by Nihar Sharma
Both looked at each other and started walking towards the cave. She slowly lost her grip from his hand and walked forward with other souls, and he couldn’t go farther. A leader came and wished him “good luck my friend and we will meet in heaven” and hugged him tight.
Souls started disappearing one after one through that gate and Devika turned around and saw Aaditya, tears pouring into his eyes and her too. She ran to him, the leader wanted to stop her but she couldn’t be stopped. They started kissing crying in each other’s arms.
The leader interrupted “Sorry, but we need to leave now” showing the sun. He sighed and looked at her, she wasn’t to leave him. Leader took her pulling away from him. She screamed and cried but he had to watch helplessly, he had to head for a new journey, to find his friend.
The leader took her with him and vanished through an open bright gate. Now the sun was about to set and it was almost greener, everything looked shrinking and suddenly he felt the darkness coming toward him faster and shadow slapped him hard. He got unconscious.
THE SECRET
“Nagraj” screamed the king and, kicked the golden turret kept near his throne. All the ministers’ stood up in fear. He was angry and none had the ability to soothe his anger. He left the royal chamber at thunder’s speed and his body guards followed him at same pace.
“Where is he?” the Prince asked and found no answer from him, the silence on his lips which clearly spoke about his loyalty for his friend the dark lord. He was tied from hind with a chair.
Prince smirked and punched on his face again then he heard “stop”, his father, the king was behind him in that interrogation chamber.
Agitated Prince looked back at his father and sniffed “Father” he exclaimed. The king stepped forward and smiled at Nagraj, who looked at him and smiled back “My lord.” His face was all over covered with bruises and blood out of his face, due to interrogation.
The king glared at the Prince and asked “What are you doing?”
“Father, can you not see this traitor’s treachery? We have suffered losses at so called dark lord’s hand because of this traitor” the Prince added angrily.
The Prince again punched hard on his face, his one poisonous canine dropped on the ground, and the king glared at him, he also wanted to know why he betrayed him.
“Tell me where he is, last chance otherwise I will kill you” Prince scared him.
“I am the part of this system, the universe, if you kill me all snakes will die and yours Prince, your dirty jobs, hmm. Who do you think do those dirty jobs for gods, you and your father?” Nagraj spitted the blood on the ground and chuckled.
“Leave us alone” the king commanded, “You too Prince.” Guards and prince left chamber. “you are very hard to find nowadays, looking for you after Torriyan got release from the court, grateful to you and your long tongue” king mocked out of anger.
“My lord, I am the nexus between the all worlds, so I have to maintain that kind of diplomatic relationship with all, I hope you understand my point” Nagraj added.
“Hmm. Just tell me where the prodigy soul is” king asked calmly.
“My lord, Vikram is with him. That’s all I know” Nagraj said and looked down.
“Nagraj, I asked about the prodigy soul, don’t try to fool me” king snorted.
Nagraj looked at his king and told “my lord, he found him.”
King threw the chair cluttering in air, seemed king was not satisfied with the answer. “If Vikram is the prodigy soul which we all are looking for then why, your so called Dark Lord keeps him behind the bar?”
“My lord___” Nagraj wanted to speak but interrupted by king.
“I have spies dear, all across the different worlds and yes Naduse is not officially the dark lord, he forcefully took the underworld from my friend Yamraj and soon that world will be destroyed and Yamraj will resume his chamber, and I will be the emperor of the universe” king added.
“Then who is the prodigy?” Nagraj muttered and stared at king “Oh devil, Naduse.”
“Yes you should be praying for your friend” king smiled at him sarcastically. “We are looking for him and we will find him soon, then I will crunch that world and you will die with your friend” and he left.
Nagraj fell asleep due to tiredness and weakness. He was being tortured since whole day brutally. Then hissing sound awoke him and looked around. A snake appeared to him “My lord, how can I help you?” it requested. “No” Nagraj said “you should go to netherworld and inform Demosus, Torriyan or Naduse about this. Tell him also Aaditya is the prodigy soul and gods know this, find him before they do.”
That snake left immediately from that chamber and Nagraj felt little relaxed, that he did his duty towards his friend. “Moron king” he smirked.
“Time is not luxury…” soldiers outside the bar were whispering to each others.
“Water… water” Nagraj cried for water. The mug full of water, they threw into his bar chamber, half of water flowed down out of the mug; he had the little to allay his thirst. He managed to raise himself with help of the iron bar of the prison and stood up, looked at soldiers who in return looked at him and asked “Take a rest, you need it dumpy bastard” a soldier hit the bar with his iron spear and pushed him on the ground and he hissed at them, they started laughing at him.
“Why am I so weak?” he groaned. He was the strongest dumpy god amongst the other gods, he could easily escape from the prison but he respected his king so he stayed back. But his body could sustain strength for six months at least without any food.
Then he saw three four soldiers approaching him, one of them commanded “Open the gate.” A guard opened the door and he with his guards entered into. “Are they to kill me?” Nagraj thought. They unchained him from the pillar and tied with rope and pulled him out.
