Secret Mission : Chapter 32

"Sister, can I accompany you?" Jyotimani blinked, catching a glimpse of Lavanya who was softly wrapping the small garland of jasmine flowers around her enormous bun.

"Jyoti, you already know the reason why I am going to my father's house," the princess smiled, turning the garland of small white flowers for the second time before inserting a small pin, fixing her bun. "It has been four days but still my spies are unable to find clues about the slave trade. Though they are disrupting the activities of the slave dealers but cannot capture them. So I think it's time for me to inquire into this case."

"What will I do alone without my mistress?" Jyotimani pouted, fixing the waistband of her royal highness.

"You can help your friend Kavita to supervise and spend time with her. Otherwise..." Leaning towards the younger, the princess whispered, "you can invest your precious time in something else." Wiggling her brows, she alluded to Jyoti about her hidden meaning.

For a moment, innocent Jyotimani couldn't catch on. But the moment the double meaning words dawned on in her mind, she couldn't help but blush.

"Ah! Sister, you cannot tease me like this," the maid pouted, sulking like a kid.

"I am helping you." Lavanya's melodious laughter echoed in the chamber.

"Well...Sister, are you sure that you aren't gonna tell his highness about your plans?" Jyotimani said in a low voice but deep inside she was much worried about the situation. She has been working as a maid since she was young. So she knew about the crown prince's wrath.

"If his highness, comes to know about this slave trade, he would stride towards the stable and then he would set off on his horse to catch the culprits without caring about his condition. And that would result in the reopening of his wound and infection. The chances of worsening the injury are much more than catching the culprits. To sum up, letting his highness know about this case is only a disadvantage to us. So there is no need to let him know yet," Lavanya gave utterance without a pause.

"Bwahahahha~" Jyotimani burst out into laughter, almost rolling on the floor. "Princess, why do you always talk sarcastically when it comes to the prince?"

"I stated the fact though," smiling sheepishly, Lavanya looked outside. "I have already got permission from the Queen and the King about my visit to my father's house. I might return by evening tomorrow."

"Huh? Won't you spend time with your sister?" Jyotimani asked, sitting on the stool like a little puppy.

"But my presence here is more necessary," Smiling, Lavanya took a glimpse of her complete look in the mirror. Satisfied, she turned towards the younger. "I am going to inform his highness. Take care of yourself meanwhile."

"Mm," nodding, Jyotimani smiled widely, assuring that she will take care of herself.

Sitting on a red sanders stool, beside the gigantic window, the prince was sharpening his favourite sword. Lifting the already sharp blade of the sword at his eye level, his eyes keenly observed the sharpness of the blade. Iris travelling along the direction of the blade of the sword, he abruptly stopped midway upon hearing a knock on the door.

His eyes swiftly travelled to the open door only to find his wife standing on the door.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"Lavanya?!" Virendra stood up upon seeing the unexpected guest. "Why are you standing at the door? Come inside."

"I am overwhelmed by your ability to take care of yourself. You were advised not to perform any task that might strain the muscles of the left side of your chest," Lavanya said, looking at the prince with the sword in his hand. "But look at you! You are simply doing what you shouldn't do. Sharpening the sword will surely put pressure on the muscles on the chest otherwise the blade won't be sharpened."

"Otherwise I am so fagged out because of boredom," Virendra sighed, putting the sword on the mahogany table. "Moreover the wound is healing fast."

"That's why I am asking you not to worsen it. Since it's healing quickly, just rest for a bit more so that you can do whatever you want after it heals completely," Lavanya replied gently.

"What brings Princess Lavanya here?" Virendra asked, taking a seat, followed by his wife.

"I am going to visit my father and my sister today," Lavanya smiled.

A slight frown settling between his brows, Virendra spoke in a determined voice, "I will accompany you."

"It's not needed!" Lavanya blurted out, causing Virendra to scowl. To manage the situation, Lavanya took a deep breath and spoke gently, "I mean...you need rest and I won't stay there for too long."

"I think I should meet my father-in-law. I haven't been to his residence since our marriage," Virendra held his chin between his fingers, rubbing his thumb gently against the epidermis, glancing at the princess.

What's with this spoiled prince now!? He's never interested in going out unless it's related to kingdom affairs and now he is so determined to accompany me! Aish! He is so hard to read.

"Well...prince, if my father sees you in this state, he will be perplexed. We can surely visit my father after you heal completely. Doesn't it sound better?" Lavanya replied with a smile while rubbing her fingers against her thumb nervously. She wasn't sure if her words would change the prince's mind since she was very well familiar with his stubbornness.

Sighing, the prince ran his long fingers through his hair, sweeping his hair back. "Alright! Take care. Does the Queen know?"

"Yes. I have gotten her permission," Lavanya smiled brightly as the prince changed his mind.

