The Mists of Brahma

by CHRISTOPHER C. DOYLE

  ‘Not entirely,’ Satyavachana protested, but his remonstration lacked conviction. ‘We did learn about the energy of the Saptarishis,’ he offered.

  ‘Not very useful though, is it?’ Jignesh retorted. ‘And Maya is supposed to find that, is she? Just the way she found the answer to translating Brahmabhasha?’

  For once, Satyavachana was silent.

  ‘It seems to me,’ Parth said, ‘that we need to pin our hopes on the success of the team that is searching for the prophecy in the Gandharva valley. Clearly, the Ranakarman Parva, if it does exist, is beyond our reach, since we cannot read the verses in the diary.’

  ‘There has to be a reason,’ Satyavachana persisted, ‘that Maharishi Dhruv copied those verses into his diary. How he found them, I have no way of knowing. Having found them, he could have still discarded them. But he clearly thought they were important.’

  ‘Well,’ Jignesh retorted, ‘Maharishi Dhruv is dead. If there was something important there, he has taken it with him. And we have no way of finding out what it was.’

  ‘How is Maya holding up?’ Kanakpratap asked quietly. He had not spoken until now. ‘The journey must have been difficult for her.’

  ‘She’ll be fine,’ Satyavachana replied. ‘But we should give her a chance to find out what Indra meant by the “energy of the Saptarishis”. Surely there may be some hope for us there?’

  ‘Maybe we shouldn’t send her away from the Gurukul just yet,’ Usha suggested. ‘She may not be much more than a sadh, but she does have some abilities. I cannot think of anyone from the Sangha who would have had the courage to do what she did. And that means something.’

  ‘Not just courage,’ Kanakpratap added. ‘From what I understand, no one can just waltz into the Mists and expect to be entertained by the Devas. The fact that she held her own and actually managed to meet the Devas and find her way back qualifies her to continue her lessons with Maharishi Satyavachana.’

  ‘Very well, then,’ Jignesh conceded. ‘She stays for now. But we will continue to evaluate her progress. And if she does not make further progress with her siddhis, she must leave the Gurukul.’

  Chapter One Hundred and One

  That Strange Feeling Again

  The Gurukul

  A week had passed since Maya’s journey into the Mists and her subsequent return to routine.

  By now she was beginning to get the hang of the basic mantras that Satyavachana had started her off on. She was already quite good with the shaanta kaaram mantra and the Narsimha mantra—mantras for peace and calm and for protection, respectively.

  The Maharishi had told her that he wanted her to master the first two categories before learning the offensive mantras—the third category that was used by the Rishis of the Sangha and the Gana.

  Meanwhile, for most of the last nine months since Maya’s terrifying visit to the Dandaka, the strange tug that seemed to originate from the forest had been barely perceptible. Whether it was the lessons in thought control that enabled her to keep the inexplicable attraction at bay or something else, she didn’t know. But it had faded to an irritating background noise, nothing more. The strong urge to go to the forest never recurred. And Maya had also consciously steered clear of the Rishi practice field and the Dandaka.

  But something strange had happened ever since she returned from the Mists. Every single day of the week that she had been back, the call was back too, stronger than ever.

  Maya could feel it deep within her, a dreadful urge to go back to the forest. It was almost as if the forest were calling out to her.

  She couldn’t understand why she felt this way. Why had that feeling returned?

  It became an effort to repress the urge to go to the forest, day after day, with each day that passed making it more difficult to suppress or ignore it.

  On the seventh day, after returning from her lessons, she finally succumbed to it.

  As the sun sank behind the trees, she walked briskly down the Central Avenue, past the classrooms. Then she cut across the Rishi practice field and made for the forest.

  As she squeezed through the hedge that separated the field from the grassy stretch of land that led to the forest, she felt again the familiar, almost magnetic tug. In spite of her misgivings, she kept walking.

  This time, she did not stop a few feet away, as she had done on the previous occasion. Even though she slowed her pace somewhat, she did not try to fight the force that drew her on.

