Secret of the Himalayan Treasure

by Divyansh Mundra

  ​ “Just tell me the ones that are in the Himalayas”, Aarav spoke.

  ​ “Alright. Then you have Prospect Hill, Hari Parbat, Shillong peak, Gangtok, Kanchenjunga, Chandrashila, Gangotri, Nag Tibba, Nanda Devi, Kedarnath and of course Mt. Kailash among hundreds of others.”

  ​ “Technically Mount Kailash is in Tibet”, Aarav spoke up.

  ​ And then something happened.

  ​ “Oh! Oh! Oh this is ingenious”, Aarav’s face lit up and he pumped his fist in the air. “This is marvelous. This is spectacular. This is so simple. It was right before our eyes and we failed to notice it just because we didn’t look outside the box.”

  ​ “What?” Rehann and Aanya asked.

  ​ “We are looking for the holy hills in India, while at the time when the treasure was hidden and these books were written, the concept of India didn’t even exist.”

  ​ Rehann and Aanya wondered the same.

  ​ “The internet, while is amazing in its form, is also limited in its reach. What if the place these books speak of isn’t in India? What if it is somewhere else? Somewhere like Nepal?”

  ​ “Nepal?” Aanya and Rehann uttered in unison.

  ​ “Nepal. Yes”, he continued while jumping up and grabbing Rehann’s phone. “It’s Swayambhu.”

  ​ “Swayambhu?” Aanya asked.

  ​ “Yes. Swayambhu. It’s a religious architecture in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. One of the most revered pilgrimage site for the Buddhists. It houses an ancient stupa on a hill overlooking the city. It is a sacred site for Hindus and Buddhists alike, and is one of the oldest surviving religious site in Nepal. According to the legends, the Swayambhu hill housed a sacred temple which was built sometime in the third century BCE by Emperor Ashoka himself when he visited the place, but that temple was believed to be destroyed. A king built the Swayambhu stupa in around fifth century when Buddhism had flourished across south and south-east Asia. And then the kings after him, created more temples and monasteries around the site to create one of the most iconic place of pilgrimage in Nepal.”

  ​ Rehann and Aanya looked at him with a humble smile.

  ​ “Swayambhu is the Sanskrit word for ‘self-manifested’ or ‘something created by its own accord’ or…”

  ​ “A site manifested on its own self”, Aanya continued the line from the translation.

  ​ “That means that the way to the treasure starts from Swayambhu in Nepal”, Rehann uttered. “It also means that I should start packing my bag.”

  ​ “It will take us almost a day to drive to Kathmandu from here”, Aarav continued. “It will be a long ride indeed. Let’s leave as quickly as we can then. We will take turns driving the car and try to make it there without stopping.”

  ​ “I was lazy enough to get out of my bed last week”, Rehann spoke. “Then I flew to Delhi, then to Sri Lanka, swam my way back to India, flew to Mumbai, rode a helicopter again to Delhi, drove up till Rishikesh and now I will be on my way to Nepal. I think it is about time that I add ‘globetrotter’ and ‘wanderlust’ on my Tinder bio.”

  ​ “Keep on swiping right. You might find your soul mate in Nepal”, Aanya spoke while laughing splendidly before getting up and making her way to her room.

  Chapter 10: Nepal

  ​

  They arrived at the Nepalese capital in the afternoon the next day, famished and drained of energy by the time they reached Kathmandu. Yet something about the city moved them. Cotton white clouds had encompassed the entire valley, a light wind sending chills down their spine. Broad ancient temples with tall triangular arches stood tall amidst the narrow streets in the bustling city, pigeons sitting atop their roofs and scattering occasionally due to loud honking of rickshaws. The beautiful atmosphere carried an aura of calmness as the trio drove past the streets of Kathmandu, yet the energy of the people of Nepal filled a new liveliness to the marketplaces. They could see the jovial faces passing by, playful children running around, cheerful vendors selling their days’ supplies and tranquil saints praying to their gods. Kathmandu was the largest metropolitan city based in the Himalayas, and rightfully so. Over the course of hundreds of years, the ancient city marked by its temples and monasteries had developed into a modern marvel amidst the mountains, while keeping its glorious culture and heritage intact.