"Take Karthik with you. He will accompany you," Virendra suggested.

"Your Highness, it's not needed. I can go alone."

"Alright then! Take care," Virendra sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Take care of yourself, your highness. I am leaving."

Standing up, she walked towards her husband. With a smile, she bowed to him. As she was about to walk away, she felt a grip on her wrist, making her look at the prince who was holding her hand gently.

"Prince?!"

"Do you really have to go?" He stood up, standing face to face with her.

"Huh?!" Lavanya's eyes bulged out at the unforeseen question while her breathing hitched.

Letting go of her hand, he looked away, looking as agitated as ever. "I mean...if you go away, then…" he paused a bit, trying to find appropriate words to put up. "T-then...who will take care of my injury?"

"Eh?! Pfft hahaha~" Lavanya burst into laughter upon witnessing such an agitated soul. Holding her stomach, she laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

"W-why are you l-laughing? It's not a joke," Virendra stammered, while his ears turned red.

"Your Highness, you could've just said that you are going to miss me. Why do you have to talk in riddles?" Lavanya tried to control her laughter but upon recalling an agitated Virendra, she burst out into laughter again.

"W-who is going to miss you?! You can stay with your father for a month. I am not going to miss you," Virendra frowned, looking like a kid trying to hide his mistakes.

"Then why did your ears turn red?" Lavanya uttered, pointing at the prince's ears which had already turned into beet red colour.

"Huh?!" Virendra immediately put his hands on his ear lobes only to feel that his ears became warm.

"Your Highness, sometimes saying that you will miss me won't affect your dignity," Lavanya chuckled. "I will turn in the evening tomorrow. Till then take care of yourself."

"Hmph…" Virendra hummed in a low voice as if he was caught red-handed. "You too...take care of yourself."

Nodding, she smiled a bit before she bade goodbye to the prince.

"Sister, are you sure you are going to do this?" Akshara asked, flawlessly flipping the half-cooked uttapam with a spatula before spreading it evenly on the pan. "Just a few days ago prince Karthik informed us that you had a fever and now you are all ready to go on a secret investigation."

"Hm...I have no other option as well," Lavanya replied, unbothered by her sister's concern.

Serving the delicious sambar in a bronze bowl, Lavanya put the bowl beside the bowl of coconut chutney on a big bronze plate which contained a few uttapams.

"I am going to serve food to our father, hm?" Smiling, Lavanya walked out of the kitchen. As she arrived at the dining area, a big smile appeared on her face upon watching her father reading a book. "Father, have dinner."

"Are you going on a secret mission again?" The general asked, washing his hands with water.

Lavanya's eyes bulged out upon listening to her father's words. She stopped in her tracks as she stared at her father.

"Why are you staring at me?" Lavanya's father laughed upon witnessing a thunderstruck Lavanya. "Is my guess too correct?"

"How did you know?" Lavanya stuttered, sitting before her father.

"My child, I've been raising you since you were a little kid. I can read you way more than you think," Bhargav replied before taking a small bite of the food. "First of all, you came to your parental house just for one day which sounds highly suspicious. Secondly, your husband didn't accompany you. So this clearly indicates that what you are doing is unknown to your husband." He glanced at his daughter with a victorious smile on his face which clearly meant 'don't you dare to hide things from me'.

"Well...father…"

"If you don't feel like sharing it with me, then it's fine. I won't pressurize you," Bhargav gave a reassuring smile, signalling her not to get too nervous around him. "But keep in mind, don't keep things away from your husband. Otherwise, things might get complicated later." Though his words sounded playful, those words clearly warned her about the consequences.

"Thank you so much, father," Lavanya smiled in a convivial way. "I will let his highness know about this soon."

That’s my little girl,” Bhargav smiled as he continued tucking into his dinner. “I am going to the bed early tonight. I have to take care of some important stuff tomorrow.”

“But father it’s just the middle of pradosha prahar now. Are you going to take a rest now?” Lavanya’s brows knitted at the new piece of information.

“Starting from tomorrow, the newly recruited soldiers are going to be trained to join the special forces of Maheswari. His Majesty wants me to supervise them.” Finishing his dinner, the general washed his hands. “I will be staying at the camp for the next seven days.” He glanced at his daughter only to find her standing there flabbergasted. Judging from her facial expressions he realized that she wasn’t informed about the before to him. “Did Akshara not inform you about me going to the camp tomorrow?”

“She didn’t say a word about this,” Lavanya scoffed.

“I think she didn’t want you to worry about this,” the general chuckled upon seeing the pouty face of his daughter.

“Where will she stay meanwhile?” Lavanya sighed, worries gnawing at her. “Father, she will stay with me. Is that alright?”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” Bhargav ruffled the princess’s hair. “Your sister will be staying with Surya’s family. I am not that irresponsible to leave her alone at the house.”

