In the vast space, something slowly devoured thoughts as it expand it looked like a ashy smoke, as it covered the horizon a rvoice rung out,"you." It startled me as if it's called for me as I wrote it. "This space needs something to get it's shape and it asks for the ones who sympathized with the worst", it said again.
As I pushed my pen forward, me and whoever reading this felt a hand jolting our being into this space, as that ashy white smoke darkened i felt more and more being appeared around me, and 'me' slowly disintegrated into the 'Us'.
Dark and vile smoke covered our vision while not a single being was visible. Smoke moved like a snake, pulsed like a heart, and slowly gathered around to form a body-like shape with horns. The darkness of smoke faded into the skin, and hair strands fell down. We saw those horns, dark within and shiny outside.
Confusion was evident on Mahishasur's face. He clearly didn't know how he got here. When he looked at his hands, his eyes bulged. He realized that this place was not physical because his hands were clean.
Suddenly, all the smoke gathered and formed figures. The cries of a toddler echoed as thin, weak hands hurried to calm the child. It was a mother, dressed in loose attire. The cries did not stop; it was clear the child was malnourished and was starving, the mother broke down in her inability to feed her only lifeline and hugged her child as she wept hysterically. The starved child passed out.
"The food you snatched in the name of offering would have prevented this," a voice echoed.
Mahishasur, with misty eyes, nodded.
As the mother and child disappeared into smoke, new shapes formed.
And then we saw a broken idol statue was on the ground as the body was shattered. Dead bodies became visible; some were kids, some were adults.
A weeping man was gathering these bodies into one big pile. Then he threw all those clothes that were scattered around into that pile, and emptied a pot of ghee into that pile and torched it.
As the fire grew larger, his tears became larger and vaporized.
Then he said, "May you all be in peace."
He then turned towards Mahishasur, staring at him, and said, "It's your fault, it was your army that killed them just because they worship the devas" as smoke around Mahishasur formed the faces of all those dead. They only repeated again and again, "It's your fault." Their voices became heavier and bigger. Their words became so loud that Mahishasur had to cover his ears and shout, "I know," which instantly disintegrated those faces.
Mahishasur repeated, "I can never deny it..."
The smoke glowed radiantly, leaving a darkness, and formed a humanoid figure with a crown. A strange pressure tried to push Mahishasur down, but it couldn't even affect him.
As radiance became bearable enough for us to see, we saw that divine yet cursed figure. It was the ultimate bringer of consequence.
Mahishasur said with the unfazed gaze,
"It was the ultimate balancer of privileges that reflected those scarred visions unto me."
Shani, trying not to see Mahishasur, said,
"It is not over. You can accept the past, but words aren't enough. I want to ask...should I continue?"
Mahishasur stood straighter and said,
"Yes. Let me have that pinch of cruelness unto me."
Shani looked straight into Mahishasur's eyes, Mahishasur felt a strong curse that reflects all that should be reflected falls upon him as he met Shani's vakradristi.
Shani said, "Dont blame me, now it's time for me to face your shadow."
With that, Shani's size became enormous. The ground beneath Mahishasur disappeared.
As Mahishasur's body floated and Shani's giant finger closed in, everything felt slow. Mahishasur thought,
"Should I resist?"
Before he could control his body, an instinctive roar left his mouth, and that irresistible pressure returned, Mahishasur's eyes become pupiless.
as pressure only increases, Shani's finger trembles and stops.
"My shadow isn't yours to subdue it's mine to conquer.", these words left mahishasur's mouth and it felt as if it isn't soul that spoke but a carcass
"I don't trust the words of rot", with that Shani pushed his giant finger ahead.
Upon impact, colourful beacon emerged cover whole space and The pressure grew soo much that it threw Shani out of that space as Shani was forcefully pushed out, he heard "I are not a rot that meant to be cut but a menure meant to be nurtured", with same dreadful carcass voice and souless feeling.
Before Shani's presence fully disappear, we heard a whisper,"Both rot and menure needs to be buried to not cause any harm."
As that colourful beacon calmed down, we saw Mahishasur's body, his eyes were closed and he was floating in that smoke filled space.
Suddenly he started falling down with speed that didn't let us examine him fall, in the direction of his falling being we saw blurry sizzling sun but as it became clear we saw the endless landscape filled with funeral pyres, we saw him fall with thunderous thud, denting the ground and destroying many funeral pyres.
Then Mahishasur opens his eyes and we finally sees the soul being conscious, from the fire of those destroyed funeral pyres many dark burnt bodies emerged Mahishasur stares at them wide eyed as they gathered, he recognised many of those faces.
"My king" they unomiously uttered.
"Did my lineage prosper in heaven" one asked tear eyes they all started getting closer to Mahishasur.
"Did my family lived happily ever after.", other growled.
They are only at one arm distance from him, and suddenly Mahishasur lunge and hugged as many he could grab and he cried. His cries shake us all, who is he mourning? What is he mourning? Dreams? Past? Lives? Hopes? Or actions?
As we tremble, we are all pushed out of his mind, as that dark and vile smoke gather and shoot into his tears as, we leave Mahishasur with his cries and consequences.
And we came out into that cracked temple of maa durga through the tear of Mahishasur.
Our dark and vile being started to disperse slowly departing, as 'we' disappear and 'I' rushed to get hold of pen before I push it, I felt my being burning agony took hold of my thoughts untill I saw him and burning stopped my mind steadied as if cheetah burned away all that agony, that being I saw felt half and I am only one that own scalpel, the attacker who mistook mountain for a rock, even the shadow of that mountain is enough of testament of the reach of that mountain and this being somehow missed that, his body was shining like a firefly as if blessed but there are some pieces of darkness on his shoulders and legs.
