He looked directly at Vishwaraj. ‘And remember, the use of force and violence to achieve one’s goals is the refuge of the weak or the desperate. When I can get what I want through the use of intelligence, cunning and guile, why should I resort to brute force and mayhem?’ He shook his head. ‘No, I have to find the exact location of the mantras. There is no other way.’
He clenched his fists. It was extremely frustrating. He knew where his eventual destination lay, but the means to reach it eluded him. There had been a ray of hope when he had received assurance from his mysterious source—the one who had introduced him to Vishwaraj—that the key to executing his plan was within reach. But then his source had suddenly vanished without a trace, which meant that Shukra would have to continue on his path by himself. The one consolation was that he had learned a lot from reading Dhruv’s mind before the Maharishi died. He knew it was possible to find what he needed without help from the mysterious source who had deserted him.
Difficult, but possible.
‘So you want my help with locating the mantras?’ Vishwaraj guessed. ‘But how will I do that? If you haven’t succeeded, how can I hope to find them?’
Shukra shook his head. ‘No, my son. I need you to do something else.’
Vishwaraj waited as Shukra outlined his plan.
The boy’s eyes widened when he finished. ‘Truly, there is no intelligence greater than yours, Poorvapitamah.’ His eyes shone with unabashed admiration and devotion. ‘I bow to you. I will do what you ask, though it will take some time to accomplish. Victory will be yours.’
‘Do your best,’ Shukra told him, ‘but time is one thing I do not have. Kali’s power will reach its peak soon. I cannot say how soon. It could be ten years or it could be two years. But I have to be ready by then.’
The boy nodded and folded his hands. ‘I will start today. Now. Pranaam, Poorvapitamah.’
He vanished.
Shukra gazed into the distance, the light in the cavern dimming as he ruminated on his plans. There was so much to do and so little time. It was good in a way, he reflected, that his meditation had been disturbed by the birth of the boy. He had been interrupted just in time. A few years more, and the most opportune time would have passed. He would still have been able to achieve success, but it would have taken more effort, more time, and all his power. As it turned out, he was now in a position of great strength.
The Sangha was not ready.
The One was woefully unprepared.
The power of Kali was about to peak.
Nothing could stop him now.
All he had to do was find what he had been searching for these past fourteen years.
Chapter Twenty-one
The Council Agrees
The Assembly Hall
The Gurukul
Panna National Park
‘What you propose is outrageous!’ Jignesh fulminated as Satyavachana finished explaining his plan. ‘I promised we would hear you out, and we have. But your plan is … is preposterous!’
Satyavachana said nothing, but sat staring back at Jignesh, his face impassive. He had expected this outburst.
‘Do you really believe that the girl will survive exposure to the Mists?’ Anasuya asked, sounding doubtful. ‘She is a sadh. Maybe she has some powers. But so far, from what I have heard, there is no evidence that she has what it takes to be a member of the Gana.’
‘She cannot recite even the basic mantras, forget mantras for the manipulation of matter,’ Jignesh snapped. ‘I have worked with her.’ He looked at the Maharishi. ‘So have you. What has your experience been?’
Satyavachana nodded. ‘I agree with your observation. But how do you explain the fact that she can use the highest class of mantras like the Pratismriti and Gandharva mantras?’
There was no response.
‘I believe,’ Satyavachana continued, ‘that she is able to tap into some yogic power that enables her to use the higher mantras. Somehow, this is possible even though she does not yet have the ability to use any of the lower categories. I cannot explain it. I have never seen anything like it before. But there it is. She used the Pratismriti to travel with me to Dwarka and then to return to Panna after Garuda left us.’
‘The Pratismriti can be used by Kshatriyas as well, if taught properly,’ Diksha said. ‘It is not essential to have yogic powers to use it. You taught Maya the mantra and she was able to use it. That makes her a bit more than a sadh. But not much. It really doesn’t prove anything.’
‘There could be something to what Maharishi Satyavachana says,’ Amba said slowly. ‘I remember that Maharishi Ratan had made a revelation the night Arjun and Maya first arrived in this Gurukul.’ She looked at Jignesh. ‘Do you remember, Mahamatra, what he told us about Maya’s knowledge of mantras?’