“I am going to rest then. Don’t stay up late at night while playing with your sister.” Bhargav smiled before retiring to his room.

Nodding her head, Lavanya waited for her father to disappear into his room. Once her father closed the door of his room, Lavanya glared at the kitchen.

‘Akshara, you’re dead meat!’

Striding towards the kitchen, she found her sister cleaning everything after preparing the meal.

Hearing the footsteps, Akshara spoke before turning back,” Has father retired to the bed-Ah~” Before she could complete her words, she felt a sharp pull on her ear. “Ah! Sister, that hurts!”

“Aha?” Lavanya pulled the younger’s ear, making her stand up. “So you know it hurts? Then why didn’t you inform me about our father staying at the camp?”

“S-sister, please go easy on me. Don’t pull my ear too hard otherwise, it would look like an elephant's ear,” Akshara smiled sheepishly, trying to free her poor ear. “I didn’t want you to worry about this. I was planning to tell you at night."

“Really?” Lavanya arched her brows, still didn’t let go of her sister’s ear. “Didn’t I tell you that I might not stay here at night?”

“Ah! I am sorry…I just forgot to tell you.” Akshara glanced at her sister, looking like a poor little puppy.

“Hm…now the cat got out of the bag,” scoffing, the princess let go of the younger, making the latter rub her ear to soothe the pain. Lavanya narrowed her eyes watching the other rubbing her ears. “I didn’t pull your ear that hard. Let’s eat before it cools.”

Pouting, Akshara followed her sister like a lost puppy, making Lavanya chuckle.

"Akshara...can you bring me the fake beard kept in your room?" Lavanya yelled from her room.

"Aiya...keep it low. You will wake up fath- pffftttt haha~"

Akshara who brought the fake beard from her room burst out into laughter as soon as her eyes fell on her sister.

Lavanya was wearing a white silk dhoti with a dark blue coloured kurta. Pearl jewellery ornate her neck and arms while a pearl waistband hugged her waist, putting the clothes in place. The jewellery around her neck had a precious blue stone which seemed like an imported one. In contrast to her clothes, her hair was styled in such a way that it reached her shoulder height and appeared bushy while a few rebellious strands of hair stood out. In addition to that hilarious look, a fake beard was stuck to her jawline, making her look like she kept herself away from washing herself for days.

"Deva! What is this? Why do you look like a rich beggar?" Akshara clutched her stomach, laughing as hard as ever.

“What’s so funny?” Lavanya sneered, looking as annoyed as ever.

“You really look strange, you know. I wonder what the ladies of the courtesan house would think if they saw this type of rich beggar,” Akshara laughed. “I wish brother Surya could see this awesome disguise of yours.”

“Of course the beautiful ladies of the courtesan house would prefer handsome and appealing men like me,” a manly sound reverberated in the room, making the younger girl look at the gigantic window. “But for now I am enchanted by the beauty of your sister.” He said, leaning against the frame of the window.

“Speak of the devil and here he comes,” Lavanya rolled her eyes, unbothered by the arrival of the guest. “Akshara, can you please pass the beard which you are holding.”

“Won’t you welcome me, your highness?” Surya pouted as he jumped inside the room. “I came here all dressed up and you are ignoring me. It breaks my innocent heart.” Putting his hand on his chest, he frowned, making doleful facial expressions.

“Pretendance at its peak,” Lavanya huffed, pulling the fake beard in a single attempt. “Why don’t you admit that you actually dressed up like a rich businessman to impress the ladies at the courtesan house?” Clicking her tongue, she was about to try on the other fake beard when Surya stopped her.

“Don’t use the beard. It doesn’t suit you,” Taking the beard from her hand, he passed it to the other lady in the room.

“What are you doing?! I will get caught if I don’t put on the beard,” Frowning, Lavanya tried to snatch the beard from her sister’s hand but her sister being a pro in teasing her sister, she didn’t give it to her.

“Pull it together, Lavanya. If you behave like a man, there is no way a person could recognize you. You are already too manly for a lady,” Surya sounded serious as he examined Lavanya from head to toe. “The fake moustache is already doing a good job. You don’t need to worry. You look manly enough to impress the ladies.” He chuckled which was enough for Lavanya to feel confident.

“You look handsome as well,” Lavanya smiled which clearly conveyed her hidden thank you. Putting on a turban, she completed her look.

“Thank you, your highness,” Surya smiled. Turning towards the younger lady, he said, “Akshara, take care of yourself. We have to take care of something very important. We will be back soon.”

Akshara smiled and followed them to the door before bading them goodbye.

“Lavanya, do you know about what happens in the courtesan house, right? Like those matured things?” Surya stammered, unsure if Lavanya had any prior knowledge about the adult stuff.  He came to know from Jyotimani about Lavanya’s depth of knowledge about the adult stuff.

