The Destiny of Shaitan

by Laxmi Hariharan

  “Tell me about it” agrees Tiina “And it’s worse for you …”

  “Because I will live forever,” nods the Goddess.

  “In which case, what help can a mortal man provide you with?”

  “As the story goes,” says the Goddess, “if an immortal consummates love with a mortal …”

  “Then the immortal loses powers of never-ending life and becomes mortal too, right?”

  “To be mortal is the real thing," says the Goddess.

  Then, noticing their shocked faces, she adds in a voice dropping a few octaves "Or haven't you got that through your stupid heads yet?"

  Tiina stares at her in shock.

  "Well? Why do you look so upset, Tiina?"

  Tiina hesitates. "Ah, well ..."

  Yudi speaks up. “She needs me, you see, all three of us have to be together to rescue the Isthmus and save the world."

  "Which you can and will," says the Goddess, laughing without humour. "I am only asking you to stay with me your return. Save the world or whatever makes you happy and then come back to me. Forever."

  They look at each “No!” they say together.

  Tiina glances at Yudi with a glint in her eye. “Unless, of course, Yudi, you fancy staying back, you do have a taste in women from other worlds as I recall …”

  Yudi looks at her and frowns.

  “Well then, mortals,” says the Goddess, her eyebrows twisting in fury and rage, making the 3-D dimensions of her projection go all shaky, “Well then, don’t blame me for what happens next.” Then abruptly the transmission switches off. Silence descends, the sun continues to shine, and they walk on quietly, nervously, not quite able to meet each other’s eyes. They scan around the forest and the surrounding scenery wondering which calamity they had now invited on to themselves.

  Without warning, the sun suddenly hides behind the clouds, darkness descends, and the breeze picks up. The wind blows faster and faster, howling itself into a tornado. It begins to snow and they find themselves suddenly in the middle of a snowstorm.

  “Over there!” Rai screams to make himself heard over the breeze and gestures to them to follow as he makes his way laboriously through the biting sleet towards a large banyan tree. They tie the massive roots around their waists, holding onto the solid tree trunk. Abruptly Tiina finds her grasp slipping and screams, “Yudi, help me!”

  They reach for her and pull her back to safety. The three of them embrace each other in death’s grip, shutting their eyes against the elements.

  Then suddenly the wind seems to pick up another notch, if that was possible, and pulls up the tree, whose roots come free of the Earth with a loud whoosh.

  The three yell in unison as they go hurtling through the air, up through the layers of the atmosphere and through space. A rocket through ether, a love unrequited, footprints on the sands of time, blown away.

  They hurtle past meteors, stars, the very rings of Saturn, shooting stars crossing their path so close that their fiery starburst tails just miss them by inches. On and on, the journey goes. A never-ending story.

  They travel past apparitions of monsters which loom out of nowhere, brushing them, some even hitching a ride with them briefly. The memories of old descend on them. Old ghosts of dead parents, lost first loves, previous lifetimes of pain, anguish, war, misery and loss. Attack of the unknown. Each of them is trapped in their own private hell, writhing in misery, tears streaming down their cheeks. Until finally, utterly spent and completely numb, they lose consciousness.

  At last, after what seems like ages, Rai notices that they are not moving anymore. He opens his eyes cautiously. Unsteady from the previous headlong rush. Not able to let go of the roots to which he is clinging. His anchor.

  Then a soft touch on his face and he moans, not yet ready to face reality.

  “It’s OK,” says the gentle voice. He opens his eyes then to see the vision that he has seen many times in his dreams. A woman of amazing peace, grace and beauty.

  “Oh no!” he moans. “Another disgruntled Goddess!” He closes his eyes and prepares to grip the tree roots even more firmly.

  “It is OK,” the voice gently repeats. The words sound reassuring and real. They flow over him like a gentle stream. Looking at her, he smiles, and for the first time in centuries, hope rears its head.

  “Who are you?” asks Rai.

