Something different:-
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The Gurukula courtyard, usually filled with the rhythm of training, stood unusually silent.
All the students had gathered.
Whispers moved through the lines, but no one spoke loudly. The absence of one among them was already being felt.
Master Sukarna stood at the front, his expression firm.
"Listen carefully," he said.
The murmurs faded.
"A student is missing."
The weight of the words settled heavily.
"Before we act, I want to know everything," Sukarna continued. "Who saw Raghu last? When? Speak clearly."
The students exchanged glances.
One stepped forward.
"I saw him during the midday meal, Master."
Another added, "He was near the training ground in the afternoon."
Sukarna nodded, noting each response.
"After that?"
Silence.
No one answered.
Sukarna's eyes moved across the group.
"If anyone remembers anything—no matter how small—you will speak now."
Still, no clear answer came.
Puru stood among them, his mind already moving ahead.
Raghu's voice echoed faintly in his memory.
"I need to tell you something… not here."
Puru clenched his fist slightly.
Sukarna spoke again, his tone firmer now.
"Until this matter is resolved, the Gurukula will remain closed."
The students looked up.
"No one leaves the premises without my permission," he continued. "No wandering, no unnecessary movement."
He paused briefly.
"This is no longer a small matter."
The courtyard fell completely silent.
"We will find him," Sukarna said.
The gathering slowly dispersed after Sukarna's orders.
Students returned to their rooms in uneasy silence. The Gurukula no longer felt like a place of training—it felt restricted, watchful.
Puru did not move immediately.
He stepped toward Sukarna.
"Master," he said, "we should send word to the king."
Sukarna looked at him.
"A student from the Gurukula has gone missing," Puru continued. "It should be reported."
Sukarna nodded slightly. "A letter will be sent."
Puru hesitated for a moment before asking,
"What have you heard about the missing cases outside?"
Sukarna's expression grew more serious.
"Most of the cases happen at night," he said. "And from what has been reported… those who left did not seem to be in their senses."
Puru frowned.
"They walked out?" he asked.
"So it is said," Sukarna replied. "As if they were not aware of what they were doing."
Puru said nothing more.
He turned and walked toward the dormitory.
Raghu's room was quiet.
Puru stepped inside and looked around carefully.
Nothing seemed disturbed.
His belongings were still in place.
But something felt off.
Puru's eyes moved toward the corner near the entrance.
Raghu's sandals were not there.
He stood still for a moment.
Sukarna's words echoed in his mind.
"They walked out… not in their senses."
"Their sandals were left behind."
Puru looked at the empty spot again.
Raghu's sandals were missing.
Which meant—
He did not walk out unconsciously.
Puru's expression hardened slightly.
"This is not the same," he murmured.
The king's concern:-
--------------------------
The court gathered once again.
Reports had arrived from the southern villages after the royal patrols completed their rounds. New details had been collected, along with cases that had never reached the capital before.
Scrolls lay open across the council table.
One by one, the ministers presented the updated numbers.
"Additional cases have been recorded from the villages," one of them said.
"Unreported disappearances have now been confirmed."
The room grew heavier with each report.
Finally, one minister spoke clearly,
"The total number of missing cases has now crossed thirty."
Silence followed.
Even those who had expected an increase did not anticipate this.
King Karthikeya Kautilya did not respond immediately.
He remained still for a moment, absorbing the number.
Thirty.
Not rumors.
Not isolated incidents.
A pattern that was growing.
"Continue the investigation," he said at last, his voice steady. "I want every case documented. No detail is to be ignored."
The ministers bowed.
But the weight of the number lingered long after the court was dismissed.
That night, the palace was quiet.
The corridors that usually carried the sounds of attendants and guards had fallen still.
Inside his chamber, the king sat awake.
Sleep did not come easily.
His thoughts returned again and again to the same number.
Thirty.
Not just numbers.
Lives.
Men taken without a trace.
A kingdom unsettled.
A ruler without answers.
A soft voice broke the silence.
"You have not rested."
Madhumathi stood near the doorway, watching him.
The king looked up briefly.
