The Lady of Light - Part IX

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To read the previous chapter, click here.

My father came with me to visit Manas in the hospital the next morning. Prince Ajat was there when we got there, leaning over Manas. Hearing us enter the room, he straightened up smartly and looked at us with a sad smile. "Pawan sir," he said with reverence to my father. My father nodded and pointed to Manas.

"Still unconscious. I tried reaching out to his memory, whatever is left of it. But it is beyond me..." He looked at me and smiled. "I wish he had chosen me to reveal it... I have always felt special respect for him."

The Lady of Light - Part VIII

To read the previous chapter, click here

To read from the beginning, click here.

I was assigned a team now. While my security was to increase, my training was to redouble and some led by Rajguru's son Amrit were to research history to find out more about the earlier Shakti, her powers and how to reach her.

I was escorted out by an elite group of warriors wielding all kinds of power. Prince Ajatshatru walked with me, still full of questions and gratitude. I was flattered and hard put to respond to him without blushing. "I was 16 when your uncle vanished," he said regretfully. My mind started calculating our age difference immediately. I had been 9 years at the time. I wondered if the prince was married or betrothed and felt some of my enthusiasm deflating.

"Why was your uncle unable to escape but you did?" he asked me as we reached the gates.

I wanted to tell him about my star, my guide, my friend, my weapon. Something made me feel it was a secret that I could not share with so many people within earshot. I hesitated as I looked at him. He raised his hands in surrender and said, "I understand. You will have your ways..." I smiled at him and thanked him for his understanding. "Mmm... Would it be too much if I asked you over for dinner tonight, just as a mark of gratitude?" he asked in a voice that set my heart singing.

But Amrit, who was around, said, "My father wants her to come home for dinner tonight." I felt disappointed and I saw the prince looking disappointed too. "Well then, tomorrow night," he said and I nodded, feeling excited. He smiled as if my accepting the invitation was all that mattered.

I wanted some time to myself but till bedtime, I was with my mother first and later the Rajguru. Both revisited my kidnapping and escape in detail, but had little success in finding anything of value. "The Daits are getting very bold but even after this incident, we don't want to launch a direct attack. Now that I know the Sacred Shell is not with us, I understand the reason for our weakness. We were not only entrusted with it, but we also have our powers linked to it. The fact that we can still resist them in wars is a blessing we cannot take for granted. We have to now speed up to retrieve the Sacred Shell as well as free Mars of the Daits."

I felt the weight of his words on my shoulders and looked down, feeling helpless again. I had been there on Mars but my thoughts had been only of escaping. As if the Rajguru sensed my mood, he laid a kind hand on my shoulder. "You did what you could." Then he sat back and I saw sorrow and pain in his eyes. "I feel very sad about Manas and cannot believe that he turned out to be bad. The king says that the Sacred Shell vanished at around the time Tushar did. Ajat was there with Tushar and Manas and they seemed to have gone to the sanctum sanctorum where the Sacred Shell was kept. Without my permission. So the king was afraid that the blame would fall on his son and kept the matter hidden all these years."

I looked at him in wonder. "Is that really possible?"

Rajguru shook his head. "It wouldn't have been possible, but the king played a deep game. If the Sacred Shell had been stolen, then I would have been alerted. But it was handed over. Ajat's presence may have something to do with making the handing over seem natural since he is the king-in-waiting. Any theft would have caused a reaction. But handing over..." He became silent and thoughtful. "I must think this over. You must also be tired. Take some rest," he said gently and saw me off at the gate. 

My mother was to share the room with me that night and she was very keen to stay with me. But mercifully, one of her childhood friends landed at the safe house I was staying in and insisted on taking my mother away to her house to catch up on old times. I waved a hearty bye to her, relieved of getting some time to think of the developments peacefully.

Almost as if on cue, my father tele-called. He wanted to know all about Manas's role in my uncle's being captured by the enemies. I didn't have much to tell him except those few disjointed words and he remained thoughtfully silent. "I always suspected there was some foul play," he said softly. His voice shook. "Why didn't you get Manas arrested, then?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because Manas always swore his innocence and maybe weaved some magic so that I was always a little confused about the events back then."

"Where were you at the time? I thought you were with him?"

"No, and even Manas wasn't supposed to be with Tushar at that time... Manas and I were together and then Manas flew like the wind. I followed him, but by the time I reached, Manas had already got to Tushar and..." My father's voice trailed. "Let me think back on that day some more," he said and let me go.

My mind was in a whirl as I lay back thinking of all that I had heard that day. Of course, Prince Ajat's face also kept flashing, sometimes distracting me completely. I wondered why I had felt so hesitant to speak out about my star though a part of me wanted to boast too! I looked around to see where it was and was amazed at how it seemed to act on its own, appearing and disappearing at will.

