The Dark Lord

by Nihar Sharma

  All had arrived on time except Torriyan, and the ring rang and the tiny door of that chamber opened, with the speed of thunder white lightening crossed through that tiny door and appeared in the royal chair near Yamraj.

  After that, agent Fire came with flaming the walls of chamber and striking the mighty eyes of mighty lords but it was not lasted long, followed by watering the walls of chamber by agent Water. Yamraj smiled on their majestic ways of appearing. Then agent Water felt little rigidness in his body, yes agent Air arrived with its blows and fire freaked out. Then someone arrived from the ground in the middle of the court and bent down on his knees to the king and Yamraj, yes agent Soil appeared. Agent Sky was already present, he arrived with the King.

  There was one chair empty and it was booked for Dark Lord and the accused Torriyan in the half wooden cabin. Then the chamber got darker and darker, the sound of hissing started, the pains of souls being heard to all and felt in their hearts, the smile turned into a grief for while to all. They could feel these things in the chamber where they all had been mortals except Yamraj.

  The Dark lord arrived with his general Demosus who stood outside and Torriyan who stepped into the cabin, lord sat on the left side of chair to Yamraj. A long dark snake like shadow appeared near the royal chair of master of death, Nagraj arrived.

  The announcer cried “In presence of his highness Yamraj, the master of death and the creator of Kalchakra, to his right his highness the king of gods and to his left the lord of darkness, Naduse the dark lord. We also welcome our all five agents who are present here today for this very hearing.”

  Yamraj waved the crier and said “Thank you all of you for appearing in the court on this short notice. Now we would pledge to let this court be fair with trials and accused if found, would be punished under one consensus, we will protect and maintain the dignity of the rules and regulation of this constitution.”

  Then the crier again continued with his introductory notes addressing to all as per customs “to my left the prosecutor, agent Sky who will advocate the heaven, and to my right agent Water will represent the defense. The charge sheets are handed over to Chitragupta who will keep records of this trial and Nagraj will behold the dignity between two agents.”

  Sky whispered to king’s ears “Nagraj is a traitor.”

  “Don’t worry, you fight your case, I have taken care of this creepy reptile” king grinned.

  Agent Water got up from his seat and started his advocacy without wasting his time. Torriyan was in that small half wooden cabin guarded with two guards of dark chamber at his both sides. “My lord, here is the accused and we like to know his crime, yes he was captured in a war but he escaped from there. As he didn’t harm anything and anyone in heaven, so the Section 37, under UPC (Universal Penal Code), the amendment no.12, we cannot prove Torriyan as a culprit. The Section 37 says if a war prisoner flees then he cannot be brought back to that prison otherwise it will be against the truce.”

  Sky stood up clearing his throat “Yes my lord, I value the view of my dearest friend, but the same Section 37 says that if that prisoner insults king then his crime is sentenced to be death, amendment no 12 (A), version 300:1.”

  Nagraj chuckled “sorry my lords, there is one point missing in his statement, the same amendment with version 302:1 and 300:1 both are obsolete. 5000 years ago when king killed a prodigy soul in heaven that time these were removed from the book.”

  Yamraj looked at Nagraj and the king.

  Water opposed “But he never did so, he just escaped from heaven and this is not a crime, this calls self defense. But king tried to kill him without a trial.”

  The King looked into the eyes of Water and screamed “Silence, you creeping substance, I allow you to flow in vacuum, in universe, in human bodies and you stand against me.”

  The dark lord glared at the King and addressed to all “if the king breaks the court’s dignity then what kind of penalty on his head.”

  Yamraj screamed “Silence! I am in charge here, if there is no possibility to keep peace in whole then I would like to decide on the basis of little evidences and both will suffer my decisions.”

  The Dark Lord could see the opportunity and the King couldn’t due to his anger cloud his senses. Both the parties were involved in showing one by one rule for souls and UPC acts but it seemed long enough to conclude the case. The whole day would end in just tangling in rules and acts, and they needed to reach to the conclusion before sunset otherwise all had to stay here in that dark chamber for next 11th day of full moon that was fifteen days almost.

