(This is part IV of a series. To read from the beginning, click here. To read the previous episode, click here.)
Was there thunder and lightning? Did the earth burst forth? Did realisation dawn on me? Was I suddenly elevated to some noble status?
Nyet. Nada.
I was trudging up a difficult hill behind the two men as they discussed me as if I was not there and how to present me to our King who lived atop the hill. Soon we were at the gates and the soldiers bowed deeply before letting us in. Not to me, who was lucky enough to gain entry because of these exalted me.
The moment I stepped in, I knew we were in a place protected by charms. I felt my whole body throbbing, wanting to push away the unseen magic that was pressing too close to me. I could see flashes of colours and my hands reached up of their own volition. I felt myself floating and I rose above the colours into the clear blue sky. It was an ethereal feeling, very beautiful, and the first time when I felt extraordinary. I was moving forward but my soul seemed detached, watching me from above, piercing through the colour with a clear ray of white light.
Sensing something ahead of me, I looked up to see a golden ring of light. It was right above a domed structure, maybe protecting the king within. And in the centre of the ring of light, there was another ray. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. It shot up straight and strong, rotating in its axis. I felt like reaching out and touching it. I noticed the light ripple and felt a heart within. For the first time, I wondered if I was also just a ray of light and not exactly here in my form.
"Bow to the king," Manas nudged me and brought me back to earth. I found myself in a regal room, large and tastefully decorated. Sitting right across me was the handsome king, King Uttam, whose face I had seen often in pamphlets, books and magazines. In person, he looked even more dignified. He smiled at me graciously and I curtsied. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and came up to me. He was quite tall and I could see the beautiful blend of different colours in his aura, suiting his royal stature. Yes, of course, he did inherit the kingdom from his father, but had he not had the desired combination of powers, he couldn't have ascended the throne.
When he spoke, his voice was grave and gravelly. It touched a chord though what he said also scared me.
"You may know our history, but as the king, I am duty-bound to share it with you and the presence of my preceptor and friend makes this a very special moment.
"Before Earth was what it is today God's creatures were free to move about at will and space and time meant little. Though there were many varieties of creations, we co-existed or kept away but there was little by way of friction. Different planets were covered by different elements, like Earth was all water, Mars all fire, Saturn- gases and so on. But slowly, the waters receded and new life-forms came about on earth. Did God himself look at it in wonder? He definitely seemed to be fond of this little planet and started giving it more attention. The Daits, always prone to being possessive and jealous, were unable to accept it. They started doing mischief and creating trouble on Earth. God appointed us Prabhas to protect Her from them. He gave us home here and created life from our seed. But the life on this planet is fragile, mortal and without our powers to face the Daits. Though we are not immortal, we Prabhas feel duty-bound to protect and risk our lives to nurture them.
"But this only fuelled Daits' anger more and they intensified their destructive activities. There are many battles we waged against them, many we won but not all. They learned our ways and our tactics and used them against us. It is not that we did not know of their strategies, but we shunned it. They are cruel and inconsiderate. Repeated battles weakened us both, but while with each battle our recovery was slower, they seemed to come back rejuvenated every time.
"All our efforts to discover their secret proved futile. They took over Mars, the planet of war, and acclimatised as we are to Earth, even sending spies to Mars became difficult. Even our Fire Warriors found it difficult to withstand the heat emanating from that planet where we once roamed without fear. When defeat and destruction seemed imminent, Mother Earth herself came to our aid. Patient and forever forbearing, she took on our form and brought with her the primal energy that first created her and the life on this earth. She was our first Shakti. But her task was simple and clear. She had to face them in a battle. She knew of their strengths and she knew of their strategies. But even with her power, all she could do was drive them away and create a shield around us.
"With time, the shield has worn thin. Man has become a slave, whether to the Daits themselves or to their innate greed, we can only speculate. The protection wears thin and Daits find it easier to gain entry. The war is no more just between the Daits and us but also with the mortals whom Daits use as their own. For instance the taxi driver - he was no Dait in disguise but an ordinary human being whom a Dait energy was using for his end. This has made it difficult for us to face our enemy directly." He paused for a brief moment before adding, "We have reasons to believe some of our own are also vassals to the Daits." My eyes widened in shock, but he continued, "When the battle happened the morning after you turned 18, we could have been completely annihilated. For the darkness that came with them not only covered the Sun but sucked all our auras and energies as well."
He turned to me here and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I believe we owe our very survival to you."
I felt miserable at how it kept coming up and I remained clueless about something so significant. "How I wish I could tell you what happened," I cried out in frustration.
He nodded and pursed his lips. "Yes, that is sad for I would have liked to know too about what happened that day. Why did you blackout, why can't you remember anything?" He too burst out helplessly. He turned to look at the Rajguru askance. Had they got the wrong person? "Maybe it was not me," I preempted him.
The king's eyes were back on me, almost as if he agreed with me. But he said firmly, "If the Rajguru says you are the person, then you are it."
"So...what do we do?" I asked feeling helpless. Should I mention my experience rising above the charms today? But it seemed so insignificant and pointless that I shut up.
"Leave that to us, Shakti," the Rajguru said in a tone that brooked no discussion.
The king kneeled before me and I jumped back in consternation. "God meant this to be. We look to you to save us," he supplicated humbly.
I was saved from saying anything further as the doors opened and two young handsome and powerful men walked in. I was introduced to Prince Ajatsatru and his friend Amrit, the Rajguru's son.
In the sombre mood that the king's retelling of history had created, I barely acknowledged the men, my mind only on my own role in all this. To walk in the footsteps of Mother Earth? To be called Shakti! To feel the burden of the safety of the planet on my shoulders... I felt inadequate and small.
