Detached from reality, cold and hollow is all she felt as an otherworldly being drags her towards another abyss. Corrupted souls sobbed from the swirling black mist that surrounded this void of nothingness. Sweat dripped from her scalp and covers her forehead. Bloodshot eyes, burning with tears gawk emptily at the trail of gore left in her wake as her womb gurgles and ejaculates the remains of innocence that didn't get a chance to breathe in the fresh air. Every nerve in her body pulsated with pain but the ache in her chest surpassed it all. A heartbreak so dreadful splits her soul into pieces to carve an anguished collage of fading recollections to a point she forgot who she was. The pain persists.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The beating of a jewel in her womb struck another chord as it bled alive. The child of her beloved was slowly dying.

The putrid stench of her slaughterer plays with nostrils, reminding her of an awful fate. The burn in the scalp alerts her as long wavy hairs are pulled without mercy, with a force to haul her fragile frame at once. Slowly, torturously she is dragged towards giant double doors embedded with finest jewels. Emeralds, rubies, aquamarines and diamonds, all glinted at once. But the doors aren't a gateway to escape this crazy nightmare. It held secrets, dark ones. A history of betrayal.

A monster, a demon, a hell-born, a scavenger, there are many names of this foreign entity holding her hair captive. He was invited to accomplish a task to quench the thirst of a powerful enigma awaiting beyond the closed doors. His rotten flesh emitted grey smoke as if the being was on fire from inside.

"Please..."

She begged for one last time but the cries fell on deaf ears. It wasn't a realm of humans. This was a world inside a world that danced on a thin thread of life and death. Nothingness.

From distance, a loud rumble came, halting the scavenger for a moment. Her eyes open too, trying to gauge who calls for her from beyond the mist. Another roar followed and she felt herself falling in a depthless pit as the monster carrying her to death lost his hold on her.

And she was falling.

Falling fast into the dark.

Sumitra Devi woke up with a scream. Her sweaty body trembled from horror and old eyes scanned the surroundings cautiously.

"Gauri..."

The loud bellow wakes the birds resting in trees. The door to her room burst open and Rukmani stumbles inside, perspiration and worry coating her features.

"Amma..."

She whispered before holding the struggling figure of her mother-in-law to a wooden cot.

"What's wrong, Amma? Gauri is asleep. Do you need anything?"

It is when Sumitra's eyes fell on the wall clock hanging at her right and if possible, her expression became more agonized. Joining her hands, she prayed to the closest entity to break the sword that was hanging on their family. As the clock ticks at 4 a.m., sets the mind of an old woman in frenzy. It was a message of God. The next few days are full of hardship.

"Rukmani, fetch me a glass of water. Quick."

The obedient daughter-in-law, concerned about Sumitra's well being lurched in action and the next moment offers refrigerant aqua. Holding the glass between her shaking hands, the old woman chants protective hymns of old gods. Once her mind is satiated, she extends the water to Rukmani.

"Spill it around the boundary of our house. An evil is hovering at the doorstep waiting to be invited in."

Confused and bewildered, Rukmani stumbled outside in the cool air of the night and began the holy ritual without protest. Her mother-in-law, a loyal worshipper won't just wake up in the early hours of morning to spurt non-sense. There is a reason behind this restlessness.

Making a boundary with water around the house as per instruction, Rukmani hurriedly returns.

"Put a knife under Gauri's mattress. It will prevent nightmares. I must take a bath and start the morning prayers at the temple."

***

"The karma yogi- a person who does good to the whole world, loves the whole world and its beings selflessly, holds the same state in both bliss and agony. One who is driven by detached conscious and ulterior faith shall never be marred or any encumbrance will never befall on him. Trailing the path of truth, if one is progressed with a virgin ideology being devoid of pleasure of victory or misery of defeat then he shall never incur any sin as so is blessed by the eternal 'satva', the righteous. He could never be fearful of ephemerality."

Assertive Sumitra Devi recites Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta suffusing the atmosphere of once-quiet household with confident placidity, which ran through the veins of recipients. As she was a more Ramayana person, it twisted the intellectual approach of listeners, leaving them contemplating the reason behind this sudden change from a calm river to a blustery one. Sumitra's mind was in turmoil. They understood. But the thought of a nightmare which she happened to saw in Brahma muhurtham- the most pious duration of dreams and visions, granted as a sign from lord almighty about upcoming events as per the Hindu faith, didn't strike anybody. The mere memory of early hours was enough to wake coldness in her weak bones.