Jignesh looked thoughtful. ‘I do,’ he admitted. ‘He said that she knew the Narsimha mantra without having been taught how to recite it.’ He shook his head. ‘But that’s preposterous. Remember, Maharishi Ratan was only speculating. He could have been wrong.’
‘The girl is capable of atma travel,’ Amba pointed out, ‘without having been taught how to do it.’
Satyavachana shrugged. ‘There’s only one way to find out. If I am right, then Maya may be the key to unlocking the secrets of Dhruv’s diary. The Mists of Brahma may help.’
‘No one has been into the Mists since Tribhuvan,’ Sriram interjected. ‘And that was almost 4,000 years ago.’
‘I have entered the Mists,’ Satyavachana said, his voice low. ‘A few centuries ago. It is not an impossible task.’
‘It is dangerous,’ Jignesh persisted. ‘Why you entered the Mists, I don’t know, but you were either brave or foolhardy. There is a fine line between courage and foolishness. No one in the Sangha would consider it prudent to enter the Mists after the Devas proscribed it for humans. Maya is just a child. And a sadh at that. It is the responsibility of the Sangha to protect humanity, not put sadhs in grave peril to achieve our purposes.’
‘This is not something for the Sangha to decide,’ Satyavachana said quietly. ‘I am not asking for permission. I am only telling you my plan. It will help the Sangha and all of humanity. But, even if you forbid me, I will go ahead and do it. Remember, I renounced the Sangha a long time ago. Just because I have returned to confer with you and aid you does not mean I am returning to the fold. If I assist you now, it is only because the very future of humanity is at stake.’
There was silence again. Everyone present in the room knew that the Maharishi was dead serious and meant every word.
‘There is something I know about Maya that none of you do,’ Satyavachana continued, not waiting for a response. ‘Five years ago, when she was just ten years old, Dhruv contacted me. He and I had been in touch because he was searching for the Ranakarman Parva. He told me something about Maya that I cannot disclose to you because he swore me to secrecy. But it is on the basis of this knowledge that I believe that Maya might brave the Mists and survive; and in doing so, perhaps find us the key to decipher the Brahmabhasha verses in the diary.’
‘And if you are wrong?’ Jignesh looked at the Maharishi. ‘You say “might” and “perhaps”. If you are wrong, you know what will happen to her. Are you prepared to take that risk and live with that decision?’
‘I will spend sufficient time over the next few months preparing her for the experience,’ Satyavachana replied, holding Jignesh’s gaze. ‘She will not go unprepared. I will ensure that she is equipped to deal with the Mists before I take her there. I will be with her all the way.’
Usha shook her head. ‘You cannot go into the Mists with her. That would defeat the very purpose of taking her there. She will have to enter the Mists herself.’
‘I know that,’ Satyavachana replied calmly. ‘I will accompany her there. Once she enters the Mists, she will be on her own. As I said, I will prepare her well, so she will know what she must do.’ He paused. ‘I believe that I am right. But, if I am wrong, what happens to Maya will
be the least of our worries.’
Chapter Twenty-two
Disappointment
The Gurukul
The three girls made their way outside the cottage where the four boys were waiting. Maya had almost fully recovered by the time they reached.
‘Well?’ Arjun demanded, as he spotted them. ‘What happened?’
‘I got thrown out,’ Maya admitted sheepishly. ‘Mahamatra Jignesh couldn’t see me, but he could sense my presence. Maharishi Satyavachana warned me to leave before I got into trouble.’
‘I told you she shouldn’t have gone,’ Agastya broke in. ‘We could all have got into a lot of trouble. Remember our last jaunt to the Gandharva valley?’
‘Come on, Ags, don’t be a wet blanket,’ Varun chuckled. ‘Look, nothing happened. No one knows she was there, except for the Maharishi. And I’m sure he’s cool about it.’
‘I do have some news,’ Maya said. ‘Let’s walk down to the classroom block, shall we?’
The seven children made their way past the Assembly Hall and towards the classrooms. No one ventured there at this time, so they were by themselves.
‘Okay, so spill the beans.’ Arjun was beside himself with impatience.
