AKSHAT GUPTA

THE HIDDEN HINDU

Book 3 of the Trilogy
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 Contents
Title Page
Contents
Author
 
Chapter 1. Who Am I
Chapter 2. The Drowned Dwarka
Chapter 3. The Flag bearer
Chapter 4. Messengers Don’t Have Names
Chapter 5. Messengers Have Names
Chapter 6. The Fractured Past
Chapter 7. Births and Debts
Chapter 8. Pursuit, Promise and Power
Chapter 9. The Deathless Divine Devil
Chapter 10. The Celestial Betrayer
Chapter 11. Tricked
Chapter 12. The Nine Avatars
Chapter 13. Boon or Bane?
Chapter 14. The First Name and the Last Word
Chapter 15. The Inauspicious Reunion
 Chapter 16. The Living Nightmare
Chapter 17. It’s Not Over Yet!
 
Symbols
Acknowledgements
THE BEGINNING

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Akshat Gupta belongs to a family of hoteliers and is now an
established Bollywood screenwriter, poet and lyricist. He is a
bilingual author and has been working on The Hidden Hindu
trilogy for years. He was born in Chhattisgarh, grew up in
Madhya Pradesh and now lives in Mumbai. You can connect
with him on Instagram, @authorakshatgupta, or send him an
email on akshat.gupta0204@gmail.com

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 Chapter 1

Who Am I
The tale of Dr Batra’s lonely death, unheeded struggles and how
mercilessly he was thrown out of the submarine into the
unforgiving sea without a proper funeral broke Mrs Batra to the
core. The last thread of hope of seeing her husband again was
all she had been clinging on to, but now, even that had snapped.
Utterly devastated by the realization, Mrs Batra walked to the
door, opened it and asked Prithvi to leave. Prithvi could feel her
pain and knew that he could in no way soothe her acute agony.
He started to make his way out.

‘Don’t you want to know what happened to those people who

killed your beloved husband and why he was killed?’ Prithvi
asked before stepping outside.

Mrs Batra stood there for a silent moment, looking at Prithvi.

She shut the door and Prithvi walked back to take his seat. She
knew what her heart longed for, so she took her spot on the
couch to hear how it all ended. Sensing that she was yearning to
know more about Dr Batra’s assassins, Prithvi began narrating
the tale from where he had left off.
In the month of Jyeshth (May), when the whole world had come
to a standstill due to Covid-19 and the death count was spiking,
stories of losses were painted all over social media, in
newspapers and on news channels. Optimism seemed to be
dissipating as dark clouds of uncertainty fogged people’s lives.
While the death toll from Covid-19 was crossing all
estimations, headlines of other catastrophes began to make the
rounds: the glorious and tranquil Mansarovar being
overpowered by Rakshastal; the destruction of Roopkund—the
lake of skeletons; the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the
world, suddenly turning black; and the overnight siege of the
ghost village of Kuldhara. This series of unbelievable events
started seeding many conspiracy theories as the news read,
‘Mysterious phenomena plaguing India adding to the miseries of
Corona. Are these signs of doomsday closing in?’

A worried Ashwatthama sat in Gyanganj on Mount Kailash with

his wounds still healing. He looked at Parashurama and
Kripacharya’s motionless bodies as they remained trapped in
Om’s subconscious mind. Next to them was Om, lying
unconscious after the battle of Kuldhara. When Ashwatthama
asked Ved Vyasa about Vrishkapi, he received another painful
answer.

‘Vrishkapi is on his deathbed. It’s just a matter of a few hours

before he gives up the fight for survival and leaves his body.’

‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if we have lost as

Vrishkapi is dying and Milarepa is long gone or we won as
Nagendra is dead too. I don’t know what I should be feeling
right now,’ said Ashwatthama, consumed by his thoughts.

Ved Vyasa was about to say something but to their surprise,

Kripacharya and Parashurama returned to their bodies from
their astral state and stood up, as normal as ever. Ashwatthama
stood up from his place to greet them.

‘You’re back! How did you open that door?’

‘We didn’t have to. Something suddenly changed within Om

and after that, there was no retaliation, no more tussle to trap
us, and there wasn’t a door holding us back anymore,’
Parashurama replied, still wondering about the whys and hows.

A confused Ashwatthama thought out loud, ‘But how could

that be? Where’s the door gone?’

‘I destroyed it,” came a voice from behind them. Ashwatthama

turned in wonder, though he already knew who it was. It was
Om, who had also sat up, with a distant gaze. ‘The door is gone
because there’s no barrier, no bridge, no door between me and
my hidden past. Not anymore. Now I know who I am,’ said Om,
glancing at all four of them.

‘Who are you?’ Kripacharya asked.

Everybody’s intrigued stare was glued on Om.

Om closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ‘I am Devdhwaja.’

‘But that can’t be! We checked and you don’t have the
birthmark! How’s that even possible?’ Kripacharya said, trying
to piece everything together around the new revelation.

‘Hold on! I am confused. The birthmark of Devdhwaja that the

immortals saw in Om’s memories was there on Nagendra’s foot,
and Om is claiming to be Devdhwaja himself. So, who out of the
two is the real Devdhwaja?’ asked a confused Mrs Batra of
Prithvi.
Prithvi replied, ‘Both of them,’

‘You mean they’re twins?’ asked Mrs Batra.

‘No, they are not twins. They are the same person.’

‘Split personality?’

‘Not even that.’

‘You are not making any sense, Prithvi. How can two men be
one person? This is beyond my understanding.’ Mrs Batra raised
her hands in disbelief.

‘Does it have something to do with the immortals in Kailash

Parbat?’ Ashwatthama asked. ‘What do you mean that the
birthmark is on Nagendra’s foot, but you are Devdhwaja and not
him? We have all seen in your memories that Devdhwaja had
the birthmark. Now, if Nagendra has it, as you are claiming,
then that means Nagendra is Devdhwaja and not you.’

‘We were born as one child and were named Devdhwaja, son of
Vishnuyasha and Lakshmi, in a faraway land where the three
seas meet. Born on a very unusual night between the darkest
hour and the first hour of Brahma Muhurta1, my mother
delivered us with the help of aman who appeared from nowhere
at the right time and vanished before the villagers gathered to
help. We were told about this incident several times in my
childhood, said Om while looking at Kripacharya, whose order
he had overruled a few days ago in their astral form when he
had helped the pregnant woman who was struggling alone. ‘It
always felt like a story my mother had made up or something
she had hallucinated in pain while delivering. No one ever knew
all of this then, but now I know that the man that helped my
mother deliver was no one else but me. Maybe Kripacharya was
right to suggest that we were not there to make changes but just
to observe. Maybe that child was not meant to enter earth. I
don’t know now if it was even supposed to happen because
Nagendra was delivered by me’

‘Maybe we were supposed to end your existence before taking

you into your past because now the threat to earth is you,’
Kripacharya snapped angrily and walked away. Parashurama
and Ashwatthama followed Kripacharya, leaving Om with Ved
Vyasa.

‘Ihave questions, Om,’ said Ved Vyasa gently.

‘Seer! You will get all your answers, but Vrishkapi’s life is still in
danger. Let me help him first, Om said calmly and left the room.

Om visited Vrishkapi and found him still unconscious. Om

approached him and asked the sages to turn him upside down.
They did as requested. Vrishkapi’s wound was neatly dressed.
Om took a closer look at his wounded shoulder. The skin
surrounding the gash was black and rotten. Even the veins
underneath were visible and turning black.

‘It’s spreading rapidly. We have done everything we knew, but

there is no antidote to this venom, said a sage, disappointment
evident on his face.

Om looked at the sage and said, ‘This venom can only be taken
out by the one who bit him. Only then will the body be free of
it.’

‘But Nagendra is dead, killed by Ashwatthama. Does that mean

Vrishkapi’s death is inevitable?’ asked a sage, looking at
Vrishkapi sympathetically.

Om unwrapped Vrishkapi’s dressing gently and placed his

palms on the wound. He began to experience pain so immense
that it was painted all over his face.

Slowly, Vrishkapi’s bite mark started healing, but at the same

time, the sages noticed a growing spot of blood on Om’s
shoulder, exactly where Vrishkapi was injured. Within
moments, Om’s back was soaked in red and weakness engulfed
him, forcing him to sit down. The sages removed the cloth
draping Vrishkapi and were perplexed. While Vrishkapi’s
wound had healed completely, it had miraculously been
transferred to Om. They knew that Om had taken it upon
himself to save Vrishkapi.

They hurriedly started to dress his wound and while doing so,
one of the sages asked, ‘Why did you do that?”

‘Because I am responsible for his condition, so his pain and

injury should also be on me.’

The sages did not understand what he meant but before they
could inquire further, Om said, ‘Vrishkapi is out of danger now.
He will be fine’

‘How did you do that?’ asked a sage.

‘It’s an old, lost practice’

‘Older than us?”

‘Older than all these immortals, even older than me.

‘Can you please teach us?’

‘It cannot be taught or transferred. I am sorry’ Just then, Ved
Vyasa entered the hut. Om tried to stand up out of respect and
walk towards him, but the poison had already started its effect
on him. When he tried to get up and take a few steps, he had to
hold on to the wall to remain upright.

‘Are you okay?’ asked a concerned Ved Vyasa, keeping him from
falling.

Om slumped back to the ground with Ved Vyasa’s help and

smiled. ‘Yes, seer! I will be fine.’

As Om leaned against the wall, Ved Vyasa asked, ‘How did you
suddenly recollect all your memories?’

‘Back in the ghost village of Kuldhara, Nagendra’s face was

bleeding after a fierce fight with me. He was on my back to
acquire the last element needed for the completion of the
process of Mrit Sanjeevani: my blood. When he bit me on my
shoulder, I screamed in pain. But just before he could suck my
blood, Ashwatthama blew his head off and he never swallowed
my blood. However, as I screamed in pain due to his bite, a drop
of his blood fell on my tongue. His blood… that actually is mine.
That’s what brought back all my memories and left Nagendra
dejected.’

‘If the two of you have the same blood, why did he need yours?”

‘That’s because the blood in my body that he was after is

Dhanvantari’s, and it had all the qualities and powers that
would make him an immortal. When I was brought to
Dhanvantari, I was dead and my blood had almost drained out
of my body. What little remained within had frozen in the
Himalayan trail before reaching Dhanvantari. After he
performed the process of Mrit Sanjeevani, he transfused his
blood into my body and Sushrut helped him with that. No one
except Dhanvantari and Sushrut knew this truth. Later, though
Nagendra had Dhanvantari captive, he could never get a hold of
the books of Mrit Sanjeevani. He lost Dhanvantari before he
could possess the books, thanks to Milarepa. I wish I could have
forgiven him for killing Dhanvantari. Unfortunately, I can’t’

‘But the Mrit Sanjeevani books are still missing, and we need to
get them back to Kailash, where they belong. I am glad that this
is over with Nagendra’s death. Now that he’s dead, the earth is
safe,’ Ved Vyasa sighed in relief.

‘Ineed some time to absorb and disinfect the poison I consumed

from Vrishkapi. Please allow me to meditate, to recollect all that
had happened before my death.’ So Ved Vyasa blessed Om and
left. Om slowly closed his eyes, sat still, leaning against the wall,
and meditated.

While Ved Vyasa walked back to his shelter, he heard two

disembodied voices that caught his attention.

It was Parimal’s voice that echoed, ‘How did Shukracharya and

Nagendra meet?’

LSD answered, ‘I don’t know how long they have been

connected, but I know that Nagendra is one of Shukracharya’s
best protégés.’

Shukracharya’s name itself was enough to raise tension in Ved

Vyasa’s mind and make him apprehensive.

‘But what is with Shukracharya? Who is he, and why was a

powerful man like Nagendra serving him? And why did hearing
his name matter to an immortal like Ved Vyasa?’ asked Mrs
Batra.

‘Maintaining order in the world requires a balance between

both the good and the evil in this universe. The fear of the devil
makes humans worship many gods, if not all. Guru
Shukracharya is the grandson of the creator of this universe,
Lord Brahma himself. Shukracharya, the mysterious guru,
chose asuras? as his disciples to counter Guru Brihaspati, the
guru of the devas.2 On the one hand were the immortal devas,
while on the other were the asuras, who were bound to die.
Shukracharya played a vital role in maintaining the balance
between good and evil by resurrecting the asuras with the help
of his Sanjeevani Vidya to keep them fighting the devas.

‘As adolescents, Shukra and Brihaspati studied under

Brihaspati’s father named Sage Angirasa.

Shukra was wiser than Brihaspati and had all the qualities of a
sage, making him Angirasa’s best protégé. But Angirasa’s bias
towards his son Brihaspati never brought him the deserved
recognition. Legends state that Lord Indra also favoured
Brihaspati and even forged an alliance with him. Shukracharya
did everything and learnt all the vidyas necessary to become
the greatest sage of all, but the alliance between Indra and
Brihaspati became a roadblock for him. Indra insisted that Lord
Vishnu choose Brihaspati over Shukracharya. The hatred that
seeped into Shukracharya against Vishnu compelled him to
become the guru of the asuras. That’s how Shukracharya,
despite being Lord Brahma’s grandson, became the foremost
priest of the asuras.

‘However, before Shukracharya’s alliance with them, it was

believed that the asuras were easily defeated by the devas. Many
asuras would be massacred in battle and the devas would walk
away triumphantly. But after becoming the highestranked
priest of the asuras, Shukracharya went in search of a weapon
that could defeat the devas and serve as the supreme protector
of the asuras. He started performing penance to obtain
Sanjeevani Stotram, a rare science that he wanted to acquire
from the conqueror of death, Lord Shiva himself. The
Sanjeevani Stotram is a powerful stotram that can heal and
rejuvenate and has extremely strong supernatural powers of
granting immortality—a stotram that would make even the
asuras invincible and immortal.

‘Meanwhile, Shukracharya asked the demons to take refuge in

the abode of his father, Sage Bhrigu, while he was away. Sage
Bhrigu is believed to be one of the sons of Lord Brahma. The
devas realized that it might not be possible to defeat the asuras
ever again if Shukracharya managed to acquire the mantra of
invulnerability. They decided that the most favourable time to
attack the asuras was in the absence of Shukracharya, at Sage
Bhrigu’s premises. The devas sought help from Lord Vishnu,
who agreed and led the army for the planned attack.

‘When Sage Bhrigu wasn’t home, the ambush began. The

demigods charged at the demons as Vishnu chased some of the
asuras with his most powerful astra, the Sudarshan Chakra.
Feeling helpless and unprepared, the asuras ran to
Shukracharya’s mother, Kavyamata. They went to her asking
for shelter as her guests, thus making her obliged to protect
them. So Kavyamata abided by her duty and saved the asuras
with her yogic powers, eventually defeating Lord Indra. When
Lord Vishnu’s Sudarshan Chakra approached the house,
Kavyamata’s powers didn’t allow it to enter the house and kill
the asuras. With no choice left, Vishnu then beheaded
Kavyamata with his Sudarshan Chakra. When Sage Bhrigu
returned and saw the severed head of his wife, he cursed Vishnu
to be born on earth several times and suffer the vicious cycle of
death and worldly life. Hence Vishnu’s reincarnations on earth,
like Rama and Krishna. He lost his loved ones through these
avatars and was subjected to experiencing emotions as painful
as Sage Bhrigu felt when he lost his beloved wife.

‘When Shukracharya returned with the boon of the Sanjeevani

Stotram and learnt what the devas had done in his absence, and
how Lord Vishnu had beheaded Shukracharya’s mother, it was
the last straw. At that very moment, Shukracharya made Lord
Vishnu his greatest enemy and decided to defeat the gods. He
soon began to gain popularity for his ability to resurrect the
dead by using the Sanjeevani Stotram, thus triggering a never-
ending war between the asuras and the devas. He tried to win
over the gods many times with the army of his disciple demons
and the boon of the Sanjeevani mantra that could revive the
dead, yet, he couldn’t create an immortal. Every time the
demons were killed by the demigods, Shukracharya brought
them back to life, thus stretching the war to the present.

‘Shukracharya was born on a Friday, and Friday is known as

Shukravaar in many Indian languages. That’s where
Shukracharya’s name is derived from,’ said Prithvi, ending the
background on Shukracharya and returning to the series of
events that had unravelled in 2021.

At Gyanganj, Vrishkapi was almost healed, showing signs of life

and movement. Om was as silent as a stagnant lake, now that
he carried the wound. His veins were turning black as the
poison spread deeper inside him with every passing minute. It
reached a point where Om could barely breathe, which became
a matter of concern and worried the sages—everyone except
Ashwatthama.

‘Ihave seen his heart being pierced and him then recovering in a
few days. He will overcome this too. We just have to give him
time,’ said Ashwatthama, his confidence reassuring everyone.

‘Respected sages, please inform me immediately when you see

Om recovering,’ Ashwatthama requested before leaving the hut.
It was disappointing to know that Om needed more time to
heal, but on the bright side, Vrishkapi had opened his eyes. He
had finally recovered. He was shocked to find Om’s body in such
a dreadful state.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘You were almost dead but Om took your wound upon himself
to save your life.’

‘How did I get here? The last I remember is flying as high as I

could, detaching myself from the skeletons that attacked me at
Roopkund and then seeing a Yeti coming forward and carrying
me on his shoulder.’

‘Milarepa saved your life with the help of the Yeti. He was the
one who brought you back.’

“Was?”

‘He died fighting Nagendra in Agra.’

‘Where are the others and where is Nagendra?

Did we stop him?’

‘Yes, we did. Nagendra is dead. Ashwatthama killed him.’

While Vrishkapi was relieved to hear of Nagendra’s death at the

hands of Ashwatthama, deep down in the forbidden chamber,
Nagendra’s body was stirring again. Now immortal and
invincible, he was gradually coming back to life. His frail,
creased body was transforming before

Shukracharya’s eyes. His spine had straightened and the

wrinkles had vanished from his face as Nagendra smirked with
vengeful eyes dripping with fury.

‘Welcome back!’ Shukracharya announced with pride. The black

birthmark on the heel of Nagendra’s left foot was now
prominent.

His eyes met Shukracharya’s and he bowed before him touching

his feet to get his blessings. Even as the immortals felt assured
of Nagendra’s death and the earth’s safety, Nagendra stood up,
emerging more powerful and eager than ever before.

‘Now that Nagendra is finally an immortal, how have you

imagined our mortal lives with each other to be after being free
from him forever?’ asked Parimal, smiling.

LSD opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by the

muffled sound of Nagendra’s footsteps. Within seconds, Parimal
could also sense Nagendra coming closer. Nagendra opened the
door and saw them together. Parimal was awestruck by the
bewitching man in front of him. The perfect figure looked so
charming that Parimal couldn’t avert his gaze. Nagendra’s eyes
shimmered like the brightest star and his skin glowed like the
ambrosial moon. But LSD looked at Nagendra with the same old
blunt expression. Nagendra’s eyes were glued on LSD as he
walked towards her. Before any of them could anticipate a
move, Nagendra’s arms snaked around LSD’s waist and he
pulled her into a passionate kiss, right in front of Parimal, as if
he weren’t even there.

Everything happening in that chamber was unbelievable and

unacceptable to Parimal. He felt jealous and back-bitten for the
first time as he was absolutely unaware of the background of
what he was witnessing. While Nagendra continued deepening
the kiss, the air in the room filled with questions, revelations
and a noiseless fight for possession. A moment of unuttered
claim felt like years of betrayal. LSD glanced at Parimal, who
was already looking at her. She felt ashamed about what was
happening and lowered her eyes while Nagendra continued his
act shamelessly.

How have you imagined our mortal lives to be after being free
forever? Parimal now had his answer. He wondered why this
question had even occurred to him. He just wished to erase the
gross sight he had seen. In a hopeless effort to absorb what he
was witnessing, Parimal silently started walking towards the
chamber door, feeling agonized and subdued.

‘Parimal!’ Nagendra called out, and Parimal turned around to

look at him.

Nagendra knelt in front of LSD and caressed her belly before

saying, ‘I told you not to fall in love with her. She carries your
child and you have mated with her, but you must know that I
am her soulmate. Let’s all celebrate this twisted family equation
and our reunion. Take us to Goa.’

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 Chapter 2

The Drowned Dwarka

Nagendra walked towards Parimal and pointed at some
numbers while handing him a note.

‘We will go to this location after Goa.’ The order was issued with
a poker face.

Still caught in the freshly brewing emotional turmoil,

registering the fact that Nagendra had addressed himself as
LSD’s soulmate, Parimal could do nothing but bow like a slave
and follow the commands issued. Nagendra turned around,
took LSD’s hand and began walking out of the room.

‘C’mon, honey, till then we shall spend some quality time in my

room.’ Parimal wished to see her in person and ask her about
many things before they could leave the room. Alas. Keeping his
gaze averted, he hung his head while LSD’s stare remained
locked on him.

Nagendra had died but was now resurrected. The legendary

priest, Shukracharya, was in the submarine. LSD’s real name
was not Lisa Samuel D’Costa but Latika. All the predecessor’s
pets whom he thought were mere animals, were incarnations of
his wife. And now, as if everything else was not enough to
boggle his mind, watching Nagendra get closer to his wife and
calling her his soulmate baffled Parimal to the extent that he
could barely separate truth from illusion.

Restless and handcuffed by his obligations, Parimal

acknowledged the moment of defeat as he accepted that there
was no end to either his slavery or to the relays of heartbreaking
surprises. He gathered himself and diverted his attention
towards the note Nagendra had handed to him. Planning for the
next stop after Goa had begun.

What he held in his hands were some coordinates. Latitude 22°

13’ 48.00” N, Longitude 68° 58’ 12.00” E. Parimal wondered
where these could be on the map. It turned out that it was not
too far from their submarine’s current location. Why does

Nagendra want to go as far as Goa and then return to the coast

of Gujarat? he thought. He decided to dig deeper and find out
where they might proceed after Goa and why. As he entered the
coordinates in the system, it displayed the submerged Dwarka,
the lost kingdom of Lord Krishna. He felt it imperative to know
everything significant about Dwarka, and so his research began.
He scrolled through numerous sources while the submarine
sailed stealthily under the sea from Gujarat’s Mandvi Beach
towards the coast of Goa which was 653 nautical miles away,
estimating their arrival in sixty-five hours at a speed of 10
knots.

Back at Gyanganj, Parashurama and Ashwatthama had learnt

that Kripacharya was about to go back. As the threat named
Nagendra was neutralized according to the Gyanganj residents,
they knew Om’s presence wasn’t settling well with him.
‘What is it about Om that is bothering you, Kripacharya?’ asked
Parashurama.

Suppressing his anger, Kripacharya replied, ‘When he overruled

me behind the door, I spared him thinking he was a nobleman,
simply being kind to someone in need. But now I realize that
nothing about him is as simple as it seemed. He had planned
everything and we were tricked. We shouldn’t have helped him,
and now, after learning about his past, I think we should not let
him go out of Kailash. He should be either killed or held captive
forever.’

‘He is an immortal like us. He cannot be killed, replied

Parashurama.

‘Yes, but he can be imprisoned, right?” What Kripacharya said

sounded more like an order than a suggestion.

Parashurama pondered over it, silently moving his gaze

between Ashwatthama and Kripacharya.

Kripacharya looked at Parashurama and added, ‘I think he is

unworthy of immortality and not fit to be left free. He now
remembers his past, but we still don’t know who he is!
Although we’re not aware of that past, we know that whoever
he is, he is powerful. Even before recollecting his roots, he was
strong enough to trap both of us in his past. Nagendra has been
neutralized and the door between him and his past is now
destroyed. There is no need for me to stay here any longer. I
must leave now. The rest I leave to your instincts and
Ashwatthama’s understanding,’

Ashwatthama bowed to Kripacharya and said, ‘I respectfully

disagree.’
An unhappy Kripacharya paid no further heed, bid
Parashurama farewell and left.

Parashurama asked Ashwatthama, ‘You have been the closest to

Om since we brought him here, Ashwatt! hama. What are your
thoughts on keeping Om captive?’

‘don’t think Om is a threat to any of us, though it is a fact that

we don’t know anything about his past and he knows
everything about us now. Om indeed helped a pregnant woman
in delivering a child, di: sregarding Kripacharya’s instructions,
but I believe he was only trying to he! p. He was oblivious to the
fact that he was helping her give birth to Nagendra, or, as he
says now, to himself. This is a paradox in d estiny. No one can
tell if Om went to his past and brought Devdhwaja to ife or if
Devdhwaja helped Om reach us to help himself in his birth.

‘Was it destined for Om to be present there through the doors of

the past? Otherwise, how could he be present at the exact
moment his mother was about to deliver? Was the stranger who
helped his mother deliver Devd! hwaja, and whom. she always
talked about, Om himself?’ It was a contorted riddle locked by
mystery, perhaps the key to which was Om.

‘He came to Kuldhara against my orders, but he did that to help

me. In the same way, he overruled Kripacharya’s orders in his
memory, but he did that to help the pregnant woman, without
even knowing that she was his mother. Whatever the truth
may be, helping a mother and child in such circumstances is
proof itself that Om is a good soul. I don’t see a threat in Om, but
if you order me to hold him captive, I will do it without
question.’
‘No! You don’t have to do that. At least, not now, said
Parashurama. ‘He says he is Devdhwaja, which means he is
claiming to be Nagendra. What made him say that? Is there a
hidden motive? Have we missed any clue? Talk to Om and find
out everything about his past. We cannot ignore the truth that
he is an immortal and immensely powerful, making him one of
us, irrespective of whatever past he had. So continue his
training and make sure that he does not leave Gyanganj again
without my orders.’ Parashurama got up and said, ‘I am going to
see Ved Vyasa. The Mrit Sanjeevani books are still missing.
Nagendra may have been eliminated, but the threat still looms
large. The books are somewhere out there in the world, and we
need to get hold of them before it’s too late.’

In Vrishkapi’s room, Om began to show signs of recovery when

he took his first breath after many hours. His veins were
regaining their normal colour, indicating that the poison’s effect
was wearing off. Om was overcoming death again, but he still
remained in a deeply meditative state.

As Kripacharya stepped out of Gyanganj, he called out,

‘Ballhaar!’ and stood there patiently. An enormous Yeti covered
in a dense coat of thick, white fur emerged from the
camouflaging snow and stood in front of Kripacharya.

They exchanged curt greetings and without wasting another

second, Kripacharya commanded, ‘Stay around. Keep an eye on
him and if you see him leaving Kailash alone, tear him to pieces
and eat him.

Ballhaar nodded in agreement as his nostrils made a wisp of

cloud when he exhaled sharply. Kripacharya walked away in the
direction Ballhaar had appeared from and soon vanished in the
snowscape, leaving Ballhaar to guard the invisible entrance to
Gyanganj.

‘Time to wake up, Om, Ashwatthama said.

Om opened his eyes, looked at Ashwatthama and said, ‘I have to

go to Roopkund immediately.’

Ashwatthama wasn’t ready to hear that. ‘What made you want

to do that suddenly?”

‘While I was meditating, I brushed up on all my faded

memories and other details before I was killed and my dead
body taken to Dhanvantari. I realized that someone is waiting
for my return at Roopkund,’ replied Om.

Ashwatthama argued, ‘Om, this is Kali yuga! The memories

you’ve retrieved are from thousands of years ago, from Satya
yuga. A mortal being would not still be alive. Besides, as soon as
Nagendra extracted the word, Roopkund was destroyed forever.’
‘Your questions and my explanations can wait, but Nibhisha
can’t wait further for she has waited too long for me. I will tell
you everything once I return,’ said Om as he hurriedly got up to
leave.

‘Icannot allow you to leave Gyanganj till Parashurama says so,

Om. Stay here till I return,’ Ashwatthama said sternly and left.

Om was unaware of the discussion between Parashurama,

Kripacharya and Ashwatthama about him being held captive in
Gyanganj. So he silently agreed to wait for permission. He did
not want to overrule any more orders. While Om sat there,
Vrishkapi came closer to him with a wide smile and thanked
him for saving his life.
‘He who puts a life in danger must be the one to save it. I simply
did what I was supposed to,’ replied Om.

‘I don’t understand what you mean. You did not try to kill me,
Nagendra did. Then why are you…’

Before Vrishkapi could finish his question, Ved Vyasa entered

the room. ‘Vrishkapi, I need to talk to Om. You should go and
meet all the animals on the other side. They have been missing
you for many days.’ Vrishkapi understood that it was not just a
suggestion but a subtle command. He respectfully took
everyone’s leave and walked off.

Om knew what Ved Vyasa had on his mind, yet he wanted to

hear him address it aloud. ‘Tell me everything you remember
from your beginning till your end.’

Underwater, the submarine was smoothly cutting its way

through the currents, heading towards Goa. Parimal was still
engrossed in his research. So far, he had learnt that Dwarka was
one of the holiest cities in Hinduism and one of the four main
abodes,‘ along with Badrinath, Puri and Rameswaram. The city
is extremely significant to Vaishnavas. Above all, the legendary
city of Dwarka was once the dwelling place of Lord Krishna.

Dwarka has been mentioned in several religious texts, including

the Mahabharata, the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, the Harivamsha,
the Skanda Purana and the Vishnu Purana. The dedicated and
rigorous efforts of marine archaeologists, scientists and
technicians from the Marine Archaeology Centre of the
National Institute of Oceanography discovered Dwarka, which
was allegedly founded by Shri Krishna. Dwarka was an
important landmark in the validation of the historical
relevance of the Mahabharata. Its existence dissolves the doubts
raised by historians regarding the historicity of the
Mahabharata and even of the submerged city. This has
significantly narrowed the widening gaps in Indian history by
establishing the grounds for continuity of the Indian
civilization from the Vedic age to the present day.

On the same day that Krishna departed from the earth, the
doomed, dark-bodied Kali yuga commenced. As a result, the
oceans rose and swallowed Dwarka entirely. The ancient texts
say that approximately thirty-six years after the war of
Kurukshetra, in 3138 Bc, when Krishna left the earth for
Vaikuntha and major Yadava leaders thoughtlessly wiped out
their clan, Arjuna went to Dwarka to bring Krishna’s grandsons
and the Yadava wives to safety to Hastinapur. After Arjuna left
Dwarka, it was submerged in the sea, and this is the account of
what he had witnessed as mentioned in the Mahabharata.

‘The sea rushed into the city and coursed through the streets
and buildings. The sea covered up everything in the city. I saw
the beautiful buildings being submerged one by one. In a
matter of a few moments, it was all over. The sea had now
become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the city.
Dwarka was just a name, just a memory,’ said Arjuna after
returning.

The first archaeological excavations at Dwarka were conducted

by the Deccan College, Pune, and the Department of
Archaeology, Government of Gujarat, in 1963 under the
direction of H.D. Sankalia. They revealed artefacts that were
millennia-old. Between 1983 and 1990, S.R. Rao’s team unveiled
flabbergasting discoveries that cemented the presence of the
submerged city.
‘Until recently, the very existence of the city of Dwarka was a
matter of legend. Now that the remains have been discovered
underwater and many clues strongly reinforce the place as the
legendary Dwarka, where Lord Krishna once dwelled, could it
be that Lord Krishna and his heroics were more than just a
myth?’ asked Mrs Batra.

‘After all that I have seen, heard and done since my birth in the
last twenty-one years, I have absolutely no doubt that what the
world simply labels “Hindu mythology” is actually a rich and
magical history which has become so ancient that people today
have lost faith in it and instead speak of it in the jargon of myth
and mythology. And to answer your question, yes! Lord Krishna
did exist. Lies don’t have legs and thus they die crawling, but
the names of Krishna and Ram still prevail after not only
decades or centuries but epochs. This is enough to prove that
their stories stretch far beyond mere myths.

‘Marine archaeology has proved that the existence of Dwarka

and its submergence in the second millennium sc, referred to in
the Mahabharata, Harivamsha, Matsya and Vayu Puranas is a
fact and not fiction. The implication of accepting the
archaeologists’ findings as proof that the sunken city is indeed
the legendary Dwarka is a huge step towards understanding
what the Mahabharata is. It would no longer be a compilation of
myths and legends, but a genuine account of past events, at
least to some extent,’ explained Prithvi.

Parimal continued reading the correlation between the

excavated structures and artefacts that carried scriptures of
Dwarka in the Harivamsha Purana. It was mind-boggling how
the carbon dating of artefacts traced them back to around 3500
sc, the same period when the Great War had occurred and
Dwarka was taken by the sea, as concluded by many
astronomers.

Before the discovery of the legendary city, some scholars

believed that the Mahabharata was no more than a myth,
making it a futile objective to hunt for the remains of the
ancient city and that too, under the sea. A few other scholars
were of the opinion that the Mahabharata was just a family feud
that was later exaggerated into a war. However, excavations
carried out by Dr S.R. Rao at Dwarka strongly established that
the descriptions found in the texts were not to be discarded as
fancy stories, but must be regarded as based on evidence and
science.

Thus, results have proven that the paragraphs written in the

Mahabharata describing the majestic and wonderful capital city
of Dwarka were not hollow figments of imagination but
credible testimonies of what stands even today. Parimal also
found out that all antiquities that were excavated were
currently housed in NIO, Goa. That’s when Parimal knew he had
arrived at his answer.

By now, he was so immersed in the mission, while

contemplating the intention behind going to Dwarka, that he
did not sense Nagendra and LSD’s presence right behind him.
Before Parimal could react, he heard, ‘You have been brilliant
since childhood and I hope you have researched everything
about Dwarka for us to be well-prepared with the tools we
would need at the location, announced. Nagendra, smirking
and tightly squeezing his shoulders.

Nagendra continued, saying, ‘Presently, Dwarka is still one of

the best-studied underwater sites in India, but the work on
further excavations has met a formidable roadblock in the form
of academic indifference and governmental apathy. The lack of
progress on the project for almost a decade now has made it
obvious that the Central government isn’t as interested in
unearthing more of Dwarka. A proposal drafted by Dr S.R. Rao
was submitted to the government, but it has simply been
accumulating dust for all these years. And that is because of me!

‘The necessary support and funds needed to finish what they

started cannot be given to them because I have not allowed it.
We have more people than you know, sitting in every city, town,
village and street of this so-called God’s land,’ finished

Nagendra, dropping his hands from Parimal’s shoulders.

Parimal stood up from his seat and had to stop his jaw from
dropping at the sight in front of him. Nagendra had undergone
a complete makeover. He was dressed in white baggy pants, a
half-sleeved, bright, floral green shirt and a hat to complete his
outfit. He looked like a flamboyant and charming young adult
who was on the verge of transforming into a party animal and
getting drunk even before stepping into Goa. Nagendra sensed
that Parimal was a little taken aback by his fresh appearance.

‘Who said immortals can’t party?’ Parimal stood there

perplexed as Nagendra continued, ‘I am an immortal and I have
all the rights to celebrate my life as I want, just like the mortals
who will die one day. Other immortals can join the party too,
but sadly none of them will be able to do that. Do you know
why? Because I don’t want them to know my party venue.’

Parimal’s face remained blank while Nagendra’s expressions

were bursting with various hues, adding truth to what his
words meant.
‘We will be back in a day,’ Nagendra cooed, holding LSD’s hand
tightly. Caressing her hair, he said, ‘Let me treat you to a day’s
holiday, Malti! LSD! Oops, Latika!’

LSD silently walked with Nagendra, who suddenly halted,

dropped her hand and turned around, now walking towards
Parimal. Bringing his lips close to Parimal’s ears, he whispered, ‘I
never told you an important thing about yourself’

Parimal cautiously eyed LSD, expecting some revelation as she

stood afar, and his ears perked up to catch what Nagendra was
about to say. Nagendra only closed the gap between his lips and
Parimal’s cheek, laying a quick, warm peck to divert his
attention. ‘You are a handsome young man. Take care of my
ship till we return.’ Nagendra then entwined his hand with LSD
and walked off.

Vrishkapi had reached the place where many pairs of eyes were
desperate for his return. As he looked around, he saw quaggas, a
subspecies of zebra that grew 8 feet long and 4 feet tall, grazing
on the vegetation; the elephant birds that weighed almost 1000
pounds; the blue buck, a long-haired species of antelope, which
had a curved tusk, as heavy as 12 tons and as tall as 13 feet or
more. These gigantic mammoths, which were last spotted
around ten millennia ago, were now gathered here, looking at
Vrishkapi stepping closer to them. From being oblivious about
when he would return, to now seeing him hale and hearty, the
creatures expressed their happiness in their own peculiar ways,
letting Vrishkapi know how happy they were to see him there.
Although he couldn’t share every detail about what had
happened, he still told them about the man who saved his life
and how.
The month of Jyestha (May) had seen some disturbing
incidents. From cross-border clashes between Indian and
Chinese soldiers at the Nathu La crossing to Cyclone Amphan
hitting the coast of east India, to a sudden gas leakage at a
chemical plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which was
also a bitter reminder of the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984,
everything spelt catastrophe. While these incidents were being
analysed, somewhere in Goa, a robbery was in the works.

For now, Goa had just welcomed a new partyhopper. Nagendra

was enjoying the music played by a world-famous DJ at a rave
party. He was dancing like a child who cared only about the
beats and not the steps. The rest of the crowd was passing
around drinks, losing their minds over the booming music,
hooking up and going to great lengths to have a good time,
whereas Nagendra was already in his happiest zone. That night,
he partied like a king while LSD looked after him like a servant.

At the break of dawn, the robbery was executed. He broke into

the NIO for one specific artefact in the huge collection that was
brought back from the deep waters of Dwarka. At first glance,
the artefact looked like a pyramid. The astonishingly modern-
looking prehistoric object had nine interlocking points. A
detailed look at the pyramid revealed wavy symmetrical
patterns that moved upwards towards the tip. The waves, lined
in turquoise, and the rest of the pyramid, covered in gold, made
it one of the most popular and mysterious archaeological finds.
And now Nagendra had finally laid his hands on it as he stole
the artefact from NIO before leaving for the submarine.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 3

The Flag bearer

Nagendra entered the submarine happily drunk as LSD quietly
held him up straight, helping him walk. Nagendra’s piercing
eyes stuck to Parimal, for whom the developments in Nagendra
and LSD’s relationship were still new and difficult to digest.
Still, he reluctantly met Nagendra’s ravening gaze.

‘You are very attractive… more attractive than your father,

Nagendra thought out loud. After a momentary pause, he said,
‘Take me to our next word hunt.’

Parimal went ahead to take Nagendra’s other arm and hung it

over his shoulder, supporting him from the other side, as the
three of them walked towards Nagendra’s cabin. Once inside,
Nagendra dozed off immediately, leaving LSD and Parimal
standing in awkward silence. LSD wanted to seize this moment
and talk to Parimal, but Parimal bowed to her and Nagendra
and then walked off.

On the very night when Nagendra stole the artefact from the
Goa museum and got back to the submarine, Om was about to
start telling his almost forgotten life story from the beginning
to Ved Vyasa at Kailash. Just then, Ashwatthama entered.
‘Parashurama will meet you soon and decide on your request.’

‘Until then, we can listen to him tell us what he remembers,’

said Ved Vyasa. Ashwatthama looked at Om, waiting for him to
start.

‘Thousands of years before both of you were born, the golden

era of Satya yuga was untouched. by poverty, greed, material
wealth and even labour didn’t exist. Whatever man desired, he
achieved through sheer willpower, and that could be done only
by cutting loose from the humdrum of life.

‘Satya yuga was the yuga where humanity ruled supreme and
every person was pious and meditative. A yuga free of diseases
and disabilities, when people were born with innate
supernatural qualities. Thus, out of the four yugas, Satya yuga
held the highest significance.

‘White was the colour of glory; illusion, fear, hatred, flaws and
evil deeds had no place. It was simply the yuga of paradise
where the fountain of contentment and completeness never ran
dry.

‘I was born in a small village on the banks of the river

Tamirabarani, near a city that is presently known as
Tirunelveli. The whole region was then called Dravida Desham,
which is present-day Tamil Nadu. My mother’s name was
Lakshmi. At the darkest hour of one of the eeriest nights, my
mother’s water broke and only my father, Vishnuyasha, was
with her. He ran to fetch help. My mother was the head of the
village, so when news of her being in labour broke, the villagers
carrying fire torches scurried to our house to support my
mother.’
‘Yes, I know that,’ interrupted Ashwatthama. ‘In our astral
forms, while we were in your past and you were helping her
deliver, I returned after assuring that the road ahead was safe,
and you were already inside the hut against Kripacharya’s
orders. Kripacharya had seen the villagers coming and warned
you to leave immediately’

‘Yes! And I did leave immediately, but when all of them

returned, to their surprise, she had already given birth and lay
there unconscious and clean. The child, too, was lying healthy
and hearty beside his mother. No one knew who did that.

‘My delivery was the first mysterious miracle of my life for the
villagers, and they had no idea that it was just the beginning of
an endless chain of mysteries that they would witness.

‘The next morning, my mother opened her eyes and held me in

her arms for the first time. My father asked her what had
happened in his absence, and she told him about the stranger
who came in from nowhere to help her deliver and then
disappeared. My father suggested keeping this story within the
four walls of our house and my mother agreed.

‘Since my birth was miraculous, my mother believed that I was

god-sent and thus named me accordingly. That’s how I became
Devdhwaja, the bearer of the flag of gods.

‘I grew up hearing from my mother that god himself had

descended on earth to gift me into her hands. Every time I
heard it, I thought it was merely a figure of speech she used to
express her love for me and that most of it was a partially
cooked-up story. Now I know it was not just a story and that the
man was no godsend. That man was…me.’
Om turned towards Ashwatthama and continued, ‘However, I
did not remember my past when I saw my mother in the astral
world with you and Kripacharya, that’s why I had no idea what I
was doing. Everything came back to me only when
Ashwatthama shot Nagendra dead and his blood fell on my
tongue,’ explained Om, turning towards Ved Vyasa and
addressing him.

‘Thad a golden chance to talk to my mother and tell her about

my painful fate so that I could relieve her of some of her pain in
the years to come. I wish I had known that I wasn’t helping a
stranger, but my own mother give birth to me. If only Ihad
known this!’

Om mourned the lost opportunity of not being able to give his

mother the closure she deserved. He knew that Ved Vyasa and
Ashwatthama were patiently listening to the story of his past.
Not wanting to make them wait any further, Om composed
himself and continued.

‘Life was peaceful, and the village was serene. The women had
all the power and played a crucial role in leading, deciding and
maintaining harmony in the village. My hamlet was
matriarchal and our lineages were reckoned by the maternal
sides. This matriarchal society was led by my mother while
everyone lived like an extended joint family.

‘As a child, I always wanted to become a priest. But a part of me

also aspired to become a warrior. There was a constant tussle in
my desires, therefore, I decided to master both. But as I grew up,
he started showing signs of his presence in me.’

‘He?’ questioned Ashwatthama.

‘Yes! He! A nameless, faceless, voiceless demon that lived and
fed inside me. He had no physical presence, no voice, no face. He
was the one everybody later knew as Nagendra until the day
Ashwatthama finally shot him dead in Kuldhara. But back then,
he had no name. He was only a frail little bug at the beginning
of my noticing something else present within, but as I grew
older, he grew stronger in me.

‘Inow remember one of the earliest incidents when I was

playing with this beautiful pet rabbit of mine. We had been
prancing around for hours till I finally sat with my pet under a
tree. The rabbit, too, snuggled in my lap. While I was absorbed
in caressing it with love, something took over me and linstantly
twisted the rabbit’s neck, snapping it into two within a fraction
of a second. My actions were so barbarous that the onlookers
were utterly disgusted and terrified. After that, several
incidents happened in my childhood that showed a cruel side of
me. All these were signs of him dominating me from within.

‘My unpredictable behaviour resulted in kids maintaining a

distance from me, so I would play with the animals but, at
times, they too suffered the wrath of his anger which would be
visible on my face. One day, when I was six years old, I was
playing alone and walked outside the village. There, I found a
huge dead creature that I knew was not from around these
parts, as I had never seen anything like it before. The body was
rotting, the stomach was cut open and parts of its body had
already degenerated to bones. I tried to call out to someone
older who could help me, but nobody showed up. However, my
shouts were stirring something inside the enormous creature’s
stomach. I was curious, so I shouted again, and it moved in the
same way, as if disturbed by an unfamiliar voice. It was
amusing how it kept reacting to my voice every time. I peeped
inside the open stomach and there lay the source of the
movement: a scared little creature hidden in the corpse’s womb,
unaware that its dead mother was incapable of protecting it.