“W-why are y-you asking me a-about that kind of s-strange stuff?!” A pink shade of blush appeared on her cheeks which clearly showed that Lavanya was embarrassed about talking that type of stuff.

“What do you by why?! Your maid told me about your extraordinary knowledge about this stuff,” Surya’s eyes widened as he glanced at his friend. “What am I supposed to do if you really have no idea about that stuff?! Don’t expect me to explain that stuff to you.” He shivered a bit, trying to shrug off the goosebumps which appeared on his body while thinking of the situation of him explaining adult stuff to his best friend.

“I-I know about it,” Lavanya replied in a  low tone, turning beet red.

“Wow!” Surya exclaimed as he looked at his friend with excitement in his eyes. “So finally Virendra taught you about the adult stuff, huh? Wait! Am I going to become an uncle soon?!” his eyes almost bulged out thinking about his fantasy.

“When did you start sprouting bullshit like this?!” Lavanya rolled her eyes, annoyed at his best friend’s words. “He didn’t teach me anything. I read it from a book from the royal library.”

“I didn’t know that you are actually into this type of stuff. Great! My innocent little bean is finally becoming a matured lady,” Surya grinned. “So do you know how babies are produced-"

“NO!” Lavanya almost yelled, stopping the man in the middle of his words. “I didn’t read that far. It's so disgusting to read. And I accidentally discovered the book while searching for some medical books in the library.”

Huh!? She doesn’t know about the real stuff! Damn! Then how is she gonna manage at the courtesan house?. I am absolutely not going to explain to her. Should I take her back home and make her read a few books? Wait! How much does she know actually?! Surya bit his lower lip while walking in the busy streets of Maheswari. “W-well…Lavanya, how much do you know about this stuff?”

“I-its…uh...I didn't read the procedure deeply. It was so disgusting that I could read any further. I mean...how can people do that...like...ewww,” Lavanya unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair, trying to brush off the awkwardness.

“That’s great. Something is better than nothing. I guess it’s enough to manage tonight. You can learn about the main thing later.” Surya smiled, feeling as relieved as ever. It looks like this little bean is still in trauma after knowing about adult stuff.

“Let’s not talk about this kind of stuff, alright? It’s so uncomfortable.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” Surya smiled reassuringly as he walked beside his best friend. “Lavanya, did you inform Virendra about your mission?”

“If I had informed him about my visit to the courtesan house, instead of me you would have been walking beside him now,” Lavanya sighed. “He still needs rest. So, I didn’t inform him about this slave trade. But I can feel he would soon find out about this slave. I cannot even imagine his reaction when he finds out about this.”

“I think Mahesh knows about this slave trade,” Surya replied, observing the surroundings as they were walking to the courtesan house.

From the Devi sena they received the information that the beautiful, young girls were traded off to the courtesan house from different kingdoms. No matter how hard they tried to look into the matter, they couldn’t catch the culprits which led Lavanya and Surya to go one a secret investigation to find some clues.

“What?! How do you know?!” Lavanya exclaimed, unable to process the new piece of information.

“When I was trying to find clues about this case in the forest, I saw him secretly investigating with some of the soldiers. That’s why I keep asking you if Virendra really doesn’t know about this case,” Surya explained.

“That’s strange! His Highness doesn’t have a clue about this. I think brother Mahesh hasn’t informed His Highness because of the injury,” Lavanya let out a deep breath before entering a lane that would lead them to their destination. “This means he will find out about this situation soon.”

“We are entering the lane to courtesan house, Lavanya. We need to focus,” Surya reminded in a grim voice, carefully observing his surroundings while Lavanya fixed her posture to avoid being suspected.

The lane which would lead them to the courtesan house was known as the courtesan lane. After the evening, no lady is seen walking around the lane except those courtesans of the courtesan house. The courtesan house was located in the corner area of the city so that normal people wouldn’t get affected by the activities of the courtesan house. Initially,the king of Maheswari was against this idea of the courtesan house but the poor courtesans begged him not to end their living. At last, the king had to give permission to run the courtesan house in the corner area of the city.

As Lavanya and Surya reached the Courtesan house, they could see rich merchants, businessmen and wealthy men were going in and coming out of the courtesan house. Some beautiful ladies who were wearing seductive clothes were standing at the entrance of the house, welcoming the guests.

Suddenly, a young lady dressed in a revealing light pink saree, wearing a  golden waistband around her perfect waist approached them. Hair tied into a bun on the right side of her head while the jet black locks of hair from her bun fell freely above her waist. A big rose flower adorned her bun.

“Young masters, why are you waiting at the entrance? Please come inside,” trying to sound as seductive as ever, the courtesan brushed her fingers against Surya’s broad shoulders while she was glancing at Lavanya seductively.

