The Murder of A Saint

Next Day

Travelling through the Deccan on the coach to Rishikesh

After a discourse to Kalia’s pupil, Madhavendra asked Burak and Kalia to follow him to his compartment.

“I had an old friend at Rishikesh. His name was Rajendra – a gem of a man. People would throng him in thousands and he would relieve their worldly agonies while himself being engaged in realms outside of this material existence.” Shankara started. “He had a favorite disciple – a man who would go to any extent for his worldly gains through the way of unworldly pursuits. He rules the world today.”

“In his hijack of the forces of good, he has joined hands with the ones who share his greed. The multitude of go getters who have crushed many a blooming lives to make their  way up to nowhere. The farther they go, the farther go the horizons and the farther goes their insatiable greed. They have become heroes, role models and masters of the earth. They sow the seeds of sin on the earth and reap the harvest of evil, which grows in magnitude – consuming this very earth, until one day living would become impossible on the earth.” The seer had a grave face.“What they don’t know is that they would be gone in a flash. Apamnapat who resides in the water filled clouds waits to devour them and rain the fresh waters in which he hides.”

“Who is he my lord?” Professor asked the seer.

“His name is Ajay. Born in a small hamlet in near Mathura – he was a son of a simple farmer. It was broad daylight in Mathura when he was born, and suddenly it began to rain without clouds. There was a tumultuous uproar as dogs, cats and jackals howled and the birds of prey gathered in the sky and flew in circles. The whole district of Mathura was flooded in this unseasonal rainfall. He tore his mother’s womb and killed her while coming out. His father’s crops failed that year. As he grew up, he would eat all the food in his poor household, leaving his elder and doting brothers hungry.  A bane on the family, his black shadow loomed on the whole village as the rodents and locusts infested the crop and cattle died of mysterious illness. It was at such a time that Rajendrananda arrived in the village. He saw the  agony of the villagers and found out the cause. It was the boy. He took the boy with him and raised him up as his own son, transforming him by the power of his prayers into a positive soul – or at least so he felt. The boy was to become the cause of his death in the time to come. Ajay put up a show of humbleness and righteousness in front of his master so that he became his favorite pupil. One day when Rajendra went up in a mountain cave with a year’s vow ofnot standing up from meditation and eating just once in two days, he appointed Ajay as his sole caretaker who would be the only person to have an access to him. His duty was to bring food to him. For four months he did his duty religiously. By then, he had also taken up the duties of his master as the head of the hermitage. He felt the taste of the position of power and prestige for the first time. People, rich and poor, powerful and impoverished all came to him alike. Moreover, he saw people giving him expensive gifts and the money flowing in. ‘What would happen once his master returns’ he thought. ‘All the privilages would be taken away from him and he would have to hold a subsidiary position again.’ This is when he stopped feeding his master. Rajendra would wait for food for five minutes every second day, while Ajay took the food from the hermitage and threw it away in the stream by the hillside. Within two months Rajendra fell ill.

Ajay reported at the hermitage that the guru was not opening his eyes for food. When Rajendra last met him, he told him that he does not want anyone to meet him. One day, when Rajendra decided to end his fast, he rose up with great difficulty to find Ajay standing by the hillside.

“Why don’t you get me the food?” He called out to him in an annoyed voice.

Ajay just laughed in surprise. “ You have risen father?” He said. “ this is not right. You shouldn’t break your vow. He approached a weakened Rajendra and gently pushed him along the hillside in the stream. The ascetic died of the fall and asphyxia. The seat was permanently taken by Ajay, who now named himself Narayanaswami. He heads a religious sect now and is lately chairing the world parliament of religions in America.”

Shankara continued, “ The board of governors at the parliament of religions is filled with such demons disguised in the veil of holy men. All of them are ready with a shovel in their hands – ready to dig the grave of humankind forever.” Shankara’s voice was furious. “They are the governors of the shovel of the doomsday.”

“What he doesn’t know however is that, the day he killed his master, he gave birth to his destruction. Rajendra’s soul was sucked into the sky with the streams water by Apamnapat – who lives as lightening in the rain clouds- the one who will bring about his destruction.”