Maya told them what she had heard while she was inside the hall.
Varun chuckled when she got to the part about Arjun and Agastya being groomed to pair up together. ‘Never thought I’d see the day,’ he said, clapping the two boys on their shoulders. ‘Fancy that! You two fighting together!’
‘So that was the Sangha’s plan,’ Arjun said slowly, once Maya had finished. ‘And Vishwaraj put an end to it.’ He looked at Maya. ‘And you didn’t get a chance to hear what the Maharishi’s plan was?’
Maya shook her head. ‘No idea. All I know is that it involves the book I told you about—the Ranakarman Parva—and the two missing parts of the prophecy.’
‘I think part of the plan will involve finding the missing parts of the prophecy,’ Tanveer spoke up.
‘Well, we know that Visvavasu, at least, thinks that is the way forward,’ Adira said. ‘That’s what he told Maya, isn’t it?’
Maya nodded. ‘But I don’t think we are part of the plan,’ she said. ‘At least, it didn’t seem that way. The Sangha will probably want to find the missing parts of the prophecy by themselves.’
‘And if Arjun and Agastya are pairing up, what happens to the rest of us?’ Amyra asked in a small voice. ‘What about the Saptas?’
‘From what Maya has just told us,’ Adira replied, ‘it doesn’t seem like the Saptas are top of mind for the Sangha.’
The seven children looked at one another, wondering what lay ahead for them.
Had they been wrong? Were the Saptas going to emerge from somewhere else in the Sangha? Or the Gana?
Chapter Twenty-three
A Decision is Made
The Assembly Hall
‘Will you tell Maya what you have planned? About the Mists? About the dangers she will face?’ Yajnaseni spoke up now. Maya had practically grown up in her house in Delhi and Yajnaseni had always treated her like she was her own daughter.
‘Of course!’ Satyavachana sounded mortified at the very thought of concealing his intentions from Maya. ‘I do not plan to deceive the girl.’ His voice was hard.
‘I am glad you will be honest with her,’ Yajnaseni replied, her tone steely in response, the implication clear.
‘I know how you feel about the child,’ Satyavachana said more gently, understanding Yajnaseni’s concern. ‘I will tell her everything. I will need to, if she is to be prepared for the journey.’
‘And what if she refuses to go?’ Kanakpratap asked.
Satyavachana shook his head. ‘She won’t. If we are eager to decipher the verses in that diary, she is impatient to do so. Remember, she went all the way to the Gandharvas, without permission from the Sangha, to solicit their help in deciphering the verses. No, she will be more than willing to explore any opportunity that appears promising. And the Mists are as promising as it gets.’
‘Promise me,’ Yajnaseni said, fiercely, ‘that you will not force her or persuade her by any other means to go there against her wishes.’
‘I promise.’ Satyavachana held her gaze. ‘I will not coerce her. If, for any reason, she declines, I will not try to persuade her. Do you take my word for it?’
There was a moment of silence.
‘I believe you,’ Yajnaseni said finally. ‘But if any harm comes to that child, remember this. I will never forgive you. Gandhari’s curse felled the divine Lord Krishna. I may not be Maya’s mother but, believe me, I will be as unforgiving as Gandhari was.’
Satyavachana bowed. ‘I take full responsibility. And, if I fail, you can curse me with anything you wish. I will humbly accept it.’ He looked at her. ‘Will that be sufficient?’
Yajnaseni nodded. ‘For now. But make sure you do not fail.’
‘I cannot,’ the Maharishi replied simply. ‘The world depends on Maya’s success.’
Chapter Twenty-four
The Rest of the Plan
The Assembly Hall
‘Now that the matter is settled,’ Jignesh said, ‘and Maharishi Satyavachana will prepare Maya for the Mists, it is time for us to talk of the rest of his plan to counter Shukra.’
Kanakpratap nodded. ‘While Maharishi Satyavachana prepares Maya, we have to work on preparing Arjun and Agastya to work as a team. I will take care of that. I will need help from a Rishi, though.’ He looked around.
‘I will help you,’ Usha volunteered. ‘I have taught Agastya and know the boy well. I will work with you.’