"There is much to consider," he replied.
She stepped closer.
"This is not like you," she said gently. "Something troubles you."
He exhaled slowly.
"The missing cases," he said.
Madhumathi remained silent, waiting.
"They are increasing," he continued. "More than what was first reported. Entire regions are beginning to feel it."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"I am responsible for their safety."
There was no frustration in his voice.
Only concern.
"And yet… there are no answers."
Madhumathi stood beside him.
"You have already begun acting," she said calmly. "The truth will come."
The king did not respond immediately.
But for the first time that night, his thoughts slowed.
Outside, the palace remained silent.
Inside, the weight of the kingdom rested on a man who could not yet find its cause
Connecting the dots:-
---------------------------
The Gurukula had grown unusually quiet.
Students remained inside as ordered. Conversations were low, uncertain. The absence of Raghu lingered in every corner.
Puru sat alone.
His thoughts were no longer scattered.
They were aligning.
He began recalling everything he had heard.
Missing men.
Night disappearances.
Unconscious movement.
Sandals left behind.
Then Raghu.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Raghu was different.
He was last seen during the day.
He was conscious.
His sandals were missing.
"This is not the same," Puru repeated to himself.
He reached for a small piece of parchment and began drawing.
Not a detailed map.
Just simple lines.
The Gurukula.
The outer paths.
The routes students usually take.
The open areas.
The boundary.
Then one direction stood out.
The forest behind the Gurukula.
Puru stared at it.
If Raghu had left willingly…
If he had something important to say…
If he wanted privacy…
That path made sense.
Puru's grip tightened slightly.
"He went there."
The thought settled firmly in his mind.
Night had already begun to fall.
Puru lay down on his mat, staring at the ceiling.
He wanted to leave immediately.
To confirm it.
To search.
But Sukarna's orders were clear.
No one leaves.
"Morning," he told himself. "I'll go in the morning."
But sleep did not come easily.
His mind refused to stay still.
Raghu's voice returned again.
"I need to tell you something… not here."
Puru turned to his side.
What if Raghu was still out there?
What if he was injured?
What if—
He shut his eyes tightly.
But the thoughts didn't stop.
Fear crept in.
Not loud.
Not visible.
But present.
Then suddenly—
Something struck him.
Puru's eyes opened.
Rain.
It had rained heavily the previous morning.
The forest ground would still be soft.
If Raghu had gone that way—
And if he was wearing his sandals—
There would be marks.
Clear enough to follow.
Puru sat up slowly.
For the first time since Raghu went missing…
He had a lead.
Whip slap for every moment:-
-------------------------------------
Darkness surrounded him.
Raghu could not see.
Something rough pressed against his eyes.
His mouth was tightly bound.
He tried to breathe slowly, but the air felt heavy.
Then he realized—
He couldn't move.
His hands were tied.
His legs… tied as well.
Rough rope dug into his skin every time he struggled.
Panic rose instantly.
He tried to move again.
Harder this time.
The ropes tightened.
A muffled sound escaped his throat.
"Mmm—"
Before he could struggle further—
A sharp crack split the silence.
Pain shot across his back.
Raghu's body jerked forward.
Another strike followed.
The sound of a whip echoed inside the empty room.
He froze.
His breath turned uneven.
Somewhere close—
A man stood.
Raghu couldn't see him.
But he could feel his presence.
Heavy.
Watching.
Waiting.
Raghu tried again—
Just a slight movement of his hand—
Another crack.
The pain was immediate.
Controlled.
A warning.
Not wild.
Not rushed.
Measured.
As if the man did not want him to move at all.
Raghu stopped.
Completely.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
The room remained silent again.
Only the faint sound of his breathing filled the space.
The walls around him felt broken… uneven.
Cold air slipped through cracks.
An abandoned place.
Somewhere away from people.
Raghu tried to think.
How did he get here?
He couldn't remember.
The last thing—
Puru.
"We'll talk tonight."
A wave of fear passed through him.
He didn't understand what was happening.
But one thing was clear—
He was not free.
And whoever brought him here…
Was still watching.