  When she finally reached the trees that lined the edge of the forest, she halted, wondering how she would enter. She could see no path leading into the woods.

  To her amazement, as she drew to a halt, the trees in front of her parted, revealing a gap between them. Maya was stunned. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

  She stood there, staring at the path between the trees, undecided. She was calm, unlike the last time she had stood here; her training for the Mists had ensured that she could now control her thoughts and emotions. But there was still a measure of uncertainty.

  Was entering the forest the right thing to do?

  After all, it would mean flouting the rules of the Gurukul.

  Maya made up her mind.

  She took a deep breath and entered the forest.

  Chapter One Hundred and Two

  Inside Dandaka

  The Dandaka Forest

  It was hardly a path, more a narrow space between the trees, but as she advanced, the trees up ahead seemed to move aside too, leaving just enough room for her to pass through.

  Bewildered by this bizarre phenomenon, Maya moved cautiously through the forest, taking care not to touch the trees on either side of her.

  The sequence was repeated as she progressed through the forest. The trees that stood a few paces ahead would part at her approach and allow her through, closing in behind her as soon as she had passed.

  As she advanced steadily through the forest, she was struck by the apparent lack of life within the Dandaka. No animals scurried away at her approach. No birdcalls broke the silence in the branches above. It seemed that the forest was dead but for the trees that seemed to move with a life and a mind of their own.

  Maya didn’t know how long she had walked, but presently she came to a large, circular clearing deep within the forest.

  The branches of the trees around it stretched overhead, forming a dense canopy. The soft light of the gloaming was too weak to penetrate the foliage, resulting in near darkness.

  At the centre of the clearing was a pond, its waters still in the absence of any kind of breeze. Its surface was almost completely covered by a carpet of green—probably a kind of moss.

  Clearly, the pond had suffered extreme neglect for a long time, which was not surprising given the proscription of entry into the forest. Maya was sure that even members of the Sangha never entered the Dandaka.

  She gazed upon the pond, wondering why it lay abandoned deep within a forest that no one was permitted to enter.

  And why was entry into the forest proscribed anyway? No harm had come to her so far.

  She approached the pool. Was there life within it? It seemed unfathomable that anything could lurk beneath its placid surface. Like the rest of the forest, it too appeared to be dead.

  Unless one counted the trees. That, Maya could not explain. They did seem to be alive.

  Though the inexplicable urge to enter the forest had waned, there was still something tugging at her. What it was, Maya couldn’t say, but she could feel it.

  She kneeled beside the pond and gingerly lowered her hand towards the water.

  A small ripple broke the surface at the touch of her fingers and the carpet of moss parted.

  The water was cool to the touch and felt pleasantly energising.

  Maya’s senses were fully alert. She began to chant the mantras that would help control her thoughts. She was taking no chances. What if this was place like the Mists?

  Gradually, Maya’s thoughts faded, replaced by a vacuum.

  She was on
e with the universe.

  One with the pool.

  She could feel the frequency of the pool’s vibration. It was a slow, languid pulse, not exactly matching her frequency, but close.

  Maya closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and tranquility.

  One.

  Suddenly the pool exploded, its frequency exponentially increasing, throwing her off balance, catching her unawares.

  Maya stared in shock at its surface, which was placid once again, save for the gentle ripples where her hand had emerged, dripping water.

  What just happened?

  A cool darkness enveloped her.

  Maya collapsed on the grass, beside the pool.

  Chapter One Hundred and Three

  Missing

  The Forest

  Unknown Location

  Satyavachana looked up at the sky, frowning.

  It was late. Where was Maya? In all these months that he had been teaching her, she had never been late. What could have happened today? He decided to go over to the Gurukul and find out.

  In the twinkling of an eye, he was there. The Gurukul was abuzz with activity. Maya was missing and almost everyone was looking for her.

  Adira had reported her missing first thing in the morning. Her bed had not been slept in and they had not seen her all evening since her return from her lessons.