‘At first, it looked like a bundled-up rainbow. A closer look

helped me identify and distinguish between the blending
shades. The frail little being looked as innocent and beautiful as
a newborn baby. Though its features somewhat replicated the
corpse, it was almost 1/900th of its size.

‘It took me a few hours to win its trust. Eventually, it emerged

from the body and sniffed me to confirm that I wasn’t a threat. I
was enthralled by this creature; it was truly something I had
never seen before. It was a baby navgunjara.’

‘Navgunjara!’ repeated confused Mrs Batra and Prithvi

simplified the meaning by saying. ‘Nav means nine, gun means
qualities and jara means old. It meant that it was an ancient
species that represented nine distinct qualities.’

According to Om, Navgunjara had the head of a puppy and four

different kinds of limbs: a human child’s arm and the legs of a
tiger cub, an elephant calf and a foal. It also had the hump of a
small bull and the waist of a lion cub. The tail was of a snakelet
and the creature had two hearts, which were strikingly visible
through its thin, almost translucent skin.

Om continued narrating his past, ‘I decided to take it home with

me. It took some time for the villagers to accept Nibhisha as my
friend and a part of the village’s family.’

‘Nibhisha! The gift of God!’ said Ved Vyasa.

‘Yes! That’s what it meant for me and soon would mean for the
villagers too. Time moved at its own pace, and we became the
best of friends. Nibhisha quickly started learning sign language
and obeying my commands. I loved her as a sibling and she, too,
reciprocated the same. But whenever he overpowered me,
Nibhisha was always being ill-treated. As she grew, we learnt
that she had some exceptional, unsurpassable powers. She
could voluntarily amputate any of her body parts or completely
transform herself into any of these nine creatures. Once, when I
needed to climb a tall tree, she turned herself into a snake, to be
my rope; and a full-grown woman when I needed an extra pair
of hands to push, pull or lift anything. She would turn into a
horse whenever I had to travel far and an elephant when I
needed the kind of strength that was beyond human capability.
What stood out the most was her ability to self-reproduce, a
rare biological characteristic of Nibhisha. She had this quality
called ‘virgin creation’, which would later be identified as
‘female asexual reproduction’ by scientists, wherein females
can reproduce without mating.

Instead, they use the method of faux fertilization to create an

embryo using leftover egg cells in their reproductive system.
This was a unique quality found only in navgunjaras back in the
Satya yuga. The fact that she could raise and nurture a fierce
and bold creature all by herself proved just how efficient she
was.

‘While good and evil continued to evolve simultaneously within

me, Nibhisha grew along with me.

‘I wasn’t easily angered, but whenever I felt any rage bubble up,
somebody was seriously harmed. No one could predict when
and how something would switch within me. While Satya yuga
was the yuga that was devoid of hatred, anger, jealousy and
murder, I carried all these traits like a dormant volcano inside
me. Whenever he took over, I felt caged in my own body as I
would helplessly witness the mayhem unfold before me, fully
aware that my actions were blatantly unacceptable. All that
people could see was my face and body executing every heinous
act that he desired. I used to read holy scriptures and I loved
animals and fed them when I was me. However, I also learnt to
wield weaponry and trained to become a warrior, only to
murder the same pets with my own hands and eat them too,
when he would take over. Even a madman had better control
over his body than I did over mine whenever he would
dominate me. I remember the eyes of that boy who saw me
when he got the taste of blood and raw flesh after killing one of
my pets. A boy from the village had witnessed it, but all he
could see was me indulging in such a disgusting act.

‘And then, finally, came the day when a sage visited our village.
After meeting me, he told everyone that my birth happened in
the wrong yuga. Though I was born in Satya yuga, I had all the
traits of a man of Kali yuga.

‘He said the mystery of my duality and unpredicted ruthless

actions was hidden in the time at which I was born. Apparently,
half my body had entered the world at the darkest minutes of
the night, when the demonic powers are at their peak, and the
remaining half entered in Bramha Muhurta, the most pious
hours of the day.

‘While the sage explained his contrasting presence within me, I

sensed his rage building up. I knew he wanted to remain
hidden, but every sentence uttered by the sage was revealing
him bit by bit. He wanted to shut the sage’s mouth while the
sage continued to expose him. Suddenly, he overpowered me
and the villagers witnessed me unsheathe my sword and
behead the sage in broad daylight, not sparing the eyes of any
man, woman or child. I didn’t anticipate that he would kill him,
but there I was with the bloody sword in my hand and the sage’s
head on the ground. He then compelled me to pick up the sage’s
head that rolled on the ground splashing blood all over. That
was the day he had revealed himself willingly to all. Until that
day, everybody had different notions to explain the mercurial
changes in my personality. Some claimed to have seen me
feeding on dead animals, others said I was the one who set their
farms on fire. Before the public execution of the sage, there was
no evidence of my violent deeds; those were just rumours that
didn’t merit any attention. Before that day, only some were
suspicious of me, while the rest continued to support me
because they had met the good part of me whenever they were
in need. That day, however, all mouths in my favour were shut.
In Satya yuga, where even the thought of evil and petty crimes
that are so rampant today didn’t linger, an era in which even
stealing or lying was neither expected nor accepted— I stood
there holding the head of the sage hanging from his long white
hair in one hand and my sword in the other as a murderer. No
one knew what to do with me because the concepts of
imprisonment or death sentences weren’t even thought of in
Satya yuga.

‘The sage’s headless corpse had collapsed right in front of me,

and no one dared to come close as his furious red eyes could be
seen through my sockets. I felt like a mere mask. He mocked
them by laughing at their petrified gazes. Soon, he had enough
and seeing no threat, he calmed down, letting me regain control
of my body. I threw the sword away and mourned for what I had
done. I wailed uncontrollably and pleaded for punishment
when some of the villagers began to walk towards me. I was
ready to surrender but he was not. As they came closer, he took
over again and ordered Nibhisha to attack. Nibhisha instantly
obeyed, killing a few and injuring many within seconds.
Everybody continued to see my face and hear my voice, which
kept directing Nibhisha. I took over again and commanded
Nibhisha to stand down. A state of heavy confusion had
engulfed us. The villagers didn’t know if they should accept my
surrender, or be prepared to fight me. Nibhisha didn’t know if
she was supposed to attack or stay put. I was fighting a war
with myself, changing my orders and temperament with every
statement. The fear they felt towards me made me loathe
myself. I simply stepped away from the chaos and went back
home with my head held low.

‘A few hours later, my mother came in. She, too, seemed afraid,
but she knew I wouldn’t let anybody hurt her. My mother was
the only person for whom he and I shared the same thoughts.

‘She caressed my head while I sobbed in her lap, trying to

explain to her that I did not kill the sage and the villagers. My
mother assured me that she understood me and offered me
something to eat. I was hungry, so | ate it all, unaware that it
was laced with a drug to make me unconscious.

‘During the few hours I had spent alone waiting for my mother
at home, the villagers had pondered upon the sage’s verdicts
and had decided that I was, indeed, an entity born in the wrong
yuga.

‘I was the first of those men that are too common. in Kali yuga.
Today, every other person can be heard saying, “I don’t get
angry that often, but when I do, I am unhinged.” People with
such traits were far away in Satya yuga; that’s why it was easy
to differentiate me as a man of Kali yuga. They arrived at a
unanimous decision that I was a danger to mankind, and so it
was imperative to divide me into two.

‘When I woke up, I was tied up in front of a fire pit and many
sages were circling me, ready to begin with the Prithak
Vyaktitwa.’

‘Prithak Vyaktitwa—the process of filtration!’ Ashwatthama

exclaimed in realization.

‘Yes, this is the same process that Parashurama had performed

on you to filter out all that is good in you from all that is
polluted. I, too, have gone through it, long before you had,’ said
Om.

‘Ashwatthama! Now I know how you must have felt seeing

yourself suffering from leprosy, smeared in blood and pus all
over your body, with furious red eyes that looked more
powerful than your real self, struggling to get back inside like a
snake tries to go back to its pit when pulled out by force. I know
how you felt because I have felt the same. Once the Prithak
Vyaktitwa was complete, I saw my reflection standing in front
of me though I wasn’t looking in a mirror. He who had been
tormenting me forever, now stood in front of me, looking
identical on the surface yet entirely different from within. All
he wanted to do was to be absorbed back inside and take over
me again. For him, I was nothing except the pit which he could
cower in and feed on its prey, who was none other than me.’

The submarine closed in on the submerged parts of Dwarka.

Clutching the stolen piece, Nagendra and Parimal took the
submarine deeper into the haunting, pitch-black ocean to look
for the next word. The large blade-like projections of the
submarine’s anchor dug into the sea while Parimal and
Nagendra got ready with their diving suits and equipment. LSD
kept an eye on their moves through the cameras on their
helmets, directing them towards a massive underwater hole.

LSD’s scrutinizing gaze was trained on the small monitor

displaying the scans. She noticed a blank spot, as if the scanning
machine had missed that part. She took the scanner back and
realized that the scanner missed it again, because the blank spot
didn’t budge. It did not take her long to understand that it
wasn’t the machine missing the spot, but the spot dodging the
machine. She immediately called Parimal and Nagendra and
informed them of this strange scenario. Nagendra ordered
Parimal to take a closer look at the blind spot. As Parimal swam
towards it, LSD followed Parimal’s heat signature moving closer
to the spot on the monitor.

It was nothing less than a giant whirlpool surrounded by ocean

currents that made it appear like a cloud. Beneath the clouds
was present a mystical line going round in a circle, which
seemed to be the perimeter of the big blind spot. Contrary to its
outer appearance as a dark, dormant space, a dive inside
revealed a whole new world full of life. Housing energies,
matter, plankton and various other elements, it was as if it were
a gateway to another deep ocean. Sunlight reached only the top
layer and the farther one went, the darker it got; the only source
of light would be some glowing substances that were scattered
all over. These looked like fireflies but were precious stones. The
atmosphere resembled that of billions of years ago. It was a well
inside the sea!

Just like a black hole attracts all matter, this spot kept attracting
Parimal as he continued to swim deeper and deeper. With
dwindling visibility, oxygen and the increasing toxic layers, it
was becoming difficult for Parimal to swim through. There
were times when he felt like he had arrived at the bottom, only
to realize within seconds that the bottom was still deeper. His
heartbeat and his curiosity of finding what lay beneath were at
the same rapid pace. Soon, his connection with the submarine
was disturbed, then weakened and then was completely lost.
Time was running out and he had to take a call. He decided to
follow his instincts and went deeper, confident that even if
something went wrong, Nagendra would follow him and bring
him out of it since above the spot, Nagendra had already tied
one end of the rope to himself.

When they got no response, LSD and Nagendra knew that they
had lost connection with Parimal. Immediately, Nagendra
jumped into the dark water and reached Parimal with the help
of the rope he was holding.

In the wall of the giant well, almost at the bottom, Nagendra

rubbed off the accumulated sand deposits and in no time, what
looked like a stone wall showed a glimpse of a shining metal
that looked like both silver and gold. It was around ninety feet
high and covered the entire wall. The oxygen cylinder was
rapidly emptying and the water pressure was making it tough
for them to stay there longer.

Nagendra signalled Parimal to start scraping the surface to

figure out where to fix the missing piece. They quickly got to
work. LSD continued to watch it all on the monitor. As they kept
rubbing off the deposited sediments, various figures carved into
the walls began to emerge, indicating that it might have been a
long-lost temple with godly figures and mythical creatures
sculpted everywhere. These figures were nothing but all the
Vishnu avatars.

Time was running out and so was the oxygen. While Parimal’s
hands frantically worked on the walls in search of the right
place to fix the missing piece, LSD caught a glimpse of a real eye
that blinked as Parimal’s hand wiped past it.

‘Parimal! I think I saw that eye blink!’

‘What? Your voice is cracking. I can’t hear you clearly!’

‘There is something alive, mounted in the wall!’

Parimal still could not hear LSD but Nagendra understood her
words and quickly turned towards Parimal. Parimal was still
rubbing the wall and trying to hear LSD, unaware that he was
about to be attacked by a humongous turtle whose face and
body seemed like one of the engravings on the wall.

The moment Parimal turned around, he saw the turtle

advancing towards him with its jaws wide open, ready to crush
his face in a single bite. Due to his heavy diver’s suit, Parimal
could not fall back quickly. The turtle was entirely smeared in
thick layers of algae, proving that it had been guarding the well,
fixed in the wall forever, until now. Death seemed certain for
Parimal but to his surprise, the turtle could not move further
beyond a point that was just a few inches away from his face.
Parimal breathed heavily as his heartbeat raced. He took the
opportunity to distance himself from the turtle. That’s when he
saw Nagendra holding the turtle by its shell at its back end; he
noticed just how enormous the turtle was, like none he had ever
seen before. Nagendra had saved Parimal’s life. The carved piece
of stone fell from Nagendra’s grip and landed on the muddy
surface of the well. It was about to vanish in the soft sand
because of the heavy movements of the turtle trying to free
itself. Parimal’s eye caught it and he instantly took the piece
into his possession. Just then, he found a tunnel in the wall
through which the turtle had moved out.

‘Parimal, get inside the tunnel. That piece might have its place
inside. Kill anything that comes in your way. Go!’ screamed LSD.

Parimal looked at Nagendra, who was keeping the turtle busy

and had drawn out an army knife, but before he could swim in,
another turtle as huge as the first one came out, attacking
Parimal. Nagendra took out his long, sharp dagger and slashed
the most vulnerable part that was protruding from its shell—
the neck. The one in Nagendra’s grip was now bleeding to death.

Looking at the dying turtle, the second turtle went for

Nagendra with the intent to kill. Parimal noticed the turtle’s
eyes and saw nothing but pain and threat. The eyes of every
being speak volumes, and since Parimal originally belonged to a
clan of snakes, he could read the eyes of animals very well. He
realized that they were a couple.

‘Parimal, go!’

Parimal swam into the long tunnel. As he progressed farther in

search of the right spot to fix the piece, he came across a smaller
turtle who seemed scared and lonely. It did not take Parimal
long to predict that Nagendra was killing its second parent. LSD,
too, saw the baby turtle, which was still bigger than the regular-
sized adult turtles on Earth. Parimal could tell that it was just a
child.

‘Your orders are to kill it,’ said LSD.

The turtle was cornered and had no place to hide or escape.
Parimal saw the fear in its eyes and couldn’t help but be
reminded of his own unborn child. He decided to disobey the
orders and instead, hid the turtle by moving a big rock in front
of it, shielding it from Nagendra’s eyes. As he rolled the heavy
boulder to be placed in front of the baby turtle, he noticed the
spot they had been looking for. The spot was actually on the
rock and not on any wall. They had been searching for the key
in the wrong place all this while!

Maybe mercy was the key to finding this spot, Parimal thought.

If he hadn’t been kind, he would never have moved the rock to

save the life of the giant baby turtle, which had lost its parents
moments ago. He fixed the missing piece on the rock and a
doorway opened for Nagendra on the outer wall. With the force
of the water rushing into the vent, Nagendra, too, was propelled
inside. Soon, the door closed itself, cutting off all the wires and
connectors. Fortunately, the camera over the helmet and the
microphone inside it was wireless, so LSD could still see and
hear Nagendra. Parimal came out of the tunnel and found both
the turtles dead and Nagendra missing.

LSD could see two different visuals on two different monitors

now. One was Nagendra and the other was Parimal, both at the
same depth but with different surroundings.

In Parimal’s view, there were two dead turtles, a tunnel behind

him and a ray of sunshine streaking across the mouth of the
submerged well. He was looking around for Nagendra, who was
on the other side, walking down a passage, and only LSD could
see him. Astonishingly, the passage was as dry as a desert with
not a puddle of water around. There was ample light but
apparently, it was illuminating only the space around
Nagendra. Everything ahead of him and behind him was
swallowed by darkness. It was as if the light was focused on
Nagendra and moved at his pace. The passage was broad,
endless, eroding and hazy. It was an empty pit.

LSD could see that Parimal’s oxygen would last only a few more
minutes. ‘Parimal, Nagendra is safe, but you are not. Your
oxygen level is dropping rapidly. You need to get out of there.’

Parimal began to swim towards the surface. Nagendra had

reached a dead end and ran out of oxygen. He took off his mask
and realized that there was no oxygen in the tunnel and the
oxygen cylinder was also empty. He began heaving for some air.
In no time, Nagendra collapsed on the floor and stopped
moving, as if dead. LSD saw Nagendra’s vital signs pronouncing
him dead again. This would be the end of the road for any
mortal, but Nagendra was no mortal.

In a few seconds, he opened his eyes again. He was not

breathing any more. The book of Mrit Sanjeevani had taught
him that only immortals could claim this word and only then
would it appear.

He stood up with determination and said, ‘I am an immortal

and I demand the word to appear.’

Fortune had favoured him for he was now one of them: the
ninth immortal who would free the demons and their armies
trapped by the nine avatars of Vishnu. This army would follow
the ninth immortal against the remaining eight, fulfilling the
prophecy recited by Ved Vyasa to the immortals of Gyanganj.

Nagendra’s demand was granted, and the next word appeared

for the ninth immortal. ‘Tihu-Lau-Niyanta (तिहु-लो नियंता ) was
now in Nagendra’s grasp.

With this, the door was flung open and an explosion similar to a
volcanic eruption followed. A huge whirlpool sprouted at the
bottom of the well and began to escalate with a rhythmic rise
and fall of the tides. Soon, it turned into a maelstrom with a
speed of approximately 54 km/h. Breaking through all the
barriers with steeply rising waves, it destroyed whatever
remained of the submerged city of Dwarka, manoeuvring from
crest to crest, hidden from the people at sea. It then proceeded
towards the coast, ready to swallow whatever came in its path,
willing to destroy the lives of millions, cause fatalities and
transform into an uncontrollable, disastrous tsunami on the
coast of Gujarat. Something similar rose thousands of years ago
on the day when the sea consumed Dwarka forever.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 4

Messengers Don’t Have Names

Parashurama came rushing to Ashwatthama and Ved Vyasa,
calling out their names. The stress on Parashurama’s face was
enough to express his concern for thousands of lives that were
only minutes away from death on the coast of Gujarat.

Parashurama suspected that the tsunami had emerged from the

waters of Dwarka and said, ‘If it’s from the waters of the
submerged Dwarka, it simply means that the hunt is still on’

‘But how? I killed Nagendra myself and was witness to his

headless, dead body, protested Ashwatthama, with a mix of
certainty and confusion evident on his face.

The answer came from Ved Vyasa, who spoke hesitantly as he

walked towards them. ‘It must be Shukracharya behind all this.
I had heard that Shukracharya and Nagendra were working
together, but I didn’t pay heed to it because Nagendra was dead.
But now it seems that Nagendra was not the only asura working
for him.’ Ved Vyasa’s remorseful words expressed his regret for
being unable to comprehend it when he had heard
Shukracharya and Nagendra’s voices.
‘Nagendra was never searching for the books of Mrit Sanjeevani
for immortality. Immortality was just a by-product. He wanted
the books to find the locations of these words and the process to
extract them for Shukracharya,’ added Ashwatthama.

‘Ineed to save them,’ Parashurama said with urgency and used

his powers to teleport in front of Om for the first time before
vanishing into thin air.

The immortals were now aware that Shukracharya was one

more step closer to his mission after getting possession of the
word from the submerged Dwarka. What they were yet to learn
was that Dr Batra had Om’s blood, and that’s how

Nagendra had come back to life, not only as young and fit as Om
but also as an immortal like him.

Ashwatthama started walking behind Parashurama to

accompany him to the coast of Dwarka, but Ved Vyasa stopped
him. ‘If Parashurama wanted your help, he should have taken
you with him! Ashwatthama looked at Ved Vyasa as he said,
‘You are where you should be. If you want Om to trust
Parashurama’s decisions, you too will have to trust him! There
was nothing more to say after that statement of reassurance,
and so both returned to Om’s original story.

Om thought that they had come back with Parashurama’s

permission to let him visit Roopkund. ‘What did he say?’ he
asked eagerly.

‘Om, We could not put forth your request to him, but he will be
back soon,’ replied Ashwatthama.
Om was upset by the reply and Ved Vyasa sensed that he might
retaliate, so before Om could argue, he said, ‘We will have to
give Parashurama a valid reason for you to go to Roopkund. For
that, we need to know who you are and why you’re so desperate
to leave. Please, tell us what happened after you were detached
from Nagendra.’

‘His name wasn’t Nagendra then.’

‘What do you mean his name was not Nagendra?’

To answer that, Om continued.

‘Once he was detached from my body, and I was acquitted of all

his deeds, he was held captive, but the villagers did not know
what to do with him. There was no concept of death sentences
back then, so executing him was not an option. I was instructed
not to be around him, not even see him from a distance and I
agreed to never visit him. Eventually, they told me he was kept
inside a dry well, covered with a lid that had a hole in it. Every
day, they threw in some vegetables, fruits and other food
through the hole, which was also the only source of air and
water for him. Once, I had heard some men talking about his
cravings for flesh and his pleas for a small chunk of meat every
day.

‘Sunlight never reached the bottom of the deep well. Once every
fortnight, he was drawn out with handcuffs and bound in thick
chains to be given a bath, followed by a change of clothes, before
being suspended back in his prison. However, it wasn’t easy
because every time he was brought out, he either attacked
someone or pleaded stubbornly to see me. But neither of his
requests was honoured by the people in charge.
‘Weeks turned to months that eventually became years, and
never once did I see him again. Nibhisha and I carried on with
our lives but found it difficult to forget him. He had made it
hellish when he was within me, yet there had been a lingering
sense of incompleteness ever since we had been detached,
which never allowed me to lead a normal life again. It was like a
childhood trauma that has sucha lasting impact on one’s
personality that it leaves bruises of permanent side effects for
the rest of one’s life.

‘I knew that expecting a normal life, with marriage and

children, was out of the question for me. Hence, I chose to
dedicate myself to the welfare of my village and fellow warriors.
I decided to become everything that my big, joint family would
ever want me to be. With all the knowledge and combat skills I
had acquired, I became the guide who led and protected them.
While I was busy paving the way for the betterment of my
people, no one ever imagined that he was digging a tunnel with
his bare hands through the wall of the well, connecting it to the
Tamirabarani river, which was nearly 8.1 kilometres away from
the village.

“Devdhwaja! We took him out for a wash and he says he has

some vital information to share, and that he will only share it
with you,” said one of the men who was assigned to take him
out and put him back after the fortnightly chores, when he
came to visit me.

“He has done this several times. He’s only deluding you.
Everybody knows he has nothing to offer. Go back and please
carry on with your task,” I replied casually.

“Deva! I don’t think he is bluffing this time. I think he really has

something to say.”
‘Thonoured his instincts and decided to see him. I could never
have imagined the impact of imprisonment that time had left
on him. It was worse than expected. His hair was a long, tangled
mess that went a little beyond his hips. His beard was another
dishevelled bush that reached his abdomen. His teeth were
rotting, and he drooled like a starving beast. Though he had
never left my mind since the day of filtration, it was still a
daunting experience to bear his presence even after so many
years. I naturally kept my distance while his frail yet
mysteriously strong frame was trying to reach me tirelessly.

“You wanted to tell me something?” I asked, willing myself to

look at him.

‘He suddenly stopped struggling and stood motionless for a few

seconds before replying, “Yes!”

“What is it about?”

“About the most important chapter of your life.” “Most

important chapter? And what is it according to you—my most
important chapter?”

“Your death!” he replied with a cynical smile. “And I know who

is going to bring it to you!” he added confidently.

‘By now, I knew it was nothing but another hopeless trick to

seek attention, but I continued talking to him.

“Who would that be?”

“That will be the most important person in your life. Me!” he

beamed with joy.
‘Tlooked at the man who had come to fetch me, claiming how
certain he was that Nagendra had something important to say.
He simply hung his head low in a silent apology.

“Put him back,” I ordered him.

“You are going to die, and I am the one who is going to kill you
and your unique pet who once belonged to me too!” he
screamed as he was dragged back towards the well, his voice
echoing for a moment in the air, affirming his declaration. “I
will devour your flesh for days after killing you! I lived inside
you for so many years and I will pay your debt by absorbing
you! I will eat you piece by piece.

“T will kill you one day, and that day is not too far now. Do you
understand that? I warn you today! Don’t blame me later for not
letting you know!” His body was chained but his voice was not.
He was right; he had warned me then and was thrown back in
the well. And I made the biggest mistake of my life by not
taking his words seriously.

‘The same day, a man came to our village seeking help. He

looked weak and had a turban wrapped. around his head. He
knew a lot about Nibhisha and me, and of our capabilities as
fighters. He told me about a word that was part of some verse
and that it was a piece of the key.

“Key? But where is the door?” I asked suspiciously.

“J don’t know. I am just a messenger. All 1 know is that it’s a

one-way door and souls can be trapped there to restrict them
from entering the earth. It can only be opened with the key and
I hold only a piece of it.”
‘The key was made up of words, but the door was unknown. He
was ordered to deliver that word to someone in the Himalayas
and he needed my help to take it to its rightful recipient safely.

‘asked him what the word was and expected him to say it aloud
but to my wonder, he only showed it to me. He took off his
turban and exposed his bald head, which was radiating a
mystical glow, emanating magical colours of neon turquoise,
bright saffron and even electric red. Everything was so bright
that his head was glowing golden in the dark. The word was in
the form of an energy chakra inside his head that I had never
seen before. He said that he would tell me only if it was
absolutely necessary.

“What are you afraid of?” I asked.

“The disciples of Guru Shukracharya. They will do anything to

take it from me,” replied the man.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Messengers don’t have names. Their names and identities are

always just messengers. Only the face behind that identity
changes,” he answered humbly.

‘As the messenger continued to explain, my mother overheard

our conversation. He knew about Nagendra and mein great
detail and his words validated his purpose of coming to me.
Sensing credibility to his actions, my mother signalled me to
instruct the warriors to prepare for the messenger’s ultimate
destination.

‘The mission was important and the cause was pious, so I

agreed to help him deliver the word. We planned to leave on the
full moon, which was only a few nights away. Those were also
his last nights inside the well. We packed our food and weapons
and familiarized ourselves with the challenges that we might
face on the way in the upcoming days. Deep inside the well, he
had dug the last phase of his tunnel to escape. Nibhisha, my
warriors and I bid farewell to our village and left for the
Himalayas on that full moon night.’

As Om went deeper into the narration of his past, in the

submerged Dwarka, Parimal had returned to the submarine and
was taking off his gear.

‘Where did Nagendra disappear?’ he asked, and LSD took him to

the control room with all the communication equipment and
monitors that displayed the live visuals of what Nagendra was
seeing. Parimal saw that Nagendra was safe and on his way back
to the submarine. The monitor also showed the distance
between Nagendra and the submarine. The estimated time of
his arrival read 36 minutes on the monitor. They had acquired
one more word. Nagendra was one more step closer to his
destination and LSD had completed one more month of her
pregnancy.

Looking at the visual, Parimal asked, ‘What are they trying to

achieve and who brought them together?”

The question he had asked LSD was answered. by Nagendra,

which took Parimal by surprise. ‘Devdhwaja’s death brought us
together!’ the familiar voice of his boss blared through the
speakers of the room. Parimal did not realize that Nagendra
could hear him, just the way he could hear LSD when he was in
the deep well with Nagendra.
‘The mother of your child does not have an answer to your
question, and I believe she, too, has been wondering how I met
Shukracharya. Am I right, LSD?’

LSD looked at Parimal but did not answer Nagendra. ‘Oh! My

love! You don’t have to ask anything from me. I shall gift you
everything before you demand it. After all, you love me. This
long walk would seem shorter while talking to the both of you.’

‘Parimal, do you remember what I said in Roopkund when we

reached in search of the second word?’ continued Nagendra.

‘Yes! I do. You said, “The thought of a new life at the very place
where you had killed a few so-called good men is strangely
pleasant.”

‘Exactly! I said that because if you had died at the hands of that
big replica of Hanuman or the skeletons or the avalanche, your
death wouldn’t have been the first for me to witness at
Roopkund,’ said Nagendra.

‘Being inside that well made me feel nostalgic today. It brought

back all the vengeful memories and revived the rage and hatred
for Devdhwaja that had been dormant within me. I spent years
of my life inside that stinking, dingy, muddy well, all because of
them!’ It was evident in his every movement—Parimal and LSD
could tell how vengeance was coursing through Nagendra.

‘Thad no track of time inside that shadowy pit, and I still have
no idea how many years it took me to dig that tunnel with my
bare hands to escape. It was a full-moon night when I emerged
from that well through that tunnel. I walked back to the village,
bent upon killing every man, woman and child; to just behead
them, leave behind the heaps of their heads and headless
corpses for Devdhwaja like a puzzle to be solved—which head
belonged to which body? Then, eventually, I would kill him. I
knew that the soldiers of the village, led by Devdhwaja, were to
be identified and killed first while they were asleep so that by
sunrise, when the villagers would realize the atrocity that had
struck them, they would have nobody to protect them. Then,
they would be at my mercy.

‘Determined to put my plan into action, I cautiously entered the

village, escaping the moon’s light. However, I was astounded to
see that many things as I remembered them had changed
completely. The houses, the roads, everything. I could feel peace
and harmony in the silent breeze of the night. No soldiers were
patrolling the paths, which infuriated me further. It felt as
though they were mocking me by showing just how perfect
their lives were without me.

‘But there was one thing that I always wanted to change which
stubbornly remained the same— the matriarchy of that village.
Those spineless men were still being ordered by their women. I
silently entered a house, found a sharp piece of iron kept in a
corner and slit their throats one by one. It was a blacksmith’s
house.

‘Then, I went to the next house. A woman was fast asleep beside
her two infant daughters. I grabbed one of the sleeping girls and
that woke the mother. She snapped her eyes open, but before
she could scream, I gave her a look that was enough to explain
what would happen if she would let out a whimper. She didn’t
even know what to call me because that inconsiderate
Devdhwaja and his people never gave me another name. My
name was not Nagendra back then. The name that once used to
be mine as well, now solely belonged to Om. I wanted
everything back from him; my name, my face, my identity, my
power, my life, and for him to return what was rightfully mine,
he had to die.

‘They did not kill me because ending another life in Satya yuga
was beyond anybody’s imagination; but not for me. I already
had blood on my hands and tongue, and I loved its colour and
taste. I asked the woman for the whereabouts of the soldiers.
She told me that most of them had left the village a short while
ago and were travelling to the series of Himalayas on a mission
to deliver a man. Tracking them would have been impossible if I
had let them go too far ahead. My hatred for Devdhwaja saved
the rest of the village because nothing was more important to
me than taking my body back from him. I left immediately and
started walking northwards on the same night—of course, after
killing the mother and packing both the infants as my meal for
the road. Do you think that was the first-ever female
infanticide? I sure think so.

‘Anyway, it did not take me many days to find their convoy. If

you want to go fast, go solo, but if you want to go far, go
together. The bigger, the heavier, the slower. He had to go far to
reach the Himalayas and I had to go fast to reach him. The
smaller, the lighter, the faster. It took me only a few days to
track them and then started the series of deaths on the way to
the Himalayas. They were many and so, facing them upfront
would be foolish. That’s why I followed them like a shadow, and
every time I found anyone from his convoy alone, he died a
lonely death. Nobody knew who was hunting them down till
the night everyone reached Roopkund. Now you know why
your death wouldn’t have been the first one that I would have
witnessed at Roopkund. Remember the skeletons protecting the
word that had attacked us? They were all murdered by me.’
Parimal and LSD exchanged bewildered looks while Nagendra
continued talking and walking, weighed down by the heavy
underwater gear.

‘The destination they were planning to reach was only a few

weeks away, but before that, they had reached their final
destination—death. Approximately two hours before dawn
broke, when the darkness was my ally, I started killing the few
remaining men as they rested peacefully at Roopkund. I killed
many of them in their sleep and most of them died a silent
death before they could even realize what had happened. But
unfortunately, one of them yelped right before dying and the
last four men, including Devdhwaja and the messenger, were
woken up.’

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 5

Messengers Have Names

Back at Kailash, Om pleaded one more time with Ashwatthama.
‘I will be back in no time, even before Parashurama’s return. In
fact, if you wish, you can come along to ensure that I am not
causing any harm or changing anything,’

Ashwatthama knew that whatever the reason was, he could not

allow Om to leave. At the same time, he did not want to be rude
to Om because, over the past few months, they had learnt a lot
about each other and thus, developed a respectful bond.

So, to resolve his dilemma, Ashwatthama asked, ‘Why do you

want to go to Roopkund?”

‘Because I was killed in Roopkund!’ Om’s answer piqued

Ashwatthama’s curiosity. Om continued. ‘After walking for
months and covering the large span between southern India
and the Himalayas, we finally arrived at Roopkund.

‘On our way, we encountered many asuras who tried to stop us.
We fought bravely as a team and killed them all but also lost
many of our warriors. While we were getting closer to our
destination and the asuras continued to create more hurdles
through their attacks, there was someone who was hunting us
down wherever possible, stealthily following us like a shadow.
At one point, there were only a handful of people left, but our
greatest weapon was still standing. The most invincible of all—
Nibhisha.

‘The night was about to end when his final hunt began. We were
a total of nine men at Roopkund, including the messenger.

‘Upon hearing the piercing screams of one of us, we woke up

instantly. We lit our fire torches to check on our fellow men but,
unfortunately, found most of them lying dead. Five of our men
were killed in their sleep and the last one had managed to alert
us. We were now reduced to four, including me and the
messenger, standing in the red snow drenched in the gross
bloodbath of our warriors.

‘All we could think of was, who could be behind this mass

murder?

‘I called out to Nibhisha and in the next instant, I saw one of my

warriors being dragged in the dark, right in front of my eyes. I
was the only one left to protect the messenger as the last
warrior ran behind the dragged one to rescue him. My call was
answered when Nibhisha, my most trusted and powerful
friend, came into action. I was now confident that whoever
showed up, no matter how strong, would be defeated. Dawn
was about to break but before that, the murderer revealed
himself. I was flabbergasted and couldn’t understand how it
was possible.

‘I saw myself standing in front of me again. The disturbing sight

sent shivers down my spine.
‘He looked like a walking corpse, appearing so horrendous that
even a demon would look civilized —rotten teeth, dishevelled
and clumpy overgrown hair, long and filthy nails, and clad in
bloodstained, ragged clothes. I had never been so afraid of
anybody before but looking at that version of myself made me
realize just how important it is to not lose control of one’s self. 1
knew I had no control over him.

‘He had been cruel since our childhood, but this time, the
outrage and hatred he carried in his eyes against me seemed
stronger than Nibhisha’s prowess. The air felt heavy and
unpleasant when Nibhisha found him standing there. It was so
insensitive. The traumatic flashes of the past still occupied a
part of Nibhisha’s memory. I sensed fear in her body language
and saw the pain in her eyes. She didn’t know how to separate
the two identities standing right in front of her because, for her,
we were not two, but one.

‘He said, “You were unfair to me at our last meeting and have
been the same ever since we were separated. You could never
prove your supremacy above me and yet, I was punished. Just
because you did not have the spine to stand up for yourself, you
let me rot in that dark pit and got everything including my
share of happiness and affection. You took it all!

“T kept wondering in the dark—on what grounds you were

proven better than me! Perhaps, today, I will get all my answers.
I don’t want to kill this messenger or this imbecile pet of yours.
They are not my enemies. Fight me fairly if you wish to see
them alive.”

“Promise me you will let them go even if you win this fight and
kill me.” I tried to get assurance for their safety.
“Tf?” he taunted and rolled his eyes.

“Okay! I promise that I will let them go after I beat you. They are
free to go after that. Then I will chop your head off and take it
back to your people and show them how it will end for anybody
who will ever stand against me. Then, they will know.” Though
he didn’t laugh like a demon, his words were vile enough.

‘I turned to Nibhisha. Despite being so massive, wild and fierce,

she seemed innocent, gloomy, frightened and fragile. I cuddled
her and caressed her as she reciprocated by rubbing her neck
against me as usual.

“Keep heading north, it’s not too far any more. Nibhisha will
help you,” I said to the messenger. He still stood with his turban
on, hiding his bright glowing head.

‘I turned towards him and drew my sword while he picked up

the sword of a dead warrior. I had a presumption that I might
not win this smallest one-to-one bout, but I never thought that
what I was about to fight would be the biggest war of my life.
We were equals on every front. Our fighting skills were the
same, so were our strengths and weaknesses, as were our
moves. The difference between us was the rules of the fight and
the rage he had against me. “Ethics” was beaten down to merely
a word and that’s when he turned everything ugly and lethal.

‘Nibhisha and the messenger stood afar as spectators while we

battled each other with fresh wounds that bled uncontrollably.
Apparently, that’s the result of good and evil fighting to coexist
inside a body.

‘His arms swung restlessly in attack as his hatred fuelled his

aggression. I kept defending myself because I did not want to
kill him. This went on for a while but eventually came to a point
where his movements became a little lethargic. I took the
opportunity to amplify my impact on his sword. All I wanted
was for him to drop his sword and accept defeat, but with the
way he was fuming with rage, he would rather die than be
defeated. A moment came when I, too, lost my composure and
unceasingly bashed my sword against his until it snapped in
half. A broken sword was considered a sign of defeat and he
knew it well. This was supposed to be the end of it—he ought to
have accepted his fall with the broken sword in his tired hands.
I saw the sense of acceptance on his face that he had lost. I
stopped and turned towards Nibhisha. She came close and
started licking my wounds, trying to comfort me. By then, the
morning rays were growing brighter, slowly overpowering the
dark sky. I was exhausted and closed my eyes for a moment,
panting in relief. Suddenly, I heard Nibhisha growling and I
instantly opened my eyes. I turned my head to see that he had
the broken sword against the messenger’s neck, looking at me
with his ferocious eyes.

“What would you prefer? This messenger’s death or another

round of fighting?” he asked.

‘I straightened my shoulders and tightened the grip on my

sword. He got his answer. I was ready to fight.

“No! Not the sword. You have practised with weapons well
enough while I was in that dar! pit. We fight without any
weapons this time,” he sneered, still holding the edge of the
broken sword to the messenger’s neck.

“You don’t have to do this. You promised that you would let
them go,” I reminded him.
‘Nibhisha continued to growl at him and hearing that, he
loosened his grip on the messenger and said, “You growl at me,
huh?”

“Devdhwaja! I will let him go only if you punish her for

growling at me.”

‘Helplessly, I looked at Nibhisha. She was aware that all the

asuras she had fought till now had been to safeguard the
messenger. She and I knew that the entire purpose would be
defeated if the messenger died. Too many people had already
martyred themselves to protect the messenger. If he were to die,
it would nullify our dead warriors’ bravery and sacrifice. So I
was compelled to do whatever it took to save the messenger. I
dropped my sword.

“Tell her to turn into stone and remain that way till you call out
her name again and free her.”

‘I stood there frozen. How could I punish Nibhisha so

inhumanly when she had always been so loyal and ready to die
for me?

‘Unbothered by my dilemma, he pushed the sharp edge of the

broken sword further into the messenger’s neck till it created a
slight gash that began to bleed. I turned to Nibhisha and looked
at her affectionately. She, too, looked at me in sad agreement, as
if she knew we were out of choices. We held each other’s gaze
and she allowed me to sin by commanding her to turn herself
into a lifeless rock. I caressed her face and cuddled her, bidding
her farewell.

“T will soon call your name, my dear. Your time shall stand still
till you live your deserved span and die a natural death.”
‘Looking into my eyes, Nibhisha curled up on the ground
swiftly. One by one, her body parts, once heavy with vigour,
slowly turned into a rock. Her last stare was as if she said, “I
trust you, my friend, and I know you will bring me back soon.”

‘Watching my precious and only friend turn to stone boiled my

blood. I turned back to the one whose command I had to follow
unwillingly. The wrath coursing through me now was my fuel
to defeat him again in this hand-to-hand combat.

‘He dropped the broken sword and freed the messenger. We

charged at each other and the moment he was within my reach,
I flung my arm and punched his face. He returned a punch on
the side of my rib-cage. While my punch didn’t even scratch his
face, my side, where he had hit me, began to ooze blood. I then
realized that he had the tip of a broken arrow hidden between
his fingers, and that’s what had stabbed my flesh, inflicting a
deep cut. The wound was below the right side of my ribs,
making it difficult for me to even pick up the sword and attack. I
was fighting hard to defeat him so that I could capture him and
drag him back alive, but he was stronger now and fighting even
harder to kill me. He picked up the sword and came charging
towards me. Intending to help, the messenger intervened and
tried to stop him, but was no match or his strength. In the blink
of an eye, he cut off the messenger’s arm and sprinted towards
me again. I picked up the sword somehow, but both of us knew
that I had already lost due to his pointed punch of betrayal on
my ribs. He then stabbed my thighs, and I crumbled to the
ground. AsI screamed in pain, he caught my tongue, stretched it
out and slit it off in a single motion.

‘He went back to the messenger, looked at me and said, “I know

the biggest pain I can give you is to show you how you’ve
broken your promise. Your mission of keeping this man safe,
whatever his name is, and delivering him to wherever he was
supposed to reach has failed. You’ve promised Nibhisha that
you will call out for her very soon, but I have your tongue now,
and so you won’t be able to fulfill that either. Never. That’s
another failure. You told your villagers that you would be back.
But alas, you won’t be returning to your people and they will
never know how you died. Once more, you failed.

“And now this messenger must die. Any last words to your
helpless dying protector, Mr Messenger?” he taunted.

‘The messenger was writhing in pain and with tear-filled eyes,

he said, “You wanted to know my name before we left your
village. My name is Nagendra. Thank you, Devdhwaja, for
helping me this far.”

‘The messenger sat on his knees and closed his eyes. He held the
messenger’s forehead, showed him the sky and then slowly
swayed his neck. The messenger struggled to breathe till he
died. I remained a helpless and apologetic witness to his
assassination. While I was looking at the dying messenger, he
rejoiced at the sight of my feeble state, considering it a reward
for his victory.

‘And before I could comprehend all that had happened or

predict what would happen next, he lunged at me. He raised his
sword and stabbed me repeatedly in my stomach. With each
thrust, he vented his frustration pent up over the past years, all
the while delighting in my slow, excruciating death. My eyes
closed eventually, and I was dead. His was the last face I had
seen.’
‘He loathed you so much that he did not hesitate to kill you.
Then why did he take you to Dhanvantari to resurrect you?’
asked Ashwatthama.

Back in the submarine, Nagendra had returned and continued

his story while taking off all his gear.

‘After I killed Devdhwaja, I felt like a conqueror, but physically, I

felt very weak all of a sudden, as if someone was slowly sucking
the life out of me. I fell on my knees due to my degenerating
strength. That’s when Shukracharya emerged before me for the
first time.’

‘But the question still remains!’ Mrs Batra interrupted. ‘What’s

the connection between Shukracharya and Nagendra? How did
they form an alliance and for what?”

‘This is exactly what Parimal wanted to know next, and

Nagendra continued to explain,’ Prithvi said, and Mrs Batra
nodded, asking him to go on.

‘I didn’t know that one of us could not survive without the

other, that killing Devdhwaja would be killing myself. Yet, I
hated him so much that I was ready to die after defeating him. I
closed my eyes and was ready to accept my fate when
Shukracharya showed up as a saviour and guide.

“Who are you?” I asked

“Tam the one who is going to save you from the death you have
summoned for yourself by killing Devdhwaja.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and Devdhwaja were meant to be one. Your bodies were
separated, but your destinies were not. Your birth and death
meant not two but one for the God of death—Yamraj. So, by
killing him, you have not only reduced your strength and
capacities but also brought your life to an end. It’s just a matter
of time now till death consumes you too. Your death, without
Devdhwaja’s life, is inevitable. After all, the God of death is also
accountable and so he will set his accounts straight soon.”

