HUNT FOR MANAS-SHASTRA

-TheNameOfARiver (Formerly The94thRiverII)

Those who prefer to Imagine how a character looks or rather who seek description of physical appearance are requested to keep it in mind that most of the characters I'll be introducing here are of south Asian origin, specifically of Indian subcontinent. So most of them have black hair, lot of them have black eyes too. Some people do have brown eyes and a handful do have natural brown hair, eyes of other shades such as Blue, Green, Violet aren't that common here. Most characters have average height too.. none of them fit into supermodel profile. I know I'm really really bad in detailing someone's appearance but I'll try. (Actually you can imagine them anyway you want. It doesn't matter anyway as you're not paying to read this thing. *wink**wink*)

And the people who often complain about the names, I'm sincerely sorry but only because someone finds names from Sanskrit origins funny I'll never change them to western or oriental names.

Glossary for those friends who don't know Bengali;

Manas-shastra is a weapon that can morph according to weilders will.

Adi, Aditya both are same person

Sunetra, Netra, Munia, Moon, Sue are same person. Later four are her petnames for different people.

Anuradha, Radha are same person. Radha is what her close persons call her. She's Aditya's mother.

Sunanda, Nanda are same again. Nanda is her pet name for friends and family. She's Sunetra's mother.

Trinayani, Tinni is Adi's younger sister. Tinni is her nickname. That she gave herself, because her official name was soooo difficult to pronounce.

Ashoke Sunetra's father.

Didi= older sister ; Dada= Older brother;

CHAPTER ONE

The phone was ringing for quite some time when Sunanda stepped out off the shower. On the other side of the phone an elderly woman was trying to talk, the voice was so shaken yet excited at the same time Sunanda couldn't get much from the call except for some words like, Lab, Fire, Sunetra, Brave... at this point her daughter Sunetra spoke from other end,

"Mum, can you please get me a change of clothes? I got my clothes burnt."

Twenty minutes later when Sunanda reached her daughter's college one of her daughter's classmate ran toward her.

"Auntie, Sue is waiting for you in Head's office."

She was then shown the way to said office, where she found her daughter in a chair reading one of the heavier books while looking like she was only dressed in an apron and some burnt jeans.

Behind the desk there was her daughter's H.O.D who was a pale, thin, short, old woman in her late fifties. Sunanda noted professor looked paler than usual.

Seeing Sunanda enter her office the professor got up from her chair and greeted her in shaky voice,

"Oh Mrs. Dey you are here! Come in have a seat please." Then she turned and addressed Sunetra, "Dear go get changed, you can use the staff lavatory to get changed if want, it's closer."

"Huh?" Sunetra looked up from her book, " Oh, you are here mum!" Then she turned to the professor, " Thank you m'am that would be best." She got up, put the book on the shelf, took the bag from her mother and walked out of the office.

"What happened here m'am? " Sunanda asked wearily.

"There was an accident in chemistry lab today. A flask exploded while on burner, and the content inside it was splashed on Sunetra." Professor paused a bit to drink some water, " We were scared, by the time we arrived there her clothes had started to burn away. The doctor said she was fine, it is a miracle. I'm so sorry you had to endure this mess. Sunetra's classmates were saying they saw her run to the flask moments before it exploded, had she not moved so fast all the students nearby would've been drenched in the chemicals. It was so brave of her to think of her peers safety. Never in all my year I saw a girl as brave as her, who wouldn't care about herself to save others. I'm still shaking inside, and look how I'm blabbering to make you more anxious. We're really, really sorry Mrs. Dey." She was now going green around neck now and had started to shake.

"M'am please don't panic, there's nothing to worry, Netra is fine, your students are alright, that's what count ." Sunanda tried to console the older woman, "Though Netra's father will think it's a good thing this establishment is women's only." Sunanda tried to lighten the air in the office.

"Mrs Dey aren't you worried? How can you joke now? " the professor asked, her eyes wide.

"Oh I'm worried for her m'am, I know what things she has done and can do. Tell me m'am do you know about recently found Palace of Haragovindgarh? The one they found last year. "

The professor nodded, not sure where the younger woman was going.

"My Netra and one of her friend were first two persons who dared to enter that palace, ir had a bad name for being haunted and that was to prove there was no curse in the palace ." She paused a moment, " I know my Netra tends to act hasty, especially when it's needed for good. All I care now is my daughter is well and I'm grateful you took measures to ensure that."