  The Mahamatis knew that Maya was close to Arjun and Amyra and had questioned both children. But neither of them had any idea where she was. Both reported that they had not seen Maya on the previous evening either.

  Fearing the worst, the entire Gurukul had begun looking for her, combing the forest in search parties of three.

  Satyavachana was flummoxed. What could have happened to Maya? The Gurukul was the safest place, unless … A terrible thought crossed his mind.

  What if Maya had decided to go off by herself? After all, she was the only one in the Gurukul who had the ability to leave the premises whenever she wanted, not just in her atma form but also physically. He fervently hoped she had not done anything foolish to put herself at risk. He knew her to be strong-willed and persistent, not easily swayed from a course of action once she had decided on it.

  The sun had climbed overhead and it was almost noon when the Maharishi suddenly remembered Maya telling him about her friend Amyra. She had psychic powers and was able to see into the past.

  Would she be able to help?

  Amyra was quickly summoned with Jignesh’s help.

  ‘Can you find her?’ Jignesh demanded.

  ‘Yes, Mahamati,’ Amyra replied. She had been distraught since the news of Maya’s disappearance but it had not occurred to her that her special powers could help in the search.

  As the Mahamatis, accompanied by Satyavachana and Kanakpratap, set off with Amyra, Arjun accosted his uncle.

  ‘I’m coming with you,’ the young Kshatriya told Kanakpratap.

  ‘No, you’re not,’ Kanakpratap retorted. ‘You’re going to stay here. We have no idea what kind of trouble Maya may be in. Let the elders handle it.’ Seeing Arjun’s downcast face, he added, ‘Look, Arjun, if you were needed, I would have asked you to come along anyway. But right now, I don’t think there’s anything you can do that we can’t.’

  Arjun recognised the truth of his uncle’s words. But that did not stop him from fretting as he watched the five elders follow Amyra, who was walking slowly away from her dorm and towards the Assembly Hall.

  A sense of déjà vu embraced Amyra as she tracked Maya’s presence from her dorm cottage, past the Assembly Hall, the classrooms, and across the Rishi practice field. As she crossed the field, accompanied by Satyavachana, Jignesh, Kanakpratap, Usha and Parth, she paled as she realised that the tracks led only in one direction.

  Towards the Dandaka.

  But this time, unlike the last occasion, there was no sign of Maya outside the forest.

  ‘Dandaka?’ Jignesh was incredulous. ‘She’s gone into the Dandaka? Despite knowing that it’s against the rules?’

  ‘If she’s in there, we have to hurry,’ Satyavachana muttered. ‘Udnayate!’ he intoned, and floated over the hedge and across the patch of land separating the Gurukul from the forest. He was closely followed by the other Mahamatis.

  If Maya had not returned at night, it meant that she had spent it in the forest. The mood was grim as the group advanced towards the forest and halted at its edge.

  ‘How do we enter?’ Kanakpratap asked.

  ‘We can’t,’ Jignesh replied. ‘At least, not on our own. We use a mantra. Then it is up to the forest.’

  Kanakpratap frowned. ‘What does that mean, “up to the forest”? It’s just a forest, isn’t it?’

  Jignesh didn’t reply. ‘Dandaka krpya vishto!’ he intoned.

  ‘Not this patch of Dandaka,’ Usha said to Kanakpratap. ‘This is possibly the only surviving portion of the original Dandaka forest. At some point in antiquity, a set of powerful mantras was used to give the forest a life of its own. We don’t know who did it or why, but it was discovered centuries ago, when a student from the Gurukul wandered in by mistake. No one knows how or why the forest allowed him in, but it did.’

  ‘I’ve heard about the case,’ Satyavachana muttered. ‘He died.’

  ‘What’s inside the forest that can kill someone?’ Kanakpratap asked, his face lined with anxiety. With Dhruv dead, he felt Maya was his responsibility.

  Usha shrugged, glancing towards the forest to see if there was a response to the mantra. ‘Nothing that is obviously dangerous. Just trees, bushes—the usual fauna. And a pond at the very centre.’