“Sure, my lady,” Surya smirked as he strode forward along with Lavanya.

Upon entering the courtesan’s house, a dense fragrance of jasmine flowers and wine assaulted Lavanya’s nose, making her scrunch a bit. The gigantic hall was brightly lit with oil lamps while two ladies were dancing with their customers at the one half of the hall. The other half of the hall had a counter-like area where a beautiful lady with striking looks was sitting, enjoying the dance show.

She seems like the manager. Surya frowned while Lavanya was observing the ambience.

Beautiful courtesans were standing everywhere- some looking at the customers with seductive gaze while some with innocent looks but seductive clothes. The courtesan house seemed like a three-storied building. At the staircase, girls were standing, trying to catch the eye of the guests. The courtesan house seemed to have a lot of rooms for their customers which clearly depicted how famous it was and its never-ending demand of courtesans among the rich people.

“Excuse me, Miss,” Surya politely called the lady at the counter, bringing her back to her senses.

“Welcome, Young Masters. How can I help you?” The lady flashed a sweet smile at her new customers.

“We have heard a lot about the famous courtesan house and we couldn’t stop ourselves from coming here. Can you please enlighten us about the facilities here?” Surya asked, making eye contact with the manager.

“Sure thing, Young master. The guests are the ones who choose the woman with whom they are going to spend their night with as well as the room to enjoy. They can choose multiple ladies to satisfy them,” the lady explained.

“I’ve heard that this place affords different varieties of wine. Then can a guest order all the types of wines?” Surya asked, trying to keep the manager focused.

“Yes. Whatever pleases the guest.”

Meanwhile, Lavanya was carefully observing the structure of the courtesan. Suddenly her eyes caught a line of ants coming out from the crack near a pillar of the ground floor. Brows knitting into a small frown, she narrowed her eyes, trying to get a clear view of the trail of ants. The ants seemed to carry something. At once she realized what was exactly going on.

“Excuse me, beautiful,” Lavanya spoke in a hoarse voice, grabbing the attention of both the lady and her best friend. “Does this building have a basement or something?”

“No, Young Master. There is no basement here. There are two other floors other than this one. You can choose any room of your choice,” the manager’s confident voice seemed to quiver a bit.

“That’s too bad. I thought we are going to have a wild night at a place where others won’t get to hear noises,” clicking her tongue, Lavanya shook her head, showing how disappointed she was. “Now I really wonder if this place is really as good as we heard about it?” Glancing at Surya, she sighed, turning her back at the counter.

What a performance, Lavanya! Surya internally chuckled. Gaining his composure, he talked to the lady. “My friend loves a bit of privacy and now he seems really disappointed. Can you do anything to fix it?”

“Ahh…Young master, don’t be disappointed. We have several rooms at the farthest corners of this building where no one can get a clue even if some gruesome thing happens. I have met customers like you. Please don’t be disappointed in us without trying our service,” the lady quickly blurted out.

“Then…my friend and I want to tour this building so that we can choose the best room for us, is that okay?” Lavanya smirked, turning towards the lady.

“Uh…That’s a bit…”

Before the lady could complete her words, Surya took out a pouch full of gold coins from his waistband. Resting his elbow on the table of the counter, he raised the bag of gold coins at the level of his eyes before jiggling it.

“I wonder if this could help, won’t it, my pretty lady?” Surya’s lips curved upwards into a playboy smirk as he leaned towards the lady.

Eyes lighting up with enthrallment, the manager flashed a warm smile. “Sure thing, young masters. You can choose any room you want. Would you like me to choose some pretty ladies for you tonight?”

With a smile, Surya handed over the bag of gold coins to her.

“We want around three young and wild ladies who don’t want to give in easily. Well…we would prefer virgin ladies. I hope it's not too much to demand,” Lavanya smiled.

“We will send the ladies to your room once you choose your rooms. Please follow me,” the lady smiled as she walked out of the counter.

Suddenly she called a girl and whispered something into her ears. The girl smiled wickedly before disappearing from there. The two friends glanced at the girl but she didn’t seem like a threat to them.

“Young masters, this way please,” the manager’s sweet voice pulled both the friends out of their daze, making them follow her.

This place is way too seductive for a man to not to lose his control. Men without self-control won't be able to control themselves. Surya thought while observing the beautifully decorated corridor. It seems like they've used aphrodisiac perfume all over the area in small quantities. I wonder what Lavanya is thinking in this situation. He glanced at his friend who had just entered a big room at the farthest end of the corridor.

"This room is perfect!" Lavanya said, keenly scrutinizing the interior of the room.

"I am glad that the Young Master has liked this room," the manager smiled. "Please take a rest. I am going to send the ladies soon."