The tale of Zaara

Jalandhar, India

Zaara’s home was a huge mansion. It was manned by two female servants and a gardener. They lived in the annex to the house, while she lived alone. Mrs. Zaara, as they learnt was a masterchef at Cardamom  at the Taj in Jalandhar. She was one of the most famous continental cooks in the country and authored many cookbooks. She was also famous for throwing up lavish parties at her home. She was a famous figure.

“You can stay with me.” She told Deborah and Thomas. “I have a guest suite. I’ll ask Vinni to prepare that for your stay. I don’t want questions from people, so I’ll be telling them that these are assistants whom I met at Hong Kong. I wanted them to be here to instruct me on modifications in cooking and taste.” She winked at them. “Make sure you reciprocate me.”

In the evening as they sat at the dining table for their dinner. Zaara Asked them, “so how did India treat you so far?”

Thomas sneaked a look at Deborah and answered, “Pretty bad! We got mugged and then cheated. Actually, madam, as an information – we are penniless at the moment.  Our  passports have been stolen and we are in an identity crises.”

“Oh my!” Zaara sighed. “ Didn’t you go to the British office?”

“That would take a lot of money.”Thomas replied.

“Perhaps, we don’t even want to go back.” Deborah replied rather hastily as Thomas ended his sentence. She wanted this interrogation to end.

“Oh, that’s another story entirely.” Zaara raised her eyebrows as she continued. “This country is full of illegals like you. They have learnt to put up with them. I don’t think you’ll have much of a problem here. The midland scum, you’d be.”

“You have offended me more than once Zaara. Whatever you have with Dawson’s is a personal matter, and moreover in my opinion John was a really respectable person.” Deborah protested.

“Respectable?” Zaara sounded furious now. “ If there was someone respectable in that family, that rascal of a man killed him?”

“Hah…your daughter?” Deborah answered sarcastically.

“William Dawson, if you know him. His elder brother.”

Deborah froze.

“If you have the mettle to listen then I’ll tell you all.” Zaara said.

“But how do I know whatever you are telling you is the truth?” Deborah asked, still unable together herself after what she had just heard.

“I’ll prove it to you.”

Zaara started.

“A pack of hyenas can sometimes prove too good for a solitary lion. William Dawson was that lion among the hyenas.  A gem of a man, he was a great friend of my husband’s. The tallest leader in the midlands –his popularity was growing in the conservative party day by day.An honest man, and an intelligent one on it –he stood taller than anyone in the conservatives and the labour alike. It seemed that he was destined to be the most popular leader in the United Kingdom in many years. He died suddenly in a car crash along with her wife. “

“I know how he died Zaara, everyone in the Britain knows it.”  Deborah remarked.

“So foolish of all of you to believe that. “  Zaara snapped with a sigh. “Do you know Carl Kingston and Tim Dickens?”

“Yes. The chancellor of the exchequer and the chief of Scotland yard.” Deborah replied.

“Good. What you don’t know is that John Dawson and both of them had been friends since they studied together at Wolvorhampton.”

“That’s good.” Deborah said.

“Yes, for them it was good, but not for others.” Zaara searched for Wolverhampton university ethnic sex videos.

There was a steamy sex video playing in front of them.

“Zaara! What on the earth..?” Thomas protested.

“The boy is a British and the girl is an ethnic Turk.” Zaara continued with her story. “Both were rich and had come to Wolverhampton for studies, but as the fate would have it, they fell in love with each other.” She stopped the video.

“The boy is my cousin. My aunt’s son. Palmer – the most illustrious among the university students. The hottest contender for the PhD in Political Science, something that John desired as well.  Now,he most cunningly came close to Palmer, so that he won his trust as a good friend. One day he invited Palmer and his girlfriend to his place for a party. He effectively drugged them and arranged them to be in a room for the night in that condition. The only thing he shouldn’t have done is videographing of this film that played in front of you. Worst still, this was fed in Palmer’s phone and distributed among friends. The video spread like wild fire. Palmer was accused  of defaming the girl. The relationship broke and the girl returned to Turkey, where it was discovered that she was pregnant. She was quietly nestled in Istanbul, where she gave birth to the child who was adopted by his uncle and aunt at a small Turkish village. As for Palmer, he was so hopelessly drawn into shame and infamy that he committed suicide. The  PhD went to John Dawson and he joined the conservatives directly after completion.”

