| 'Time' Series: Book One |
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The workings of her brain were a mystery to her own pneuma.
That's what Hinduja Rao always thought.
But, quite similar to her thoughts about her own self, was someone else around her.
Her newly wedded husband, the...
Her attention shifted to the red crystal locket around the bishop's neck. Light was cast upon the red crystal locket from an archaic wall lamp affixed above Father Alberto's chamber door, which in turn caused the crystal to cast a red-hued reflection on the object directly in front of it in some distance, which was the brass flowerpot.
She had seen something almost similar to that on the 11th of May as well-a hued light or perhaps reflection, but there was something different here.
"Tudor," she said. "That's the brand of the flowerpot, I guess?"
The bishop shook his head. "I have no idea, officer."
"Anyway, let's go." She suggested, smiling at him.
And they started walking again. Meanwhile, Rukmini scratched her head, weirded out due to her senior's sudden interest in buying a flowerpot.
She is really weird.
A minute later, as they entered inside the bishop's chamber again, Hinduja's gaze traversed around the whole office once again, gradually finding something that she hadn't noticed before-a photo frame.
Rukmini gulped down large sips of water from a tiny Kinley water bottle to subdue her roaring stomach while Hinduja casually strolled towards the photo frame appended to the wall next to the bookshelf.
It was a group photograph. Judging from the clothing, it looked like a group photograph of the members of the episcopacy. She instantly recognized the man sitting in the front most row. It was the bishop with the same locket around his neck. Her gaze then traversed to the other figures sitting next to him in the front row.
The poker face remained intact as she turned around, only to find the bishop standing just behind her.
His calm eyes slowly surveyed her expressions. "It's a group photo of all us brothers here."
"I understood." She smiled, meeting this gaze.
"Anyway, our work finishes here." She trailed. "We will take our leave now. Thank you so much for your help." She added.
"My pleasure."
Sometime later, as she and Rukmini emerged out of the episcopacy with the bishop on his toes behind them, he said. "One more thing, that I would like to ask." He announced. "I will definitely help you handle people from the Christianity faith, but how do you plan on controlling people from the other religions, if at all a situation like civil unrest arises?"
Hinduja bowed, "I have my ways, your excellency." She raised her head up, connecting their gazes. "Please don't worry about it."
"But I am most definitely worried about you. Your protection is as important as that." He stated, with a hint of worry.
Her back turned ramrod straight. "The Dharma protects those who protect it." With a tone as clear as lucid ripples of river water, she quoted her most potent belief. "Your Excellency." She added the designation. " धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः" He smiled ever so lightly. "Indeed."
Bowing her head for one last time in front of the bishop, the criminal profiler about-faced and strode straight towards the SUV parked in the parking area. The Assistant Superintendent of Police followed suit as the Bishop looked on.
***
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