The Mists of Brahma

by CHRISTOPHER C. DOYLE

  But tonight, as she had walked into the room, Amyra had realised that Maya didn’t know what had happened here. Neither did anyone else. They all seemed to think that Shukra had tormented Maya’s father and then ripped him apart; the bloodstains bore mute testimony to that.

  How was she to tell Maya that she, Amyra, was the only one, apart from Maya’s father and Shukra, who knew exactly what had happened here on that fateful day?

  Chapter One Hundred and Eight

  A Dead End

  Maya’s House

  ‘It doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the study,’ Arjun said in exasperation. They had been searching for over half an hour without success. ‘Are you sure it isn’t in some other room?’

  Maya shook her head firmly. ‘No, AJ. It should have been under the desk. I remember it well. It had slipped out of Dad’s diary and fallen under the desk.’ She looked at Arjun. ‘There’s no way a sheet of paper could have relocated itself.’

  ‘Well, is it so important?’ Agastya wanted to know. ‘I mean, did we really come all the way here to look for a sheet of paper?’

  ‘Don’t be silly, Ags. It’s not the sheet of paper but what is written on it that’s important,’ Arjun said. ‘But Maya, what exactly is on that sheet of paper that’s so important? Isn’t there anywhere else we can get the same information?’

  Maya hesitated to respond. How was she to tell them? She knew that Agastya would be the first to pooh-pooh it if she revealed what was on that sheet of paper. Though she hadn’t seen it herself, her father’s spirit had told her. And even Maya had found it difficult to believe what she had heard. If she hadn’t heard it from her father, she too would have refused to believe it.

  ‘Inscriptions,’ she said simply, not being untruthful but not revealing the entire truth either. The sheet did have inscriptions on it.

  ‘Oh great,’ Agastya said. ‘We don’t seem to be able to rid ourselves of inscriptions, do we?’

  ‘We’re searching for something that was hidden away more than 5,000 years ago,’ Maya told him. ‘It won’t be easy to find, but there is a trail of clues that my father had found that can lead us to it.’

  Agastya fixed her with a sceptical look. ‘And what exactly is it that we are looking for?’

  Maya was silent. She didn’t trust anyone with the story of her encounter in the Mists. Definitely not Agastya. He would be the first one to disbelieve her and maybe even mock her for hallucinating while in the Mists. Worse, he was capable of running back and squealing to the Sangha.

  ‘Does it matter?’ Arjun interjected, realising Maya’s quandary. ‘We’ll find out when we locate it. Whatever it is, it must be important for it to have been hidden away, with only cryptic inscriptions left behind as clues.’

  ‘How will we know we’ve found it if we don’t know what it is?’ Agastya sounded exasperated.

  Maya didn’t know how to respond. But before she or Arjun could say anything, Amyra spoke up. ‘If I could see what happened in the living room a year ago, perhaps I can see what happened here too.’ She placed a hand on Maya’s arm. ‘Let me try.’

  Maya nodded. She could think of no other way to learn what had happened to the sheet of paper. And her father had told her that it was important, even essential, for countering Shukra.

  Amyra closed her eyes and concentrated.

  There was silence in the room as the other three children waited.

  Finally, she opened her eyes.

  ‘Well?’ Maya demanded before Amyra could speak. ‘Did you see anything?’

  Amyra nodded. ‘I did. The paper was taken away by the police.’

  ‘Oh great,’ Agastya rolled his eyes. ‘That’s all we need.’

  ‘We’ll never be able to find it,’ Maya said glumly. ‘How will we ever know who took it or where they took it?’

  ‘Actually,’ Amyra replied, ‘I saw who took it.’

  ‘You did?’ Hope shone in Maya’s eyes.

  ‘Yes. There was just one man in a police uniform who came into this room, looked under the desk and retrieved a sheet of paper. He put it in his pocket. I saw the name on his nameplate. Raman Kapoor.’

  ‘Great,’ Agastya groaned. He looked at Maya. ‘Now you’ll want to go and search for this Raman Kapoor, right?’

  ‘I would like to,’ Maya said, ‘but we don’t know how to find him. He could be in any of the police stations in this part of the city.’ She sighed. ‘I really thought we could pick up the trail from here.’

