End of an era

Bamiyan

It was the year of power transfer. The Bamiyan Assembly held an election every four years in which the general public elected its representatives. The assembly had two limbs – the residential corporation and the commercial corporation. The residential corporation was elected by the people based on the geographical locations. Each location had a member who took care of the interests of the residents. The commercial corporation was elected by the trade guilds based on various registered professions. The trade guilds were elected by the professionals. The main work of the commercial corporation was regulation of the professions. Elected members of the residential corporation were simply called corporators, who were headed by a mayor, while those of the commercial corporation were called ministers. The ministers were headed by the chancellor. The mayor and the chancellor were integrated by the Convener of the assembly. The mayor, chancellor and the convener made the board of the governors, who also took care of the home office, the treasury, and the external affairs respectively. A shadow government was, likewise, made to represent the minority voice in the assembly. The shadow assembly had half the vote of the actual assembly. Every resolution was passed on a three fourth majority. As a result a second choice poll was usually conducted.

 

In the Grand Hall which was the office of the Convener of Bamiyan Assembly, Wazir Ali Khan signed on the sheet of parchment with his traditional fountain pen. As he ended his signatures with a dot, he broke the nib.

As was the tradition, the last sermon; as the law was called in Bamiyan, would be issued by the Convener in the Grand hall in presence of the mayor, the shadow mayor, the chancellor and the shadow chancellor. Over a period of time, the Conveners had made another unwritten rule of breaking the nib on the last sign.  

“Indeed, this era would be written in golden words in the history of Bamiyan.” Muzammil Hussain said holding Wazir’s hands, kissing them, and touching them on his eyes.

“Definitely sir! You make us proud.” The other voices added. There was an overwhelming atmosphere in the hall.

Wazir Ali smiled gently, took a seal out of his drawer and put it under his signatures. The seal bore the emblem of Afghanistan and under it was written:

W. A. Khan

Convener, Bamiyan Assembly

The sermon pronounced the dissolution of the Assembly and passage of all the powers to the chair of the highest power - ceremonial chair of the god kept under the golden dome in the central hall of the assembly. The chair would, thereafter, bestow the powers to the peoples’ representatives after elections. He passed the parchment over to his clerk. The clerk would later broadcast it and digitalize it for its use for all practical purposes. As for the parchment – it would be laminated and kept in the Assembly Achieves like all other sermons.

Wazir Khan folded his spectacles into his case. His Durban took hold of the case and followed him. As he moved on to the corridors, his staff had gathered on both the sides to see him off. He had been there for eight years – two consecutive terms. He had denied contesting for the third time.

Wazir took the stairway at his right that led to the central hall and stood before the chair of the highest power. He closed his eyes and said:

“Allah! Let there be prosperity and peace!”

All the people repeated the phrase. The only difference was that everyone prayed to his own god. The Chair of the hisghest Power was the place where the god sat – the one god, called by innumerable names. He protected the city and the world through ages. In this age of decline – Bamiyan was verily a heaven.

Wazir Khan left the building through the northern stairway that led straight to the Republic Street. People had gathered at the Assembly Square to see Wazir Khan leave the office. He was, perhaps, the most popular face in Afghanistan, and one of the world’s most important persons.  Just as Khan came out of the high door, there was a massive applause from the people at the square. Khan waved at them shortly and then descended the stairs onto the official wagon waiting to drop him home for the last time. He sat on his wagon and took a sigh. His work wasn’t over as yet, though.

A History into the future.

4

Bamiyan, Afghanistan

  

When it came to controversy, or the matters of faith and pride, last three centuries saw a shift of geographical favoritism to the central Asia. Bamiyan had become the Jerusalem of the east. It was hotly contested by various faiths and nations. Its development over the other greater cities of central Asia like Kabul, Samarkand, Tashkent or Kandahar could be chiefly contributed to the symbolic presence or absence of the giant Buddhas there. So intriguing was their effect that every community in the world tried to make its presence felt in Bamiyan; turning it into a mixed and shortly even the most inflammatory city in the world.

