SECRET REVEALED
[Fetuses will be killed in the wombs of their mothers, without their wish and sometimes with their wish too. People will prefer to choose false ideas over knowledge. No one will be able to trust anyone else. Whether it is too much heat, snow, earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones, tornadoes, or other storms, portend the age of Kali. People suffering from hunger and fear will take refuge in 'underground shelters'.] -Vishnu Purana and the Linga Purana
“Where am I?” Bhupati yells and I jump. After a second I notice his cry has made my heart pounding.
“Where…” he about to yell again but Reyansh covers his mouth with his hand, “I’m, father,” he shushes him, holding his hand, pinning him to the ground, “do you want madder from other buildings?”
“Leave me,” Bhupati shouts as if he is also mad.
“There are more in other buildings,” his son says in his ear, almost loud but not as his father, “you need to be silent or they will kill you. They will kill all of us.”
Bhupati, opens his eyes, makes eye contact with his son for a moment and gets himself, ”you gave me antidote?”
“Yeah...” Reyansh smile, “I’m releasing you.” He finally loosens his grip and moves aside from his body.
Bhupati sits and stares us as if he is paralyzed by the marijuana. Then his eyes focus and I feel he has recognized his children and me.
Rayansh grabs him by his coat and pulls him up, “get on your feet, father, we need to go.”
“Where?” he says, and I understand he isn’t out marijuana's effect.
“Inside the building,” Reyansh says, dragging him up and supporting him to find his feet.
“Why?” he asks as he gets on his feet.
“eat this,” his daughter hands him some more dry leaves, ”you need this.”
Bhupati pops the leaves int mouth and chews them. After swallowing the dose he stares at building for a long moment and then looks down at the unconscious folk.
“We should go before someone wake,” I say.
“They won’t before hours.” He says.
I smile as I know he is back in his sense now.
“Why did you smoke that?” I ask.
“They aren’t totally mad,” he looks at the folk on the ground, “they wouldn’t smoke if I haven’t smoke with them.”
He turns and walks at the building, “let’s go,” he looks back, “we have a long way, kids.”
We trio follow him.
Inside the building, all teenagers are ready with their bag packed and entrust their lives to us completely.
“There are some secret tunnels and basements under this city.” He says, “In starting when we were transferred to this city and lightning was reining the night sky we used them and I know the way among them that lead us out this city.”
Every teenager is listening to him.
“No one except me has explored all the tunnels and that’s why only I know that way if we make to the main tunnel before they will wake they won’t be able to chase us,” he says.
“What if we lost the way?” I ask, “We have not enough water or food.”
“We have no option,” he says, “we have water but forget about the food. The folk beyond the wall is running out of the food.” He looks over us, “we’ll die if we stay here.”
“And what will we do once we are out of this city?” I ask another question.
“I have helped real Devatas for years and I know about their secret camp in beyond the wall. Once we go there we will be safe. They have food and medicine and everything we need to keep ourselves alive.”
“Will they help us?” Akash asks, “Won’t they behave like your people?”
“They won’t.” Bhupati says, “Their mind power isn’t decreasing, not even if you starve them to the death.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because they have as mind power as Devatas have,” he says, “these fake Devatas were also once one from them but they chose darkness and followed the creator while real Devatas offended him and still living as resistance.”
“Now, we are going,” he says, “Any question?”
“Yes,” I say, “the last one.”
“Then ask, we have not much time.”
“Who are you?” I ask,
“I’m Bhupati and I think we are friends now.”
“You are not from the folk,” I say, “If you want us to trust you, you should trust us.”
“I’m Bhupati and my kids are also with us what do you think if I don’t have trust on you then I would send my kids with you?”
“I believe you trust on us but you haven’t told us the total truth.”
“What truth?”
“That you are not one from the folk,” I say.
“How can you say that?” he asks.
“Your Chilam,” I say, “it’s of Nirbhayas. I have seen the same Chilam with a mark of a majestic animal before.”
“To whom?”
“Jagapati,” I say, “I’ve seen him smoking with it.”
“Okay, I accept I've lied to you,” he admits, “I didn’t trust you at first. I’m one of Nirbhayas.”
With those words, I hear murmur rising in teenagers around.
“What are you doing with them?” I ask, “Why you have disguised your self as them?”
“I’m a spy.” He says, “My family is a spy of real Devatas and that’s why Nirbhayas killed my wife.” He looks at his children, “I’m sorry, I should tell you before but I couldn’t.”