Continue reading here for Part V
Was there thunder and lightning? Did the earth burst forth? Did realisation dawn on me? Was I suddenly elevated to some noble status?
Nyet. Nada.
I was trudging up a difficult hill behind the two men as they discussed me as if I was not there and how to present me to our King who lived atop the hill. Soon we were at the gates and the soldiers bowed deeply before letting us in. Not to me, who was lucky enough to gain entry because of these exalted me.
The moment I stepped in, I knew we were in a place protected by charms. I felt my whole body throbbing, wanting to push away the unseen magic that was pressing too close to me. I could see flashes of colours and my hands reached up of their own volition. I felt myself floating and I rose above the colours into the clear blue sky. It was an ethereal feeling, very beautiful, and the first time when I felt extraordinary. I was moving forward but my soul seemed detached, watching me from above, piercing through the colour with a clear ray of white light.
Sensing something ahead of me, I looked up to see a golden ring of light. It was right above a domed structure, maybe protecting the king within. And in the centre of the ring of light, there was another ray. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. It shot up straight and strong, rotating in its axis. I felt like reaching out and touching it. I noticed the light ripple and felt a heart within. For the first time, I wondered if I was also just a ray of light and not exactly here in my form.
"Bow to the king," Manas nudged me and brought me back to earth. I found myself in a regal room, large and tastefully decorated. Sitting right across me was the handsome king, King Uttam, whose face I had seen often in pamphlets, books and magazines. In person, he looked even more dignified. He smiled at me graciously and I curtsied. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and came up to me. He was quite tall and I could see the beautiful blend of different colours in his aura, suiting his royal stature. Yes, of course, he did inherit the kingdom from his father, but had he not had the desired combination of powers, he couldn't have ascended the throne.
When he spoke, his voice was grave and gravelly. It touched a chord though what he said also scared me.
"You may know our history, but as the king, I am duty-bound to share it with you and the presence of my preceptor and friend makes this a very special moment.
"Before Earth was what it is today God's creatures were free to move about at will and space and time meant little. Though there were many varieties of creations, we co-existed or kept away but there was little by way of friction. Different planets were covered by different elements, like Earth was all water, Mars all fire, Saturn- gases and so on. But slowly, the waters receded and new life-forms came about on earth. Did God himself look at it in wonder? He definitely seemed to be fond of this little planet and started giving it more attention. The Daits, always prone to being possessive and jealous, were unable to accept it. They started doing mischief and creating trouble on Earth. God appointed us Prabhas to protect Her from them. He gave us home here and created life from our seed. But the life on this planet is fragile, mortal and without our powers to face the Daits. Though we are not immortal, we Prabhas feel duty-bound to protect and risk our lives to nurture them.
"But this only fuelled Daits' anger more and they intensified their destructive activities. There are many battles we waged against them, many we won but not all. They learned our ways and our tactics and used them against us. It is not that we did not know of their strategies, but we shunned it. They are cruel and inconsiderate. Repeated battles weakened us both, but while with each battle our recovery was slower, they seemed to come back rejuvenated every time.
"All our efforts to discover their secret proved futile. They took over Mars, the planet of war, and acclimatised as we are to Earth, even sending spies to Mars became difficult. Even our Fire Warriors found it difficult to withstand the heat emanating from that planet where we once roamed without fear. When defeat and destruction seemed imminent, Mother Earth herself came to our aid. Patient and forever forbearing, she took on our form and brought with her the primal energy that first created her and the life on this earth. She was our first Shakti. But her task was simple and clear. She had to face them in a battle. She knew of their strengths and she knew of their strategies. But even with her power, all she could do was drive them away and create a shield around us.
"With time, the shield has worn thin. Man has become a slave, whether to the Daits themselves or to their innate greed, we can only speculate. The protection wears thin and Daits find it easier to gain entry. The war is no more just between the Daits and us but also with the mortals whom Daits use as their own. For instance the taxi driver - he was no Dait in disguise but an ordinary human being whom a Dait energy was using for his end. This has made it difficult for us to face our enemy directly." He paused for a brief moment before adding, "We have reasons to believe some of our own are also vassals to the Daits." My eyes widened in shock, but he continued, "When the battle happened the morning after you turned 18, we could have been completely annihilated. For the darkness that came with them not only covered the Sun but sucked all our auras and energies as well."
He turned to me here and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I believe we owe our very survival to you."
I felt miserable at how it kept coming up and I remained clueless about something so significant. "How I wish I could tell you what happened," I cried out in frustration.
He nodded and pursed his lips. "Yes, that is sad for I would have liked to know too about what happened that day. Why did you blackout, why can't you remember anything?" He too burst out helplessly. He turned to look at the Rajguru askance. Had they got the wrong person? "Maybe it was not me," I preempted him.
The king's eyes were back on me, almost as if he agreed with me. But he said firmly, "If the Rajguru says you are the person, then you are it."
"So...what do we do?" I asked feeling helpless. Should I mention my experience rising above the charms today? But it seemed so insignificant and pointless that I shut up.
"Leave that to us, Shakti," the Rajguru said in a tone that brooked no discussion.
The king kneeled before me and I jumped back in consternation. "God meant this to be. We look to you to save us," he supplicated humbly.
I was saved from saying anything further as the doors opened and two young handsome and powerful men walked in. I was introduced to Prince Ajatsatru and his friend Amrit, the Rajguru's son.
In the sombre mood that the king's retelling of history had created, I barely acknowledged the men, my mind only on my own role in all this. To walk in the footsteps of Mother Earth? To be called Shakti! To feel the burden of the safety of the planet on my shoulders... I felt inadequate and small.
Continue reading here for Part V
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