The city was initially in control of the Arab s, who built the white mosque with its blue onion dome. Towards the end of the twenty first century the predominantly Shia Iranis captured the city and established a higher centre of Shia spiritual learning that centered on the Farsi Mosque. The Farsi Mosque and the Farsi University still formed an exceedingly Persian majority area of the city. The Persians had the hold on the city for almost 100 years. This led Bamiyan to peace and prosperity. This was the time that a majority of Hindu traders settled in the old city. They still have a strong control over the trade of the city. The Hindu areas of old city were established. It was the Hindus who established the Taksalkhana which still holds a lot of influence over the commercial markets of the region. When the Americans and Jews overran Iran, Bamiyan fell into Jewish hands. The Jews replicated the Temple of the Rock at Bamiyan as the easternmost outpost of their influence and developed it as a seat of the Rabbi of the orient. The Christians were still conspicuous by their absence from the city. It was not till the Russians ousted the Americans and Israelis from the city that the first church was built. It was the Russian Orthodox Church of Jesus the Apostle which was later upgraded to the status of Archdiocese with the reigning Archbishop of Bactria. There was a brief re flourishing of the Buddhists with the coming of the Chinese whom Russians recruited in a large number in order to have a greater control over the city. The Chinese brought back Buddhism with them and reconstructed the lost Buddha of Bamiyan and built the Pagoda to Avalokiteshwara the Bodhisattva.

By the end of the twenty fourth century the Hazars and Pathans from Bamiyan and the surrounding parts of Afghanistan had approached India so that the power could be restored to the natives.

In year 2374, Indian forces crossed the Suleiman and captured the city of Kabul. By the end of the year the united Baloch and Indian forces entered Iran and toppled the western forces at Yazd in the middle of Dasht – e – kavir. By the end of the year two armed groups were marching towards Mazar-e-Sharif. The Chinese forces got no re-enforcements from the Russians.

The Russians, who were always wary of the Chinese had entered into a secret treaty with the Indians at Baku whereby they would not reinforce the Chinese military and let the natives ovetake Mazar –e- Sharif,  and later Bamiyan with the help of Indian forces, if the Indians could ensure that the Christians and the Archdiocese remain safe, and that the Russian companies, and traders were given a special status. In fact they offered help to India in case China starts any military operations on the Indian borders.

By the year 2376, the Chinese had retreated from Afghanishtan and Bamiyan had fallen into combined Indian and Afghan forces. An Indian cantonment was constructed at Bamiyan and two great Indian style mosques were constructed – The Akbari Mosque in the east and Jama Masjid in the south. In the north-eastern corner of the city a new Indian enclave was constructed in the traditional Mandala design and was named Somapuri as Afghanistan was considered the traditional land of the Soma and the temple of Somnath was built – the largest Hindu temple outside of India. This made the religious diversity of the city complete. By the year 2377, the Indian army had moved back and Afghanistan was rendered a republic with Bamiyan having a special status and the Bamiyan Assembly representative of all the communities taking care of its legislature.

Deborah & Kali

London (continued from previous)

  John was her best known relative since childhood. He   always loved her like a daughter. After the sudden death of her parents in car crash when she studied in London, John had been her guardian and father figure. She always made a point to meet him every fortnight when she visited Coventry. Lately, on her insistence John had started dating Jennifer Brown, an upcoming pop singer. She wanted him to marry and have a life. Even though John was a bit reluctant in the beginning, but both of them had turned to have a good understanding. The relationship had clicked. Deborah was really happy!

“She is a bitch,” Deborah thought in her mind. “I never thought she could ever do this.”

Just as she entered the fast tube station at Paddington, she could clearly see that this had become big news. There were small groups of people standing by the TVs watching the news. She saw the news flash on the TV.

Dawson Case: Girlfriend Jennifer Brown found dead at her home.

Everything seemed so stunning. She couldn’t understand how the things were moving.