  There was silence for a few moments as they considered what could be done next.

  Did this mean they would have to return empty-handed to the Gurukul?

  Chapter One Hundred and Nine

  Books

  Outside Maya’s House

  Vishwaraj stood outside the front door of Maya’s house. He had made himself invisible using a mantra for illusion that Shukra had taught him. It was simple yet effective, and Vishwaraj had wondered why he had not been taught it earlier, in the Gurukul. But it didn’t matter now.

  ‘Prapanchayati svara kutigata!’ The mantra instantly amplified the voices inside the house.

  So, he thought, the children from the Gurukul have arrived.

  He didn’t need to go inside. He could hear every word just as clearly as if he was standing next to them. Shukra had asked him to watch them and see what they were up to.

  He was going to do exactly that.

  The Study

  ‘Well,’ Agastya said, ‘I guess we’re done here.’

  ‘Not so soon, Ags.’ Arjun glared at him. ‘Let’s look around a bit more. We’ve been trying to find that damn sheet of paper all this time. Now that we know it’s not here, let’s see if there’s something else we can find that can help us.’ He looked at Maya. ‘Is there anything else you remember from that day?’ Even as he spoke, he cringed at the terrible choice of words. Maya’s memories of that day would be horrific.

  He hurriedly went on, hoping she wouldn’t notice what he’d said. ‘Like these books, for example?’ He quickly picked up the two books that were lying on the desk and dusted them off. A cloud of dust rose into the air and he coughed.

  ‘Mysteries of the Indus Valley Civilisation.’ He read aloud the title of the first book, then looked at the cover of the second. ‘Mysteries of the Great Pyramid. Uncle must have been really interested in ancient mysteries.’ He opened the book on the Great Pyramid and began leafing through it with interest.

  Agastya moved a globe of light closer so he could read with ease and Arjun smiled his thanks at the young Rishi.

  ‘Dad taught history, remember?’ Maya didn’t seem to have noticed Arjun’s faux pas.

  ‘Yes, but these aren’t the kind of books he would have used for reference,’ Arjun said, his eyes glued to the book. ‘This, for example, theorises that the Great Pyramid was engineered to resonate using sound waves and that the internal chambers of the pyramid could concentrate energy.’ He looked up from the book with a frown. ‘Not exactly the kind of thing you’d teach in a history class.’

  ‘Let me see that.’ Maya held out her hand for the book. Knowing her father, he wouldn’t have entertained such theories, at least not for use in his classes. And she had never known him to have had any inclination for the so-called alternative theories on history either.

  As the book changed hands, something fluttered to the floor.

  ‘What’s that?’ Amyra bent to pick it up. She squinted at the black sheet of paper with white inscriptions on it. ‘It looks like Hindi, but I can’t make sense of it. Weird.’

  ‘Here, show me.’ Agastya stretched out his hand and took the sheet of paper. ‘Hey, this is in Sanskrit! I can read it.’

  ‘Tell us what it says,’ Arjun said.

  ‘Sure. I’ll read it out to you.’ Agastya transferred the sheet to his other hand and examined his fingers. ‘This paper has black ink on it!’ he complained.

  ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Arjun said impatiently. ‘Read it out.’

  ‘Fine, fine.�
� Agastya turned his attention back to the sheet of paper. ‘It appears to be a note written in the first person. It says: “I, Tribhuvan, have realised that there will be a time to come when the Son of Bhrigu—the great Asura Guru, Shukracharya—will return.”’

  He looked up. ‘Who is Tribhuvan?’

  Arjun shrugged. Amyra looked blank.

  Only Maya knew. Maharishi Satyavachana had told her on the night they had both travelled as atmas to Bhimbetka. More recently, and more importantly, her father’s spirit had mentioned the name to her when they met in the Mists of Brahma.

  ‘He was the first Mahamatra,’ she informed the others. ‘Maharishi Satyavachana told me that he lived around 4,000 years ago and organised the Sangha into what it is today. Apparently it was quite different before that.’

  ‘You mean this is a note from 4,000 years ago?’ Arjun was awestruck.

