The next day, Ishar was woken afresh by the melody of twittering birds and cool mist. Looking outside the window, Ishar realized just how much he had underestimated the beauty of Aralam.
The rising sun peeked through the green forest cover, painting the sky with a clear view of pink and orange.
The cool air melted into dewdrops, which splattered on the crisp grass like diamonds. Bees and butterflies floated around the tall trees, ensuring a flow of peace and harmony around the village.
It was as if time itself had stopped.
Ishar turned around, unpacked the things they had unloaded from the cars, and started to freshen up. Upon leaving his room, he was met with the scrumptious smell of tea and earthen breakfast.
An elderly woman was sitting outside the cottage, stewing the tea with kind eyes. Beside her was Venkatesh and a broad, strong man Ishar didn't recognize.
The rest of the team was up already.
He looked towards Naren and they both nodded, an unspoken understanding lingering on.
Pratap came near him and said in a soft voice, "Come on Ishar. We've got lots of work to do, lots of mysteries to solve. Eat up."
After eating, the whole team directly went inside the cottage, first covering all windows and closing the doors to ensure that no confidential information left the room. It was decided that any one person would hold the keys, and the duty would be rotated everyday.
Taking charge like the leader he was, Ishar said, "Today, we HAVE to figure out most of the things, solve at least 50% of the mission, now we have got all people and all the team together. So first of all, let's brainstorm everything we have found out until now. Pratap, hand me that pen and piece of paper, please."