"Ah...excuse me! What's this scent? It's so refreshing," Lavanya smiled as she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of the scent while Surya was perplexed by her words.

"Ah...Young Master, it's the special aphrodisiac scent used to enhance the mood," the manager described.

"Well...Can I have one, please?" Lavanya asked politely.

The manager seemed agitated while Surya frowned as he couldn't realize if he should stop her from buying that scent. Lavanya glanced at Surya while the latter slightly shook his head.

"Well...Miss beautiful, don't worry about the price of the scent. This young master isn't an ordinary one," Lavanya smirked, taking out a pouch of gold coins from her waistband. Tossing the pouch in the air, she caught it while a victorious smirk appeared on her face upon witnessing the change of expressions of the manager. "This pouch will be yours if you give me one bottle of the perfume."

"Sure, Young Master!" The lady flashed a greedy smile. "I will arrange the perfume by the time you leave."

"Thanks a bunch!" Lavanya smiled as she laid on the luxurious bed.

"We haven't paid yet. What's the price?" Surya inquired.

"We take money after service, young master. You can pay us when you leave," she smiled. "I am taking my leave," bowing, the manager left the room after closing the doors.

After making sure that the lady was gone, Surya stood in front of Lavanya, looking at her, worried.

"Do you even know what you wanted to buy?" Surya snarled.

"Aphrodisiac perfume," Lavanya replied, unbothered. "I am not that stupid, Kumar Dev."

"Aranya Kumar, you are way too more intelligent than I thought," Surya chuckled, taking his seat on a couch.

Suddenly an exotic jar caught his attention. Taking the jar in his hand, he ran his fingers across, feeling the texture of the flawless design. He opened the lid of the jar. Taking in a huge puff of air, he closed his eyes, enjoying the aroma of the flavorful wine. A smile appeared on his face as he poured himself a small glass of wine. Lavanya pressed her lips together, preventing herself from chuckling upon witnessing Surya's satisfied expressions.

"How's it?" Lavanya raised her brows, watching the change of the facial  expression of her best friend's by each passing second after drinking the wine.

"Heavenly!" Surya exclaimed with a bright smile plastered on his face. "Wanna try?"

"No, thank you," brows scrunching in distaste, she looked away.

Suddenly a knock on the door was heard, distracting both of the best friends.

"Young Master, I am coming in," the voice of the manager was heard followed by the creak of the door.

The manager entered the room followed by three beautiful young ladies. The moment Lavanya's eyes fell on a particular lady wearing a red saree with a highly embroidered blouse while her hair was let down loose, she almost stopped breathing. Her eyes almost popped out upon recognising that particular lady who was wearing a specially designed ring on her ring finger.

"Enjoy your time, Young Masters. These ladies have brought the best wine," the manager bowed and left the room after closing the door.

"Lock the door, first," Surya ordered in a grim tone, making the ladies quiver in fear.

Lavanya glanced at Surya before glancing at the ladies. Except for the lady with the red saree, the other two ladies were dressed in a bit revealing clothes.

"I will take care of the lady in red," Lavanya smirked as she got off the bed. Taking a few steps towards the lady in red, she glanced at her best friend. "You can take care of the other two."

"Don't you dare to come closer!" The woman in a red saree yelled.

Her eyes were swollen while the reddishness of her eyes clearly showed that she was crying a while ago. Her face appeared weary while her lips were quivering continuously depicting how vulnerable she was. In contrast to her slim build, the pair of eyes held the gaze of the injured lioness- ready to defend herself at any moment.

"What do you mean by not coming closer? You are bound to serve, sweetheart," Lavanya's lips curved into a sly smile as she proceeded towards the lady.

"Leave her alone!" Another lady in a green saree shouted, looking at Lavanya and her friend with a vulnerable gaze. "Y-you can u-use me as much as y-you want b-but please leave her a-alone.”

"What are you guys doing? We are here to serve!" The third lady whispered, gaining Surya's attention.

"This gorgeous lady is more intelligent than you two," Surya smirked.

For a fraction of a second, Lavanya's attention got carried away while thinking about something. Taking advantage of the situation, the lady in the red saree suddenly attacked out of nowhere. With a dagger in her hand, she flunged towards Lavanya.

Eyes widening in shock, Lavanya quickly bended her body backwards, dodging the attack. Before the lady could attack again, Lavanya held her wrist tightly, making the knife fall down. Pushing her by the shoulder, Lavanya pinned her to the nearest wall, making it impossible to escape from her clutches.

"Let me go, you bastard!" The lady shouted, struggling to get rid of Lavanya's intense grip.

"Stop struggling"

"Let me go first, you jerk!"

"Calm down princess. I am a woman," Lavanya spoke in her usual voice, stopping the lady from struggling while Surya and the other two ladies looked at her, thunderstruck.

