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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.
I wondered what happened to the plans about meeting my grandmother when Manas told me to get ready. "We don't know if it's relevant anymore, for she only dealt with light and was not Shakti. But let's see," he said without much hope.
I was curious about how I was going to meet a person who had passed on. Though there was no death other than in a battle, the seniors left Earth whenever they felt they had served their purpose so that the next generation could take over and bring in fresh ideas. Very few like the Rajguru, who still had the wisdom to be able to guide us in times of transition and keep us rooted, tended to stay on.
My journey this time was not far. We just had to cross a street to reach the banks of our holy river, River Saraswati. On land, she is no longer visible, but here, she was flowing in full glory. What is 'here'? A little tough to say. It was Earth, but also a space that an ordinary man couldn't enter. We lived on a plane that merged with that of the humans, we moved amongst them, but we also kept a distance. That's why we could take a cab, or we could simply use a teleportal. We could speak on the phone, or like this morning when I spoke to my mother, telecall. And Saraswathi still flowed on this plane in a rich gush while the humans only know of it as a river that vanished underground.
I sat down beside Manas, not knowing what to do or what to expect. It was early morning and the sun was still not up. I could see the Morning Star and gazed at it, remembering the star-like substance that had first awakened me to my power.
In a flash, I was in white light, just like the other day. It was searing hot and nothing could survive here. But I myself felt one with the light, unaffected by the heat. There was so much peace and quiet here that I didn't wish to leave.
I thought I was alone but felt a presence next to me. I turned to see some intense light, different from that around it. I frowned, wondering if that's how I was visible to others too. The thought had just crossed my mind when I noticed the variations to the light whichever way I turned. It was not uniform white light but streaks of light that were stronger than the space around it. I was awed by the realization that the white light was not because of the sun, the moon or any other source of light but that they were, in fact, Deepaks and Deepikas, the light wielders like my grandmother who now resided in this plane! So, Venus was their final go to?
I could feel a warm glow as I felt surrounded by love and affectionate hugs. The realisation seemed to nudge other memories out. The darkness during the battle, for instance... I was alone on the battlefield and did not have the glow of these wielders of light. A humming sound suggested that I was on the right track. They did not join the battle because they were not fighters. There was some dimming in the streaks of light and I thought it was because they felt their own feeling of inadequacy. I wanted to gather them to me, knowing full well how that felt! My empathy seemed to resonate with them and I felt the light beings gathering around me.
Was my grandmother here? I felt great contrition at having looked down on her, like many others, when she was with us. Yes, of course, she was here and she was present, moving closer as the others parted to give her way. Our lights merged and I felt my light intensifying. She herself was diminishing and then, slowly, her light vanished. But I didn't feel any sadness, only as if she would be with me always; as if she had merged with me. Again a hum and I knew that the other light beings were affirming my belief and telling me were with me too.
I stood as a thought crossed my mind. What did Shakti mean? Like the king, I had all the energies at my disposal. If Venus being the hottest planet I could stand here, could I go to Mars too?
The reaction of the light beings was not encouraging. Mars had turned inimical. But where did the fire energy wielders go? The silence of the light wielders could mean they didn't know, or that the fire wielders had changed loyalties too. Their reaction was ambiguous and as my questions became complicated, their answers were harder to interpret. Still, I knew I would come here often for the peace was very healing and magical.
Manas eyed me skeptically. "We have waited for her long. I don't think she wants to meet you," he said.
I smiled smugly and nodded, glad that he hadn't penetrated my mind, whether by choice or because he respected me, I don't know. I patted my heart mentally, for I felt my grandmother's glow in the deepest crevice within me. A gentle tremor suggested that she was laughing too, enjoying deceiving Manas. A harmless deceit, really.
"We will start your training shortly," he said. I shrugged. I felt something rough in my hand and saw that I was clutching a star. It was twinkling and happy, but something told me that it was not as benign as it looked. It was a weapon that would serve me well. I didn't know yet how but I knew this one was for keeps. I pushed it into my pocket unobtrusively and returned to the lodging.
I was given training in all kinds of weapons, but I could see the Rajguru was doing it only to keep me occupied productively. I spent my spare time in the library, reading up about the other energies and where they went when they passed on. I had to figure out how to visit their abodes and make them my allies. There was ancient wisdom in them that I needed very badly.
I needed to go to even the farthest planets, Neptune and Pluto, for they too were strong in elements and probably the home for water and ice wielders. Saturn, that was the abode of the wind bearers. And Jupiter, the home for kings and wise men, who had power more than others. Mind readers like Manas would be in Mercury. Could I master that?
And Mars? I needed to know how to go to Mars without detection.
I sat up as I heard the name Shakti being whispered. Shakti. I wondered how I could reach out to the one who came before me... There are legends about her capabilities. But things had changed since then. It was not about weapons alone.
The whisper became stronger and I looked around, wondering whether someone was really calling me. There was a desperation in that voice and I felt myself being pulled by some strong force. I got up and suddenly, I plunged into darkness.