“Did she commit suicide? Stupid girl!  She never had her head right.” Deborah thought as she boarded the zero gravity tube.

In next ten minutes she would be at Coventry at the helm of affairs.

 

3
Bangalore

At the crematorium, as Rajat’s head lay by the sacrificial pit; his body was hung by the hook and his skin was removed. Vikas used the skin as his seat as his team members cut off the rest of body into pieces and chopped the bones off further so that they could be cooked. They gathered the blood in the cooking bowl in which they started cooking him. As the meat was ready, Vikas took a bowlful of cooked meat and with chants introduced it in the fire. As fire engulfed the meat, smoke appeared. The smoke increased till nothing, but a white blanket of smoke was visible. And then she appeared –

Around her neck was a garland of chopped heads, all drenched in blood. She looked fearful – completely black in color, with a shining skin. Her sharp teeth projected externally and invoked fear. She was the one who, thus, lived in cremation grounds, wandering with untied hair.

She carried heads of decapitated men and also, a sharp sickle-sword in her hands. She was smiling with blood drenched lips. On the whole she inspired fear, but at the same time she looked pretty in an unusual way.  

She wore ornaments, ear rings, armlets and girdles made up of dismembered parts of corpses. Her hair was long and beautiful. Sitting on a corpse, she shone like a sun and made fearful sound that rocked all the directions with fear.

Trembling with fear, Vikas and his team prostrated in front of her. She was looking all around in extreme anger, ready to devour the earth. Her shrieks deafened the ears of the sinners. In a single stroke, she decapitated Vijay, a member of the team standing to the left and drenched his blood in her pot. As she drank, blood drenched her hair as it flew from the corners of her mouth. Vikas and all others were trembling. It was the first time that they had invoked Kali. They never knew what would happen. Demigoddesses were comparatively more benevolent, but Kali was the ultimate power. No one could stand in front of her. As she finished the meal, she threw Vijay’s head on the ground and crushed into pieces .His decapitated body lay, still trembling on ground some distance ahead. She gave it a single blow of foot and it was gone. It lay there – still and dead. She roared like a lioness and then said – “The sinner could not control his senses. He was already dead when he tasted the meat before it could be given to the fire!”  

“Goddess, please forgive us.” Vikas prayed. His hands folded and his lips shivring in fear. “You know about everything in the minds of the people.”

“This isn’t a business Vikas.” Kali roared. “There are things that you don’t know. Everything happens for a reason. I don’t appear on the earth without a deeper cause. Never in this age have I stepped on the alter to taste flesh – but when I come, it’s an indication of great changes. Tell me why you killed this man?” She stopped abruptly.

“Goddess, I want to restore him with Pankaj’s soul.” Vikas answered meekly.

“Did you get paid for it?” Kali said in a loud serious tone.

Vikas knew that these are going to be the last words from his throat. He knew that this was not a business. How did he even think that he would escape the goddess with this? He had been a fool.

“Yes Goddess” He answered, just ready to be slain.

“Let this be a lesson for you. I told you that this is not a business. Your Guru took a word from you for this before teaching you this science. Tantra is to be used only for a greater benefit of humankind. Not for greed. Though there is a reason behind everything, but you won’t know that. You would get what you want, but there would be a price that you would have to pay. You will lose two people who are closest to your heart in return of this so that you never repeat this again.”

Kali immediately took Rajat’s fallen head and blew a whiff of air, and there he was, complete with all his limbs – just as he was before. The only difference was that of soul. He now had Pankaj’s soul in his body.

Kali Turned to Vibhu. “Give me your hand.”

Vibhu moved forward. Kali took his hand and immediately dug a black iron nail in his palm. Vibhu cried in pain.

“Don’t worry. You won’t die. I have tied Rajat’s soul with you. He will be with you forever. He was a good man. His soul would be free from all the sufferings. You would be the one who would suffer for him. As for this pain in your palm it would never go away.” Kali roared, rocking the directions and into the smoke from which she had materialized, she vanished.

Vikas looked at the horizon. The night had ended. It was the dawn.

