75 With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown. (Part 1)

Despite his retirement from the official duties of the royal court, Kirtidev was still an influential figure in the kingdom of Mandhaar, wielding a lot of influence. Hence, due to the upcoming events in the near future, Katyayani wanted this person firmly on her side.

"The carpenter has done a good job with the stretcher bar frame around it," said Katyayani after looking at it once again and handed it over to Eka.

"Wrap it in a brocade cloth and send it to Grandfather's study on the day of the party. Make sure that you inform Bhadrak about the same. I am going to my parents' room. Incase of any unexpected arrival, I am taking a nap," she instructed Eka.

With that, Katyayani got up and walked out. Crossing the silent corridor, she pushed open the intricately carved door and stepped into her parents' room.

There was an eerie feel to the room with all furniture covered with thick cotton sheets to avoid damage and dust during all these years. No maids from the Bali house were allowed to come in here. Only an old woman entrusted by Mandodari lived on this side of the pavilion and kept the rooms clean and furniture covered, with some illumination always on in the otherwise gloomy and silent corridor.

Katyayani walked into the sleeping chamber and locked the door from the inside in a smooth movement.

She had taken a burning torch from one of the corridor walls which now brightened the dark room. Mounting the torch in one of the empty sockets of the room's wall, she looked around, taking in each and every inch of the room with her moist eyes.

Even though it had been many years, Katyayani inhaled sharply as soon as she came to the centre of the chamber where her father and mother used to sleep. Her subconscious mind was seeking the elusive smell of her mother which was imprinted in her memory.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind. Under normal circumstances, Katyayani didn't like to step into this room because it made her lose control over her senses and she turned into an emotional weakling. Which is why, despite having resided in the mansion for so many days, she was stepping into this place only today.

This was because Katyayani wanted to access the secret chamber of her mother which was accessible only through this room.

Right underneath the fainting couch* at the foot of her parents' bed, lay the entrance to a small hidden room. This room was equipped with only a few things including an old sitar. But it wasn't an ordinary sitar.

On the face of it, it looked normal enough with seven main strings and remaining fourteen as sympathetic strings. But what was different was the eighth main string, hidden almost under the polished wooden back of the sitar.

The eighth string was something developed by an ancient musician whose expertise lay in creating harmony between music and nature. This string was located at the back end of the sitar and could only produce vibrations which weren't audible to human ears but were in sync with the earth's elements. If used proficiently by a maestro, the music from this sitar could cause fluctuations in the surrounding environment.

Kadambari had been one such maestro and this sitar belonged to her. Two years old Katyayani, who had just started to find her body balance, was introduced to this sitar for the first time.

Struggling under the weight of the heavy instrument, the young and ignorant Katyayani started her swar sadhana that moment onwards!

Standing in front of the bed, Katyayani thought back to the promise that she had made to Mandodari that she would practice for the upcoming musical symposium after her grandfather's party.

But it wasn't possible for her to bring out this sitar and take it with her to the music hall.

Since there was a hidden enemy eyeing them from the shadows, Katyayani didn't want to reveal the ace hidden up her sleeve at this moment. They didn't know who all amongst the current employees of Mrigtrishna had turned traitors already.

The effects produced by the stringing of this sitar couldn't possibly be hidden once it was played and it was inevitable that someone would notice the anomalies sooner than later.

Hence, Katyayani could only come and practice it here. After all, she had received her musical initiation in this very room from her first teacher, Kadambari.

Shifting the couch to the side, Katyayani found the small, almost faded carving on the stone flooring and knocked on it in a memorised rhythm. The stone slab groaned a little before yawning open. Katyayani picked up the torch from the wall and stepped down onto the small steps leading downwards.

The secret room hadn't been opened in a long time and a musty smell with a thick set of cobwebs welcomed her. Katyayani removed her outerwear and used the robe to clean up the place patiently, almost lovingly. She went back up the stairs and picked up the camphor burner which held small diskets of snowy white camphor.

After lighting the burner which helped dissipate the damp smell, she pulled down the trap door and shut herself in.

The room was padded with thick padding of foam and bamboo which helped absorb the fluctuations produced by the instrument.

Katyayani sat down with both legs crossed over to one side and removed the old, royal silk covering to bring out the sitar lovingly and reverently.

"Mother, I promise not to let you down," she whispered as she leaned on one side and brought her right hand over the main gourd.

*Fainting couch - a couch with a back that is traditionally raised at one end. The back may be situated completely at one side of the couch, or may wrap around and extend the entire length of the piece much like a traditional couch.

*Sitar - is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music.