When a vigilant Gauri read the distress overshadowing Sumitra's otherwise complacent features, waited for the session's climax before settling an inquiry. When the group of old females finished their spiritual debates and discussions, they left the beautiful sanctum to resume their other duties as the head of families.

Unable to discipline her inquisitive self and seeing it as her cue, Gauri started in a perturbed tone.

"Grandma, is there something bothering you? You can share it with me. If it's in our comfort zone, we will try to find a solution together. And don't try to brush it off otherwise I have to pester you till your head shed all these silver hairs."

The cheerful tone successfully earns a chuckle from grandmother as she respectfully shuts the holy book. Her wise gaze scans the sunny smile on her granddaughter's face and something constricts painfully in her thorax. In that single moment, Sumitra felt a wave of emotions curling heavily in her heart. The tingling sensation at the back of her foggy orbs didn't help, yet the woman maintained the façade by wearing a clever smile, stepping down from the role of a devoted lady for a single minute. There is no harm in sharing the beliefs of old. She would try her best to not spill the details behind her agitation.

"My dear, in our oldest scriptures the brilliance of Brahma Muhuratham is manifested greatly. Here Brahma or eternal knowledge with the fellowship of early hours is a source of ultimate tranquility and truth. Ergo a dream in the duration of this auspicious time always holds an intimate indication of upcoming occurrences. One such dream in a former time is the root of my deep conflict. For the first time in this long journey, I feel rattled. I fear my family might collapse in the impending whirlwind. I suspect darkness blinding the apprized path. So, let the lord guide conviction at your disposition, and may vivacity restore zest in your victory. I don't know, how..."

She sighed with escalated breathing.

As the scenario cleared, Gauri was left stupefied. All the tension because of a silly mare. Mustering credence, she confronted honestly.

"You just taught- the one who doesn't harbor unruly emotions while performing their karma, be it joy or sorrow, is at the end of all, becomes a true warrior and backed by almighty himself. Life is never fair to anyone, be it Arjuna, the favorite of Lord Krishna himself. One has to rise unabashedly against all odds to make a difference and this is what dharma preaches- to follow what's virtuous.

I will do the same with cerebral."

"Bless me"

Words with the power of never faltering determination moved Sumitra to unshed tears and her soul prayed for the innocent yet resilient girl standing in front of her wearing a crown of all that the materialistic world and the cosmic afterlife have to offer.

Dark clouds approached the threshold of the less fortunate, bearing gifts and promise of a heavy downpour. Their arrival filled thirsty hearts with joy. Tired eyes lit with hope. Maybe this year, the lord of the universe might show some mercy. The womb of fertile earth was dithering for heavenly essence. Crops needed to stand and flourish to fill thousands of bellies.

Feeding the cattle and caressing the newborn calf lovingly, Rukmani came out of the barn and gazed at the cool sky thundering with lightning. In the morning, when her mother-in-law had woken up from a nightmare, the sky had darkened in the same manner. Hopefully this time, it erupts and scatters. Cool air kisses her perspiration-coated cheeks and she timidly marches towards verandah where her husband was busy jotting monthly expenses in a worn-out diary.

Distant hollers were heard followed by excited cries of children. The couple looks up, their faces marred with confused frowns. Another boom reverberated from the crowded sky and lightning cuts the limitless dark pharaoh in half.

The rumble of an engine caught their attention next and Kishan Singh straightened. His hands unconsciously shutting the diary and carefully inserting it into a dirty satchel. His big feet slipped into dark brown leather mojari. A roaring black Hyundai Alcazar intruded the muddy and dirt track of villages leaving a small cloud of dust and smoke behind. The heartbeats of neighbors soared, suddenly thudding at an irregular speed recognizing the vehicle. Like other curious onlookers, Kishan and Rukmani also lean ahead to watch the unreal sight transpiring in front of them. How come a native of Royal Palace was driving on these grounds? They must have lost their way or somebody in close vicinity has offended the dangerous and ruthless Queen Mother.

Kishan's jaw dropped the moment this fast-approaching vehicle came to a screeching halt outside his door.

"What have you done?"

Rukmani curses beneath her breath and quickly pulls at the long drape of her saree, trying to cover her face from the guests.