  Yamraj Commanded to all to submit their reports and evidences to his assistant Chitragupta, and he would study and help in reaching to the conclusion. The time was slipping out of their grips and Chitragupta was with the help of Nagraj going through all evidences and UPC acts.

  Then the dark lord stood up and stared at Torriyan and smiled, he walked two steps forward and tightened his hand with a thread taken from that banyan tree burnt by the heaven army and the prince to find out the way to secret door. He kept it with him in its memory.

  “I respect all of your time and efforts, but don’t we waste our time after a useless thing. Everybody knows the rules that were made in king’s presence also. So why does the king pretend that he doesn’t know about it?” the Dark Lord said, and then he was interrupted by the King “who said? I know the rules and it will be better if someone doesn’t try to teach me.”

  The Dark Lord looked at Yamraj and continued “Yes, I know that he knows, does it serve any purpose? I wish we should come to conclusion because the Kalchakra will not wait for us.”

  THE POSSESSION

  Sheetal was alone and depressed, it was hard to forget him, she loved him from her all heart. She fancied her life adorned with wishes, hopes, ambitions and dreams with him, now he left her alone. It was hard to imagine about his death and she always felt him around.

  Police also had closed the file, and labeled it with suicide case out of depression due to family issues and poverty. They shut their file in exchange of chunk of donations from MLA, Gajendra to save his one and only child and his political career.

  Aaditya was angry and curious to take his revenge, but he was always being stopped by his best friend Vikram. Vikram wanted to stay here for while so he could see his, his soul left his body but the affection for his family stayed with him. Aaditya requested him several times but Vikram never listened and he didn’t want to hurt Vikram this time.

  “If you do so, we will never see our family again.” Vikram used to reply Aaditya. But they had decided to teach Rajat and his friends, make their lives miserable and painful.

  Vikram changed Aaditya’s mind, it was better to have his revenge and get free from this world, but their redemption and vengeance were no their wills, they had to walk on the path that was built by the greatest engineer of the universe named Destiny.

  So they framed a trap to possess Rajat’s friend’s body and spark the animosity amongst them. Everyone involved in killing them had to pay. So Vivek was the most cunning amongst them would be possessed by Vikram and Aaditya would take Nandu, the notorious amongst them.

  Vivek was sitting in veranda, having his breakfast and tea then he felt someone staring at him. He kept looking around from his chair but found nothing but his six sense alarmed something wrong. There was a warm air touched his face and it suddenly increased his pulse rate and eyes started burning, seemed like he got a high fever. A chilled liquid had passed through his body like a snake crawling in his veins.

  Vivek screamed and jumped off the chair and then felt nothing like that he went through just now. His parents came out of dining room. Vivek looked at his mother with big widened surprised eyes like he had seen a ghost. They took him inside and asking what happened.

  Vikram couldn’t make it happen, he couldn’t possess him. Vikram was stuck in the chair, unable to free himself from that chair like he was tied up with invisible ropes, an old magic. He was not able to touch V
ivek, and then he heard a whisper “He is innocent.”

  Vivek was shocked and his parents called their family doctor. For a while he thought Vikram was there in the veranda. Then Vivek heard his father was talking to his mother in the kitchen “That’s just because of his friendship with Rajat; he killed those kids and if the rumor is true, then our child also gets into trouble”. “No, don’t speak of this, nobody knows what happened” Vivek’s mother added. “You are very naïve, don’t you see Vivek’s behavior nowadays, and he talks less, thinks too much and takes no interest in studies”.

  His parents didn’t like Rajat and their child with him, “That day he came late almost in the night” His father added more. “Please just keep silence, we don’t know anything for sake of our only son’s safety” she cried.

  --------------------x-----------------------

  Aaditya was waiting for Vikram to come in Vivek’s body; he was inside Nandu and waiting for him. The chemistry class just started and Nandu was just standing outside in uniform, but his shirt was half tucked in.