I heard my name being called and this time, I was more alert. But I also sensed that this was different. In a moment, I realised that this was Manas's voice. I felt anger surge through me and Manas's voice wavered. But he made an effort against my will and whispered, "I am weak, my powers have been taken away. I have just a few minutes before I lose it all. Please give me your time and attention, there is something you have to know."

I was no proof against such a request so I inhaled to keep a hold on my emotions. "I am innocent," he started and hastily added, "I was not supposed to be with Tushar that day. Your father and I were in the woods nearby when I felt something tugging my mind. I rushed to find Tushar and Ajat in the sanctum sanctorum. I tried to stop..." His voice became feeble. "Some power overpowered me. I went blank... When I regained consciousness, I was alone there." Now his voice was unable to reach me but he sent me a dark image of uncle Tushar lying on the floor staring at Manas, who was standing over him. And then Tushar's body started vanishing. Just then my father entered and tried to hold Tushar back. But Tushar waved a bye and left. My father turned on Manas and the image vanished.

I felt tears running down my cheeks. I felt I may have wronged an innocent man. After hearing the doubt in my father's hand and hearing Manas' version, I felt he at least deserved a hearing.

I got up and rushed out to help Manas in whatever way I could. But there were protective charms that held me back. I couldn't even tele-call my parents or the Rajguru. Not knowing what to do, I let my aura rise and went searching for the golden light that had reacted to me. There it was, shining and warm in the dark night. I rushed and joined it, compelling it to acknowledge me and found myself back in my room with Amrit standing in front of me. "What happened, Shakti?" he asked.

I was baffled but quickly blurted out that we had to save Manas. He didn't even ask why. He just vanished. A few minutes later, the Rajguru was in my room with tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Manas is like a son. I could never forgive him if he had been a traitor, and never forgiven myself if we had destroyed him unfairly. I was unhappy with the precipitate reaction to your report, but I think I was more shocked about the Sacred Shell than him." He sat down with his hand on his brow. I felt guilty of having over-reacted too.

"Is Manas... How is Manas? Will he regain his powers?"

Rajguru shrugged. "The science of removing someone's powers is still inexact and so we can only hope that we would have botched it up. We may have temporarily bound it, but I am hoping we wouldn't have destroyed it fully. His ability to remember that day and why he never spoke about it may give us some direction. Let's pray for the best."

(Continued here)

   

The Lady of Light - Part VII

To read the previous chapter, click here. To begin at the beginning, click here

I was crying in my mother's arms when we were summoned by the king. My parents had arrived post-haste on hearing of my kidnapping and safe return. While my mother consoled me my father was busy capturing Manas, which wasn't easy despite many power wielders including the Rajguru putting their power behind him. He seemed to be weaving a  web around their minds, weakening their skills. He was also in my mind, constantly pleading with me to believe in his innocence. "I didn't harm your uncle. I wasn't aware he was still alive. We thought he was dead," he said.

The Lady of Light - Part VI

To begin at the beginning, click here. To read the previous chapter, click here.

I fought hard to not lose my consciousness. I felt the spirit of my grandmother aiding me by lending some light. But it was feeble and light. I felt drained from the effort and realised with a shock that I didn't know what my power was since light wasn't responding to my need.

I felt something scrape my hand. I stared at the star that seemed to be twinkling in my hand. I didn't remember picking it up. I couldn't even remember where I had kept it and yet here it was. I looked around me and realised that I was in a teleportal and the voice that had beckoned me had vanished. But I felt that I was heading towards whoever had called me. I felt fear for the first time in the truest sense. I was alone and this reeked of a kidnap. When I could protect an entire army, how was I so weak and vulnerable when it came to my own safety?

The Lady of Light - Part V

For reading from the beginning, click here. For reading the previous chapter, click here.

My mother was so excited and proud of me. She made it sound as if she had always expected great things from me. But when Rajguru asked her about the war and my role, she couldn't say in what way I had contributed. There seems to have been some blanket amnesia about anything that I might have done. Or, I thought, I had played no role and people were pinning false hopes on me. I played along, or rather, I was made to play along.

The Lady of Light - Part IV

(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 Lady of Light - Part III

Continued from Part II

The conversation during dinner was stilted and stiff. I was relieved to be asked to quickly pack a bag, a backpack, with barest essentials. I thought my mother will come with me to help me but she remained behind. When I went down again, she was sitting on the large couch, alone. I went up to her and stood uncertainly. "Ma," I said softly.

She looked up and a flame burned in her two eyes. Then she closed her eyes for a second and pulled me onto her lap in an embrace me. "I am sorry, Deepika," she whispered. "I just need time to get used to it... Oh, my Tara... I am terribly sorry. These things are not in our hands. We just play the role..." She stopped. This is precisely what Manas had also told her. She sighed. "Do well... Your grandmother taught me much. I know you always felt her life was futile... I can't say I understand it either. But she was very dignified and graceful about it... Never forget," my mother whispered. "They are waiting for you outside. I love you," she said and cried as she hugged me once more before letting me go.