There was a silence. Zaara resumed.

“As if this wasn’t enough, John didn’t stop there. The next roadblock to his political aspirations was no one other than his own brother – WILLIAM DAWSON. With him in the scene, John stood nowhere even on his own home turf. He cracked a conspiracy with the help of his old university friends and other foes of William – killing him in the accident. He became the innocent younger brother and scion of the dynasty now – the rightful heir to his brother’s throne and glory.”

“How do you know this?” Deborah spoke in a voice that seemed lost somewhere in her mind.

“My daughter, Sarah was married to John. A proud wife, she entered his home-office one day to hear as he spoke of the conspiracy. She was immediately confined and scared into submission when she protested that this was wrong. All her communications were stopped immediately. John reported that she was severely ill. She was given tranquilizers and sedatives in heavy doses in the meanwhile. Her trauma continued. She was brainwashed and deprived of love. Only in the little Deborah – William’s daughter could she find love. They got exceedingly close.”

Deborah realized that the lady actually knew the truth. Something that no one else knew. 

“John knew this relationship between the two. Now he played a third game to tame the girl. The bastard even had an eye on the ancestral property and money. He wanted all of it by himself.  He caught Deborah and Sarah red handed having sex one day, and then played the victim. In this process however, he threw Deborah away effectively  to Portugal. By this time Sarah had become useless for him. He conspired to get her killed as well,  however, on much insitance from me , she told me the whole story.”

“Oh god! He killed her as well!” Deborah spoke in disgust.

“No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t kill two people – Sarah Dawson and Annie Dawson.” Zaara Disclosed.

Deborah was shocked. Her mother was still alive.

“ Who was buried for Annie then?” Deborah asked.

That’s where all the new dimensions get added, dear.” Zaara disclosed.  “Everythng about Annie’s death was an illusion. She had lately come in contact with an Indian magician – a metaphysisist as he called himself. His name was Gorakshak – the protector of the cows. He had been in London lecturing about Metaphysics and the dimensions of the soul – something in which Annie was interested as well. This man could read faces, and into the future. He controlled the dark realms of the soul –he claimed. He could somehow guess what’s going to happen that fateful night. He rescued Annie that night and got her to me. That night, I was there alone with him and with an unconscious Annie. I couldn’t escape his intense eyes, and even though I was forty four that time I felt like a twenty year old girl. He felt like an angel in the bed. I begot him a daughter; he named her Trishna – illusion. So far as the funeral ceremony I concerned – it was all an illusion – casted by Gorakshak.”

“As for Annie, he took her to India, and soon Sarah and me as well. Sarah didn’t die. She disappeared. She is in this country now – a metaphysisist. Her name was changed by Gorakshak to Tara.”

Deborah listened in awe. “Where is Annie?”

“Not far from here. She bore a son to Gorakshak as well. They named him Vikas.” Zaara answered.

“At the end, we had our revenge after all. “ Zaara  continued. “ John had a weakness for having a prostitute each night. That’s where Tara and Trishna stuck him. They sucked his very life out of him and threw his soul into the depths of hell, where he now burns.”

“Do you know that the poor Deborah burns in that case now? She is the accused in the case for John’s death?” Deborah was raged.

“It is because John was about to get what he did with others anyways. His friends in the government and the Scotland Yard were behind his life. He was proving a threat equal to his elder brother. Lately they arranged Jessica Simpson – the pop artist to date him. She was to drug him that night anyways and poison him. Thereafter they would arrange her flight to the island of Madagascer for her to live a luxurious life without her name. We killed Jessica Simpson. The government and yard thought that they had done their work well, till they found proof of two females there and found Jessica dead at her apartment. They thought that there was someone who knew the secret. In order to cover themselves, they dragged Deborah into the case with a false evidence of presence of her body fluids. We asked Gorakshak to intervene and help the girl, but he denied saying that god had a different plan for Deborah and he would help her. That it seemed was certainly right, till we got the news that her flight crashed here in India –not far from this place.”

There were tears in Zaara’s eyes.  No one was speaking anything now. There was perfect silence.

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.