  Jignesh repeated the mantra, his voice urgent.

  ‘So, nothing that can kill.’ Kanakpratap frowned.

  ‘I’ve heard,’ Parth added, ‘but I don’t know how true it is, that since the Dandaka was created by Shukra, mantras were used to cleanse and protect it; at least, this part of it. The process gave the forest life. And maybe the power to take away life as well. Who knows?’

  ‘That’s the reason no one is allowed to go in there,’ Jignesh said, sounding impatient. ‘We don’t know what power the forest has and what it is capable of. It has never been a problem, ever since the rule was instituted after the student perished inside. Remember, it protected us against the Nagas.’

  Kanakpratap remembered Parth and Jignesh being confident that the reptiles from the netherworld would not cut through the Dandaka to attack the Gurukul. They had been right. That was the only flank the Nagas had not attacked. Now he realised why. The Nagas feared the forest. Even they knew.

  Then why had Maya gone in there?

  An eternity seemed to pass as the group waited, with Jignesh chanting non-stop.

  Finally, the trees before them bowed and parted, revealing a gap.

  ‘Come on,’ Jignesh said. He rushed into the forest, followed closely by the others.

  Chapter One Hundred and Four

  The Consequences

  The Assembly Hall

  The Gurukul

  Panna National Park

  Maya stood before Usha and the four men who had rescued her from the forest—Satyavachana, Jignesh, Kanakpratap and Parth.

  The five of them had walked swiftly through the forest, the trees parting before them, until they reached the pond in the clearing. Beside the pond, they had found the prone body of Maya. She was still breathing, but when they turned her over, they found that her lips were turning blue. Her right hand had already gone blue and was cold to the touch. There was also a lump on her head where it had struck the ground.

  The group had wasted little time in getting her back to the Gurukul where two Mahamatis who were part of the Bhisaj Varga immediately set to work on reviving her and attending to whatever affliction she had suffered in the forest. The Bhisaj Varga were the Healers of the Sangha, who specialised in mantras and the use of herbs for healing.

  For three days, the Healers worked round the clock, taking turns to treat Maya for the shock and trauma she had undergone in the Dandak
a, as well as the strange condition of her hands and lips.

  Much to the despair of her friends and teachers, Maya’s progress had been negligible on the first day. But on the second day she began responding to the treatment and mantras, and by the third day, she had recovered enough to stand and walk a little.

  Today was the fourth day. Seeing that Maya was strong enough to return to her daily routine, with the exception of lessons with Satyavachana—the Maharishi had suggested she take a week off and regain her strength before they resumed their classes—Jignesh had summoned her to appear before those members of the Mahamati Council who were in the Gurukul at the time. Kanakpratap and Satyavachana, as the two people who were closest to her among the elders in the Gurukul, were present too, but they were not to be part of the proceedings; only observers.

  ‘You know that your actions contravened the law laid down by the Gurukul, by the Sangha.’ It was a statement, not a question. Jignesh’s voice was flat, hard, and bereft of emotion. But Maya could sense the anger and disapproval simmering behind his words.

  ‘Mahamatra,’ she began, ‘I am sorry …’

  Jignesh held up a hand to cut her off. ‘I have not summoned you here for an apology. Nor do I wish to hear an explanation for your actions. There can be no excuse and there will be no apology.’ In his eyes, Maya saw his self-vindication, an affirmation of what he had said when she first arrived at the Gurukul: that she was not fit to be admitted and that she would never be a member of the Gana.

  She shrank back at the thought of what he might say next, though she maintained her composure, just as Satyavachana had taught her. She didn’t want to even speculate about what Jignesh might say. All she could do was hope.

  But what he said next dashed all her aspirations to the ground, shattering her dreams.

  ‘There is no place for you here,’ he told her pointedly, ‘in this Gurukul. There is no room for you in the Sangha. You have demonstrated that you are incapable of following the rules laid down by us. There are reasons why these laws were made. They have kept the Sangha from disintegrating for thousands of years.’ He paused and looked at the others.