He was taken to the dark chamber where the one lamp was lit up at one corner, the other three corners are empty but who was that person sitting in front of the round stone table covering his face with a hood. “What is this place?” Asked Nagraj to the commander, he grinned and pushed him forward “HELL.”
The guards lifted him and kept him on that stone table and untied his hands from hind and leashed his legs and hands with the small pillars at four corners of the table tight. The guards stepped back and left the dark chamber.
That person covered under the cloak stepped forward and waved his hand to the commander and he saluted and left the chamber too. “Who are you?” Nagraj asked.
“Does it really matter who I am?” person spoke “I am may be your death, may be your friend depends on your agreement with you.”
“What kind of agreement?” Nagraj hissed in anger, wanted to bite him and finished him there forever closing that chapter.
“You know what the agreement is, I only want your consensus, and otherwise this time you may not survive from this” he added cleverly in his fashionable way. It made literally Nagraj to mull over.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. You might have wrong___”
“Oh” he cut in middle “I never make mistake” my dear dumpy Nagraj. It added spices to his anger as nobody used this word “Dumpy” for him but he was no in such situation to fight. He swallowed his anger.
He brought a snake’s dead body and put it on the table. “I believe you have sent him to inform Naduse about the prodigy soul, we have captured him in the middle of the way and off course he died to save your secret” he smiled sarcastically.
“You bastard” Nagraj screamed, the chain chunked, he tried to break those chains but couldn’t.
“You should calm down” he patted on his head and whispered, “I have a surprise for you” he added and walked to the darker corner of the chamber, Nagraj’s eyes on him watching what was he doing. He opened the cover plate from the big turret made of soil, he took out a huge black Naag, cobra and rounded it around his throat. He brought that cobra near Nagraj and it hissed on him, surprising Nagraj.
“So sad” h
e mocked “It only takes order from me.”
His eyes got widened in awe, snakes used take orders from his lord only and it’s him. “You have lost your power my dear friend” he sympathized in cynical way “We have decided to create a new Nagraj with same power and capabilities, so we need your poison and memory to fix into this cobra and releases it into to find out the way but he will be remained as a loyal only to its master, the king of gods.”
“Holy god” Nagraj whispered.
“So our agreement is to be made yet, either you can take an oath to join us and serve, this cobra will assist you or you can die a painful death” he gave choices.
He looked scared but he already took an oath to serve Naduse, the dark lord. “I wish I could help you out but I have not chosen to die yet” Nagraj grinned and pulled the chains harder and released himself. The mysterious man screamed “guards”, Nagraj bit on his head and jumped through the window, turning into a huge black cobra.
The commander with guards broke into the chamber, the mysterious person was lying on the ground, white foam in his mouth, the round stone table was empty and chains were broken. There was one more cobra that they think Nagraj and they cut it in pieces with their swords.
“Commander” informed a guard “Nagraj is dead and if this news reaches to the king___”
“I know, just do what I say” commander interrupted in anger.
Commander ordered to burn the whole chamber and spread the news that traitor Nagraj ran away. “Yes sire” the guards saluted and left.
The crier announced in council “His royal highness, commander and warden of prison wanted to meet you.” Guards were attentive and the commander stood erect before his guards for the king.
“What happened here?” the angry king asked, everyone was silent and staring at the ground. King kicked on the ground. It stunned and scared everyone, nobody had daring to tell the bad news to king then commander stepped forward and leaned down and spoke “My lord, we have no idea what happened there, just fire and we just could save pieces of dead body half burnt.”
“Dead body, half burnt” the king surprised.
The guard stepped forward with big plate covered something on it, the commander nodded his head. The guard uncovered that, “Holy lord” the king exclaimed. “How” he asked. The commander had no answers; his silence had approved that already.
The king threw the plate away and sauntered, and then he turned his head over his shoulder and commanded to the commander “find him, it is not his body, you cannot fool me. If you don’t find him then don’t come to this place again. You will be exiled on earth, now leave with your guards and bring him.”
LOKA
Vikram opened his eyes and looked at the cup on ground. He was thirsty so wanted to drink water. But there was only a cup on ground so he took it and found some kind of syrup in.
“You will go to sleep and you need it the most” a man wearing a black loincloth and his head was crowned with black colored metal like made of ashes and coal. A broad smile on his face and red eyes like burning in fire make him little fearsome to him, but he was now accustomed with surprises.
Then he smiled and went, Vikram wanted to drink but he doubted. “If it is poison” he whispered to himself and then gave a second thought “If they want me dead they can execute me, why would they require poison to kill me like a coward?” He drunk that green syrup, seemed like made of wild leaves and mushrooms. He dropped the cup on the ground; the syrup started its work. He fell in deep slumber.
‘A creaking sound of door, it’s open but the wind was striking it again and again. His eyes got opened. “Oh shit! Who kept it opened?” he screamed and rushed to the door and about to close and he found a mouse chewing his foot nails. He kicked it away “What the creep?”
“My lord” the mouse spoke, erect on his hind legs.
Vikram was amused, a mouse can speak. “Am I in Alice’s wonderland?” he muttered to himself.
“My lord” again he heard from the same little creature. He stepped back. “Impossible” he surprised with big wide eyes “I must be dreaming.”