  Vivek was coming and muttering; Nandu smiled at him and greeted “Hi Vikram.” Vivek looked at him with raised eyebrows and said “Vikram?”

  Nandu stammered “I mean Vivek”. “What is wrong with you” Vivek asked. Nandu smiled like a child. Vivek knew that Nandu’s mischievous acts, he did to make fun of people. So he didn’t react and went inside the class.

  “Vikram couldn’t make it” Nandu muttered and followed Vivek to the chemistry class. Now he was confused, without Vikram how would he suppose to succeed in their mission?

  The class was over and teacher left, there was a break of five minutes after that biology class would start. Between these two classes Aaditya had only five minutes to execute his plan. But he had to do it with or without Vikram. Vivek and Rajat always shared same desk. Nandu went to them and interfered in between them. Vivek was telling Rajat about the morning incident.

  Nandu asked “What happened? Why are you guys so serious?” That made Vivek little irritated and asked Rajat “Don’t you feel he is acting little bizarre?”

  Nandu punched hard on the table which lured all’s attention to them, Rajat and Vivek both stood up and Vivek screamed “What is this nonsense, have you lost your mind?” Nandu glared at Vivek and punched on his face, and Vivek fell down. Nandu left the classroom; Rajat helped Vivek to stand up. The whole class was stunned with Nandu’s action, they were the best friends.

  Vivek held his bleeding nose asked Rajat “Why are you looking at me this way?” Rajat disgusted. He whispered to his ears “Now I can realize why Nandu has acted bizarre upon you, you have run away that day. My parents are right about you.” And Rajat also left the classroom.

  COUNCIL MEETING CONTINUES…

  “A shadow cannot be punished” water advocated, and Chitragupta stared at Yamraj with his big wide opened eyes. Nagraj also nodded to support.

  “A Shadow!” the king chuckled and mocked “I don’t see any shadows here in this dark chamber.” His mockery made the dark lord little angrier and interrupted the king.

  Demosus from the door was looking at the King and his master. “Nagraj, please help me in reading these testimonials, otherwise the war will be fought here today” Chitragupta whispered to Nagraj and he smiled “Don’t worry, not today.”

  The sun was about to set only and few moments left to conclude this case. Sky was little cupid, he looked at Soil and winked, the earth had slowed down its rotational speed to have more time in the court. Kalchakra never liked to wait but he acted patiently.

  Water said “My lord, I believe we need to conclude this trial and relieve my client from this verdict...” Before he could finish Sky interfered “We need to see the pros and cons of this case, if we release Torriyan today then might be other souls would try dare to escape from their respective worlds and it will bring nothing but devastation and imbalance in this universe.”

  The King interfered again “Give this moron to me back; I want to punish him with my own hands.” Everybody was aware of the rivalry between Torriyan and the king. Yamraj screamed at the king “My Lord; will you please take your seat?”

  Nagraj came up with the book in his hand and said “My lord we have found something that will reveal the truth.” The King and Dark Lord both kept their breath on hold; Torriyan looked at Nagraj and smiled. Yamraj looked at Chitragupta and he shrugged.

  “He didn’t do anything, he just escaped and that is not a crime as per laws of war section of WOW (War Occupied Warrior)” Nagraj added. Sky wanted to open his mouth but silenced by Yamraj and suggested “I want to know, please Nagraj continue.”

  “A prisoner can run away and join his family” Nagraj read it loudly in that chamber. Then he stopped, Yamraj asked him “What next?”

  “Section 492, says according to the law of protection and self defense any soul can seek for changing the world” Nagraj again read them loudly. The dark Lord asked Nagraj “Oh come on, we all know this. What do you find please share, we are running out of time.”

  Then Chitragupta interfered “My lord, there are only three worlds, we all know this but very few have an idea about the world which is out of map nowadays.”

  Yamdhut asked “What is your point? Please clarify.”

  Chitragupta looked at Nagraj and said “My lord, thousands of years ago when the universe was built, that time there were four worlds.”