"I have no idea. Go inside and alert Amma."

Abiding his wishes, she swiftly turns on jelly legs and moves towards Sumitra's room. The old woman must be taking her afternoon nap while her troublesome granddaughter rummages through old books in quest of a new story. Rukmani's assumption was proven right as she greets a similar sight. Where Gauri was quietly lost in a book, light snores of Sumitra rang in the dimly lit room.

"Amma... Amma..."

Rukmani shakes the frail woman gently who wakes up lazily and eyes the daughter-in-law questioningly. But the rumble of the engine was loud, clearing the reason of sudden disturbance. Sumitra wears her spectacles and covers her head with a long cotton drape.

"Who is there?"

"A car from the palace has arrived and stopped in front of our residence. I fear Kishan has offended someone high in command or they are here for another motive." Rukmani whispered, trying to hide the distress in her voice from her suspicious daughter who took in the entire exchange silently. Judging the seriousness of the situation and reading stress lines adoring her mother's forehead, Gauri slowly shuts the book and stands up to examine the site herself. What kind of trouble has knocked on their door this noon? As she was about to exit the room, Sumitra's stern attitude further raised her bubbling agitation.

"Gauri, stay inside with your mother. Let your father handle this."

"But, grandma..."

"I said- Stay inside unless stated otherwise."

The iron tone stamps the shackles in her feet and all of a sudden, she felt frozen at the moment, trying to comprehend the slight fear beneath the brave stance. Standing from the cot, Sumitra reaches for her wooden staff and on light steps, goes out to greet uninvited guests.

The first thing she saw was Kishan's hunched back as he stood dutifully beside the window, eagerly listening to instructions punctuated by someone sitting inside the luxuriant vehicle. They haven't climbed out yet but were conversing through an open shutter. Kishan was nodding his head occasionally and carefully took in each command. Her neighbors were hounding nearby, gazing at the scene with perked ears, ready to catch words uttered for only Kishan's ears.

Then her son stands aligned and turns with a pale face. His lips quivered and stark fear shimmered through wide-open orbs. Sumitra's resolve tightened as she marches with confidence oozing from her small frame. The moment her eyes caught sight of the Royal Priest, her heart throbbed painfully. Through unshed tears, she smiled. A sad feeling hung heavily.

"Have you grown too habitual of wiping royal asses to enter the household of poor farmers such as us, Damodaran? I will see it as an insult if you didn't come inside and have dinner with us. What's with cooing from that stupid car? Take some fresh air from my beautiful sanctum. It will release all the chaos you've been carrying for the past few years. It is a house of God after all."

Sumitra chided playfully, creating a façade to hide the wariness gnawing at her muscles. Relief washed over Damodaran's lost features and he immediately climbs out. Ignoring a gawking Kishan, who thought his mother must have gone mad with old age to ridicule a royal guest like this, Damodaran touches Sumitra's feet with the utmost respect and slowly enters the house. The neighbors went crazy with bombarding questions.

How come Kishan's family knew the Royals?

Sumitra guided Damodaran to a plastic chair and called out for Rukmani.

"Come out, dear, and serve the priest with cool water. The man must be tired from the long journey." Hollering, she sat beside Damodaran and lays her staff beside her chair.

"You don't have to trouble yourself. I am not thirsty, Amma ji."

"Oh, come on. You can lose that attitude. No one is watching you. So, how have you been? What about Kaveri? Last I heard she was suffering from high blood pressure." The old woman wisely started the conversation trying to prolong the inevitable. She wasn't ready to face the reality yet. Understanding the dilemma coursing through this respectable woman, Damodaran passed her a fake smile. He never wanted to come here. Not bearing the news of certain someone's proposal. But turning a blind eye to scourging evil that has devoured innocence multiple times before would be foolish. He has to reveal the reason behind the sudden visit. Although he was sure, Sumitra was already dreading it.

"Kaveri is doing great. The doctor has critiqued her condition seriously but things work well as long as she takes the medicine."

"That's a relief. I must say, you've grown quite old from the last time I saw you. The grey hair suits you." She commented next and Kishen had to mumble a silent prayer to the nearest deity to melt him into a puddle. The Royal Priest was here and his mother was treating him like a childhood friend. This must be a dream.

As Rukmani offers him water, he shakes his head and looks Sumitra straight in the eyes.

"It is time."