"Will I even be able to do this, will I be able to pull it off? But it should work, let's try!" I thought with full enthusiasm. I closed my eyes and started trying to meditate according to the book's technique. But my mind? It was jumping here and there like a restless monkey.
As I sat down with my eyes closed to meditate, I started remembering those delicious things—the strong, piping hot ginger tea whose aroma was floating in the air, sweet pastries loaded with cream, that melting and stretching cheese of pizza, spicy and crispy burgers, Shahi Paneer with a velvet-like silky gravy, Kali Dal Makhani bathed in lots of butter, and those puffed, hot Bhature with spicy, tangy Chole.
Just the imagination of all this made my mouth water. Then suddenly, I remembered Anurag's face and I said to myself, "Yes brother, eating all alone?" Thinking this, my eyes opened immediately and I shook myself. "Anyway, all this isn't even here!" I sighed deeply. I was thinking of filling the 'inner pitcher' here, and my stomach's 'real pitcher' was feeling empty due to hunger.
I kept trying with full sincerity for a long time, but let alone 'Mana', I couldn't even feel a straw. Finally, tired of this mental exertion, I fell asleep right there—yes, I actually fell asleep! (Snore... Snore...)
Then, a little later, I woke up, and I got up startled, "Hey, what is happening?" My eyes were so heavy with sleep that they wouldn't even open. A trail of drool was flowing from my mouth, and I was rubbing my eyes vigorously. Then I asked myself, "Where am I and what am I doing here?" Then I remembered everything—I had come here to learn magic! Then how did I fall asleep here? And I don't know how long I have been lying here! Should I start learning right now?
Suddenly, a loud shouting voice came from above, "Little Lord!"
Hearing the voice, I panicked and ran upstairs. When I went outside, I saw that it was already night. Then I saw a maid coming towards me. Fearing being caught, I immediately jumped into the nearby grass and crouched there. I held my breath and started waiting for her to leave. That maid passed by, crying and shouting "Little Lord". I thought, "What time must it be now?"
As soon as she disappeared, I carefully came out from there and, hiding and dodging, made my way towards my room.
I was just heading towards my room when I saw four guards in front of me. They were holding torches and looking around, and it was clear that they were looking for me. I could not understand how to escape from these four because they were blocking the path. Just then, my eyes fell on a stone lying below. I quickly picked it up and threw it hard to the other side.
Tap-tap... Hearing the sound of the stone, the guards were startled. "Look over there, maybe someone is there!" They all ran in the direction of the sound, and I, taking advantage of the opportunity, slipped away from there on tiptoe.
Then I was just entering through a gate when I saw some more guards suddenly come out from inside. My life was in my throat! I immediately crouched under a small table kept nearby. They passed by me and went ahead to look for me. When their voices faded away, I heaved a sigh of relief—"Phew! Narrowly escaped today."
I thought that going straight through the corridor would not be safe. Just then, I saw a window open nearby. I used all my strength and slowly entered through it. Now I was inside the mansion, but the danger was not yet over. I was just slipping away, hiding, when three maids came by, shouting "Little Lord! Little Lord!" I immediately hid behind an iron armor kept nearby.
They were saying to each other, crying, "Don't know where our Lord has gone? It seems he is very angry with us, that's why he has hidden somewhere." They went ahead crying and wailing. I said to myself, "I am not angry, but how to reach the room by avoiding all of them?"
For a moment, fear settled in my mind—"If they even see me, what will I say? Where was I and what was I doing until now? I couldn't tell the truth even if I wanted to."
I was still thinking this when I heard Mommy's voice. She was looking for me with two maids, and her voice was very close. I started looking for a place to hide in some corner out of fear...
Mommy's voice was so close that I could hear my own heartbeat. Without wasting a moment, I crouched behind the heavy curtains hanging nearby. I was standing holding my breath, looking outside through a narrow slit in the curtain.
Mommy was looking for me frantically. Seeing the terror on her face, my heart sank. She was saying in a trembling voice, "Where could he be? Where could he possibly have gone? The attack happened just this morning, and now he is missing like this! How could he disappear like this?"
Then she became even more worried and said, "Thomas has also gone out for some important work right now. If my Ansole is not found, what answer will I give him?"
Saying this, Mamma lost her patience and burst into tears. Both those maids were trying to console her, but seeing mamma's condition, my heart broke. Seeing her break down like this, I myself became very emotional. I felt like coming out from behind the curtain right now and hugging her.
I could not bear to see her cry. I realized that my small carelessness had caused her so much pain. Standing right there, I started thinking whether to come out now or wait a while longer.