted even while Suzy and Raj chuckled away at Ravis lame attempt at humour.Chapter 3: Meeting at The Den

As Ravi cycled his way into the Read mansion he waved to the security guard who recognized him immediately and waved back. He took the smaller side entrance meant for people walking in rather than the massive gates. As expected, he saw that Suzys pink bicycle was already parked on the lawns by the steps that led into the house. Suzy was always punctual and had ridden her bicycle into the Read mansion ten minutes before Ravi had arrived...As he got off his bike Ravi also noticed a white coloured Maruti Suzuki jeep with a bright red-light blinking on top. He immediately recognized it as a police jeep. Standing next to it was a short and stout constable, his belly almost bursting out of his khaki shirt, his hands resting on what should have been a waist but which had disappeared under layers of fat and his elbows extending out. Looking at him Ravi could only imagine the Teapot from the nursery rhyme book he used to see so many times at Toms house when he was small. He also noticed much activity and confusion inside Toms house. Ravi quickly parked his bike next to Suzys and avoiding the eyes of the constable he sneaked by the side of the house to the place where he knew he would find his friends. As he walked along the estate grounds he saw that there were several more policemen near the Read B&B and lot of frenetic activity going on. He wondered what could be going on.

Ravi rushed across the backyard to a small bright unit at the northwest end of the estate. A few years ago what used to be a dull shed that housed a few rusty gardening equipment, was now painted bright yellow with red doors and windows. Painted on the red door in white were the words THE DEN. A sloping tiled roof that had replaced the earlier asbestos roof and a wooden picket fence protected the two side of the shed that were adjacent to the deep valley below. Tom had literally pleaded his dad to get the shed converted to his very own den. His dad had finally relented when he realized that even the gardeners did not prefer a shed that was so far away from the lawns. He had the shed converted into a small independent unit that had just one large rectangular room. Ravi opened the unlatched door and entered the room; he could see Tom and Suzy sitting on the couch on the far right of the room, animatedly discussing something. In the centre of the room opposite the door was a cot propped against the wall. A number of picture frames of Tom from various stages of his childhood, some with his little sister and parents, some with his friends and one with his granddad adorned the wall. A shelf on the wall was stacked with books. Also strewn on the bed were some books and Toms iPad. To the left of the room was a small red fridge that was usually stacked with some soda, water and chocolates and ice-cream in the freezer. These had to be replenished after every weekend, as the friends usually devoured them whenever they met. When Tom saw Ravi, he jumped from the couch to high-five his friend first with his right hand, then with his left followed by a light punch with both his fists to Ravis closed fists. This was their traditional greeting routine every time they met. Tom reached out to the plate that was on the tea table and stuffing his mouth with a cookie, he blurted Ravi, you wont believe what has happened here today. Ravi smiled feebly to hide the disappointment that something more exciting seemed to have happened very recently that could overshadow his own exciting adventure from previous night. He said Okay, okay but you need to hear what I have to say first because my adventure happened first.Hey wait, both of you Suzy intervened, Let Chubbo get here first. Do not spoil the excitement for him. She was usually the most considerate amongst the four, unlike Ravi and Tom who were always in a hyper excited mode. This Chubbo is late again, as ever complained Tom looking at his wristwatch that already showed 10:15 am. He added with a grin, Anyways let us enjoy the cookies and cakes mom has baked freshly today, before Chubbo comes and leaves nothing for us at all. Just at that time a metallic blue BMW Series 7 car pulled alongside the kerb outside the Read mansion. It was followed by a black Toyota Fortuner SUV. The chauffer stepped out and walked around the BMW to open the rear door. A portly boy of fourteen got out of the car and walked with the gait of a baby elephant towards the Toyota. He was accompanied by the chauffer of the Toyota who opened the rear door and pulled out a golden coloured bicycle from the SUV. Another steward emerged from the Toyota carrying a lunch pack and followed the boy.. Raj clumsily got onto his bike and rode it down the pathway from the main gate leading to the house, his entourage following him on foot. Raj lowered the parking stand of his bike, even as one of his attendants came running to help him get off the bike. Raj turned back to his attendants and literally pleaded to them in Hindi Ab please jao. Do baje aana, mein Tom ke ghar par hi hoon meaning, Please leave and return at 2 pm. I shall be at Toms house only. The domestic helper at Toms house who had come out, picked up the massive lunch pack waiting to follow Raj to the shed at the backyard. Raj had just taken a couple of steps when the chubby constable who had been standing near the police jeep when Ravi had arrived; this time emerged out of the Read residence like a hippopotamus would after spending a few hours in the water. When their eyes met it was difficult to say who was more surprised to see the other. Raj felt as if he was seeing himself in one of those funny mirrors you have at fun fairs that enlarges your image to a more gigantic reflection of yourself. He quickly avoided the constables gaze and proceeded by the same way that Ravi had taken earlier. As he entered the room his friends almost pounced on him, shouting in unison Chubbo, you are late again, it is almost 10:30. Raj grinned apologetically as he reached out instinctively to the last slice of cake that was on the plate and complained You guys never leave anything for me. But dont worry, mamma has packed 4 slices of chocolate mousse cake in my lunchbox and you guys are going to get none. The four friends had a hearty laugh as they settled down looking forward to discuss the next adventure.Chapter 1 and 2 rewritten on 7/6/2014 and 8 /6/201410/06/2014Chapter 4: Ravis Ghostly AffairWhats with this commotion in your estate, Tom? Raj asked curious to know more about the huge crowd he had witnessed near the hotel. Before Tom could answer, Ravi who was dying to talk about his own experience from previous night interjected and said Why did we call for this meeting? To talk about what I saw last night isnt it. Okay, baba, get over with it, if you must said Raj So you found the path to get to the forbidden oak. But this one sounds more interesting; policemen and all at the DSouza Estate. I am dying to know what happened hereIrritated that his friends did not seem to care much about his adventure, Ravi modulated his voice to make it sound as menacing as possible Guys it is not only that. You wont believe it, but I actually saw a ghost at the forbidden tree last night. His friends looked at him, more surprised than startled. It was real, God promise he continued, sensing that his friends were not yet willing to believe what he said. Surely you must have been mistaken! We know there is no such thing as ghosts said Tom. Maybe you saw some branches moving from far off and imagined it to be a ghost. Ravi who was getting increasingly exasperated said, Then why hasnt anybody gone near the forbidden tree all these years; why havent anyone of you gone there if there were no ghosts. And by the way, I wasnt far-off from the tree. I went right up to the tree and believe me I was this close to the oak tree when I saw the ghost. Ravi ran from the couch where they were seated to the other end of the room to show how close he was to the tree. I had only a few more feet to climb and reach the tree when I saw this figure hiding behind the oak tree. It was completely covered in a white robe and it peeked at me. The only thing I could see were two eyes, as its face was also covered with a white scarf. I was completely taken by surprise and did not know what to do. I must admit I got a bit scared and ran back as it was past sunset and beginning to get darkHe heh heh chuckled Raj A ghost peeking at you from behind the oak tree. Now thats a funny scene to imagine. Were you scared of the ghost or was it scared of you? Chubbo, now dont get me started retorted Ravi you jump out of your skin even at the sight of shadows in the dark. He was getting visibly agitated now. Suzy who had been quiet so far and listening to their conversation asked calmly Okay Ravi, even if we were to believe that you saw someone or something that looked like a ghost, as far as we know, ghosts are visible only at night. And you said that it was close to sunset when you saw this, which means it was late evening. Suzy was observant as ever and even caught minor details easily.Ravi replied Yes it was late evening, but how am I to know what time ghosts come out? As far as I know and I believe my eyes, there was definitely a shrouded creature behind the tree. We all know that all of Nainapur believes the forbidden oak is haunted and it has been so for several years. Nobody really goes there and many people have reported seeing a ghost in the vicinity of the tree in the past. So as far as I am concerned, it has to be a ghost.Tom was certain that his friend would not make up things. He knew that Ravi indeed was a brave boy and would definitely have ventured till the tree. While he was reluctant to believe that there were ghosts, he felt that there was indeed something mysterious in what Ravi had witnessed. He said Guys, I think Ravi did see something. And he has a point almost all of Nainapur believes that the oak tree is haunted. No wonder it is called the forbidden oak. Now whether what he saw was a ghost or not, is for us to discover. And that gives us our next adventure to explore. Ravi smiled at Tom, happy that his friend had supported him as always. Great he said I know exactly how to get there. Lets plan to go there tomorrow.Meanwhile, Suzy who was looking out of the window noticed that the commotion near the Read B&B had increased. Look, something is happening there, she shouted. As they all looked out Raj said, Tom, you did not tell us what happened here, there are so many policemen around. He added Ravi, we listened to your story. Now lets listen to what Tom had to say. What everyone knew, but did not say was that Raj would rather not get involved in Ravis adventure. He was absolutely scared of the dark and would avoid anything that involved ghosts. Tom said Well, there was a robbery in the hotel last night. It is the first time something like this has happened. Dad is obviously very upset since morning and with all these police around he has been very busy. Even I do not know the details. Anyways, seems something is happening there right now. Let us go and find out for ourselves. They closed the door to Toms shed and gently jogged towards the hotel, which was a good two hundred meters on the north-west side of the estate. Chubbo was already huffing by the time they reached the crowd that had gathered on the lawns outside the hotel.

