Later, Gauri and Jai were busy serving food, arranging plates and cutlery on the massive dining table. Isha and Arya had already taken their seats, along with Veda, who had finally emerged from the library, looking slightly disheveled but clutching the ancient book.
"So, Veda," Arya began, his curiosity piqued, "what kept you buried in the library all those hours? Did you find anything interesting?"
Veda nodded, his eyes gleaming with newfound knowledge. "Indeed. According to this text, the castle wasn't actually built by Dev Karan. It was commissioned by his father, Dharmendra Rawat, for Dev and their family." He paused, adjusting his glasses. "Tragically, Dev's mother passed away when he was only two years old. His father remarried for the sake of young Dev, but as is often the case, the stepmother…" He trailed off, a hint of sympathy in his voice. "Well, she favored her own children. Dev was largely neglected, never truly experiencing love and care."
He continued, flipping a few pages of the brittle manuscript. "Then, when Dev was sixteen, his father also died. He moved into this palace shortly after that… That's as far as I've gotten for now. I'll need more time to decipher the older script."
A rare moment of quiet fell over the group as they absorbed this information. Isha finally broke the silence, her voice softer than usual. "Wow. He was unlucky right from the start, wasn't he? Never knowing his mother's love, then losing his father… I feel bad for him. He didn't deserve all that."
Gauri and Jai finally sat down to eat, the clatter of cutlery breaking the somber mood. Gauri remained silent for a moment, then sighed, echoing her earlier sentiment. "It's sad, yes. But remember why we're here, guys. While his life was undoubtedly tragic, we have more pressing matters to attend to than just pitying his past."
"Come on, Gauri," Isha said, a touch of earnestness in her voice. "Maybe you should try thinking about this a little more emotionally, instead of being so professional all the time. I mean, maybe understanding the king, his life… maybe that's the key to the whole mystery, instead of just running around inspecting every dusty corner of the castle."
Veda, surprisingly, nodded slowly. "There might be some merit to that, Isha. While I still maintain a degree of skepticism regarding the supernatural, understanding the psychological residue of such a life… it could potentially shed some light on the events here."
Arya raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk on his face. "Wait a minute, Veda. Weren't you just the one scoffing at the whole 'ghost' thing? Now you're all about emotional understanding?"
"I still don't believe in ghosts," Veda clarified, adjusting his glasses. "But I do believe in empathy and the power of the human psyche. Exploring the history and emotional landscape of the castle's inhabitants might offer insights we wouldn't gain from simply cataloging cobwebs."
Arya turned towards the head of the table, where Gauri had been sitting, intending to tell her to stop this "nonsense." But her seat was empty. Jai gently patted Arya's shoulder and pointed towards the grand staircase. Gauri was ascending rapidly, her footsteps echoing in the sudden silence.
"Gauri, your food!" Jai called after her, a note of concern in his voice. "Eat first!"
But Gauri didn't even glance back. She continued her swift ascent, disappearing around the landing. "She's getting worked up," Veda murmured, shaking his head slightly. "Almost… frantic."
Arya followed her quietly, his initial annoyance replaced by a growing sense of unease. He found Gauri standing before the door to the king's room, her expression a mixture of frustration and something akin to fear. "Gauri?" he asked softly.
"It's locked again," she whispered, her voice tight. "And… and the key isn't here. Shit. I must have left it inside."
Soon, Jai and Isha joined them, Veda trailing behind. "What's going on? Why did you run up here like that, Gauri?" Veda asked, his brow furrowed.
Gauri's eyes were wide, her breath coming in short gasps. "I… I heard something. Footsteps. Heavy, strong footsteps, walking towards this room. I ran to see… but the door was locked. Whatever that was… it doesn't want us to go back in there."