“Aman….”
The voice echoed Aman’s ears and his chain of thoughts get broken. It is Roshni who come out for drinking water. But she look at Aman dreaming something, opening his eyes. Of course, she know what his mind recalling about. Its not new for Aman thinking the past but it is also not new for Roshni to see Aman getting hurt because of the past memories. It has become a habit now. Whatever may happen in future but no one can erase the scar from his heart.
“Roshni,” Aman looked at her.
Roshni looks at Aman’s eyes. He understood what she is meaning. He really don’t want to think about it but his heart desires for it.
He nods his head positively. Roshni covers Aman with blanket and caressed his face, wished him good night.
*****
The flash of the torchlight falls on the rock and it moves forward. The whole cave is dark and the night made the cave is extremely dark. Soonafter, another flashlight accompanied and moves forward. One of the torchlight falls down and a sound, “Ouchhh…” is heard.
“Avni, where is your focus?”
“Sorry Neil… I was slipped…”
Avni and Neil moves forward inside the dense Takshak Vann cave. It is the same where Manyata brought Nayantara and pleaded the angel of Naaglok to give her another life. It is where everything took a new turn. Only after this, Neil behaved abnormal when he gets to see Nayantara and lashed her out for loving him selflessly.
Nayantara suggested Neil and Avni to find the truth of the past and everything with the help of Naaglok’s angel. As a spirit, Nayantara is abandoned to enter the holy temple of serpents. So, Neil and Avni take their own risk to come here.
Avni takes out a letter roll from her saree fabric and recites the slogans written in the letter.
The slogans are used to make the invisible temple appear in the cave. The letter roll was given by Nayan which she acquired from one of her spirit friend.
Slowly, the cave gets brighter and beautiful with the divine idol of Lord Shiva, the cold waterfalls along with the pleasant herbs that are grown along side. Naags and Naagins from Naaglok too come there.
Avni and Neil performed tandav (devotional dance) to please the angel so that she could appear in front of them.
After toiling hard, the angel Apsara appeared in front of them.
Apsara – “I am expecting your visit here. What is your demand?”
Neil – “If you’re epxecting our visit, you must be knowing the reason, mustn’t you?”
Avni hits him and asks him to speak with respect.
Apsara – “His anger could be justified, Avni. But if I satisfy your demand, I must be expecting a favor. Will you give that?”
Neil – “What do you need?”
Apsara – “The answer is not a question. It is a yes or no.”
Neil – “Yes. We could satisfy that. But, we need to know our past lives and the reason for our centuries enmity.”
Apsara – “Sure…”
First Birth:
Pataliputra – 15th century
On the occassion of Mahashivratri, the whole temple is decorated with devotional flowers and herbs. Being the ardent worshippers of Lord Shiva, it is an eminent day for them. Avni is drawing Rangoli on the front side of the temple. She looked elegant in her serpent attire so that any one could fall on her instantly.
A light stone fall on her head and fall on her Rangoli. The Rangoli wasn’t spoiled but wondered who could be the one who threw stone on her. She looked here and there and noticed a person hiding behind the tree.
Seeing his physique, she understood that it is Neil. “This guy is mischievious…,” she wondered and continued drawing the Rangoli without giving attention to him. Slowly, the person turned back to look her and her guess is right. It was Neil who is playing such mischiefs.
Neil looked at the place and there are ladies drawing Rangoli but there is no Avni. He wondered where she has gone. He looked for her. Avni, who is standing behind him, gives a naughty smile and patted his shoulder. Feeling Avni’s soft touch, he turned instanly to hug her. But Avni go to the opposite side and hide behind his back. Neil wondered if he is dreaming and he scratched his head. Avni giggles. Hearing the giggle, he again turns. But Avni turns into a snake and starts to move. Neil catch the snake holding its head and looked at its eyes. He could understand that Avni is scowling at him.
Neil – “Why are you getting angry, jaanu? Ok, leave it. I’ll kiss you so that you forget your anger”
Neil takes the snake near his lips. The snake’s tail whips Neil nose and Neil leaves the snake and it falls down. The snake turned into Avni who is looking at Neil, laughing.
Avni – “Jaan… Why didn’t you kiss me? You threw stone on me, na… Revenge…”
She giggles while Neil is staring at her.
Neil – “I won’t leave you, now. Wait you need a kiss, right?”
Neil comes near them, but she starts running with a giggle. Neil follows her running.
Avni hide behind a tree in the garden and still giggling as she thought of Neil’s expression when she beats him with her tail.
Neil comes in front of her and looks at her giggling still. Avni see him and about to run, but he locked her ways with his hands.