12/06/2014Chapter 5: The Missing SparklesThe Read B&B was an L shaped block, built like an apartment unit and comprising a ground plus first floor. The ground floor housed the reception, a restaurant and six studio suites while the first floor had seven studio suites and a Luxury Suite. The restaurant opened and extended into the green lawns that had neatly laid out round tables with 4 chairs each and a large umbrella coming out of the centre of the table. It was here that the crowd had gathered. There was a senior police inspector, evident from his cap and the badges on his khaki shirt, who was talking with Toms dad Chris Read. Ravis dad who was the hotel manager, was standing beside him listening attentively and answering whenever Chris turned to him. The fat constable, who Ravi and Raj had earlier seen at the Read residence, was now seen lining up some of the hotel staff, possibly to question them. On the other end, near the hotel entrance, a few news reporters had gathered to catch the details. A local TV van had just pulled over and men were laying out their equipment hoping to get some interview soon. A couple of constables was trying to prevent the reporters from rushing into the hotel premises.Several hotel guests were seated in the restaurant lawns chatting about and possibly speculating on what might have happened. Most notable amongst them was a fair lady, possibly in her early forties. She was seated by herself on a chair at one of the tables and looked visibly distraught. The senior policeman who had been speaking with Toms dad, walked over to where the lady was sitting and pulled a chair next to her. He appeared to be consoling or perhaps assuring her.The four friends who had been observing this from afar decided to move in to try and get some more details. The chubby constable who had a long cane stick in his hand was occasionally wielded at the hotel staff standing to be questioned. Tom looked at him and remarked Doesnt he look like Chubbos older twin? Suzy giggled and added Well certainly if we painted a moustache under Chubbos lips.Raj pinched Tom and Suzy simultaneously and said Enough of your jokes, else I shall take you guys to task just like that constable is doing to thopse men these. Now better try to find out more about what happened.