  ​ Aanya drove past the Indian embassy and soon made her way up the hill towards the Swayambhu stupa. Rehann was seated beside her, carefully looking out for the sight of the dome, while Aarav sat at the back, enjoying the pleasant nature outside and was lost in his thoughts. As soon as they arrived at the hilltop, they were greeted by the magnificent site of the dome. The Swayambhu stupa was a structure which couldn’t miss one’s eye; perhaps because of its unusual architecture. Like all the Buddhist stupas, a giant white dome rose up from the ground and stood high with perfection, almost flattening out towards the top. From the center of the roof of the dome rose a cubical edifice ending in an arch towards the top, marked by thirteen pinnacles, each representing a stage of the Buddhist philosophy which one has to go through to attain enlightenment. The structure was entirely plated with gold and had huge eyes drawn over to mark the sight of Lord Buddha himself. It was surrounded by many smaller temples and monasteries where the commoners flocked in high numbers, creating quite a rush.

  ​ “This is marvelous”, Aanya spoke as she saw the site while getting out of the car. Aarav admired the structure before carefully placing all the books in a trunk and hiding it beneath his seat. “Those eyes are so beautiful”, Aanya almost forgot her exhaustion.

  ​ “There are four eyes, pointing towards each cardinal direction”, Rehann spoke while shedding some light. “It symbolizes the sight of Lord Buddha himself. The nose you see in between, is actually drawn in such a way that it signifies the number ‘one’ written in Devanagari script.”

  ​ Aarav looked at him enviously before continuing to dart his eyes all around the Swayambhu complex. “Wikipedia is finally benefitting you my friend”, he said before going ahead and approaching an elderly guide who was standing in a corner.

  ​ “You can feel him burning right from here”, Rehann murmured to Aanya as they progressed.

  ​ “I never imagined this city to be this beautiful. The air is so fresh; the commotion is surprisingly lovely. I can live here forever”, Aanya continued gazing all around.

  ​ “About time you started swiping on Tinder and got your ideal groom in Nepal”, Rehann laughed as he saw a concerned Aarav returning back.

  ​ “So, shall we go?” Rehann asked.

  ​ “Where?” Aarav spoke barely losing his focus.

  ​ “The stupa”, Rehann pointed towards the giant white dome.

  ​ “Why? The stupa was built in fifth century, around seven hundred years after Ashoka would have visited this place. The legend is that Ashoka built a temple here, on this hill, which was destroyed later. Now even if we assume that whatever ‘way to the treasure’ has been mentioned in the books lied at that very site; by the time the temple would have been destroyed, the Ring of the Seven was already formed and hence it would have been impossible for any of the masters of the time to know of the temple since the books were separated. So my concern is that the way to the treasure probably would have already been destroyed, while the Ring of the Seven had itself lost the location of the treasure.”

  ​ “So if it is not here, where is it?” Aanya asked.

  ​ “It is hard to tell”, Aarav continued looking around. “All the monasteries and temples that we can see along with the stupa were probably built after its construction. The ones that have survived from before would be hard to find.”

  ​ “Then what do we do now?”

  ​ “Spread out. Ask the guides, ask the priests and monks about the temples or structures that predates the stupa in this premises. The older the better.”

  ​ They all agreed and spread out to ask others about the ancient temple. But even after half an hour of lingering around,
they were unable to find anything substantial. Aarav kept observing, his gaze shifting from one temple arch to another.

  ​ “I didn’t find anything”, Aanya said. “Although two men spoke of an ancient Shiva temple that used to exist in the premises but was believed to be destroyed.”

  ​ “And?” Aarav asked, his hopes lighting up.

  ​ “But they say that it is impossible to find.”

  ​ “How?” Rehann asked.

  ​ “Of course”, Aarav continued. “Few of the temples and monasteries at this site had to have been restored and reconstructed. The tiles adorning those structures would be newer. It would be hard to tell that they predated the stupa since there are no written records.”

  ​ “Wait!” Rehann spoke. “One of the guards did mention that a small monastery was built on the ruins of a temple towards the eastern end of the premises.”

