98
?? Phoenix ??
“THE number cannot be reached… the number cannot be reached… the number cannot be reached”, Raghav listened to the service provider on his phone repeated and repeated as he laid on the bed that fateful morning, he cussed and sat up.
What could be the problem? This has been the reports from the service provider since yester night as he tried Rina’s contact without stop.
Few hours ago it went, only that she didn’t pick up. Now, it wasn’t going at all, it couldn’t even be reached. She didn’t even return his calls or drop any message. What exactly could be going on? Jeez! He was feeling heated up even in the well ventilated air conditioned room.
Something struck him and his face broke into a smile. Her mom’s contact, why hasn’t he tried it since?
“Stupid me”, he said laughing as he searched his contact list for Selena’s. He saw it and dialed immediately, then waited.
“The number cannot be reached…”, and on and on.
“What? The same thing? Shit!” He banged his right fist on the bed in anger.
Now, he was convinced that there was definitely a problem, even if he wasn’t convinced before. How could both of their mobile lines suddenly couldn’t be reached? How?
He immediately thought of talking to Zaina. He didn’t have her contact, so he sent a message to Zashil, and he did send it immediately.
He put a call across to her, and she picked up at the first ring.
“Hello Maharana, good morning”, she was the first to greet.
He was surprised, how did she know he was the caller? Oh! Except she already had it.
“Hello Zaina, morning. How was your night?” He asked.
“It was good, and yours?” She asked.
Hmm, he sighed. His? His night wasn’t okay at all, if he says it was, that makes him a liar.
“It wasn’t fine Zaina”, he found himself saying.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
“What, what is it? What is the problem my Prince?” She asked.
“When last did you hear from your best friend?” He asked, hitting the nail at the head.
There was silence, and Raghav allowed it. All the while, Zaina was contemplating, was there a problem now with Rina, because of a truth it’s been long they last talked.
“Um, five days ago my Prince, I have seriously been so busy with school work. Is there a problem? The last time we spoke she actually told me all was well”, she ranted non-stop.
Raghav kept mute and let her finish, then he spoke.
“I don’t think all is well, my spirit tells me that. Why not call her now, and find out?” He said, avoiding telling her what he had discovered.
“Alright my Prince, I will do that straightaway”, she said and hung up.
Raghav slowly dropped the phone and used his hands to cover his face, as his elbows rested on his laps.
This was getting out of hand, both phones of mother and daughter are unreachable? Damn it! The thought of going to Shimla came to him, and he pondered over it.
Actually, he had just four days left to round up, exams were already done with, it was coalition of results and certificates that was ongoing, because both the results and certificates of degrees to show you attended the business training was always given on same day.
He decided he was gonna return to Shimla and come back on the day they were to be given the certificate. But first, would the school’s authority agree to it? He didn’t know, but he decided to give it a trial.
He was still thinking when his phone rang out, jolting him into reality and he picked it up. It was Zaina, he answered it immediately.
“Hey”, he called.
“Maharana, I tried it for several times and it kept saying that it can’t be reached. I tried that of her mom and it said the same thing”.
Raghav sighed, expecting that.
“I actually thought it was a network issue and so I collected a coursemate’s phone and tried, two of my coursemates to be precised, it all said same thing”, she said.
“That is exactly what I have been hearing too”, he said.
“Huh? You too? You tried it?” She asked.
“Since yesterday. I been trying her contact since yesterday. It actually went during the day time but she didn’t pick, later when I tried it at night, up till now, that is what I keep hearing. It can’t be reached, including that of her mom’s”.
“Jeez! This is so unbelievable, what could have gone wrong?” She rhetorically asked.
“I really don’t know. I will just have to find time and return, I won’t help myself if something bad happened”, he said.
“Oh no Maharana, nothing bad gonna happen. Infact, I will return to Shimla tomorrow and pay her a visit, I will”, she said, willing to take a break from school this time.
Raghav sighed.
“I will be glad if you do, thank you”, he said weakly.
“Okay Maharana, please do take care of yourself, I don’t think there’s anything wrong”, she assured.
“Will try”, and he hung up.
This was it, he was gonna try return as soon as possible.
***
?? Shimla Kingdom ??
The guard who had stayed back at the house to take the car with him back to the palace found it easy to open the garage.
Queen Arya had instructed him to drive the car to the palace and have it parked, far away from the other cars, till she returns.
He didn’t enter the garage, he just opened it, then using the remote control for it, controlled it to reverse backwards on his own. It did.
A ‘wow’ escaped his lips, the car was sparkling clean, and looking sparkling new, like they just bought it, like they weren’t even making use of it. They must have been handling it like an egg.
Hmm, Maharana must have really loved this girl, to buy her such an expensive car. Nevertheless, he shrugged and locked up the garage. Then entered the car and sped off.
|THE BHAGYA PALACE|
The door opened with full force and banged, startling Roshni who sat at the dressing table checking out the collections of Vidya’s make-up.
It was Vidya who had entered, panting heavily. She was still clad in her pyjamas and so was Roshni, clad in one of Vidya’s pyjamas for she had a lot of them.
“What is wrong with you? Is anyone chasing you?” She asked.
“Nobody is chasing me, I have just got good news”, she said and walked to the bed, then flopped down on it.
“Really?” Roshni brightened up, “what is it?” She asked.
“I just got informed by one of the maids that the Queen left very early this morning, with some of her guards”.
“My gee! Seriously?” She asked.
“Yeah, I didn’t see her around, so I decided to ask. So finally, my dream is gradually coming true”.
Roshni laughed, watching her friend display, like the animated Cinderella when she had said her dreams were coming true. She laughed again, it was funny.
“Chill, once the Queen is by you, forget it, everything just keep falling in your favour”, she said.
“Oh yeah, you can say that again”.
They were still talking when Roshni noticed through the window, the gate sliding open. She got up instantly and walked to it.
“What is that?” Vidya asked and followed.
“Ugh, some person, I think someone’s coming in”, she said.
They kept quiet as they watched the car slowly drove in. Huh? Vidya’s mouth fell wide open, Roshni’s was kept ajar, they were both shocked.
It was the dark coloured Bugatti Veyron!