To read from the beginning, click here.
To read the previous chapter, click here.
Do I consciously reach a destination or am I taken there? I was in a windy place, but I was not on any planet, let alone Saturn. My star was with me, subtly rubbing against my fingers, spreading warmth in this cold place. What held me in place, I don't know, because I seemed to be in the midst of some spatial storm. I had nothing around me except the winds and then I realised that I was being held by the winds, as if my father was carrying me. "Be careful, be watchful. Conspiracy in high places," the wind seemed to whisper.
I felt my heart quiver as I understood the implication. "Prince Ajat betrayed us," my father continued. "Manas may be killed, I may be killed. I will be hunted down, cannot hide for long," he continued.
"Papa, what can I do? How can I save you?" I cried out, trying to see his face in this nebulous form of his.
"I don't know, honey. I don't know if you have the time. But we have to find the Sacred Shell. You have to protect the Rajguru and Amrit. You have you mother to think of... You have a lot on your plate, darling, and not much any of us can do. Maybe your mother. She had volunteered to go to Mars, but the king thought she may be unfit to do so and sent younger warriors. But she has the experience, she has an exposure, she has her father's guidance... Between you, Rajguru and your mother, you will have to figure out something."
"Come back home, we can save you, we can expose them," I said and immediately felt very selfish.
The wind stopped blowing for a few moments and then my father said, "Yes, you are right. I will be hunted and killed wherever I am." He resumed his form and stood in front of me. "When I escaped the palace, I was thinking only of myself. But no, I will not cower down. Let's go back."
"No!" I protested. "I don't want to lose you! I am sorry, you must hide," I urged him.
"If I have to die, let me at least die fighting beside you guys," he said simply and I sensed we were returning to earth. I wanted to stop him from entering my room, expecting to find Ajat there, but we arrived before I could even say anything. To my relief, only my mother and Rajguru were there.
My father didn't waste a second to bring them up to speed. The Rajguru looked shaken. "But he was barely 16 then! He was under the tutelage of the finest of men, including you, Pawan! How did the Daits get to him!?" he asked.
My father glanced at my mother and said softly, "Through Tushar."
My mother gasped. "What are you saying! No!"
My father went to her and held her. "I am sorry. Even I didn't know. But Manas guessed. That day especially he was getting very strong currents. When your brother sent us away ahead, promising to join us later, Manas could feel his restlessness and tuned in. The Daits arrived and he encouraged the prince to hand the Sacred Shell to the Daits."
I felt my body growing cold as the ice in me manifested itself. My uncle's power seemed aroused and finally emerged strongly. I could feel regret and sorrow. My body was chilly. The others didn't notice anything and continued talking.
"So...did the prince act in innocence?" the Rajguru asked.
"I don't know about that day, guruji. But I don't think he is innocent since then. This morning, he whisked me away to kill me or imprison me. He has deliberately let Manas's name be maligned."
"What a pity that we are going to lose a room full of talented people," we heard the prince say out of the blue. No one had noticed his entry into the room. And none of Rajguru's protective charms had held him back. He had been welcomed before and so the charms did not hold him back now.
The Rajguru stood up with quiet dignity. "You know you can change, you can return, and you will be forgiven."
"Forgiven? By you, old man?" the prince asked contemptuously.
My heart broke at his tone as I remained frozen. Was this the man I had been attracted to? Why hadn't I noticed the twisted mind?
I thought back to his aura and it became stark even as I was looking at him. The red and gold baffled me. It was not a negative aura. There was something positive and vibrant about it. It was attractive, it was enticing, alluring... I looked at the prince again and couldn't believe he was evil.
I felt giddy and clutched my head. I felt my body sway and couldn't stop myself as I fell to the floor. My father was with me swiftly. "She is cold!" I heard him exclaim. But he didn't wait for any response and carried me off.
The red and gold of the prince's aura seemed embedded in my mind as I remained immobile in the winds that enveloped me and transported me away from earth. I was unable to decipher the code of that aura. It was not the aura as befitting a prince, and yet, it was not ordinary.
I was in the swirling air of Saturn and I felt some heat from my mother's fire energy chasing me into this realm though she herself did not follow. I felt the chill and I felt the light gently glowing. As I lay wrapped in the windy forces that fired the heat, I felt compact, embraced by my family. I closed my eyes tiredly, feeling lost and powerless yet again, confused, baffled and hurt.
In all that was happening to me, where was I? What was my true strength?
