A man suddenly opened his eyes. A strange seriousness settled on his face as he spoke in a calm yet resolute voice,
"I must speak to Lord Vishnu about this matter."
He had a white beard and white hair, yet his appearance was far from frail. His hair was tied high above his head in a circular knot, coiled neatly like a mountain peak. Despite the marks of age, he appeared no older than forty to forty-five years. The very next moment, his feet lifted from the ground. Without a sound, he soared into the sky, accelerating rapidly as he left the mortal realm behind and moved toward the vastness of the cosmos.
After flying for a long time, he passed through a region filled with star-like, dazzling light. The brilliance surrounded him, warm and overwhelming, until a magnificent golden gate appeared before him. The moment his eyes fell upon it, a deep sense of divinity washed over his being. Crossing the gate, he continued onward.
Soon, an endless cosmic sea stretched out before him. Upon its surface rested a massive black serpent with ten heads. The serpent repeatedly coiled its tail beneath itself, forming what appeared to be a grand celestial bed. From above, its ten heads rose like an intricate design carved into the bed itself.
Lying upon that living bed was a figure who was anything but ordinary. His body bore a gentle blue hue, and his face possessed a beauty beyond imagination. A yellow dhoti draped the lower half of his body, while his upper body was adorned with radiant golden ornaments. Upon his head rested a magnificent golden crown.
His eyes were closed, appearing less like eyes and more like blooming white lotus flowers. One of his hands rested lightly upon his thigh, slightly bent, while his right hand supported his head. His stillness carried the depth of infinite meditation.
Near his feet sat a graceful woman of extraordinary beauty. She wore red attire, golden ornaments, and a softly shimmering crown. Her presence was calm, divine, and serene.
The white-bearded man approached and folded his hands in reverence.
"O Lord," he said, "Rishi Vindusar offers you his koti-koti pranam."
The divine being opened his eyes and spoke gently,
"Rishiwar, how is it that you have come here so troubled?"
Vindusar bowed his head and replied,
"Lord, what can possibly be hidden from you? You already know all that occurs throughout the universe. Yet if you still wish to hear the cause of my concern, then this very worry is it. The solution lies with you alone. Please guide me."
Lord Vishnu replied calmly,
"The solution to this problem lies neither with me, nor will I be the one to resolve it. Someone else will."
Vindusar looked up, startled.
"But how, Lord? In that universe, neither the powers of the Tridev nor the Tridevis will be of any use. If any one of you were to go there, it would endanger the entire cosmos—and even your own existence. How can this be done in a place where not even your will can bring change? In a universe not born from Lord Brahma, how can this problem be resolved?"
Lord Vishnu answered,
"O saintly Rishiwar, there will be only consciousness there—no divine powers. He will not remember who he truly is. He will be completely ordinary. To fulfill this task, he will seek the help of another."
At the same time, far away in a distant universe, on an unknown planet, a vast castle stood in silence.
Inside one of its dark chambers, a man carefully laid another man upon a bed. Around the bed, he drew a ritual chakra, marking its boundaries with precision. Candles were lit within the circle, their flames flickering uneasily.
Holding an ancient book, the man began to chant a spell. As his voice echoed through the chamber, strange symbols on the pages shimmered faintly.
Suddenly, the body lying on the bed began to fade.
"No… no!" the man shouted in panic, stepping forward.
Before he could act, the man on the bed vanished completely.
The chamber fell silent.
The man clenched his fists and screamed in agony,
"No!"
At that moment, a young woman rushed in.
"What happened?" she asked anxiously. "Where is Shivay?"
The man turned toward her, his face twisted with anger and sorrow.
"This book," he said, his voice breaking, "instead of bringing him back to life, it made him disappear."
He threw the book into the candle flames. The pages burned quickly, turning to ash. Overcome with grief, he fell to his knees and began to cry. The woman, unable to hold back, also began to weep beside him.
At the same moment, somewhere else, in a place resembling a hospital, soft white lights illuminated a quiet room. The faint scent of medicine lingered in the air.
A beautiful young woman stood beside a bed, holding a child in her arms. Her face was pale with worry yet filled with hope. Beside her stood a gentle young man with calm features and tired eyes, holding the child with care.
Suddenly, the baby opened his eyes.
Tears of joy filled the young woman's eyes. Smiling through her tears, she said,
"I told you, Rishi… our son is alive. He was only sleeping."
The young man's face softened with relief and happiness as he smiled quietly.
But as they rejoiced, the child lay silently in their arms, staring at them.
Inside his mind, a confused thought echoed:
Where am I?
And who are these two?