It was when there was a knock on the door, professor called, "Yes, who's it? "

"May I come in m'am? " Sunetra stuck her head into the office.

"Come in Dear."

Sunetra came in and stood behind her mother. The professor looked up at her student and asked with concern, "Are you sure dear you have no injuries from the flask or from the chemicals? "

"No m'am I'm perfectly fine." Suntera replied smiling.

"Well, I'll let your other professors know you're excused from classes for today. Go home have some rest." The professor stated, then added after a moment, " And Sunetra, don't run into danger next time."

"Yes m'am."

"Have a nice day, Mrs Dey."

"You too professor. "

Half an hour later when the mother daughter duo were about to ring the bell on the door of Anuradha, they heard light footsteps running down to doors, the door opened to reveal a smiling little girl, about five years old.

"Hello Auntie, Munia DI!." The little girl exclaimed, "I got to ayou first! Yay!"

They stepped into the house, Sunanda crouched down to face the overexcited little girl, "Tinni, you are not supposed to open the door, or run down the stairs.."

They were interrupted with a loud proclamation coming from upstairs, "Trinayani Ray! If you ever run down the stairs to open the doors, you'll be grounded till you start high school!" Anuradha's loud and very annoyed voice rang down the staircase, then after a moment again her voice traveled down same path this time less annoyed, "Nanda, Netra make yourselves at home, I'll be down in five minutes, this mattress is so evil! Urgh!"

Sunetra was halfway up the stairs when she heard Tinni breaking into giggles.

On the terrace, she was faced with a spectacle. Her Radha Auntie was almost head to toe covered in dust, she had a thick stick in her hand and she was beating the mattress with it.

She tried not to smile, then asked, "Auntie tell me what to do, I'll help."

"Oh, you are here. Help me to get this thing down then. Its as clean as it can get. I have no idea how dirty my son can be! This thing had nearly a kilogram of dust in it. Your uncle helped me to get it up here in the morning." She finished as she untied it from the posts she had tied it to.

Two of them carried it down to first floor, and then to Aditya's bedroom. Anuradha said her younger companion to leave it there and to get freshed and then she herself ran to her en-suite for a quick shower.

Ten minutes later when she emerged from her room to go down she found the "evil" mattress was laid on the bed properly and the bed was already made . She sighed and walked down the stairs to find her tea set already on the table with steam pouring out of mouth of the tea pot.

Her younger offspring was on one of sofa looking like she was the most obedient girl on the face of Earth, and she had that pretending nailed.

Nanda and Netra were chatting, Netra moved to the table to make Anuradha a cup.

"Whenever you come dear, you make me feel like I am a guest inmy own home. And I feel it from the positive sides. You help me around so much, snatch away my household works. Tell me dear, should I start to plan THE DAY? " Anuradha asked laughing looking at the blushing young woman.

Then when she took the cup from Netra's hand she asked her, "Netra why are you smelling of burned cotton, sulfide and chloride?"

Beside her Nanda started to snicker, "Oh! Now I smell a tale! Netra dear, go upstairs in my bathroom and take a shower and then put on anything you like from my wardrobe. Meanwhile let me know all about your recent adventure. Go! go!"

By the time Sunetra stepped out of the bathroom after scrubbing herself to oblivion, atleast according to her, It was early evening. She was scratching her head while thinking what to wear from Radha Auntie's collection when the doorbell rang. Moments after the door opened a joyous squealing noise was made by Tinni.

She could hear while on staircase Radha auntie wwas oon phone, talking to uncle. When she got down stairs finally she found herself face to face with her best friend. Aditya, Adi, as he preferred to be called. She wasn't even aware when she jumped on his person and started to hug him with all her strength.

"Moon, hurts... can't breath... I don't... armour... you." Adi gasped out.

Sunetra jumped back, "Sorry! Sorry! I carried away... did I hurt you? Are you alright? Should I get you some thing? Some ointments for bruises or some cream to rub on?" She couldn't put on the panicky face too much longer, soon she started to laugh, and her best friend joined in, pulling her back into embrace, I missed you so much Moon."

Adi took a deep breath, then asked, "Moon, why are you wearing my Mum's clothes and why are you smelling like mum?"

A wave of laughter rang throughout the room again.

A/N: Hey readers I hope I was able to make you a little curious about the story.. this one is my sequel to my previous Story Curious