(Continued here)
To read the previous chapter, click here.
Do I consciously reach a destination or am I taken there? I was in a windy place, but I was not on any planet, let alone Saturn. My star was with me, subtly rubbing against my fingers, spreading warmth in this cold place. What held me in place, I don't know, because I seemed to be in the midst of some spatial storm. I had nothing around me except the winds and then I realised that I was being held by the winds, as if my father was carrying me. "Be careful, be watchful. Conspiracy in high places," the wind seemed to whisper.
I felt my heart quiver as I understood the implication. "Prince Ajat betrayed us," my father continued. "Manas may be killed, I may be killed. I will be hunted down, cannot hide for long," he continued.
"Papa, what can I do? How can I save you?" I cried out, trying to see his face in this nebulous form of his.
"I don't know, honey. I don't know if you have the time. But we have to find the Sacred Shell. You have to protect the Rajguru and Amrit. You have you mother to think of... You have a lot on your plate, darling, and not much any of us can do. Maybe your mother. She had volunteered to go to Mars, but the king thought she may be unfit to do so and sent younger warriors. But she has the experience, she has an exposure, she has her father's guidance... Between you, Rajguru and your mother, you will have to figure out something."
"Come back home, we can save you, we can expose them," I said and immediately felt very selfish.
The wind stopped blowing for a few moments and then my father said, "Yes, you are right. I will be hunted and killed wherever I am." He resumed his form and stood in front of me. "When I escaped the palace, I was thinking only of myself. But no, I will not cower down. Let's go back."
"No!" I protested. "I don't want to lose you! I am sorry, you must hide," I urged him.
"If I have to die, let me at least die fighting beside you guys," he said simply and I sensed we were returning to earth. I wanted to stop him from entering my room, expecting to find Ajat there, but we arrived before I could even say anything. To my relief, only my mother and Rajguru were there.
My father didn't waste a second to bring them up to speed. The Rajguru looked shaken. "But he was barely 16 then! He was under the tutelage of the finest of men, including you, Pawan! How did the Daits get to him!?" he asked.
My father glanced at my mother and said softly, "Through Tushar."
My mother gasped. "What are you saying! No!"
My father went to her and held her. "I am sorry. Even I didn't know. But Manas guessed. That day especially he was getting very strong currents. When your brother sent us away ahead, promising to join us later, Manas could feel his restlessness and tuned in. The Daits arrived and he encouraged the prince to hand the Sacred Shell to the Daits."
I felt my body growing cold as the ice in me manifested itself. My uncle's power seemed aroused and finally emerged strongly. I could feel regret and sorrow. My body was chilly. The others didn't notice anything and continued talking.
"So...did the prince act in innocence?" the Rajguru asked.
"I don't know about that day, guruji. But I don't think he is innocent since then. This morning, he whisked me away to kill me or imprison me. He has deliberately let Manas's name be maligned."
"What a pity that we are going to lose a room full of talented people," we heard the prince say out of the blue. No one had noticed his entry into the room. And none of Rajguru's protective charms had held him back. He had been welcomed before and so the charms did not hold him back now.
The Rajguru stood up with quiet dignity. "You know you can change, you can return, and you will be forgiven."
"Forgiven? By you, old man?" the prince asked contemptuously.
My heart broke at his tone as I remained frozen. Was this the man I had been attracted to? Why hadn't I noticed the twisted mind?
I thought back to his aura and it became stark even as I was looking at him. The red and gold baffled me. It was not a negative aura. There was something positive and vibrant about it. It was attractive, it was enticing, alluring... I looked at the prince again and couldn't believe he was evil.
I felt giddy and clutched my head. I felt my body sway and couldn't stop myself as I fell to the floor. My father was with me swiftly. "She is cold!" I heard him exclaim. But he didn't wait for any response and carried me off.
The red and gold of the prince's aura seemed embedded in my mind as I remained immobile in the winds that enveloped me and transported me away from earth. I was unable to decipher the code of that aura. It was not the aura as befitting a prince, and yet, it was not ordinary.
I was in the swirling air of Saturn and I felt some heat from my mother's fire energy chasing me into this realm though she herself did not follow. I felt the chill and I felt the light gently glowing. As I lay wrapped in the windy forces that fired the heat, I felt compact, embraced by my family. I closed my eyes tiredly, feeling lost and powerless yet again, confused, baffled and hurt.
In all that was happening to me, where was I? What was my true strength?
(Continued here)
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