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.
I went out and saw my father and Manas in deep conversation. It didn't seem to be a happy one. My father looked angry and Manas, amused, which didn't go down well with my father. I stepped closer and they stopped to look at me. My father hugged me, turned to Manas with a finger raised in warning before letting me go. Manas raised his two hands, palms open to indicate surrender, and with a nod said, "We will be safe."
"Who cares about you!" my father said contemptuously, patted me on my shoulders and sent me off.
I was puzzled. Father seemed to hate Manas. Mother was not enamored of him. Then why were they letting me go with him? "Pawan, Tushar and I were batchmates," Manas said as he hailed a taxi. "Tushar as in, uncle Tushar?" I asked. I will have to get used to his reading my mind, or learn to hide it better.
"Yes, Jwala's brother. Pawan blames me for Tushar's death..." For the first time, I heard a different emotion in Manas's otherwise light-hearted or assertive tone. "Tushar was as dear to me as to Pawan. But what we were dealing with was of a different class altogether from what we boys were used to... Still... We were there, and Tushar died while I survived. Your father has never forgiven me for that."
"My mother?"
"She doesn't know what happened. And your father never talks about it, I know..." He sighed again.
"And yet he has sent me with you?" I asked, my heart sinking. Manas put a hand on my head. "I have a letter to officially take you to wherever we are going. Your father will not break any rules and so he has let me do this. But I wouldn't be surprised if he is tracking me. The wind guys can be sneaky," he said and laughed again.
I smiled back. "And the light guys?" I asked.
His face turned gentle and kindly. But his words did not match his expression. "They are the sneakiest," he said and his eyes twinkled.
A taxi pulled up. Manas stepped forward and opened the door for me. I bent down to enter it when I felt darkness swamp me again and the last I remember before blacking out completely was to push Manas.
"That was impressive," he was saying when the darkness cleared.
I flashed at him angrily, but he didn't seem to notice and went on, "You realised the danger even before I did, and I have more experience than you!"
I looked at him puzzled. This time, he seemed to know what I was thinking, "You don't know what happened, do you?" I shook my head. He nodded as if he understood. "Let's not delay anymore," he said. He waved his hand and a dark tunnel materialised. I know, I know, for somebody whose power seemed to be light, I was seeing more of darkness. But this tunnel was not like the other blackouts. I could still see him and I was aware of his presence.
"We are using a portal as you seem to be attracting a lot of evil forces," Manas said, as if that explained everything.
"I am attracting evil forces?" I laughed nervously. No power and being sought out by evil forces didn't seem as if the odds were in my favour. "Why do you say that?" I asked, wondering if he was only teasing me.
"Now I understand why I was ordered to bring you. I cannot explain why because I don't know. Let me see, you were suddenly attacked day before yesterday, soon after you turned 18 and found your element. There was a fight, but considering the intensity of the attack, it got over faster and with no damage. Then now this, and you blacked out both times..." Just then, the tunnel began to vanish and we were on firm ground. Here at least, there was some natural light. He looked directly into my eyes and I met his gaze. My mind went black, but I sensed him probing. Strangely, I submitted to the probing because I wanted to know what was happening to me too. When he shook his head, I was disappointed. "There is nothing in your memory to tell me what happened. But know this Deepika, you saved your people yesterday and you saved us today."
I was flattered, mystified, disappointed, but before I could say anything, a diminutive man stood in front of me. He was barely my height and stooped a little. He had a staff in his hand. His flowy white beard and twinkling eyes would have made him look ordinary to most common folks. But I could see his aura that more than made up for his lack of height. He was a ball of energy, a little bit of wind, a little fire, some ice and everything mixed together.
Manas bowed before him and I followed suit without second thoughts. He commanded respect.
He smiled at me and said, "Welcome, Shakti." To my consternation, he bowed before me.
(Click here for Part IV)
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.
I went out and saw my father and Manas in deep conversation. It didn't seem to be a happy one. My father looked angry and Manas, amused, which didn't go down well with my father. I stepped closer and they stopped to look at me. My father hugged me, turned to Manas with a finger raised in warning before letting me go. Manas raised his two hands, palms open to indicate surrender, and with a nod said, "We will be safe."
"Who cares about you!" my father said contemptuously, patted me on my shoulders and sent me off.
I was puzzled. Father seemed to hate Manas. Mother was not enamored of him. Then why were they letting me go with him? "Pawan, Tushar and I were batchmates," Manas said as he hailed a taxi. "Tushar as in, uncle Tushar?" I asked. I will have to get used to his reading my mind, or learn to hide it better.
"Yes, Jwala's brother. Pawan blames me for Tushar's death..." For the first time, I heard a different emotion in Manas's otherwise light-hearted or assertive tone. "Tushar was as dear to me as to Pawan. But what we were dealing with was of a different class altogether from what we boys were used to... Still... We were there, and Tushar died while I survived. Your father has never forgiven me for that."
"My mother?"
"She doesn't know what happened. And your father never talks about it, I know..." He sighed again.
"And yet he has sent me with you?" I asked, my heart sinking. Manas put a hand on my head. "I have a letter to officially take you to wherever we are going. Your father will not break any rules and so he has let me do this. But I wouldn't be surprised if he is tracking me. The wind guys can be sneaky," he said and laughed again.
I smiled back. "And the light guys?" I asked.
His face turned gentle and kindly. But his words did not match his expression. "They are the sneakiest," he said and his eyes twinkled.
A taxi pulled up. Manas stepped forward and opened the door for me. I bent down to enter it when I felt darkness swamp me again and the last I remember before blacking out completely was to push Manas.
"That was impressive," he was saying when the darkness cleared.
I flashed at him angrily, but he didn't seem to notice and went on, "You realised the danger even before I did, and I have more experience than you!"
I looked at him puzzled. This time, he seemed to know what I was thinking, "You don't know what happened, do you?" I shook my head. He nodded as if he understood. "Let's not delay anymore," he said. He waved his hand and a dark tunnel materialised. I know, I know, for somebody whose power seemed to be light, I was seeing more of darkness. But this tunnel was not like the other blackouts. I could still see him and I was aware of his presence.
"We are using a portal as you seem to be attracting a lot of evil forces," Manas said, as if that explained everything.
"I am attracting evil forces?" I laughed nervously. No power and being sought out by evil forces didn't seem as if the odds were in my favour. "Why do you say that?" I asked, wondering if he was only teasing me.
"Now I understand why I was ordered to bring you. I cannot explain why because I don't know. Let me see, you were suddenly attacked day before yesterday, soon after you turned 18 and found your element. There was a fight, but considering the intensity of the attack, it got over faster and with no damage. Then now this, and you blacked out both times..." Just then, the tunnel began to vanish and we were on firm ground. Here at least, there was some natural light. He looked directly into my eyes and I met his gaze. My mind went black, but I sensed him probing. Strangely, I submitted to the probing because I wanted to know what was happening to me too. When he shook his head, I was disappointed. "There is nothing in your memory to tell me what happened. But know this Deepika, you saved your people yesterday and you saved us today."
I was flattered, mystified, disappointed, but before I could say anything, a diminutive man stood in front of me. He was barely my height and stooped a little. He had a staff in his hand. His flowy white beard and twinkling eyes would have made him look ordinary to most common folks. But I could see his aura that more than made up for his lack of height. He was a ball of energy, a little bit of wind, a little fire, some ice and everything mixed together.
Manas bowed before him and I followed suit without second thoughts. He commanded respect.
He smiled at me and said, "Welcome, Shakti." To my consternation, he bowed before me.
(Click here for Part IV)
could not make head or tail
ReplyDeleteThis is part 3.
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