He comes closer to Avni and murmurs in her eyes, “See, I am going to be successful in kissing you.”
Avni blushes. Neil got mesmerized with her beautiful blush. (Laal Ishq plays) Neil adjust Avni’s hair strand slowly, which is quite messed up due to run. Avni felt goose bumps and couldn’t resist his charm. She is arrested by Neil’s charishma that made them soulmates. Avni slowly obey to his romantic moves. One of his hands touching her hand and the other is cupping her face. Avni closed her eyes and they kissed eachother
Slowly, both release themselves and come to the normal mode. They look at eachother.
Neil – “Today is another important day, Avni.”
Avni – “Yeah, Neil. Our Rudra and Shivanya would get blessed by god to become shape shifting snakes on this day. It is a result of their penance for 100 years”
[Concept of Naagins – A normal snake would attain the boon to shapeshift after the penance for 100 years]
Neil – “I think, its time now. They would have completed the penance.”
Neil and Avni walked some distance and reached the place. To their guess, it is correct. Rudra and Shivanya got the boon of shapeshifting.
Neil and Avni – “Welcome to the new life, Rudra and Shivanya.”
Rudra and Shivanya looked at Avneil and hugged them.
Rudra – “Finally we met after many years of penance. How are you both?”
Neil – “We are extremely fine, Rudra. You look so handsome in this look. Shivanya is looking gorgeous.”
Saying this, he looks at Avni. Her face is red.
Neil – “What did I say? Avni looks so gorgeous, why did your face turned into a rotten tomato?”
Rudra and Shivanya laugh at them. Avni stares at them.
Avni holds Neil’s ears, “I’ll show how rotten tomato taste. come on, Neil.”
She dragged Neil’s ears while he is screaming and moves from the garden after asking Rudra and Shivanya to come temple.
Rudra and Shivanya performed special puja for Lord Shiva as it is their first festival as humans. The whole venue is surrounded by happiness.
After few hours, Avni and Neil arranged a small hut for Rudra and Shivanya for staying in the house that night.
Rudra and Shivanya looked outside through the hut’s window and enjoyed the moon light.
Shivanya – “Rudra, the life on earth as humans, is beautiful, isn’t it? Humans are really blessed to born in this world. Full of happiness and joy are surrounded.”
Rudra – “You’re right, Shivanya. We have thick friends like Neil and Avni. I have a lovely wife. The world is adorable. God is great. It is now a lifetime achievement now, Shivanya.”
Shivanya gets inside and brings a mud lamp and fills it with oil. She lights the lamp and it glows brighter and the whole house gets brighter.
Shivanya – We are blessed on this special day. So like this light, our life is also bright, Rudra. So, why should this hut be dark?”
Saying this, she lit another lamp with the help of lit lamp.
Shivanya then come to Rudra who is adoring her actions.
Shivanya – “Let us celebrate the day for ourselves.”
Shivanya held her hand for dance and keeps her other hand on his shoulder. Rithik hold her dance and slowly they started to dance.
They got mesmerized with their eyes and continues dancing.
Dil kyun teri aur chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re
dil mil teri aur chala re
thame konsi si dor chala re
yaad kyun aye koi armaan aadha
bhooli hui kasme bhoola hua vaada
ek hi paheli se dil hai pareshaan
pehchan kam hai ya pehchan hai zyada
Rudra – “Shivanya, I love you. I am happiest only when you’re with me. Only after you come into my life, the intensity of brightness increased.”
Shivanya blushes. Rudra smiles.
Shivanya – “No, Rudra. I must feel more happy when you’re with me. Meeting you might be a fate and becoming friends is a choice but we are becoming one is always because of you, Rudra.”
Rudra – “Its because of us. Don’t make it singular, Shivanya.”
Shivanya smiles.
dil kyun teri aur chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re
mann mein kaisa shor chala re
dil kyun teri aur chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re
dekhte hain tujhko toh lagta hai aise
naam koi kagaz se mit gaya ho.. jaise
raat raat aankho ne jise ho sambhala
khwaab wahi aankho se gir gaya ho jaise
dil kyun teri aur chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re
dil kyun teri aur chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re
yaad kyun aye koi armaan aadha
bhooli hui kasme bhoola hua vaada
ek hi paheli se dil hai pareshaan
pehchan kam hai ya pehchan hai zyada
dil kyun teri aur chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re
mann mein kaisa shor chala re
thaame konsi si dor chala re.. (Shakti-Astitva Se Ehsaas Ki)
The next day,
The sun hasn’t risen yet but a mysterious sound comes from somewhere that reached the place where Avni sleeping with Neil peacefully.