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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.
I wondered what happened to the plans about meeting my grandmother when Manas told me to get ready. "We don't know if it's relevant anymore, for she only dealt with light and was not Shakti. But let's see," he said without much hope.
I was curious about how I was going to meet a person who had passed on. Though there was no death other than in a battle, the seniors left Earth whenever they felt they had served their purpose so that the next generation could take over and bring in fresh ideas. Very few like the Rajguru, who still had the wisdom to be able to guide us in times of transition and keep us rooted, tended to stay on.
My journey this time was not far. We just had to cross a street to reach the banks of our holy river, River Saraswati. On land, she is no longer visible, but here, she was flowing in full glory. What is 'here'? A little tough to say. It was Earth, but also a space that an ordinary man couldn't enter. We lived on a plane that merged with that of the humans, we moved amongst them, but we also kept a distance. That's why we could take a cab, or we could simply use a teleportal. We could speak on the phone, or like this morning when I spoke to my mother, telecall. And Saraswathi still flowed on this plane in a rich gush while the humans only know of it as a river that vanished underground.
I sat down beside Manas, not knowing what to do or what to expect. It was early morning and the sun was still not up. I could see the Morning Star and gazed at it, remembering the star-like substance that had first awakened me to my power.
In a flash, I was in white light, just like the other day. It was searing hot and nothing could survive here. But I myself felt one with the light, unaffected by the heat. There was so much peace and quiet here that I didn't wish to leave.
I thought I was alone but felt a presence next to me. I turned to see some intense light, different from that around it. I frowned, wondering if that's how I was visible to others too. The thought had just crossed my mind when I noticed the variations to the light whichever way I turned. It was not uniform white light but streaks of light that were stronger than the space around it. I was awed by the realization that the white light was not because of the sun, the moon or any other source of light but that they were, in fact, Deepaks and Deepikas, the light wielders like my grandmother who now resided in this plane! So, Venus was their final go to?
I could feel a warm glow as I felt surrounded by love and affectionate hugs. The realisation seemed to nudge other memories out. The darkness during the battle, for instance... I was alone on the battlefield and did not have the glow of these wielders of light. A humming sound suggested that I was on the right track. They did not join the battle because they were not fighters. There was some dimming in the streaks of light and I thought it was because they felt their own feeling of inadequacy. I wanted to gather them to me, knowing full well how that felt! My empathy seemed to resonate with them and I felt the light beings gathering around me.
Was my grandmother here? I felt great contrition at having looked down on her, like many others, when she was with us. Yes, of course, she was here and she was present, moving closer as the others parted to give her way. Our lights merged and I felt my light intensifying. She herself was diminishing and then, slowly, her light vanished. But I didn't feel any sadness, only as if she would be with me always; as if she had merged with me. Again a hum and I knew that the other light beings were affirming my belief and telling me were with me too.
I stood as a thought crossed my mind. What did Shakti mean? Like the king, I had all the energies at my disposal. If Venus being the hottest planet I could stand here, could I go to Mars too?
The reaction of the light beings was not encouraging. Mars had turned inimical. But where did the fire energy wielders go? The silence of the light wielders could mean they didn't know, or that the fire wielders had changed loyalties too. Their reaction was ambiguous and as my questions became complicated, their answers were harder to interpret. Still, I knew I would come here often for the peace was very healing and magical.
Manas eyed me skeptically. "We have waited for her long. I don't think she wants to meet you," he said.
I smiled smugly and nodded, glad that he hadn't penetrated my mind, whether by choice or because he respected me, I don't know. I patted my heart mentally, for I felt my grandmother's glow in the deepest crevice within me. A gentle tremor suggested that she was laughing too, enjoying deceiving Manas. A harmless deceit, really.
"We will start your training shortly," he said. I shrugged. I felt something rough in my hand and saw that I was clutching a star. It was twinkling and happy, but something told me that it was not as benign as it looked. It was a weapon that would serve me well. I didn't know yet how but I knew this one was for keeps. I pushed it into my pocket unobtrusively and returned to the lodging.
I was given training in all kinds of weapons, but I could see the Rajguru was doing it only to keep me occupied productively. I spent my spare time in the library, reading up about the other energies and where they went when they passed on. I had to figure out how to visit their abodes and make them my allies. There was ancient wisdom in them that I needed very badly.
I needed to go to even the farthest planets, Neptune and Pluto, for they too were strong in elements and probably the home for water and ice wielders. Saturn, that was the abode of the wind bearers. And Jupiter, the home for kings and wise men, who had power more than others. Mind readers like Manas would be in Mercury. Could I master that?
And Mars? I needed to know how to go to Mars without detection.
I sat up as I heard the name Shakti being whispered. Shakti. I wondered how I could reach out to the one who came before me... There are legends about her capabilities. But things had changed since then. It was not about weapons alone.
The whisper became stronger and I looked around, wondering whether someone was really calling me. There was a desperation in that voice and I felt myself being pulled by some strong force. I got up and suddenly, I plunged into darkness.
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