“You said that you are the one who is going to save me. How and
why?” I asked.

“Tam Shukracharya. All the asuras sent to hinder Devdhwaja’s

path to stop the messenger were my protégés and all of them
lost. I wanted to abduct the messenger and bring him over to
my side before he reached Dhanvantari.”

“Dhanvantari?”

‘Looking at Devdhwaja’s body lying beside the messenger’s body

in agony, he replied, “Yes! The demigod in the Himalayas who is
compiling all the nine words that once strung together will
become the key to open the door far in the southern end of the
land. But now you have killed the messenger and paved the way
to your death by killing Devdhwaja too. You have ruined my
plan along with your petty, purposeless life, and now you are
going to make it right for both of us,” Shukracharya seethed at
me.

“How can I rectify anything now? They are both dead,” I replied

“Now you will take the identity of the messenger and drag
Devdhwaja to Dhanvantari, where he will resurrect Devdhwaja
so that you may live longer. Till then, I will work as your life
support and keep you covered in the blanket of life, hidden from
the eyes of the God of death,” replied Shukracharya.

“And why will you do that for me?” I asked.

‘He looked at me with conviction and bringing his face closer to

mine, he spoke in a low yet stern tone. “Because you did what
none of my protégés could do. They were more powerful than
you but none of them could kill Devdhwaja and bring the
messenger to me. It’s rare to find cruelty and evil in humans on
earth in Satya yuga. And since all that is rare is precious, you are
precious.

“You have more to demand from the world and offer me by

standing alive than by falling dead.

Also, you will live because you must compensate for the loss
you’ve caused me by killing the messenger who would have
brought me the books of Mrit Sanjeevani, which Dhanvantari
was going to write after this messenger brought him the word.
Now, I will keep you alive until Dhanvantari resurrects
Devdhwaja, and you will bring me the books as soon as
Dhanvantari completes them so that I can have all the nine
words to open the keyless door.”

‘Ijust wanted to live, so I said, “But I don’t know anything about

the messenger and the word he carried. Whoever Dhanvantari
is, he is waiting for the word this messenger was travelling
with, according to you. How do you expect me to tell him the
word?”

‘Shukracharya uncovered the dead messenger’s head by

removing his turban and the radiant, mystical hues of neon
turquoise, bright saffron and electric red glowed, expanding
into a small bubble that engulfed us in its glow. But soon, it
began to dim. That was the last time it radiated before the
magical colours turned completely dark.

“T can read the word that hides beneath it but cannot extract
it,” said Shukracharya and sat with the dead body for a few
minutes. He closed his eyes and suddenly, the dimming light of
the messenger’s head turned completely black.

‘Shukracharya’s eyes snapped open as he said, “Anadi!”

“This word will help you enter Dhanvantari’s closed doors. They
are waiting for him, and they know his name,” Shukracharya
said confidently.

“Nagendra!” I said.

“What?” asked Shukracharya.

“Right before he died, he told Devdhwaja his name and I heard

it. His name was Nagendra,” I answered, looking at the dead
messenger.

“Ts Nagendra!” Shukracharya corrected me. I frowned and

Shukracharya explained.

“For them, he is not dead. He is alive and his name is Nagendra.

Your name is Nagendra from today onwards and you are the
messenger carrying the word ‘Anadi!”

“Why would Dhanvantari resurrect Devdhwaja?” Iasked

Shukracharya.

“He will do that in exchange for the word that you’ll give him.
You will bargain and he will have to agree,” Shukracharya
assured me, but I still had my doubts.

“Has he done it before? Bringing someone back from the dead?”

“No! But he knows that he can. After all, he was the one who
brought Amrit, the nectar of immortality, to the gods from the
depths of the ocean during the Samudra Manthan, when Lord
Vishnu had incarnated himself as a turtle named Kurma.”
Shukracharya didn’t hesitate because he was certain of
Dhanvantari’s abilities.

‘Why didn’t Shukracharya resurrect Devdhwaja himself?’ Mrs

Batra asked.

‘Because Shukracharya’s powers were limited to bringing back

to life only asuras. Unfortunately, Devdhwaja was not like me,’
replied Prithvi.

‘What happened next?’ asked Mrs Batra.

Nagendra continued, ‘I tied both his legs and dragged him all
the way from Roopkund to the camp of Dhanvantari in the
Himalayas. I fed on Devdhwaja’s body parts in bits and pieces to
keep myself energized and warm. His face was eaten away by
frostbite and the rest of him was no better from being dragged
upside down over rocks and through the snow. By the time I
reached Dhanvantari, it was impossible to gauge what he had
looked like before he had died and so, nobody could identify the
resemblance between the one being dragged and the one
dragging’

Nagendra paused for a moment and suddenly threw a fit of

rage, bellowing at the top of his voice. He pointed an aggressive
finger towards his face and turned to Parimal.
‘This is our real face! Since then, I have been the only one with
this face. I am the real Devdhwaja, not Om” he panted before
gathering himself and continuing, ‘With Shukracharya’s
guidance, I found Dhanvantari in the series of Himalayas where
I first met her, the love of my life’ Nagendra smiled crookedly,
pointing towards LSD.

He signalled LSD to come closer and gave her a passionate kiss.

LSD at Dhanvantari’s camp! thought a confused Parimal. It did
not make any sense to him but he was just a helpless spectator
and LSD, a married, four-month-pregnant woman, was more of
an embarrassed victim. Both hopeless puppets looked at each
other.

‘Get out now. I need to rest,’ Nagendra ordered Parimal.

Parimal bowed to his owner and left the room feeling

emotionally bruised, heartbroken and wondering what
Nagendra meant by meeting the love of his life at Dhanvantari’s
camp.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 6

The Fractured Past

While Nagendra was back inside the submarine, Parashurama
had arrived at the coast of Gujarat where the disastrous
tsunami was closing in. It had already swallowed several
electric poles, vehicles and uprooted trees swirled in the
inevitable whirlpool, as it grew bigger and taller at the seabed.
People were running helter-skelter, and a stampede began as
they desperately looked around for shelter trying to rescue their
families and secure their belongings. Local authorities, the
coast guard and disaster management forces had been deployed
to rescue lives. The stormy wind was propelling everything in
every direction, unleashing chaos never seen before. The rising
water level was only a fraction of a second away from engulfing
the beautiful coastline of Gujarat. Parashurama was running
out of time!

He closed his eyes to concentrate and evoked a massive bow and

arrow called the Sailastra. This powerful arrow was the counter
to Vayuvyastra —the wind weapon. The Sailastra was mighty
enough to calm the heavy winds immediately. As soon as
Parashurama released the arrow, it surged with the energy of a
thunderbolt, ripping through the wind and darting straight for
the tsunami at an unimaginable speed. The blazing arrow
pierced the gigantic whirlpool and the sight was supernatural.
It was a war between lightning and water where the lightning
emerging from a single arrow had tied the wind shut,
overpowered the majestic sea and softened its harsh waves.

Thousands of lives were saved that day by an old stranger. The

eyewitnesses gave their own definitions of the man they had
seen and all of them sounded like imaginary, man-made tales,
like the stories people had shared when they had spotted
Vrishkapi flying a few months ago. Eventually, it became yet
another failed trial of restoring mankind’s faith in mysteries,
magic and the Almighty.

Inside the submarine, LSD went to check on Parimal while

Nagendra was asleep. Parimal’s curiosity was becoming
unbearable and LSD could feel that in every squirm.

‘Ask whatever you want to, Parimal,’ said LSD, and Parimal
bombarded her with his questions as expected.

‘We sail in the same boat, me carrying the boon of a lineage

bound with a curse to serve him and you, a soul serving in
exchange for the sworn salvation. I told you everything about
me, but I am still getting answers in bits and pieces. What more
must I do to gain your trust?”

‘I trust you, Parimal, LSD said softly.

‘Oh! Do you, really?’ He glared at her. ‘You were LSD for me on

Ross Island while we were interrogating Om.’ Parimal was
struggling to suppress his anger as he kept panting and pausing
to maintain his composure and keep his voice low. ‘At my
mansion, just before we got married, you told me your name
was Latika. When Nagendra died at Kuldhara and we returned
with his dead body, I learnt that all the animals my ancestors
ever had as their pets were you in different incarnations.’
Parimal stopped himself from saying the next sentence but the
way one can’t hold one’s breath for long, it flew out of his mouth
despite his efforts.

‘And now I come to know that you and Nagendra are soulmates!
What are you really? Who are you?’

‘Tam a captive soul who is transferred from one body to another

for salvation that was once promised to me but never granted.’
LSD braced herself while she tried explaining everything to
Parimal.

‘Lasked you a straight question and I expect a straight answer.’

Parimal’s blank face and stern gaze were something LSD had
never seen. She held her stare with his and began answering
him bluntly so that his agony could be put to rest.

‘Everything started at the end of Satya yuga in the Himalayas

when Nagendra showed up uninvited at Dhanvantari’s camp
one day. He somehow found our camp and came with a dead
body that he had dragged along from God knows where. He
looked exactly as you see him now after his resurrection; he was
a handsome sight to behold, he looked aggressive but was calm
in his words and his politeness disguised his purpose of coming
to Dhanvantari.

‘The dead body he had dragged all the way was tied at the legs.
His face was unrecognizable from bearing the brunt of being
dragged along the uneven surfaces along the mountain trail. He
was frostbitten all over. The corpse’s skull was mutilated in
many places and appeared to have been treated by some
amateur, kept in shape till it reached Dhanvantari’s camp. Most
of his blood had drained out of the several wounds he had, and
whatever remained was frozen in his veins. That was the first
time I had seen him.

‘Although he looked unusual and different from all the others

present, there was something in Nagendra that spoke about the
calibre and persona he had acquired. He looked ragged but still,
my eyes were stuck on him. His slender yet well-built body and
sharp features were contradicting the expression he had when
he arrived. Just like the way Nagendra looked was different from
the way I saw him, I too had unusual fantasies and hidden
desires that were completely different from the others in the
camp. Maybe that’s the reason when our eyes met, I felt like
something was changing in me. Before I could realize it, a
stranger had become my entire universe in a single moment.’

‘You were one of those ten sages chosen by Dhanvantari!’

Parimal gasped in realization as the story headed back to
Dhanvantari’s camp.

LSD continued, ‘Yes! I was. Nagendra was a stranger and no one

knew anything about him. The sages were not ready to share
their huts with him. Each hut was accommodated by a pair of
sages and my partner was Sushrut.’

‘Devdrath!’ Parimal’s eyes widened as he tried to cope with

another dropped bomb. He knew who Devdrath was. He had
seen how Devdrath looked in the brain mapping process when
Om had narrated his story during the interrogation at Ross
Island, and the team was able to see Om’s memories exactly
how he remembered them.

‘Knowing how accommodating and welcoming Sushrut was, I

offered Nagendra a place to stay with me. Sushrut did not object
to my proposal and that’s how Nagendra entered my hut and
my life.

‘Our days began with Dhanvantari’s teachings, and after that,

we had ample time for ourselves.

‘Sushrut, being Dhanvantari’s best prodigy already, was always

busy with him as they would experiment on the dead body
Nagendra had brought. Nagendra and I started spending our
leisure time together. We would go off to collect dry wood to
cook and accumulate other things necessary for survival, which
took us into and around the mountain. This gave us a lot of time
to spend together. By now, he could gauge that I was head over
heels in love with him. He also knew that I would never express
my feelings because it was considered wrong for a man to fall in
love with another man, especially for someone like me, who
had given up all worldly desires, materialistic pleasures and
societal life, and had taken an oath to dedicate my life to serving
mankind. I was a man who would probably never accept his
own truth explicitly.

‘However, soon, everything would change. One day, when we

were on our usual trail to procure daily resources, Nagendra
nabbed the opportunity, cornered me in a cave and broke all my
shackles!

‘Until then, I was a brahmachari, a celibate. I had complete

control over my body and mind through years of practice. I had
voluntarily restricted myself from any sort of toxic elements or
distracting thoughts. The efforts to be celibate were intentional
because I was focused on empowering and motivating
individuals, and serving people. I was following the path of
Brahma and there was no looking back, until that day.
‘In the dim corner of that cave, we trespassed all boundaries.
His gentle touch flooded me with a wave of excitement, and I
submitted myself to the currents of my newly discovered
emotions. We made love like there was no tomorrow.

‘Soon, I started believing that Nagendra had travelled all the

way to the camp after battling such extreme conditions only for
me, that the dead body he carried along was merely a medium
for our union.

‘Being Sushrut’s hut-mate, sometimes we too assisted

Dhanvantari as his second and third assistants and slowly
gained his trust. Though Dhanvantari and Sushrut worked on
the dead body rigorously day and night, we weren’t informed of
their progress. Most of the work happened only in Dhanvantari
and Sushrut’s presence. On the days we were not assisting
Dhanvantari, we would spend the nights in each other’s arms.
We had our future mapped out for when we would leave the
Himalayas.

‘On one hand, I just wanted to attain salvation from the circle of
life and death but Nagendra was desperate to open some door
and rule the world. He never told me what he meant by the
door, whether it was real or just a metaphor, and neither did I
insist that he tell me. He was a man of few words and never
shared much about his background or whereabouts. I, too,
never probed much as I thought he was not comfortable talking
about his past. Besides, I knew it was never easy for people like
us to open up about our lives and for me, what mattered the
most was the present I was living in, with the love of my life,
above a silent mountain surrounded by thick layers of snow.

‘Everything was perfect till Dhanvantari and Sushrut succeeded

in reviving the dead body. I was there with Nagendra and
Sushrut in the hut when he came back to his senses and opened
his eyes for the first time.

‘His body was covered in stitches and healing bruises. His bald
head showed scars from the dreadful battle. One of his eye
sockets had melted and the other had a dark patch. His right ear
was missing. His face was still dilapidated, and it was terrifying
to see his demon-like appearance.

‘The man was named Mrityunjay after his revival, meaning

victory over death.

‘Everything I knew about Nagendra changed drastically that

day. He seemed angry all the time, frowning, fiddling and
speaking in bitter tones. He hated Mrityunjay, though
Mrityunjay was just a kid at heart, and knew nothing about his
past and the real world. All he knew were the sages he was
growing up with.

‘We were his family, his whole world.

‘I tried to talk to Nagendra several times about what was

bothering him, but he never expressed himself. Yet, despite
everything, our love continued to grow, but with that also grew
my fear towards him and his changed behaviour.

‘After resurrecting Mrityunjay, Sushrut learnt medical practices

with us all day and when night fell, Dhanvantari called him to
his hut to compile his dictations in the process of creating
Mrityunjay. Rumours were floating in the camp that even some
demigods visited Dhanvantari at night to bless him with
powers. Whenever Sushrut left the hut to visit Dhanvantari,
and Mrityunjay would be deep in his slumber like a baby, I
noticed that Nagendra would also leave the hut and return after
many hours. I wanted to confront him, but could never gather
the nerve, because not only was I afraid of him but also loved
him too much to upset him.

‘Thad grown rather possessive and wasn’t willing to share him

with anyone. This fear had sprouted because of the suspicion
that there might be someone else that he loved. So, one night, I
silently followed him. It was such a relief to realize that I was
wrong when I saw him sitting outside Dhanvantari’s hut alone.

‘Then, one night, after we made love and lay comfortably in

each other’s embrace, I asked Nagendra why he sat outside
Dhanvantari’s hut every night.

‘He said he did that to eavesdrop on some words that he had

come so far for, but it seemed that nature was against him.
Sometimes, the wind blew past, whistling too loudly as
Dhanvantari spoke, and sometimes, the wolves howled and the
words he wanted to hear would be drowned out by these noises.

‘After becoming aware of his hidden motive, I felt foolish to

have so earnestly believed that the universe had conspired to
bring us together.

‘I thought I had more time with him in the Himalayas to get to

know him better, but soon came the day when Dhanvantari
ordered all the sages to go back to their provinces and impart
the knowledge they’d learnt from him. This announcement was
unanticipated and none of us were ready for it. Dhanvantari
then ordered Nagendra and me to prepare the feast before
everyone parted. Still, I was excited to move ahead and show
him my world and see where he came from. After we would
leave the camp, I was ready to go with him wherever he would
have taken me.
‘Thad the rest of my life planned with him, but my imaginary
world fell apart when I noticed Nagendra leaving the kitchen in
the middle of preparations that day. From the small window of
the kitchen, I could see him heading towards our hut. After a
few moments, he returned and I pretended to be unaware, but
when I saw him mixing some herbs in the sweet dish we had
cooked, the dam of my patience crumbled. I questioned him just
the way you questioned me today, Parimal. Nagendra wasn’t
expecting the interrogation and fumbled while answering. I did
not want to support whatever he was up to, so I darted towards
the door to go and tell Dhanvantari. But before I could step out,
Nagendra blocked my way. He just looked deep into my eyes and
smiled. I didn’t know what happened then. I could not take my
eyes off him no matter how much I tried. Within seconds, I was
hypnotized. Never in my life had I known or experienced such
manipulation. I was now totally under his control.

“Now, go and serve it to all of them with a smile,” was his first
order.

‘I knew what a heinous crime I was going to commit. Killing a

sage was the gravest of all sins and I was about to kill seven.
Reduced to being just a puppet, my body served the sweet dish
to all of them with a smiling face. They reciprocated and
accepted my offer warmly. Right before I started serving the
sages, Sushrut and Mrityunjay were called in by Dhanvantari in
his hut. I wanted to scream at them not to eat it, but I couldn’t. I
saw them collapsing, falling one after the other, and they saw
me standing at a distance, still smiling at them like a sadistic
monster hidden under the skin of a man.

‘Later, Nagendra came out of the kitchen and said, “Go to sleep.”
I fell asleep instantly amid the dead sages. I don’t know how
long I was asleep, but I was woken by Nagendra’s voice calling
out my name.

“Devdrath! Come here,” he ordered. All the sages were still lying
dead around me. I stood and walked into Dhanvantari’s hut,
possessed under Nagendra’s spell.

‘Nothing had ever shaken me to my core until I saw what was in

the hut.’ LSD choked on her own words as tears filled her eyes.
She seemed to be reliving the horror and the guilt that came
with the vivid memory. She took a deep, shaky breath and
continued narrating with a heavy heart.

‘saw Nagendra feeding upon Sushrut’s dead body like a

carnivorous beast. He looked like nothing less than a vulture
scavenging on the dead! Dhanvantari, who had been violently
and mercilessly beaten up, was tied at the legs.

‘I stood there like a statue when Nagendra looked at me, holding

Sushrut’s intestine in his hands and blood smeared all over his
mouth. He ate in an uncouth manner and inevitably made a
mess. He paused his barbaric act, stood up and walked towards
me. Dhanvantari saw me and thought I was there to help as the
ray of hope in his eyes was evident. However, he was not
worried about himself. He was concerned about all the other
sages.

“Run, Devdrath, run! Save the others, help Mrityunjay, he is

alone. Run!” screamed Dhanvantari.

‘Nagendra closed the distance between us and kissed me in

front of Dhanvantari. His blood-soaked mouth was pushed
against mine as his tongue ran across my lips and face. The
taste of blood and knowing where his mouth had been made me
gag, but I was helpless. I could see Dhanvantari while Nagendra
continued to expose my true self to him. What Dhanvantari had
to witness so unwillingly was unimaginable to him. He was
looking at two men involved in a sexual relationship during
times when such a thing neither existed nor was even thought
of. The blood on my face had marked me out as being just as
sinful as Nagendra, making me an equal in all his deeds in the
eyes of Dhanvantari.

“Devdrath served the poisoned sweet dish to all the sages, and
they are all lying dead outside. Come, I will show you,” said
Nagendra to Dhanvantari, dragging him outside the hut using
the rope, his legs still tied in the same manner as he had
dragged Mrityunjay’s dead body when he entered our camp.
Dhanvantari was sure of Nagendra’s deeds and did not need
proof. I knew that he wanted to steal the books of Mrit
Sanjeevani but never in my wildest dreams did I suspect that he
would murder them all. They didn’t know that they were
accepting their deaths from my hands. I wanted to yell at the
top of my lungs, sobbing, demanding to know why he kept me
alive, but I couldn’t even shed a tear because even that was in
his control.

‘The pain of Sushrut’s inhuman death and the ugly surprise of

betrayal by two of his trusted disciples turned into rage as
Dhanvantari found the corpses of other sages. The man who
had dedicated his life to saving other lives was now surrounded
by the dead bodies of his own disciples.

“Smile, Devdrath,” said Nagendra, and I involuntarily smiled

again. Dhanvantari looked at both of us. Two men stood
shamelessly in front of him with blood on their mouths.
‘Dhanvantari squeezed one of his own wounds to draw out his
own blood, cupped it in his palm, held it high and said, “I know
you seek salvation. For killing your own people through such
deception, I curse you to never be freed from the circle of life
and death. You will never attain what you seek. You will take
birth in all forms of life and die painfully in all yugas over and
over again. You will remember this curse and you will
remember every agony you go through in all your pitiful, ironic
lives forever that shall keep mocking your decision of
supporting this demon against your own people. You will
experience nothing but pain in life and never die a respectful
death. You won’t be spared witnessing the misery and fate of
your dead bodies after your deaths. You sold your soul for his
love. I curse you that your soul shall remain his slave forever
and you will find him and only him as the dead end in all your
lives to come.”

‘The order was to smile. As if taunting him, I kept smiling

impudently at Dhanvantari with Sushrut’s blood on my mouth
and face, and the deaths of all the other sages on my hands.
Those were his last words to Devdrath.

‘Dhanvantari was kept imprisoned for years in the nearby cave

where we had made love for the first time.

‘Devdrath’s body became a prison for my soul. I was kept

hypnotized for al ‘most all of Devdrath’s remaining life.
Devdrath was just a living toy, a puppet in Nagendra’s hands. He
used Devdrath wherever he wanted, in w hichever way he
pleased. With time, Devdrath grew old watching Nagendra not
age a day because of S. hukracharya. He grew too old to even
walk by himse if, but Nagendra always carried him wherever he
went.
‘One day, after making love to Devdrath’s rapidly perishing
body, Nagendra sat by his side and said, “Have you ever
wondered why I didn’t kill you with all those other sages?
Because I love you! You have gone through so much just to stand
by my side and so, I decided to tell the truth to Dhanvantari
today before coming to you. I told him that you were
hypnotized and the death of all those sages was not your fault. I
asked him to free you from the curse and he gave me the
solution to break his curse and set you free to attain salvation. I
can give you salvation and I will, but only after you promise to
help me open the door and rule the world. My love! You will get
what you want only when you help me get what I want. Your
attainment of salvation now depends on the fulfilment of my
desire. Once you promise me this, you will never be able to
break it, even if you want to. I promise you salvation if you
promise to do everything I ask of you till the door opens. I also
promise to free you from my hypnotic spell right away if you
agree to this.’

‘Thad been trapped in Devdrath’s body for more than forty

years and had no choice but to give him what he asked for.
Then, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I promised him,
knowing that I could not back out even if I wanted to. As he
promised me, he freed Devdrath from his possession. Devdrath
was too old to avenge himself or fight. Nagendra continued
carrying Devdrath with him until Devdrath’s last day of life, but
Devdrath’s death was not natural.

‘His last day was the day when Nagendra saw a crocodile at a
lakeshore. “I love you. See you soon,” said Nagendra and served
my body alive to the crocodile.
‘I was too old to defend myself or even try to run away from my
brutal fate. I remember the pain I went through when the
crocodile ripped me apart and fed on my living and breathing
self. I saw Nagendra pampering the crocodile, watching it eat
me. I died and my soul stood there watching the crocodile
crushing the dead body’s bones and eating the flesh piece by
piece. The crocodile ate to its heart’s content and then left half
the body on land before returning to the water. Nagendra had
walked away as well. With no one to claim or cremate the body,
whatever remained of the body was first eaten by vultures and
crows, and then by insects. For several days, I was living
Dhanvantari’s curse by watching me decay and dissolve. I was a
righteous man but this is what happens to your righteousness
when you find love in the wrong person.

‘After this cruel death, I opened my eyes as a small bird and the
first face I saw was Nagendra’s. The promise he had taken from
me was just another trap. Every word that Dhanvantari had
cursed me with was now becoming my reality. Devdrath, who
was once Nagendra’s lover, was now his pet as a small bird. I
have had innumerable reincarnations ever since. I have been
many trees in many lives and cut to death, branch after branch
by Nagendra, sometimes to keep him warm, to make him a
house and other essential items. He even made the handles of
his axe from me to cut me! I have been almost all the living and
extinct animals, birds and aquatic animals of this world but
never have I ever gotten another human body after Devdrath’s
… till now, as Latika. Every time I was born, I found Nagendra
there to rule me… or should I say, Nagendra always found me.
Whatever I became, Nagendra had always been my dead end,
just as Dhanvantari cursed. I remember all my lives and my
deaths and my miseries and my pains. Most of my deaths were
at Nagendra’s hands, and every life truly ended excruciatingly.
Sometimes, he fed me to other animals to put me in a new body,
and sometimes he was the one who feasted upon me.’

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 7

Births and Debts

Parimal believed that everything he had heard from LSD so far
was enough to summarize the uncountable forms she had
taken in her life. Yet, LSD wanted to go deeper and thus
continued sharing every single detail that she felt was
necessary for Parimal to know.

Glancing at Parimal and then averting her gaze, LSD said, ‘I was
there in Satya yuga and Treta yuga alongside Nagendra when
he was tirelessly looking for Mrityunjay. The end of Treta yuga
was followed by the beginning of Dwapara yuga in which Lord

Krishna was born. I was a giant beaver—the largest rodent on

the planet back then.

‘One day, Nagendra saw a mystical lioness that was jet black and
had a shiny coat. The lioness was pregnant and unable to hunt
by herself. Nagendra had found his next pet. He killed me again
and served me to her. Within moments, I witnessed my life
turning into death and undergoing the process of
reincarnation. For me, nothing seemed new; neither the pain of
dying nor the joy of rebirth. The giant beaver’s suffering
resulted in a charming black lion cub with the same bewitching
lustre as the mother. Nagendra would cuddle and caress me,
just the way he does now. Soon, I grew into a massive, adult
lion.

‘Nagendra rode on me, and the unusual sight compelled people

to believe him to be a godsent man. His influence began to
spread faster than wildfire and every province of present-day
central India had heard of him. One day, when we stopped by a
riverbank to quench our thirst, a woman approached him for
help. She told him that she was in search of the godsent man
who rode a black lion. She was holding her infant son swaddled
in her clothes. Upon realizing that she had found Nagendra, she
unwrapped the cloth and showed him her baby, ranting about
the hopes she was fed by the people and how the godsent man
was her last resort.

‘At first, the baby seemed blind because he had no eye sockets,
but when the woman uncovered him completely, we realized
that the boy was half-man and half-serpent. His eyes were
shielded by a layer of smooth skin, while the upper half of his
body was of a man and the lower half of a python. The woman
was Sarputi and the infant she carried was Lopaksh, the very
first of your predecessors.’

Parimal was dumbfounded to hear this from LSD. He began to

connect the new dots that she was gradually unveiling, but he
sensed that she had more to add.

‘Sarputi told us about Ashtavakra and why her husband

Aghasura was killed by Lord Krishna, even before she had given
birth to Lopaksh. She expressed the plight of her son being
rejected by the world of snakes as well as that of humans and
explained why she was desperately looking for us. She
concluded with a promise to pay any price to save her son, even
at the cost of her own life. Her vulnerability was an opportunity
for Nagendra.

‘He agreed to save her child, assuring her that she had come to
the right place and only he had answers to her questions. His
charisma and influential aura were working on her too.
Nagendra laid down his conditions—that her child would gain
vision and a complete human body only if Sarputi took an oath
that would obligate her lineage to serve Nagendra for
generations to come. This would continue as long as they
served Nagendra and once their sons were fit enough to serve
Nagendra, the generation that had been serving till then would
eventually die in their original appearance of half-snake and
half-human.

‘Despite being wise and having eyes that could see through it
all, Sarputi couldn’t foresee the impending misery that would
haunt her generations to come. Dazed by her love for her son,
she accepted all the conditions. That’s how Nagendra got his
next servant.

‘Remember when you told me about your past and how you are
connected to Nagendra? And I told you that I knew about
Sarputi and Lopaksh because I have heard about them from
Nagendra as a bedtime story? I lied! It was not a bedtime story,
but an incident I was an eyewitness to. I was there, right beside
him as the black lion, when all that happened.

‘Since then, your ancestors had been trapped in the mansion of

boon, with the curse of serving Nagendra generation after
generation, and I was their pet, serving Nagendra in all forms of
animals that you now see in the frames hanging on your
mansion’s wall.’
With this, LSD looked into Parimal’s eyes, which were already
glued to her. All they could think was how intricately yet
distantly their lives were interlinked beyond their mutual
association with Nagendra.

‘Another major event I’ve witnessed in the Dwapara yuga was

Dronacharya’s death in the Mahabharata, LSD continued.

‘Dronacharya! Ashwatthama’s father?’ Parimal gawked, trying

to comprehend the new revelation, which was somehow related
to everything else LSD had said till now.

‘Yes! Dronacharya! The royal preceptor to the Pandavas and

Kauravas, a man of exemplary military skills and knowledge,
son of Sage Bharadhwaja and the father of Ashwatthama.

‘During the Dwapara yuga, when Lord Krishna was on the brink
of adolescence and the epic war of Kurukshetra was still some
time away, your ancestors had begun to serve Nagendra and I
had died as an old black lion. I then reincarnated as a fruit fly,
which was the shortest lifespan I had experienced—fourteen
days. Within just a fortnight, I transcended three different lives
by dying as a black lion, being reborn as a fruit fly and then as
an elephant calf.

‘Nagendra had begun training me extensively right from the

time I was a calf. He kept a good check on what I was fed and
paid close attention to my upkeep. I was trained to tolerate all
sorts of blows from various weapons, safeguard my rider during
a battle and follow commands that involved even harming the
enemy’s chariots, horses and other elephants. After a few strict
years, I had mastered using all my body parts as weapons in
battle. All the training turned fruitful for him when he rode me
into Kurukshetra, where all the warriors and empires
participated in the war. He joined the Kauravas’ army as an
ordinary rider in search of Om, who was then playing Vidur. But
Nagendra didn’t know that then. Vidur! One of the very few
who refused to participate in the greatest war. Nagendra
continued searching for Om’s face in the dust storms of the
war.’

‘You participated in the Mahabharata?’ questioned Parimal.

‘Yes! I did, and I was killed by Bheem.’ LSD’s tone dipped in

sadness.

‘Bheem! The mighty and formidable Pandava that later killed

Duryodhana?’ Parimal probed.

‘Yes!’ LSD answered in a grim yet irritated voice.

‘Why?’ asked the curious Parimal.

‘Dronacharya was one of the supreme, most relentless warriors.

A warrior of such stature was impossible to defeat with simple
strategies. But Krishna had come up with a plan that was
beyond everyone’s grasp. He asked the Pandavas to simply
follow his instructions. His mischievously crafted strategy was
to kill an elephant who was named Ashwatthama, the same
name as Dronacharya’s son, and then make Dronacharya
believe that it was his son who had died on the battlefield.
Bheem. killed the elephant on the orders of Krishna.’

‘Were you the elephant named Ashwatthama that was killed?’

Parimal voiced his realization with eyes wide and curious to
know more, simultaneously wrapping his head around the
correlation between every aspect of her story.
‘Yes! I was. Bheem did as was planned because that was the only
way to defeat Dronacharya. He killed me and announced right
away in his husky and bellowing voice, “अश्वत्थामा हतः इति |” That
meant “Ashwatthama is dead”.

‘An apprehensive Dronacharya disregarded the rumours that

were spreading in the middle of the day’s battle and approached
Yudhishthira, who was known for his adherence to honesty and
dharma.

“Ts it true what I have heard? Is my son dead? Is Ashwatthama

dead? Answer me!” Dronacharya questioned Yudhishthira.

‘Yudhishthira replied in a low pitch and said अश्वत्थामा हतः इति! नरोवा
कुं जरोवा ||”

‘That meant “Ashwatthama is dead. Know not whether man or

elephant.”

‘However, Dronacharya couldn’t hear the second half of

Yudhishthira’s justification, नरोवा कुं जरोवा (know not whether man
or elephant) because Krishna had instructed the warriors to
blow the trumpets and bugles of victory so loud that it would
distract the field and drown out the remaining words coming
from Yudhishthira’s mouth. All Dronacharya could
comprehend was the first half of the statement, ‘अश्वत्थामा हतः इति|’
(Ashwatthama is dead). A perplexed and disheartened
Dronacharya stepped down from his chariot and sat on the
blood-soaked field with his head bowed, mourning his son. It
was then that the unarmed

Dronacharya was beheaded. The ground rule of war was

violated. News of betrayal and the death of his father through
such deceitful tactics reached Ashwatthama, filling him with
unfathomable vengeance and fury, which compelled him to
commit mistakes so grave that eventually, he was put in a
situation where he was cursed by Krishna himself.

‘Back at your mansion, when you caught me standing in front

of the frames with moist eyes just before our wedding, where I
had also told you my name is Latika, I wasn’t missing anybody. I
was looking at my past life. I was pondering how far I had come,
from Dhanvantari’s camp to being born in different shapes and
sizes, serving as a pet, and how much further I still have to go to
reach that door that Nagendra wants to open. I still don’t know
what lies behind that door, but one thing I am certain of is that
once it’s open, I will be granted salvation. Until then, I must
keep following the orders of my master, who is mistakenly
thinking that he is my soulmate.

‘You know, Parimal, I had always repented the ways I died and
couldn’t ignore that I was never cremated respectfully, until the
day I died as your father’s pet who was dear to youas well…

‘Baadal—my white deer!’ said Parimal.

‘Yes! The manager of your mansion, Shubendra, rightfully

conducted the last rites for Baadal. However, he was later
punished by your father upon Nagendra’s orders because
Nagendra loves deer meat and hence was looking forward to
relishing Baadal’s flesh, but that couldn’t happen. I still
remember the way you mourned when Baadal died. You were
only five years old when I was freed from a deer’s body,
therefore, I am five years younger than you as I was reborn as a
human inside that very mansion.’

This alarmed Parimal and flashes of his people and mansion ran
vividly through his brain. He was trying to sift through those
memories and piece together someone unusual who could have
been LSD but before that, LSD herself decoded it for him.

‘I was born as a human after chaurasi lakh yonis, or 84 lakh

incarnations. At the time of Baadal’s death, Shubendra’s wife
was in her first trimester and that became my path to a new life.
She died in labour and while Shubendra was mourning his
wife’s death, Nagendra, being an opportunist, stole me from
him and left the mansion in the dark hours. That is why I had
chosen Shubendra to conduct the rituals of kanyadan, the rite
of giving away the bride, to honour him by granting him what
he deserved as a father. I had heard somewhere that the one
who performs a k: anyadan is sure to attain salvation. That was
also my humble way of thanking him for what he had d one for
Baadal.

‘Milarepa, whom you re: cently saw burning to death in Agra,

was also Nagendra’s accomplice a thousand years ago. I knew
him too. I was a butterfly that resembled a dead eaf when
Milarepa first met Nagendra. My name was Malti. At the time,
Nagendra went by the name of Nanshad and was busy
strengthening people’s belief in Ravana, for whom he was also
building a temple that still stands in Bisrakh, Uttar Pradesh.

‘I was fed to a pregnant wall lizard in front of Milarepa and thus,

I was reborn as a lizard and Milarepa named it Kark. My next
birth was asa hyena named Kuroop and I was killed by Milarepa
as part of his betrayal towards Nagendra. That day, he killed
Kuroop and Dhanvantari before fleeing to Mount Kailash to
inform Parashurama and Ashwatthama about Om’s existence.
Milarepa always wondered how these wild animals understood
Nagendra’s orders and obeyed his commands, spying on
Milarepa for him, but he never realized that the dead-leaf
butterfly, the lizard and the hyena were all the same soul—me.

‘And that’s my complete story, Parimal. Now, there’s nothing

that you don’t know and nothing more I have to share. I hope
I’ve answered all your questions.’

‘Except one,’ Parimal said.

LSD looked at Parimal, waiting for him to ask away.

‘Who are we to each other now? asked Parimal, looking into her
eyes.

LSD stood mum. She had no answers for this one. At such a
crucial juncture of their lives, when they were about to become
parents, they were still unaware of exactly what kind of
relationship they shared. Parimal waited for a moment,
expecting an answer from LSD, but her long silence answered
him instead. He then bowed his head in anger as a mark of
respect from a servant, taunting her and walked off. LSD
remained in the same emotional state, lost in her past.

Meanwhile, in Gujarat, the coastline was saved and protected

but the submerged city of Dwarka had vanished forever. The
media was brimming with the visuals of various dead aquatic
animals and the heaps of fish that accumulated at the coast as a
result of heavy winds and huge, leaping waves.

With another word lost and the havoc of another calamity, the
threat on the world had intensified and those who knew the
reasons behind this catastrophe were also aware of the
deafening ticks of time. To end this mayhem and the hunt, it
was critical to find out Shukracharya’s next halt and where his
protégés were headed next.

Parashurama had now returned to Gyanganj and rushed to see

Ved Vyasa in the same hut where Ashwatthama and Ved Vyasa
were listening toOm narrating his past. Looking at
Parashurama, Om looked up expectantly, but before he could
say anything, Parashurama called for Ved Vyasa and left. Ved
Vyasa stood up and followed Parashurama. The right time for
Om’s answers had still not come.

‘Ved Vyasa, I need your help. Do whatever you can and find out
where Shukracharya is! We have lost five historically significant
locations and with that, the asuras have already possessed five
words. We thought it would stop with Nagendra’s death, but we
were wrong. Killing Shukracharya’s asuras is not a solution. We
need to find Shukracharya and stop him. We have to find him
before he finds the next word, so you must start now!’

‘I will do everything in my power to find him,’ Ved Vyasa

assured him. Watching Parashurama turn around to leave
Gyanganj again, Ved Vyasa questioned, ‘You have just returned.
Where are you going now?”

‘To meet an asura. Maybe he knows something,’ said

Parashurama with a hint of hope in his voice and left.

Ved Vyasa went back to Ashwatthama and Om and said, ‘I’ve

been given a task and I will not be around for some time.’

‘Where is Parashurama?’ asked Ashwatthama.

‘He is gone.’ Ved Vyasa noticed how his reply disappointed Om,
but the complicated situation led him out of the room too.
Om had been patient enough and couldn’t wait any longer for
his request to be addressed and permitted. He decided that he
would have to take some extreme measures if he wanted to
walk out of Gyanganj again, but he wanted to try one last time
to convince Ashwatthama before choosing rebellion.
Considering that as his last peaceful resort, Om continued.

‘I could neither save the messenger nor could I keep my word of

returning to my village, but I believe Nibhisha still waits for me
to call her back, as

Thad promised her. Ashwatthama, now you know why I must

go, why I’m willing to take the risk and why I feel that this is the
right time for me to go, otherwise, it will be too late. Please,
please, let me go. I need to free Nibhisha! She has been punished
for her loyalty towards me. Now that I remember my promise, I
cannot make her wait any longer.’

Despite knowing and understanding Om’s emotional turmoil

and agreeing to the fact that Nibhisha deserved to be freed,
Ashwatthama couldn’t falter as he was bound by an obligation.
‘My orders are to restrain you and not let you outside Gyanganj.
You will have to stay here until Parashurama’s next command.’

‘I don’t want to overrule anybody’s orders, Ashwatthama. I have

spent enough time explaining to you the urgency of reaching
Roopkund. I cannot wait any longer,’ Om said.

‘You disobeyed Kripacharya in your past and the child was born
..’ Ashwatthama argued and before Om could protest,
Ashwatthama rained his reasons down on him. ‘Milarepa died.
Vrishkapi almost lost his life. The world came so close to
destruction all because of the birth of a child!’ Om stood tight-
lipped but matched Ashwatthama’s gaze while Ashwatthama
continued, seemingly riled up.

‘You left Gyanganj once, but you are not doing it again on my
watch. It does not matter what I think is right or wrong, I
cannot let you out.’ Ashwatthama’s voice turned low and heavy.

Taking a deep breath, a disappointed Om said, ‘Just the way

whites have many shades, wrongs and rights have many shades
too. Though neither of us is wrong, unfortunately, your right
and my right stand against each other this time. I will do what
is right in my eyes, and you do what is right in yours. Tam
leaving.’ And Om began to walk out of the hut.

‘Don’t compel me to force my orders on you, Om, because then I

will have to put you down in a manner which will not only hurt
you physically but will also leave some dents in our respectful
relationship? warned Ashwatthama.

‘I, too, request you the same, Ashwatthama. Don’t compel me. I
cannot sabotage an old relationship to save a dent in a new
friendship. Please, don’t try to stop me forcefully,’ replied Om
and walked out.

Ashwatthama followed him, voicing his last warning, ‘Om, stop

right there before I’m out of choices!’

Om paid no heed and continued ahead, which led to

Ashwatthama’s outburst. He sprinted after Om and attacked
him. A fight broke out between the two immortals. His first
attack was rather mild as it was meant to only neutralize Om,
but Om hada befitting reply to his strike. Thus, he increased the
intensity of the fight with every blow as nothing seemed to be
staggering Om. Ashwatthama got a glimpse of Om’s real
strength, which he was deriving from the union of his intention
and action. Ashwatthama was astounded to see such skills. He
observed that Om could predict his next moves and
countermoves and was skilfully dodging them all. These were
attacks that Ashwatthama was yet to teach Om but there he
was, fluent in them all.

‘You seem to have transformed completely ever since you’ve

remembered everything,’ said Ashwatthama.

Not only was Om equally strong as a warrior, but he also had

clever replies to Ashwatthama’s words.

‘Ashwatthama, I was only trying to respect the hierarchy while I

was seeking your permission to move out. It was just a token of
respect towards the position you held. Right is always right and
if you believe what you are doing is the right thing, then you
don’t need anybody’s approval, as I don’t need yours.

‘Ashwatthama, I hope you realize that I’ve only defended myself

against your attacks till now, hoping that you will stop and let
me pass silently. Please, don’t make me attack you. I don’t want
to hurt you as I know that though you empathize with what I
said, you are duty-bound to stop me.’

Om hoped that his words would calm Ashwatthama down, but

they did the opposite and made him furious. Om knew that the
only option left was to neutralize Ashwatthama if he wanted to
leave. This time, Om chose not just to defend but also to fight
back. As Ashwatthama walked towards Om, a sword emerged in
his hands. Om closed his eyes as Ashwatthama saw a sword
appearing in Om’s hands as well. It was shocking for
Ashwatthama as he had never taught Om how to summon a
sword, yet he could do it. The sword reminded Om of Nagendra
and the battle he had lost. Om got furious and Ashwatthama
too held a sword by then. The battle of blades began, and the
two warriors charged at each other with such fiery wrath that a
single swing could have sliced a human body in half. In no time,
Ashwatthama learnt that he was not fighting an amateur and
matching up to Om’s strength and skill was a challenge. The
tables had turned. The one attacking all this while was now
struggling to defend. Om’s sword incessantly came down on
Ashwatthama’s as Om’s arms seemed far from tired. Every blow
left an impact not only on Ashwatthama’s weapon but also on
his mind and it continued till his sword as well as his willpower
shattered.

Ashwatthama could not absorb what just happened.

‘Enough of this madness, Ashwatthama!’Om growled.

Ashwatthama was on his knees, trying to comprehend
everything. ‘Stay down. I know what I am doing. Don’t forget
that I have been on this earth long before you were even born.’
Om was no longer requesting, but commanding in a firm voice.