  “I am Ishtar, the protector,” she says, and smiles. “I mean no harm,” she adds. “Follow me.”

  He follows her as if in a trance. She leads him a few feet away and points to the distance. The clouds part so that he can look through the clearing they create. He can gaze right through them. In the distance, there shimmers a shape which resembles roughly a pyramid shape. It shimmers, with mist floating all round it. The scene is so serene, perfect, and quiet. Every single object seems marked out clearly in relief, its outline glowing in unearthly light.

  “The eye-pyramid,” he exclaims.

  “Yes!” she says. “And the next stage of your journey.”

  “And you don’t want anything in return, right?”

  "Not at all.” The Goddess smiles and says, “You must be hungry.”

  As she mentions it, Rai realises that he has not eaten in days. In fact, he has no recollection of his last meal.

  She leads him into the woods and through to a clearing that seems to appear magically out of nowhere. In the clearing are a table and two chairs, almost as if she had been expecting company. Right next to it is a gently tinkling water fountain.

  The table is rectangular made of some transparent material, which glows and gels around the various dishes, holding them lovingly in its grasp is set with dishes of different shapes and sizes, laden with food. There is a crystal wine glass next to each table, filled to the brim with a liquid which he assumes is wine.

  Everything is as it should be, yet he realises that there is something very different about the scene, some niggling detail, which he cannot quite pin down.

  Then he realises that the entire set up is light, ethereal, and floating a few inches off the ground. As soon as the realisation strikes, the table, chairs and the fountain lift off in one go. And the soaring notes of an aria fill the air. It is as gentle as the first raindrops pattering onto leaves. The music is muted and the entire effect is very much similar to a luxurious restaurant at the end of the galaxy.

  “All the comforts of home, eh?” jokes Rai.

  The Goddess smiles and says, “You are home.”

  Rai is surprised. “It may be home to you, but I can assure you that where I come from, this is more like heaven.”

  “Heaven and Hearth, is there much difference between the two?”

  “You mean Heaven and Earth?”

  “No Heaven and Hearth...” she replies

  “Ah! A Goddess with a sense of humour!”

  “Yes, where I come from I am known for my jokes.”

  “The Goddess of small puns?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, now,” she says, “but let’s just say that I am better humoured since, unlike others, I am one of those who did not lose touch with my inner human.”

  “I should be grateful that you found me?” he asks.

  “You could have done worse!” she exclaims. “Eat now.”

  Rai takes his seat on one side of the rectangular table. The Goddess sits down on the other side. He tears into the food with gusto. He had not realised how hungry he actually is, and soon has finished more than half the food on the table. He looks up to find the Goddess watching him. “Aren’t you eating?”

  She shakes her head, “We spirits do not get hungry. We can’t eat.”

  He pauses, the food on his fork midway between plate and mouth, and asks, “You mean you’ve never tasted all this?”

  She sighs “But I can find enjoyment in yours.”

  Rai is tempted to say something more, but there does not seem much point, and the food is just calling out to him. He pauses to pour himself more red wine and turns back to the food, e
ating everything on the table. Finally feeling quite satisfied, he puts down his fork, leans back and sighs with contentment.

  “Coffee? A smoke?” she asks. Rai feels that he should at least act surprised by her question, but decides to go with the flow. She sets a humidor in front of him and pours him coffee out of a coffee flask.

  “Cuban, of course,” she says

  “Of course” he echoes her wondering why it did not surprise him more.

  “We aim to please” she says

  Rai lights up and puffs content. Finally, he sighs and says, “So, now that we are over the formalities, let’s get down to the real thing. Who are you and why are you meeting me now?”

  “I’ve been waiting here a long time,” she says.

  “All of you say the same thing?” says Rai.

  “Don’t you believe me, Rai?” she asks him.

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just that …”

  “You underestimate your own importance,” she says. “You are the three who are going to change the fate of the future. You just don’t believe in your own destiny.” So saying, she gestures. “Look!” she says, and proceeds to show him a flurry of images, a projection, a collage of various scenes.