"You-"

"Take care of the imposter first," Lavanya side-glanced at Surya while holding the lady at the place.

"What's going on!?" The third lady almost shrieked. "A lady is here in the disguise of a man! W-who are you!? A-are you s-spies!?" Glaring at Surya, she stepped back, trembling in fear. "W-wait...I am g-going to i-inform our lady."

The woman was about to approach the door when Surya suddenly stood in front of her, blocking her from reaching the lock.

"Sorry, my lady. I have to do this." Surya smirked.

Before the lady could understand anything, Surya hit her neck, injuring the cervical nerve. In the next moment, the lady lost consciousness, falling on the floor.

"W-what did y-you do to her?!" The lady in the green saree screamed, almost hyperventilating.

"She has just fainted. She will gain her consciousness after a few hours," Surya replied, carrying the unconscious lady to the bed before glancing at Lavanya, signalling her to finish the task as soon as possible.

"Pardon, your highness. We had to put on an act," Lavanya slightly bowed to the lady in red saree after letting her go.

"Y-you know me?!" The lady exclaimed, grazing her fingers over the red marks on her wrist.

"Yes, I know you princess Suvarnalata, the princess of Kingdom Tuhina and one of the most beautiful princesses of the time. You went missing since the last two months. Moreover, the ring on your ring finger defines you," Lavanya smiled. "I am princess Lavanya, wife of the crown prince of Maheswari, Virendra and he is Surya, my friend."

"Princess Lavanya!" Princess Suvarnalata exclaimed while the lady in green saree who was the maid of the princess looked at Lavanya dumbfounded.

"Pardon me for being rude," Surya slightly bowed to the maid.

"Y-you d-don't need to a-apologise," the maid quickly shook her head, looking unprepared. "I-I am sorry. I should have shown respect to both of you."

"W-what are you d-doing here? W-what if you get c-caught!" The princess exclaimed, pulling Lavanya inside of the room so that their conversation won't be heard by any eavesdropper.

"We came here to get clues about the slave trade. We need your help, your highness," Lavanya asked in a low voice.

"Slave trade…" Princess Suvarnalata uttered absent-mindedly while staring at the window while a drop of tear suddenly escaped her eye. "It's something which forces people to bend against their wishes. It is something that makes a person feel miserable and pathetic to the point they decide to kill themselves but they aren't allowed to die. In a single word... the slave trade is another name of hell." Without her knowledge, drops of tears escaped from the eyes of the princess of Tuhina while a silent sob escaped her lips.

"Princess…" Lavanya put her hand on the princess's hand, looking at her with melancholy in her eyes.

"Princess, I will tell you everything about the slave trade. We need your help," princess Suvarnalata said, glancing at Surya before returning her gaze to the princess.

"Don't pressurize yourself, your highness," Surya said politely.

"It's fine," the princess smiled before continuing. "This slave trade is as complicated as the universe. It's like a maze - once you get in, you can't come out," Suvarnalata explained. "I was kidnapped when I was strolling around in the woods with my maids. I don't know how it happened. I suddenly felt a pain in my head and the next moment everything went black. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a cage along with many other women. I screamed, cried for help. But I only received punishments for trying to escape." She let out a sad sigh. "Then I was brought to the merchant's house. From there the young and beautiful girls are selected who are brought to courtesan house to serve while other men and women are sold off to the rich businessmen and merchants."

"Merchant's house?!" Surya mumbled. "Isn't it the place where the merchants and business gather together for trade and stuff?"

"That's a lie, Young Master!" The maid screamed. "It's a place where dark and shady business are carried out."

"I've heard about this merchant's house but I don't know when it's exactly located. All they say is that it's at some corner of Maheswari."

"You crossed a junction before entering this courtesan lane, right?" Princess Suvarnalata inquired, looking intently at Lavanya. "The other lane other than the courtesan lane will lead you to the merchant's house."

"Your Highness, can you remember anyone who brought you here?" Surya asked, brows frowned into a deep 'V' shape.

"I think the royals of Maheswari are involved," the maid of the princess of Tuhina spoke, looking dejected.

"No, miss! The royals are completely unaware of this!" Lavanya immediately spoke.

"I think I've seen some dacoits as we were brought to Maheswari," Suvarnalata said in a low voice, trying to recall the incident. "His name was…"

"Baldev?" Lavanya asked.

"Yes!" Suvarnalata almost yelled. "It's Baldev!"

"That punk!" Surya growled. "He's even involved in this dirty business.”

"Baldev isn't very powerful enough to take care of this type of business alone. Some powerful persons are involved in this," Lavanya uttered, brushing her fingers against her chin. "Princess has been abducted from the kingdom Tuhina. It means this trade isn't limited only to Maheswari. Instead, this is spread throughout other kingdoms as well. Maybe some royals of other kingdoms are involved."

