_____ February 10, 2018 _____

- nick -

"Now? I thought you told me yesterday that you're going to chuck the topic! You want to go there now? Are you crazy? I'm not going to be a part of this! Mom'll kill us if she finds out."

Avi was crazy to even think I'd be a part of this!

"...I know Nick. But listen, even I didn't want to put my team or you or me in trouble, okay? Then Kukku showed this newspaper article. You'll definitely understand why I'm acting like this, if you read it. Just trust me. Come here at least and I'll assure you, you won't regret. Please Nick!"

"But Avi.."

"Please Nick. For Kanishk. Please."

Emotional blackmailer. I had to agree. Even I wanted to know everything for Kanishk.. "Okay. I'll come to the entrance in 10 minutes."

"Love you!"

"Dad! I'm taking the car. Avi and I are going out okay. Some work showed up. We might be late." "Okay! Drive slowly." "Yeah, Sure."

Being a big brother sucks. Anything your small one does, you'll have to cover for it. Not that Avi will do anything wrong. But still, this better have an explanation. He told me yesterday about his team and the topic he proposed. He was broken when his lecturer took the topic of KRI in class the other day. He went to deep thoughts. Stopped being active at home. Let me eat all the ice- cream without a fight. I knew it hit him hard. It had taken him months to recover from the fact that Kanishk was no more. In 6 years he had almost moved on and then that lecturer came. He went to become the same way he had been as soon as Kanishk passed away. But, yesterday after his team agreed upon the topic to be KRI, it kinda cheered him up. Actually, it was bad. It gave him hopes. Hopes of opening a long dead story again. And now, he wants to go to KRI? That was fast. No ways I'm taking him there! Whatever the thing is that's getting this hype in him, I'm going to put it down by giving some reason. I can't lose him again! Once was more than hell!

Went to the entrance of the same place I came back from an hour ago. Saw Avi and the team. So these are the people he was bragging about yesterday. April must be that girl with a jacket on. Exactly the way Avi told. Hastha was also there. T and Jake were homies anyway. Gosh! T looks so different. He always fascinated me with his words and style. 'Brand Freak' he was. Always the first one with the latest stuffs, might be clothes, or might even be series or movies. He was always the first one. Now he looked all different with his oversized clothes, though his beard was extremely neat, probably after Avi and Jake took to groom him up a bit before college, since they didn't want people in the college thinking a Jungle Man was here. Red eyes and Gosh! He's not wearing shoes! How can that even be possible? Sneakers were T's thing. Now casual footwear? Wtf! His condition is that bad? I wasn't there both the times when he had come home. Mom and Avi did tell me how bad his situation was, now I could see. He has to work on himself! After all among all the Avi's friends he's my favorite. Just like Avi, he's my little brother too. More like family. And now, Look at him. I have to talk to him. Never knew a girl could do all that! I was never like this during my breakups!

"You better have a right explanation Kid!" was the first words that came to my mouth as I neared them and saw Avi, quite worried, in one of his deep thoughts.

"Okay. Definetely, Nick. But first, meet them. She's April. She's Hastha. Guys, this is Nick, I mean, Tanik, my brother. Final year engineering in KITES itself."

"Hey. Clearly, he's your brother!" said April, looking simultaneously at each of us. It wasn't the first time people did things like that. We actually were similar looking. "Hi!" Hastha added. "Hi girls. I've heard so much about you already." I gave them an assuring smile.

"So, What is it that made you all go Mad over KRI?"

"Can I tell? I mean, you can see this." April popped in. She was this cute little girl coming straight out of those Disney shows we had back in our school days. Yeah! She was that! All fancy, yet keeping it classy.

I saw the piece of crumpled paper she handed me.

"Niha smuggled this out of another room in Newstop. From the room that had news items of after year 2015. This is something, isn't it?"