However, Ashwatthama was no less a warrior. He stood up

again, using all his strength, as Om walked away from him.
Ashwatthama closed his eyes and summoned a bow and arrow
now that the sword wasn’t enough. To Ashwatthama’s surprise,
Om had also summoned a bow and arrow. All Ashwatthama
wanted to do was to stop Om without hurting him. Om, too,
only intended to leave without harming Ashwatthama. Yet, the
clash of arrows broke out between them. The power and speed
of every arrow Ashwatthama shot kept increasing, but Om was
easily able to counter them. When everything proved in vain,
Ashwatthama summoned the Naagpasha.
The Naagpasha could bind its target in coils of live, venomous
snakes. In the Ramayana, Ravana’s son Indrajit had directed it at
Ram and Lakshman. When Om saw the Naagpasha coming
towards him, he did not shoot any arrow to stop it.
Ashwatthama was certain that this would put an end to the
battle and Om would be taken captive but to his astonishment,
only an inch away from Om, the Naagpasha simply disappeared
into thin air. The next instant, it reappeared with its head now
pointed towards Ashwatthama. In the blink of an eye,
Ashwatthama had fallen, bound by hundreds of snakes.

Om calmly strode towards Ashwatthama and told him that the

Naagpasha would free him in nine days and by then, Om would
be far away from Gyanganj. Ashwatthama helplessly remained
on the ground, entangled by the Naagpasha, watching Om
leave, wondering how the astra that he had summoned and
released had backfired.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 8

Pursuit, Promise and Power

Om was finally out of Gyanganj but not Kailash. He breathed a
sigh of relief, looking southwards, where the way led to
Roopkund, unaware that Ballhaar had his eyes on him. Just
when Om had taken a few steps away from Gyanganj, Ballhaar
charged at him with a big leap. Om was caught off guard and
before he could even sense the danger, he was weighed down by
Ballhaar’s enormous body.

Struggling to free himself, Om saw Ballhaar towering over him

as the Yeti growled and drooled all over Om’s face. Ballhaar was
a beast powerful enough to crush any human being with his
bare hands. His grip kept tightening on Om’s neck when Om
suddenly started heating up to a temperature so hot that
Ballhaar felt the burn on his palms, causing his grip to loosen.
Om took the opportunity to escape quickly and got back on his
feet as his body cooled down instantly. This was a characteristic
of Om’s body, all thanks to the black blood cells he had. Those
few moments were enough for Om to prepare himself to fight
again but he also knew that he couldn’t waste more time
wrestling Ballhaar here. He had to reach Roopkund as early as
possible, so he decided not to indulge in the fight any more and
started raking his eyes on Ballhaar from head to toe as if
scanning him. Ballhaar was unbothered and rushed towards
Om with the same aggression, roaring with the clear intention
of tearing him apart as ordered by Kripacharya. Even when
Ballhaar rushed towards Om, Om did not move an inch, showed
no signs of defence and continued scanning Ballhaar.

Once they were close enough, Ballhaar punched him hard

enough to have killed a normal human being but surprisingly,
despite falling on the ground, Om’s eyes didn’t avert from
Ballhaar. Ballhaar seemed a little taken aback by how little
impact such a heavy punch had on Om. This offended Ballhaar
even more, so he clenched his fists and roared in anger, ready to
smash Om’s head into a pulp in a single blow. As Ballhaar
moved to make his final attack, Om closed his eyes calmly as if
about to enter a meditative trance. To Ballhaar, it felt like a
complete surrender to death, but in reality, Om was reaching
out to someone. Ballhaar’s determined arms spread out and
closed in to crush Om’s head, but just when they were an inch
away from Om’s head, another, bigger pair of hands gripped
them. A dumbfounded Ballhaar looked up to find a much more
humongous creature shadowing everything around him,
looking at him with pure rage. Before Ballhaar could process
what was happening, a powerful punch came flying to his face,
giving Ballhaar a taste of his own medicine for the first time.

‘Who was this creature and where did it come from?’ asked Mrs
Batra.

‘It was Vrishkapi, who had been summoned by Om when he

closed his eyes. After scanning Ballhaar from head to toe, Om
could think of only Vrishkapi who was capable of overpowering
and defeating Ballhaar. Thus, Om had called him so that he
could keep Ballhaar at bay while Om would quickly escape from
there.’

Om stood at a distance from Ballhaar and between them stood

Vrishkapi, just the way he once stood between his sabretooth
and Om when they had met for the first time.

While Om slowly began to follow the wind that was flowing

towards his destination, Vrishkapi was focused completely on
keeping Ballhaar there, making it difficult for the giant Yeti to
keep an eye on Om and Vrishkapi at the same time. Bellowing in
rage, Ballhaar came sprinting towards Vrishkapi and landed a
punch on his jaw before jumping over him to reach Om.
However, Vrishkapi was barely affected by the punch, so before
Ballhaar could cross him, Vrishkapi grabbed Ballhaar’s hand
and swung him far away from Om. Despite being his heavy and
colossal self, Ballhaar rolled away on the ground like a small toy.
Vrishkapi now stood firmer, with his shoulders pulled back. His
stance was enough for Ballhaar to understand that defeating
Vrishkapi would not be easy and reaching Om without
defeating Vrishkapi was impossible. All of Ballhaar’s
concentration was now aimed at Vrishkapi. The roar that both
the giants let out in unison against each other echoed in the air
and rumbled through the snow. They came charging at each
other and thus began a hand-to-hand combat.

Om took advantage of this opportunity and walked away.

Meanwhile, Ballhaar used all his stamina to match up to
Vrishkapi’s galloping frame. When their eyes were glued to each
other, all their rage seemed to be boiling down to a mutual
dilemma. Ballhaar was caught between the obligation of
obeying his orders from Kripacharya and unwillingness to fight
the one whose life he had saved. Vrishkapi couldn’t decide
whether he should fulfil his word, given to Om, even though it
meant fighting the one who had saved his life by bringing his
injured self to Gyanganj. Yet, none of them was ready to loosen
their grip. Both of them turned to check on Om and saw that he
had disappeared. Ballhaar was disappointed to see that he
couldn’t obey his command successfully and out of that
frustration, he shoved at Vrishkapi so hard that he fell back a
few metres. Vrishkapi exhaled sharply and landed multiple
punches on Ballhaar’s face until he fell on the snowbed.

A moment later, Vrishkapi came closer to Ballhaar and offered

him a hand. Ballhaar took it and hoisted himself up.

‘Forgive me, my friend. I was compelled to do this because I had

given my word to Om that I would come to his aid whenever he
demanded it. Just the way I’ve shown up for Om today, I will
show up for you too whenever you call out to me. It’s a promise
from a protector to a saviour, said Vrishkapi sincerely.

Ashwatthama was entangled in the coils of the Naagpasha.

Kripacharya was gone again. Parashurama was in search of an
asura. Milarepa was dead. Ballhaar had been defeated by
Vrishkapi. Ved Vyasa was trying his best to learn more about
the intentions of Shukracharya. But above all, Om’s escape from
Gyanganj was a disastrous turn of events that none of them had
anticipated.

Unbothered by everything else, Nagendra and the team were

moving forward in their mission. In the submarine, LSD
returned from Nagendra’s cabin to check on Parimal. Upon
realizing her presence, Parimal stood from his seat and greeted
her with a bow of his head. These stubborn, silent taunts were
pissing her off and she snapped at him.
‘Please, don’t behave like a servant to me.’

‘Any orders for me, madam? You could have called me to

Nagendra’s bedroom instead of coming here, replied Parimal,
still in his passive-aggressive behaviour.

LSD took a deep breath, trying to compose herself and maintain

harmony, before calmly replying again, ‘You asked me who we
are to each other. Ihave come to answer it for you, Parimal. And
anyway, we are both still servants, working for Nagendra, so I
can always have more than one reason to come to you. Now,
coming back to your question that you had put forth. Here’s the
answer—you are my husband, I am your wife and the child I
carry belongs to us. That is who we are to each other.’

Parimal still held his ground and remained unresponsive. LSD

stepped closer and stood in front of him. ‘You wanted to know
the whole truth and now you know everything. I never wanted
to tell you all of this, because I never wanted to hurt you,
Parimal.’ She shortened the distance between them further as
she said, ‘I can feel you. I hear you, and I realize that my past
hurts you, but there is one thing that you also need to
understand. Being with him is a compulsion, not a choice.
Coming here and standing in front of you is a choice, not a
compulsion.’ This was the first time LSD was not just reporting,
but sharing her true emotions and expecting reciprocation
from Parimal. ‘Nagendra and I have made love but we never
took vows of marrying each other, whereas you and I are
married! I was betrayed, and I am still compelled to be with
him. With you, even if I am forced to stay, it doesn’t feel
imposed. I have been punished more than I deserved for falling
in love with a man like Nagendra, but to be punished by your
hatred is not something I deserve at all.’
LSD kept her eyes on him, expecting a response, but this time
Parimal’s lips remained tight. This got on LSD’s nerves as her
vulnerable, moist eyes instantly turned dry and her tone
changed from soft to firm. ‘We go to Bheemkund next. Prepare
for it.’

‘Yes, ma’aml’ came the curt response, less of an acceptance and

more of an insult. Parimal seemed clearly unaffected by
whatever LSD had said, while she left the cabin with tears
brimming in her eyes.

‘Bheemkund!’ Mrs Batra frowned, wanting to know more about

the intention.

More than 6000 years ago, Bheemkund was a natural water

reservoir located near Bajna village in Chhatarpur district,
Madhya Pradesh. It was a holy place and also went by the name
‘Neelkund’.

Bheemkund was known for its fascinating turquoise water

which was accumulated in red-clayed, jagged rocks
surrounding the reservoir and created a mesmerizing contrast.
The water of the kund (tank) was so clean that even the fish at
the deepest end were visible from the top. Bheemkund was
unique in its existence and easily surpassed one’s expectations
in terms of its beauty. The kund was situated inside a cave that
had a Shiva linga perched at the left entrance. Though the tank
was situated some 3 metres deep in the cave, once the first ray
of sun hit the water, it illuminated the interiors in different
hues of blue, indigo and turquoise. It was a truly enigmatic
spectacle!

Bheemkund and its water held a special place in the

Mahabharata era and for as long as it existed, it was a mystery
for scientists too. While the Pandavas were exiled for thirteen
years by their kinsmen and were wandering in the dense
forests, Draupadi could no more control her thirst and fainted
under the scorching sun. The five brothers searched in vain for
a source of water. It was then that Bheem, with the strength
equivalent to thousands of elephants, used his powerful mace
to hammer the ground. The single blow created a hollow space
and water surfaced from that spot, which was the roof of the
cave, and later became the mouth of the kund. That is how
Draupadi quenched her thirst, and the place was named after
Bheem.

Mysteriously, the depth of the kund was unmeasurable. There

had been several attempts by researchers and scientists from
across the world to measure the depth of the kund, but no one
had succeeded. Once, it was gauged up to 200 metres by some
foreign scientists who installed underwater cameras, but
beyond that, they were unable to trace the pool bed. Several
attempts that followed simply failed to reach their desired
objective!

There’s enough evidence about how Bheemkund would turn

into a foreteller whenever there was an impending natural
disaster.

‘What does that mean?’ asked Mrs Batra.

The water level of the kund would rise exponentially before the
occurrence of a natural calamity, even though the state of
Madhya Pradesh is landlocked and has no connecting stream
between the kund and the sea. Even before the earthquakes that
occurred in Gujarat (2001), Japan (2011) and Nepal (2015),
there was a tidal wave and a shifting of colours witnessed by
locals, through which people could anticipate the disasters.
Unfortunately, no one knew how to read the signs and predict
them accurately.

Moreover, the water of the kund was considered as holy as the

Ganga. It was believed that a dip in this holy water was enough
to cure many skin diseases. Daily, several locals and visitors
would take a bath in this kund, yet the water of Bheemkund
was powerful enough to maintain its sanctity and purity and
never got contaminated by any sort of algae or bacterial
growth.

To deepen its mystery, the dead bodies of people who had

drowned in Bheemkund never resurfaced, just disappeared.

While Nagendra and the team clearly knew the spot and were
approaching the kund for their next word, Om could barely
recognize Roopkund. Feeling darkly nostalgic, Om took nearly
the same, and still the shortest, route from the series of
Himalayas to the destroyed Roopkund, from where his dead
body had been dragged away by the nameless Nagendra.

He believed that Nibhisha would still be there in her statue state

but he also knew that the spot would be covered under piles of
ice, even rocks, and it would take him weeks to search her out.
He decided to look for Nibhisha in every inch and foot of
Roopkund, though he had an idea of the designated periphery
of the lake of skeletons as the never-claimed skeletons were
none other than the warriors he once walked with. He reached
the spot where Roopkund existed before the avalanche that was
caused by Nagendra and his mates, wiping out the existence of
the place forever and bringing Vrishkapi so close to death.

By then, Ashwatthama was back on his feet as the Naagpasha

had set him free after nine days. Ashwatthama went into his
hut and started preparations to leave Gyanganj to find Om and
bring him back.

‘You seem to be in hurry, Ashwatthama,’ said Ved Vyasa.

‘Yes, seer! I am going to bring Om back before Parashurama

returns and I know already where to find him if I get there
without any further delay.’

‘You know where to find him because he is not trying to run or

hide, replied Ved Vyasa with a smile.

‘You may be right, Ved Vyasa, but I am worried about

Kripacharya being right about him. What if he really finds what
he is now looking for? Because the world is not prepared to see
what he wishes to bring back. I must go,’ said Ashwatthama,
and left.

Watching Ashwatthama leave, Vrishkapi walked up to Ved

Vyasa and asked him, ‘Where isOm now?’

Ved Vyasa closed his eyes to search for Om’s voice and heard
him screaming at the top of his voice, ‘Nibhisha! Nibhisha!’

While the world was in search of the Covid vaccine,

Parashurama was in search of Shukracharya, Nagendra of the
next word, Ved Vyasa of the names of the remaining places, LSD
of Parimal’s hidden emotions and Ashwatthama of Om. Om was
the only one victorious in his quest of finding the exact spot
where he had lost Nibhisha. The rock that Nibhisha had turned
into was more than just a boulder now. Time and nature had
transformed it into a hill decked with tons of snow and
hundreds of pine, deodar and fir trees rooted on it. He knew
Nibhisha must be somewhere in the centre of the mountain but
reaching it was a tedious task.

Disappointed but not disheartened, Om closed his eyes and

tried to figure out ways to draw a path to the centre of the
mountain. Just then, a greyish-white mace emerged from
nowhere in his hand. Ever since he had regained consciousness
and his memories, Om was continuously rediscovering his
abilities whenever he was challenged by anyone or anything,
even nature. The mace was made of tungsten, one of the
strongest metals on earth. The carvings on it were enough to
make Om realize that it wasn’t just an ordinary mace but a very
powerful tool. He struck the mountain with the mace to see its
impact and the air resonated as if a cannon had been shot mid-
air. The earth beneath his feet rumbled, the mountain trembled,
and Om could see all the birds and animals on the mountain
fleeing from it. Without further delay, Om started breaking the
mountain from one corner. He knew he did not have much time
as nine days had already gone by in reaching and identifying
the spot, and Ashwatthama must be on his way. Nine days was
the estimated time of Ashwatthama’s arrival at Roopkund,
before which Om wanted to fulfil his long-forgotten promise.
All Om desired was to rid himself of the burden of his own
promise by setting Nibhisha free before Ashwatthama could
reach him, so that he could silently surrender and return to
Gyanganj avoiding another conflict. Om charged at the
mountain incessantly and every single blow brought him a step
closer to the centre. The sound of the strikes travelled far and
loud, which would soon aid Ashwatthama in locating Om.

Om tirelessly hit the mountain for days and simultaneously

called out Nibhisha’s name. Then came the day when his efforts
were about to meet fruition. Right before the next blow, Om
stopped abruptly because he felt that he heard something. Om
focused on the sound and realized that it was coming from
within the mountain. He kept his mace aside and stuck his ear
on the rock to hear it clearly. The sound was coming at regular
intervals in a proper rhythm. Om’s eyes sparkled with joy as he
was able to recognize it. It was Nibhisha’s heartbeat, and at that
moment, it felt as if it was also the mountain’s heartbeat.

‘Nibhisha!’ screamed Om with tears of joy brimming in his eyes.

He picked up his mace again and this time began to pound at
the mountain with twice the strength. The more he broke it, the
louder became the heartbeats. Two long-lost friends, separated
in Satya yuga, were about to reunite in Kali yuga. After a few
more blows, Om saw a blinking eye from a crack that had
formed due to the continuous thrashing. The eye was bigger
than Om’s entire head and he knew exactly whom it belonged
to.

‘The wait is over, Nibhisha. Here I am as I had promised, and

you will be free in no time, said Om as he stared into the
hopeful eyes that had been waiting for aeons, not only
burdened by the rocks but also by the assurance of the unsaid
promise that she had once given to Devdhwaja that she would
wait.

For Om, the search seemed to be coming to an end. But for

Ashwatthama, it had only begun.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 9

The Deathless Divine Devil

It was the month of Ashadha (June) and the time of the crescent
moon. The water of Bheemkund was illuminated with the
amalgamations of several shades of blue and looked enchanting
as the moonlight reflected from it and cast itself on the
surrounding red walls. Standing on its edge was Nagendra,
looking at the moon and the placid, glimmering water, which
seemed ready to alert mankind and continue quenching their
thirst till eternity. He took off the remaining piece of the same
old sword, broken in the battle with Devdhwaja at Roopkund,
and looked at the moon again.

Parimal and LSD had no clue that it was the night of the lunar
eclipse, and the shadow of the earth was about to cover the
moon’s light entirely. The eclipse had begun and slowly,
darkness began to consume everything. As the moon lost its
light and the reflection on the walls started disappearing,
Bheemkund also began to lose its shimmer and beauty.

Nagendra stripped himself of all his clothes and stood naked.

Then, the handsome naked man started cutting himself in
several places on his upper body. By that time, the moon had
been consumed entirely by the shadow and looked like a sphere
of blood. Nagendra was bleeding profusely from his chest,
hands and back. LSD and Parimal could not gather the courage
to question his intentions or stop his actions. The rapid blood
loss weakened Nagendra and he could hardly stand on his feet.
Parimal tried to support him when a drop of Nagendra’s blood
fell on his hand. Though it was red enough to be called blood, it
burned Parimal’s fingers like acid. Nagendra then signalled him
and LSD to not touch him. Within minutes, Nagendra fell into
the kund lifelessly and disappeared into the depths of water.
Bheemkund had a history of never letting the dead bodies come
afloat, unlike every other water body on the planet. The moon
started regaining its light but the water of Bheemkund did not
shine any more. Parimal and LSD stood silently, witnessing
Bheemkund lose its charisma. And then came Nagendra’s body
floating on the surface, contrary to popular belief. All his
wounds and cuts were healed but he still looked dead.

Parimal looked at LSD for instructions and she said, ‘Pull him
out.’

He pulled Nagendra out and dragged him far from the

waterbody. While he was trying to find Nagendra’s nerves, LSD
faced Bheemkund and said, ‘Your purpose was providing water
and saving lives by alerting the world. But from today, you have
been contaminated forever, and anybody who expects anything
from you will only end up dead if you choose to continue
existing. Either you survive and keep killing every living being
that may ever touch you, or consume yourself and have an
honourable end. Liberate what you hide in your heart or be
cursed and keep killing till eternity, nullifying your past good
deeds with your own future curse.’
What happened was an unimaginable spectacle! A different
Bheemkund had responded that night.

LSD vaguely saw the colour of fire spluttering inside the waters
of Bheemkund. Before she could anticipate what would happen
next, the temperature of the water started rising and the water
started evaporating. The colour of fire was being emitted at the
heart of the kund. It was a volcanic opening that was rising
every minute, contrary to another belief that claimed
Bheemkund to bea dormant volcano in its deepest groove,
expected to never erupt. It wasn’t difficult for her to understand
what Bheemkund had chosen for itself. It chose to consume
itself before harming mankind, just as Nagendra had planned
and expected. As Bheemkund was dying, Nagendra was
recovering. He got back on his feet and stood stronger right on
the edge again. He minutely observed the white gas dissipating
in thin air, as if searching for something in oblivion. LSD and
Parimal stood silently beside him and noticed that Nagendra
was neither blinking nor breathing. They wondered what he
was trying to do and then they saw the words floating in the
white vapour, readable just for a second. The word was ‘Yasya
Prapnoti (44 Wed’. Nagendra took a long, deep breath with his
mouth open, sucking in the vapour that held the word and
swallowing it. When he blinked his eyes after that,

LSD could see the word floating inside his eyes, as if trapped and
trying to be free.

Unaware of Nagendra’s presence in central India, Parashurama

too was in Madhya Pradesh, close to the next word location but
for another reason. He was heading to Pataalkot.

‘Thave heard of Pataalkot but can’t remember its significance,’

said Mrs Batra, trying to recall.
‘It’s because the word pataal means the netherworld,’ replied
Prithvi.

Spread across the majestic valley in the Tamia tehsil of

Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, from a bird’s eye view, Pataalkot
looks like a horseshoe. The height of almost 1500 ft only added
to the valley’s beauty. Pataalkot had hamlets that were
abundant with medicinal plants and herbs. Doodhi River, which
was the only source of water for the entire community, flowed
through the valley, becoming the primary water resource for
the flourishing flora and fauna. It was believed that the rocks
around the valley had been there since more than 2500 million
years ago. For ages, the civilization had been completely isolated
from the rest of the world, but that gradually changed when
schools and other public facilities were provided to the
community. Pataalkot was so well hidden from the world that
not many people knew about this place, thus maintaining its
dense forests. Because the valley was so deep, sunlight would
disappear a few hours after noon and thus, the village’s days
would turn dark quite early.

The tribes believed that Sita, the wife of Lord Ram, returned to
Mother Earth’s womb from this very place, hence, Pataalkot’s
depth was the result of the formation of the deeply engraved
cavity.

The stairway to Pataalkot was believed to be the path to hell as

it was the sole entrance to the netherworld. It is also home to
serpents and demons as Lord Shiva often took mythical trips to
the Pataalkot Valley to meditate.

The deep gorge was home to over 2000 tribes and thirteen
villages that spread across more than 20,000 acres of land. The
tribal community religiously worshipped Lord Shiva, the Fire
God and the Sun God.

Parashurama was dressed in a white dhoti and cotton kurta,

disguised as an ordinary old man. He reached the dense forest
and moved cautiously to ensure nobody would see him
entering. Nestled amid the tall and thick trees was a cave that
was fascinating because its mouth was small but the interiors
were wide and deep. The entrance was laced with a peculiar
smell of carbonates and organic acids.

‘You mean Parashurama had reached Pataal Lok, where the

souls of sinners are sent after death, right?’ Mrs Batra asked,
seeming slightly confident of her assumption.

Prithvi explained, ‘There are three worlds among which the

universe is divided as per Hindu cosmology:

1. Swarga Lok: Heaven; the dwelling place of the gods.

2. Prithvi Lok: The earth or the land of mortals.

3. Pataal Lok: The underworld; the universe’s subterranean

realms that exist beneath the earthly dimension.

‘The Vishnu Purana mentions a visit made by the divine

wandering sage Narada to Pataal. Narada described Pataal as a
place far more beautiful than Swarga.

Pataal Lok was believed to have clear water streams, with the
most precious and the rarest of jewels embedded in the rocky
surfaces. The air was perennially fragrant with little herbs
growing on the banks of the small water bodies, and the soil
glittered with shades of black, yellow and shiny gold. The land
there was an illuminating purple because eroding precious
rocks had blended with the ground naturally over time.

The Vishnu Purana also states that Pataal Lok is 70,000 yojanas
below the Earth’s surface (1 yojana = 12.87 kilometres) and is
divided into seven realms that are layered on top of each other.
Their order from highest to lowest is: Atala, Vitala, Nitala,
Garbhastimat, Mahatala, Sutala and Patala.

‘For a twenty-one-year-old, you have too much knowledge, said

Mrs Batra in a tone of praise. Prithvi continued without any
expression in response to Mrs Batra’s compliment.

Parashurama was headed to the second-last layer of Pataal Lok

—Sutala. He had been walking for hours following the trail in
an underground tunnel. The cave was quiet except for the
ambient echoes of the swimming fishes, hopping frogs and
buzzing insects. Parashurama reached a door that looked
weakly guarded, with only two demons who didn’t allow any
trespasser to stand there for too long. Looking at the stranger,
one of the demons made scary faces to scare off Parashurama,
who simply kept walking towards them because he knew that
they were nothing more than mere living scarecrows.

Parashurama stood strong in front of the guards and said, ‘Tell

him, Parashurama wishes to see him.’

Hearing Parashurama’s heavy voice, the demon guards squealed

in fear, realizing that the stranger was not scared of them. One
of the two feigned bravery and repeated Parashurama’s words.
‘Tell him, that Parashurama wishes to see him! Who says so?”

‘Parashurama!’ replied Parashurama, annoyed by the idiocy.

‘Parashurama says that Parashurama wishes to see him. Him?
Who?’ asked the comically grisly demons.

‘King Bali’

‘Parashurama says that Parashurama wishes to see King Bali,’

repeated the demons at the gate.

‘Yes!’ affirmed Parashurama.

The guards were naively ignorant of whom they were talking to

despite learning that he was Parashurama. One of the two
continued barring him as the second went inside to pass on the
statement while repeating it continuously.

‘Parashurama says that Parashurama wishes to see King Bali.

Parashurama says that Parashurama wishes to see King Bali’

‘King Bali!’ asked Mrs Batra in wonderment, curious about the

man whom Parashurama had travelled so far to meet.

‘King Bali, the pious demon, is one of the seven immortals who
rules the kingdom of Sutala in Pataal Lok,’ Prithvi said.

Back at Kailash, Ved Vyasa smiled with a sigh of relief and said,
‘It’s time. Parashurama is about to meet King Bali’

‘How do you know from here that Parashurama is meeting King

Bali?’ asked Vrishkapi.

‘Because I have the ability to hear every word ever said on earth.
Sound is an energy that floats for eternity in the cosmos, and I
can hear and search for any voice and every piece of
information that was ever spoken by anybody in the past or
present. Shukracharya knows that I hear what he says and
that’s why he never tells the men under him his full plan, to
keep it hidden from me. He only orders his next move after
reading it in the books of Mrit Sanjeevani. Now, let me hear the
conversation between Parashurama and King Bali,’ said Ved
Vyasa and closed his eyes again.

Parashurama was respectfully taken to King Bali and both stood

facing each other.

Battle-trained and with the toned physique of a warrior,

covered in precious jewels over his bare chest and shimmery
clothes below the navel, King Bali was the king whose powerful
character, knowledge and inherent potential gave him the
recognition of ‘Mahabali’ or ‘Mahabalwaan’.

‘Greetings, Parashurama! What brings you to Pataal Lok?’ asked

King Bali humbly.

‘Ineed your help, mighty Bali. The past few months have been
extremely difficult. Mankind is in danger. We have lost places
like Mansarovar and the submerged Dwarka and, the hunt still
continues as we speak.’

‘O, dear Parashurama! I believe that earth is safe in the worthy

hands of a strong avatar like yourself with the alliance of
immortal warriors like Ashwatthama and Kripacharya, and
need I mention, Lord Hanuman, whose presence alone is
enough to end the war?’

‘The end of Kali yuga is not near yet, so the return of Lord
Hanuman is still centuries away, according to the prophecy that
Hanuman and all the immortals would rise to help Kalki, the
final avatar of Lord
Vishnu. Perhaps their motive is to end the world before time, I
believe.’

‘That brings me back to my first question. What brings you here

to Pataal Lok?’

‘Shukracharyal’

King Bali held Parashurama’s gaze, silently urging him to

elaborate.

‘We believe that upon the orders of Shukracharya, some asuras

are hunting for hidden words that form the key to an unknown
door. No one knows where this door is and what lies behind it.
Guru Shukracharya is the guru of asuras, and you are an asura
too. You can help us find out what he is trying to do and if
needed, stand by us to stop him. Someone from your clan must
know something and being the king of Sutala, you have the
right to information from other asuras.’

King Bali pondered over it for a moment before saying, ‘I will try
to reach Shukracharya but standing by the immortals to save
the earth would bring me to a moral dilemma. Supporting the
immortals in this case would put me against my own clan if
Shukracharya is involved. Dear Parashurama, I cannot promise
my allegiance to you, but Ican promise you that if your
prediction turns into reality, I will not stand against you on
earth. My ancestors, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, have
done enough harm to the world in their time which I repent till
date, and so, I will not participate in anything that is against the
earth protected by you and the other immortals. However, I
don’t wish to kill my own people either. For me, my war ended
long ago with my ancestors but my remorse for their deeds will
last till the end of Kali yuga,’
‘If you get any information about the hunt or Shukracharya or
whatever lies behind the door that he wants to open so
desperately, just say it aloud and we would know, said
Parashurama, with disappointment ringing in his response.

‘Oh! That means Ved Vyasa is awake already,’ affirmed King Bali.

‘Yes! Just speak and it will reach us through him,’ ‘Greetings to

you, Ved Vyasa,’ said King Bali joining his hands and smiling in
the air, listening to which Ved Vyasa smiled too in Gyanganj.

‘And I assume Kripacharya and Ashwatthama stand strong by

your side as ever.’

‘Yes!’ replied Parashurama, as the king had expected.

‘So, the asura immortals, Vibhishana and I, are the last ones you
have called for the cause?’ King Bali’s tone was of
disappointment.

‘I am not going to meet Vibhishana only to have my request

turned down again. You were the last one. If we can do without
you, we will be able to do without him too.’ Parashurama and
King Bali greeted each other respectfully before Parashurama
left Pataal Lok, unaware that Nagendra was nearby.

Half of Bheemkund had drained through the vent of the

volcano and half of it had evaporated. It was like a broken pot
that couldn’t inhabit any element of life any more. Bheemkund
lost its existence and at the same time, Cyclone Nisarga hit the
western coast of India.

The tragedy of Bheemkund’s disappearance shook central India

as earthquakes that measured high in magnitude on the Richter
scale struck the terrain, which had been deemed unlikely to
experience such a calamity. Because the epicentre of the
earthquake was at Bheemkund, which was quite close to
Pataalkot, King Bali, too, felt the tremors in the walls of his
empire and so did Parashurama as he left Pataalkot. Looking at
the trembling Pataal Lok, King Bali immediately called some of
his strongest asura spies.

‘Go to Vibhishana as messengers and tell him that I wish to

meet him immediately.’ The asuras bowed their heads and
turned around to execute the order. ‘Return only when he
comes along,’ bellowed King Bali before they left.

An exhausted Nagendra had reached the submarine and went

directly to see Shukracharya, leaving LSD and Parimal in the
same room again.

Parimal knew that LSD was not with Nagendra by choice but
was rather caught in an inescapable trap. He sympathized with
her because he, too, was bound by an oath that, if he dared to
break, would grant him the ultimate punishment of
nonexistence. He wanted to live for his unborn child with his
traditionally married woman, but sympathy was not the only
emotion that he had for LSD. There were many emotions he
carried within him that occasionally surfaced on his face. This
time, what was visible to LSD was anger towards Nagendra, but
she thought it was for her. An awkward silence engulfed them
every time Parimal and LSD stood face to face.

That was one such moment when she spoke. ‘I have always felt
sorry for myself since yugas, but for the first time, I feel sorry
for someone else, and that is you, Parimal. I am sorry.’

She stood there saying nothing and waited for Parimal’s

response. Parimal knew she was hoping for a reply but he chose
to keep mum again. Unfortunately, they were stuck in the
vicious cycle of expectation and disappointment from each
other; always short of words to explain themselves, yet
somehow understanding and knowing almost everything that
the other wanted to say. The irony was that their emotions
never revealed themselves verbally any more. Whenever one
tried to express, the other chose to remain unresponsive. They
knew that they wanted to speak and hear the same words from
each other, yet they were stubborn enough to not lay it out.
They knew they were in love, but even declaring this would be
disheartening to both as they were cursed by the awareness of
their own miseries, which had left them utterly helpless.

Realizing that Parimal wouldn’t break his silence, she said

coldly, ‘Your next orders are to reach Ellora, and walked out.

‘Bheemkund was next. We have lost one more,’ Parashurama

declared after reaching Gyanganj and meeting Ved Vyasa.

‘We don’t know how many more there are, but one thing is
noticeable. The first was Mansarovar, followed by Roopkund in
Uttarakhand, Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Kuldhara in Rajasthan,
Dwarka in Gujarat and now Bheemkund in Madhya Pradesh.
They are moving from north to south. Ved Vyasa!

We need to know what other places they are going to raid and
why. Only you can answer that.’ Parashurama looked at Ved
Vyasa with a dim ray of hope evident in his eyes.

Ved Vyasa responded immediately, ‘I believe there are a total of

nine locations, six out of which are lost. You are right. They are
moving from north to south. The remaining three locations
ought to be south of Maharashtra.’
‘South of Maharashtra?’ Parashurama echoed, as if he had
understood something.

‘They are moving towards the Ellora caves next,’ confirmed Ved
Vyasa, putting an end to Parashurama’s curiosity.

Hearing that, Parashurama was fuming and shaking with rage.

‘If they dare step inside my temple, I will kill them all. I will not
think twice before beheading them. They will face their worst
nightmare before leaving their bodies.’ His eyes were fired up,
reflecting the aggression bubbling inside him. ‘Vrishkapi! Bring
Ashwatthama to me.’

‘Ashwatthama is not here. Om defeated Ashwatthama and left

Gyanganj. Ashwatthama has gone to bring him back,’ Vrishkapi
spoke in a fearful tone that only multiplied Parashurama’s anger
exponentially. Om had disobeyed his orders,

Ashwatthama couldn’t stop him, and now the countdown for

the next word had already begun as Ved Vyasa spoke.

‘I will return to Gyanganj only after I have eliminated the threat

of Shukracharya’s asuras forever,’ were Parashurama’s last
words before he left.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 10

The Celestial Betrayer

On 5 July, in Ladakh, an earthquake of the magnitude of 4.7 on
the Richter scale struck Kargil, but this time, Bheemkund could
not warn anyone of the catastrophe.

While Ashwatthama had arrived at Roopkund and was

following the loud echoes of Om’s hammering mace coming
from miles away, Parashurama was moving towards the Ellora
caves, and Parimal was sailing towards the coast of Maharashtra
as ordered by Nagendra.

Just then, a crew member came to Parimal and informed, ‘You

are being called, sir’

Parimal followed the crew member and after taking a few turns
in the narrow corridors of the submarine, he opened a cabin
door for Parimal. Parimal peeped in cautiously before stepping
inside.

‘Welcome, Parimal! Come meet your child!’ Nagendra’s joyful

voice rang through the room.

Child? But it’s only the sixth month, thought Parimal before
entering the cabin in confusion. He saw Nagendra holding the
probe and sliding it across LSD’s pregnant belly. The ultrasound
screen showed a growing foetus whose features were quite
prominent now, owing to the accumulating fat, growing organs
and the developing muscles and bones. Its face looked sharper
and clearer, giving a fair idea of the facial outline. The body as a
whole looked much more proportionate compared to the
previous ultrasound, conducted before LSD and Parimal had
gone to Shetpal, where Parimal’s ancestral property was. What
caught Parimal’s attention was the striking and evident shiny
line around the foetus that seemed to be protecting it. He ruled
it out as just normal foetal development in a mother’s womb.
Responding to the vibrations and sounds from outside, the
foetus moved its hands and legs frequently while its limbs
remained tucked into its curled-up body.

Upon seeing his child in LSD’s womb, the silence of his

overwhelming emotions could only be felt. LSD’s gaze was stuck
on Parimal. As their sharp gazes continued to assess each other,
they spoke in silence until Nagendra’s voice interrupted their
quiet conversation.

‘Why am I suddenly feeling so claustrophobic and choked here?

I wonder how claustrophobic the child must be feeling inside
you when I feel so suffocated despite being outside. Should we
relieve the child by bringing it out right now?’

Parimal and LSD both skipped a heartbeat in terror and were

petrified to hear his suggestion. If the child was taken out, it
would instantly die and so would LSD. Nagendra’s stare
bounced between the two as if waiting for their permission.
When their expressions didn’t change, he said, “Come on, guys!
Immortals have the power to joke. They just don’t use it,” and
burst into demonic laughter. LSD and Parimal had no idea how
to react.

Suddenly the laughter stopped and Nagendra said in a serious

tone, ‘Parimal, don’t you feel like walking away from this room
right now?’ That was enough for Parimal to understand the
order.

‘Perhaps fewer emotions in this room would generate more life.

What do you think, little master?’ Nagendra winked, putting a
ear to LSD’s belly, trying to feel Parimal’s child. LSD was
embarrassed and apologetic again as she watched Parimal leave.
They finally had the moment where they had the opportunity
to express themselves together, but Nagendra’s presence had
destroyed that chance. Just before walking out the door, Parimal
turned to look at LSD and gave her a warm smile that conveyed
what he would have otherwise said to console her: Everything
will be all right. I love you.

‘Phew! I feel so free! Now I feel the space and air. I feel better,
Nagendra said, taking a deep, dramatic breath and sighing
loudly.

Someone else at Roopkund also released a sigh of relief, feeling

the space and air again after aeons. While LSD’s child still had
time to come out of the womb, Nibhisha had served her time in
the womb of the mountain and was ready to move out of the
trap. After days of relentless hammering, Om finally laid his last
strike. Chasing the unstoppable hammering noise from miles
away, Ashwatthama had also reached the spot to witness the
last of it. He was almost a hundred feet away from Om when he
saw the enormous being breaking through the remnants of the
mountain and emerging like a butterfly from its cocoon. The
mace in Om’s hand disappeared the very moment the work was
done.

The way a flower blooms gradually, Ashwatthama could see

Nibhisha growing to anew height with every movement.
Though Ashwatthama had heard a lot about Nibhisha, at that
moment, he was smitten by her mesmerizing looks. He recalled
how Om had described her when he had found her as a baby
navgunjara. ‘Nav meaning nine, gun meaning quality and jara
meaning old. That means the old creature represented nine
qualities, were his exact words.

It was intriguing for Ashwatthama to see how the

amalgamation of nine different body parts of nine different
beings had resulted in something so divine. Her soul seemed to
be the most innocent one, even after she had outgrown all
labels that defined her magnificence. And it was her pure soul
that Ashwatthama could feel vividly as he scanned her from
afar.

It was an overwhelming moment for Nibhisha and Om, and a

breathtaking one for Ashwatthama. Gigantic and humongous
were understatements to define her size. She was far more
enormous than what he had imagined while hearing about her
from Om. The moment she was free, Om and Nibhisha
embraced each other as an elephant or any other giant animal
hugs a human being. The wait was over for the two and their
affection for each other saw no bounds. However, in no time,
Nibhisha sensed the presence of another human being through
her smelling abilities and turned vigilant. Looking at her
suspicious demeanour, Ashwatthama chose to hide behind a
rock till he could gauge her complete calibre and strength
because she would surely attack him to save Om if she felt even
the slightest threat from him.

‘Nibhisha! What’s wrong?’ asked Om.

Nibhisha stood in front of Om as if trying to guard him against

an unknown threat. She furiously looked everywhere in search
of the invisible.

‘Calm down! It’s all right. Look at me,’ said Om, caressing her.

‘It was because of me that you were trapped since yugas and so I
had to liberate you. It was a forgotten debt that I finally repay
today, my friend. Though I will never be able to compensate for
the loss of your time and your loyalty to me, one thing Ican do is
free you. I must now return to a place where I cannot take you
along.’

Ashwatthama could hear his words and realized that Om had

all the intentions to return to Gyanganj.

‘Times have changed, Nibhisha, and the world is different now.

The days when you could walk freely beside me are long gone.
You only exist in myths and folk tales now, and humans’
acceptance of anything they don’t understand or resonate with
is nearly nil. You are a brave warrior, and I cannot ask you to
hide. I will fail Ashwatthama if I stay with you and ifI return, I
will fail you. After what has happened to you, I have no right to
even ask you to stay here till I return from Gyanganj after
requesting the residents of Gyanganj to allow you in there. I
wish I had someone who could tell me what should be done.’

‘You must return with me and bring her along too,’ said
Ashwatthama, revealing himself. Hearing an unfamiliar voice
and looking at the weapons on Ashwatthama’s body, Nibhisha
turned aggressive, ready to attack Ashwatthama to defend Om.

Om looked at Ashwatthama, who kept his gaze on him. Without

looking away, Om said, ‘He is a friend. He is not going to harm
us. Calm down, Nibhisha.’

Nibhisha softened a little but remained on her toes.

‘When you described her, I never thought she would be this

huge,’ said Ashwatthama, cautiously progressing towards Om
and Nibhisha.

‘She wasn’t fully grown when we were separated. I know

because I had seen the size of her dead mother in my childhood,’
replied Om.

Ashwatthama came closer to Nibhisha and carefully raised his

hand to caress her. She, too, reacted calmly towards the friendly
touch.

‘He is right! I am not going to harm him or you. I am a friend,’

said Ashwatthama.

‘My apologies to you, dear Ashwatthama, for binding you with

the Naagpasha and leaving you like that without your
permission,’ said Om.

‘I wouldn’t have accepted your apology had I not witnessed

Nibhisha alive’ Ashwatthama spoke humbly and continued,
‘Had I been in your place with the conviction that an old ally
was still alive and waiting, I, too, would have done what you
did. Nibhisha is also extinct now and so she deserves a place in
Gyanganj, but the problem is that she is too large to be taken to
Gyanganj without being noticed by humans.’
‘That is no problem, Ashwatthama,’ assured Om.

‘What do you mean? She is almost twice the size of an elephant.

There are villages we have to pass by, and it is simply impossible
to take her along without being seen.’ Ashwatthama was
confused by Om’s confidence.

Om smiled and looked at Nibhisha. Nibhisha read his eyes like

in the good old days and despite having been in the world for
thousands of years, Ashwatthama witnessed something he had
never seen before. The snake-faced tail of Nibhisha that was
hissing at Ashwatthama suddenly started taking over the rest
of her body. The hump of a bull, the four legs, of which one was
of a tiger, another of an elephant, one of a horse and the last a
human arm, the head of a female puppy and the waist of the
lion, all squeezed and transformed into her new body of a snake,
so that she could easily pass the crowd of hundreds without
alarming anyone.

Om could read the question on Ashwatthama’s face and as the

snake wrapped itself around his arm, he explained. ‘She has the
ability to transform into any of the nine animals she is made up
of, depending on the need of the hour.’

‘Nine animals? But I can sense only eight!’ questioned

Ashwatthama.

‘She had two hearts like the octopus, but now she has only one.
She lost the other to Nagendra.’ A moment of silence ensued,
which Om broke by saying, ‘The need of this hour is to lay low
and so, here she is!’

By then, Nibhisha was all set in her snake form, coiled and
covering his hand from wrist till elbow. It was time to return to
Gyanganj.

As they began to walk their way back, Parashurama had already

gone alone to defend Ellora, leaving behind a terrified Vrishkapi
with his questions after seeing Parashurama’s rage.

‘I have never seen Parashurama so angry. What lies in the Ellora

caves?’ asked Vrishkapi.

Back then, the Ellora caves were just another tourist spot for
humans that drew travellers from all over the globe, being the
world’s largest rock excavation.

The Ellora caves, situated 29 km from Aurangabad in

Maharashtra, were a series of cave complexes firmly entrenched
in the rocky mountain face of the Charanandri Hills,
comprising an assortment of twenty-nine caves that
represented great historical significance.

One of the most mysterious caves in Ellora was cave number

sixteen, which housed the Kailash temple. No one knew who
built it and when. According to a legend, this temple was
thousands of years old. No one had any information about its
creator, nor did it have a carving date. The rocky mountain
itself was 6000 years old, making the discovery of this temple
unthinkable, unique and exceptional for that period.

Uncovered using the vertical excavation method, the Kailash

temple represented one of the best examples of constructional
and structural innovation. The creators built it from the top of
the rock, descending their way to form this great temple
complex. One of the oldest rock carving complexes in the world,
it was composed of a multi-storey building. To build anything
out of a mountain, the common approach followed was to break
the mountain from the back and sculpt it accordingly. It was
called the ‘cut-in’ technique. However, the Kailash temple had
been built using the exact opposite, and a much more difficult,
technique called the ‘cut-out’ technique, where the sculptors
carved a single stone and crafted it into the Kailash temple.
Many scientists claimed that it was impossible to build the
same structure on any uneven mountain, even while using the
latest construction technologies. Yet, millennia ago, it was built
perfectly using only chisels and hammers. It was the greatest
achievement of its time and stood out as a marvel in terms of its
architecture, techniques and history.

