I had no idea what was happening! One moment, I was at home watching my childhood favorite movie, Ajooba, and the next moment, everything went dark. Suddenly, my eyes opened.
I found myself in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers.
Judging by their attire and the way they spoke, it felt like I had stepped into the world of the movie Ajooba. Or perhaps one of my friends was playing an elaborate prank on me.
I wished that were the case because, although I'm a huge fan of time-travel, I never actually wanted to experience it. With great power comes great responsibility, and I had no interest in getting tangled in such chaos.
For the last five minutes, I had been experiencing a mild headache. It would've been better if the Almighty had just taken me away. Some vague memories were resurfacing in my mind...
Hind... Baharistan.... Yaman... The terror of 40 thieves...
Mother's eye! What kind of absurd world had I landed in?
My headache had subsided, and now I knew exactly who I was, where I was, and why I was here.
I was in a world that seemed to be a mix of old Bollywood fantasy movies. Based on my memory, I could confirm the presence of Ajooba, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, and Hatim Tai. These three movies were definitely part of this world.
There might be other movies here too, ones I wasn't aware of...
Anyway, this was a world filled with magic, genies, bandits, terror, wealthy princes, excessively beautiful princesses, evil sorcerers (Amrish Puri), overly kind-hearted heroes/princes, and oppressed people.
The good thing was that whoever had sent me here had given me the identity of a warrior from Hind. My name was also Sushil. I was on my way from Hind to Baharistan.
At the moment, I had the strength of 10 elephants 🐘 and was skilled in swordsmanship. By Hind's standards, I was a Maharathi.
In Hind, warriors were classified into four categories: Rathi, Maharathi, Ati Maharathi, and Mahamaharathi.
Now, you might be wondering why I, a Maharathi, was leaving Hind and heading to Baharistan. There's no special story here. It's the same old Bollywood hero problem—the search for my mother. Yes, you read that right. I was going to Baharistan in search of my mother.
For now, the one who sent me to this world had given me this identity.
Flashback
The capital of Hind, Kaushali.
In the grand palace of the Senapati (commander). The night was silent, and the room was dimly lit, with only a faint light casting strange shadows on the walls.
Senapati Sanjay was lying on the bed, his breathing heavy and labored. Sushil, his son, sat quietly beside him, holding his hand, feeling a strange pain in his heart as he watched his father in this state.
His father slowly opened his eyes, his face filled with pain and exhaustion.
"Son… before I die, I want to tell you something," he said with difficulty.
Sushil nodded, "Yes, Father?"
His father took a deep breath, as if gathering his fading memories.
"Your mother... is in Baharistan," he said softly.
Sushil looked at him in shock, "My mother? But you never told me anything about her..."
A pained smile appeared on his father's face.
"How could I tell you? It was necessary to hide the truth from you… but not anymore."
He closed his eyes, lost in memories for a moment.
"It was 22 years ago. Your mother came here from Baharistan for some work. When I first saw her… I fell in love."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"She was very beautiful, and there was a unique light in her eyes. We met, talked, and spent time together, and slowly, she too fell in love with me. Everything happened so quickly, like a dream."
"Then she became pregnant, and she was afraid of what people would say—an unmarried pregnant woman. So, I decided to marry her. Without telling anyone, we got married secretly in a temple."
Sushil listened quietly, tears filling his eyes.
"But," his father said with a faint smile, "six months after your birth, royal soldiers from Baharistan came looking for her. She was the daughter of Baharistan's royal family. Her staying here was dangerous for both of us. So, for my life and your safety, she decided to go back with them."
Something broke inside Sushil, "But why didn't you stop her?"
Tears glistened in his father's eyes. "I did, son. With all my strength, with every breath, I tried to stop her. But sometimes, love means protecting the ones you care about. She was ready to leave, but on one condition—that her father's soldiers spare our lives. She made me promise that when you grew up, I would tell you the truth."
Sushil's voice choked, "And now?"
His father closed his eyes slowly and said, "After my death, take my ashes to Baharistan… to your mother. She's waiting for you there. It's time for you to meet her."
Tears streamed down Sushil's face as he tightly held his father's hand, promising, "I will fulfill your last wish, Father."
The room was filled with the weight of their emotions and the passage of time, carrying them toward their inevitable pain.
After performing his father's last rites, Sushil prepared to leave for Baharistan.
A merchant caravan was heading from Hind to Baharistan to deliver spices. Sushil decided to join them since he didn't know the way to Baharistan, and traveling in a group was safer than going alone.
There were about 30-40 people in the caravan, including 15 men, some children, and women.
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