Tom looked around to see who he could grab to get some information. He did not want to disturb either his dad or Ravis father Laxman Singh as both of them looked very busy and stressed. He saw a young chap, in his late twenties, standing nearby staring blankly ahead. In contrast to the elephantine figure of the constable, the man looked like a skinny antelope who ears stuck out like a pair of antlers. He had the hotel uniform blazer on and a badge attached on his jacket that read Assistant Manager. Tom quickly moved near him and pulled him aside. The other three also rushed behind Tom and soon had encircled the guy. Hey there, can you tell us what happened here? Tom asked. The young guy, rattled by the four kids who had literally pounced on him, said Nothing! Nothing happened! Tom demanded Then why are so many policemen gathered here? Definitely something has happened. We are not fools. The young man knew Tom was the son of the hotel owner. Reluctantly he squeaked, like a mouse does when it has been surrounded by cats Sahabji has told us not to tell anything to anybody except the police. The person he was referring to as Sahabji, meaning Sir, was of course Laxman Singh, who, sensing that news reporters would be hounding the hotel trying to extract gossip, had instructed his staff not to speak about the incident with anyone except the police. But we are not anybody, you know all of us very well said Tom in an authoritative voice. Yes, yes, you know all of us quipped in Ravi. Indeed, besides knowing Tom, the man also knew that Ravi was the son of the Hotel Manager, his immediate boss Laxman Singh. He dared not upset either of them lest they complained about him to their respective fathers. He meekly said Okay, I shall tell you what happened, but promise me you will not tell anyone that I shared this with you. The four friends nodded in unison. The man continued Well there was a robbery in the hotel last night. You see that lady sitting there; she is a very famous actress Madhu Malini. In fact she is my favourite heroine from when I was a teenager. She is so beautiful and talented. I used to watch all her movies on the first day they were released and have watched them several times. In fact only last week I saw her movie. His squeaky voice now sounded croaky, like a frog trying to attract its female version.Okay, okay we are not interested in which movies you have watched interrupted Tom. He hardly saw any Hindi movies, least of all movies of a heroine who probably had acted at a time when he was only a toddler. The Assistant Manager disappointed at being cut short continued back in his squeaky voice Madhu Malini had checked into the hotel three days back, that is on Wednesday. She really loved our hotel from the moment she stepped in. She told that to me personally. Yesterday, she had gone to the town centre to inaugurate a new mall. In fact I had only assisted her to get into her car and she looked so beautiful, especially wearing that dazzling necklace. It was obvious that the guy was completely enamoured by the actress and took every opportunity to demonstrate his admiration for her. Fine, fine, we know that she is beautiful and a famous actress and that you are a big fan, but tell us what happened next, asked Raj curtly. He was the only one amongst the four of them who knew who Madhu Malini was. He had seen just one movie in which Madhu Malini had acted. His mom was a great fan of the actress and during one of her visits to Nainapur she had watched this hit Madhu Malini movie that had been shown on TV. Rajs mom had insisted that he also give her company. He had reluctantly sat through the torturous two and a half hours of movie. The entire movie had the hero bashing up some fifty thugs to savw the heroine Madhu Malini from their clutches, then chasing her around trees and over mountains trying to woo her by singing songs, tear jerking scenes where Madhu Malini cried bucketful of tears at being separated from the hero and subsequently more song and dance at the villains den where her hero had been captured followed by more fighting with the villain, finally ending in a happy ending where they live happily ever after.Raj had not seen a more boring movie. While his mom sat glued to the TV alternating between smiles of joy and tears of sorrow as the scenes changed, the only things that had kept him going were the popcorn, samosas and several fillings of lemonade that the attendants kept serving at regular intervals. Cmon, tell us what more do you know about this robbery? Did something get stolen from Madhu Malinis room he asked. The Assistant Manager, eager to run away from these bossy kids replied What else can happen, nazar lag gayi kisiki! The beautiful necklace that she was wearing got stolen from our hotel last night. Poor Ms. Malini is so upset since morning. I promise, that is all I know. What did he just say? Tom asked looking puzzled at hearing the phrase nazar lag gayi kisiki. Ravi explained He means that someone has cast an evil eye on her. Looking back at the Assistant Manager he asked Are you sure that is all you know?Suzy had been quiet all this while. She was busy scribbling something in a notepad. She always carried a pen and a notepad with her to note down interesting things and this story was as interesting as any and promised to be another adventure for the gang. She looked up and said, I dont think we will get any more information from him. We will have to find out more ourselves. Who can provide us with more information? The policemen are obviously not going to share anything with kids and we dare not ask Tom or Ravis dad. Why not ask Madhu Malini herself?, suggested Raj. Are you crazy? asked Ravi, She already looks so upset. Do you think she is going to tell anything to us kids? Tom nodded in agreement. Raj replied We can at least try. I have an idea. Why dont we go to her asking for an autograph? Just like fans are obsessed with celebrities, similarly celebrities love the attention and adulation they get from fans. Besides I dont think Madhu Malini will be rude to fans, especially if they are kids. He turned to Suzy and said Suzy you will have to speak to her and seek her autograph. I am sure she will not refuse a girl. Although not fully convinced that this plan would work Suzy agreed. They waited for ten more minutes till the crowd had dispersed. Most of the guests had moved back into the hotel and so did the hotel staff. The staff had been allowed to leave only after the fat constable had finished questioning them. He had let them off with a warning and told them to call him and only him, if they got any more information. The senior inspector had also stood up from the table where the actress was seated and had proceeded to the main entrance of the hotel, where news reporters were restlessly awaiting an official statement from the police.13/06/2014Chapter 6: The Actresss PlightMadhu Malini continued to be seated under the shade of the umbrella sipping a cup of tea that had been laid before her, the autumn breeze gently swaying her shoulder length hair. She had immaculate make up that hid most of her wrinkles and her skin was extremely fair. She really looked beautiful, as the Assistant Manager had said. Thankfully, she appeared much calmer than before. Raj nudged Suzy with his elbow and said Cmon, you first. Slowly Suzy walked towards where the actress was seated, followed awkwardly by Raj and finally by a hesitant Ravi and Tom who appeared quite sure that this plan was a sure shot flop.Madhu Malini had finished her tea and sat reflecting on the nightmarish experience since morning. She had been enjoing the past two days in Nainapur and the Read B&B had provided just the perfect relaxation from the busy humdrum of the metro life in Mumbai. But now she was wishing why she had ever come to Nainapur.Her thoughts were disurbed by Suzy, who prodded by Raj had found the courage to walk up to the actress. She extended her little notepad and muttered Madam, can I have your autograph, please? As Ms.Malini looked up she was surprised to see a Chinese looking girl asking for an autograph. Am I popular in China as well? she wondered. Normally she loved to give autographs to her fans, but her mind was clouded with negative thoughts since morning, and she instinctively replied Not now kids, I am not in the mood. I am extremely sorry. Suzys face shrunk with disappointment as she turned back to Raj, her expression asking him Now what? Raj shrugged his shoulders as he did not know what to do. Tom and Ravi, who were a few feet behind also did not know what to do. Tom whispered, I told you so. It wont work. As they all turned around disappointed, to return to where they had come from, they heard the actress call out Wait! I am sorry I should not have said no. Please come over here. As soon as Ms. Malini had seen Suzys crestfallen face she had regretted at being a bit rude to them. She always encountered fans wherever she went, but it was not often that she had young teenagers approaching her. After all she had been a famous star some 10 15 years back. Kids these young would hardly have had seen her movies. Besides, two of them were not even Indians. She could not disappoint them and get a bad image. I have been a bit stressed out since morning. I did not mean to be rude she said as the four of them turned around, surprised at this sudden change of tone. Suzy and Raj grabbed the opportunity and were first to approach her. Suzy held out her notepad and her pen which Ms. Malini accepted and proceeded to sign the notepad With lots of love, Madhu Malini.The children could not believe their luck when she added Why dont you children join me at the table. I cannot imagine that kids your age would have watched my movies. It was attempt by Ms. Malini to make up for her abrupt behaviour. Besides talking to these fan kids would make her foget the robbery for a while.Raj knew that his friends had never even seen Madhu Malinis photgraph before, let alone watch a movie that had her playing the heroine. The others did not seem to know how to react to Ms.Malinis question and so he lied Yes we have mam, my mom is a huge fan of yours. In fact I have, er.. we have seen your last movie Parbat Ke Uss Paar together at my house. Your dances were so graceful in that movie. Raj was glad that he had watched that stupid movie with his mom and made an attempt to appear authentic and at the same time flatter Ms. Malini. I can understand you two boys having seen my movies the actress said pointing to Raj and Ravi but how come these two kids have also seen. Are you not tourists? Tom who had been quiet till now stepped in and said No madam,we are as good as Indians. I have lived in Nainapur for almost 10 years now. In fact this hotel belongs to my father. Oh,so you are Mr. Reads son, are you? said Ms. Malini, and continued A thorough gentleman, I must say. He has been so reassuring since this unfortunate episode this morning. I should never have kept that window open last night. Encouraged by the fact that Ms.Malini was beginning to open up to them, Tom asked Erm, madam if you do not mind my asking, what really happened last night. Suddenly all the events since morning came back to Ms Malini like a bad dream. I do not want to talk about it anymore. I have told the police whatever I had to, she said somewhat irritatedly. Her mood had changed instantaneously and as she got up from her chair she said I need to get back and take some rest, it has been a bad day for me. Mam please! Tom pleaded we know this estate and the place around it inside out. Maybe we can find some clues that might help the police. You have to believe us. I think we can help you. His earnest plea seemed to convince Madhu Malini as she sat back in her chair. She called for the waiter standing nearby to bring her a glass of lemon juice, and asked the kids if they wanted some. Suzy nodded as that would ensure that they got some more time with her. Madhu Malini then went on to relate the events since the previous morning. On Friday late morning she had left the Read B&B to attend an event where she was inaugarating a new retail mall in the Nainapur main market. She had dressed in her finest silk saree and had worn her favorite piece of jewellery, the beautiful necklace that had been stolen. What she did not tell them was that the necklace was an expensive masterpiece. It was inlaid with sparkling