The night slowly departed as the blanket of light covered the stars, morning smell of wet soil made ground their couch.
In a distance people were gathered, their eyes showing how much tremors of yesterday day affected them, all their eyes were fixated on the temple, as their grip tightened on their resolve.
They started going towards the temple, men at front and woman at the end, as they get near the temple the thinner cracks gets but crack number increases as well.
The forest tells the story of that earthquake's wrath, fallen trees to broken cliffs all shows different experience but start with same word ' terrifying '.
They all finally reached that temple, those nine stairs are somehow crackless as if they are inevitably invincible.
Above those stairs they can feel the vile stench coming at them, farmers covered their face as they approach the entrance. Every single one of them can feel the dread, they can feel that that they are taking something they can't chew.
The moment first one reached and saw Mahishasur he shouted,"there's calamity here run!!"
They Swarm out of the temple, as their order dissolves and they just kept escaping the vile feeling they have been experiencing.
Soon their shouts became whispers, Mahishasur came out, silhouette of tears shing in the sun, his eyes stared at his shadow on the staire, Mahishasur closed his eyes and then asked aloud,"What are you?" While looking at the shadow And the words formed in his head,"Something that does not want your demise.".
Mahishasur asked again,"Is there anything to be saved about me, you too know that finger won't have killed me."
And words formed,"But it was intend to.".
Mahishasur again asked,"is there any point of intent?".
And one word formed,"Yes ".
"That's a wrong question.", the voice interjected from the inside of the temple.
Mahishasur opened his eyes and turned back to see that faintly glowing attacker whose eyes were fixated on Mahishasur like a fly stares at the light.
"Then what's a right question?", asked Mahishasur while staring at that attacker as if recognising something.
"First introduce yourself, afterall to preach the truth I need to know your truth.", replied that glowing stranger.
Mahishasur looked passed that glower, point at the statue and said, " that slained being is I."
That attacker looked at the statue of goddess and then looked at the pierced demon statue, than looked back at Mahishasur with soul gazing eyes and said, " he is dead but you are not, which means that's not you.".
Mahishasur looked at that glowing with a twitching eye, a sigh of frustration escape him then he said, "I was that and I am the carrier of it's scars if I am not it then I don't know what I am... Just tell me what's a right question is?".
That stranger smirks as if intrigued by the curiousity and said, "First I am Makant, and right question is 'To what extent does the intent matter?' because it matters but if action barely aligned with it than to what extent does it matter.".
Mahishasur turned towards the staires and said, "Thank you for insight, I need to leave so may we meet again.".
"I too need to leave since if those villagers found out about my presence in temple during the day than they would kill me.", replies Makant.
Mahishasur raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why?".
Makant got closed to Mahishasur and looked at his figure than said,"crematory grounds is where my home lies, they says it's filled with betaal and prets which is why me and my sister are only allowed to be here during the night.".
"But you are blessed by the fire. Can they really not be feeling this big of Divine energy. You are literally glowing.", thought Mahishasur with perplex expression.
As Mahishasur took a step to leave, Makant called out from behind, "are you not curious of the reason I attacked you last night?".
"No.", replied Mahishasur.
Makant with desperate pleading eyes said again,"I need your help... there's a hoard of betaals that follows my sister and she sometimes talks to something I can't see.".
Mahishasur turn back to face Makant and said while intentionally deepening his voice," are you sure you wanna be associated with the worst?".
Makant eyes met Mahishasur's eyes and said,"I already been to soo much that worse doesn't scares me.".
Mahishasur said,"Than lead the way.".
They both started a walked side by side to Makant home, the way was changing there were some animals hiding, those who relies on their surroundings to survive.
Fallen trees and cracks disappeared, and forest grew denser, but animals they clearly were avoiding Mahishasur. On the way a kitten was laying Mahishasur eyes fixed on that kitten he crouched to touch that kitten but before he could, Makant leap to grab the kitten and said,"don't try to eat this poor thing.".
Mahishasur's eyes bulged out and he laughed,"hahaha.... What.", though that laugh shaked the surroundings causing Mahishasur to muffled his laugh.
"I just want to pet it, atleast let me touch it.", said Mahishasur recovering from laugh.
Makant hesitatingly hand him that kitten, and than he cought the glimpse of scratches kitten gifted him.
As Mahishasur pet that kitten, it kept dragging it's nails on Mahishasur.
Than Makant looked kitten smirking, and jokingly gestured and said,"are you sure you wanna be associated with the worst little one?", getting chuckles from Mahishasur as he spoke, "yeah it's sure is comfortable in my hands." Than putting it on his left shoulder.
Their halted journey finally continued, as they nears the crematory grounds Mahishasur suddenly stopped. In the front there's part of faintly visible but giant tail of naag(snake).
Makant stoped being few steps ahead then tum to Mahishasur and asked,"what happened?, why did you stop?"
"Makant.... Get behind me and hold the little one.", said Mahishasur while handing him the little one.
Makant with perplexed expression obeys, he slowly get behind the Mahishasur while trying to find what Mahishasur looking at.
As they walk with slower pace, the house in a distance appears near that house a woman who was as beautiful as ocean depth sat while sieving the grains.
Behind her a ghostly presence of gaint naga appeared, it's eyes were fixated on Mahishasur and it's loosen the grip of it's hands.
Makant and Mahishasur continued their pace, they got closed enough to hear sieving sound.
Both Mahishasur and ghostly naga Said,"get inside the house." As that naga grew larger and larger, both Makant and his sister rushed to get inside that hut. As numerous betaal came out behind that naga pret(undead).
In their gibberish one word became coherent, "worst".