The Mahashastrakar nodded. ‘We used your experience in the battle with Shukra’s army and the battle with the Nagas to incorporate additional features into the designs that we were already working on. And we have a prototype ready.’
Jignesh raised an eyebrow. ‘When will you show it to us?’
The Mahashastrakar smiled. ‘Now.’
Jignesh frowned. ‘You haven’t brought anything with you,’ he said.
‘I didn’t need to.’ The Mahashastrakar stood up and walked to the centre of the group. ‘Virachayati kavach,’ she intoned.
Instantly, her bare arms were sheathed in a smooth, dark cladding that seemed to emerge from her skin, all the way to the tips of her fingers. Her head and face disappeared under the dark attire that had emerged from her body—it seemed that she was covered from head to toe in the armour.
A voice echoed in the heads of all those who were watching, startling them. With the Mahakshapatalika, as with the Akshapatalikas, they were accustomed to telepathic communication—that was how the Keepers of the Archives communicated. It was their inborn gift that set them apart and marked them out for their future career within the Sangha. But this voice was a female voice—that of the leader of the Weapon Forgers.
Well? What do you think?
‘Impressive,’ Kanakpratap said. He looked at Parth. ‘What do you think?’
‘Amazing,’ Parth agreed, nodding. ‘But is it robust enough to protect us against the kind of weapons that Shukra’s army might have?’
The Mahashastrakar’s voice floated through their minds again.
It may look delicate but that’s because we’ve made it flexible enough to accommodate every possible movement of the human body. But it’s as tough as nails. We haven’t been able to test it against the Nagas, but I am confident that it will survive even their poison. It has been strengthened and reinforced by special mantras that we’ve developed over the last few years. Basically we’ve rediscovered the secret of Karna’s kavach. He was born with it; it was a part of his body. When Indra asked for it, Karna had to cut it off his body in order to hand it over. That’s what this kavach is. Literally body armour. When summoned by the mantra, it grows on the body of the Kshatriya who is wearing it. And you can communicate with individuals or an entire group of Kshatriyas using the telepathic powers conferred on the armour by another set of mantras. The head and the face are better protected and the nature of the material used—it’s organic—allows the warrior to breathe freely although the face is fully covered. Our Kshatriya forces can now face stronger enemies than in the past without fear.
‘Is there some way to control who receives the telepathic communication?’ Jignesh asked. ‘If we come up against vikritis, for example, how do we ensure that they don’t receive the thoughts of our Kshatriyas?’
The Mahashastrakar nodded. ‘Yes, Mahamatra. We had the same concern. The communication needs to be targeted either at an individual or a specific group, using the thoughts of the user of the armour. The power of the mantra does the rest. Opponents cannot receive the telepathic communication unless it is specifically directed at them. It will require some training for the Kshatriyas to get accustomed to this, but it will not be difficult. It is as simple as using the name of the person you are addressing while speaking.’
Jignesh nodded, satisfied with this clarification.
‘How soon can we roll this out across the Sangha, the Gana, and all our Gurukuls?’ Amba wanted to know.
‘Vahate kavach,’ the Mahashastrakar intoned and the armour disappeared, seemingly sinking back into her body. ‘If we start tomorrow, with the Council’s permission, we can cover the entire Kshatriya force within a month.’
‘Very good,’ Jignesh said. And how much longer before the new defences for the Gurukuls and the new weapons the shastrakars have been working on are ready to deploy?’
‘The defences will be ready within a week, Mahamatra,’ the woman replied. ‘The new weapons may take a little longer. It has been only three weeks since we were asked to develop them based on the requirements which the Sangha Council provided us with.’
Jignesh nodded. The shastrakars had been tasked with developing new weapons after the fight with Shukra’s army of monsters, on the day that Arjun and Maya had arrived at the Gurukul. Upon realising the new danger they were confronted with, the Sangha Council had decided that new and more powerful weapons were required to fight creatures like the ones the Gurukul had battled on that night.