diamonds and rubies and had a pendant made out of a massive oval shaped green emerald and surounded by several tiny diamonds. The neckalace had dazzled on Ms Malinis neck enhancing her beauty by many times. After the inaugaration, where thousands of fans had gathered to have a glimpse of the actress, Ms Malini had spent the afternoon with some friends. She had returned to her room at around three in the afternoon. She remembered having taken off her necklace and carefully putting it back in its casket. She had then rested for a while in her room. Later that evening Ms. Malini had remained in the Dsouza Estate. She had taken a stroll in the lawns after her evening coffee at around five pm. Some Film magazine reporters had come down to interview her and Chris Read had laid out a special sit-out in the lawns so that she could have her interview in the open without disturbing the other guests. After an early dinner she had retreated to her suite and taken to bed by nine pm. Ms. Malini had woken up early the next moning, that is the present day, completed her morning yoga followed by a stroll in the dew laced lawns. After breakfast in the restaurant, she had returned to her room to shower and get ready to travel to Mussourie, some sixty kilometers from Nainapur. A small function had been organized there to honour her for her contribution to Hindi cinema. When she had opened her jewellery casket to take out her neckalace, she had been aghast to find it missing. She had shrieked and had rushed out of her suite shouting aloud that she had been robbed. Ravis father who had just reached the hotel, as he did everyday by around 8:30 am, had immediately called the police as well as informed Mr Read. Ms.Malinis travel plans had to be cancelled as the police wanted her around for questioning. The events that followed was something that the kids had just witnessed. Ms. Malini also revealed that she had told the police that she suspected that the robbery had happened past midnight when she was sound asleep and possibly because she had not latched the windows to her room. In fact, the previous afternoon when she had returned to her room to rest after the inaugaration, she had opened the windows as it was nice, sunny and breezy. However, later in the evening she had closed the windows as it was getting cold but apparently had forgotten to latch them.She also told them that the necklace was her favourite piece of jewellery,a gift from her late husband and she had been devastated that it had been stolen.Ms. Malini must have spoken with the kids for about half an hour and none of them realized that it was almost one pm. Children it is already late. I want to take some rest now, Ms. Malini said as she got up from her chair one more time. Thanks for listening to me.You kids are wonderful.The kids were also terribly hungry. In fact Raj could hear his stomach growling with hunger. They thanked Ms. Malini for speaking with them and assured her that they would do their best and share any clue or information they could gather, with the police.Back in the den Raj said Guys, I am damn hungry. Thank God I have my lunch box He opened the boxes revealing a thick aroma filled bunch of his favorite aloo parathas,; a box full of kofta curry which Ravi loved; rice, dal and last but not the least a box containing four large equally sized slices of Chocolate truffle cake. At the same time the attendants at Toms house also came in with a tray containing some lemonade, baked vegetables and a large pizza with pepperoni and olive toppings.Every time the friends met at Toms shed, his mom always ensured that lunch was arranged for the kids. Within no time the four had devoured the food like a pack of hungry wolves. 15/06/2014Chapter 7: The First Clue The Vanishing FootprintsIt was nearly 2 pm when the kids settled down to discuss the events of the past three hours. Raj found himself the coziest spot on the room and sat on the cot, his back propped up against two pillows, his hands rested on his oversized tummy and his leg extended. Suzy and Tom were seated on the couch, while Ravi pulled himself a chair.Suzy opened her notepad, in which she had vigorously noted down whatever Ms. Malini had related about the events since the previous day. She said Poor Ms. Malini, it must be sad to have such a beautiful and expensive necklace stolen; that too a gift from her late husband. But what an interesting mystery for us to get involved in, said Tom. We must get going with the investigation right away. We only have a few more hours today to find any more information that we can. Ravi who had been extremely quiet all these while and somewhat disappointed at the fact that all the attention had shifted from his own adventure to the stolen necklace cried out But what about the ghost at the forbidden tree. You guys have completely forgotten that. Tom said Dont worry Ravi, we will get to that as well. If there is a ghost, in all likelihood it will return again. But if we do not get on to this case immediately, we might miss out on some vital clues. Ill tell you what, let us focus on this one today and I promise, we shall visit the forbidden tree tomorrow. Somewhat convinced, Ravi replied Okay, it is a deal. But then why are we then sitting here for. We need to go and investigate near the hotel, if we are to find anything relevant.Lets go said Suzy as she got up from the couch and walked over to the cot to grab Rajs hand and pull him up from his reclined position. She said Get up Chubbo, you lazy bum. It is nearly three and I have to leave for my hostel soon. Raj groaned and said I am so stuffed, but you guys wont let me rest. He reluctantly got up and followed the other three as they made their way back towards the hotel. As they approached the restaurant lawns Tom suggested Lets go towards the backside of the hotel. Ms. Malini had mentioned that she was staying in the Royal Suite. It is located on the first floor, right there. He pointed to the first floor windows on shorter end of the L shaped hotel.The Royal Suite, as the name suggested was the largest and the grandest room in the hotel. It had two rooms, as opposed to the usual one room that the other suites had. It had a cozy bedroom with a king sized bed, while the other was a small living room with an attached kitchenette. It had been grandly decorated by Mrs. Read who had personally adorned it with a number of antiques and artifacts that Mr. Read had acquired during his many expeditions as an archaelogist. Both the rooms had windows that overlooked the majestic grounds of the estate. One could see Toms shed from the living room windows, but they were hidden from view by the trees when one looked from the bedroom windows. The bedroom also had wide windows on one of its side walls, the one that faced the backside of the hotel. These windows overlooked the valley beyond the estate. Through the clearing between the trees, one could see the dense green valley with tall Deodhars and Silver oaks. The trees were surrounded by a variety of ferns that grew on the ground as well out of the thick trunk of the trees. One could also view the waterfall directly from the window, which at this time of the year was more of a gentle stream meandering down the valley and not quite the gushing waterfall it was during the heavy monsoon.Tom led the others to the ground directly beneath the window. As they looked up they could see that right above the window of the ground floor suite was a concrete ledge, large enough for an adult to stand on comfortably. Tom noted I am sure the robber used that ledge to get into Ms. Malinis room. Although it did not look like a very easy climb, somebody with some agility and strength could have used the ledge as a base to haul himself up the window above that opened into the actresss bedroom. Since the actress had forgotten to latch the window, all the robber had to do was force the window open.You are right, said Suzy While there is no proof if the robber went up that way, he surely did return that way.How can you be so sure, Suzy, asked Raj.Suzy replied, Look at this set of footprints right here. The other three gathered to where Suzy was pointing to. It was quite evident that the footprints had been formed as a result of somebody jumping from the ledge. They were placed side by side about a foot apart and had formed deep imprints in the wet soil which could been possible only if somebody had jumped there.Ravi noticed that the soil was damp in a large patch beneath the window. It was surprising because everywhere else it was fairly dry. Even though it dewed every morning, the daytime sunshine was enough to dry up the wetness from the dew. This wet patch looked as if somebody had poured some water around there. He said whatever caused the soil to get wet, it has proven lucky for us as we now have a clear set of footprints. Look there are more footprints. Indeed there was two more sets of footprints going towards the right; the left leg first followed by the right leg footprint as if someone had walked in that direction after jumping from the ledge. The thief seems to have walked this way, said Tom. But the soil gets dry from here. No more footprints.Ravi who had been scanning the entire area trying to figure out how just the patch of soil was wet cried out I know what caused the soil here to get wet. Look, there is a tap right below the window and there is a garden hosepipe next to it.. I am sure the gardners use this tap to connect the hosepipe with which they water the lawns. Probably there was a leak in the hose that caused water to spill all around this patch.Good thinking, Ravi. Whatever might have been the reason, it has helped us get a clue said Tom.Suzy who was staring intently at the footprints said Guys,did you notice this. The footprints where the person appears to have jumped from the ledge has clear and deep imprints of both the feet. That is because he must have put full weight on both the legs. However, in the other two sets, which were presumably formed when the person walked that way after jumping; the left footprint is distinct and shows the full footmark imprinted in the soil, however where the right leg was placed only a partial footprint is seen.That does not imply anything, retorted Tom probably he was off balance as he walked this way. Suzy replied It does imply something Tom. If the person had been off balance the footprints wouldnt have been so perfectly aligned in the same direction. What it means is that, as the thief walked down this path he put less pressure on his right leg than his left leg. Now, think why would he do that? The boys shrugged as they did not have an answer.Suzy continued with a Sherlock Holmes like tone in her voice, I think, when he jumped down from the ledge he twisted or injured his right leg. He then limped along this direction putting less pressure on his injured right foot and hence causing just a partial imprint wherever his right foot landed on the wet soil.Suzy emulated how a person with an injured right foot would walk to prove her point and said See if I had my right foot injured and had to walk, I would put very little weigth on my right leg and would try to only push part of the foot on the ground. When she demonstrated this it became clear to the others what Suzy really meant.Hail detective Suzy! said Tom patting Suzy on her back. How do you even manage to observe such minute details? That is a fantastic clue. It means that our suspect is probably someone who has injured his right foot. Thats it, there are no more footprints to be seen as the soil is dry except for that patch, cried Ravi. Which way would the thief have gone? He couldnt turned around and escaped from the main gate without getting noticedTom replied True, which leaves the valley. But the estate is covered on three sides by the valley. He could have gone any direction.Suddenly Raj who had been looking around for clues, exclaimed Look what I found here. The others rushed to where Raj was standing, which was about twenty feet away from where they had seen the footprints. Raj was pointing to a granite rock near the base of a large pine tree almost end of the flat end that marked the beginning of the valley below. The rock was was partly embedded in the soil and partly visible. Stuck to the visible part of the rock was a clump of semi dried up mud. Raj said excitedly Guys, I think this where the robber went.