Avni gets irritated by the tune and rubs her eyes. She shuts her ears to not hear the sound. She wonders why Neil couldn’t hear the sound. Slowly and gradually the sound of the been captivating her mind and body.
She transforms into a snake and starts creeping to the place where the sound originated. It is under the large banyan tree where a yagna (holy fire) was set up and a sorcerer is playing the been. Not only Avni, but there are many snakes which are captivated.
The sorcerer smirks – “I am going to sacrifice all these snakes to attain more powers and becomes the most powerful guy who could obtain GANDHAK.”
He starts reciting mantras. Many more snakes are also captivated. They all shapeshift into their human forms and they are in hallucination. The motive of this yagna is to kill 10000 shape shifting serpents to obtain the Gandhak.
Since the snakes are blessed on Shivratri by the lord, the snakes are not in complete hallucination. Some of them come out of hallucination and one among them is Avni.
There are almost everyone except Neil, Rudra and Shivanya. Avni looks for them, but couldn’t identify their location here. She understood that the sorcerer is about to kill the snakes as part of Sarpa Satra (Snake Sacrifice) to obtain Gandhak. She must find a way to escape from the captive and save all.
But Avni could not keep her next step from there. She is standing helpless.
The sun is rising slowly and snakes starts approaching near the agni (fire). Suddenly, a shining sword stabbed the banyan tree’s wood under whose shade, the sorcerer is doing yagna. The sound is obvious.
Neil comes there with a sword and he looks at him sternly.
Neil – “Hey Bhairav, is it coward of you to do the yagna secretly at this hour? Don’t dare to harm any snakes. Its my final warning to you, Bhairav.”
Bhairav (sorcerer) – “Its my passion to attain power. Don’t interfere in my thing, little boy.”
Neil – “I won’t let this yagna happen until the soul is in my body. Take the sword. Let us fight. If I win, you must accept death for your wrong deeds.”
Bhairav grabs the sword from the tree’s trunk and starts fighting with Neil with the sword. Both are more or less a talented sword fighter. The fight gets tough when both start to use their powers. Finally, Neil made Bhairav’s sword fall down and defeat him when Bhairav falls with a thud.
Neil – “Look I won. So, the punishment must be given….”
Before Neil completes the sentence, Bhairav throws sand on the Neil’s eyes and his sword fell down. Bhairav hold the sword and is about to attack him, but Rudra hold the sword’s sharp end with his hand and resist it.
Rudra’s hand bleeds profusely. Rudra intellectually grabbed the sword from him and kicks Bhairav intensely. He punched Bhairav ruthlessly.
Rudra – “How dare you are? You’re using a sly method to kill my friend by defeating him by cheating. I’ll never leave you.”
Bhairav – “Just shut up. I don’t mind killing anyone who interfere in my job.”
Rudra – “I don’t know what is your motive but you have captivated my friend Avni as well as you’re going to kill 10000 snakes. Your motive is definitely bad for sure. I won’t let it happen and will save them for sure.”
Bhairav – “If you’re really a man of your words, defeat me and save them. Let us see if a weak snake like you defeat a powerful sorcerer.”
Saying this, he punched Rudra. Rudra’s eyes become red and he is intensely provoked by his words and no matter the situation is, he need to save them and defeat this evil guy.
Bhairav pushes Rudra aside and he takes the sword from the ground. When he is about to approach Rudra, Rudra shoved his head from the body and his head fall on the fire (agni) and got burnt. He further cut his body into six pieces and threw it in different directions.
Some powers enter into Rudra’s body and he becomes stronger. With his power, he brings all the snakes from the hallucination. He looked at Neil and Avni, who are smiling at him. Rudra’s hand injury got healed automatically.
[Concept of Shapeshifting serpents – They can heal their wounds themselves]
Avni got released from the spell and hugged Neil. Neil too hugged her.
Rudra – “Are you both fine, Neil and Avni? What is all this? Who is he?”
Neil – “Actually, Bhairav had arranged a sarpa satra to sacrifice 10000 snakes secretly. As you and Shivanya are newly transformed into serpents, you still didn’t get the full powers. So, the been sound didn’t affect you. Regarding me, its an another tale, which I say later.”
Rudra – “Leave it. You must be carfeul when you’re dealing with enemies. Never consider them weak. They are sly and cunning and whatever may happen at end.”
Neil thinks, “Things have become complicated due to your interference, Rudra. Now, the situation is going to be complex.”
To be continued…