O1:02 - Deborah

2

London, United Kingdom

It was a sunny day at Paddington. She had boarded the zero gravity tube from Coventry just some time back. London was hardly 10 minutes from The Midlands, but it was still a world apart. Deborah always preferred hitting the tube when in London. It was traditional, usually quieter than the other means of transport, and more dependable; even though a bit slow. She had all the time in the world anyways. How did it matter?

It was Sunday morning. She didn’t need to be in London till the evening, but the life in the midlands was getting on her nerves! She decided that it was better to be in London and do something rather than be there and do nothing. She headed straight away to her home in Harrow, the congested borough in northern London. It was a small terraced house, but it was good for her. She lived alone. An year back, she had a poodle named Butter, but it had died silently one night without a whimper. She discovered it next morning when she called Butter for the breakfast but he didn’t respond. She was sad.  Butter had been with her for many years now, and additionally, there weren’t many people apart from him whom she knew. She thought that people were vein. She usually gave the example of a lady she met at the Kings Cross station who demanded money after putting an unasked weird green fern on her jacket. “What would the fern do to me?” she used to say, “And besides, I never asked for one. Well, if it were a gift it would have been another thing, but I wouldn’t forcibly buy a fern that I didn’t need!” There was always a look of bewilderment on her face as she ended the sentence with a stretched syllable at the end as if she wanted an answer.

Most of her students in Harrow College where she taught History thought that she was sexy rather than learned, but then that was fine for most of them. Despite all her clumsiness, she had a flair for history of humankind, and a thorough knowledge of her subject. But more than everything, she was stunningly beautiful. This usually overpowered all her negatives and positives alike. Most of the males wanted her to be on the next cover of The Playboy, while the females simply wanted her to be out. She cared about none.

She entered her home and after removing the shoes and overcoat, she called for a pizza delivery straight away and went to the kitchen to have some water. She switched on the fireplace heater and sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the news on the BBC. The pizza delivery boy had come. She took the pizza and as the TV continued to blare on, she went to the bathroom to plug the bathtub and switch it on for filling warm water. She undressed into a bathrobe, and came back to finish the pizza with the BBC news.  She loved to get herself into doing a multitude of things at once.

Just as she got up to go for the bath, a news flashed across the TV. The Newsroom anchor was breaking the news – “It has been reported that Mr. John Dawson, renowned social worker and ex MP from Coventry has been found dead at his home. The time of death has been uncertain, but experts say that it might have taken place early in the morning. The reason of death has been stated as asphyxia due to airway obstruction. The death is supposed to occur after what is being called as an orgy sex session as hints of presence of more than one female partner are present. The police have yet denied giving any statement on the matter. The forensic and crime teams are working on the matter. We would keep giving you live updates on this matter. Mr. Dawson was a renowned public figure in Coventry…….”

Deborah sank in her sofa, her face flushed pale. She had just met her uncle yesterday night.

The Ritual

In the afternoon, Vibhu handed Rajat over to Rudra. Since then, Rajat and Rudra had been together. Rajat had obediently listened to Rudra all this time. He never tried to escape as other people would have done!

 He somehow had nothing left to live for anymore after Pankaj’s death. Both were together, when his car crashed. He couldn’t overcome the guilt that it all happened due to his negligence.

He ought to have died, not Pankaj! Maybe whatever was happening to him was the way nature corrected its mistakes. This was his redemption.

He, however, told Rudra once while they sat together for lunch – “you are in an illusion brother! You’re on the side of the devil. You will have to suffer.”

Rudra answered back calmly – “you are wrong. You will realize it later.” Rajat never answered back.

Now that they were in the crematorium, things happened in a really traditional way. Rajat was first taken to Pankaj’s cremation table. He was shocked to see that Pankaj’s ashes were there. They were missing when he last saw them in the morning!

Rudra laughed at Rajat’s expressions – “This is the truth, Rajat. What you saw in the morning was an illusion. It was all created by the child you met in the morning. Even that child was an illusion. Here he is! Rajat, meet Vibhu” He said introducing Rajat to a young man standing on the other side of the table.