How can you be so sure, asked Tom.

With a twinkle in his eye Raj replied When the robber jumped on the wet patch of soil, obviously some mud stuck to the soles of his shoes. In order to get rid of the mud he probably leaned against this tree and rubbed his shoe against this rock to clean it. Tats how there is mud stuck to it. Raj demonstrated to his friends how he though the robber might have done this.Excellent catch, Chubbo, said Tom patting Rajs back Suzys influence has made you at least a Dr. Watson if not Sherlock Holmes.

Ravi who was already peering down the valley quipped and that means the robber probably went down into the valley from this place. Let me go down and check if I can see something. Ravi was most comfortable climbing up and down hilly terrains and before anyone could say anything he had already slid down the slope. Be careful Ravi, Suzy shouted but Ravi was already about fifteen feet down the slope sliding along the rocky land that was full of small plants and fern. Soon he reached a flat clearing, completely out of sight from his friends and standing there he could see tall Deodhar trees all around Growing under the shade of the trees were small plants with beautiful wild flowers. He could also see the waterfall on the other side of the valley as it crashed into the rocks below. Ravi moved around where he was and saw that beyond the clearing, the valley became very steep. He was neither brave enough nor foolish enough to attempt to go down that route. But as he moved further ahead, he noticed that some of the thick growth of plants and ferns appeared to have been crushed, as if trampled by someone. He concluded that it was the most likely route that the robber might have taken. He was tempted to follow the path to see where it led, but he was wary of the fact that he had never been to this part of the valley and had no clue what lay in store for him ahead. Besides his friends might get worried if he did not return soon. Slowly he turned back and climbed up the path he had slid down. Halfway up he shouted to Tom, who was already down on his knees extending his arm as far down as possible. Ravi grabbed Toms hand who hauled him up with help from Raj. Suzy who had been extremely worried all this while scolded Ravi, How can you just go down there without assessing the danger first? What if something had happened to you? Ravi sheepishly replied I am sorry; you know I cannot resist these things. But at least I think we can be sure that the robber went down that way and found a path through the dense forest to make his exitTom looked at his watch and said Okay guys, its four pm already. I dont think we are going to get any more clues. Besides, Suzy has to get to her hostel soon. Lets get back to the Den and take stock of what we seen have so far. We can also plan what we need to do tomorrow. As they walked back to The Den, Tom quickly ran towards his house to ask his mom to send over some hot chocolate.Chapter 8: Planning for SundayBack in the room, Suzy recapped all the important points that she had noted down in her diary. It was evident that the robber had climbed up via the ledge into the bedroom of the Royal suite. As per Ms. Malini it occurred sometime after midnight when she was fast asleep. The robber then climbed down the same way, but as he jumped he left his footprints in the wet soil beneath the window. It was likely he had injured himself while jumping. He had then slid down to the clearing in the valley and then made his way out through the dense woods in the dark of the night. As they pondered over Suzys notes, Tom suddenly exclaimed, But wait, if the robbery happened after midnight, the robber must have had night vision to have been able to escape via the valley.So you are saying the robber was wearing night vision goggles. How did you figure that out Tom? asked Raj innocently.Arrey Chubbo, what kind of a Dr. Watson are you? What Tom really meant is that it would have been really difficult for the robber to have escaped via the dense valley at night explained Ravi. He continued, when I was down there, the valley so densely populated with trees that the sunlight could hardly penetrate them. It was pretty dark even at that hour. I think it would be virtually impossible for anyone to have navigated that valley in the dark. One false step would have sent him tumbling down. Tom added, And if the thief had an injured foot, that would have made it all the more difficult to walk through the dense woods. Hmm, But what if the thief had a torch or something. That would have sufficed, isnt it. Raj argued. Ravi replied, Maybe you are right, but I dont think even with a torch one can navigate that densely forested valley easily. Especially with an injured foot.Suzy quickly noted some of these observations and said You guys are right,something certainly seems to be out of place here. The door of The Den opened and one of the attendants from Toms house,walked in with a tray containing four mugs of steaming hot chocolate and a plateful of cookies. The kids gulped the hot drink down in a jiffy. So what is the plan for tomorrow? Raj asked wiping his lips with the back of his hand.. Lets see what the newspapers have to say about this theft tomorrow Tom quipped. We still need to figure out a lot of the missing pieces of this mystery puzzle. We dont even have a suspect, yet. And what about the forbidden oak Ravi asked still piqued with the fact that his adventure had been completely sidelined.When are we going to investigate that? It is Sunday tomorrow. Usually we go for our cycling trip around Nainapur every Sunday. So why cant we not go to the woods. I can show you where I saw the ghost. Raj was least interested in visiting haunted places, well it was more that he was scared of spooky places. He replied Who wants to see fake ghosts! Id rather focus on this robbery. We need to get more clues if we are to make further progress Tom said Chubbo, I dont know whether you are scared or plain lazy But Ravi is right, we need get out of the house tomorrow and do our exploring.