‘We are working as fast as possible,’ the Mahashastrakar assured him.
‘I know,’ Jignesh told her. ‘I do not believe otherwise.’
The institutions of the Akshapatalikas and the Shastrakars went back four thousand years, to the time when the Sangha had suppressed the vikriti rebellion and organised itself into a formal structure—the organisation as it existed today. They were the two pillars of the Sangha that supported the Maharishis and Kshatriyas to fulfil the purpose for which the Sangha had been created, with their knowledge aggregated over thousands of years and the continuous development and evolution of weapons and mantras.
He had no doubt that they would both do their utmost to achieve the objectives the Sangha had set for them.
But would they be able to do it in time?
And would it be enough?
Chapter Twenty-six
Denied
The Guesthouse
Arjun stood before his uncle, his face betraying his emotions. He was upset.
And angry.
As soon as his uncle had emerged from the Assembly Hall, Arjun had cornered him, insisting on a private conversation. The two of them had come to the guesthouse and closeted themselves in the living room.
‘What did you guys decide?’ Arjun blurted out as soon as the door was shut. ‘Are we going to look for the prophecy in Gandharva-lok?’
‘Hold on, hold on,’ Kanakpratap laughed, amused at his nephew’s excitement. He didn’t know what had led Arjun to ask the question. ‘Yes, we are going to look for the prophecy.’ He proceeded to tell Arjun what the Council had decided.
‘But how can you leave us out?’ Arjun protested after hearing that neither he nor any of his friends were part of the team. ‘We’re the Saptas! We’re the ones who should be looking for it!’
Kanakpratap’s face grew serious. He realised what was happening here. ‘Arjun, you don’t know for sure that you are the Saptas. The prophecy only mentions the Saptas in passing. It doesn’t provide any way of identifying who they are or will be. They could be anyone from the Sangha. The only thing we know for sure from the prophecy is that you are clearly identified as the One.’
‘Then shouldn’t I be a part of the team?’ Arjun demanded. He didn’t think the Council’s decision was fair at all.
‘No, Arjun.’ Kanakpratap’s voice was gentle but firm. ‘You are not ready. We have decided to partner you with Agastya. Both of you need plenty of practice together before you can call yourselves a team. Once you are ready, you will get your projects.’
‘When will that day come, Uncle?’ Arjun asked despairingly. ‘I’ve been training for seven years now. Everyone says that I’ve made great progress since coming here. Isn’t it time yet?’
‘You’ve spent less than a month in the Gurukul,’ Kanakpratap replied. ‘Not enough time for you to hone your skills to a level where you can undertake a project that carries risks. And you must remember that time moves more slowly in the Gandharva world than in ours.’
Arjun remembered the first day he had stepped into the Gandharva valley. When they had entered, it was early morning in Bhu-lok. When they left, it was evening in Panna, even though they had stayed in the valley for only a couple of hours.
‘Visvavasu may not look it,’ his uncle continued, ‘but he is thousands of years old. He has been mentioned in the Mahabharata; that’s how old he is. We don’t know how long the search for the prophecy will take. Even if it takes a week or two in Gandharva-lok, months would have passed in our wor
ld before you return. That would take away precious time that could be used for practice and to get better prepared to take on your role of the One when the time comes. And that time will come sooner than we think.’
Kanakpratap hesitated before he continued, ‘Do you know that a member of the Gana has been found dead in Delhi? She went missing suddenly and then her body was found under strange circumstances. She was a powerful member of the Gana—more advanced than anyone in this Gurukul.’
Arjun’s eyes widened at this news.
‘It was someone you know, Arjun,’ Kanakpratap continued. ‘Diya Chaudhry. She was a prefect. Twelfth grade. Sanskrit topper.’
Arjun didn’t know what to say. He was shell-shocked.
‘And you want to dive into danger before you are ready for it!’
‘Who killed her, Uncle?’ Arjun finally found his tongue.