Rudra continued.” He will be your friend in your afterlife.” Rajat heard what Rudra said, trying to absorb all that was happening around him as Rudra continued, “Now, your main work will be to pick the ashes and mix it with the sacrificial powder.”

Rajat felt spellbound to do as Rudra instructed. He could have run, but he didn’t want to, something had stoppedhis entire thought process. Rajat slowly collected Pankaj’s ashes and mixed it with the sacrificial powder amidst invocations and chants. As the chants continued. Rajat was stripped naked and bathed with honey, milk, water and liquor. He was finally taken to the alter.

Vikas invoked the holy fire of the night and increased it by pouring clarified butter. It was midnight. The fire would go on till sunrise. There were more invocations, more chants and finally the sacrificial offerings started with sacrificial powder mixed in Pankaj’s ashes. Each offering had an explosive effect on the fire.

As the darkness deepened, Vikas stood up and amidst invocations, took a sickle shaped sword, and ran towards Rajat. In a single blow, he decapitated Rajat entirely. Rajat's head toppled off his body and rolled over near the pit of sacrificial fire. Blood poured out of his throat and soaked his whole body red. Rudra and others started the dismemberment of his limbs quickly afterwards.

The Crying Child

Friday Morning 10:00 AM

BANNERGHATTA CREMATORIUM, Bangalore

People were grieving as the button was pressed and the dead body heated to intense red and turned into flames. There was a tremendous uproar. Ladies of the house were crying insane. It was the sound of death. It tears the heart and the soul in its merciless music.

 The melody of death was the favorite music for Vibhu’s ears. He stood there – in the form of a child – a young boy at it – watching the proceedings calmly. He haunted the crematoria as a crying child – filling the heart of the survivors with the sadness of death.

Just as the attendance to the funeral attrited , Rajat left the mourning family. He was among the last ones to leave as he was so close to the deceased. As he took the turn towards the lawns that lead to the parking outside the crematorium gates – he heard a squeal. The saddest and the most painful one he had ever heard. It resonated with a great loss. It resonated with emptiness and longing which can never be fulfilled - a wail that would invoke sympathy even in the hearts of the most merciless people. The wind was in the trees. It was a beautiful day. He turned around and saw the most beautiful and yet the saddest face of a boy he had ever seen. Fair, but pale, with red lips and black hair. He wore white kurta- pyjama. His mourning seemed complete.

An instant sense of sadness at the loss of the boy filled Rajat’s heart with extreme sympathy. He approached him and sat down on the ground on his knees facing the boy. He gently wiped the boy’s tears and amidst his sobs, he asked him, “Don’t cry my child. Where are your parents? Why are you alone?”

The boy had a white rose in his hand. He asked Rajat, “Was he your brother?” He was still sobbing.

Rajat answered, “He was my friend - a really close friend.”

“It’s so sad.” The boy said and burst into a sad squeal.

Rajat was a bit confused. Was he from the family? But then why was he alone? He asked, “You know him?”

The boy moved his head in denial.

“Then why are you crying for him?” Rajat asked. He was really confused by now.

“He will never find peace……” the boy burst into the saddest cry. “ He will never be able to cross to the other side.”

Rajat’s face turned white. The words reverberated in his mind. He looked like a dead man already. His hands turned cold. His speech stopped.

“This is your friend’s flower. I’ll take him with me.”

He remembered that a dead man’s flower is his ashes.

He ran off stumbling and falling a little distance away. He heard the boy’s words. “Its so sad. I’ll take you too. I cry for you as well.” And then burst into a loud crackling cry. The cry filled Rajat’s heart with absolute sadness. He stopped running and stood still. He didn’t want to live anymore.

The boy came over to him and gently took his hand. He led him to cremation table where his friend lay minutes back. The family was gone. There were no ashes there.   