‘I am confused,’ Mrs Batra said. ‘Kailash is the name of the

Himalayan mountain range in whicha camouflaged town
named Gyanganj exists. This is also said to be the home of Lord
Shiva, so how come there is a mysterious Kailash temple in
Maharashtra?’

Prithvi replied, ‘The Kailash temple of the Ellora caves was

white in colour and was constructed using a pyramidical design
to resemble Shiva’s abode in Mount Kailash. The temple was so
divine that its pious aura was felt in its surroundings. It was a
symbol of the piety and the purity of the Hindu culture and
aptly represented the Vedic rituals. A sculpture of Ravana lifting
Mount Kailash was engraved in the cave, which was a historical
milestone in the field of architecture. Archaeologists,
researchers and enthusiasts from the relevant disciplines
believed that the construction of these structures would have
required discarding approximately 4 lakh tons of rocks. Yet, for
some unknown reason, such a hefty mound of rocks was never
seen piled up anywhere. Being in the most technologically
advanced year of 2041, it’s still an impossibility for architects to
make something like the Kailash temple of cave number sixteen
with the same perfection. It was believed that it took almost
150 years and the work of days and nights to carve the Kailash
temple. None of this could be executed in practice today, thus
reinforcing the belief that sages had blessed the construction of
the temple.’

‘So, was it constructed by some other, much more advanced

civilization and not by humans?’ asked Mrs B: atra.

Replying to which Prithvi said, ‘Vrishkapi had posed the same

question, to which Ved Vyasa replied, “Because Parashurama
was the one who carved the Kailash temple in approximately
351 years as his penance and devotion towards Lord Shiva. He
did it after he was relieved of all his ne; gativities. Parashurama
was known to be constantly furious and ready to attack or kill,
but after the Prithak Vyaktitwa Yagya, all those traits were
separated from him, just as they were from Ashwatthama and
Om. When he had undergone the process, he had learnt it and
later performed the same on Ashwatthama to release him from
his cursed body of leprosy and revenge.

“Following the Vedic tradition and rituals, he conducted a

mahayagya before commencing the construction of the Kailash
temple. After seeking blessings and permissions from the
mountain for building the temple, he purified the rocks by
chanting the mantras for purification and ignition of energy. It
is believed that these mantras resonate in the caves even today.
The temple and the place as a whole were blessed by sages,
something which can be felt in the structure of the temple.

“Many of those sages now live here in Gyanganj. They had

performed the mahayagya before Parashurama started to build
it inch by inch with his chisel and hammer. He worked night
and day, chanting ‘Om Namah Shivay’ and eating rocks as he
believed that not a piece of the mountain that he was carving
for his idol could be thrown away as waste—hence, he
consumed every piece of rock he had chiselled out.”

While Ashwatthama and Om were heading back to Kailash with

Nibhisha comfortably clinging to Om’s arm, Ashwatthama
asked, ‘Where did you get that mace from?’

Om pondered over it for a bit. ‘I, too, wonder how I summoned

it. I just thought that I needed something strong to set Nibhisha
free and there it was, emerging right in my grip. Ever since I
woke up after Nagendra’s death in Kuldhara, I’ve been
experiencing many changes that I am still trying to
comprehend.’

Ashwatthama and Om reached Gyanganj’s door, where Ballhaar

awaited Om. Ballhaar charged at Om the moment he saw him.
Om had already made up his mind not to hurt Ballhaar and only
defend himself. However, just as he put up his guard,
Ashwatthama roared to stop Ballhaar. It worked, though
Ballhaar was still panting with the anger of failing to fulfil the
orders given by Kripacharya.

‘Let him pass, Ballhaar! You will not do any harm. Icommand it.’

Ballhaar unwillingly stepped back as Ashwatthama entered

Gyanganj with Om and Nibhisha. Ashwatthama called out to
Vrishkapi.

‘Vrishkapi! Meet Nibhisha!’ Ashwatthama said and Vrishkapi

flashed an innocent smile, reaching out to the snake wrapped
around Om’s hand. Om let Nibhisha off his hand and she started
transforming back to her original form. It was a visual treat for
Vrishkapi as he was awestruck by the phenomenal sight. He had
never seen any creature like her before, yet he wasn’t afraid but
overjoyed to see a creature so stunning and adorable at the same
time.

After Nibhisha had turned into her gigantic self, Om said,

‘Nibhisha! He is your guardian from now on and he will take
you to the land where you are free to move in your original
shape and be as you wish to be. You must obey him and be a
good girl. Now, go along. I will visit you soon,

Nibhisha greeted Om with her usual embrace and looked at

Vrishkapi to lead the way. An enthused Vrishkapi bowed his
head and led Nibhisha under his supervision, like a child
bringing his friend to show his home.

Ashwatthama let out a sigh of relief, looking back at how events

had unfolded but had now come to a positive closure in
Gyanganj. However, the relief was short-lived. Ved Vyasa came
rushing to him and informed him of Parashurama’s
whereabouts and that he was looking for him.

Without wasting another moment, Ashwatthama left for Ellora

and took Om along because this time, he was confident that Om
was ready.

In the middle of Shravan (July), the number of confirmed Covid

cases had touched one million in India. People’s movements
were restricted as a strict lockdown was imposed, and to
millions in the world, it felt like the wrath of the gods against
man’s ill-treatment towards the greatest gift bestowed unto
him, that is, nature itself. Monsoons had begun to drench the
country and tourism was diminishing owing to the endless
lockdowns and ever-changing Covid-19 guidelines issued by
the government.
Parashurama had reached the Ellora caves. Unlike the regular
days, when it was full of tourists and devotees, it was as vacant
as an undiscovered terrain. The sheer silence of the place was
alarming. Parashurama decided to stay in the caves to keep an
eye on and guard the temple night and day, till the month of
Shravan was over.

In Odisha, the asuras sent by King Bali, with orders to summon

Vibhishana, had reached the Jagannath temple in Puri. They
were disguised as policemen so that their movement on the
roads of Puri and inside the Shree Mandir (Jagannath temple)
wouldn’t be restricted. Only a handful of priests were present
inside the premises for the daily rituals, an unusual sight
compared to the otherwise crammed pavilions with hundreds
of priests sitting there and offering their services to the tourists
during the pre-Covid times. The asuras took off their shoes
outside the temple and walked in. Because they were serving
the righteous demon King Bali and keeping themselves away
from all evil deeds, they all managed to step into the temple
unharmed. Though Vibhishana looked as ordinary as every
other member there, the asuras could easily identify one of
their own clan. Vibhishana was barefoot, wearing the same off-
white clothing as every other priest. He was cleaning one of the
statues and chanting prayers. As they started approaching him,
he too, identified them despite their disguises and walked
towards one corner of the temple where no one could see them.
The asuras silently followed him and found him standing at a
dead end behind the main block of the temple. All the asuras
bowed in front of him.

‘What brings you here?’ asked Vibhishana, trying to read their

faces.
‘King Vibhishana! We have come on the orders of King Bali.
Because he cannot step out of Sutala and on the surface of the
earth before Onam in the month of Ashwin (August), he has
summoned you urgently to Sutala, said one of the asuras with
the highest degree of respect and submission.

‘Hmm …I am aware that he can only walk on land during the

festival of Onam on the orders of Lord Vishnu. I am between my
prayers, which will take a few days to complete. Give my regards
to

King Bali and assure him on my behalf that I shall come and
visit him once I am through with my prayers, said Vibhishana,
ordering the messengers and expecting them to leave, but they
continued to stand with their heads held low.

Realizing that none of them was budging despite his assurance,

he asked, ‘What is it?’

‘Our orders are to return with you, King Vibhishana. We shall

wait here for you,’ said the asura hesitantly.

Anticipating something more to the situation, Vibhishana

asked, ‘Is there anything else I should know? Speak freely”

‘Lord Parashurama visited King Bali right before we were

ordered to bring you to Sutala,’ replied the other asura.

This was unexpected for Vibhishana and so he asked again to be

certain. ‘Lord Parashurama himself came to Sutala in Pataal Lok
to meet King Bali?” ‘Yes, King Vibhishana! And right after he
left, we were ordered to find you.’

Lord Parashurama’s visit to the underworld was enough for

Vibhishana to understand how critical and urgent the matter
must be.

‘Let’s go!’ said Vibhishana before closing his eyes and bowing
down in apology for leaving the course of prayer midway and
seeking permission from his lord to go. Crossing all the asuras,
he then walked towards the main gate of the temple. All the
other priests wondered what crime he had committed to be
arrested by the police and taken from the temple.

Vibhishana left to meet King Bali as Ashwatthama and Om

trudged their way to Parashurama at Ellora. It would take a few
days for Ashwatthama and Om to reach Parashurama but by
then, on the other side, Nagendra and the team were inching
closer to the coast of Maharashtra, headed towards the same
destination. LSD’s baby bump and Parimal’s concerns for her
were prominently growing and were obvious to Nagendra as
they stepped on land again, unaware that Parashurama awaited
them in Ellora.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 11

Tricked
Nagendra and the team had stepped into the Ellora caves. A
cautious Parimal, leading the way for LSD and Nagendra,
spotted Parashurama from a distance, sitting with his eyes wide
open like a vigilant combatant scanning every minuscule
movement around him. Parimal recognized Parashurama from
the Ross Island battle, when Ashwatthama and Parashurama
had attacked the interrogation facility to rescue Om. He
instantly stopped LSD and Nagendra, asking them to step back.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked Nagendra.

‘We can’t go any further. Parashurama is waiting for us.’

‘He’s seen your faces, not mine,’ answered Nagendra

confidently.

‘Ashwatthama and the others might be around as well, warned

Parimal.

Nagendra gave it a thought before pulling out a tattered piece of

folded paper and handing it to LSD. ‘Your death is certain this
time if he spots either of you, so split up and be hidden. Keep an
eagle’s eye on him. If he suspects your presence, your end is
inevitable.’

Listening to these words, Parimal could only think of his wife

and their unborn child and posed a request to Nagendra. ‘Don’t
let her be here. We should simply send her as far away from
here as possible. Let me do this alone’

‘She is stronger than you are and sharper than you think she is.
She is not going anywhere,’ said Nagendra, turning down
Parimal’s request. LSD handed an advanced micro-Bluetooth
device to both and kept one set for herself.

Parimal was angry, LSD was happy to see his concern for her
and Nagendra was determined to achieve his target. They split
up and went in three different directions. LSD and Parimal took
their positions to keep a check on any movement from
Parashurama while also searching for other immortals around.

As they parted to take up their positions, LSD and Parimal heard

Nagendra’s voice in their earpieces.

‘The Ellora caves are over 2 km long and the only advantage we
have here is that Parashurama does not know the exact location
of the hidden word that he is here to save. Parimal, launch your
drone and scan if there is any other immortal in or around the
temple premises. LSD, once Parimal confirms the positioning of
other immortals, if any, make your way inside the temple
without being seen and keep the paper I’ve given you safe. It
will guide you to the spot of the next word and you are going to
extract it for me. I shall take advantage of the fact that
Parashurama has never seen me before and keep him
distracted.’
Parimal and LSD received their orders as Nagendra walked
straight towards Parashurama. Nagendra looked young and
handsome and showed no signs of an asura, which was what
Parashurama was expecting to deal with. Nagendra was not
even on Parashurama’s radar as he had been told that
Ashwatthama had killed the old Nagendra and seen him dead
with his own eyes in Kuldhara. This made it easy for Nagendra
to walk in plain sight and get close to Parashurama. LSD kept an
eye on Parashurama as Nagendra approached him while
waiting for Parimal’s clearance to walk into the temple. To
ensure LSD’s safety more than anything else, Parimal launched
the drone to scan the entire vicinity and the premises of the
Ellora caves in search of any other immortals that may be
hidden anywhere else.

And then, Parashurama saw a young male walking towards

him. Nagendra was dressed like the average young man and was
ambling towards Parashurama with a smile as if he wanted to
ask him something about the place or was perhaps looking for
directions. Yet, Parashurama couldn’t ignore the suspicion
bubbling in his mind as he thought, who is this young man and
what is he doing here when even tourists are not allowed?

‘Stop! Who are you?’ asked Parashurama.

Sl ATS Tele WA HAT, STsiteM! (That should be my question to

you, Grandpa!)

Nagendra argued in the local Marathi dialect, still walking

confidently towards Parashurama, appearing like an ordinary
mortal who was clueless about the man he was addressing as
Grandpa.
‘qHsRed ar] atguia wa Tet Sc area S Prete ‘Aleta Tet wT?’ (Don’t
you know all the caves have been closed since the lockdown was
imposed?)

Parashurama re-checked his outfit. A simple shirt, jeans, basic

chappals and two kukris, the knife-like weapon that the
watchmen usually carry with them were what he saw, so he
played along and replied like a tired old man. ‘I am sorry, son. I
was walking towards my home town with a group of young
people like you, but my old legs could not match up to their
speed and I lost my way and reached here.’

Get 8 Hh crevasneita St Arete ATM ATT THAaTat arta (Get going

before anybody sees you here or else I’ll lose my job)? Nagendra
said in a cautious tone, pretending to be the guard of Ellora,
because that was the only way Parashurama would comply.

‘Oh! You are the caretaker, said Parashurama.

Tel HH Va WH, IAT iT! (No! Just a guard. Now get going), replied
Nagendra, still in character.

By then, Parimal was sure that there was no other immortal

accompanying Parashurama.

‘LSD! You may proceed towards the temple,’ ordered Parimal.

LSD had her orders and she immediately began moving

stealthily towards the temple, taking cover behind walls so that
she wouldn’t be spotted.

Parashurama also turned and pretended to leave. lust when

everything was going as planned for Nagendra and the team, a
bird attacked the unidentified flying object in its territory. The
blades of the drone injured the bird, and it was about to crash
but Parimal somehow controlled it. The injured bird flew away,
but there was a constant knocking sound from one of the blades
that had a part of the bird’s wing stuck on it.

The noise made Parashurama’s ears perk up! He looked up,

spotted the drone and immediately began looking around to
search for the man who must be behind the drone stunt. Still
pretending to be an ordinary old man, he turned to Nagendra,
who stood right behind him, as close as his shadow.

Anticipating that his cover was blown, the moment

Parashurama turned around, Nagendra pounced on him,
stabbing him ruthlessly with two identical khukri knives in his
hands. These knives were sharp enough to slash through
anything in a single swing.

By the time Parashurama realized he was under attack, he had

already sustained several deep cuts due to the ‘wedge effect’ of
the khukri, which was lethal enough to kill an ordinary human.
Young Nagendra was too agile and swift for an ordinary human
being, and Parashurama had noticed it.

Nagendra was still close to Parashurama, stabbing and slitting

him all over. Parashurama shoved at Nagendra’s chest so hard
that the cracking of his ribs echoed through the air. By then,
LSD took the opportunity to enter the temple, avoiding
Parashurama’s sight. Parashurama’s hands were enough to
throw Nagendra a few feet away. Thrown to the ground,
Nagendra could feel his broken ribs piercing his heart as he
tried to move. Parashurama was bleeding profusely but it
hardly seemed to faze him. He was still unaware that the one
attacking him was Nagendra, but seeing him lying on the floor
like a dead sack, he decided not to waste any time on him and
quickly moved towards the door of the temple.
Parimal could see it all from the camera of his drone and knew
that he had to intervene before Parashurama could enter the
temple and harm LSD. Parimal chose to engage directly as he
sprinted after Parashurama, shooting at him. Parashurama
turned from the temple’s door and faced Parimal. Seeing the
man shooting and running towards him doubled his rage as he
recognized Parimal from the battle of Ross Island, where he had
missed out on killing him.

Your death is certain if he sees you this time. Nagendra’s words

rang in Parimal’s ears. The mortal Parimal was colliding straight
with the mighty Parashurama, whose single blow was as lethal
as any astra. Still charging at him, just a step before coming
within Parashurama’s reach, Parimal threw a smoke grenade
between them. The time it took for Parashurama to come out of
it was enough for Parimal to vanish and Nagendra to heal.
When the smoke cleared, while searching for Parimal,
Parashurama noticed the mole on the foot of the young man
who had unbelievably healed as he began to get back on his feet.

Astonishingly, the young man showed no signs of the damage

that Parashurama had done to him moments ago.

First Parimal, and now a young man witha mole on the exact
spot as Nagendra’s foot that Om had told them about. This was
enough for Parashurama to comprehend the situation he was
in.

Nagendra got back on his feet, dusted his clothes, picked up his
khukri again and said, ‘We have never been introduced
properly! Hi, I am Nagendra! And

Tam one of you now! An immortal. Won’t you guys throw a

fresher’s party for the new mate?’ Nagendra’s tone dripped with
sarcasm and confidence.

Enjoying the look of disbelief on Parashurama’s face, he slowly

and calmly walked towards him to buy as much time as he
could for LSD. ‘I was the one who attacked Kripacharya and
trapped both of you in Om’s memories. Because that past, where
you had your little vacation, was not only his to claim. It is
equally mine,’ Nagendra winked, deliberately annoying
Parashurama.

Parashurama summoned his axe in anger, assuming that he

would keep Nagendra from entering the temple, clueless of the
fact that LSD had already infiltrated the temple and was
searching for the spot indicated on the piece of paper. Moreover,
she was receiving live instructions to gauge how much time she
had to steal the word.

‘I found the spot!’ said LSD, and it reached her team.

‘You have already met Parimal on Ross Island. Right?’

As Nagendra said that, the drone, still hovering over

Parashurama, swooped down and clung to his back before
electrocuting him. Parashurama trembled violently as an
extremely high voltage ran through his body. This gave them
some more time against Parashurama, but only till he grabbed
the drone by its edge, pulled it in front of him and smashed it
into pieces. As was his habit, Nagendra latched on to
Parashurama’s back, in the same way he had done to Vrishkapi
at Roopkund and Om in Kuldhara. This time, he stabbed both
the khukris into Parashurama’s collarbone. While Parashurama
was trying to dislodge the clinging Nagendra from his back,
Parimal was trying to cut off his legs with a chainsaw he pulled
out of his bag, but could only injure him.
Covered in several wounds, Parashurama was on his knees. In
all these years of life and experience in combat, for the first
time, he was witnessing the modern and utterly unscrupulous
style of warfare that simply defined the ultimate quote of Kali
yuga, ‘Everything is fair in love and war’.

Oblivious of the havoc at Ellora, Ashwatthama asked Om, ‘How

did my own arrow backfire on me when we were fighting? Who
taught you how to use the Naagpasha?”

‘don’t know how it turned back on to you, and no one taught me

how to use the Naagpasha. I just know it, replied Om.

‘What other weapons can you summon?’ Ashwatthama was

curious and the answer he received was startling.

‘All of them,’ Om shrugged.

‘All of them! What other astras are there?’ asked Mrs Batra.

Prithvi started explaining them. ‘The list is endless, and it could

take many lifetimes to possess all. I will tell you some that you
must have heard of before and some that you ought to know as
we proceed.

‘Agneyastra, whose deity was the god of fire, was a fire missile
and had divine powers that could shower fire following the
natural cosmic principle. Almost all the warriors of the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata possessed this astra, including
Ashwatthama.

‘Varunastra was the water weapon, used as a counter for

Agneyastra. Once released, it would unleash a copious amount
of water that could wash away everything. This astra, too, had
been obtained by many in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
‘Paraswapastra had the power to put the opponent to sleep on
the battlefield. Only Bhishma possessed this weapon during the
Mahabharata, and he was stopped by the gods when he tried to
use it against his guru, Parashurama.

‘Naagastra was a destructive, serpent-shaped weapon that was

deadly enough to spread poison in the body. Many warriors
possessed it during the battle of the Mahabharata.

‘Naagpasha, as you know already, was a weapon that, once

released, would entangle its target in hundreds of venomous
snakes. In the Ramayana, Indrajit used it against Lakshman and
even Om used it against Ashwatthama when he tried to escape
Gyanganj.

‘Only the Garudastra could release someone from Naagastra

and Naagpasha. This was possessed. by Lord Ram and Arjuna,
although Om also had Sauparna, which would release bizarre
birds and is another counter for Naagastra.

‘Vayuvastra had the capability to create high-pressure winds

that could sweep away thousands of soldiers in the blink of an
eye.

‘Suryastra had the power to dry up any water body and chase
away any sort of darkness with the blazing light emanating
from it.

‘Indrastra, as the name suggests, was directly linked to Indra—

the king of demigods in heaven, who had the power to release,
control and execute thunder, storms, lightning and rain, and
even decide how the rivers would flow.
‘Twashtra-astra could create confusion within an army and
make them fight amongst each other as enemies. It was once
used by Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra.

‘Sammohana-astra rendered the target unconscious and had the

power to put them in a trance. Arjuna used it against the
Kauravas’ army.

‘Parvatastra, if summoned, could cause the fall of a mountain

straight from the sky and on to the targeted army.

‘Anjalika-astra was the personal weapon of Indra. It had the

power to behead the opponent. This weapon was used in both
epics. Laxman had used it to kill Indrajit, Ravana’s son, and
Arjuna killed Karna using the same weapon.

‘Sharanga was a bow that belonged to Lord Vishnu, which was

also used by the Vishnu avatar Ram, and later by Krishna.

‘Nandaka was the ethereal sword of Lord Vishnu with an

indestructible blade that could kill countless demons.

‘Sailastra was the counter to Vayuastra; this weapon was used

by Parashurama to prevent the destruction during the
submersion of Dwarka.

‘Brahmastra was the most powerful, most lethal and the most
captivating astra, capable of destroying an entire army in one
blow. Apart from the warriors from all eras, during the
Mahabharata, Kripacharya, Bhishma, Drona, Parashurama,
Ashwatthama, Arjuna and Karna had all mastered the
knowledge to kindle the power of Brahmastra whenever
required.
‘Bramh Shirsha astra was more magnificent than the
Brahmastra: it had the power to shower meteors and was
terribly dreadful.

‘Narayanastra spluttered millions of blistering, fierce missiles.

There was no way to escape except surrendering and lying low
so that it would spare its target.’

Ashwatthama and Om were stepping closer to Ellora. While

Nagendra and Parimal kept Parashurama engaged and away
from the temple gate, back inside the temple, LSD was following
the instructions to sequentially find the letters carved and
hidden in different corners of the temple. She arrived in front of
a specific stone carving of Ganadev, the troop deity, as
mentioned in the paper and burnt the piece of rock that held
the carving. After burning for a moment, most of the rock
extinguished itself, leaving behind only a burning letter. The
letter was ‘31 (a)’. A few seconds later, the letter stopped
burning, and LSD traced her thumb over it as if overwriting it.
The moment she finished the trace and turned, she saw another
carved figure of Vidyadharas, the demigods, catch fire. She
walked towards it and once the next letter emerged, she
repeated the same thing as instructed on the paper. One by one,
it happened five more times on five different statues carved on
the walls and pillars, and eventually, she had obtained the full
word: ‘318 WE (Ashta-sangrah)’.

Parashurama summoned his unconquerable and indestructible

divine axe. The wind speed which accompanied the axe was so
powerful that Parimal and Nagendra could not move an inch
closer to Parashurama. The time it bought Parashurama was
enough for him to revive. While he got up on his feet with his
axe, Parimal was ordered to hide again. Parashurama was sure
that Parimal had not entered the temple as he had kept an eye
on the door all along. Now, the only one standing in front of
him was Nagendra. Parashurama rushed towards Nagendra and
went for his waist, cutting him in half with a single slice of his
axe. In no time, Nagendra was lying on the ground divided in
two but in the blink of an eye, he was back on his feet.

This was the first time that Parashurama was fighting another
immortal and the second time in the past few minutes that
Parashurama felt a sense of failure. Nagendra continued to
challenge Parashurama to kill him, which Parashurama already
tried twice, but Nagendra came back to life every time, laughing
at him.

‘We can do it till the end of Kali yuga, Grandpa,’ said Nagendra,
mocking Parashurama.

Parashurama was all set to strike again but a loud sound from
inside the temple grabbed everybody’s attention. He
immediately ran towards the entrance of the temple.
Parashurama was one step away from entering when he was
suddenly thrown away by an invisible force. Parashurama fell a
few feet from the door, wondering who had pushed him away.
As he was getting back on his feet, he saw LSD leaving the
temple. Just when he was about to charge at her, he saw a figure
forming itself in thin air. Nagendra went closer to the emerging
figure and stood there. Within moments, Parashurama saw
Shukracharya standing between LSD and himself. It was clear
to Parashurama that he would have to go through Shukracharya
to reach LSD, who was walking away from Parashurama. In no
time, she was nowhere to be seen and

Shukracharya, along with Nagendra, stood at the temple’s

entrance. Parashurama was ready with his weapons to charge at
both, but before he could, Shukracharya turned back and
entered the temple and Nagendra ran to the side from which he
had come. Parashurama’s priority was the temple and therefore,
he chose to follow Shukracharya.

Parashurama entered the temple but Shukracharya was

nowhere to be seen. He had vanished into thin air as he had
emerged from it, thought Parashurama and hastily looked
everywhere to ensure that the temple was safe. He noticed that
the temple was turning back into a boulder from one corner,
slowly consuming the whole structure. As he turned towards
the only door of the temple, he saw Shukracharya standing
there, blocking the exit. Shukracharya’s heavy voice roared
through the temple and suddenly, several asuras unleashed
from his body and cornered Parashurama, attacking him
collectively.

Parashurama began to slay them all, but more continued

charging at him endlessly. Some reached for his hands, while
some grabbed his legs. Others piled on to him to stop him from
reaching Shukracharya. Right in front of his eyes, Shukracharya
walked out the door, turned around and stood there watching.
Parashurama, who was still trying to free himself, could see
Nagendra, Parimal and LSD joining the audience as they stood
beside Shukracharya. Parashurama realized that it was the
perfect opportunity for him to attack and finish all of them.
However, what he did not realize was that the asuras weren’t
holding him tight to keep him away from Shukracharya but
were restricting him from leaving the temple. The asuras were
distractions who were there just to keep Parashurama captive
till the whole temple structure turned back into the giant
mountain that it was before Parashurama had carved it.
Even before he could have slaughtered them all and reached the
exit, the door had returned to its original form from centuries
ago, when it wasn’t sculpted. The whole temple had
transformed into the enormous mountain that it used to be,
consuming Parashurama and all the asuras. The weight of
disappointment, disbelief, defeat and dejection pushed
Parashurama down to his knees again as he felt choked by the
emotions of losing what he had built. He screamed out his
location to Ved Vyasa in agony and in the pain of losing the
temple. Nagendra, Parimal and LSD stood calmly with
Shukracharya outside and witnessed the entire transformation
before leaving.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 12

The Nine Avatars

The increasing death toll due to the persistent pandemic was a
sign from the gods that the end of the world was nearing.
Moreover, Mansarovar being consumed by Rakshastal, an
avalanche destroying Roopkund, the Taj Mahal turning black,
the ghost village of Kuldhara vanishing overnight, the
destruction of the submerged Dwarka and volcanic lava
evaporating Bheemkund added to the anxiety of every ordinary
person that the gods were furious and that this was the
expression of their wrath on mankind. The new addition to the
misery that was fuelling the unfaltering fire was the
unexplainable phenomenon of reverse engineering at Ellora.

Ashwatthama and Om had to leave empty-handed, wondering

where Parashurama was. Soon, experts, scientists and
researchers were flocking to the site to understand the
unknown.

Back in Sutala, Vibhishana appeared in front of King Bali.

‘Greetings, mighty king!’ said Vibhishana.

King Bali smiled, stood up from his throne and hugged
Vibhishana as an elder brother. Vibhishana reciprocated the
gesture warmly.

‘Come! Sit!’ said King Bali, offering a seat to Vibhishana beside

him.

Vibhishana sat and silently waited for King Bali to initiate the
conversation and share the reason for which he had been
urgently summoned.

‘Vibhishana! I need your help in locating Shukracharya.’ King

Bali’s voice was heavy with worry.

‘I was informed that Parashurama had visited Sutala and now

you are in search of Shukracharya. What’s the matter, King
Bali?’ asked Vibhishana.

King Bali explained, ‘It all started after someone named

Nagendra got his hands on a book named Mrit Sanjeevani that
was concealed since eternity. Parashurama believes that
Nagendra is Shukracharya’s prodigy and that Shukracharya is
the one responsible for these catastrophes. Ashwatthama had
killed Nagendra in Kuldhara but the destruction continued. Ved
Vyasa is awake and believes that nine places contain the secret
words, which, when put together, would serve as a key to some
mysterious door that Shukracharya intends to open. Five out of
those nine places have been destroyed because the words they
held had already been stolen when Parashurama had visited
me. Two more have been lost since he left, and last I heard,
Parashurama has been missing too, ever since the Ellora temple
turned into a rock.’
‘And you wish to meet Shukracharya through me?’ confirmed
Vibhishana.

King Bali continued, ‘Vibhishana! Shukracharya and his

protégés are up to something so ruinous that Parashurama had
to visit me, and I requested your immediate attention. Out of
the seven immortals, only two of us are asuras, and that, too,
successors of those who became the reason for four of the nine
Vishnu Dashavatars till now.

‘Dashavatar! Who is that?’ asked Mrs Batra.

‘Dashavatar is a Sanskrit word and can be simplified by

breaking it into two. “Dasha” means ten and “avatar” means
“incarnation”. Thus, dashavatar denotes the ten primary
avatars of Lord Vishnu, who is one of the three superior gods in
Hinduism. Lord Vishnu was known to balance the astral order
for the betterment of mankind and whenever the balance was
disturbed by any adversity, Lord Vishnu would descend to earth
as one of these ten avatars that I am going to tell you about now.

‘King Mahabali and Vibhishana are the only members alive of

the families of those asuras who were confronted by Lord
Vishnu several times. In fact, out of the ten avatars of Lord
Vishnu, four avatars had descended to earth because of
Vibhishana and King Bali’s ancestors and their deeds,’ replied
Prithvi.

‘Four! That’s quite a number!’

‘Yes! Those four avatars were Varah, Narsimha, Vamana and

Lord Ram,’ said Prithvi as he proceeded further to explain the
incarnations.
‘Satya yuga saw these four incarnations of Lord Vishnu at
different junctures of the yuga. Matsya avatar, being the first,
symbolized the presence of life on earth, which was first found
underwater. The purpose of Matsya avatar was associated with
King Satyavrata, one of the biggest devotees of Lord Vishnu.
One day, when the king was washing his hands in a nearby
stream, he noticed a tiny fish quickly settling in his cupped
hands, pleading with him to save it from the bigger fish. The
king, as he was kind-hearted and benevolent, carried the fish
back with him and put it in a vessel which it outgrew very
quickly. Hence, it was shifted to another tank which became too
small for her again. It continued to grow bigger than every
container it was put in, until one day, the king ran out of
options and was forced to take it to the ocean. Once the fish was
free to swim in its new abode, it revealed itself as Lord Vishnu.
The giant fish cautioned the king about the impending natural
calamity that would destroy the entire kingdom. The fish also
instructed the king to build a boat and carry the Vedas, along
with the seven sages, the king’s family and every important
living creature to the other side.

‘The second avatar that followed was the Kurma avatar, which
depicted the struggles of life and how there’s one chance
available to set the record straight by staying determinedly on
the righteous path. During the Samudra Manthan, the gods and
the demons churned the ocean to obtain the elixir of
immortality. A serpent named Vasuki aided the process by
becoming the churning rope which was tied around Mount
Mandara, which was the churning wedge. As the churning
continued, it simultaneously eroded the mountain till it was
about to sink. That’s when Lord Vishn1 intoa giant
‘After the Kurma avatar stepped the Varah avatar, which
represented various aspects of sacrifices boon by Lord Brahma
himself. The boon stated that Hiranyakashipu could not be
killed in any of the pancha bhoothas, i.e., neither be killed by a
human nor by any animal, neither inside a shelter nor outside
it, neither during the daytime nor at night, neither on the
earth’s surface nor in space, neither with a living weapon nor
with an inanimate object.

‘Lord Vishnu incarnated the Narsimha avatar to stop

Hiranyakashipu and his sins. Narsimha had the body of a man
and the head and claws of a lion. His protruding teeth made
him appear even more intimidating whenever he roared.
Narsimha eventually stripped the demon Hiranyakashipu down
at his courtyard door which was neither inside nor outside the
house. He did so at early dusk which could be considered
neither day nor night. His pointed and sharp claws ripped the
demon apart, thus killing him with neither a tool nor a weapon.
And throughout, Hiranyakashipu was forcibly laid on
Narsimha’s thighs, thus keeping him neither on land (earth) nor
in space. Despite the protection promised by the boon, the way
he was killed showed how Lord Vishnu neutralized the demon
when he continued to threaten mankind.

‘After Satya yuga ended, Treta yuga commenced. This era saw
three more incarnations: Vamana, Parashurama and Lord Ram.

‘Vamana avatar was the first avatar of Treta yuga and the fifth
in the chronology of the ten incarnations. This avatar was also
the first time where Lord Vishnu appeared in a complete human
form, though as a dwarf, and was often referred to as
Trivikrama—the one who conquered the three worlds. Lord
Vishnu descended on earth as Vamana to save the demigods
and to do that, he had to meet King Bali and subdue his pride.
King Bali was the fourth heir of Hiranyakashipu.

‘With his sheer devotion and atonement, Bali was able to

expand his authority over all the three worlds, also known as
Triloka. Lord Vishnu had incarnated as a dwarf brahmin with
the intent to end the rule of King Bali. When he met Bali, he
demanded three feet of land, equivalent to the size of his own
feet. The moment Bali agreed to Vamana’s request, the dwarf
became so humongous that he covered heaven in his first step
and stepped upon the netherworld in his second.

‘Witnessing this phenomenon, Bali understood that the dwarf

brahmin was none other than Lord Vishnu. To fulfil his
promise, Bali put forward his head as the third and the last
place for Vamana to put his feet on. Vamana put his last step on
Bali’s head, sending him to Sutala and blessing him with
immortality, thus including him in the list of the seven
immortals.’

Understanding the back story of King Bali and his connection

with the old demons, Mrs Batra repeated, ‘Hiranyaksha,
Hiranyakashipu and King Bali come from the same lineage that
compelled Lord Vishnu to incarnate as Varah, Narsimha and
Vamana.’

Prithvi nodded and continued, ‘The sixth incarnation is

Parashurama himself. By now, I believe you have a fair idea
about Parashurama and his accolades, and how he proved to be
the best mentor.

‘He was followed by Lord Ram, the seventh incarnation, who

was a symbol of morality and the embodiment of truth. An
unprecedented warrior, Rama was meant to end the reign of
King Ravana, Vibhishana’s brother. Since Vibhishana was a true
devotee of Lord Vishnu, he chose to differ from King Ravana’s
ideologies and met Lord Ram to put forth his thoughts,
unbothered about going against his own blood. This gesture
and Vibhishana’s undivided support granted him immortality,
making him the second asura after King Bali to be an immortal.

‘Treta yuga ended with the end of Ravana and his rule. This
paved the way for Dwapara yuga where two more avatars, Lord
Krishna along with his brother, Balarama, graced the earth.
While Lord Krishna had descended to counter the wicked, Lord
Balarama was the harbinger of wisdom, honesty, faith and
simplicity.

‘Eventually, Dwapara yuga ended and Kali yuga began,

anticipating the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This avatar
would demolish all evil and defy every unethical practice, and
that would conclude the unrighteous events that have taken
place in Kali yuga. This incarnation of Lord Vishnu would be
able to end the existence of the most destructive era out of the
four yugas and rejuvenate the world

‘Nine out of the ten avatars that have occurred till date have
slain numerous demons such as Madh, Kaitabh, Kumbhakarna,
Meghnaad, Khar, Dushan, Mahiravan, Tadka, Haygreev, Banasur
and even Kuvalayapid. Out of these asuras, Kumbhakarna was
Vibhishana and Ravana’s brother.’ With this, Prithvi looked at
Mrs Batra as if saying that his explanation had answered all her
spoken and unspoken questions.

King Bali further elaborated to Vibhishana on why he felt they

shouldn’t get involved from either side.
‘We come from a lineage of demons, but our loyalty is towards
the gods. I told Parashurama that we would not stand against
him, but neither would our armies fight against Shukracharya. I
don’t want to contribute to our ancestor’s mistakes by allying
with Shukracharya; however, I don’t want our clan to become
the reason for the end of the world as well. We are still burdened
by the deeds of our predecessors and that is why, despite our
boons, we are still asuras. We are still paying for our ancestors’
deeds. This is not our fight, but we stand at a junction where we
belong equally to both sides. I need your help to prevent it and it
seems that only Shukracharya can do that at this point, being
the guru of the asuras. So I want your help to locate him as he
was once very close to your family.’

Ruminating on Bali’s dilemma, Vibhishana said, ‘That’s true!

Guru Shukracharya has been closest to my family once and has
always been against the gods. Everyone is aware of his personal
vengeance against Lord Vishnu. He trained and educated

Meghnaad, the eldest son of my brother Ravana, and made him

so powerful that Meghnaad defeated Lord Indra to conquer
heaven. His victory over Indra earned Meghnaad the title of
Indrajit. In the battle of Ramayana, Meghnaad had even bound
Ram and Lakshman with the Naagpasha, bringing them to the
verge of death. Shukracharya was the guru of my family, but he
would never listen to me. He still holds me responsible for
Meghnaad’s death and Ravana’s defeat at the hands of Lord
Rama.’

King Bali insisted, ‘Just help me find him. Some asura you know
might be aware of a way to reach him. I will take the
responsibility of convincing him out of this madness, but for
that, it’s imperative to find him. We will not partake in the war
if it occurs, but we must attempt to prevent it.’

‘agree, King Bali. I will see what I can do to find him,’ assured
Vibhishana. ‘For this, I request you to permit me to return to my
kingdom in Lanka. Ineed to meet my army and the asuras and
order them to prepare for what the future might bring to us. I
need to brief my asuras before they leave Lanka in search of
Shukracharya in all possible directions.’

While King Bali and Vibhishana were clueless about

Shukracharya’s whereabouts, he along with his triad were
entering the submarine, exhausted after their fight with
Parashurama. However, another surprise awaited them. At the
entrance of the submarine and in all the corridors and engine
rooms, they found a whole new crew of faces they had never
seen before. Strangely, none of the crew members were humans.

‘Don’t worry!’ said Shukracharya. ‘These asuras had been

controlling the crew by possessing their bodies to learn how to
navigate the submarine as well as the machinery. They don’t
need those human bodies any more.’

‘So where are the crew members now?’ enquired LSD.

‘They are stored in the cold room along with the provisions,
replied one of the asuras as he greeted Shukracharya.

LSD and Parimal exchanged a slightly worried look. They were

the only two remaining humans on board.

Shukracharya said, ‘We are very close to our final mission, and
so, to remain hidden is our best weapon from now on.
Congratulations, Nagendra, on your flawless plan to trap
Parashurama. It was your idea that an immortal cannot be
killed but imprisoned. For some time, the immortals will be a
ship sailing directionless, without a captain. LSD needs rest and
extensive care. From now on, she won’t walk out of the
submarine. Parimal! You are still the commander of the ship
and all these asuras will follow your orders. Now go, resume
your responsibility’

Shukracharya handed him a slip that had the coordinates for

the next two locations. ‘Don’t say it out loud! alerted
Shukracharya. ‘Ved Vyasa will be listening. Just read the note
and do the needful silently’

‘What was written on the note?’ Mrs Batra asked anxiously.

‘The instruction was to take the submarine from the western

coast of Maharashtra to Mypadu Beach on the eastern coast, and
their next destination was 370 km from Mypadu Beach—the
Veerabhadra temple situated in the Anantapur district of
Andhra Pradesh—which would take nearly nine hours by road,’
replied Prithvi.

Veerabhadra Temple was the most intrinsically secured

sculpture. The eternal art in the form of murals and depictions
narrates the epic sagas from the Puranas, the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata.

The temple was enshrined with a mound of Lord Shiva, almost

200 metres away from which was the big bull, Nandi, carved
out of a single rock as per common belief. The Veerabhadra
temple, locally known as the Lepakshi temple, was believed to
bea marvel of Indian architecture and carving skills in ancient
times. Its pictorial depictions of the country’s immense history
only added to the temple’s exquisite charm.
In the temple premises, just beyond the Kalyana Mandapa, was
a gigantic imprint of a foot. It always looked moist, irrespective
of the weather, and symbolized the stomping of a footstep,
which supposedly belonged to Goddess Sita. This temple had
served as a pit stop when King Ravana was on his way to Sri
Lanka after abducting Sita.

The water in this footprint was considered holy and a mark of

respect for Goddess Sita.

Another astonishing element inside the temple was a unique

hanging pillar among the seventy pillars on the premises.

‘Hanging pillar?’ asked Mrs Batra, trying to imagine and

understand the physics of such a pillar.

‘Yes! The hanging pillar. Out of the seventy pillars, this pillar
was a testament to the engineering genius of that era. The
sixteenth-century temple made of stone had this one pillar
suspended from the ceiling, with only a paper-thin gap between
the pillar’s bottom and the floor. The tour guides used to prove
the marvel of this pillar by sliding a piece of cloth through that
gap without touching the floor or the bottom of the pillar.

‘Once, in 1910, a British engineer named Hamilton, startled and

awestruck by the incredible structural marvel, tried to look for
architectural aberrations. In that process, he managed to alter
one corner of the pillar, due to which there was a sudden
structural shift in the exterior hall’s ceiling with a tilt in the
roof alignment, and pillars all around leaned on the adjacent
one, thus disfiguring the series of the murals in the temple. The
engineer understood very well that one more move would cause
the entire temple to collapse. This led to a slight disorientation
in the position of the hanging pillar. The attempt of the British
engineer was concluded to be unsuccessful and after that, no
one could unfold the mystery of the hanging pillar’

In Aurangabad, Ashwatthama and Om were in Om’s hideout,

planning their next step. They couldn’t decide between going
back to Gyanganj or waiting there for further instructions.
‘There is a question that often strikes me about you. Please
allow me to ask,’ requested Ashwatthama to Om. Om turned
and seemed keen to know what Ashwatthama wanted to ask.

‘Vidur was Ved Vyasa’s son who was born in Treta yuga but you
were born thousands of years before him in Satya yuga. How
did you claim to be the half-blood brother of the fathers of the
Pandavas and Kauravas?

‘Vidur was the son of a handmaiden to the queens Ambika and

Ambalika. Queen Ambika was the mother of the blind King
Dhritrashtra, the father of the Kauravas whereas queen
Ambalika became the mother of Pandu who later became the
father of five brothers called the Pandavas. The father of all
three kings was Ved Vyasa. He knew that the Kauravas and
Pandavas would eventually fight each other in the battle of
Kurukshetra and the war would consume everything. So he
wished to have one son away from this and chose Vidur. Ved
Vyasa knew about my existence; he met me and requested me
to replace Vidur as nobody in the Kingdom knew what Vidur
looked like. Because of being the handmaiden’s son, Vidur was
not brought up with Dhritrashtra and Pandu but was directly
introduced to the kingdom while he was in his forties. The one
who was taken away from the kingdom in his childhood was
Vidur but the one who returned with his name was me on the
request of Ved Vyasa to replace his son Vidur.
‘who you met before being cursed was me and nobody ever saw
the real Vidur because he never returned to the kingdom. After
the end of the Mahabharata war, I made a hut for Dhritrashtra
and Gandhari, the parents of the Kauravas, and Kunti, the
mother of the Pandavas, and then vanished into the jungle.
What happened to the real Vidur and how his life ended can
only be answered by Ved Vyasa now but I never questioned him.
Because death is death after all, irrespective of how it consumes
a mortal. But I have a question for you now, said Om to
Ashwatthama. Now, Ashwatthama was keen to know the
question. Om said, ‘How did I mistake your identity with the
great Subhas Chandra Bose in 1945 when I saw you after the
end of the Mahabharata?’