"We need to find the main person who is mostly involved in this trade. Otherwise, it's impossible to shut down this dirty trade," Surya let out a deep breath.

"Ah, princess! I almost forgot to ask. Is there any basement in this building?" Lavanya asked. "I saw some ants come out from a small crack on the floor."

"The basement is the area where the disobedient courtesans are punished mercilessly. Even my maid and I were taken there," Suvarnalata's voice cracked a bit.

"B-but...there are n-no marks of torture on you," Lavanya stammered.

"That's because they don't inflict any physical torture on us. They dare not to lay their hands on the outer beauty. They put us in a small cage-like structure where many other courtesans are crammed into that small space. They don't give us food and water for several days as punishment. Even if they give food, we are treated like animals. The most ruthless woman I've ever seen is the manager. She throws food on the floor and tells us do eat from there."

"I cannot withstand this anymore!" Surya gritted his teeth, trying to control his anger. "Is she even a human to treat others like this!?"

"Calm down, Surya. Losing temper won't help the situation," Lavanya sighed in disgust.

"A new batch of slaves and courtesans are going to arrive tomorrow at the late hours of the night," the maid said in a feeble voice.

"How did you know?!" Princess Suvarnalata exclaimed.

"I heard the manager talking to someone," the maid replied, tugging at the end of her pallu.

"Tomorrow it is…" Lavanya's gaze turned into a murderous one as she glanced at her best friend who had a similar gaze in his eyes.

"Thank you for the information, your highness," Surya bowed to the princess of Tuhina. "You have to endure this hell just for a day more. We will come to the rescue tomorrow."

"Keep this with you, princess," Lavanya took out a ring from her index finger and placed it on the other princess's palm. "Keep it as a token of our friendship. You can show it to your manager as a gift from me so that she won't punish you." She smiled. "I think we should leave now since we're done here."

"Wait...I am not done taking care of the imposter here," Surya smirked before walking to the table.

Pouring the water in the bronze glass, Surya slid his fingers inside her waistband. Taking out a small wrapped thing, he unwrapped it slowly.

"What is this?" The maid asked, looking suspiciously.

"This will make that lady over there forget what had happened tonight," Surya replied, adding white powdery material into the glass of water.

Swirling the water in the glass, he squished the cheeks of the unconscious lady causing her to open her lips in an 'O' shape. He slowly poured the water into her mouth. When he felt that she had gulped enough water, he removed himself from the bed and poured the extra water on the bed, making it wet.

"Our job is done," Surya smirked as he glanced at his best friend. "We should leave Aranya Kumar."

"Sure," Lavanya chuckled, changing her voice into a hoarse manly one.

"Ladies, you know what women look like after doing this stuff. So, please prepare yourselves like that so that we won't get caught," Surya wiggled his brows.

"Yes, young master," princess Suvarnalata and her maid bowed to him. So they are back into their character.

"What prahar is it now?" Lavanya asked, looking at the starry night sky.

"It's the beginning of Triyaamaa prahar (midnight - 3 am), young master," princess Suvarnalata replied gently.

"Farewell," Surya slightly bowed to the ladies before unlocking the door.

As Surya walked out, Lavanya flashed a gentle smile at the ladies before following the former.

"Young Masters…" the manager at the counter smiled brightly upon seeing two familiar faces coming downstairs. She suddenly signalled a girl standing near her while the latter almost rushed upstairs. "How's our service? Is it to your liking?" She asked as the two disguised men stood in front of her.

"It was outstanding," Surya grinned with a satisfied look on his face. "One of the ladies passed out since she couldn't handle us." Chuckling, he glanced at his best friend who just smirked upon the compliment.

"My lady, what about the perfume you promise to get for me?" Lavanya spoke.

"Here it is," the manager flashed a sweet smile as she put a bottle of aphrodisiac perfume wrapped in a beautiful pink pouch on the table.

Holding the pink pouch in between her fingers, Lavanya took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the perfume. "Divine! Thank you, Miss." She exclaimed, looking as satisfied as ever.

Suddenly the girl who went upstairs hurriedly came running, looking uncertain. She whispered something into the ears of the manager, making the latter look astonished.

"Young Masters, did you really enjoy the ladies?" The manager asked, looking suspiciously at the two persons standing in front of her.

"Is that even a question? Of course, we enjoyed it to our fullest," Surya replied confidently.

"My girl went to check the room which you used. She didn't find a single hickey or bite mark on the ladies. There isn't a single mark on their bodies. Usually, men tend to leave marks on the ladies they enjoy," the manager's voice turned cold as if she found the hidden answer. "Did you guys really enjoy it or just came here with ulterior motives? Who are you?"

7689 words...

How's the update?

Guess what's going to happen next...😈😈

.