The Beginnings. (1:1)

Chapter 1

THE BEGINNINGS

1

2430 CE

Bangalore, India.

Friday Sunset

Darkness had embraced the grounds. It was the beginning of the night, and their work had just begun. Every day was getting harder for them. It wasn’t like before anymore. There were days, when work was in abundance, and completing tasks was easy. But now, Vikas and all others like him were continuously on the run. The work had become tougher, and the eyes of the law had made the business a lot lesser than before. It was just the change of shifts that gave them some chance to sneak in, if at all they could.

Vikas was a team leader; one of the last ones of his science. He was powerful, and knowledgeable. However, there was a time when he used to go to the school, and like all the other kids, he had a dream.He dreamt to be an aircraft designer and make new designs for the aircrafts. But all that was past, and here he was tonight; with one of his usual duties. His target today was Bangalore – the busiest of the global conurbations, and ,unarguably, the most secured and controlled.

“Once we are there, just take care of Visual Information Boxes”, Vikas spoke in whispers as he turned back slowly in darkness towards the huge guy behind him. His voice was muffled, and had hoarseness, even in a whisper. He continued, “There are many VIBs around there. These are the spy boxes with stealth. You won’t be able to see them, but, they record your movements all the time. They transmit visual signals to their security masters even in the dark so that they know what is happening there”

“Yes, but how do we get in?” Rudra wore a frustrated look on his face. A tall man with long hair, bouncing in locks down his neck, and strewn across his chest, Rudra inspired awe at the very first look. A frightening aura surrounded him. As he moved, every inch of his ripped muscles shone with strength in the grey moonlight. He moved ahead with caution. Commotion meant confusion and a chance for the enemies to become alerted. He wanted to take them unawares.

Security Gates: Around the same time

Tara approached the guards in an exceedingly sumptuous dress. The alert security guard tried not to get carried off into the lures of her flesh, but she was too hard to resist. He approached her and asked what she was up to at this odd hour, and that too alone!

The scornful security officer and his assistant watched the VIB signals far away in central Bangalore. “He is a dog. He doesn’t know is that papa is watching. If he lays her, it’s going to be the last night of his job.” The security officer told his assistant. While both shared a laugh at the prospect of another entertaining night, Tara had already taken care of this.

Just as Tara started speaking to the guard, Trishna used a really easy process to ‘hack’ the VIBs signals through her frequency matcher and give a false transmission to the security officers. As the security officers saw the guard speak to Tara and shoo her away, in reality, something else was going on at the security gates.

Tara told the guard that she was thirsty. She said that she had lost her way and it was really lonely! She was alone and frightened! The guard calmed her and asked her to sit as he got some water for her. As he returned and approached her with water, Tara smiled. He looked in her eyes. There was a brilliant shine there – almost frightening. As he looked at her again, he froze……..

 

Meanwhile, Vikas pacified the agitated Rudra.  “Don’t worry about getting in Rudra. Tara and Trishna might have taken care of that. Both the sisters are the best the world has in their specializations - the first one at casting spells and the second one at illusions.” Vikas sounded like a triumphant king. “Your work is just to be aware of any changes that the enemy makes in their way of working and see that everything goes smoothly.”

By the time they reached the security gates Trishna and Tara had done their job. The illusion was made and stealth of their activities was complete and impermeable. The guards were taken care of.

As Vikas rose to the ground level with the last step, he could clearly see the illuminated board in front of him. His destination.

BANNERGHATTA CREMATORIUM

This project would get him 4.5 million rupees. It wasn’t a tough task, but the risk involved was a little high. The deal was always fixed on the need and urgency of the client. The higher the need, the higher the deal amount.

They had finished up all the preparations in the morning. It was marvelous work.

Symphony of the Emrald Lake

A story of five different souls with different lives, and different lifestyles. Destiny will push them together towards a common goal. As the board is laid, and the game begins, each move shall determine the future course of action. At the end of this game, the universe as we know it will change. But, there are somethings that shall never change..... Some players shall never lose! Keep reading this blog to find how it happened?