Chapter 3 – The Whisper of the Serpent
The night in Delhi was unusually silent.
Outside Yash's window, the city lights shimmered like restless stars.
But inside his room — everything stood still.
The copper box lay open, the Rudraksha glowing with a faint divine light.
Yash's heart pounded.
He touched the bead — and for a moment, the world around him disappeared.
He wasn't in his room anymore.
He was standing near a wide, flowing river — its waters dark yet shining with moonlight.
Ancient chants echoed through the air, and from the mist rose a colossal serpent, its scales gleaming like molten silver.
The voice returned — deep, ancient, almost eternal.
"यश… the cycle begins again. What was once sealed, now awakens."
Yash's eyes widened.
"Who… who are you?"
The serpent's eyes glowed crimson.
"I am the shadow of what humanity once feared… and worshiped."
The serpent coiled around a trident made of light — and suddenly, Yash saw flashes:
Lord Krishna dancing upon a serpent's hood…
A storm over the Yamuna…
And a blazing seal carved into stone — The Seal of Kaaliya Naag.
The serpent's voice grew softer now — like a whisper carried by the wind.
"You carry the mark, child of Aarambh… the soil remembers… and so does your soul."
Yash gasped — and just as suddenly, the vision shattered.
He was back in his room, sweating, trembling, and breathing heavily.
The Rudraksha had stopped glowing, but the copper box was still warm — alive, almost pulsing.
The next morning, Yash couldn't focus in class.
Every sound, every face seemed distant.
When Gurdeep noticed, he laughed, "Bhai, tu to lagta hai kal raat kisi horror movie me tha!"
Yash smiled faintly, "Kash sirf movie hoti…"
That evening, Yash went to the college library, searching through old texts.
He found one — 'Mystical Seals of the Ancient Era'.
Inside, he saw a sketch — the same trident, the same serpent.
Below it, written in Sanskrit:
> "नागस्य निद्रा धर्मस्य परीक्षा।"
When the serpent awakens, the dharma shall be tested.
He felt a chill down his spine.
Somewhere deep inside, he knew this was not just coincidence — it was a calling.
As the night deepened, Yash once again opened the copper box.
The Rudraksha glowed faintly… as if waiting.
A whisper echoed once more, softer this time —
> "Awaken, Sanatani…"