‘You were not mistaken! As you did for Ved Vyasa, I replaced
Subhas Chandra Bose on the flight to give him a safe passage. I
have been a warrior all my life and he was a true patriot fighting
for the land that belonged to me too. In other words, he was
fighting for me and my land, and I dressed like him and took the
flight so that the world could believe that he is gone. There was
a pact that I still respect and so I don’t want to open any more
threads. In short, what I did for him is what you did for Vidur,
answered Ashwatthama.

This conversation stopped when Om saw the muted news

flashing on a channel that showed three faces captured on a
door’s CCTV footage, walking out of the Ellora temple right after
it had turned into a rock.

He instantly unmuted and the news anchor announced, ‘Look

at these three faces, walking out right after this tragic yet
mystical incident of Ellora. Two of them have been identified.
One is Parimal Nair, a PhD in Indian history and a professor. The
other is Latika, who was born and brought up in a small village
with her grandfather. There is no record of the death of her
grandfather and the villagers thought that both were either
killed or abducted from the village overnight. Since that day,
she was never seen, but today, she was spotted with this history
professor. However, the third young man in the footage is yet to
be identified and no government records could be found on him
as yet.’

Om instantly recognized Nagendra. Seeing his own face after

yugas, knowing that Nagendra was still alive and now an
immortal, too, was a feeling that Om could not describe in
words. He had never felt as lost as when he saw Nagendra more
real than himself.

Silent, depressed, yet adamant to stop him, Om said to

Ashwatthama, ‘Nagendra is alive! Look at the news. You
recognize the two faces from Ross Island and Kuldhara; the one
that you cannot recognize is him. That was my face before
Dhanvantari gave me this life and Sushrut gave me this face. I
suggest we request Kripacharya to lead our way. Can you call
him here? Maybe he can guide us in the absence of
Parashurama.’

Looking at the young Nagendra and realizing that he was still

alive after being beheaded, Ashwatthama felt a mixture of
shock, fury and failure. Without another word, he silently
agreed to Om’s suggestions and closed his eyes to summon
Kripacharya once again.

Back at Gyanganj, Vrishkapi came rushing to Ved Vyasa. ‘I need

your help,’
Ved Vyasa looked at him and said, ‘Tell me. What’s bothering
you, Vrishkapi?”

‘I am bothering myself, replied Vrishkapi.

‘Vrishkapi, this is a very bad time to play riddles. If there is

something serious, say it straight and clear,’ said Ved Vyasa in a
tense tone.

‘Ever since Om has cured me, I am experiencing changes in

myself, said Vrishkapi with a genuinely confused expression.

‘What kind of changes?”

‘Ican take more giant leaps than earlier. I can fly with an
unmatched and unscaled speed. I sometimes feel I am
weightless and sometimes, even the tiniest part of my body
feels like I’m carrying the weight of a mountain. While
meditating, I experienced flashes of powers that are elevating
my height more than usual and sometimes even shrinking it to
the size of a pebble. My soul, I feel, is now connected to another
spiritual soul. My ability to recover from any injury didn’t exist
earlier when I was brutally wounded at Roopkund. I am
fascinated by these changes I have been noticing, but I’m
worried about losing control.’

‘You come from the clan of Lord Hanuman himself and perhaps,
these traits were always dormant within you. They seem to
have been activated now after Om helped you recover. Maybe in
true meaning, you are now blessed by Hanuman,’

Vrishkapi blankly stared at Ved Vyasa and asked, ‘What do you

mean?’
‘The changes and the supernatural powers that you are
experiencing are called Siddhi, and they can only be obtained
through meditation and hard work, Vrishkapi. Lord Hanuman
was granted eight such Siddhis that are reflecting in you.

‘Verse 31 of the Hanuman Chalisa says, ‘Ashta siddhi nava nidhi

ke datd, asa bara dinha janaki mata’, which means Mother
Janaki (Sita) granted Lord Hanuman a boon to become the
bestower of eight siddhis (supernatural powers) and nine
nidhis (divine treasures). Those supernatural powers are
Anima, the ability to reduce his size; Mahima, the ability to
increase his size; Laghima, the ability to become weightless;
Garima, the ability to increase his weight; Prapti, the ability to
travel anywhere and acquire anything; Parakamya, an
irresistible willpower; Vastiva, mastery over all creatures; and
Isitva, the ability to become godlike with the power to create
and destroy.

‘Your displays of supernatural powers are proof that not all but
some fragments of Lord Hanuman’s siddhis are now bestowed
upon you since Om helped you recover. This is what you might
need in the coming days, Vrishkapi,’ said Ved Vyasa.

‘So what should I do?’ asked Vrishkapi.

‘You are the warden of all extinct beings here, Vrishkapi,

because you know how to tame them, keep them in control.
Learn to control your powers.

Train your powers to help you as and when needed. Learn

yourself better, Vrishkapi. This would help you to defeat any
threat, any adverse circumstance. assure you, there is nothing
for you to worry about at all. No one teaches a fish to swim or a
bird to fly. They just know it and practise it regularly, and so
should you. Practise understanding all that you are capable of.

As Ved Vyasa guided Vrishkapi, he heard Parashurama’s voice

informing him of his location.

Ved Vyasa stood up hastily and said, ‘Vrishkapi! You said you
can fly now! How fast can you fly to Ashwatthama? I have an
urgent message for him.’

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 13

Boon or Bane?
The month of Shravan (July) ended and Bhadrapada (August)
began. Unexpected challenges and catastrophes continued to
knock on India’s doors while the government and the citizens
struggled on various levels due to Covid-19. The latest tragedy
was the crash of Air India Flight AI344 at Calicut International
Airport, Kerala, which had claimed nineteen lives. Kerala also
had to bear the brunt of heavy rain that caused landslides,
killing twenty-four people, trapping many and rendering
several others homeless. Farmers began an intense protest
against farm bills in northern India. India’s GDP for the fiscal
year 2020-21 had dropped dramatically by 23.9 per cent. The
prime minister had laid the foundational stone of the Ram
Mandir at Ayodhya, which covered the front pages of every
newspaper, but far north at Kailash, before Vrishkapi could
decipher what Ved Vyasa had asked him to do, he noticed
perplexity on Ved Vyasa’s face as he heard Shukracharya’s
words.

‘Congratulations, Nagendra, on your flawless plan to trap

Parashurama. It was your idea that an immortal cannot be
killed but can be imprisoned.’
‘This was all planned,’ murmured Ved Vyasa, in dismay at not
being able to understand it before.

‘What happened, seer?’ a concerned Vrishkapi asked.

Ved Vyasa looked at Vrishkapi and said in guilt, ‘Vrishkapi! They

used me against all of you. They had planned everything, every
small step. They knew our reaction even before we reacted.
They had anticipated every single move of ours from the very
beginning. Once they had obtained the books of Mrit
Sanjeevani, they knew we wouldn’t stay quiet but would chase
them. They deliberately left the trail evident so that we would
follow it and be trapped. They knew I would try to locate them
by tracing their voices, therefore LSD intentionally spoke of
Ellora to Parimal, so that I would hear it and Parashurama
would be there to defend it alone. They knew that dividing our
strength would make it easy for them to handle us. Sending you
to Roopkund was also a part of their strategy, not ours, because
they knew that you can’t be sent beyond that point and among
humans, that is why they let me hear those first few locations
so that we chose to divide our warriors and individually try to
save each place.

‘From trapping Parashurama and Kripacharya inside Om’s past

to capturing Parashurama in Ellora now, every bait was cleverly
placed. By not letting us attack them together, they succeeded.
They first tried to kill you alone at Roopkund; the wounds were
fatal. Then, they attacked Milarepa alone in Tejo Mahalaya and
burnt him alive. Meanwhile, Kripacharya was trapped alone in
Om’s past and then Ashwatthama was left alone to stand
against all of them in the battle of Kuldhara. Nagendra,
knowing himself well, was certain that after Om recollected his
past, he would go in search of Nibhisha to fulfil his ancient
promise and somebody would accompany him back to
Gyanganj. That would leave Parashurama defenceless when he
would head to Ellora.

‘They were certain from the beginning that even if two

immortals came together to stop their word hunt, they would
fail, and so they cleverly kept all of them occupied or trapped. I
was merely a puppet in Shukracharya’s hands, telling
Parashurama and Ashwatthama what he wanted to convey for
the smooth functioning of his plans,’

Ved Vyasa looked highly disappointed in himself at not being

able to anticipate this. Hearing all this, Vrishkapi was furious,
recalling the heinous Nagendra who had so deviously killed
Milarepa and attacked him from behind. ‘I told Om that they are
cheaters. They don’t fight fair. See! I was right. They’ve been
doing this all along. What are my orders, seer?’ asked Vrishkapi,
all pumped up.

‘As Lasked, how quickly can you reach Ashwatthama without

being noticed?’ Ved Vyasa asked.

‘I discovered a few days ago that I can shrink to the size of a tiny
insect, which means I can fly above the clouds in my normal
form and then transform before I land among the humans. I
will then recall my original self only when I find Ashwatthama
and myself in a secluded space,’ Vrishkapi gushed about his
newfound abilities.

‘Like Lord Hanuman! Very good! What else can you do?’ asked
Ved Vyasa.

Vrishkapi pondered for a moment, innocently comparing his

powers to Hanuman, and said, ‘I don’t think I can lift a
mountain.’

Hearing that, a small smile tugged at Ved Vyasa’s lips. ‘Until you
experience it, manifest it.’ He walked towards the exit of
Gyanganj as Vrishkapi followed, hearing his instructions. ‘Tell
Ashwatthama where Parashurama is so that they can release
him from Ellora. Tell him that no one should attack Nagendra
alone. Also inform him that they’re left with only two last
chances to stop Nagendra and that now, neither do I know nor
will Ibe able to tell further where they are headed for their next
word. I am unaware of the final location too, but both these
places must be south of Maharashtra. I am sure of that. Lastly,
convey to him that Vibhishana and King Bali have decided to
stay neutral.’

By then, Vrishkapi and Ved Vyasa were standing on snow at the

exit of Gyanganj under the open sky.

‘May Lord Hanuman be with you, Vrishkapi’ Vrishkapi bid Ved

Vyasa farewell and shot up into the sky with a sonic boom. The
snow below and around Ved Vyasa’s feet melted due to the
energy that was radiated.

Parimal captained the submarine, surrounded by asuras who

did everything exactly the way they had learnt from the men
who now lay motionless in the cold storage room. He was
concerned about LSD’s health as she was now seven months
along in her pregnancy. This was the time when she needed
more care and attention, but there was no other woman in the
submarine to attend to her in the last trimester. Parimal had so
much to say to her and so he wished to be around LSD but could
not see her unless he was permitted to. The only one who could
allow him was Nagendra, who was busy embossing all the
extracted words on to a two-foot-long and six-inch-wide copper
sheet, in LSD’s cabin.

The submarine sailed off the coast of Maharashtra towards a

spot clo se to the coast of Sri Lanka, while the king of Lan! ‘a,
King Vibhishana, reached his kingdom. The one who was
dressed in ivorycoloured clothes and was merely a servant at
the feet of Lord Jagannath in Puri was now decked in gold
ornaments and clad in the robes of ancient kings as he entered
hi s courtyard. Hundreds of asuras awaited him and greeted
him in unison as he sat on his throne. He gestured for everyone
to remain silent and then spoke in a grim voice.

‘Thave called this meeting for a vital purpose. I want our

messengers to visit all our spies scattered across Hindustan and
hand over my sealed letter to them within a week. This is an
extremely critical matter and they should all be sent in search
of the one mentioned in the letter. If they fail, we’ll see the end
of the world.’

Ashwatthama, too, was committed to preventing the war, as he

sat down to meditate to summon Kripacharya. Hours passed,
but Kripacharya was nowhere to be found. Although there was
no progress in his search for Kripacharya, Vrishkapi had
succeeded in finding Ashwatthama and Om. He descended
from the sky, shrunk himself to the size of a fly to remain out of
sight and entered the hideout from the gap beneath the door.
Then, through the window, he entered Ashwatthama and Om’s
room. Vrishkapi saw Ashwatthama in a deep meditative state
and Om guarding him.

Vrishkapi decided to break his trance and said, ‘Parashurama is

trapped at Ellora, and you must free him. Ved Vyasa doesn’t
know where Shukracharya is headed next. We have two more
chances to stop them and Vibhishana and King Bali will not
participate in case the battle breaks, even if we need them.’

Ashwatthama opened his eyes as he could hear the voice loud

and clear, but could not see anyone. Om was just as mystified to
find no source of the voice. They exchanged vigilant looks and
drew their weapons out.

‘This voice resembles Vrishkapi’s,’ said Ashwatthama with a

hint of uncertainty.

‘Not just my voice, but my body too resembles Vrishkapi. I am

Vrishkapi, sent by Ved Vyasa to bring this message to you,’ came
the reply in a strained voice, making Om and Ashwatthama
raise their eyebrows.

‘Show yourself immediately! Or else be ready to fight it out,’ said

Om.

The tensed voice said, ‘That’s the problem! I can’t! I recently

discovered that I could shrink myself and I did this to keep
myself hidden from humans, but now I don’t know how to get
back to my original size. The last time it happened on its own. I
shouldn’t have tried this! Will I be stuck in this size forever? Oh,
no! Please, help me both of you! This is driving me crazy. I am so
tiny, and you both are so big!

‘Vrishkapi, stop panicking! Tell us where you are first,’ Om

asked, interrupting his ramble.

‘Look here! Above the round thing fixed on this wall near the
door, said Vrishkapi, waving his arms.

They followed the instructions and came closer to inspect the

wall. They noticed the tiny Vrishkapi standing above the fan
regulator on the switchboard.

‘Please help me!’ Vrishkapi pleaded.

Om extended his palm, helping Vrishkapi fall on to it, and asked

him to explain why Ved Vyasa sent him to them. Vrishkapi
repeated everything and they realized that every tragedy since
Mansarovar was just a part of Shukracharya’s plan to keep the
immortals divided and occupied.

Asudden knock on the door grabbed everyone’s attention. Om

helped Vrishkapi into his shirt pocket and Ashwatthama
opened the door. Kripacharya stood outside the room in the
attire of an ordinary man.

Kripacharya entered the room and was visibly displeased to

find Om as he still didn’t trust him. Om greeted him
respectfully, but Kripacharya rudely ignored him and turned to
Ashwatthama, ‘You were looking for me?’

‘Yes!’ Ashwatthama confirmed and addressed the pressing issue

without wasting any time. ‘Three more locations have been
raided since you left, only two spots remain to be hunted down
and Ved Vyasa has sent strict orders to stick together while
searching for Shukracharya. We must unite. Please guide us in
the absence of Parashurama,’ requested Ashwatthama with
joined hands.

‘Om goes back to Gyanganj and we proceed from here to bring

back Parashurama. After that, we shall figure out the locations
of the next two words as well as of Shukracharya’s protégés,’
ordered Kripacharya with a rigid, expressionless face.
‘And what do I do? Where do I go?’ came Vrishkapi’s voice from
Om’s pocket.

Before Kripacharya could utter his doubts, Ashwatthama

updated him on Vrishkapi’s state and posed another request. ‘I
got a glimpse of what Om and his powers are capable of when I
saw him breaking a mountain in Roopkund recently, similar to
the one at Ellora, and I believe he can do this quicker than us. I
urge that we focus on the locations below Maharashtra and let
Om and Vrishkapi free Parashurama.’

‘I won’t be answerable to Parashurama for any actions of Om

and Vrishkapi, and you will be held accountable if anything
goes wrong. This is on you,’ said Kripacharya, tenacious about
his perception of Om.

‘I take complete responsibility for their actions,’ Ashwatthama

replied in a heartbeat and looked at Om. The trust between
Ashwatthama and Om had not only been restored but was also
strengthened further with Ashwatthama’s confidence in him.
Kripacharya agreed to Ashwatthama’s suggestion, and they
decided to stay there to shortlist some of the places while Om
and Vrishkapi were free to rescue Parashurama.

Before leaving, Om took out a mobile phone, gave it to

Ashwatthama and said, ‘We will keep you posted and also track
your location.’ Ashwatthama agreed and kept the phone.

As Om and Vrishkapi left the room, Vrishkapi asked, ‘What did

you give to Ashwatthama?’

Om explained to him what a mobile phone was and what

purpose it served in the modern world. Vrishkapi wondered
why Ved Vyasa sent him so far to give a message and why he
didn’t have a mobile phone, too, to contact them in Aurangabad!
It would be too complicated to explain the mechanism of
network towers and their non-availability in Gyanganj, so
putting that aside, Om said, ‘Because Ved Vyasa does not like
carrying a mobile phone. Besides, he doesn’t need one as he can
hear everything without a phone.’

‘Yes! But he can only hear us, and his voice can’t be heard
without a phone. Now, after learning about the phone thing, I
feel like a messenger pigeon sent to deliver messages. Even
pigeons are bigger than me. What have I done?’ asked the
innocent, tiny Vrishkapi, disappointed in himself and slightly
upset with Ved Vyasa.

After Om and Vrishkapi left, Ashwatthama asked Kripacharya,

‘Where were you? I was unable to locate you.’

‘Right after the incident at Ross Island, Dr Batra, an expert who

was there during the interrogation, made many breakthroughs
in medical science and suddenly vanished from the face of the
earth. A few weeks ago, he was found dead on one of Gujarat’s
seashores. The DNA reports confirmed that it was Dr Batra’s
body, and that his death was due to drowning. I believe he had
Om’s blood and that played a vital role in Nagendra’s
immortality and in his own death too. What I can’t understand
is how his body reached the waters. While investigating that, I
learnt that his dead body did not float its way there, but he was
taken to the sea alive and what returned to the shore was a dead
Dr Tej Batra.’ Ashwatthama understood what Kripacharya was
trying to point out and confirmed, ‘You think Nagendra is
operating from under the ocean?’

‘Had he been hiding on land, I would have caught him by now.

Dr Batra was brought alive to Nagendra with Om’s blood
sample, in some ship or submarine, forced to give the sample to
him and then released alive underwater for the fish to feed on.
No man can swim back to the surface dead or alive from the
depth of a submarine but fortunately, the tsunami that arose
after the destruction of the submerged Dwarka brought the
dead body from the deep waters to the coast of Gujarat. His wife
was nowhere to be found, so his last rites were performed by
the locals after the autopsy and DNA sampling,’

‘The books of Mrit Sanjeevani ought to be where Nagendra is,

said an angry Ashwatthama.

‘Yes! Nagendra is hiding underwater. During the investigation, I

found an unknown speedboat that was spotted at Digha Beach a
few months ago. Later, the same boat was spotted at Mandvi
Beach and in the Gulf of Kutch when the incidents of Kuldhara
and Dwarka happened. Then it showed up recently in Goa and
the coastal areas of Maharashtra, when the raid and the hunt at
Ellora occurred.’ Kripacharya showed the photographs of the
boat to Ashwatthama, which validated everything Kripacharya
had just shared.

Seeing the photographs, something dawned on Ashwatthama.

‘This is Parimal’s boat! It is the same boat that Parashurama and
I chased from Port Blair to Ross Island to rescue Om.’

Kripacharya explained Nagendra’s modus operandi: ‘Nagendra

and his team arrive at the beach closest to their location, carry
out their search for the word and then hide in deep waters
before silently travelling to their next location, completely
hidden from the world. They take the speed boat from their
vessel to the shore and return to it after their work is done’

‘So this means that if we find the vessel, we find them.’

‘Yes! Now that they have left Ellora, there are only four coastal
states south of Maharashtra and Goa that they could move to.’
Kripacharya opened the map of India and pointed out the
possible states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and
Kerala.

‘Instead of trying to find the location of the next word, we

should find the submarine. If we find them, their quest is
already over because this time we will be together, and our
attack will be more lethal and more organized than before,’
Ashwatthama agreed with Kripacharya.

It was a total of 2730.6 km of the coastline south of

Maharashtra that they needed to search. As they began their
‘Mission: Find Nagendra’, the submarine was already closing in
on Mypadu Beach in Andhra Pradesh, which was at a distance of
370 km from the Veerabhadra temple.

By then, Om and Vrishkapi had reached Ellora. Om stood in

front of the massive rock and closed his eyes to summon the
same mace that had helped him free Nibhisha. While Vrishkapi
was still struggling to get back to his normal height, he saw the
emergence of the mace in awe.

‘How did you do that? This mace is awesome!’ Vrishkapi gasped.

Om took him out of his pocket and asked him to stay away as he
began breaking through the rock, which would send shards
flying. Vrishkapi did as he was requested and waited at a
distance to see what this magical mace could do for Om.

Om started hammering the rocky mountain with full force and

every blow created a new crack, denting the mountain heavily.
Looking at Om, Vrishkapi, too, desired to lift the mace and look
like Lord Hanuman but for that, he had to regain his original
self.

Om could sense his agony and while pounding at the rock, he

said, ‘You are physically the strongest among us, Vrishkapi.
Right now, your weakness lies in your willpower and
determination. Ellora is the place that Parashurama created
with sheer will and determination and there could not be a
better place for you to meditate and gain what is yours to claim.’

Om’s words hit Vrishkapi deeply, as Ved Vyasa’s words about

how Parashurama had created the temple with a single hammer
and chisel rang in his ears. Hence, Vrishkapi sat meditating in a
corner in front of the huge yet weakening rock, with the sounds
of Om’s mace hitting it aiding his meditative state.

Back at Gyanganj, Ved Vyasa could hear the conversation

between Ashwatthama and Kripacharya along with the striking
of the mace on the rock to free Parashurama.

Several days passed as Nagendra and the others remained

hidden underwater, as ordered by Shukracharya. It was time for
the next move, so they reached the beach on the same boat. Less
than half a day after reaching Mypadu Beach, Parimal and
Nagendra were at the gates of Veerabhadra Temple, waiting for
the priests to leave the premises at night, as the temple was
open from 5 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. during the day and 4 p.m. to
8.30 p.m. They prepared to enter when they saw the last priest
closing the doors of the temple and leaving.

Sticking to the plan, nobody uttered a single word about the

place to each other, thus feeling confident that they could hunt
for the word uninterrupted. Nagendra and Parimal broke the
chains on the gate, entered the temple and identified the
hanging pillar out of all the other pillars. In the dark of that
night, Nagendra took out the same copper sheet that he was
carving while they were hidden underwater. The copper plate
had all the words they had extracted so far, from Mansarovar to
the Ellora caves.

अविनासी अनादि अनंता |

सकल जगत तिहूं-लो नियंता || यस्य प्राप्नोती अष्ट संग्रह |

He placed the sheet under the hanging pillar and moved it back
and forth as if scanning it through the pillar’s base. Moments
later, light was reflected from the pillar on each word. It felt as if
the pillar was inspecting whether all the words were correct
and in sequence. This went on for a few minutes, after which
the next word after Asht Sangrah (अष्ट संग्रह ) began to emboss
itself on the copper sheet, carved exactly like the rest of the
words. The new and penultimate word they acquired was ‘Sah
Bhavishyati’ (सहः भविष्यति).).

In the next instant, all the pillars started to melt like burning
candles, and the two of them walked out of the temple
unquestioned and unchallenged, as if it was child’s play. While
Nagendra and Parimal made their way out of the temple,
Parashurama, too, was getting closer to his hour of liberation. It
would take half a day more of constant hammering to set
Parashurama free, but before Om could free Parashurama with
the power of his magical mace, he had already freed Vrishkapi
with his magical words. The impact of Om’s advice worked
miraculously on Vrishkapi. At that moment, Vrishkapi grew not
only physically but spiritually too. He opened his eyes and
found himself in his original state. Looking at that, Om stopped
the hammering. Vrishkapi stood up from his spot, trudged
towards Om and asked for the mace. The subtle shift in
Vrishkapi’s energy was evident to Om, so he handed over the
mace to him without any question. As Vrishkapi held it, it
shone brighter than before, as if it was drawing unlimited
power from Vrishkapi. After a few seconds, both Vrishkapi and
the mace looked fully charged. This time, it was Vrishkapi’s turn
to request Om to step aside so that the shower of rocks wouldn’t
hurt him. Om complied and Vrishkapi laid his first blow on the
rock, which was at least a hundred times stronger than Om’s.
What was going to take half a day a while ago, was done and
dusted in minutes. The whole mountain crumbled down to
pebbles and Parashurama stood tall in front of them. Vrishkapi
walked to Om to return the mace, but Om refused to take it
back.

‘This mace suits you, Vrishkapi. While you held it, it looked as if
it belonged to you more than to me. Consider this a gift from a
friend. May this mace be with you always.’ Vrishkapi accepted
the gift with humility.

Nagendra and Parimal reached their speedboat before the break

of dawn and left for their submarine in the dark. Once they
entered the submarine, they handed the copper sheet to
Shukracharya. As they left Shukracharya’s cabin, Parimal dared
to ask Nagendra, ‘May I visit her? I just want to ensure she and
the child are okay.’

‘Good that you remember that you are not allowed to visit her
cabin without my permission, Parimal. This is what I like about
you. You learn things at once,’ Nagendra said, but this time,
Parimal wasn’t enjoying the appreciation. He was rather
annoyed by the unnecessary sugar-coating because he only
wished to hear, ‘Yes, you may!’ But what Nagendra gave him
instead was a ‘No’.

Nagendra walked closer to Parimal, kept a hand on his shoulder

and said, ‘I understand that you’re worried about her health,
especially now when you know that she is surrounded by
asuras and is the only female on board in your absence… and
mine too. But I assure you, she is absolutely fine and resting,
and for now, you should too. You have not slept all night and
you look terrible. Go take a shower, sleep for a few hours and
then visit her.’

Parimal was helpless. He couldn’t do anything but bow his head

and follow the order, which he knew was wrapped in fake
concern. He went back to his cabin, ate and took a shower, and
lay on his bed, instantly slipping into a deep slumber. He must
have been asleep for a few hours when he was jolted awake by
somebody’s screams. Immediately he knew it was LSD’s voice.
He got up instantly from his bed and took out his gun from the
drawer of his bedside table before rushing out of his cabin
barefoot and shirtless, just in his pyjamas. While he ran
towards LSD’s cabin, her screams continued, and his fears,
worries, assumptions, everything played in front of him like a
movie. He was desperate to be next to LSD as quickly as
possible. He reached her cabin but realized that the screams
were emanating from another room, so he immediately rushed
towards that door and flung it open.

The sight in front of him was unbelievably horrific.

There lay LSD on a stretcher with her hands cuffed and tied to
the pipes above her head, while Nagendra stood beside her with
a knife in his hand. LSD was crying for help, struggling to free
herself. On sheer instinct and without another thought,
Parimal aimed the gun at Nagendra, causing several asuras to
surround Parimal with the intent to kill if he moved even an
inch or tried to pull the trigger.

‘Stand down! All of yow!’ shouted Nagendra, looking at the

asuras behind Parimal. The asuras obeyed but remained alert.
Nagendra then calmly looked at Parimal and said, ‘You too,
Parimal! Stand down!’ Parimal was sweating with anger and
nervousness but refused to lower his gun. ‘Wh-What are you d-
doing to her? What is g-going on here?’ asked Parimal,
stammering in reality and not as he had once acted at Ross
Island.

‘Ohhh! Dear Parimal! Why do you think I asked the two of you
to conceive after the raid at Mansarovar? So that you could fall
in love? This was all done for the keyhole pupil-shaped eyeball
that every child in your family brings to the world. Ineed
neither your love nor your child. I just need that eyeball.
Simple!’

Heart racing, and still stammering, Parimal spoke again, trying

to dissuade Nagendra out of this madness. ‘Ye… yes! Sure, y…
ou can have it when the child is born but right n-n… now, it’s
just the beginning of the eighth month. The ba… baby is
premature. It’s not time yet for the child to be bo… born. With
his eyes wide open out of fear and concern for the unborn and
LSD, Parimal tried hard to persuade Nagendra.

Nagendra gave it a thought as he did some mental calculations.

Parimal started to lower his gun and LSD heaved a sigh of relief.

Looking at the asuras standing behind Parimal, Nagendra said,

‘Sometimes he is driven by his emotions but overall, he is an
obedient boy, and he will understand. Right, Parimal?’
Nagendra looked at Parimal.

Parimal was willing to do whatever it took to bring LSD out of

that cabin unharmed and so he agreed to every word Nagendra
said. ‘Right!’

To which, Nagendra said, ‘Good! So the bilateral talks are over

here. Now I am going to cut her open to take the child out alive,”
and penetrated the knife into LSD’s swollen abdomen.

Parimal could not believe his eyes and ears. Piercing through
the abdominal walls and making a deep vertical incision, LSD’s
belly was now ripped and left open as she screamed her lungs
out in excruciating pain. Blood gushed out with unimaginable
force as her intestines, as well as the bladder, went under the
knife. The congested cabin of the submarine, along with
Nagendra and Parimal’s faces, were coated with blood
splattered all over.

With a cut so deep and so fatal, the water inside the uterus
overflowed like a stream and the umbilical cord could be seen
connecting LSD to a hard coating. This hard coating was the
same thin and shiny layer that was visible in the previous
ultrasound scans of the foetus. When Nagendra attempted to
take the baby out, which was still nowhere to be seen, he
noticed that the hard coating was actually an eggshell that was
as big as an ostrich egg.

Nagendra drew the egg out of LSD’s womb just the way he had
been extracting words from different locations, causing
catastrophes and bringing the very existence of those places to
an end. As he placed the egg beside the dying LSD and cracked
the shell open, everyone in the room was startled by what was
unravelling before them!

A bright emerald liquid oozed out of the egg. This was the same
liquid that LSD had previously consumed when the
representative of Goddess Bhagavati had descended in the form
of a giant snake with wings and gills to bless her at Parimal’s
mansion. As the liquid flowed from the shell and continued to
spread on the floor, everyone saw an infant connected to the
shell and the mother by the umbilical cord. All the asuras broke
into a loud cheer upon seeing a human child inside a snake egg!

Parimal stood still as if frozen in shock and was too stunned to

speak. LSD was bawling in pain, but her cries were drowned
under the loud celebrations of the asuras.

On top of it all, Nagendra held the child and scornfully said to

LSD, ‘Shh! You are shouting right in my ear, Devdrath. Look how
close I am. My eardrums might just burst. It will be over soon.
You’ll die in a few minutes, darling.’

And Nagendra was right. LSD gave up within minutes as the

final scream escaped her lungs along with her last breath. A
weak and premature infant drenched in blood cried out loud in
Nagendra’s arms. The asuras stopped cheering the moment
they heard the baby crying.

Holding LSD’s child in his hands, still attached to its dead

mother through the cord, Nagendra spoke to Parimal as if
nothing had happened. ‘You were right! It wasn’t the time for
the child to be born, the baby is premature, but you see the
keyhole pupil he holds in his palm has matured completely and
is ready to serve its purpose. It is time for us to leave the
submarine. We must surface the submarine to open the door,’
Nagendra seemed no less than a lunatic as he put the crying
infant inside the open womb of his dead mother and prepared
to detach the pupil from the infant’s hand.

Parimal had lost everything with LSD’s last breath, as all his
thoughts about spending a peaceful life with her and creating a
beautiful future for their child once they were out of this
madness shattered right there.

‘I feel sorry for you, were her last words to Parimal. He did not
want to see anything after he had witnessed his wife’s dead
face. He thought of all the words he had extracted with
Nagendra and realized that there was no difference between the
extraction of those words, which left the structures dead, and
the birth of his child, killing LSD.

Before anyone could brace for it, Parimal aimed his gun at
Nagendra and pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight
through his head. Another fountain of blood painted the room
red as Nagendra collapsed with a thud. The asuras grabbed
Parimal tightly before he could shoot again. The infant
continued to sob in LSD’s open body, surrounded by her
scattered internal organs.

Parimal had broken his oath and ended his loyalty to Nagendra.
It was time for Parimal’s boon to end and his human body to
fade away. Suddenly, Parimal’s vision began to blur and his
eyeballs bulged out of their sockets and fell to the ground, to be
crushed under the feet of asuras beating him.

A layer of skin grew rapidly over his now hollow eye sockets.
While Nagendra was regaining his composure, Parimal’s lower
half body was turning into a snake. While Nagendra’s strength
was returning, allowing him to stand again, Parimal’s body was
losing all balance, eventually falling in front of Nagendra. While
one collapsed, the other rose again. Half of Parimal was now
reduced to a helpless blind man and the other half of him was a
spineless, crawling snake; all that he was now was aman
without vision and a snake without venom. The asuras holding
him began to claw and tear at him. All Parimal could hear and
feel was his crying son and the pain in his entire being.

And as the child’s cries intensified, Nagendra opened the baby’s

clenched fist and saw the eye embedded in his left palm.
Without further delay, he pulled out a small khukri and made a
circular incision around the pupil. The screams of the infant
were deafening and would send shivers down any human’s
spine. But just as the submarine remained invisible to the naked
eye, the baby’s sobs were also meant to remain unheard by
anyone, anywhere.

Nagendra then pinched into a corner of the eye with the sharp
tip of the khukri before digging deeper to gouge the pupil out.
His tiny little palm began to bleed profusely as the flesh was
scratched out along with ruptured veins. The sight would have
been grossly horrifying to any normal being, but to Nagendra, it
was just another day. The moment he had safely extracted the
pupil, the delicate skin of the baby’s palm, which had been
swollen till then, flattened instantly as if a door had closed.

Once he had obtained the most awaited and precious element,

Nagendra’s focus shifted from the infant to Parimal and the
asuras. He signalled the asuras to stop torturing Parimal.

‘You kill him, you gift him his freedom from all his suffering.
You leave him half dead here, and he dies slowly, regretting
shooting me despite knowing that I am invincible. Let him be,’
said Nagendra and left, followed by the other asura crew
members.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 14

The First Name and the Last Word

The asuras left for the other areas of the vessel, locking the
cabin’s door from the outside. Parimal was on the verge of death
and the baby’s wailing filled the room, resounding beyond the
walls— the corridors also rang with its cries. Parimal was
unable to lift his torso and reach his crying child, in part
because of the deep injuries he had sustained and in part
because his lower body had transformed into a snake. All he
could do was stay on the floor, just underneath LSD’s blood-
soaked corpse.

Throughout his life, Parimal had secretly felt crippled by the

boon his dynasty had been given, but today, he experienced true
helplessness as he understood what it meant to be feeble and
chained by one’s disabilities. The baby’s cries went on for a
while and suddenly stopped.

Could I have done better? thought the blind Parimal, lying there
in the pitch-dark, bleak cabin. The momentary silence
disappeared when Parimal burst into violent sobs, gasping,
screaming in agony, as he felt the heart-wrenching pain of
reality. No eyes to even shed tears, he added to himself,
screaming in pain. Bruised by the last few gruesome visuals of
his life and weakened by excessive blood loss, Parimal, too, lost
consciousness.

Just when he thought everything had come to an end, not one

but two sounds pierced his ears and brought him back to his
senses for a while. One was the sound of LSD’s blood still
dripping from the corners of the stretcher, and the second was
of his child crying again, with the umbilical cord still attached
to the mother’s open belly. The dripping sound was a symbol of
death whereas the crying was a symbol of life. Parimal felt
liberated from the deception of blind love for LSD and was now
imprisoned by the blind future of his child. With the realization
that his baby was still alive—he could at least hear his child’s
voice, if not see it—another effulgent flash of realization struck
Parimal: that Ved Vyasa could hear them too.

‘Ved Vyasa! The final destination is Padmanabhaswamy Temple

at Thiruvananthapuram!’ screamed Parimal at the top of his
voice, hoping to be heard and identified amid the sounds of the
whole world that reached Ved Vyasa’s ears.

He kept repeating the name of the location over and over again
till he could barely utter another word. When he came close to
his last breath, ina frail voice, he finally murmured, ‘Save my
child in this submarine closest to the beach near the
Padmanabhaswamy temple. Save my child… in the subma…
rine closest to the… beach…’

And with that, Parimal died! LSD and Parimal lay dead in the
same cabin, never united, as the infant continued to mourn.

‘Padmanabhaswamy Temple?’ Mrs Batra interjected.

‘Yes! The final destination,’ replied Prithvi.

Staggered by the revelation, Mrs Batra grew more attentive as
Prithvi continued to describe what was so special about the
temple.

‘Sree Padmanabhaswamy is one of 1085 situated at

Thiruvananthapuram, in the state capital of Kerala, India.
“Thiruvananthapuram” in Malayalam stands for “the city of
Lord Vishnu” (holy abode of Lord Vishnu). It was considered the
richest place of worship in the world. The presiding deity,
known as Padmanabhaswamy, depicts the emergence of Lord
Brahma (the creator), seated on a lotus, from Lord Vishnu’s
navel. Hence, the name Padmanabhaswamy, where padma
means lotus, nabha means navel and swamy means Lord. Here,
Lord Padmanabhaswamy is seen in a reclining position or as the
Anantha Shayanam (meaning in a posture of eternal sleep)? on
the Adi Shesha,‘ the five-hooded. serpent (also known as Shesha
Nag).

‘The temple often attracted people’s curiosity due to the

mysterious secret it held in a never-opened room of the temple
known as Vault B.

‘In 2011, it so happened that a retired IPS officer who lived very
close to the Padmanabhaswamy shrine filed a plea in the
Supreme Court to take stock of the temple’s unaccounted
treasury. The apex court appointed a seven-member committee
to record and bring into account the hidden and unknown
treasure. After the officials started looking for the treasure
trove, they found six chambers and labelled them A, B, C, D, E
and F. But opening the doors of those chambers proved to be a
difficult mission. However, as they continued, the team
apparently found gold, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds,
intricately designed ornaments, precious gems and stones that
had been donated by various dynasties over time. Statues and
thrones of gold and precious metals worth rupees one lakh
crore were also on the list. However, Vault B, traditionally
known as “Kallara”, remained untouched and intact, owing to
the belief that whenever someone attempted to open the vault,
it invited misfortune, jeopardizing the efforts. This belief was
cemented when news of the untimely demise of the petitioner
started making the rounds within just a few weeks of
attempting to open Vault B.’

‘What made Vault B so special? There has to be more to it than

precious jewels, right?’ Mrs Batra tried to dig deeper as Prithvi
continued.

‘Several myths and legends sprang up about the Kallara vault

and its undiscovered treasure. The vault door looked heavy and
impossible to open—if at all it was opened someday. It was also
engraved with massive, detailed carvings. Yakshi, the ferocious
and enchanting vampire, could be seen at the top of the vault,
whose temperament, if disturbed, could invite misfortune. The
carvings of two enormous serpents facing each other guarded
the vault. Supernatural powers protected the door and thus,
there were no latches that served as a restriction.

‘Centuries ago, when the temple management attempted to

open the Kallara vault, they heard sounds that resembled
rushing waters and harsh waves. They were so vivid and
frightening that the inspectors had to step back and abort the
attempt to open the door. They are not alive to know that the
sound they heard was not of waves but from other worlds. Since
ancient times, the door was believed to have been sealed by the
chants of an invincible mantra, and only an immortal of high
calibre could obliterate the Nagas carved on the door with an
accurate counter-chanting of the mantra, thus opening the
mystic door. So everyone only wondered what lay behind the
closed doors of Kallara’

‘Hmm, so you are saying that they tried every possible way to
open the chamber, but everything was in vain, and only that
one mantra has the power to crack it open? Wait a second! The
words that were being collected … do they constitute the
mantra that could open the door?’ Mrs Batra was trying to piece
together everything she had heard so far with the legends
Prithvi was narrating about the temple.

Prithvi didn’t immediately react to her doubts and continued.

‘The Kallara door of the Padmanabhaswamy temple remained a

mystery till the month of Ashwin (September) in 2020. By then,
Nagendra was only one word short in his quest to complete the
mantra, Prithvi paused to look at Mrs Batra, affirming her
budding doubts. ‘These words were meant to be woven into a
mantra which, when said aloud after offering the eyeball
extracted from the infant’s palm, would open the doors of the
inscrutable, enigmatic Kallara.’

When the news of the collapsed Veerbhadra temple reached the

ears of the immortals, they realized they needed to search a
smaller area as Andhra Pradesh had been ruled out. The
chances of finding Nagendra now were narrowed down. While
Ashwatthama and Kripacharya were yet to search the
coastlines of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, covering 569.7 km and
906.3 km, respectively, to locate the hidden vessel,
Parashurama, Om and Vrishkapi were on their way to reunite
with Ashwatthama and Kripacharya.
As Nagendra’s submarine moved closer to the land near the
Padmanabhaswamy temple, Parimal’s voice caught the
attention of Ved Vyasa back at Gyanganj, as he heard his own
name in the wretched voice of a dying Parimal, with an infant
crying inconsolably in the background.

‘Ved Vyasa! The final destination is the Padmanabhaswamy

temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Ved Vyasa! The final destination
is the Padmanabhaswamy temple, save my child…in the
subma… rine closest to the… beach…’

Ved Vyasa could not waste another second in giving the

immortals their last and only good chance at stopping
Nagendra and Shukracharya. He had to inform them of the new
revelation before it was too late. He hurried to the other sages
and ordered them, ‘Get the Pushpak Vimana ready.’

‘Pushpak Vimana! The one Ravana had used when he

kidnapped Sita?’ Mrs Batra asked, joining the dots between the
airborne vehicle and the Ramayana.

Prithvi replied, ‘Yes! People think it isa myth because they want
people to think that way. Everything written in the Vimana
Purana about how the heavy vessels flew at that time using
mercury as their fuel is true. After defeating Ravana, Lord

Ram returned to Ayodhya in the same Pushpak Vimana, after

which it was never mentioned, heard of or seen anywhere.
Gyanganj was a haven not just for extinct species, but also to
conceal everything that humans were not equipped to
understand back then, including the immortals and their
astras, which the humans are still not equipped to
comprehend.’
Ved Vyasa then walked out of Gyanganj and shouted, ‘Ballhaar!’

The Yeti came running and bowed to Ved Vyasa. ‘Lappoint you
the warden of the jungle of Gyanganj in the absence of
Vrishkapi. Summon all the extinct animals and wait for my
orders.’

Suddenly, a swift wind blew past and the incredible Pushpak

Vimana emerged above, navigated by the sages. It landed right
outside Gyanganj, waiting for Ved Vyasa to board.

‘Be ready, Ballhaar—if the vimana returns without me, board all
the animals under your protection.’ Those were Ved Vyasa’s
final instructions for Ballhaar.

‘I will follow Parashurama’s voice to their location and you will

follow my directions,’ Ved Vyasa said to the sages piloting the
vimana. In no time, the Pushpak Vimana was flying above the
clouds over the Himalayas and rushing southwards.

In one of the cabins at the rear end of the submarine, Nagendra

was on his knees and Shukracharya was holding his head with
both hands. There was a mystic aura engulfing Nagendra as a
magnetic wave flowed from Shukracharya’s hands to
Nagendra’s body. This was the same energy that Parimal and
LSD had experienced initially around Shukracharya whenever
they found themselves near him or his cabin.

‘You have half of my powers to stand against them,’ said

Shukracharya, granting him the powers.

Suddenly, the submarine’s progress came to a halt when a virus

hacked their entire system. No asura inside the vessel had the
slightest clue how to regain access through the control panels.
The only two experts, LSD and Parimal, were no longer there to
stop the unforeseen alien intrusion. Before the asuras could
understand anything, a deep voice boomed inside the
submarine through an unknown frequency.

‘know you are in this vessel, Guru Shukracharya, and I wish to

have a dialogue with you.’

The spies Vibhishana had sent had solved the mystery of

Shukracharya’s hideout through the asura informers.

There was pin-drop silence for a minute before Shukracharya

responded to the voice. ‘It’s been several centuries, Vibhishana,
but to my disappointment, I can still recognize the voice of the
traitor who wears the crown of death and the defeat of one of
my favourite protégés. What compelled you to search for me?’

‘There have been a series of unprecedented events across India

and some believe that you are responsible for all of them. On
behalf of King Bali and myself, I request you to cease whatever
your plan is, said Vibhishana in a respectful yet cautioning
tone.