I am not scared, interrupted Raj immediately I just think ghost watching is plain boring. Tom chuckled and replied Ha ha Chubbs,we shall see that when we actually encounter a ghost someday. Anyways lets vote for who wants to go cycling to the woods tomorrow.

Everyone except Raj lifted their hand. Tom said Okay, done. This is what I suggest. Why dont we meet around 10:30 am tomorrow.Yes, yes, agreed Ravi excitedly. We can meet at the Char Rasta junction near the main post office. From there we can go up the Sunset Point Road and reach the point which will take us to the forbidden tree. After that we can come back to Toms home and see what more we can find about the Ms. Malinis case.Works for me, said Suzy I can hardly wait to see what Ravi really saw. But I better get going now. I dont want to be late again and get into the attention of the warden. She has already caught me once for being late. If she catches me one more time, it would mean no more weekend getaways. Yeah, lets get going, said Ravi I too need to get home and finish my school homework, else mom will not let me out tomorrow.The friends gradually headed towards Toms house where they met Toms mom who gave them all a warm hug. They thanked her for the lunch and snacks and bade her goodbye. Rajs attendants who had been waiting since three pm, hauled his cycle into the SUV. He had hardly pedalled it. Raj got into the BMW and said goodbye to his friends. Suzy and Ravi got onto their cycle and headed to their respective destinations. 21/06/2014Chapter 9: Back home, Ravi had been scolded by his mom for staying out all day. He had kept his head down and proceeded to complete his school homework. His mom continued with her rant Ravi, I am fine if you play with your friends. But mind you they are rich people, we are not. If you do not study how will you become a big man? When she said Big , it of course referred to being successful as opposed to size. Ravi knew that his mother meant well. Unlike his friends Tom and Suzy, he was not the brightest kid in class, although he managed above average grades. His mom was always worried that if he did not get good grades in school he would not get into a good college and consequently not get a good job.Surprisingly, his dad intervened Okay now dont scold him. Those kids do have a positive influence on him. Dont you see how well he speaks English now. Ultimately thats what matters in getting good jobs in Nainapur. After completing his homework, Ravi had his dinner and walked into his tiny bedroom. Unlike Toms massive and tastefully decorated bedroom, Ravi had a simple bedroom that was painted green. There was a worn out steel cupboard with a mirror on one corner that housed his clothes in just one shelf while the rest of the shelfs were stuffed with his mothers things. On the other side was a small desk with a chair. Lying on the desk was Ravis school bag and a stacked up pile of story books that his mother usually bought him from the second had book store.

Ravi settled on his neatly prepped up bed. He wanted to sleep early so that he could get up early the next day to make sure his mom was in a good mood and let him go out again. His parents were seated in the living room and watching the local news channel in which the reporter was talking about the robbery at the Read B&B. Ravis dad switched off the TV and Ravi could hear him say I dont want to hear any more of this news. They exaggerate facts so much. Their house was small and Ravi could clearly hear his parents. His mom was asking his father Do you suspect anybody from your hotel staff to have committed the crime as the news report claims? His dad replied I dont think so, but the police do suspect an insider. All my staff are trusted persons who have been around for several years. I have personally verified their credentials before hiring them. I cannot believe that any of them could have committed such a bold crime.Ravi knew how much his dad was dedicated to the Read B&B. He put his heart and soul into the job and the theft would have certainly disturbed him a lot.Ravis dad continued Mr. Read is also very upset. Such an incident has not happened before and although Ms. Malini has been very kind not to have made a big issue out of it, these news people are ruining the hotels reputation. Ravi heard his mom say Lets hope the police are mistaken. It could have been somebody from outside also. Dont worry everything will be alright soon. Then their voices faded out as his parents retreated to their bedroom. Ravi closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep.The next morning, Tom was up by seven, very early by his usual Sunday standards. As he walked into the living room, he saw his dad already having breakfast. There was a pile of newspapers lying beside him. Tom wished his dad a good morning and picked up theNainapur Times. The headlines screamed Robbery at the Read Hotel. There was a picture of the Read B&B at the centre of the article. Another pitcure showed Ms. Malini from her inaugaration event. Next to this picture, in an inset there was an enlarged picture of her face showing a blurred image of the necklace that was stolen. Tom read through the news item, which made every effort to sensationalize the robbery. Tom was surprised to note that the value of the stolen necklace was approximately Rupees fifty lakhs. The article blamed Read B&B for its inadequate security features that made the robbery easy. It also suspected that the hotel staff was involved in the robbery. Finally, it quoted the senior police inspector, stating that the police was doing everything to investigate this case.Tom flipped through the pages and found out that the entire Page 6 was devoted to the robbery. Obviously, the newspaper had taken maximum advantage of the robbery to fill up its pages. There were articles about Ms.Malinis hit movies from fifteen years back. Another one went on to elaborately detail her love life and how she had married this rich businessman who had gifted her the necklace. It ended in a tragic note, mentioning how her husband had met an unfortunate, fateful accident. One of the articles on this page caught Toms attention. It read Third robbery within a month leaves Nainapur police perplexed. As Tom read through the article he discovered that this was the third in a series of robberies that seemed to have hit the Nainapur town in the past month. The first one had occured some three weeks back at a rich businessmans bunglow at the other end of Nainapur. Two antique brass murtis valued at Rupees forty lakhs had been stolen at a time where there was nobody in the bungalow. The second one had occurred just a week back, from the premises of a religious trust. The artifact that was stolen was a gold plated idol of Lord Krishna and Radha that had been decked in exquisite pearl jewellery. The value estimated was Rupees twenty five lakhs. The third one, which occurred at the Read B&B seemed to be the most sensational as it happened while Madhu Malini was in her room sleeping. The robbers were getting bolder with each passing robbery. Besides, the necklace was the most valuable amongst the three items stolen. Tom sensed that there was something similar in these crimes. All robberies were of highly valuable artifacts that had antique value. All three crimes were committed either in the evening or at night and the locations were all in the outskirts of Nainapur. These robberies are certainly linked. The gang will be glad to see this, Tom thought to himself as he cut the newpaper article untidily with a pair of scissors and put it into his backpack. He spent the next hour finishing his breakfast, showering and getting ready. At ten, he stuffed his backpack with the goodies that his mom had packed and headed out to the frontyard to get onto his bicycle.Chapter 10: The Abandoned HouseAs Tom pedalled his bike to the point where they had agreed to meet, he saw to his surprise that Raj was already there. Raj was usually late for everything, but this time his car had brought him well in time. The attendants had already hauled his bicycle from the SUV and Raj was seated on it with his feet on the ground. A minute after Rajs attendants drove away, Ravi pedalled in and braked next to Toms cycle. He extended his hand to do the customary high five with Tom. Turning to Raj he said Chubbo, you are here before time. I am impressed you rode all the way from your house and yet got here so soon Raj replied innocently Yeah, the driver kept hurrying me as he had to go to the station to pick up mom. I almost missed my breakfast trying to rush. And then drove so fast to reach here that I have been waiting for past fifteen minutes.Ravi realized that Raj did not come there riding his bike but as always had his driver drop him to the destination. He looked at Tom, who shrugged and all three of them had a hearty laugh.After about ten minutes Suzy too rode in, apologizing for being late. The others did not complain as her hostel was the furthest and she also had to pedal uphill.The point where they had assembled was called Char Rasta as it was a junction where four roads met. It was also enroute to the famous Sunset Point of Nainapur. Every evening, droves of tourists went up the road to watch the beautiful sunset. But since it was daytime the road was fairly deserted. The four friends, however had no intent to go to the Sunset Point. Instead, they were planning to cycle for a kilometer or so on Sunset Point Road to reach the place which Ravi had said would take them into the woods that led to the forbidden oak. Ravi led the way followed by Tom and Suzy and finally Raj who was already huffing and panting by the time they reached their destination. The paused for a minute near a signboard that read Sunset Point 4 KM. Just after the signboard was a narrow mud road through which either only a two wheeler or a cycle could go. They pedalled into the road, further for about hundred meters till they reached a dead-end. At the end of the mud road was a rusted gazebo with a couple of wooden benches and a wooden table. Nobody hardly came this way, but if anybody did, it was an ideal picnic spot. Beyond the gazebo, were the woods, full of dense trees and plants. One could hear the melodious koels and other birds chirping from within the woods. Ravi who was leading the pack said we need to park our bikes here and walk for another ten minutes or so. Raj groaned, What, another ten minutes and that too by foot. I am already dead tired. Cant we sit here and rest for a while. Suzy pushed Raj gently and said Cmon Chubbo, it is hardly a long walk. I am sure you can walk that much. She continued to push Raj as he gradually dragged himself behind Ravi and Tom. They had walked for about nine or ten minutes on a path that wound around the trees and was littered with dried leaves, twigs and pine cones from the trees. Suddenly Ravi stopped and said Guys, be on the look out for a pile of stones and rocks. It should be somewhere here only. Raj was was sweating profusely by now remarked Dont tell me we are planning to play seven-stones here. Seven-stones was a traditional Indian ball game where players tried to hit a stacked pile of seven stones with a ball.Very funny Chubbo said Ravi when I came I here the other day I had created a rock pile so that I could recognize the exact spot that I had taken. Can any of you see it? Before anbody could respond he shouted Ah, there it is. From here it is just another ten minutes to the oak tree. . Another ten minutes, you must be kidding, cried Raj I am not going untill we sit down and have something to eat. I need to refuel, else I shall faint.Chubbo, all you can think is food, cried Ravi the exciting part is yet to begin. Tom and Suzy who had both cycled a lot to reach their meeting point also agreed that they should have something before proceeding. Relctantly Ravi agreed. They sat down and opened their backpacks. and shared the sandwiches and fruit juice packs that Raj and Tom had respectively packed. Ravis box was filled with nicely sliced apples while Suzy brought out four bars of Cadburys Five Star.