I started reading

Dated: 21-07-2015, Tuesday
By: Editor Team

Anyone remembers KRI? The Research Institute that went exploding before even people knew what was actually being researched there. It has been 4 years now. After the news of two missing reporters and also their bodies not being found dead or alive, the case of the blast was completely closed. Many stories were made up for the missing. Till now, no one knows where they are. Obviously none of those rumors are true. Being there for 4 years, a leaf unmoved, finally, the property KRI was built upon, is going to be auctioned this Saturday. One acre of land with a burnt, broken building, country side, peaceful place it is. Best for business men to start a business. An investment. A building construction site. A peaceful countryside property, 10 minutes walk from the beach. They way you want it. This saturday, the auction will be held in the town hall. Be there with your ideas and money!

"What's with this? This is just an auction news. Now the property might have been even private. We can't go there!" I said. This is why he woke me up from my beautiful sleep?

"Turn the paper, there are other articles stuck to the back of it." said Kukku.

Oh yeah! No wonder the paper was too thick for a Newspaper. There were two articles stuck one below the other, neatly.

Dated: 26-07-2015, Sunday
By: Editor Team

As mentioned earlier, KRI was open for auction yesterday. The results will shock you out. It was bought by no one. No one seemed interested to buy the plot. 16 business men had come for the auction. The starting price was Rs. 50 lacks, the auction went up to 3 crores, and the one to whom it was sold backed out last minute as there has been no electricity to that place since 4 years. He wanted the land urgently and hence, KRI was left untouched, again. Other auctioners denied too. Getting electricity back to that place would take another year since government had removed it. So, again, KRI remains KRI.

Dated: 30-07-2015, Thursday
By: Editor Team

The KRI property is finally sold to one of the renowned businessman in the city, Mr. Swaroop Chowta. He wasn't there in the auction. He bought the land approaching the government directly. He didn't mention the use of it, but the land is now sold out in Rs. 78 lacks. So, I guess finally the time to forget about KRI completely has come. Waiting to see what new Idea he's going to implemet there.

"What?"

"Exactly" said Kukku. "That's why I smuggled the paper."

"First I didn't know, but when Avi screamt, I realized." said April.

"Dad!"

"Now you know why I called you. Are we still going? No one can throw us out now! Basically we own the place." said Avi.

"But Dad never mentioned of buying any property outskirts of Mangalore! Why would he do that?" I was confused. Why would Dad buy that? He couldn't do anything there! A commercial complex, or an Apartment, or even a resort! No one will prefer that part of the town. It's isolated!

"And guess the funny thing! He hasn't touched a bit of the whole property in 2 YEARS! The property is still the same way he had bought it! Why would he invest on that place if he had no plans of doing anything!" said Kukku. She did do some research!

"I have no idea! How did you get this piece Niha? Did you stick it like this?" I wanted to know more.

"Nope! That man in Newstop was too much to handle. Irritating man! He only let us see the news items from the room that contained 2010-2015 news. I knew that he knew more. So, I asked him if I could use the washroom, and he directed me. On the way, I managed to enter the room that had news after 2015. There, in a box that caught my eye, lying in the corner of the room, I found this paper, that spoke way too loudly about KRI. This was kept separately. And I don't know how I happened to see the box first and found this along with many more articles regarding many more cases that was stuck back to back like this in one sheet. Then I hurriedly stuffed it in my jeans and came back to the room where April was. I wanted to get out of there right then. But I couldn't. I didn't want him to suspect anything. So we finished the search and then came out." said Kukku.

"Woah! So you mean, he didn't mention anything about this piece of news when you aked about KRI?"

"Nope!" Kukku said. "And when I saw Uncle's name in it, I was quite taken aback. Why would he buy the property for? I couldn't solve the puzzle. He, not once metioned about this Property when he talked to Dad about the properties he and his company owned in Mangalore. I thought this would be something!"

"Your Dad? He never told us this, what will he tell your Dad? I have to talk to Dad! But before that, Guys, Let's go and see what have they done to the land. I have all the right to see! God! This is too much. Let's just leave. It's 5 already."