Shukracharya walked towards the control room and ordered the

asuras to disconnect all communication from the outer world,
including the radars and navigation systems. Vibhishana had
received his answer through Shukracharya’s disconnected
silence as he saw the submarine disappear underwater to
resume its course.

Knowing that Nagendra’s next destination was in one of the

two southernmost states, Kripacharya and Ashwatthama had
chosen Ross Island as their base. The island was placed almost
perfectly between the two coasts. They informed Om of this
through the phone he had given them before parting. Ved
Vyasa’s vimana had also now reached Ross Island, following the
voice of Parashurama.

All of them stood united in the ruins of the same facility on

Ross Island which Ashwatthama and Parashurama had
destroyed when they rescued Om.

‘It is a door, protected by snakes, that has neither a keyhole nor

a key to open it. A door locked by the verse. The verse was the
key that was broken and scattered so that one could never
imagine breaking into it. But now, they are just one word away
from re-compiling the verse and opening the door. The place
where they will be found is the Padmanabhaswamy temple, Ved
Vyasa informed the immortals.

The submarine was close to Kovalam Beach in Kerala, and

Nagendra hopped into a boat to get to shore, followed by
Shukracharya and the other asuras accompanying him. From
the beach, the map showed a distance of only 18 km by road to
reach Padmanabhaswamy temple, whereas the immortals were
still a few hours away.

At Ved Vyasa’s request to save the child and get Mrit Sanjeevani
back, Parashurama had no choice but to split the team again.

‘Your mission is to get the books of Mrit Sanjeevani and destroy

the vessel so that this time, Nagendra and the others cannot
escape like before. Any living being inside the submarine other
than the infant is your enemy and we must show no mercy,’
Parashurama said, looking at Kripacharya and Vrishkapi before
dropping them near the submarine with Ved Vyasa and leaving
for the temple.
On their way to the temple, Parashurama was quiet as a placid
lake, which discomfited Ashwatthama and Om. Breaking the
silence in the Pushpak Vimana, Ashwatthama asked,
‘Parashurama! Please guide us. What is our plan of action?’

Staring into oblivion, Parashurama replied calmly, ‘We will

bring him down to a state where he will curse himself for being
an immortal and request us to grant him the boon of death.’

While Parashurama and Ashwatthama were certain that they

were already too late to save the last word, Ved Vyasa was trying
to arrive in time to save a life and retrieve the books of Mrit
Sanjeevani as he followed the trail of an infant’s fading voice in
the deep waters.

The boat carrying Ved Vyasa, Kripacharya and Vrishkapi

reached 8°21’25”N, 076°56‘12”E, right above the submarine,
and stopped on Ved Vyasa’s orders.

‘The submarine is right below us, but it needs to be brought to

the surface. The books of Mrit Sanjeevani will be lost forever
and the child will die if we destroy the doors of the submarine
underwater,’ said a concerned Ved Vyasa, looking at
Kripacharya and Vrishkapi.

‘Ican do this!’ Vrishkapi said confidently. Both Kripacharya and

Ved Vyasa looked at him doubtfully.

Vrishkapi persuaded them, ‘Please, allow me to get into the

water. Let metry.’

‘Okay, Vrishkapi, but don’t risk your life like you did the last
time, replied Ved Vyasa.
Vrishkapi dove into the water, keeping his focus intact, and
continued to enlarge his size as he went deeper and deeper. The
submarine’s radar could not detect his presence because the
vessel’s comms and radar had already been disconnected on
Shukracharya’s orders. Vrishkapi grew to his maximum size and
before the asuras had the slightest inkling, the entire
submarine rattled, everyone lost their balance and tumbled to
the floor. Vrishkapi then clutched the submarine like a child
grabs a toy. Holding it in his palm, he swam back to the surface
of the Indian Ocean, where Kripacharya and Ved Vyasa awaited
him.

However, they weren’t the only ones anticipating someone’s

arrival.

The Pushpak Vimana landed close to the Padmanabhaswamy

temple. The awed locals couldn’t help but capture the
marvellous sight of what looked to them like an ancient, alien
ship on their cell phones, too apprehensive to go near the
unidentified flying object. Suddenly, at the exact moment when
Parashurama, Ashwatthama and Om stepped down from the
vimana, all mobiles and other technological systems, including
CCTV cameras, in the area crashed. This was the impact of
ancient technology on the present one. People’s gaping faces
peeked out of their car windows to see the three men walking
out, but they could no longer record what they were witnessing.
The three of them rushed into the temple, afraid of having
already lost the last word.

With the ray of hope to save the last word quickly diminishing,
the three men reached Vault B and found Nagendra and
Shukracharya with a few asuras there. After their confrontation
in Kuldhara, it was time for Om and Nagendra to confront each
other again. After the three immortals presented themselves,
they expected Shukracharya and Nagendra to be shocked but
strangely, that didn’t happen.

Nagendra looked at Om and started clapping like a madman.

‘Parimal, after all, unknowingly performed his last task
successfully, said Nagendra in excitement and continued, ‘Why
do you think I left him alive in the submarine? Everyone knows
what a father would do for his dying son right, Om?

Oh…I wish I could’ve thanked that snake and told him that I
was counting on him to reach out to Ved Vyasa on my behalf.
Nevertheless, at least I can still thank Ved Vyasa for sending me
the last piece of the puzzle after winning the war of this earth. 1
am so relieved you came, Om! What would I do without you?”

Om and the other two immortals standing on either side were

astonished by Nagendra’s statement, clueless about its
implication. Shukracharya held the keyhole-shaped pupil
eyeball in his hand. Parashurama had his eyes on Shukracharya,
and Ashwatthama was set to handle all the other asuras while
both sides waited for the other to charge first. Elsewhere, the
wait was over for Kripacharya

—he was ready to take on the asuras guarding the submarine.

It was Kripacharya and Vrishkapi versus the asuras, who

rushed out of the vessel to stop them both. Vrishkapi had
regained his normal stature and accompanied Kripacharya in
fighting off the asuras with the mace Om had gifted him.

They moved farther into the submarine while protecting Ved

Vyasa from any threat and scanned every cabin and corner that
they passed. Vrishkapi’s mace incessantly shoved away all the
asuras that attempted to obstruct them. They came toa
momentary halt near the cold storage and found heaps of half-
eaten, decomposing corpses. Resuming their search,
Kripacharya’s wrath was enough to knock down the asuras
guarding the cabins. Witnessing such ruthless combatants, the
other asuras ran away to escape a brutal end to their lives, but
none succeeded.

Crossing the long corridor, the three reached a closed cabin

door. They swung the cabin door open and saw two blood-
soaked corpses and another body that looked deceased but was
still breathing. The infant lying smeared in the muck of blood
and an emerald fluid caught Ved Vyasa’s attention. Vrishkapi
approached the stretcher and saw LSD lying dead—and on the
floor was the lifeless Parimal.

‘What happened to this man’s eyes?’ asked Vrishkapi, pointing

towards Parimal.

‘He is now finally free and has attained salvation from the curse
that had started millennia ago with Aghasura. It was bound to
happen someday and maybe this is the way it was meant to be.
That’s the law of destiny,’ Ved Vyasa answered Vrishkapi.

Hearing the voices, the infant responded witha cry.

‘It’s a miracle how a premature baby born under such

circumstances was still alive,’ Mrs Batra wondered out loud.

‘It was protected by the powers that the representative of

Goddess Bhagavati had blessed LSD with. Goddess Bhagavati’s
power stood strong against the unusual process of an infant’s
delivery. The purpose behind that auspicious prayer in Shetpal
had been fulfilled, just as Parimal had assured LSD,’ said Prithvi.
Ved Vyasa scanned the baby and then quickly clamped the
umbilical cord, cradled the baby in his arms and detached him
from his mother. After wiping his body clean of all the blood
and fluid, he securely wrapped the baby in his stole. The baby
was alive and was now in safe hands.

Soon, they reached the door of Shukracharya’s cabin and in a

single blow, Vrishkapi’s mace smashed down the metal door.
Kripacharya began searching the room hastily and found the
books on a platform in a corner. ‘Wasn’t it too easy for us to find
the books of Mrit Sanjeevani? This could be a trap! Vrishkapi
alerted them and scanned the room for any hidden threats.

‘Relax, Vrishkapi! There is no one here,’ Ved Vyasa assured him

and continued, ‘The books were important to them only as long
as the words had not been extracted from all the locations. Now
that they have the words as well as immortality, the books are
insignificant to them.’ The three walked out of the submarine
and Kripacharya summoned a fireball, propelling it towards the
vessel and setting it ablaze. With the books of Mrit Sanjeevani
and the infant now in their possession, as they walked away
from the burning submarine, Vrishkapi innocently asked, ‘Have
we won the war?’ ‘Maybe! Though I wonder where the last word
is hidden,’ said Ved Vyasa, listening to the conversation between
Parashurama and Shukracharya happening in the
Padmanabhaswamy temple.

Ved Vyasa could hear Parashurama roaring in rage, ‘Guru

Shukracharya! I give you one last chance to stop this. Surrender
all the stolen words and return alone. For all that Nagendra has
done, we will take him into our custody and end it without
barbarity’
Parashurama and the team were certain that Shukracharya
would never accept their proposal, but the surprises were not
yet over.

‘I am ready to surrender all the words,’ Shukracharya replied

and Nagendra began chanting all the stolen words in the
sequence they were stolen.

‘अविनासी अनादि अनंता। सकल जगत तिंहु-लो नियंता।। यस्य प्राप्नोति अष्ट संग्रह। स:
भविष्यति…’

Nagendra said all the words but the last one.

‘That’s not all. The last word is missing in your verse. Say the
last word,’ Parashurama’s voice boomed, his rage evident in his
voice.

Nagendra could read the anxiety on their faces and smirked

with a hint of victory shadowing his smug expression. ‘You
think Padmanabhaswamy holds the last word that we are here
to hunt?’

Om and Ashwatthama exchanged a confused look, wondering if

they were wrong, and furiously clutched their weapons.

‘When Dhanvantari wrote the books of Mrit Sanjeevani, he

divided the verse into nine pieces and scattered them. Eight of
those nine words were hidden in the eight places that we
destroyed and collected, but the ninth word was never hidden
in any place. Instead, it was situated where none of you would
expect. The bearer of the ninth word is him, Saying that,
Nagendra smugly extended his arm and pointed towards Om.
‘It’s you who holds the last word, and that is why your presence
here was important. Opening this door without your physical
presence is impossible. You didn’t exactly solve a riddle and
reach here; you have been brought here.’ In the next instant,
Nagendra ran towards the Kallara door with the pupil in his
hand and started repeating the verse.

Parashurama, Ashwatthama and Om immediately charged at

Nagendra but were hindered by the asuras that had come with
Shukracharya and Nagendra, who were now attacking them.
Before any of them could get to the door, Nagendra fixed the
keyhole pupil into one of the snake’s eye sockets carved on the
door and chanted the complete verse, adding the last word. The
last word of the verse was the first name given to Om by
Dhanvantari, Mrityunjay.

‘अविनासी अनादि अनंता | सकल जगत तिंहु-लो नियंता ||

यस्य प्राप्नोति अष्ट संग्रह। स: भविष्यति मृत्युंजय ||’

This time, Shukracharya pronounced the complete verse loud

and clear.

‘What meaning do these words carry once put together?’

interrupted Mrs Batra.

Prithvi recited the shloka and then described its meaning.

‘अविनासी अनादि अनंता | सकल जगत तिंहु-लो नियंता ||

यस्य प्राप्नोति अष्ट संग्रह। स: भविष्यति मृत्युंजय ||’

Indestructible, eternal, infinite, the conqueror of death,

The one who attains these words from the creator of the three
worlds shall be invincible and immortal.’
In the ferocious struggle to reach Nagendra and stop him,
Parashurama and Ashwatthama started slaughtering the asuras
and the bloodshed began. However, despite their incessant
efforts, the moment the verse was completed, the carved snake
on the door consumed the pupil and the door began to open.
There was smoke behind the door, so thick that no human could
last long enough to draw a breath. It looked like a black hole.
The light that came out of the partially opened door was so dark
that it only invited pain and death. The entire vicinity of the
temple began to tremble, but everything came to a halt the
moment everybody saw someone’s fingers holding the edge of
the door from the inside and pulling it inwards to open it
completely and come out.

Before anyone could figure out whose hand it was, they noticed
another set of fingers holding the other edge of the door. Om
looked at both the immortals and witnessed an increasing fear
in Ashwatthama’s eyes and anguish painted on Parashurama’s
face. Shukracharya silently distanced himself from the door as
if welcoming the guests and Nagendra bowed his head in front
of the opened door.

The two pairs of hands which held the door revealed their faces.
The first to walk out was a cursed Parashurama, drenched in
rage with blood-red eyes, and then Ashwatthama followed with
a body wounded by leprosy. Nagendra stood beside the lookalike
cursed counterparts who possessed the same powers as the real
Ashwatthama and Parashurama. Ashwatthama and
Parashurama themselves stood in front of Ashwatthama and
Parashurama and beside both the sides stood a Devdhwaja with
the names of Nagendra and Om.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 15

The Inauspicious Reunion

‘How could that be?’ asked an astonished Mrs Batra.

‘Everybody has some sort of negativity coursing through them;

no one is entirely pure. Parashurama, Ashwatthama and Om
were no different in that respect, but what brought all three of
them to their purest form was the Prithak Vyaktitwa Yagya,
conducted on them in different times. The yagya that separated
them from their negative selves made them the purest souls,
but no one had the answer for where the immortal negative
parts of their personalities, with equal powers, had gone… till
that moment when they showed up.

‘The toughest of all wars is the war we fight within, Often, it’s
this very battle that goes unheeded. It is said that a person can
win the world if they have the will to control and beat
themselves. It was time to put that saying to the test.
Shukracharya and the remaining few asuras witnessed the
historic episode where the three immortals stood against their
own enantiomorphs.

Guru Shukracharya, who stood aside, looked at the three

immortals and said, ‘Every asura and their allies, defeated and
killed by the Dashavatars and other demigods, were barred
from entering the earth in any form of life. They were trapped
behind this door to maintain earth’s balance so that the gods
would not be compelled to return to the mortal realm in human
form for thousands of years. So they created this door, trapped
the most powerful asuras behind it, and appointed the seven
immortals to keep a watch and maintain the balance of good
and evil in the world. As all the pure souls and extinct animals
are kept in the extreme north called Gyanganj for the next cycle
of yugas, all the asuras were kept in the extreme south, trapped
in the Padmanabhaswamy temple behind this door. They were
to only return at set times in the next chakras of yugas after the
end of

Kali yuga and repeat it all over again, and that is when all these
asuras were supposed to come one by one. Now that you have
failed your gods, and the gate has been opened, every moment
an asura will enter this world, and with every asura, the balance
will be disturbed and the influence of evil in every living being
will strengthen to create chaos and disruption, so that Kali yuga
can reach its end much before time.’

The immortals’ worst nightmare, one that was too dreadful to

even imagine, had now become a reality right in front of their
eyes. They had come prepared to fight the demons, but were
now perplexed by the new question: how were they going to
clash with their own selves?

Parashurama, Ashwatthama and Om had to reach the door to

close it before the asura force grew stronger. But obstructing
their way stood their own negative selves.

Parashurama had no other option but to charge and take the

first shot and so he instructed, ‘Our priority is not to engage
with our counter-selves but to dodge them and close the door.
With every minute lost, they will grow more powerful, and we
are already outnumbered.’

The battle between good and evil, which every human of Kali
yuga secretly fights within themselves, began.

The historic temple, which was once home to a glorious legacy,

was now being subjected to destruction and a bloodbath. The
battle had now spilt outside the premises, surpassing the
narrow pathways adjacent to Vault B and into the open ground.

Parashurama ordered Ashwatthama to summon every astra

that could surpass everything coming their way and kill the
asuras right at the door. Ashwatthama closed his eyes and
manifested all his weapons. The quiver appeared gradually like
a tattooed pattern on his back. One after another emerged the
bunch of astras he had possessed, exemplifying Ashwatthama’s
omnipotence. Meanwhile, Parashurama summoned his
invincible axe, and Ashwatthama chose the strongest bow
which had victory in its name, the Vijaya Dhanush.

The Vijaya Dhanust’s potential could be gauged from its trait

that every time an arrow was released from this bow, its twang
led to a long-lasting aftershock that almost resembled the
rumbling of thunderclouds. Painted with the darkest blue, the
bow could neither be lifted by the average human nor could it
be broken by any kind of astra or weapon. The energy of an
arrow released by the Vijaya Dhanush was amplified multiple
times the moment it was shot. The warrior who gripped the
Vijaya Dhanush was never defeated. However, all these qualities
of the mighty bow were soon to be negated when Ashwatthama
saw his clone summoning the same weapon, while the inimical
Parashurama also held the same axe, exuding the same power,
as the real one.

Thus began an unimaginable combat. Two opponents of similar

prowess were fighting their cursed counterparts with the same
intensity with which they were being attacked. Several bruises
and cuts began covering their bodies. The battle was
burgeoning.

The war of astras commenced with the Agneyastra, the fiery

weapon summoned and released by Ashwatthama to burn the
asuras. His evil twin responded with the Varunastra, the water
weapon, neutralizing the burning fire with a heavy shower of
water. In no time, the surroundings were clouded by the fumes
of damaged flora and fauna and broken concrete, and the
armies were drenched by the impact of the Varunastra.

Parashurama summoned the Vaishnavastra, a weapon that

could only be countered by another

Vaishnavastra but to his surprise, the opposing Parashurama

also summoned the same and gave a befitting response. Though
they were two different bodies, the vengeance in their eyes was
equally fiery, as if they were not just trying to get rid of the
other but also their past, which kept them attached.

Simultaneously, Nagendra blocked Om in every possible

manner. He appeared ferocious and unstoppable. Although now
Om was aware of who he was, this time, he was struggling with
a different challenge. Somewhere, his past murder by Nagendra
had left a permanent psychological mark on him.

Amid all this, a cluster of conceited and destructive asuras with

hairy bodies, big skulls and one eye on the left temporal ridge of
their forehead walked out of the door along with countless
disfigured creatures of various shapes and sizes. The immortals
were now completely outnumbered as the army of asuras grew
larger while the door remained open and asuras continued
coming in.

Yet, their unfathomable powers seemed insufficient when it

came to countering their own selves and the other asuras.
Shukracharya’s dream would soon transform into reality. His
overjoyed voice resounded above the sharp clash of the
weapons.

‘The wait is over! Victory is ours. The door is open, and now
there’s no looking back for us. We are finally free to walk the
earth and rule it. Our patience and hard work have finally
reaped what we had aspired for since the start of Satya yuga,’
announced Shukracharya, loudly and confidently. That pumped
each and every asura to fight for victory.

‘But why did the immortals not attack Shukracharya and stop
him from saying the verse?’ asked a perplexed Mrs Batra. Prithvi
could read Mrs Batra’s anxious body language so he answered,
‘Because the immortals still kept their righteousness intact.
Shukracharya was given the title of a guru and harming or
attacking a guru is against the ancient rules of the war, the rules
that the immortals still followed. Only a scholar titled Guru can
challenge a Guru.’

Parashurama could anticipate that they might lose their last

chance if they didn’t strategize their moves. ‘Ashwatthama,
demarcate an area covering 5 km from where we stand,’ he
commanded. ‘We must restrict them within this periphery.
Looking at their armies, I am afraid that if they cross this line,
they will spread uncontrollably across the globe like wildfire
and it will be impossible for us to stop them.’

‘Take charge of separate zones and stop the asuras and their
troops. They will try to break the periphery but we must not let
that happen,’ Parashurama added before the immortals spread
across north, east and west, ready to defy the demons coming
from the door on their south.

Parashurama, Ashwatthama and Om, who were fighting

relentlessly, could not believe that they were on the brink of
defeat. There were more than a hundred asuras against each
one of them. Suddenly, a rumble tore across the sky and caught
everyone’s attention. The Pushpak Vimana hovered right above
them at a safe height, like a chopper still in the sky. Vrishkapi
and Kripacharya jumped out of the flying vessel. Vrishkapi
enlarged his bulky frame and grew immense, while
Kripacharya’s arrow spread carnage, killing asuras at lightning
speed. Their presence was potent enough to re-energize the
outnumbered immortals. Nagendra, on the other hand, was
dumbfounded by how enormous Vrishkapi was.

‘We’ve recovered the books of Mrit Sanjeevani,’ Kripacharya

informed Parashurama in between his attacks. ‘Ved Vyasa is
safe in Ross Island with the books and the infant.’ The three of
them felt stronger and more reassured upon receiving the news.

Reunited, the five warriors now stood shoulder to shoulder in

the ultimate battle, but the problem was the opened door,
which was still emitting asuras from the smoke.

Soon, the asura armies began approaching the warriors.

Vrishkapi swung his mace rapidly, striking down every asura
charging at him. Having Vrishkapi on their side, the balance of
the war seemed to be tilting towards the immortals and the
asuras seemed no match for the united powers of the
immortals.

Ashwatthama and Parashurama were desperate to close the

door at all costs. But their counterparts kept them on their toes
with their attacks.

Looking at the multiplying army, Vrishkapi intensified his

attacks with the mace as he killed more and more opponents,
but Om interrupted him.

‘Vrishkapi, don’t waste your time killing these demons. Try to

reach the door as quickly as possible because that’s the only way
we can overpower them.’

Vrishkapi’s massive frame then sprung towards the door and

his muscular arm swiftly swept away all the asuras on his way.
Just when Vrishkapi had almost closed it, he felt a sudden jolt
that threw him far away from the door. His crash sent tremors
through the ground as a thick cloud of dust engulfed Vrishkapi.
The disheartened asuras hooted at Vrishkapi’s fall, looking at
the door that showed. a massive figure coming out of the fumes.
As the dust began to settle, Vrishkapi also saw a colossal
silhouette behind the door and he knew that this giant was the
one that had thrown him. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu,
who had been killed by the Varaha and Narsimha avatars of
Lord Vishnu, respectively, came out of the door, followed by
their unending armies. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu had
their eyes fixed on Vrishkapi. Now, it was the giant Vrishkapi
against two equally massive giants.

When the asuras tried to surround Kripacharya, he summoned

the astra Asi, a divine sword that was meant to send evil-doers
straight to their deathbeds. The astra emerged at his back witha
shiny ray, ready to be stained with blood. Asi caused
considerable destruction in the opposing army but no matter
how aggressively Kripacharya fought, the enemies just
continued to pour in thousands through the door. Vrishkapi
and Kripacharya could now feel what the other warriors had
felt before. Though many asuras had been killed, the remaining
demons and the identical Parashurama and Ashwatthama were
enough to overpower the warriors. They were surrounded again
and hope was diminishing.

Everything seemed futile as the divine forces were suppressed

under the triumphant hoots of the opponents. But before they
could truly celebrate, an equally loud and peculiar growling and
screeching filled the air. Their cheers were drowned as the
demons and the immortals stood astounded. Everyone was
dumbstruck, unaware of what was happening and who was
coming.

The Pushpak Vimana once again hovered over the

battleground, but this time it brought other passengers. There
was Ballhaar, leading an army of animals along with the Great
Auk, the Sabretooth, the Black Rhinoceros, the Mammoth and
numerous extinct venomous snakes and attacking birds, who
rushed towards the centre of the battleground. And the most
mystical of the lot was Nibhisha, whose presence comforted Om
and left everyone spellbound as she exuded her majestic frame,
appearing ferocious and fatal.

Parashurama and Kripacharya exchanged a knowing look as

they recollected what they had seen in Om’s memories at the
cliff. That captivating creature was none other than Nibhisha
herself.
Ballhaar and his army rained down torrential chaos as they
began annihilating the asura armies. The animals who came in
herds headed in different directions within the periphery and
identified different targets, which seemed like a fool-proof plan
made by Ballhaar and his team. Some targeted Hiranyaksha’s
armies while others attacked Hiranyakashipu. The Sabretooth,
as commanded. by Ballhaar, led the army of the other
dangerous carnivorous animals of Gyanganj. The animal force
had now taken the scale of the combat higher, creating
complete chaos in the war zone.

Ballhaar charged at Hiranyaksha and they fought like predators

in the wild. The Sabretooth, on a rampage, tore down the petty
asuras and in that trail, he managed to carve several gashes on
Nagendra, too, while he was struggling to get rid of Nibhisha.
Though the Great Auk was flightless, its beak was the point of
danger as it stabbed the armies and clutched them before
propelling them in various directions. With every step, the
Mammoth, with its huge tusks, tossed the asuras and squashed
many under its huge feet.

Everyone on the asura side was stunned by this sudden shift in

the field. Shukracharya commanded the cursed Ashwatthama
to summon the Twashtra-astra to create delusions and deprive
the targets of their senses. The cursed Ashwatthama closed his
eyes, summoned the Twashtra-astra and fired it on the
Gyanganj army. The army of Gyanganj instantly turned against
each other and also charged at the immortals. However,
Nibhisha was the only one unfazed. The animals took on the
immortals as Ballhaar attacked Kripacharya. A moment of relief
had turned into a nightmare! Nibhisha reached out to Om and
freed him from the attacks. Om then summoned the Mohini
Astra, which shattered the illusion and revived everybody’s
senses. Ballhaar and the army of Gyanganj were revitalized.

Nibhisha had won the psychological warfare for Om. Though

Nagendra had powers identical to Om, he was now
comparatively weaker because Nibhisha was on Om’s side.
Nibhisha left no room for attacks and charged at Nagendra as if
he was her biggest enemy. This allowed Om to shift his
attention to others. Nibhisha continued to overpower Nagendra
and injure him incessantly, even though his bruises kept
healing simultaneously. Nagendra tried to get a hold of her but
was unable to do so as every part of her was heavy with vigour.
This time, it was Nagendra’s turn to pay the price for every time
he had made Nibhisha suffer.

Hiranyakashipu grabbed Vrishkapi as he attempted to shut the

door again. The combat intensified as Hiranyakashipu wreaked
havoc by pushing Vrishkapi away yet again. Despite his huge
size, Vrishkapi was failing against the demon. Ballhaar ordered
the giant birds to keep Hiranyaksha engaged so that he could go
to Vrishkapi’s aid. Hiranyakashipu then closed his eyes to
summon an astra but his concentration was broken by a sudden
jolt. Ballhaar had placed himself against Hiranyakashipu and
began to rain down blows. The fight now had Hiranyakashipu
fighting Ballhaar on one side and Vrishkapi on the other. The
pair assaulted an enraged Hiranyakashipu, who countered with
all his power, attacking Ballhaar. The blow was so powerful that
Ballhaar’s shoulder blades cracked. Vrishkapi tried to protect his
friend but Ballhaar signalled to him to go towards the door and
shut it with all the strength he had while he kept the demons
engaged. The asuras kept coming out of the door like a flood
from a broken dam.
‘Enough of you, Nibhisha!’ shouted Nagendra as he landed a
frustrated and powerful punch on her face. ‘Have you forgotten
how I punished you and made you suffer for your disloyalty?’
continued Nagendra. The trauma of Nagendra’s treatment
shook Nibhisha’s confidence and this time she felt inferior.
Nibhisha let out a low grumble and looked towards Om, who
was now at a distance, fighting alongside Kripacharya.

Ballhaar was deeply injured but the giant kept trying to rise
again. His bleeding body was starting to give up slowly, making
it more difficult for him to continue and fulfil his duties.

Ballhaar looked at Vrishkapi, seeking help, but found him

battling and struggling to reach the door. He saw Kripacharya
cornered by asuras while he kept charging at them with his
weapons. Ballhaar darted towards them and broke the swarm,
growling aggressively, stomping and pushing them. His roar
echoed across the entire temple and even outside. Roaring with
all his might once again, he smashed every asura that came his
way or near Kripacharya. Kripacharya took that momentary
relief and turned towards the other demons that were lethal
and still scattered across the premises. By now, Ballhaar was
losing his grip as he was exhausted and wounded. His body had
wounds all over and he was bleeding extensively. Patches of
blood absorbed by his white fur conveyed how injured he was.
Ballhaar still had more zeal and valour left in him. He took a few
breaths and stood strong again to attack. Just when he raised
his arm again, an axe came flying from the back straight
towards him and Ballhaar’s head rolled on the ground.

‘Ballhaaaarr!’ Kripacharya’s loud cry made heads turn. For a

second, everything came to a standstill. It was the cursed
Parashurama behind the backslash. The asuras blew the bugle
of victory, an old tradition whenever a warrior falls on the
battleground. Kripacharya remembered the time when the
Pandavas’ bugles suppressed Yudhishthira’s answer to
Dronacharya in Kurukshetra. Om, Vrishkapi, Parashurama,
Ashwatthama and Nibhisha mourned silently. Vrishkapi, who
was running at the speed of air, came to an abrupt halt and
sobbed internally, recalling his promise to Ballhaar. I will
protect you, my friend. Call out to me whenever you need me.

Nagendra took advantage of the moment and took out his

kharga, a sword that could slaughter magical beings and cut
through enchantments, killing its opponents mercilessly. He
swung it at Nibhisha, slicing her in various places.

Hearing Nibhisha’s painful screams, Om turned midway and

rushed towards Nagendra to save his friend. Once again, the
fight resumed between Nagendra, Om and Nibhisha. This time,
however, Om was mightier, more resilient and determined,
whereas having Om by her side again, Nibhisha was more
dynamic and stronger than before. Together, they were
confident about defeating Nagendra. Nibhisha’s serpent tail
grabbed one of Nagendra’s hands and her elephant trunk
grabbed Nagendra’s leg, upsetting his balance. Nagendra
collapsed like a house of cards as Nibhisha transformed into a
complete elephant and stomped on Nagendra’s chest. She
expected him to cry out in pain but nothing of the sort
happened because Nagendra’s healing abilities revived him
quickly!

Om and Nibhisha were certain that they would disarm

Nagendra and cage him this time but before Om could attack
him, Hiranyakashipu pulled him from behind and threw him
far from Nagendra and Nibhisha.
Om stood back on his feet and found Hiranyakashipu standing
between Nagendra and himself. Hiranyakashipu needed an
opponent to destroy after Ballhaar’s death and he found Om.
Om gestured to Nibhisha to hold Nagendra down for a little
longer till he got rid of Hiranyakashipu. Nibhisha nodded and
Om left.

Nagendra looked at Om and Nibhisha’s exchange and

intentionally kept himself under Nibhisha’s leg till Om turned
and left. In the blink of an eye, he then swung his kharga to slice
through her trunk while he was still on the ground. Nibhisha
could not bear the pain and went hysterical as she rolled on the
ground, her deafening cries echoing throughout the field.
Everybody saw Nibhisha wailing in pain and then instantly, her
cries transformed into the roar of the lion. With a roar that
reverberated for quite a distance, the lion approached Nagendra
while Om went to Vrishkapi’s aid.

Before Nagendra could think of a counterattack, the lion’s jaw

had clamped on Nagendra’s waist. Nagendra struggled to loosen
the lion’s grip on him but his teeth gnawed at his sides, ripping
his waist apart. Nagendra quickly grabbed a javelin from one of
the asuras and stabbed the lion’s waist. For a while, the lion’s
jaw remained tight on Nagendra, but the brutality became
unbearable when Nagendra pierced the lion’s eye with a hidden
khukri tucked at his back. The pain was so intense that it made
Nibhisha, the lion, finally let him go. Nagendra gripped the
javelin tighter and began stabbing the lion’s body as that part of
Nibhisha slowly faded away. In no time, two out of eight parts
of Nibhisha were lost to Nagendra, leaving her with only six
that she could transform into.
Whining in agony, Nibhisha turned into a long serpent and
crawled towards Nagendra. She expanded her size and coiled
herself from beneath up to his chest, tightening her grip and
restricting his body from moving. Nibhisha opened her snake
mouth wide and devoured Nagendra’s entire body. Nagendra
was mystified by her rapid transformations. She thought she
could hold Nagendra for longer this time, but little did she
realize that the tip of the khukri had already penetrated a spot
inside her snake body. Without moving much, Nagendra had
managed to dig the knife so deep that it split the snake into two
and he came out drenched in Nibhisha’s blood. Anguished by
Nagendra’s attack, Nibhisha didn’t mourn the loss of her third
body and immediately turned into a tiger. This time, the tiger,
quick in its moves, scratched and bit Nagendra at an unmatched
speed. Finally, she pounced on his neck and clamped down on it
so tightly that Nagendra struggled to break the shackles while
panting for breath. As the tiger attacked from the front, he
reached for the tiger’s face and with his bare hands, clawed at it
as violently as a tiger’s paw. This left Nibhisha baffled and ina
heartbeat, Nagendra ripped its jaw into two halves.

As Nibhisha collapsed, Nagendra rose mightier than before.

Nibhisha was now on the verge of mutilation and irreparable
loss, yet she chose to fight till her last breath, for her friend and
for her past, to stop Nagendra. Unyielding and determined,
Nibhisha stood her ground now asa gigantic female dog.
Despite knowing that she was no match, she approached
Nagendra, growled and barked so loudly that it would make any
man tremble in fear, but Nagendra was unaffected and was far
more vigilant than she had expected. Before she could move
another muscle, Nagendra darted his khukri and his kharga to
penetrate the layers beneath, leaving her mouth wide open.
Maintaining his grip on the handle of the kharga, he carved an
arch and ripped her face into two so fast that she didn’t even get
to scream or sob this time.

Defeated and drowning in excruciating pain, Nibhisha

transformed into an ox and ran murderously towards Om like a
beast, knocking and dashing aside every asura and ally on her
way with her hump and horns. The asuras hammered blows
and cuts on her and her quivering body fell right at Om’s feet
before dying.

‘No! Nibhisha!’ Om’s voice had never been heard so loudly

before.

For once, the warriors thought they had lost Nibhisha too.
Nagendra’s victorious smile knew no bounds as he saw
Nibhisha lose her qualities one after another. This time,
Nibhisha turned into a woman. There was a beautiful woman
on the battlefield and every asura alive wished to have a piece of
her skin to taste. ‘If not Kali yuga, what is it then?’ thought
every noble soul present in the war zone. But Nibhisha in the
human form was about to tell them all that Kali yuga still had
hope left. She borrowed weapons from Om and Ashwatthama
and charged like a goddess at the asuras. She prepared her own
battlefield, shedding the load of all the other warriors. The
asuras identified her as a perishable target and easy to kill as
compared to the immortals she was fighting for. This is what
cowards do. ‘I shall not surrender. If defeated and killed on the
field of battle, we shall surely earn eternal glory and salvation.’
Nibhisha’s fighting and words gave confidence to all the
immortals and animals of Gyanganj.

On the other hand, another battle between Om and Nagendra

broke out, overloaded with wrath and vengeance. The evil
Parashurama summoned the Brahmastra to end his enemy once
and for all. The Brahmastra could have killed, if not Om, then
many other animals from Gyanganj around Om, including
Vrishkapi. It was a confirmed victory for Shukracharya. But the
moment the Brahmastra was shot at Om, Nibhisha appeared as
his shield and consumed the astra to save all the lives around
Om. She absorbed it all within herself, just as Uttaraa did when
Ashwatthama used the Brahmashirsha at the end of the war of
Kurukshetra, for which he was cursed by Krishna. Om felt
helpless as he knew he could not save her. Soon, he witnessed
even her female part perish, consuming the impact of the
weapon and smiling for the sake of the safety of all her new
friends.

Nibhisha’s graceful woman’s avatar gazed innocently at Om,

flashing him a consoling smile as if to say, It’s okay, my friend.

The disheartened Om couldn’t help but stand and witness the

death of yet another part of Nibhisha’s magnificence. His mind
recollected their first encounter, how she stood by him through
thick and thin, and how she waited for him for yugas. She was
the true definition of loyalty, love, compassion and
commitment.

The Brahmastra disappeared after crushing Nibhisha’s human

form to death; she was gone. What was left was just a leg. A leg
of a horse! Nibhisha finally emerged as a pristine white horse.
This was her last visible body and all that remained inside was a
pumping octopus heart.

The unending sea of the asura army continued gushing out

from the Kallara door. Vrishkapi bashed Hiranyakashipu
multiple times but Hiranyaksha had joined his brother again.
The two mighty asuras threw hard punches at Vrishkapi, who
didn’t have time to even react to the blows.
Meanwhile, Ashwatthama was growing increasingly exhausted
and weak against his evil self, who could sense his victory over
the noble Ashwatthama and immediately called out to his
comrades for aid. A cluster of asuras swarmed the holy
Ashwatthama and held him firmly, not giving him any room to
escape while he struggled.

They prepared many layers of circles around Ashwatthama.

Ashwatthama, a valiant warrior and proficient archer, now
looked like nothing more than a trapped bird caged by the fright
of his own self. The fear of being overpowered again by his
negative aspects handicapped him and he could not even
attempt to free himself.

The vicious Ashwatthama walked confidently like a free soul as

he maintained his gaze on the holy one, stepping closer to his
destiny, while the immortal Ashwatthama looked pale and
crippled as he grunted in pain. His ear-piercing wails echoed
through the field and all heads turned towards him. The asuras
who held him captive cheered as the sinister Ashwatthama
neared his other half. Every part of his body was twitching as he
looked towards Kripacharya and Om, who desperately wanted
to rush to his aid and began to free themselves from their own
combatants, but just then, Shukracharya’s booming voice rang
through the air.

‘O asuras! This is our moment! Do not let any of his allies reach
him. Whatever it takes, keep them away from Ashwatthama.’ It
was a moment where the asuras had emerged almost victorious
and a formation similar to the chakravyuh, which looked
unbreakable, was formed. Ashwatthama was stuck alone.

The evil Ashwatthama now stood head-to-head with his

vulnerable version and stared right into his eyes before
embracing him. As he had done when they were pronounced
apart right after the Prithak Vyaktitwa Yagya, he looked the
righteous Ashwatthama deep in his eyes, breaking the last
ounce of hope left in him. That was the look that had terrified
Ashwatthama for the first, but not the last, time in his never-
ending life. The cursed Ashwatthama hugged him tight and
thus occurred the inauspicious reunion. A thick fog engulfed
the two as the dreadful Ashwatthama absorbed the pious one.
Ashwatthama’s once-clear body was now blotched with leprosy.
His cursed state had revived the immoral immortal’s existence.
After a cumbersome tussle within, Ashwatthama’s evil
consumed his righteousness as his victorious laughter
synchronized with the asuras around them.

The bugle of yet another victory was blown by the asuras inside
the chakravyuh. It shattered Kripacharya’s morale as he relived
losing his nephew all over again. The dynamic Ashwatthama
had lost to the demonic Ashwatthama. This was the victory of
the cursed upon the blessed.

‘IACUTAT Eat Ea,’ Kripacharya said in a low voice, looking at

Parashurama, depressed to the core— which meant, we have
lost Ashwatthama.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 16

The Living Nightmare

‘Upon hearing the asuras’ triumphant bugle on the reunion of
the two Ashwatthamas, Parashurama was crestfallen. He
experienced the pain that only Ashwatthama’s father
Dronacharya had earlier felt at the news of his son’s death
before his own in the battle of Kurukshetra. Ballhaar, Nibhisha
and Ashwatthama gone was a demoralizing expense for the
immortals, who were now outnumbered. The land was littered
with dead bodies and the soil was drenched crimson with
blood. The immortal allies were no longer enough to fight the
multiplying strength of the demons, who were winning all the
combats one after another, getting closer to grabbing the
victory flag and reinstating their supremacy on earth. A war
that had begun in Satya yuga was finally about to reach its
closure in Kali yuga,’ Prithvi said as Mrs Batra pieced together
how the journey had begun and how it was advancing towards
its end.

Parashurama was failing to defeat his cursed mirror image. The

asuras had gained another powerful warrior after the pious
Ashwatthama had been conquered. Ballhaar was dead and
Nibhisha had been mutilated. Vrishkapi still couldn’t shut the
Kallara door and Om was struggling to bring Nagendra down.
The developments of the war were hinting towards the
immortals’ defeat.

Kripacharya was burdened with guilt at being unable to save

Ashwatthama and continued fighting the fire blades coming his
way and pushing them aside. While Kripacharya was engaged
in defending himself and attacking the uncountable asuras,
with a depressing demeanour and a vibrating growl,
Ashwatthama walked towards Kripacharya from the other end.

Ashwatthama looked enraged and ready to devour Kripacharya.

His attack was so brutal that Kripacharya was thrown away like
a cannonball.

Seeing this as a golden opportunity to wreak havoc on the

Gyanganj army, the cursed Parashurama summoned the
Naagastra and within moments, thousands of snakes were
crawling across the battleground, spewing venom and raising
the fatalities among the animals of Gyanganj to a much higher
level.

Parashurama stood afar, regaining his composure after the

cursed Parashurama’s Naagastra attack and contemplating how
he could neutralize this army of snakes. The one astra that
could instantly restrain these snakes was a Sauparnastra that
would release thousands of snake-eating birds, hence it was a
good counter to the Naagastra. Parashurama summoned the
Sauparnastra, feeling positive that this weapon was a perfect
choice. The Sauparnastra released a massive flock of thousands
of snake-eating birds that filled the visible sky.

The war was growing more lethal. The demonic Ashwatthama

was taking advantage of Kripacharya’s softened heart for the
Ashwatthama he had lost moments ago. Kripacharya was still
struggling to balance his weak emotions and his strong
weapons, and Ashwatthama was charging at him with no
mercy. In the blink of an eye, Kripacharya’s chest began
bleeding profusely due to the long, deep cut Ashwatthama had
slashed. Till that moment, Kripacharya was hopefully
searching for the noble Ashwatthama behind the cursed face,
but the malicious attack gave him the answer that all the good
had been completely conquered. So Kripacharya summoned his
bow again and charged at Ashwatthama. Kripacharya rained
down all that he had, which got Ashwatthama on his knees.
With the force Kripacharya attacked Ashwatthama, the latter’s
defeat seemed inevitable.

On the other side of the battleground, Parashurama battled

Parashurama with more vigour. The ill-spirited Parashurama
summoned the Shishira astra, a missile of the moon god that
could freeze everything. The astra had spread its wings over the
battleground the moment it was invoked. Even the animals of
Gyanganj, who were immune to extreme freezing temperatures,
were affected by the astra. It also froze Kripacharya, who was
aggressively marching towards Ashwatthama to conquer him.
Seeing the impact of the Shishira astra, the mighty
Parashurama invoked the Suryastra, which released blinding
lights and the warmth of the sun, something that could cease
the effect of the Shishira astra. Sensing his powers diminishing
and finding himself weakening against the divine powers of
Kripacharya, the evil Ashwatthama took advantage of the
dazzling lights of the Suryastra and escaped the periphery,
crawling with his leprosy-cursed body. Since he was too caught
up in one-on-one combat with his counter-self, Parashurama
could do nothing but simply watch Ashwatthama flee. By the
time Kripacharya was free from the blinding light of Suryastra,
Ashwatthama was gone.
On another front, Shukracharya was basking in his victory of
keeping the door open and not letting any immortal reach it,
while he awaited the arrival of the biggest army. Exhausted and
aghast by the flashes of their defeat blinding them again, the
immortals failed to understand where they were going wrong.
The more they killed, the more came out from the open door.
The army of asuras seemed endless.

The battle at Padmanabhaswamy temple was slowly turning

into the ultimate victory for Nagendra and his team and
appeared to be a complete disaster for the immortals as they
were growing weaker in strength and fewer in number with
every passing minute.

The demons were dominating the battlefield and had complete

control over it. Nagendra battled Om with Nibhisha by his side.
The evil Parashurama was one step ahead of Parashurama, who
could sense the asuras overpowering them. Kripacharya
hopelessly looked around for Ashwatthama but later moved to
support Vrishkapi, as Vrishkapi was struggling alone against
the mighty demons Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha.
Suddenly, everything came to a halt.