Ravi finished his snack first and was up on his feet. He pointed toward the direction where he had gone the other night and exclaimed Thats where the forbidden oak is. Where, cried Tom straining his neck, I cannot see anything from here. Ravi replied, lets crawl in from the hedge here to get to the edge of the hill. I had cleared some of the bushes when I came here the day before. He was already pushing through a narrow opening in the thicket. Tom followed him quickly, while Suzy turned to Raj and said Yo next Chubbs Rajs face contorted like a shrunken pumpkin at the thought of having to crawl through the bushes and he complained You guys are putting me through torture.. Suzy said Cmon Chubbo, you can surely put in a little effort and crawl through. Goaded by her, Raj made his way through the opening, moaning all the while as the branches poked his chubby body. Once he had gone through, the opening became big enough making it easy for Suzy to squeeze through. Thanks Chubbo, you are such a gentleman. You made it so easy for me, she teased as Raj grinned sheepishly. Suzy was the only person he did not mind teasing him. Tom and Ravi were already looking ahead. To their left they could see a range of hills with uneven peaks that looked like they had been covered with a green carpet of Pine trees. No wonder the range was called the Pine Valley and it extended for several miles into the horizon. The land where the kids were standing also sloped down into a shallow valley. It was not a steep slope and had a thick growth of waist high plants that were full of pretty orange and violet coloured wild flowers dancing gently in the breeze. Straight ahead they could see a smaller hill that was also relatively barren except for similar plants and trees scattered around. Both these hills met at a narrow strip of flat land that connected the two.Ravi pointed to the singular oak tree that was visible on the flat plateau on top of the hill beyond and said Look, the large tree you see there is the forbidden oakThat is where I saw the ghost last evening when I had come exploring thyis way.Tom exclaimed Wow, this looks beautiful. How does one get there? Ravi replied Its not too difficult Tom. I just went down this way. Once you reach the landing down there it is a small hike up that hill. It will take less than ten minutes or so to reach there.

There is no way I am going there cried Raj. The distance seemed too much for him especially with the climbing down and up the hills and the thought of going near the haunted tree scared him further. Chubbo, it is not much. With some effort you can make it, said Ravi.

Not for you maybe, you are always jumping up and down like a monkey, snapped Raj.At least I am not lazy as a sloth, like you, replied Ravi angrily.

Okay, okay no fighting intervened Tom. Ravi, let Raj stay back here. Suzy can also stay with him. Both of us can go there and find out what is there.

But what if there are ghosts there. I want to see one cried Suzy clearly not happy at being left out. There will be no ghosts at this time of the day said Tom. Besides, you and Raj can explore this part of the woods. Just be careful not to wander off very far. There could be wild animals here. Reluctantly Suzy agreed, and said Okay, Ill stay back but you two be careful there.

Dont worry, I know the way well shouted Ravi as he started going down the slope. He slid along a narrow path between the plants, that had probably been formed by people taking that route many times. Tom followed him and looking back said You two girls, be careful okay. We will be back in forty five minutes or so.

The words did not miss Rajs ears and he said What do the two of them think of themselves, that they are the only bravehearts around clearly annoyed at being refered to as a girl. Its okay Chubbs, said Suzy, lets see what else we can find here. Looking around she added in bored tone Nothing much, I suppose. All I can see are trees all around

They crawled back to the other side of the hedge. Raj looked around to decide which direction to go. He noticed that as opposed to where they had entered the woods near the gazebo where they had parked the bike, the place where they were standing was considerably narrower. He realized in fact that, if they walked a bit further ahead the width of the flat table like land was just about twenty feet wide and it sloped down into the valley on either side.

Raj said Hey Suzy, let us go that side and see if we can find anything interesting. Maybe we can get a good view of the valley below on the other side. Raj had walked some fifty paces glancing on either side when he noticed something familiar to his left. From between two tall Deodhar trees that were separated by about twenty feet he got a clear view of the valley on the side opposite to where Ravi and Tom were headed. Look what I found out, come here fast he shouted, waving towards Suzy.