  ​ “Brilliant! We can start by looking there”, Aarav spoke as he followed Rehann towards the guard.

  ​ The guard led them to the very far end of the premises, one where hardly a few visitors came and it was unusually quiet. He came and stopped before a small monastery, which was carved out of black marble and pointed towards it, refusing to move any further. “If you are wise, you will not go there”, he spoke to the trio.

  ​ “Why?” Rehann asked him.

  ​ “It is believed to be haunted by demons. Nobody goes in there.”

  ​ “Thank you for your help. We will take it from here”, Aarav remarked coldly as he walked ahead and entered the insignificant monastery. He opened the wooden door carefully with his hands and took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim lights inside. The place was surprisingly vacant and hardly showed any signs of being looked after. The roof towards the rear end of the monastery had collapsed ages ago, allowing whatever little sunlight to enter inside. A little foliage had grown down below, further signifying Aarav’s assumption that the place hasn’t been visited for a few years. “This is odd. This is really, really odd”, he declared.

  ​ “What?” Aanya asked.

  ​ “I have never visited a black colored monastery before. This site is quite unusual. Both Hindu and Buddhist mythologies consider black color to be inauspicious. There are no monasteries to my knowledge that are black in color. The followers of both these religions prefer bright colors for their temples. Colors like white, or golden, or red, or saffron are considered fortunate. So why to build a black colored monastery? Maybe because the creators knew that it would keep the people away as it has. Myths and legends about witches and demons residing here would have just done the trick. Look at the engravings. There is no mention of Buddha or his life story. Those circles have covered the roof while only a few flowers have been engraved on the pillars, that too rather hurriedly. This place is abnormal, an anomaly amongst the monasteries I know of.”

  ​ “The floor is tiled too. So even if an ancient temple existed at this place, its ruins have been long sealed and replaced by this structure”, Rehann provided his input.

  ​ “And there is no deity”, Aarav continued. “Neither Buddha, nor Shiva. So then this place is dedicated to which god?”

  ​ “Maybe someone had started building this site but never completed it?” Aanya suggested.

  ​ “Oh but it is complete. Other than the missing roof and the invisible deity, this monastery has everything”, Aarav continued. “Even though the surface is small, the pillars are massive and strong for a site like this. And the roof is in consistency with the kind of architecture which would have been prevalent at the time. Maybe this is not the site we were looking for, but it’s curious to me nonetheless.”

  ​ Aarav turned back and looked at the triumphant stupa through the gate which was partially visible to him.

  ​ “Yes. Maybe it is some other site”, Aanya conveyed.

  ​ “Or maybe you misinterpreted the inscriptions from the books. Maybe it did speak of Mount Kailash”, Rehann uttered.

  ​ “Oh I have misinterpreted nothing. The way this works is that I decipher something and it helps us in solving our hunts. It’s like a complete circle you see. It’s almost like…” he suddenly stopped speaking. “Circle”, he spoke out loud. “Circle. Of course it had to be. Oh this is unbelievable.”

  ​ “What now?”

  ​ “Look at the roof Rehann. Those circles engraved on the ceiling, they aren’t just any other circles my friend. They all have twenty-four spokes.”

  ​ “I’ll be damned”, Rehann gazed above his head and started counting the spokes on one of the circles.

  ​ “These. All of these. They are Ashoka Chakras . We are at the right place my friend. Whatever the way to the treasure is, it lies here under this roof.” Aarav looked down at the tiled floor beneath his feet. “We’ll have to go back to the city and get some equipment to dig up this place.”

  ​ They came out of the black monastery and rushed towards their car.

  ​ “Are you sure about the Ashoka Chakras?” Aanya asked Aarav, still unsure.

  ​ “Of course”, he replied with obviousness. “It is derived from the Buddhist Dharmachakra. Each wheel had twenty-four spokes. So does the ones in the monastery. According to the Buddhist mythology, the first twelve spokes represents twelve stages of human suffering which were dictated by Buddha himself. But the next twelve represent nothing, based on the concept that the earlier stages of sufferings conditions the human minds and makes them aware, thus making them immune to the worldly woes. The complete circle stops the process of birth and death. It frees the human souls from the process of reincarnation and finally helps them attain moksha. Ashoka took this concept and created his own chakra, and had it mark his various edicts, the most prominent being the Lion Capital of Ashoka, from where India adopted its emblem. The Ashoka Chakra also adorns the center of our national flag. Its influence is everywhere in India, from the clothes that you wear to the currency bills that you carry. This is amazing.”