The asuras and the immortals paused as every being turned

towards the Kallara door, where the void behind it was booming
with marching sounds. In the moment of utter silence on the
ground, everyone fighting for the immortals huddled close to
figure out the reason behind the sudden change in the
temperament of the raging battlefield. All eyes were fixed on the
door, which was now vibrating, with the heart-thumping
marching sounds growing louder as they inched closer towards
the battleground.
And then the demons broke into a loud cheer which echoed till
the seventh sky.

The biggest army of the asuras had finally arrived. The

immortals, who were far from accessing the door all along,
were now witnessing crowned heads being followed by
thousands of other heads. Their arrival was welcomed by a sea
of cheers echoing in the asura armies, as if they knew that
victory was now inevitable.

‘What else was left? Who else was coming? Weren’t the
challenges that the immortals had to face already enough?’ Mrs
Batra was intrigued.

‘Neither the battle nor the purpose of opening the door had
been fulfilled yet,’ said Prithvi.

‘The attacks were just an example of the animosity that these

prisoners of time had planned against the immortals and the
earth they had vowed to protect.’

First emerged an enormous figure bigger than Hiranyaksha and

Hiranyakashipu. With him walked a supreme man in a crown
who was commanding the army. The asura with the crown
stepped out of the Kallara door and greeted Shukracharya with
folded hands. A new troop of asuras followed him as he went
ahead to assume full control of the chaotic unorganized war.

The man exuded a royal charisma and his valour was evident in
his stride. He was clad in a multilayered outfit, accessorized
with precious jewels along with a necklace made of nine of the
rarest and most exquisite pearls beaded together. His might
glorified his face and had everyone spellbound. While many
asuras rejoiced in the presence of his imposing personality,
some remained starstruck and others were simply intimidated
as they were aware of the extent of his cruelty.

The asura armies, which had been giving a tough time to the
immortals so far, bowed down with folded hands, making way
for the regal man. He scanned the place and commanded his
subordinate asuras, who then ordered their troops to charge at
the immortals and the animals of Gyanganj once again with
double the strength and brutality. The way he had cemented
triumph for the asuras, infused within them a spirit of
superiority and elevated their morale by simply walking into
the war was unfathomable. All the asuras started screaming
with motivation and zeal to defeat the immortals right then
and there.

Thus came the most difficult phase of the battle for the
immortals, as until then, the demons had been attacking
separately. But after receiving orders from their new superior,
their strategies had changed and became more organized, more
aggressive and more diligent towards destroying their
opponents. The endangered species of Gyanganj were the most
severely inflicted. The demons slaughtered them mercilessly,
causing utter bloodshed. The immortals, who were still engaged
with their mirror images, and other beasts could not come to
their allies’ aid as they were forced to remain mere spectators.

The behemoth walking beside the commander continued

thrashing everything that came his way.

Kripacharya, however, managed to reach Parashurama and said,

‘Ever since this crowned asura has entered, all the asuras have
suddenly become organized. I’m afraid that if they continue the
battle with the same vigour, our diminishing chances of
containing them and sending them back behind the door will
also disappear. There’s only one way out.’

‘What’s your plan, Kripacharya?’ asked Parashurama.

‘If we kill their commander, we can stop the whole army at once
as they would be consumed. by their own mayhem,’ said
Kripacharya and then requested Parashurama, ‘O mighty
Parashurama, take charge and behead their new chief! His
death at your hands is the only hope of survival for earth and
victory for us, as it will break the asuras to the core. The rest of
us must pave your way to approach him.

Unaware of what they were progressing towards, the allies

surrounded Parashurama and carved a path aggressively and
speedily through the crowd of asuras. Everyone protected
Parashurama as he clenched his axe for the final blow in the
centre. The next second, Parashurama jumped high in the air
and swung his axe at their supreme commander and beheaded
the demon in one go.

The battle came to an abrupt halt once again as a piercing

silence engulfed the premise. The chief’s crowned head rolled
off his shoulders and on to the ground. Everybody looked at the
headless body standing tall as Parashurama panted lightly.
With his hand still gripping his axe, he walked towards
Kripacharya as the immortals and allies waited for the headless
body to collapse. They expected the asuras to break into
mournful chaos, but to their dismay, the silence was shattered
by cheers of celebration once again.

‘A cheer and celebration on the beheading of their own chief!’

thought Parashurama and turned around to find the reason for
such rejoicing. What he saw explained the asuras’ happy
hooting. The headless body was regaining its head!

This shocked all the allies. A perplexed Parashurama didn’t

think before bringing his axe down again, but this time, the
head didn’t budge.

‘Who was he?’ asked an anxious Mrs Batra.

Prithvi looked at her and replied, ‘It took a while for everyone to
realize that the man ordering the biggest giant and other asura
armies on the battlefield was none other than the scholar well-
versed with Shastra Vidya and the Vedas. He was an extremely
courageous warrior, the king of kings, the mightiest of all. He
was the renowned demon king with many names. He was none
other than Ravana himself!

‘The giant who was larger than Vrishkapi and walked beside
Ravana was his brother, Kumbhakarna. Behind him followed
Ravana’s son, Meghnaad, and their armies from Treta yuga.’

This was the only time when the devotee Nagendra, who had
once named himself Nanshad, had the opportunity to see and
stand in front of his deity, Dashanan. Nagendra was overjoyed
by his presence and greeted him with folded hands, ready to
make the day historic by defeating the immortals.

After a short pause among the powerful warriors, the petty

asuras continued their fight with the extinct fauna. Ravana
ordered his brother, son and their troops to destroy everything
coming their way like an earthquake rattles the world and a
flood washes everything away.
By then, the immortals had begun to comprehend that despite
being backed up by the Gyanganj residents and the vigorous
Vrishkapi, it was impossible to contain the asura armies inside
the set boundaries of Padmanabhaswamy’s premises. They
knew now that no force could stop the asuras from infecting
the world and overthrowing God’s will to hold the reins of earth
in the immortals’ hands.

The asuras began destroying everything bit by bit. Om could

anticipate what this was leading up to and was aware that he
needed to buy some time for himself and other warriors.
Therefore, he summoned the Sammohana-astra to muddle the
demon troops. The Sammohana-astra changed the battle
scenario as all the asuras dropped unconscious. The immortals
and all the remaining army of Gyanganj got to take a breath.

The mighty Ravana chanted a verse and invoked the Prajnastra,

which was believed to bring back consciousness to those who
were unconscious on the battlefield. Pointing it towards the sky,
he shot the arrow and soon, all the asuras were back, conscious
and on their feet. The effect of the Sammohan-astra slowly
disappeared. Vrishkapi picked up his mace and charged at
Kumbhakarna. Feeling the sudden blow, Kumbhakarna lost his
balance temporarily and was taken aback. An infuriated
Kumbhakarna summoned a mace to match Vrishkapi’s and
attacked him with it.

Ravana had had his eyes on Om ever since he had seen him
summon the Sammohanastra. Walking afew steps ahead,
Ravana summoned the trident, the chakra, the mace and a few
javelins and spears with a bone-chilling chant. Looking at the
ferocity of his assaults, one could see his long-suppressed
anguish and hatred at being confined.
Kripacharya could see Ravana proceeding towards Om,
knowing that Ravana would be charging at him. He was aware
that with the kind of power Ravana possessed, his attacks
would be fatal. Kripacharya had to fight on many sides to match
Ravana’s weapons but Ravana stood infallible and nothing
seemed to faze him.

Thus, Kripacharya closed his eyes and summoned the Indrastra,

the weapon that could shower arrows and was an apt choice to
neutralize thousands of armies. But before he could release the
astra, Meghnaad challenged him by shooting a bunch of arrows
at Kripacharya. Meghnaad, having the power to turn invisible,
planned for his next hunt.

While Kripacharya tended to his combat with Meghnaad, Om

was cornered by Nagendra and Ravana walked towards him.
Dodging his negative self, Parashurama came to the aid of Om.
He summoned Maghavan and shot it at Ravana. Maghavan was
one of Indra’s weapons that could invoke hundreds and
thousands of flaming weapon showers capable of baffling
armies. That gave Om a few minutes to hold his ground again.

While Om fought Nagendra, the immortals were hammered

with double blows as almost all of them were facing two
powerful asuras at the same time. Vrishkapi battled ferociously
against the two brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu,
Kripacharya was thrashed minute after minute by the invisible
Meghnaad while battling Kumbhakarna, Parashurama was
facing his evil self and now stood against the king of kings.

The asura armies were still dominating the war and there was
no new ray of hope, no other aid that would arrive for them.
Exhausted and impaired, with fading hope, the immortals
could only sense victory hovering over the asuras as not even
their own spirits could reassure them any more. The armoured
immortals had been decimated by the asuras’ attacks and had
no way left to overpower them. The earth felt overburdened by
the looming defeat of the immortals and the victory of the
asuras, which was approaching rapidly.

While Parashurama was preoccupied with releasing himself

from the grip of Kumbhakarna and the swarm of asuras, the
cursed Parashurama wanted to take complete control over
Parashurama and hence rushed towards him. Parashurama was
held in place with his limbs pinned down by the asuras as he
helplessly saw the cursed Parashurama advancing towards him.
It was now time for Parashurama to lose himself to his negative
self. Everything was repeating itself as it happened with
Ashwatthama. The cursed Parashurama, with his blood-red
eyes full of rage, looked into the eyes of his mirror image before
consuming him. All the other immortals and Vrishkapi could
see Parashurama but they themselves were facing more than
one challenge. Parashurama was trying hard to free himself of
Kumbhakarna and other asuras but the numbers were too large
for him to fight. No immortal could break the number of circles
as another chakravyuh of asuras encircled Parashurama and
they helplessly watched their commander, who was about to be
lost in the process of absorption, just like Ashwatthama. The
asuras were ready again with their next bugle of victory over
Parashurama and the cheering started as the cursed
Parashurama opened his arms to tightly hug Parashurama and
consume him fully. But just before he could touch Parashurama,
a pair of hands emerged from the cracks of the ground and
grabbed the cursed one!

The cursed Parashurama fell to the ground and the cheering

stopped. Before either side could understand what had
happened, suddenly, the battlefield began cracking up in
various places as thousands of hands sprouted from those gaps.

‘Whose hands were those?’ questioned Mrs Batra. Prithvi’s gaze

scanned her body language and sensed her visibly agitated
demeanour. ‘It was King Bali, who had emerged from Sutala
with his army of asuras.’

Along with King Bali entered Vibhishana, who had sailed

through the Sri Lankan waters to reach Padmanabhaswamy
with his army, which was as large as that of his elder brother
Ravana.

All the asuras and their generals’ attention was divided in two
directions—one was towards Vibhishana and his army charging
at the asuras on the ground amid the set parameters, and the
other was towards King Bali and his army, which was appearing
gradually from underground to ambush the asuras.

Nagendra looked at Shukracharya with a befuddled expression

that said, ‘How’s King Bali walking on land?’

‘It’s the month of भाद्रपद (August), the month of Onam,’ answered

Shukracharya.

‘What’s the connection between this month and King Bali?’

asked Mrs Batra.

‘Lord Vishnu had allowed King Bali to walk on earth only

during the time of Onam,’ Prithvi explained.

Watching Vibhishana and King Bali joining the war had

subjected the warriors to a myriad of emotions.
‘O brother, I didn’t anticipate your arrival,’ Ravana said to
Vibhishana in a taunting tone

‘I didn’t want to be here, but I was left with no choice,’

Vibhishana replied.

‘Vibhishana, let’s talk and rid ourselves of these differences

among us once and for all,’ Shukracharya requested.

‘Talk? I had approached you for a peace talk but your response
in the submarine has taken away your final chance. I regret to
inform you that the time to talk has run out.’ Vibhishana’s voice
was heavy with anger.

‘You are still against us? Why?’ questioned Ravana.

‘Because I still carry the burden of your deeds and I don’t want
to add any new weight to it,’ Vibhishana retorted.

Disappointed by his brother’s response, Ravana said, ‘You were

misguided then and you are misguided now. What we did was
righteous. It’s not a good sight to see my own brother stand
against me, and so you must fall’ Ravana was livid. Unwilling to
fuel the fire, Vibhishana simply turned to join the immortals
along with King Bali. Ravana ordered all his generals to take on
their enemies.

The invisible Meghnaad had jolted multiple attacks on

Kripacharya. King Bali wrestled with his two elusive asura
ancestors, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, and engaged them
in hand-to-hand combat. King Bali was still grasping the
situation and seemed to struggle in front of his asura ancestors.

Inside the chakravyuh, the cursed Parashurama got back on his

feet, burning in anger, and summoned Sharanga, the bow of
Lord Vishnu himself, also called Vaishnav Dhanush.

To counter that, Parashurama summoned the Govardhana,

another powerful bow of Vishnu.

Nagendra dominated Om with the best of his astras, like Vasavi

Shakti, the second most powerful weapon of Indra. It could be
used only once to destroy the opponent. This was the same
astra that Karna used on Ghatotkacha to kill him.

Ravana went for his brother Vibhishana on the battlefield.

Kumbhakarna saw his brothers ready to confront each other
and wanted to join in, but Vrishkapi held him by his bottom
and thrashed him to the ground. This made Kumbhakarna
furious and he started raining blows on the tired Vrishkapi.

Om screamed out loud to all the immortals, ‘The only mortal

fighting for us is Vrishkapi. He will die if not helped. His
survival is important for the faith of mortals in us and for ours
in them.’ Everybody heard Om but nobody could come to the
rescue except Vibhishana, who was fighting the most powerful
asura present in the war zone—Ravana. He did not bother about
himself, turned back towards Vrishkapi and closed his eyes to
summon an astra. Looking at Vibhishana turning his back,
Ravana taunted, ‘This is the best you can do, Vibhishana. You
turn your back towards your own. What you just did proves
that the character of a man never changes.’ Ravana showered
arrows on Vibhishana’s back in anger, but when Vibhishana
opened his eyes, his bow had Praswapastra, the arrow that can
cause the afflicted to fall asleep on the battlefield. The arrow
was for his own brother Kumbhakarna, while Vibhishana’s
injuries continued to multiply, inflicted by his own brother
Ravana. Vibhishana released the astra on Kumbhakarna and in
a moment, he fell to the ground like a mountain. Without
wasting any time, the panting Vrishkapi lifted him with all his
might and threw him back inside the door. That was a setback
to the asuras and to Ravana in particular. What added to the
insult was the fact that Vibhishana was the turning point of the
war again, just as he had been in the war with Lord Ram in
Treta yuga.

Vibhishana continued to take devastating blows on his back as

he decided to help Kripacharya next instead of himself.
Vibhishana fought with his magical powers as his actions were
fuelled by betrayal. Kripacharya had been beaten and attacked
from all sides and was no match for Meghnaad only because he
was invisible.

With all the pain and scars inflicted on him from his back by the
mighty Ravana, Vibhishana closed his eyes again, this time to
summon Sabdaveda astra, which prevents an opponent from
turning invisible, and shot it at his nephew Meghnaad, which
revealed his position. Meghnaad was now visible and in
Kripacharya’s sights. Before Meghnaad could have registered it,
Vrishkapi came flying with his mace while Meghnaad had his
eye fixed on Kripacharya. A single blow of Vrishkapi’s mace
blew him into the air, unconscious. In no time, Meghnaad was
also sucked back inside the door. The injured Vibhishana was
now taking arrows and other attacks by Ravana on his chest as
he turned towards him and fell to his knees. It seemed that
Ravana needed just one last shot to bring Vibhishana down.

‘I shall now send you where I was for thousands of years,’ said
the mighty Ravana and shot an arrow, this time targeting his
forehead. But just before the arrow could pierce its target,
Kripacharya destroyed the arrow using one of his shots and
Vrishkapi landed straight in front of Vibhishana, securing him.
Kripacharya now joined Vrishkapi against Ravana. Vibhishana
had selflessly helped Kripacharya and Vrishkapi. It was time for
both of them to return the favour by defending him.

Vibhishana took a few minutes to stand strong again and took

out all the arrows and weapons piercing his body. Vibhishana
saw King Bali struggling; he requested Vrishkapi to help King
Bali against his ancestors and said, ‘We can stop Ravana for
some time. Help King Bali against his predecessors.’

Vrishkapi immediately flew in and shoved Hiranyaksha with

his powerful arms, making him lose his grip on King Bali. This
allowed King Bali and his asuras to take complete control over
Hiranyakashipu and his allies. It was now Hiranyaksha versus
Vrishkapi and King Bali versus Hiranyakashipu.

Parashurama looked at the cursed Parashurama and saw his

wild and wicked face ready to take the plunge. Parashurama
didn’t want to lose even a single moment as an opportunity to
overpower him and the same was the plan of the cursed one.
Therefore, to suppress their respective opponents, both invoked
their astras in their powerful bows. One summoned the illusive
Aindra astra and the other summoned the Lavastra. While
Aindra astra fogged everyone’s view, the Lavastra caused the
ground to ooze out molten lava in several places. This burnt a
few small animals of Gyanganj and the air reeked with the
pungent smell of toxic chemicals, also burning up several
asuras on the ground, thus leading to some collateral damage.
As the counter of Lavastra, Parashurama summoned the
Varunastra, a water weapon. The atmosphere was filled with
gases that were a result of the reaction between hot lava and
water.
On the other side of this, Om decided to summon the
Narayanastra, an astra whose powers would increase the more
it was resisted. The moment the Narayanastra was released, it
unleashed a volley of missiles and the only way to stop it was
complete submission, something Nagendra was refusing to do.
The greater was the impact of Narayanastra the more Nagendra
tried to counter it.

As Om continued his battle, he tapped into his true potential,

sat on the only remaining part of Nibhisha, the pristine white
horse she had transformed into, and rode it. A luminously
blazing sword appeared out of nowhere which lit almost the
whole sky. Om grabbed it and felt his new powers surging. He
felt a boost of confidence in his abilities. He had lost many who
were dear to him since Satya yuga and now, after witnessing
Ashwatthama’s loss, his anguish had deepened, resulting in the
cold-blooded massacre of the despicable asuras. With his
luminous magical sword in hand, Om was unstoppable as he
moved swiftly past the enemies, making several of them drop
dead in a single motion, which significantly lessened the
burden of the asuras on the land. Om finally reached
Hiranyaksha, who was fighting Vrishkapi, and slayed him.
Hiranyaksha was also sucked back in like Meghnaad and
Kumbhakarna. The blades of Om’s sword took down many
other asuras one after the other. Every immortal was in awe of
the surge in Om’s powers. Nobody, not even Om himself, knew
what kind of sword he held and how he had summoned it.

Hiranyakashipu was now facing both Vrishkapi and King Bali.

Before Hiranyakashipu could plan his attack, King Bali and
Vrishkapi lifted him off the ground and brought him down with
all the power they had. The impact crushed many of his bones,
leaving Hiranyakashipu groaning in immense pain. Vrishkapi
hammered his mace on Hiranyakashipu’s chest and shattered
his rib cage. Hiranyakashipu could barely move as he hunched
over, screaming in agony. King Bali then picked up
Hiranyakashipu and flung him back inside the door.

Om then headed towards Parashurama and found that the evil

Parashurama was trying to devour him. He reached the cursed
Parashurama and pulled him away. The fight now had Om and
Parashurama on one side and the demonic Parashurama on the
other.

The pair then bombarded the demonic Parashurama with a

combination of their divine weapons, restricting him from
attacking back. This time, the cursed Parashurama failed to
fight back and was terribly wounded. They continued with
their ceaseless assault, pushing him towards the frame of the
Kallara door with all their might. While Parashurama
continued pushing him back with his arrows, Om summoned
the Anjalika-astra, which had the power to behead the target
straight away. As anticipated, the astra found its way to the
cursed Parashurama and executed him then and there. The
cursed Parashurama was defeated and was sucked back into the
door, to the same place where he had remained for aeons.

The war, which was once in favour of the asuras, was now tilted
towards the triumph of the immortals.

Ravana saw the asuras falling back one after another while still
facing Kripacharya, Vibhishana and now King Bali too.
Nagendra, on the other side, also watched this brutality, still
trying to counter the Narayanastra, which kept him fully
occupied until Shukracharya guided him that the only way to
get rid of the Narayanastra was to surrender completely.
Nagendra did as guided and the celestial Narayanastra
disappeared. Nagendra was free again to face the immortals,
but it was too late.

Meghnaad’s death, Kumbhakarna’s defeat, King Bali’s ancestors

fallen and Ravana battling alone were adding to Nagendra’s
distress. He sprinted towards Om to even the score once and
forever. He shot a series of arrows at Om but they either failed
to touch him or simply brushed past him before landing flat.
Nagendra was clueless about how that happened and what
changed Om’s power to the extent that his arrows could not
even touch him. They were no longer equals in the combat
because Nibhisha was quick with her lightning speed
movements and her mind was in sync with Om. Om was now at
the peak of internalizing the power of his existence and
accepting the vigour he possessed. He was the one who had
defeated Parashurama’s cunning identity, helped King Bali
overcome Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, fought the asuras
of different calibres, and yet, remained undeterred and focused
towards his goal. All this confidence was building his power,
making him appear the mightiest warrior on the battleground.

In contrast, every astra Ravana tried to invoke was being felled

by King Bali, Kripacharya and Vibhishana. Stuck in a loop of
failures, Ravana was growing frustrated and thus summoned
the Dharmapasha, the powerful noose of death.

However, the immortals were ready with a bigger plan.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter 17

It’s Not Over Yet!

Just when the enraged Ravana was about to release the
Dharmapasha, Kripacharya thrashed him. King Bali and
Vibhishana ambushed Ravana and hurled continuous punches
at him. Ravana’s agitation doubled and his wrath was
equivalent to the blinding flare of the blazing sun. But just when
he tried to counter, the fear of an irrevocable fate gripped
Ravana when Parashurama joined King Bali, Vibhishana and
Kripacharya. The king of demons and one of the mightiest
asuras was drenched in his own blood, which was a result of
countless attacks that he could not dodge. It was a dreadful,
almost pitiful sight. Ravana was alone and perturbed. Watching
his brother Vibhishana also supporting the immortals and all of
them invoking a lethal combination of astras left Ravana
horrified. While Ravana looked at them, the immortals
conjured up the powers of Naagastra, Naagpasha and Dharma-
pasha—the very astras that Ravana had summoned. They
merged the powers of the three divine weapons and released
them. The sacred formula caged Ravana, compelling him to
count the last few breaths left in him.

Sensing victory in the air, all four immortals united to unleash

a cascade of arrows on Ravana until he was pushed back inside
the door by the weight and impact of the million arrows
piercing his body. The king of demons fell into the deep, dark
ditch behind the Kallara door, shattering the confidence and
destroying the dream of the remaining asura army.

From a distance, Om watched it all happen and saw how the

asuras began to falter. Yet, there was something more to be
done.

Once Ravana was gone, all the asura armies began to wilt and
the door began closing slowly, which made the asuras scramble
back to it because otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to escape.

As Vrishkapi was throwing the remaining asuras back into the

door, Vault B shut itself. The keyholeshaped pupil extracted
from the infant popped out of the eye socket of the snake carved
on the Kallara door, just the way it had once popped out of
Aghasur’s eye socket in Dwapara yuga after Lord Krishna had
killed him. Once it touched the ground, it melted away and the
earth’s surface soaked it up, wiping away its existence forever.

Vrishkapi shrunk down to his normal size once he was done

sweeping off all the asuras. Om descended from his horse, still
gripping his mighty sword. All the immortals now turned to
Nagendra, who had encapsulated the words from the books of
Mrit Sanjeevani inside his own body. AsOm saw Nagendra
surrounded by the immortals, Om remembered Parashurama’s
words on their way to Padmanabhaswamy temple: We will
bring him down to a state where he will curse himself for being
an immortal and request us to grant him the boon of death.

The memory of Ellora transforming back into a mere mountain

was evident in Parashurama’s angered eyes. Parashurama then
gathered all his strength in his mighty axe and directed it
towards Nagendra from a distance. This ultimate astra pierced
Nagendra’s body and he collapsed on the ground without any
further retaliation as he was deeply bruised by the impact. Call
it a boon or a curse, but he was an immortal too as the rest of
them standing against him and so he started healing. Vrishkapi
was burning in anger at Ashwatthama’s loss and the events of
Roopkund, which had almost killed him. He attacked Nagendra
with his mace, crushing many of his bones. Kripacharya, too,
joined in mourning for the loss of Ashwatthama and Ballhaar.
Nagendra was still smiling shamelessly while his bones
resurrected him back on his feet. Lost yet not defeated,
Shukracharya proudly said, ‘By now, you all know that he also is
an immortal. It has become a war that you can never win as you
can never kill him,’ Everyone knew that Shukracharya was
right. The immortals looked to Parashurama, hoping for the
solution to Nagendra’s end, but the answer came from the sky
as the Pushpak Vimana landed on the ground and Ved Vyasa
stepped out of it.

Ved Vyasa looked at Nagendra and Shukracharya and said, ‘The

solution to this problem has already been given by Nagendra
himself.’ Everybody, including Nagendra and Shukracharya,
looked at each other, confused. Ved Vyasa reminded Nagendra
of the statement he once made to Shukracharya about
Parashurama: ‘He can’t be killed but he can be held captive to
bar his participation any further.’ I hope both of you remember
that statement! What you forgot then was that I hear
everything and I heard that too.’ Everybody had the answer and
the solution. Nagendra was now fuming in agony and
Shukracharya seemed helpless. Addressing all the immortals,
Ved Vyasa continued, ‘The words of the verse he has stolen and
the power they hold are deeply embedded inside his body. To
forbid him from ruling the world with his evil mind, you need
to cut his body into pieces.’

Ved Vyasa turned towards Om and said, ‘Om, if you wish to

bring an end to this madness which has haunted you for yugas,
you need to summon all your strength in the sword you hold to
bring closure to it all,’

Om stepped closer to Nagendra, who was now held captive by

Parashurama and Kripacharya. All the immortals and
Vrishkapi, along with the remaining animals of Gyanganj and
Nibhisha in the form of a beautiful white horse, stood strong
beside Om.

Ved Vyasa’s words hit the right chord and Om concentrated on

summoning all his powers, which were far more intense than
any astra. The blade of his sword shone brilliantly as the fiery
blaze reached the clouds, illuminating the entire area. His
power, emotions and actions, everything aligned, Om brought
down the sword to slice Nagendra into nine pieces.

Ved Vyasa turned towards Shukracharya, joined his hands and

said, ‘Gurus are to guide and we have no place in the war zone,
Shukracharya. I request you to accept your defeat gracefully
and leave.’ Seeing Nagendra cut into pieces, Shukracharya
looked at Om in fury, saying, ‘It’s not over yet!’ and vanished.

However, despite being chopped up, Nagendra was still alive as

the nine parts vibrated with life, struggling to reunite, but the
immortals held them apart. Ved Vyasa came closer to
Nagendra’s head, looked into his desperate eyes, struggling to
get his body back, and said, ‘I heard you wanted a fresher’s party
as you became an immortal. Consider this your farewell from
the clan of immortals.’ Ved Vyasa then took a metal box from
the Pushpak Vimana and locked his head inside it.

When King Bali was about to leave, Parashurama stopped him

with a question. ‘You were adamant about not supporting
either side and wanted to remain neutral. What made you
change your mind?’

‘If my ancestors Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha had not

appeared, I would not have interfered,’ answered King Bali.

‘We are immortals and so is Nagendra. I entrust all immortals

here with the responsibility of taking his body parts to different
locations, far away from the reach of any human or demon,’ said
Parashurama.

‘Vibhishana, Kripacharya, King Bali and I will take care of two

pieces each and Om will be given one of Nagendra’s body parts,’
Parashurama said, distributing the parts among everyone.

Everyone took the parts with their blood-stained hands.

Without any further delay, Kripacharya walked off the temple
premises and disappeared from the battleground.

King Bali returned underground to Sutala with two pieces of

Nagendra’s body. Vibhishana held on to the parts he had in his
custody and returned to his ship with his remaining army of
demons.

Before boarding the Pushpak with the books in their protection,

Ved Vyasa took the infant in his hands and carefully handed
him over to Om. Om cradled the baby in his arms with a
confused expression, expecting an explanation.
Vrishkapi hugged Om goodbye and said, ‘I will be grateful to
you all my life. You saved my life more than once. You trusted
and taught me so much. I will keep this mace safe forever and
whenever I hold it, I will respectfully treat it as a token of
respect, gratitude and the bond we have made.’

‘Your little speech tells me that you have grown up in this war,
replied Om with an affectionate smile.

Parashurama requested Ved Vyasa to take care of Gyanganj

until he returned.

Vrishkapi, along with Ved Vyasa and all the remaining animals
of Gyanganj, boarded the Pushpak Vimana to go back to Kailash.

‘I am proud of you. Take care of yourself, Om, said Ved Vyasa

with respect and affection before the Pushpak took off for
Gyanganj.

As they left, Parashurama said to Om, who was still holding the
infant in his arms, ‘I need to find Ashwatthama and take him
back to where he belongs. Your time in this mortal realm is not
yet over. Take care of this child till he is an adult.’ And with that,
Parashurama started walking in opposite direction.

Om retaliated, ‘Earlier, you wouldn’t let me leave Gyanganj, and

now you are not allowing me in. Why can’t I go back with all of
them?”

Parashurama turned and spoke to Om for the last time.

‘तुम बीते हुए कल की भी आवश्यकता थे और आने वाले कल की भी आवश्यकता हो।

तुम कल्कि हो । तुम दशावतार को संपन्न करने आए हो, अंतिम अवतार बन कर |

(You were the need of yesterday and you will be the need of
tomorrow. You are Kalki, the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu
that completes the Dashavatar).’

Om stood perplexed and his expressions demanded an

elaboration of Parashurama’s statement.

Parashurama explained, ‘A prophecy in Shrimad Bhagwat

Mahapurana states

शम्भल ग्राम मुख्यस्य ब्राह्मणस्य महात्मनः ।

भवने विष्णुयशसः कल्किः प्रादुर्भवि ष्यति ||

(At the village of Shambhala, principally of great soul Brahmins.

In future at the home of Vishnu, worthy Kalki will be born),

Prithvi explained to Mrs Batra, ‘His name, Kalki, is derived from

kal, which means “time” in Sanskrit, as he is timeless. It also
stands for “yesterday’ and for “tomorrow” in Hindi.’

Parashurama continued explaining to Om: ‘Your advent has

been foretold for thousands of years in several holy scriptures.
These books also share details about the Kalki avatar, that was
written by Sage Shuka 5000 years ago on hundreds of palm
leaves. As mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures of Vishnu
Purana and Kalki Purana, the prophecy highlighted that Kalki
would be born as a child to Vishnuyasha, a Brahmin in the city
of Shambhala. Shambhala is also derived from Sanskrit and
means a place where peace dwells. The place’s existence can be
dated back to thousands of years.

‘Kalki Purana has mentioned in a few instances that the Kalki

Mahavatar would be seen on the outskirts of River
Tamirabarani. The Bhagavatam mentioned that Kalki would be
born in Dravida Desham, where the river Tamirabarani would
flow. As Devdhwaja, that was exactly your birthplace —at the
house of a Brahmin named Vishnuyasha, which happens to be
the name of Kalki’s father in the prophecies.

‘The purpose of Kalki’s descent to earth is to eradicate evil,

purify people’s consciousness and restore balance in the world,
which was overburdened by all negative elements in Kali yuga.
It would also set the course for the beginning of Satya yuga
once again in the infinite cycle of existence, as per Vaishnava
cosmology.

‘Any scripture you read will tell you that Kalki is the avatar of
rejuvenation. The white horse that Kalki rides would be
Devdutta holding his sword Nadaka in one hand. This white
horse will actually be the manifestation of Garuda, the divine
vehicle of Lord Vishnu himself. Devdhwaja! The white horse
you see in front of you is the last visible and external body part
of Nibhisha. That is Devdutta, the one mentioned in these texts.

‘You were always in search of your true identity. This is who you
are and today, not only do you receive your true identity, but
Nibhisha, too, receives hers. You were surprised when this
divine sword appeared in your hands exactly when you needed
something that lethal, just as the mace appeared in your hands
when you had to rescue me. Everyone present here today has
witnessed you riding Devdutta, not Nibhisha. They have seen
you holding the Nandaka, which is not just a fiery sword—it is
the most powerful sword of Vishnu. The mace that appeared in
your hands and which you gifted to

Vrishkapi is the divine mace of Vishnu called Kaumodaki Gada,

which would destroy whole armies, which is why Vrishkapi
could fight asuras like Kumbhakarna and Hiranyaksha—
because the mace gave him the power. Lord Krishna slew the
demon Dantavakra with it.’

‘How do you realize it and I don’t?’ asked Om and Parashurama

replied, ‘Every man takes two births in his life. The first is when
he is born physically and the second occurs when he realizes the
purpose of his existence. You were born on the outskirts of
Tamirabarani and your destiny brings you back to Tamil Nadu
for the war that helps you learn who you are. Today, on this
land, you are born again as the prophecy claimed. The prophecy
in Kalki Purana had also given the astronomical positions of
stars and planets at the time of your birth. Today, the stars and
planets are in the exact same position as they were drawn in the
text and as they were on the date of your birth in the ancient
world, when the pole star was right on top of Mount Kailash, ,
Parashurama said, pointing towards the pole star to their north.

‘According to the Kalki Purana, Bhagavatam and Vishnu

Purana, the Kalki Mahavatar is a Kshatriya (royal race) as well as
a Brahmin (rishi), who would renounce the world and lead the
life of a high priest. That is why you were inclined towards
knowledge and the sword simultaneously, as in Satya yuga, you
were born in a matriarchal society where your father was a
Brahmin and your mother led the civilization.

‘It’s time for you to go and perform your duties and for me to
perform mine. I have to find Ashwatthama.’

This revelation triggered tumultuous waves of emotions in Om.

His faith in Parashurama’s words was his only hope. He relived
his days in Satya yuga, mulling over how the pages of his life
unfolded. He was too overwhelmed to embrace the new
revelations, so he asked Parashurama, ‘Where do I go now?
What do I do?’

‘For the next twenty years, take care of this infant that you hold
in your hands. Ved Vyasa has cremated his parents and so he
wishes this child to be safe and brought up well, as it was
Parimal’s last wish. This child is a mortal and so cannot be
brought to Gyanganj. You are his guardian from now on and he
is your responsibility while you fulfil your duties as Kalki, to
take care of humanity. From now on, this child will be called
Prithvi, replied Parashurama.

‘So, that means…’ Mrs Batra said in astonishment, but Prithvi

answered her before she could finish her question.

‘Yes, I am the infant named Prithvi by Parashurama. My name

means earth in Hindi and I was given this name so that Om
could continue what Lord Vishnu does as the protector of the
earth, till the emergence of Kalki for the world’

Mrs Batra’s eyes went wide with the shocking realization that
the one narrating this series of incidents was the same infant
who survived among asuras, the same baby who was born in
the puddle of his own parents’ blood.

Reminiscing about his extended past left Prithvi in tears, which

he managed to hold back while Mrs Batra looked at him
sympathetically. A heavy silence settled between Prithvi and
Mrs Batra.

‘Can I have a glass of water?’ Prithvi’s humble request

interrupted the silence.
‘Yes, sure. Give me a moment, Mrs Batra replied, slowly walking
towards the kitchen, processing everything she had heard from
Prithvi so far.

She came back with a transparent glass bottle filled with water
and an empty glass. She poured some water into the glass and
handed it to Prithvi. He took a few sips before Mrs Batra asked,
‘So, you’re the son of LSD and Parimal, named by Parashurama
and raised by the tenth avatar, Kalki himself?’

‘Yes, Prithvi replied, gulping the water down.

‘And you are in search of your foster father Kalki? Where is he

now?’

Parashurama also said to Om, ‘The Kalki Purana prophecy

states that Kalki will marry Padma, the daughter of Vrihadrath
and Kaumudi of Sinhala Dwipa, which is now known as Sri
Lanka. Padma is believed to be the reincarnation of Goddess
Lakshmi. You shall go to Sinhala Dwipa, marry your beloved
Padma and begin your married life. Stay in Sinhala Dwipa for
some time and then return to India. The Kalki Purana also talks
about all the deeds that you as the Kalki Mahavatar will
accomplish. It mentions how Kalki will confront the demon
Kali directly and annihilate him when the time comes.’

‘The demon Kali!’ Mrs Batra repeated to confirm whether she

was listening correctly.

‘Yes! The demon Kali. He is the manifestation of Adharma, who,

at the beginning of Kali yuga, was confined to only five places
where he could reside —where there was gambling, alcoholism,
prostitution, animal slaughter and gold. The demon Kali is the
reason behind the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Kalki
avatar is meant to end Kali yuga.’

Just before he left, Parashurama said, ‘Dear Om! Your present

name carries the name of Lord Shiva and your incarnation is
rooted in Lord Vishnu. Everything that you do in the times to
come is destined to happen and has already been written in the
Kalki Purana. Consider the Kalki Purana as the manual of your
future deeds if you ever want guidance. The time for you to
emerge as Kalki has not yet arrived and until it does, you must
live undetected as Om and remain hidden as you were before
Nagendra found you and brought you to Ross Island. This
episode of your eternal life started on this island and now will
end on the island of Sri Lanka. Islands are good at keeping
secrets. It’s time for me to leave in search of Ashwatthama.’

‘Thave already lost my friend Ashwatthama. Will T ever see you

again?’ Om’s voice was heavy with sorrow. As he saw
Parashurama leaving, the anxiety of losing his people gripped
him.

Parashurama turned towards Om, hugged him with a smile and

said, ‘Yes, dear Om! We are destined to meet again. The Vishnu
Purana states that all the seven immortals are alive just to help
Vishnu’s tenth and final Avatar, Kalki, destroy sinners, restore
dharma or righteousness to end Kali yuga and open the portal
for the new epoch of Satya yuga in this cycle of existence. Till
then, you must wait for us to return and we must wait for Kalki
to emerge.’

Mrs Batra interrupted again. ‘I understand that you know this

side of the story because Om told it to you while he raised you
for all these years. But the question that arises now is, how do
you know the other side of the story? I mean, how could you
describe each and every event of their lives in such detail when
you’ve never even met Nagendra, LSD and Parimal?”

Prithvi paused before answering, ‘Mrs Batra! Do you remember

our first conversation? I told you that I remember everything as
clearly as if it happened in front of my eyes. You’re right to say
that I heard Om’s side of the story because he’s the one who
narrated it to me. But when it comes to the other side, I’ve been
a witness to every event in Nagendra’s life as it happened, since
he came to Dhanvantari’s hut with the dead body of Devdhwaja,
including my deaths as Devdrath and LSD and my birth as
Prithvi’

Hearing that, all the colour drained from Mrs Batra’s face. The
horrifying revelation that Prithvi was none other than
Devdrath himself and was known as LSD in his last body shook
Mrs Batra to her core. She took a few steps backwards to create a
safe distance from Prithvi after she realized she was standing
right in front of her husband’s killer, but a carefree Prithvi
continued.

‘The infant continued crying after my death. I had no choice but

to enter the body of my own son as there was no other newborn
being that could host my soul. I was left with no other choice
but to have my child for myself. Even after acquiring the child’s
body, the infant continued to wail because now it was a wife
crying for her husband who was dying right in front of her eyes.
Neither could I help him nor could I tell him that I was still alive
and with him.

‘Poor Parimal. He wished salvation for me but instead got his

salvation, which I desired for myself more than anything else.
Yet again, I was left bound in Nagendra’s words.’
Swallowing nervously, Mrs Batra braced herself and dared to ask
in a quivering voice, Why are you here and why did you tell me
all this?”

Prithvi picked up the water bottle and poured it empty on the

floor. He then got up from his seat and walked up to Mrs Batra,
cornering her, and said, ‘Because, Mrs Batra, just like Om,
everyone deserves to know the purpose of their lives and why
they died … even you. Before Mrs Batra could have deciphered
the puzzle, in the blink of an eye, Prithvi slit Mrs Batra’s throat
and placed the mouth of the transparent empty bottle at the cut
on her neck to collect the blood that flowed like water from a
tap. Mrs Batra was unable to scream in pain as she choked on
her own blood and her senses began to dim before she fell to her
knees, gasping for breath.

As the bottle collected Om’s blood, which was running through

her veins, Prithvi continued talking to her coldly as if nothing
had happened. ‘In order to gather Nagendra’s body parts to
bring him back, I need to keep living. After all, he is still alive,
and I am still deprived of my salvation.’ Prithvi looked into Mrs
Batra’s eyes for the last time and she saw the sheer monstrosity
in his eyes as a sense of achievement accompanied by a cunning
celebration.

Devdrath’s soul in Prithvi’s body now possessed Om’s blood

from Mrs Batra’s body in a transparent bottle. What he needed
next was the process of Mrit Sanjeevani, which the book had
taught Shukracharya. The moment Mrs Batra breathed her last,
a familiar voice echoed in the room.

‘We have a long way to go and much to seek, achieve, collect and
restore. Let’s go!’ The familiar voice was of Shukracharya
guiding Prithvi the way he had once mentored Nagendra.
 THE END
… But as Shukracharya said to Om before disappearing: ‘It’s not
over yet!’

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 1 The divine hour 2Demons

2 Demigods

Dhams or the home of the gods.

5 The five elements of creation and nature.

£ One of the 108 abodes of Lord Vishnu.

2 The state of eternal sleep.

8 The five-headed serpent also known as Shesha Nag.

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 Symbols

What appears to be the tiniest can be the mightiest piece. The

eyeball with the key hole pupil in the palms of the infant without
which opening the door was impossible.

The unending cosmic loop of yugas starting with Satya Yuga,

moving through Treta and Dwapara Yuga and ending with Kali
Yuga only to start back again from Satya Yuga.
A mysterious search across Incredible India!

It is time for all the 7 immortals to unite.

 Lost in the Timeless journey through all Yuga, Who is Om?

Can time run out for the immortals too? Will they win the race
against time?

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 Acknowledgements
Rajat! You have always been very patient with me.

The grace with which you accept everybody and the strength
with which you stand by your people. The calmness with which
you listen to problems and the wisdom with which you handle
them. The innocence you have miraculously managed to save in
your soul and the warmth in your hug. The smile with which
you forgive the ones who hurt you and the promise that you
will never hurt anybody.

Ienvy you for all the above and I’m blessed to call you my
brother, thanks to our fathers who made us so. I am sorry for
my mistakes, and I thank you with all my heart for being there
silently but always. I love you, brother!

Vidhyut Bhai and Meenal ji, you are in my heart and soul. The
most innocent and selfless couple who are the pillars of my
bestselling success and the fuel in my journey. There is only
gratitude towards you.

Sushma Tripathy! My childhood friend. It’s been a beautiful

journey from being friends to working professionals. Thank
you for being with me during my first few steps of life and now
to the final parts of my trilogy.

Iremember sitting next to you on the flight and giving you a

copy of The Hidden Hindu and not telling you who I was. I
hadn’t expected that you would get so engrossed in it and finish
it in two hours! Thank you Neha Purohit for being one of the
best reviewer and helping us present the book better. May this
journey continue for the lifetime.

Ranveer Allahbadia! Your humble astra has pierced my heart for

eternity. Thank you so much for being a part of my journey
selflessly. Your soul is visible through the innocence in your
eyes. May you always keep smiling and reach the hearts and
heights you wish to. Love and blessings. Thanks to the amazing
Beerbiceps team!

Jignesh bhai and Siraj bhai! I am short of words to thank you

both and team Digiworx for showing immense faith in me. I
will do my best to surpass your expectations. Let’s move ahead
at lightning speed, together!

Bold and loving Sowjanya, I wish you all the success. Keep
smiling.

A full of life, beautiful and kind soul, Shweta Rohira you are just
amazing! May you keep shining and smiling. May you get all you
that you dream for.

To the hardworking Penguin editing and marketing team, your

efforts are very much appreciated. Chandna Arora, thanks to
you personally for the final inputs.

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 THE BEGINNING

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This collection published 2023 by Vibhatsu

Copyright ©Dhoni Entertainment Private Limited 2023

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Jacket images © Neeraj Nath

This digital edition published in 2023, by Vibhatsu.

e-ISBN: 978-9-354-92961-8

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by

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