As Suzy hurried towards him looking in the direction that Raj was pointing at, she too saw what he had just seen. She cried out excitedly Isnt that the Read BnB?

Far on the other side and at a lower level than where they were standing, they could see the backside of the Read BnB. Although it was not fully visible due to the trees that surrounded it, their elevated position gave them a clear view across the valley and it was certain what they saw was indeed The Read B&B.

Wow! Chubbs, we are exactly on the opposite side from where we were standing last evening behind the hotel, said Suzy getting excited. Can you hear the waterfall that we saw from behind the hotel? Somewhere below them, on the same side they were standing, they could also hear the distant sound of water falling.Raj nodded his approval and looked pretty excited to have made that discovery.

The distance from where they were standing, till the Read hotel on the far side, would have been about five hundred meters as the crow flies. But it was not as near as it looked. Because of the height at which they were standing and the fact that one would have had to walk alongside the valley to get there the actual distance was almost twice of what it appeared.. Raj exclaimed Wouldnt it be cool if there was a cable car from here till the Dsouza Estate. We could have gotten there in less than ten minutes.

Suzy replied yes it certainly would. But why would anyone want to come here in a cable car? There is hardly anything interesting to see from here except for these dense woods. Anyway lets get back and wait for these guys to return.

Meanwhile, Ravi and Tom had descended down to the landing and were already climbing uphill towards the oak. As they got closer to the tree, their nervousness increased. Soon Ravi reached the point from where he had turned back the other night. He helped Tom come alongside him and in a hushed tone whispered This is where I saw the ghost. It was right there peeping from behind the oak tree.

Looking all around to check if they could see anything, they both tentatively moved closer to the tree. The oak tree was massive; its girth was so wide that even if Ravi and Tom stood embracing it with their arms extended, their fingers would still be a foot apart on either side. The trees branches extended on all four sides like a multi tentacled octopus. It must have been over two hundred years old; nobody really knew. It was the only tree on the otherwise flat piece of land.

Ravi and Tom gradually reached the base of the oak and circled it cautiously. There was nothing unusual about the oak, but for the fact that it looked ancient. They moved ahead to the other side of the oak towards the cliff from where they could see the entire expanse of the valley beyond them, miles and miles of green fields, small houses scattered unevenly and a beautiful river meandering between the fields.

The cliff where they were standing had a sudden vertical drop of about thirty feet. When they looked directly beneath them, they saw a narrow winding road leading up to a small decrepit looking house located below to the left of where they were standing. There was nothing unusual about the house, except that it was the only house in that area and it appeared that it had not been inhabitated in ages.Somebody must have lived down there years ago, before these ghost stories started around this place. They probably abandoned it with all the rumours about this place being haunted said Tom.

Why dont you believe that there is a ghost around here? Ravi retorted. Maybe that house is the haunted house where the ghost lurks. It certainly looks haunted to me from up here.

Tom replied I am not denying anything Ravi. This place definitely looks spooky to me. But in this modern age, it is hard to believe that there really are ghosts. Anyways, we dont want go down any further from here. The cliff is too steep for us to attempt to climb down and besides Suzy and Raj must be getting impatient waiting for us. Lets head back.

As they turned back, they heard the faint sound of a vehicle approaching from below. Ravi looked down and cried Wait, look there. Seems like a car is coming up the road. As Tom strained his neck he could see a bright red car drive up the narrow road. Both the boys kneeled on the ground and peeked off the cliff. They waited till the car stopped next to the shabby house. The car door opened and a tall and slim man got down. His face was not visible and he had dark shades over his eyes. Thats strange, whispered Tom the house looks like nobody lives there anymore. So who could this person be?

At that very instance, the the man in the shades casually looked up, directly in the direction of the boys. Duck, he is looking this way said Tom as he pulled Ravi behind. Do you think he saw us? he added reluctant to look down again.

Lets hope not, said Ravi but let us not take any chances. He might still be looking up. This place certainly does not seem right. Why would anybody live in such a scary looking house? Come, lets go before he sees us and starts climbing up this cliff.

Still crawling on their fours, both of them retreated towards the oak tree, got up and started to make the descent back to where they had left their friends waiting.

22/06/2014

Chapter 11: The Hidden PathwayIt had been close to an hour that Tom and Ravi had gone on the excursion and with no signs of them returning Raj was getting increasingly impatient. He was sitting on the ground leaning against the trunk of a tall cedar tree. Why do we have to wait for them, while they get to have all the adventure, he said.

Suzy who was sitting beside him said calmly But Chubbs, it was you who did not want to go to the tree. Raj ignored her an continued to throw pebbles at nothing in particular.

There they are, Suzy said, getting up as she saw Toms head emerging from the thicket. Did you guys find anything? she asked excitedly. Tom who was now standing and brushing his clothes replied Nothing, out of the blue. But the place is definitely scary. We saw this dilapidated house that is located down the cliff right below where the oak tree is. Although the house looked like nobody has been there in several years, we just saw a man drive up in a car towards the house.. We narrowly espaced his eyes and rushed back here.

What is so scary about the man. You mean to say he was the ghost? asked Suzy. He could just be any ordinary guy, probably he owns this house that you talk about. Perhaps, agreed Tom but why would he keep the house in such a poor condition. Anyways, we did not want to get into any trouble so we did not investigate further. You tell us did you find anything interesting here?Whats interesting to find here, muttered Raj struggling to stand up like an elephant would. Tom offered him his hand as Raj gradually stood up and dusted himself.Raj is just kidding guys, you wont believe what he just found out. Come here, Ill show you said Suzy already walking towards the place from which Raj had showed her the Read Hotel. Raj followed her and so did Tom. Ravi, who had had just emerged out of the bushes ran behind them.

Wow, that is our estate, cried out Tom, immediately recognizing the backside of the hotel. I did not realize that we were standing bang opposite the hotel. It looks so near. Suzy nodded and added yes, you know the waterfall we saw yesterday, it is right down below us. If you hear carefully you can listen to the water.

Hmm, do you think one could walk alongside the valley and come from Read hotel to this place? asked Tom to nobody in particular.

Ravi replied I think one could. It would not be easy but it is possible. Are you thinking what I am also thinking? What if the thief who stole the necklace made his way from the back of the hotel by the woods in the valley and came up here. Before anybody could answer Ravi added, Let me go down a bit and check. In a jiffy he had already slid down the slope and disppeared in the thick undergrowth.

Raj shrugged and said This Ravi must definitely have been a monkey in his previous life. He keeps jumping left and right without any warning. I am already hungry and here he has disappered again.

Ravi, Ravi where are you? Tom shouted but got no response. They waited impatiently for another ten minutes when Ravi resurfaced looking very excited. I was right, there is a pathway that goes along the valley and I think it could lead to the backside of the hotel,probably at the same place where I had got down yesterday. But the woods are so dense that the pathway is completely hidden from normal sight.

Do you think we could go along that path right now asked Suzy. Ravi replied I dont think so Suzy. It is not a very easy path to take. Besides, I have no clue how long it will take to walk all the way there. It could be much farther than what it seems when we see across the valley.

Raj who was already get