  Seasons change. Various people come and go. She is the only constant, always in frame. She appears ageless, beautiful and unchanging. No emotions show on her face. She stands there grounded, rooted in time. It is only the clothes that she is wearing which change, to reflect the decade she is in, giving clues to the avatar she has taken on at that time.

  The changing scenes gather speed until he feels drawn into a vortex against his will and he is forced to take a step back.

  Rai opens his eyes and looks at her with dawning comprehension. He is only slightly stunned. “You would think I am used to these crazy trips that I am forced to take all the time,” he says, speaking softly, almost to himself. He adds, “OK, so you did wait for me. What do you want?”

  The Goddess laughs. “It seems that you have met my dear twin sister?” she asks.

  “You mean the Goddess of love?”

  “Yes,” she replies, “but alas poor Uma, no longer that loving, is she? Having given of her love to so many people, she wanted a little for herself and made the mistake of getting involved.”

  “Is that wrong?” asks Rai.

  “Afraid so,” says the Goddess. “It is the beginning of the end. Once she loses her heart, her power starts to weaken.”

  “Oh, really?” asks Rai.

  “The heart is the power centre. It holds the key to life... Am I making sense?”

  “You do talk funny, but I sort of follow you – you mean lose your heart and lose your world, kind of thing?”

  “Yes! Why do you think men never really seem give away their hearts easily? They seem to think it weakens you... but you know it kind of makes you stronger.”

  “Are you sure? Every time I fall in love I feel terrible.”

  “That’s because you choose the wrong person.”

  “Now, if only it had been you instead of Bridget Jones, well, then the young women around the world would have gone down an entirely different route.”

  “You mean beyond Marlboros and Chardonnay,” says the Goddess.

  “You are quite clued in for a Goddess!”

  “So I am always told by many of you who drop by.”

  “You mean people like me?”

  “Yes, all of you lost teens. I admit you are somewhat different.”

  “I know. The missing links, the saviours, we have been called by various names. But all we’ve done is move from adventure to adventure. It is not as if we get hurt, either.”

  “Careful,” the Goddess warns “Don’t tempt fate.”

  Rai laughs again. “Thanks for the advice though”

  “I do want something from you,” she says.

  “Uh! Oh! Here it comes” thinks Rai to himself. He says aloud “Just as I am beginning to like you ....”

  “Relax, now. I don’t want much. Just promise me something,” she says.

  “A promise?”

  “A promise,” she confirms, “that when Yudi reaches the final destination, you will not let him give into the final temptation.”

  “And if I do?” he asks.

  “Well, then, it’s not going to good for any of us. We will lose all the ancient sciences and arts. No more can any of the humans hope to break the circle of life and death and rebirth. We move into the material world with no chance of return.”

  “And the fate of all mankind obviously now lies in my hands?” asks Rai.

  “That’s right.”

  Rai shrugs “It’s not like I have a choice, right? So let’s get a move on.”

  “Promise me,” she says again.

  “I promise” says Rai.

  “OK then” says the Goddess, and claps her hands.

  Rai finds himself back in the land of the living. He opens his eyes to a sliver of pain shooting through his head. He cringes & rubs it gingerly.

  “Where did you go this time?” asks Yudi, helping him to sit up.

  “You will not believe it. So I will not even attempt to explain it to you.”

  “Why is that only you keep having all these experiences. I feel left out,” complainsTiina.

  “Both of you did take the most incredible trip the last time. You just don’t remember it,” says Rai.

  “Perhaps he is special?” says Yudi.

  “Actually, no,” says Rai. He looks at Yudi meaningfully.

  “What are you trying to say?” asks Yudi.

  “Seems you are the important one. The one who will take the final step. I am but the trigger,” says Rai “and so is she” he adds looking towards Tiina.

  “I don’t want it,” says Yudi.

  "Don't want what?" smiles Rai. "You don't even know where this is taking you."

  Yudi exclaims, "Oh! But I do. I am beginning to get a real idea of my role in all this."