  ‘This paper certainly isn’t 4,000 years old. It must be a copy of the original. But how did your father get hold of it?’ Agastya asked Maya.

  Maya shrugged. ‘Dad travelled a lot. Maybe he picked it up on one of his trips?’

  ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Arjun said, impatient to know what the inscriptions said. ‘Go on, Ags.’

  Agastya continued reading aloud. ‘ “It is written in the prophecy of the Saptarishis, which was divided into three parts and hidden away. I do not know what the entire prophecy says, since I have only been able to find one part of it. But I have the means to discover the other two parts and I am securing their location. I am concealing a key in the archives of the Sangha. The Akshapatalikas, whom I have created for this purpose—though they do not know it yet—will protect this key until it is ready to be discovered according to my plan. For I have set in motion a series of events that will foil the Asura Guru’s various attempts. The One of the prophecy will be determined by me and will be recognised by …’ ”

  Agastya broke off suddenly as the sheet of paper was rudely snatched from his hand and floated away from him, through the air, seemingly by itself.

  ‘Whoa! What’s happening?’ Arjun asked, puzzled.

  ‘We’re not alone,’ Maya said quietly. She was looking straight at the sheet of paper, which was making its way into the living room and out of the front door.

  Chapter One Hundred and Ten

  Confrontation

  Outside Maya’s House

  Vishwaraj listened intently to the conversation that was in progress inside the house. It seemed that the children had discovered something. Inscriptions, from the sound of it.

  Vishwaraj paid close attention. A tingle ran down his spine as he heard the words being read aloud. He knew about Tribhuvan. It seemed that Maharishi Dhruv had somehow come into possession of an ancient document, dating back almost to the early days of the Sangha.

  Vishwaraj immediately realised that it was an important document. He had to get his hands on it. But Shukra had told him only to spy on the children.

  There was one way, though, that he could get the sheet of paper out of their hands. He was invisible after all. All he had to do was enter the house and make away with the inscriptions.

  It would be easy.

  Slowly, carefully, he tested the door handle.

  It was unlocked.

  Good.

  He twisted the handle and the door opened silently. Thankfully, the hinges were oiled, even though the house had not been maintained for almost a year.

  Vishwaraj walked into the house. He calmly grabbed the sheet of paper from Agastya’s hands and headed towards the front door.

  The Study

  ‘Virachayati kavach!’

  Even as Maya spoke, Arjun was sheathed in his armour and his new sword appeared in his hand, gleaming brightly in the light of the globes that floated overhead.

  Agastya’s brahmadanda appeared in his grasp.

  Maya too summoned her brahmadanda. She caught Agastya’s look of surprise, but she was beyond caring. She was anyway out of the Sangha. And she was not going to just stand by and watch.

  To Maya’s surprise, she could see the intruder. Although, she was the only who could. She had watched, stunned, as Vishwaraj walked in and grabbed the sheet from Agastya, and then turned to leave. It was only when he had almost reached the front door that she had recovered her composure and revealed his presence to the others.

  ‘Lochanagocharamya!’ Agastya yelled, brandishing his brahmadanda, breaking through the illusion surrounding Vishwaraj and rendering him visible.

  Vishwaraj realised that the group could see him now. Whoever this young Rishi was, he was well trained.

  He pivoted to face them.

  ‘I was trying to leave without harming any of you,’ he said coldly. ‘Why did you have to do this?’

  As Vishwaraj turned towards Agastya, Maya gestured to Amyra. ‘Take cover!’ she whispered. The younger girl nodded and hid behind the desk in the study, trembling.

  ‘You’re Vishwaraj, aren’t you?’ Maya asked the young man, drawing his attention back to herself.

  Vishwaraj smirked. ‘I see you know who I am. Then you should fear me. Don’t try to stop me and I will reciprocate by letting you all live.’

  Arjun advanced a few steps. ‘You’re not leaving with those inscriptions.’

  ‘Arjun,’ Maya said softly. ‘Let him go. Let it be. It isn’t worth it.’

  ‘Arjun,’ Agastya said in a beseeching tone. ‘She’s right. Listen to her. Back down.’

