Page 82 of Sumanika

"Yes, that would be better, and we still need to find out where they’re hiding the explosives, like that gunpowder," he inquired, and I gulped, scanning the surroundings.

"We should walk through and see what else is here and where this place leads,” I suggested. He nodded but suddenly stopped me.

"But, Agastya, what if this place doesn’t open nearby and leads us far away from here?" he asked, and I bit my lip, considering it.

"I don’t think so," I replied, walking toward the nearest wall. The temperature was colder here than outside; it wasn’t just freezing but watery cold, and there was moisture in the air.

It was confirmed as I placed my hand on the wall, feeling the dampness in the stones. This cave didn’t have mud but stone walls.

"It doesn’t seem like a man-made space. It feels more natural. Look at the stone walls, the uneven floor, and the packed mud and stones. It’s like a vast compound here, sloping upward,” I remarked, furrowing my brows, and he followed my gaze, agreeing with me.

"You’re right. What do you think then?" he asked.

"I believe it’s a groundwater channel that has now dried up. There should be an opening nearby, perhaps a large dig for a well. They likely discovered this place because of that. Additionally, this passage probably isn’t very long since laborers can’t work and push for long periods in this dark, airless condition," I explained, and he nodded.

"I agree; we should find the well or the place where they’ll take them outside to use, since it's meant to be hidden," he added, nodding.

“I believe they won’t get it out until the soldiers of that army arrive here. If Mehrangarh’s laborers got involved, the news would leak eventually, but if that army deployed their soldiers, it could stay a secret," I added, and he shook his head in confusion.

“But wouldn’t they recognize those people? I mean, there are thousands of people in their territory, and no one would notice?” And I shook my head.

"No, if they’re wearing what we are wearing—Mehrangarh's clothes," I said, and he sucked on his lips, nodding thoughtfully.

Honestly, it was all overwhelming at this point. I couldn’t believe they orchestrated all this right under our noses while making us feel confident about marrying their daughter, Rashmika. I could barely wrap my head around it.

Seeing its scale, I felt compelled to alert all the kingdoms to keep their armies on standby, because anything could happen. However, notifying them too soon would be unwise; they wouldn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation—the extent of destruction and the lives at stake. We needed to be strategic rather than emotional.

Eklavya and I started walking through the passage, picking a side. The air was thin here, and I could feel it pressing against my chest. The oil burned as we stepped forward, slowly taking in the surroundings and the uneven ground beneath us. The temperature was gradually rising, indicating that we were nearing the surface.

I didn’t know how long we had been walking. The darkness was deepening, making it hard to see. It was a vast, hollow space, and every slight noise echoed around us. Thankfully, we had chosen to come here at night; otherwise, people might have discovered us.

We kept walking and felt a refreshing breeze.

“The opening is near,” I said, and we both began to look around. But there was no passage in sight. I glanced upward.

“Look,” I said, catching his attention. We both stared up at the empty, round, dry well.

“So, you were right. It’s a dry well,” he said, and I nodded, swallowing hard.

“But I think there must be an opening for a river—a dried-up groundwater river. This area is close to mountains, which typically indicates the presence of rivers. There’s a possibility they’re using that opening to remove that massive object,” I explained, and he nodded.

“Right, I agree with you,” he said.

“And it has to be close, you know,” I said, and he took a deep breath.

“We don’t have much time. The lamp will go out soon,” he said, and I felt a creeping fear run down my spine. We could get lost here forever without a light. We had no idea where we started, and we hadn’t marked anything on the walls for fear of attracting attention.

My breaths were coming short. The cold flushed my cheeks red, and my fingers felt numb. My feet hurt, but we kept walking to find the riverbed opening.

Suddenly, we noticed a slope descending, accompanied by distant sounds—like rustling waves, hinting at water.

A shiver ran down my spine as I took a deep breath and looked at him.

"I believe there’s a live underground river nearby,” I said, and his eyes widened in surprise.

“You know, first of all, I never want to die. If I did, I’d want to die in battle—not drowned in water where no one could find my body,” he replied, and I placed my hand on his shoulder.

“Nothing will happen, trust me,” I reassured him as I took his hand and led the way.

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