‘The Sangha is investigating. We suspect the vikritis. The nature of her death indicates a power that no sadh possesses. And, even though Sangha rules forbid the practice of our powers in the presence of sadhs, this girl would have been able to defend herself if attacked by sadhs for any reason.’
Arjun was mystified. ‘How was she killed?’
Kanakpratap was silent for a moment, debating with himself the extent to which he should expose Arjun to the dangers in the outside world. He decided Arjun was old enough to know. And if he had to become more independent, he had to understand what he was going to be dealing with.
‘We can’t be sure because we were unable to examine her body. She had died two weeks before her body was found, according to the information we were able to gather through our connections in the police. And her parents—both Sangha members—wished to hasten her last rites so that her atma could continue onward to its next birth. But it seems that her body was possessed by someone else for two weeks. She probably died when the possession took place, unable to withstand the shock.’
‘How is that even possible?’ Arjun cried.
‘Ordinarily, it would be impossible. But some of the vikritis may have mastered the secondary siddhis. One of those siddhis is the ability to enter into the bodies of others.’ His uncle shrugged. ‘It is difficult to believe that any of the vikritis could be that powerful, but we cannot think of any other possibility at the moment.’
‘But why would anyone even want to do that?’ Arjun still could not get over what he was hearing.
‘We don’t know. But that’s not the point. What I am trying to tell you is that there are dangers out there—outside the security of the Gurukul—that you have no idea about. You still have a long way to go before you are ready to face them.’
But Arjun was still not convinced. He had lived his entire life in a gilded cage, protected and pampered, and yearned to break free.
‘I think I am ready, Uncle,’ he insisted.
‘And the Sangha thinks you are not,’ his uncle retorted. ‘I think you are not ready. And that is how things stand, whether you like it or not.’
A thought struck Arjun. ‘Uncle, Gandharva-lok is not Bhu-lok. There are no vikritis there. There is no danger there.’
Kanakpratap would have been amused, if he was not so irritated by his nephew’s determination to be obstinate.
‘That doesn’t matter,’ he told Arjun. ‘You don’t decide these things. The Sangha does. And I’ve told you what they decided. Now go and get a good night’s rest. Our practice will have to be even more intense tomorrow onwards, if you want to be ready soon!’
Chapter Twenty-seven
Midnight Meeting
The Gurukul
Adira opened the door of the cottage and cautiously peered outside.
It was past midnight and the Gurukul lay under a cloak of darkness and silence. Nothing stirred, not even the animals in the forest.
‘The coast is clear,’ she whispered to Maya and Amyra, who were standing behind her.
The three girls slipped out and made their way towards the Kshatriya practice field where they planned to meet the four boys. It was a cloudless night and the faint light of the stars was sufficient for them to find their way to the field.
Arjun, Varun, Tanveer and Agastya were waiting for them.
Upon the arrival of the girls, Agastya created a soft glow of light, very unlike the bright orbs that lit up the Gurukul during the evening.
‘What happened?’ Adira asked in a hushed whisper, even though there was no one around. Arjun told his friends about his conversation with his uncle.
‘They didn’t even mention us in their meeting,’ he concluded bitterly.
‘Maybe they don’t believe we are the Saptas,’ Adira said. ‘After all, we haven’t proved ourselves in any way.’
‘I find it hard to believe that the seven of us came together by sheer coincidence,’ Arjun insisted, frowning. ‘There has to be a reason for our association. None of us knew each other from before, apart from Maya and I. It cannot be by chance!’
‘I’m inclined to agree with you,’ Tanveer said.
‘Of course,’ Varun said. He looked knowingly at Adira. ‘I know you feel the same way.’
Maya thought she saw Adira flush in the light of the orbs that were suspended above them. She wondered why.
‘How do we prove ourselves when there is no way to decide if we are the Saptas?’ Varun frowned. ‘Arjun’s uncle was right. The prophecy doesn’t say who the seven will be or how they will be recognised. We simply assumed that, because there are seven of us, and we had a role to play in the defence of the Gurukul, we are the Saptas of the prophecy.’