  But Arjun was in no mood to listen. If the inscriptions had been written by the very first Mahamatra of the Sangha, they had to be important. Even though they had stumbled upon it quite by chance, the discovery vindicated their decision to leave the Gurukul without permission and come here tonight. More importantly, while it was definitely of use to the Sangha, it represented their only chance to have Maya reinstated. After all, this had been her idea.

  There was no way he was going to allow Vishwaraj to walk away with a document that was so important to them all. There was a cold fear deep within his heart, and he trembled internally with an unknown dread, yet he stood there, steady in his resolve, determined to fight.

  No matter what it took.

  ‘Give that paper back,’ he demanded.

  Agastya moved forward to stand with Arjun.

  Maya realised what he was doing. Agastya was Arjun’s Rishi partner. If Arjun had decided to be aggressive, then Agastya was going to be by his side.

  The die had been cast.

  Maya stepped forward and joined them.

  Agastya gave her a sideways glance. ‘Hide, Maya,’ he whispered. ‘You cannot fight him.’

  Maya realised the truth of his words, but she could not leave Arjun and hide like a coward. He was her childhood friend and she would do whatever she could to protect him. She was hoping the sight of her brahmadanda—and the fact that there seemed to be two Rishis against one—would make Vishwaraj reconsider.

  Would her bluff succeed?

  Chapter One Hundred and Eleven

  Shock!

  Maya’s House

  ‘I know you,’ Vishwaraj told Arjun. ‘Poorvapitamah told me about you. You’re the One, aren’t you?’ he sneered. ‘They were grooming me to partner with you. That’s what I was told. But I guess I’ve left you way behind, haven’t I?’

  Maya didn’t like Vishwaraj’s tone. It was condescending and indifferent.

  Like he didn’t care. He didn’t seem to be bothered that he was outnumbered.

  His next words confirmed her fears.

  ‘Two Rishis with brahmadandas against one,’ Vishwaraj mused. ‘Not fair, huh? Shall we lessen the odds?’ His own brahmadanda appeared and he planted it firmly on the ground. ‘Pavanaghata pratisphurati!’

  He pointed at Maya and to her shock and horror, a strong gust of wind blew her brahmadanda clean out of her hand. It flew through the air and fell clattering to the floor after smashing into the bookcases at the far end of the study.

  ‘So,’ Vishwaraj smirked. ‘Quite the fraud,
aren’t you? Where did you get a brahmadanda from if you don’t know how to use it? Stole it, huh?’

  Maya should have felt embarrassed at being openly ridiculed for her lack of powers, but she was too terrified right now to feel any other emotion.

  What was Vishwaraj going to do? Was he going to kill her?

  But Vishwaraj had already decided not to waste any more time on her. He turned his attention to Agastya. ‘So you’re my replacement, huh? Let’s see if you’re any good with that.’

  Before any of them could react, he was spewing mantras.

  ‘Banavrishti praharati! Agnichakra pariveshtyati!’

  A shower of arrows appeared out of nowhere and streaked at lightning speed towards Arjun, followed immediately by a circle of fire that surrounded both the boys.

  Maya screamed as the flames licked her arm. Arjun turned and pushed her away from the flames, sending her crashing to the ground.

  But Agastya was lightning quick. He stepped in front of Arjun, his brahmadanda held aloft. The arrows disappeared before they could reach their target. Even as he moved, he uttered ‘Samastrnute!’ and the circle of fire was immediately extinguished.

  But Vishwaraj was not done yet.

  ‘Vidyutprapatana praharati!’ he intoned and a bolt of lightning shot its way towards Arjun.

  Once again, Agastya stepped forward and his brahmadanda absorbed the attack.

  Maya watched, fascinated, despite her terror and fear for Arjun’s safety, as Agastya effortlessly wielded the brahmadanda. If there was anything that could protect them today, it was this.

  She noticed that Agastya did not launch a counter attack, hoping that his defence would convince Vishwaraj to leave them alone. Perhaps he knew that in a direct confrontation with Vishwaraj, the young Rishi who had gone over to Shukra would prevail. Agastya had seen him in action during the siege of the Gurukul and had watched as the young apostate had demolished the defences of the Gurukul to allow the Nagas through. He knew he was no match for Vishwaraj.