Secrets Hidden In Time (Time #1)

41 | The Hued Reflection

"Ma'am, my father has been feeling sick from yesterday night. He is in hospital currently." Rukmini morphed her face to form a sombre expression. "I have to call our family physician."

The bishop looked at the two females in obliviousness.

Hinduja smiled. "Sure, go ahead. I'll talk with His Excellency until then."

"Thank you ma'am! I am so grateful to you." Flashing an ear to ear grin, Rukmini walked away from the two while feigning a fake phone call.

Hinduja then turned around and shifted her attention to the clergyman before her.

The weather was still gloomy with occasional clapping of thunder. Beyond the Verandah, was a vast piece of land with a number of trees standing tall on it. They swayed with the wind.

The Bishop slowly strolled along the pillars of the verandah as Hinduja matched steps with him.

"So, officer, what is the matter of concern?" He asked, with his hands still clasped in the front. Meanwhile Hinduja had her hands locked behind her back.

Hinduja's gaze subconsciously swayed to the locket around the Bishop's neck. The bright red crystal reached a little above his sternum. Her gaze then moved to assess the pectoral cross locket under it. "We have a case that concerns important dates on the liturgical calendar." She began.

Anoop Philip scrunched his brows together. "As in?"

Hinduja sighed. "Your Excellency, do you know about the Maia's month abduction case? It has been on the headlines for quite some time now."

He rubbed his clean chin. "Yes."

"Well," The lady resumed. "The dates that are being put to use to abduct the girls are actually important dates on the Liturgical calendar." She paused. "To be specific, the Liturgical Calendar of the Syro-Malabar Church, from Kerala."

"What?!" The Bishop appeared a little unsettled with his calm demeanor tearing down into shreds. "Dates of importance from the Liturgical Calendar of the Syro-Malabar Church? As in Resurrection and Mar Addai kind of occasions, you mean?"

"Yes, your Excellency." Hinduja nodded.

Taken aback with this unnatural piece of information, the clergy personnel walked silently for some moments.

Hinduja assessed the trees at some distance.

"How am I supposed to help you then?" The Bishop probed, finally emerging out of his stupor.

"Coming to it." Hinduja used her thumb to scratch the base of her nose. "Your Excellency, religion in our country, is both a matter of great reverence as well as concern at this point of time. I fear, that once, the details of this case come out in the civilian population, especially the matter of the liturgically important dates, a civil unrest or more like a communal riot is bound to transpire in the state."

"So?"

"I need your help to control it, if at all a situation like that erupts." Hinduja answered.

The Bishop suddenly smiled. "I see where you are going with this."

Hinduja nodded with a faint tugging up of her lips as well. "Once the details come out, its quite obvious that the people who follow Christianity will think that it's a religious propaganda against their faith. To dissolve this thought of theirs, we need someone they trust and listen to." She paused meeting his eyes. "You are someone at a very high post within the clergy. Moreover, most Christian people residing in Delhi follow the order of the North Indian Episcopacy leaving aside the Protestants and the Orthodox population obviously. But, that's a problem for later. Currently, I am here to request you to conduct mass peaceful speeches in for of the investigation both on T.V and in person, if a situation like a civil unrest ripples the state. If there is anything that you can do other than this, that's fine as well. I just need your help to subdue the tension at that time." She explained word by word. "That's it."