Virendra Rathore's words sent a chill through the air. Someone else was searching for the truth.
Satya clenched his fists. "Who?"
Virendra leaned against the doorframe, his expression unreadable. "A man came here a few days ago, asking the same questions. He wasn't a historian. He wasn't from the government. He wasn't like you."
Saanvi's stomach tightened. "Then who was he?"
Virendra studied her carefully, as if weighing his next words. "He called himself Devashish Arora. Said he was researching lost royal histories. But his questions weren't ordinary."
Professor Raghav frowned. "What kind of questions?"
Virendra finally stepped forward, his eyes darkening. "He asked about the artist." His gaze shifted to Satya. "About Veer."
Silence.
Saanvi's heart pounded. Someone else was looking for Veer? Why?
Satya exhaled sharply. "Did he find anything?"
Virendra shook his head. "I didn't tell him much. But I did some digging of my own. He's not who he claims to be."
Saanvi swallowed hard. "Then who is he?"
Virendra's next words made their blood run cold.
"He's connected to the Rathores. A distant descendant of the royal court. And he's not just looking for the past—he's looking to erase it."
The weight of his words settled between them.
Satya's mind raced. A descendant of the Rathores? That meant this man had personal stakes in their history. But why erase it? What was he afraid of?
"We need to move fast," Saanvi said, glancing at Satya. "Before he gets ahead of us."
Virendra smirked. "Then you'd better start with the east wing of this estate. I never told him what's hidden there."
Satya's pulse quickened. The east wing. Another clue. Another piece of their past waiting to be uncovered.
Professor Raghav adjusted his glasses. "What's in the east wing?"
Virendra's smirk faded. "A hidden chamber. One that hasn't been opened in over a century."
Saanvi's breath hitched. "A hidden chamber?"
Virendra nodded. "When the palace was still active, that chamber was off-limits. Even to most of the royal family. Only a select few ever entered it."
Satya frowned. "Why? What was inside?"
Virendra hesitated. "I don't know. But the last record of it being used was during Veer's time."
A shiver ran down Satya's spine. The past was drawing them in deeper.
"We need to see it," Saanvi said firmly.
Virendra sighed. "I figured you'd say that." He turned, motioning them to follow. "Come on. But once we step inside, you might not like what you find."
Satya exchanged a look with Saanvi. The air between them was thick with anticipation.
They weren't just racing against time anymore.
They were racing against an enemy in the shadows.
And the answers they sought lay just beyond the doors of the east wing.