  “Four worlds” The king asked in shock and looked at Yamraj and waved. The dark lord knew this one and had no expression on his face. Nagraj looked at the dark lord and says “The dark lord knows about it.”

  Yamraj looked at him and asked “If you know the rules, why didn’t you tell us before?” the dark lord sighs and then replied “My Lord, that world is no more in existence.”

  Chitragupta continued “My Lord, the fourth world is known as Shadow land.”

  Yamraj wanted to know about the relation between the shadow land and Torriyan so he allowed Chitragupta to continue.

  Chitragupta continued “My lords, this book says, the shadow land was destroyed by the titans, ancestors of the king of gods; due to this they spread across the universe for survival. But after few thousand years they all vanished. Some believed titans had the power to fight against shadows and some believed that shadows lie inside the titans, with titans they also got destroyed.”

  Then Nagraj added “Dark lord was there at the time of fourth world destroyed.” Yamraj stared at the dark lord but he realized the history relates with this case.

  Nagraj continued “Section 231 says, any shadow can chose his master, and live with him eternally. And section 334 says that…” he stopped.

  “It says what” Yamraj asked. Nagraj looked at the dark lord; he nodded to Nagraj to continue “My lord, it says that if dark chamber cannot make him mortal then he is a shadow and as per rule he cannot be punished.” Nagraj closed the book and bent down to show respect to Yamraj and other lords, sat near to Chitragupta.

  Yamraj looked at Torriyan and sighed. Torriyan smiled back and turned into smoke and disappeared from that chamber. The king was furious and screaming at Yamraj, to return that bastard to me. Yamraj had no choice and picked up his small sledge hammer and rang the bell; the door was open for all to leave before sun set the dark lord smirked at the king and left for nether land with Demosus.

  THE POSSESSION II

  Gajendra ran to the dining room when he heard the screaming. He reached there but there was no one so he could hear his maid crying in the kitchen. Everything was in chaos, he choked due to gas in kitchen, the knob of gas cylinder was open so he rushed to windows and opened them. Knives and crockery were all on the floor. But there was no one again, but blood on the floor so he rushed to his dining room and took the gun.

  Again he could hear the screaming and called Shanti, his maid’s name, he rushed to service room where she stayed. The door was closed from inside and Shanti was pleading “please leave us”.

  “Oh God, what could be hap
pening inside?” Gajendra muttered.

  He heard her again and kicked hard on the door; and he broke into the room. His wife in the bed was lying unconscious due to excessive bleeding from her head. Shanti their maid was crying but in same bed. Then he pointed the gun at that boy who had a big knife in his right hand. “Put your knife down” Gajendra screamed. “I will not give you second chance, I swear I will put bullets in your head” he again warned him. But there was no response, Gajendra tightened his grip on the gun and put his finger into the trigger chamber and tried to talk gently “Listen to me boy, please keep this knife down, nobody will harm you, promise.”

  Shanti was speechless and crying holding her mistress’s head on her lap and trying to stop bleeding. Gajendra stepped little forward, and the boy turned around. Gajendra loosened his trigger; it was none other his own son. Rajat tried to strike his father with the knife but Gajendra realized that wasn’t Rajat, so he hit his son with the gun’s back and made him unconscious.

  Gajendra took his son in his arms and chained him in his bedroom first, he then called the doctor and picked his wife and took her to their bedroom. Shanti now became little relaxed; Gajendra went to her and hugged. “He was very close” Shanti trembled in fear “Don’t worry he is under control” Gajendra consoled her and kissed on her forehead. “Tonight you stay with me please” Shanti pleaded but he denied he had to stay with his wife.

  She screamed “Rajat!” And then she panted and looked around, she was with her husband and doctor. She held Gajendra’s collar and asked “Where is he? Where is my son? Rajat, Rajat” she started crying and screaming and rushed to his bedroom, but she couldn’t make it they stopped her. She broke into tears in her husband’s arm.