“Yes my lord, you are” mouse furrowed “You have chosen to be in dream, now please follow me if you want to meet your friend Aaditya.”
“Aaditya” he whispered.
“Yes my lord, Aaditya, your childhood friend, now please follow” it insisted.
He was eager to know how this little creature knew about his life. He jumped on that mouse and caught it by its throat and squeezed it. “Tell me, how do you know all these?” he interrogated, a sound emerged through that squeezed throat “My lord, I am the part of your dream, a subconscious mind, whatever you know that is known to me already, I am yours servant in this dream world and I am here to serve you my lord, trust me.”
He relieved it from his grip and sat down on the stone kept in his room. That mouse came near to him and choked his throat “My lord… Loka, Loka is my name. I am sorry to bother you so much but it is urgent but we need to leave this place first.”
Vikram stared at him with surprise then Loka spoke “Come on my lord, why wasting time. We need to walk a long distance as before they awake you up” it started pulling his trouser. He had no option, better to give a shot to luck.
He left with it and they started walking but Loka was too fast to catch its speed. He was running into the cave and it was almost two to three hours they were running into that deep dark cave.
“Where does it lead?” Vikram asked, now he sounded tired.
“We are in between, we need to move faster” Loka added.
“I am sorry” Vikram apologized and sat on ground “but how did you die? What sin did you commit?” he asked the mouse.
Loka laughed out “I am not dead; we can travel into this world through tunnels. We don’t commit sins. We are not greedy like human beings. We work hard for our enough food and shelter; we live in harmony and don’t kill each other for useless things.”
He smiled and added “okay…. You got me..”
Loka asked “So what kind of sin you have committed.”
“I died by saving my friend’s life.”
“Then it must be a great deed, you should be in heaven.”
“I don’t know, but I am here.”
“I wish you both could be alive”
“Umm…”
“Loka, tell me how will we be out of this creepy place?” asked Vikram “We are stuck here, I don’t see any path to out and I am tired and dried out of energy.”
“You are good for nothing. You are dead now; you have left your confinement i.e. your body. Now you are a soul, you can travel anywhere” Loka said with zeal to motivate him. “Throw your fear out of your mind, you are still connected with your body, I cannot believe this, a soul is afraid of pain, impossible.”
“What do you mean? Please tell me” Vikram grinned
“Follow me blindly, and please don’t doubt on my intensions.”
Then they spotted a sudden light coming from a hole, Vikram rushed towards that hole and stopped in tracks…
Loka smiled again and asked “Again you are stuck with your fears and doubts.”
He looked at her and smiled, and then they heard a sound of someone coming. “Hurry Hurry” Loka rushed, Vikram couldn’t comprehend the situation and looked back.
“Come on, jump in” Loka insisted and pushed him into that.
“Mice hole” Vikram screamed and got into that hole, it seemed like the longest horizontal tunnel. He could feel his size turning to Loka’s. A sudden drop, seemed like he broke his bones when landed. He flinched in pain “What the hell” he cursed.
He was one of them in size; there thousands of mice and they all were staring at him deemed they all were hungry for centuries. “Bigger mice” he muttered in trembling voice.
“Loka” a fat mouse rushed to her and hugged her tight lifting her in its arms. “Oh Huster, my love” she kissed him tight.
“Oh darling, my heart, my love, where have you be
en?” fat mouse asked and kissed her on cheeks holding her tight in his arms. Vikram peeped in them and all other mice were staring at his bizarre behavior.
She loosened his grip and introduced her husband Huster with Vikram and Vikram to all.
Huster amused “So tiny man. I have never seen tiny man like this before.”
Loka laughed out “He is not alive; he is just a soul so he can accept any size and shape.”
Everybody looked at him and he shrugged and nodded to her statement “Yes, I am not alive and I can take any size and shape” he winked at her and smiled.
Huster screamed “Shut up.” Then he turned to his wife Loka “Have you lost your mind? Torriyan allows us for food; if he comes to know about this he will snatch our livelihood and our souls too. We all will be killed and souls will serve dark lord forever.”
All suddenly started murmuring in fear with trembling lips “Torr… Torr… Torriyan”
Loka shouted “Shut your mouths all of you. I know what I am doing; we have to help this helpless soul.”
Huster held her hand tight and suggested “And this soul belongs to under world, and if we help him the lord will not forgive us.”
Then there is sound of boots, someone was coming to them but they were all busy in debate.
All mice looked worried and chanting a name Torriyan with each others, and then a huge shadow appeared in the chamber and all suddenly held their breath tight. Huster held the right hand of his wife Loka and she warned Vikram to hide.
Vikram couldn’t find a chance to make a chance to hide well and hid behind a small stone. The shadow stopped becoming longer and it appeared that shadow had sensed something; all looked scared and had no idea should they open the secret or keep their mouth shut.
Loka in fear chanted his name “Torr... Torr… Torriyan”
Torriyan replied “Yes my little lady but you sound tensed.”
Huster jumped in between “Oh she has seen you first time here with us, that’s why. She is your great fan, she tells your gallant story to her kids every night before sleep” and he smiled a wan smile.