  ​ They all reached the car and jumped inside, growing excited as they wondered what lied beneath the roof of the monastery.

  ​ But something shook the daylights out of them.

  ​ “The books. They are gone”, Aarav muttered in horror as he jumped around to search for the case only to be unable to find it. Rehann and Aanya looked at his horrified face, terror very visible in their eyes.

  ​ “Looking for this”, Rehya spoke as she pointed towards a case held by one of her men outside. Four others, dressed in a black suit and dark glasses came ahead and stood stout, surrounding the car. Aarav took in a deep breath and rolled his eyes before slowly lifting himself up and getting out of the car.

  ​ “Rehya look. I can explain…” he was interrupted as his face met a quick slap from Rehann’s elder sister.

  ​ “I trusted you”, she spilled venom. “The government of the country trusted you. And this is how you repay their trust?”

  ​ “Circumstances changed. I had to improvise.”

  ​ “So you’re telling me that drugging me and leaving me unconscious in that hell hole was improvisation? You’re telling me that using Shayna Maheshwari to reach the hotel rooms and stealing the Prime Minister’s book wasn’t planned? You have committed a grave sin Aarav. Do you know the consequences of lying to the government?”

  ​ “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t expressly state what I was planning to do.”

  ​ “No”, she barked. “You lied to us. You used the government machinery to remove your hurdles. And you betrayed our trust. If it was up to me, I’d throw you behind bars for stealing the biggest secret of the country”, she paused. “Fortunately for you, the Prime Minister had a change of heart.”

  ​ “He wants me to find the treasure now?” Aarav asked, almost cheering up.

  ​ “He wants to speak with you. Now”, she said as she dialed a number on her phone. “This is Rehya Vrathiah. Tell the Prime Minister that Buddha has been located. Transfer him the call.”

  ​ “Buddha? Is that
a code word for me?” Aarav asked as he eased up, only to receive no response from Rehya.

  ​ “Yes sir. We found them. In Nepal. He is here with me. I thought that you’d want to speak to him yourself. Sure sir. Absolutely”, she briefed the Prime Minister before passing over the phone to Aarav, who took it apprehensively and moved to a side.

  ​ “How did you find us?” Aanya asked Rehya.

  ​ “Protecting that case is one of the most pivotal job of the Prime Minister. Didn’t you think that we’d have had it tagged with a GPS chip?”

  ​ Aanya and Rehann glanced at each other.

  ​ “We kept an eye on your movements. We knew that sooner or later Aarav would figure out the code and lead us to the treasure.”

  ​ “Actually Aarav didn’t figure it out. Rehann did.”

  ​ “Really”, she looked at him, surprised. But Rehann kept looking towards Aarav, without paying heed to what his sister was saying. “Well, when we saw you crossing the border and enter Nepal, we knew that things could go south if the treasure of Ashoka was found in a foreign land. So the Prime Minister of the country sent me to look into the matter.”

  ​ “She means to say that she wants to take over the matter in her own hands”, Rehann spewed venom.

  ​ “Still not speaking to me? Not even a thank you?”

  ​ “For what?”

  ​ “For saving your life, little brother.”

  ​ “Oh really? Then I’d rather thank Aarav.”

  ​ “Well he wasn’t that happy”, Aarav came back as he intruded and handed over the phone to Rehya.

  ​ “What did he say?” Aanya asked.

  ​ “He said that he was angry that I broke his faith and stole his box. Gave me an earful about ethics and mutual trust. But he has agreed to forgive my theft and provide the help from Rehya and her men, if I agree to certain terms.”

  ​ “What terms?” Rehann asked.

  ​ “One, that we will be discreet about the hunt. We’re in another country after all. Two, that every bit of treasure will be taken by the government, and we’ll get no share, not even a coin. Three, that he has agreed to give us credit for the hunt and promised that the treasure money will only be used for public welfare.”