Chapter 51 – Sea of Solitude
‘Varuna? The Varuna? I… How?’ Wondered Uruvi.
“Yes. I am Varuna,” said the human-like figure before her. He looked like a tall man with a large, well-built frame. His skin was radiant against the deep blue background, with long, majestic black hair flowing down to his shoulders. He dressed in a simple dhoti, and a long piece of cloth (called an Uttariya) floated around his torso. “As for how, well, it is because you touched the blessed gemstone.”
Memories rushed back in. ‘I was at Nanda’s… Did I travel across the country!’
“No. Not your body. And we are not in the sea either. It is a space only accessible by the soul.”
She looked down at her hands and body. They looked perfectly normal. ‘Cool!’
He let out a snicker. “Quite interesting that you managed to get your hands on the stone. Fate works in its own way.”
She felt a bit disappointed by his statement. ‘What do you mean? Am I not worthy enough?’
“Not at all. In the grand scheme of things, the jewel was gifted to the tribesmen of the Kalahari Coast to protect them from the fury of the sea. Their descendants did not understand its purpose, so they sold it. It landed deep within the country, locked away in a safe. In due time, it would have returned to my temple on the coast. But along its path, it was meant to help those in need. At the moment, nobody needs it more than you do, for the quest you chose to undertake is a noble one.”
Her heart suddenly felt a lot lighter. ‘Really? You think so?’
“Of course. You and your friends chose to put your lives on the line to save millions. I can’t think why you would not consider it noble.”
She was elated on hearing praise from a god himself. ‘Not like that… It is different hearing from a god himself.’
“Now how would I know that?” he said with a cheeky smile on his face.
‘If you are here, does that mean the other Devas are well and fine?’
In the Hindu Mythology, the Holy Trinity of the Creator (Bramha), the Destroyer (Shiva), and the Preserver/Supreme (Vishnu) sit on top. The Devas are entities who preside over each aspect of reality. The Asuras are often considered to be the inverse of the Devas; however, the truth is that Asuras are just a different lineage. The Devas and the Asuras are born to the same father, but different mothers.
“Yes. In a relative sense. Somebody, or rather an asura, triggered an event whereupon the history of this universe was altered. Because of this, the Devas' existence in this universe was not possible, and to… compensate, we were expelled from this reality. The reality began to decay, and Lord Shiva saw no other way but to destroy it. However, Lord Vishnu stepped in and wrapped this reality in a bubble, and the Devas and anyone related to them are not allowed to enter.”
‘Whoa! Does that mean we are outside that reality?’
“Somewhere on the boundary. My physical presence cannot enter the bubble, but I can still influence thanks to my connection with the domain, the seas.”
The edges of her vision began to collapse as the blue of the sea fell apart, exposing the darkness that hid behind it. Varuna stretched his four arms out, and the expanse filled the void. “We don’t have much time, but let’s not let it get in the way.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ‘What about the others?’
“It is the same story. Lord Bramha, Vishnu, and Shiva are trying their best to keep the universe from collapsing. Their physical manifestation may be outside the bubble, but their energy still flows into this universe.”
She fell quiet, trying to process the information she had just received. ‘I guess the last question would be...'
“Who did this? We do not know.”
‘How is that possible? How can the Lord Supreme himself not know?’
“Let me tell you a small story. About five thousand years ago, there lived an Asuri (female Asura) who went by the name Saitra. She fell in love with a Maharishi (Great Sage), Rishi Amarnath. Despite the objections from the Devas, they married and said to have had three kids. All of whom were Asura. These Asura lived like humans and among humans for generations. We suspect one among them to be the cause.”
Uruvi pondered for a second before asking, ‘Do you know anyone by the name Mayasuri?’
“She was the first daughter of Saitra.”
‘So Bhadra was right?’
“We don’t know her whereabouts. Which is why we need your help.”
She looked stunned by the question. ‘My help?’
“And your allies. The descendants of Saitra are living amongst you. Find them, and maybe you can trace the thread back to whoever caused this.”
She paused, taking a moment before answering. ‘We will try our best.’
“That will be enough. As it stands right now, the fate of your world is in the hands of you humans. But we are always here to help in any way. Keep the gemstone with you. It contains the power of the seas. You can use it to cast spells, though they might be very powerful. You could try to fit it into the system. If not, you can always give it to someone who might be able to use it to their full potential.”
‘Understood.’
“Good.” The deep blue edges began to break apart, and the image of Varuna began to fade. “Take care. We will be watching.”
Uruvi felt herself getting squeezed before being pulled back. Her vision turned to darkness before the world suddenly expanded around her once again. Her eyes snapped open as she gasped for air once again.
“Whoa! You okay?” asked Ashish, who was still holding the pendant in his hand.
She bent over, placing her palms on the ground. “How… how long was I gone?”
“Gone? You went nowhere. You just touched the gemstone and suddenly…”
She looked up at him and then around the room. “You mean I didn’t go anywhere?”
He shook his head and said, “No… What happened?”
She stood back up and looked behind her. Nanda and his small family of wife, a kid, and his sister, stood in the hall huddled together. The light was fading, and the room was near dark once again. “I will tell you later. Let’s move now.” She grabbed the pendant and said, “don’t mind. I need to hang on to this.”
He nodded and let it go.
They rushed back out into the hall, where Nanda was being treated for his wounds by his wife. His son hid behind his aunt, and both drew terrified faces. Uruvi didn’t pay them any heed.
“What is the plan now?” asked Ashish.
“What is the shortest path out of here?” She looked out and saw his men gathering themselves.
“No matter which way we go, we have to cross half of the old city,” said Nanda.
Uruvi thought for a good second. “Then let’s go with an exit that is narrow.”
“Why?” asked Ashish.
“Because the real danger isn’t on the ground, it's those snipers,” she replied.
“Wait, there are snipers?” asked Ashish, who wore a grimace on his face.
“We can go through the apartment complex,” said his wife.
Nanda pondered on a plan for a few minutes. He nodded slowly and said, “okay. I think it might work.”
“Anna (brother), are you sure?” asked his sister.
“If we stay here, we will die.” He turned to Uruvi and said, “I don’t care about myself, just save my family.”
Uruvi scoffed and replied, “you should have been thinking about them long before.”