“You are the reason for her death,” his daughter looks at him with anger and tear in her eyes, “I hate you, father.”
“Your mother was one who decided to do it.” He says to her, “when the leader of real Devatas called for a volunteer to leave the life of Nirbhaya and stay among the folk as being folk to know what the creator doing there and why he is snatching away their children, your mother was the first to volunteer our family. I supported her.” He wipes tears, “we are not the only family who have sacrificed, each city has a Nirbhaya family among the folk, disguised as one of them, to know what the creator wants from these poor people. Why he is snatching their kids and now a new mission why he is starving them from months and I’ve found out the answer for this last why…” he steps near his daughter, “you also know the answer for that last why, don’t you?” he reaches near her, “your mother has given you a name – Charita means good and do you think what the creator is doing is good? Shouldn’t we stand against him, even it cost us with our beloved?”
Charita speaks nothing; she hugs her father and tears streams from her eyes.
Bhupati continues, “Your mather has noticed this change in folk before years. Before years the folk was the kindest people on the earth but day by day the changing was coming- your mother believed that was due to harsh nature, unsecured life, constant worry about drought and lightning storm…” he takes a deep breath, “but she believed the change can be stopped and that’s why he chose name Reyansh for your brother – means rays of light.” He walks to his son, “she has found a ray of light in you. She believed you will chase away the darkness and people would stop to follow the darkness.” He hugs him, “don’t you want to fulfill her wish?”
“I’m,” Reyansh says, clutching his firsts.
“And you kids,” he looks over us, now his eyes have no tears, “your families are inside the wall and they are going to punish them for the rebellion, don’t you want to save your families?”
“We do,” I say, everybody nods.
“then, let’s go,” he says, “once we get send this news to real Devatas, maybe they will come to help or at least they will give us weapons with those we can face Nirbhayas and even Devatas.”
“Can Devatas be defeated?” Akash asks.
“Everyone can be defeated; just you need a proper weapon and a lot of courage.”
“Then I need both.” Akash says, an ember in his eyes, “I’ve seen them killing my parents.”
“Let’s go,” Bhupati says and descends in the basement. We follow him.
After several minutes of quiet, Bhupati approaches a wooden door with a rusted iron knob. He reaches out and opens it, applying his body weight. Inside the door is just darkness. My eyes can’t see anything means we are in tunnels.
Once inside, I don’t know what to do or where to go. I can’t see any face in pitch-black.
I sensed someone moving, I hear someone breathing and then there is light in Bhupati’s hand. He throws light over us.“Take out your torches kids.” he says.
“How do you know we have torches?” I ask, lighting my torch. Then every teenager following us lights their torches. Tiny cool lights are emerging from torches in every hand.
“I don’t think Jagapti is enough a fool to send you without touches when he knew you would need it in underground tunnels.”
The air is growing cooler as we descend in the tunnel. The darkness is deep yet torches have enough light to show us the way. I feel my strength is returning to me, and again I’m breathing normally.
“How you know he helped us?” I ask.
“Haven’t you noticed anything?” he asked as he takes a turn to left. I can’t understand how he knows where to and when to turn but we follow him.
“What?” I ask as my eyes observe the miserable condition of underground tunnels. “What I haven’t noticed?”
“Jagapati and Bhupathi,” Charita says as we pass near a locked door. Tunnels had rooms inside- it wasn't surprising for me. I’ve seen such doors in basements at the last city we repaired.
“Oh! My god,” I say, “how I miss that point?
“One way or other but you have.” Bhupati smiles at me.
“He is my uncle.” Reyansh says, “He is the younger brother of my father and works for real Devatas.”
“So you were the help?” Akash asks.
“It depends on,” Bhupathi says.
“On what?”
“In which city you went,” he says, “every city has a Nirbhaya family and if you have gone to another city you have met with another spy family.”
Next some minutes we walk silently, the place is nothing but darkness and cold. The smell of the air is only suffocation and the feel is fear. I can’t understand how the folk would have spends years in these tunnels. I feel sorry for them. Perhaps that darkness and dumb tunnels have made them dark. They have lost their senses.
I don’t speak but I hear other teenagers talking with Reyansh and his sister as we follow Bhupathi through a web of tunnels. Sometimes turning right, sometimes turning left, sometimes walking straight but never stopping for the rest. After several hours we are about to reach out of the city.
*
To be continue.....