  “Well, do you like it so far?” asks Tiina.

  “I am not sure,” says Yudi.

  “You don’t have a choice,” smiles Tiina.

  “No, he does not,” agrees Rai. “Well, none of us do. Not yet, anyway.”

  “So I can get out of this crazy mission in the future?”Asks Yudi.

  “I’ll remind you of this when you decide not to make the choice to walk away.”

  “That’s so not possible!”

  Rai shrugs. “Believe me. It’s your choice.” So saying he gets to his feet, dusts off the seat of his trousers and sets off at a brisk pace.

  “Wait,” Tiina calls to him. She has to speed up to a brisk jog to keep up with his longer footsteps. “What about me?”

  “You will be there,” he says, “every step of the way with Yudi.”

  “And you will not?” she asks.

  Rai merely smiles and shrugs, not replying.

  They continue in silence. Turning a corner on the journey, they see what seems to be a large hill in the distance. As they walk towards it the scenery gives away to grasslands. As they near the hill the grass on either side of their path grows taller in height until by the time they reach the base of the hill it is almost as tall as Tiina. Reaching the base, they realise it is actually a wide pyramid like structure made of a stone like material. Its surface is overgrown with vegetation. The pyramid is tall enough that there are clouds touching its tip. Yudi can make out a path of some kind running up the pyramid. He points to it and the others follow him as he makes his way through the vegetation at the base of the pyramid.

  The path runs around the structure as it winds its way up. After walking for nearly two hours, they pause in the shade of a large banyan tree with widespread branches. Not far away they can see cows grazing contently in a pasture. Yudi looks up towards the peak and realises that they have only covered half the distance to the top.

  As they climb flowers of various colours yellow, white and red show themselves along the path. The sun light grows in i
ntensity, bathing them in its warm, vivid radiance. The very air they breathe seems lightly spiced and tastes delicious. Then as they take the next bend they come upon a sandy beach with beautiful clear waves, the likes of which they have never seen before.

  Yudi is the first to shed his clothes and run with a shout of joy into the water. Rai and Yudi follow without hesitation, stripping their clothes off as the three of them laugh and dive right into the waves. Everything is forgotten as they frolic in the water. At last, they emerge from the waves onto the golden sands. The three of them lie there, completely exhausted, giving in to the sheer pleasure of the sunshine beating down on them, drying them off. They feel a sense of wellbeing and remain motionless like colourful wall lizards.

  Eventually Tiina opens her eyes. She looks up at the skies and asks aloud, “Do you remember the skies being this blue anywhere else?”

  Yudi replies, “It doesn’t feel real does it?”

  “The best things in life are not real, and yet they are more real than you could ever imagine,” chuckles Rai.

  “For once,” says Yudi, “I agree with you.”

  Tiina giggles at his answer. They stay where they are, falling asleep in the sun. It is the rising wind which finally wakes Tiina. The sun has gone behind the clouds and the darkness has begun to creep in, with a mist creeping in from the sea. She opens her eyes, shivering. In the growing cold, she looks around to find Rai and Yudi. They are sprawled out on the beach, not far from her, and seemingly dead to the world.

  She gets up, dusts the sand off herself. She wears her discarded clothes and walks up to them to shake them awake. “Yudi, Rai,” she says roughly, “Wake up! We need to keep going.”

  Rai is up instantly and begins to look around for his clothes. Yudi takes a little more time yawning and awakening reluctantly. Tiina helps him find his clothes. They get back on the path and continue walking though this time at a slower pace. Finally, they reach the top of the pyramid. The path ends at a golden archway. There are massive gates which seem to be made of gold, shining almost red in the rays of the setting sun. The gates themselves are closed. By force of habit Yudi walks to the gates and putting both his hands around the bars tries to shake them. They don’t even budge. The three of them peer through the bars. The gates lead into a broad driveway that slopes upwards, at the end of which they can make out the outline of a building of some kind, lost in the thickening haze.