‘We could be wrong,’ Agastya agreed. ‘Just look at us. None of us has made it to the Gana yet. Amyra is a novice and Maya still has to prove that she is not a sadh. Maybe the Saptas will turn out to be seven members of the Sangha and not us.’
‘No,’ Arjun said, fiercely. ‘I don’t believe that, Ags. There is a reason we all came together. We worked as a team, right from the day we entered the Gandharva valley without permission from the Sangha. I believe that we are the chosen ones mentioned in the prophecy.’
‘So what do we do?’ Tanveer asked, ever practical. ‘The Sangha is clearly not willing to allow us to search for the remaining parts of the prophecy. Even if we are the Saptas, how do we move forward without the guidance of the Sangha?’
There was silence as they contemplated the dilemma.
‘We act without their guidance,’ Arjun said slowly, breaking the silence.
‘Huh? What?’ Agastya looked at him in surprise. ‘Are you out of your mind?’
‘No,’ Arjun said, more firmly now. ‘We don’t need the Sangha. If they don’t want to help, then we will search for the remaining parts of the prophecy by ourselves. If we succeed, we will have proved beyond doubt that we are the Saptas of the prophecy.’
Maya stared at Arjun. Her old childhood friend had changed so much in the course of barely four weeks. She could hardly believe this was the same Arjun who, less than a month ago, was clutching her hand in the SUV as they drove, surrounded by pretas, through Panna National Park. The same scared boy who had been glad to be comforted by her.
Today, however, he sounded different.
Looked different.
His tone had changed. She knew that Arjun had always been rebellious. In school he had constantly rebelled against authority. But he had always got away because he was an outstanding sportsman and won accolades for his school.
What she was seeing today was something else. It was an attempt to break free. Standing before her was a boy who was confident enough to take his own decisions and stand by them.
She saw before her not the Arjun she had known in school but an Arjun who was determined to do what he thought was right to save the world.
Tonight, she had got her first glimpse of the scion of Yayati.
Until now, she had wondered how Arjun would play his part in the scheme that had been described by the prophecy.
Now, she knew.
How had this sudden transf
ormation come about? Was it his genes? She wondered. Passed down the generations, all the way from Yayati?
But then, genes were not everything. Wasn’t that what they were taught at the Gurukul? That it didn’t matter if you were born a sadh? That you could determine your own life’s journey and destination by your own actions?
She saw that truth in play now. Arjun had the genes. But he had also made the change that was required.
Tonight, she realised he was no longer a sadh.
Tonight, she believed that he could be the One.
She wondered if she could make the transition like he had. No, she corrected herself, not if but when.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Trouble
The Kshatriyas’ Practice Field
Arjun looked around at the others. ‘What do you guys say?’
‘With you, buddy,’ Varun said immediately.
‘I’m in,’ Tanveer responded.
‘Done.’ Adira sounded determined.
‘Oh, yes, of course,’ Amyra said enthusiastically.
‘Maya?’ Arjun looked at his childhood friend. ‘I’m assuming you’re in.’
Maya hesitated. Was she doing the right thing now? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she had to speak her mind. And, for the first time in her life, she was not going to take her friend’s side.
‘No, Arjun,’ she said softly, trying to hide the rough edges that her answer carried. ‘It would be wrong.’
Arjun stared at her in disbelief.
‘The Sangha operates by its rules,’ Maya continued. ‘We are a part of the Sangha, whether we have qualified to be part of the Gana or not. We must live by its rules. And we have already broken the rules once, when we went by ourselves and without permission to the Gandharva valley. Also, don’t forget that the Sangha will have a team, which includes your mother, in the Gandharva valley. How can we land up there as well? What justification will we have? It will look like the Sangha itself is divided. We cannot allow that to happen. And your uncle … your uncle has spent the last seven years training you to get to where you are today. Shouldn’t we respect his opinion? No, Arjun, I cannot bring myself to do this. I’m sorry. I really am.’
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