‘Very well,’ Jignesh said briskly. ‘We need people to search for the prophecy in Gandharva-lok. I suggest that we form a team from the group gathered here today. We will lose time if we search for volunteers from across the Sangha.’
The others nodded in agreement.
‘I’m in,’ Amba said. ‘It would be useful to have Kanakpratap on board, since the Yayati clan has always been close to the Gandharvas, but I guess he will be busy with Arjun and Agastya.’
‘We do need people who can persuade the Gandharvas to allow us to search for the prophecy in Gandharva-lok,’ Yajnaseni agreed. ‘I volunteer. I may not be a descendant of Yayati but I am married into the family. The Gandharvas know me well.’
Jignesh and Satyavachana nodded at her.
‘I will join the team,’ Mahesh offered. ‘I have had some interactions with Visvavasu. It may help.’
‘You need one more Maharishi,’ Sriram said. ‘I will join you.’
‘Great,’ Amba said with grim satisfaction. ‘Shall we start tomorrow at first light?’
The others nodded their assent.
‘What about the part of the prophecy that is hidden in Deva-lok?’ Anasuya asked. ‘We have no way of finding it. Deva-lok is out of bounds for us.’
‘We will cross that bridge when we come to it,’ Jignesh said. ‘Our immediate concern should be to convince the Gandharvas to mount a search for the part of the prophecy that is hidden in their world. That will be no easy task. We know they are wary of allowing humans a free run of their world.’
‘It is possible,’ Satyavachana added, ‘that the second part of the prophecy, once found, may point the way to retrieving the third part of the prophecy. And who knows what the diary contains? Maybe there is a solution there as well?’
‘That’s speculation, Maharishi,’ Jignesh said sharply. ‘I cannot allow the Sangha to plan based on uncertainties. We must do what we can. And what we can’t must be discarded and new solutions found. That is the only way forward.’
He looked around at the group. ‘Are we all in agreement?’
There was a chorus of ‘Agreed’ from the group.
‘Right then,’ Jignesh said, ‘let us turn our attention to the third plank of our plan.’ He looked at the two strangers, a man and a woman, who had been silent spectators until now.
‘Mahakshapatalika,’ he addressed the man, who bowed
his head in acknowledgement. ‘Maharishi Satyavachana believes that the Sangha archives may contain information or even clues to the location of the Ranakarman Parva.’
‘Or documents relating to the location of the two remaining parts of the prophecy,’ Satyavachana added. ‘I told the Sangha this fourteen years ago, when Shukra first appeared.’
‘We have lost valuable time,’ Jignesh agreed. ‘We need to initiate a search, on a war footing, for anything that can help us in our quest. We don’t know what Shukra is planning. It may be that he will be back in a day or two. But I fear that he is engaged in some activity that will spring yet another surprise for us. And we cannot be caught unawares again.’
The Mahakshapatalika bowed but did not reply. Instead, a thought suddenly filled the minds of all those present in the hall.
We will marshal all our resources. Every single Akshapatalika will be briefed and this will be our top priority. But we will need help.
Jignesh nodded in response. ‘I know what you need, Mahakshapatalika. We will scour the Gurukuls for the most advanced or promising students who are in line to join the Gana as Akshapatalika sahayaks and place them at your disposal. You will have the numbers you need to expedite the search.’
The Mahakshapatalika bowed again and, once more, a thought flashed through the minds of the assembly.
Thank you, Mahamatra. That will be of immense help to us in our efforts.
Jignesh nodded and turned his attention to the woman on the other side.
‘Mahashastrakar,’ he addressed her by her title, ‘you said you had something to show us tonight.’
Chapter Twenty-five
Something Special
The Assembly Hall
‘Yes,’ the woman replied. Her glance swept the group. ‘You all know that we have been working for several years on a new type of armour for the Kshatriyas; one that is tougher and smarter, and which can be worn swiftly in case of an emergency.’
‘Yes,’ Kanakpratap agreed. ‘All three attributes are the need of the hour. With the kind of adversaries we are up against, our existing armour is inadequate and takes too long to don. When we battled Shukra’s army, almost one month ago, in the clearing outside the Gurukul, our Kshatriya students had to rush into battle without their armour because there was no time for them to wear it.’
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