"Mangalasutra", Shiva asked, "what is that?"

Chief Amitabha replied, "Mangalasutra is worn by women as a symbol of marital status, it is a promise made by the husband to the wife of staying together forever. It also symbolizes the union of two souls and protect them from all the evil in the world."

Shiva replied, "So it is very precious to a woman."

"Yes, absolutely correct," said Chief Amitabha "that's what made me worried more when I saw the mangalasutra, if it was in the hand of the chimera then where was Jiya. I kept searching the whole space, time passed by, minutes to hours. Maybe Officer Ray's father would know what happened there as he entered there just after Jiya. I went back to the hospital. The guards were stationed at the gate of the hospital. I entered and asked for the doctor who was in charge."

A nurse came and said that they were treating the Officer Ray's father's wounds and Hiya was safe. She just felt unconscious. After some rest she would be alright. 

How long would it take treat him? Asked Chief Amitabha.

"It will take some time Chief", said the nurse, "The Ayurveda Master went into mountains in search for a rare herb, the senior nurse is trying her best to treat him. Please wait here."

I came down in the lobby and order the guards to send a search party in the forest. Their job was to look for Jiya and any traces of other chimera. Also announced that no one should enter the northern forest and eastern jungle for the time being. 

Around evening the nurse came and said, "Chief Amitabha officer wants to see you. Please go he doesn't have much time."

'Doesn't have much time.' I was speechless upon hearing the statement. 

"What do you mean by he doesn't have much time?" I asked.

The nurse said the infection from the attack was too severe to treat. She only closed his wounds. He would be able to live an hour most.

I opened the door and saw him lying on the bed. His face was pale, like lifeless doll. My eyes filled with tears.

Officer Ray's father was not only a soldier of village also one of my childhood friend, we grew up together went to academy together. And my friend was lying in death bed, taking his last breaths. I went closer to his bed, held his one hand and said, "My dear friend, why are you leaving so early? We promised to protect this village together. You are my sword."

He opened his eyes slowly; he tried to speak but groaned in pain.

I told him not to force himself to speak but he said, "Amitabha I am sorry, I was not able to protect the village like I promised. Is Hiya safe?"

Chief Amitabha, "Yes, she is safe now. You protected her with your life. I am very thankful. You didn't break your promise."

His face became so peaceful after hearing Hiya was safe. He paused and then an image of seriousness replaced in his peaceful face.

He said, "I don't have much time, I can feel that. I want you to know what happened there."

Shiva noticed Office Ray was listening attentively. He tightened his fist. The story of his father's last moments made him very emotional but he was trying his best not drown in his emotions. The same emotional breakdown he felt few weeks ago, it is still fresh.

Chief Amitabha began the story of what happened after Officer Ray's father followed Jiya in the tunnel…

[Inside the tunnel]

After hearing from you that Jiya went inside, I jumped in. The tunnel filled with darkness, air was suffocating. I took out the light crystal started moving in silent. The description you gave me, it was not a wild beast that much I understood and the aura (energy pressure) that creature was emitting was covering the whole field. It was not something that I felt before. If I confronted it head to head there was no chance of winning against it. My plan was to find Hiya and brought her outside safely. But it was a maze, I kept going in circles. If I called for her, then it would track my position. Jiya must have understood this also, that's why she wasn't making any sound.

As I moved forward, I marked the wall with a knife. After going through few more turns, I heard a sound of movement. I heightened my senses; it was coming from right corner. The creature's aura was low compared before; it must be in the opposite side. Was it a wild beast or Hiya? I held the crystal light in my left hand and took the sword in my right. I slowly moved toward the right corner. I took a peek and saw a little figure was hiding in the corner. It was Hiya. She was scared and closed her eyes with her hands. 

I reached for her and called, "Hiya, this is uncle. Are you alright?" she moved her hand form her eyes and said, "Uncle, is that you?"

"Yes Hiya, uncle came here to take you home. You don't have to be sacred anymore. Now come to me."

She came toward me and hugged me tightly and started crying. "Uncle, I am sorry, I won't come to forest anymore. Please take me to mother."

"Don't worry Hiya, Uncle will take you to your mother and father. Now hold my hand tightly and don't let it go."

She held my hand tightly with her small fingers. Her grip told me that she was very much afraid in this darkness. We started move back, following the marks on the wall. We were almost at the entrance of the tunnel when we heard another movement but this time the air suddenly became heavy. The aura became stronger in the tunnel, the creature was nearby. I put off the light crystal. And whispered in Hiya's ear, "don't make any noise, just follow me and don't let go of my hand." 

We started wondering in the dark, we already lost our way back. The aura was still dominating the tunnel with a tremendous pressure. We didn't stop; we slowly and silently took each step and continued to move forward. After turning few more corners the aura faded a little. We lost it; it was now safe to light up the light crystal. As light cleared the darkness of the tunnel, we found ourselves in a small open space. 

I was thinking what do next and how to escape this tunnel. Then a voice came, "Hiya, my baby, you are here."

"Mother, you came looking for me."

I turned my face, and there was your wife standing with a smiling face. In the low light, I saw her exhausted body, breathing heavily. Hiya loosed her grip from my hand and ran to her mother and Jiya held her in her arms and kissed in her foreheads. "Don't worry child, mother has come for you."

But the reunion of mother and daughter was interrupted by an uninvited guest.