I got too irritated. Me and Dad always had this discussions on properties and deals he opened up, he asked my suggestions for the same. But, not once in 2 years did he tell about this. I want to know what the hell is he even doing with the property! I have to go.

Avi looked gloomy too. He thought at least I might know about this. Dad usually didn't talk to him about business. It was always my thing. No wonder he told me to come. He wanted to know about the KRI property as much I do right now!

I sat in the car and Avi sat next to me. Hastha said she wasn't coming due to her first month hostel rules. I dragged T, who refused to come too. Jake, April and Kukku instantly agreed. The two girls sat in the middle seat. Boys sat at the back. We bid goodbye to Hastha who told us to tell her everything once we reach back home. April assured her she would.

KRI was located 20 Kilometers from Mangalore city. It was a 25 minute drive there. Avi gave the direction via Google Maps! Magnificent views, beautiful houses and tall dense trees surrounded our journey. April kept wowing the beauty of the roads. She loved the natural air that ran past her hair. Yes, she refused to close the window! Due the rain, all steady, unmoving greens looked alive and awesome. The journey was a comfortable one and also a very exciting one.

Kukku checked to see if KRI still belonged to My Dad! YES.

I parked the car like half a kilometre away as I didn't want anyone to know that they people have come there to visit KRI. We had to walk the next 5 minutes to reach our destination.

This place was untouched for a long long time. There was a banner right at the begining of the road that bent from the main road to KRI property, reading,

PRIVATE PROPERTY
DO NOT TRESSPASS

Ya! Right bitch. It belongs to me.

We made our way through the gap between those iron railings. It was like the most difficult walk of our life. That path, half cocrete and half worn out; those huge scary trees with all those weirdly huge branches and prop roots hanging that made the way almost invisible to the main road; those weird sounds of all sorts of animals; that feeling inside with pinches of all the worst feelings ever; Gosh! Where did I get them? There were also these beautiful ferns that covered the entire roadside. Some rare, exotic Flowers. For once I felt like running back home, and feeling safe in those air conditioned classrooms, but no! I couldn't quit!

"Guys, if you want to sit in the car, you can go back. This feels dangerous to me." I managed to tell.

"This is Awesome! Sometimes such places should be explored in life!" April had no plans of going back. So did Avi, Jake and Kukku. I noticed T. Something was definitely bothering him. I wanted to ask, but I knew he wouldn't answer. I just had to wait for the right time. He was least interested to be a part of this project. Much more least interested to be here!

To add some ghee to the fire of fear piling inside us, there appeared the large, in fact extra-large gate of KRI after we walked like for 10 minutes. It had all the feels and looks of those gates in those horror movie houses. Standing almost 12 feet tall, with creepers going through the beautifully crafted design, spider webs stuck all around with patches of black ashes here and there stuck to it like rotten tomato, resembling the blast this big gate had been through, and overall that big sealed lock on it, just spoke for us to go back. Even after 6 years! This place still had remains of the blast? Weird. Dad would never leave a place half burnt.

I have to go inside. I want to know what's happening inside. Kukku did tell that the place was left untouched by Dad, but that's impossible! Dad wouldn't spend 75 Lacks for nothing! What if some illegal is going on in there? Gosh no! Dad wouldn't do such a thing. But it might be his partners. No, they never went the wrong way. Aghh! How do I get in? My mind got restless.

"Guys? How are we going to enter?" asked T, after the long 10 minute pause.

Okay, I wasn't the only one thinking.

"I thought you guys have a plan! Let's just go if you don't have any." T!! What's wrong with him?

"We did have a plan, T. The plan was to come till KRI. Little did we know about the gate being sealed! " said April, quite devastated with the gate's look.

"I guess there's only one way to go in! You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" said Avi, looking above at the height of the gate.

"Oh God! It's been years I've climbed a Gate this huge. This is way more fun that expected. Come on guys, Let's go!" April already started Climbing

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