Nasteya Page 10

  We all nodded and Garud started to speak again. ‘There’s one thing about this sword that I didn’t mention earlier. This sword wasn’t made to be used by anyone except my grandfather.’

  ‘But you said that the warrior used it,’ Baka asked the same question that flashed into my mind.

  ‘It is because my grandfather made him use it,’ Garud replied. ‘He created a mark on that warrior’s body—a permanent scar made by his claws. In this way, he actually gave him his signature or consent to use the power of the sword and made him the secondary master of that sword. The mark that Nasteya bears on his chest isn’t the scar of my claw, as everyone thinks. He received it from my grandfather.’

  We were already dealing with a bunch of perplexing questions, and these words startled us even more. Everyone frowned in confusion.

  ‘What does that mean…?’ Nasteya stammered.

  ‘Yes! Nasteya, you are the master of this sword. My grandfather gave you the authority to use it. When my grandfather gave you to me twenty-three years ago, on the island of Naksos, he told me to take you away from there. He also told me that you would come for the sword one day and if you didn’t, I was to find you and deliver the sword to you after twenty-five years. He wasn’t wrong. Here you are now and two years early…’

  The island of Naksos? Nobody in that room had heard about that island before.

  ‘Naksos?’ a puzzled Nasteya asked.

  ‘You heard me right Nasteya, I know the questions that have now been raised in your mind. Just listen until I make everything clear. Twenty three years ago, I was assigned a task by my grandfather. He sent a herald who instructed me to fly to the island of Naksos where I would be given a task by him. When I reached Naksos, I had a very brief encounter with my grandfather, too brief to answer all my questions. When he came to me, he was in a hurry and he had a child with him.

  ‘I have a vital task for you my son,’ he said to me. ‘What task?’ I asked. ‘I need you to take this child as far away as possible from here. Be swift and careful,’ grandfather said to me. ‘What is it that troubles you? Who is this child?’ I asked in a single breath. ‘We don’t have much time, you must go. Go now, be off from here,’ he said, adding, ‘Keep in mind that one day, after nearly twenty-five years, he might come to you and when he does, give him the sword I forged.’

  ‘“What about you? When will we hear from you again?” I asked.’

  ‘You may not hear from me again,’ he said, ‘But you will surely hear about me when the time comes.’

  ‘It confused me but at that instant, I was supposed to fly away with this child so I picked him up in my claws and took off. The child bore great importance to me, now that my grandfather had made him the sword’s master. Just as I took off, I saw a lady behind a nearby rock, watching us and weeping and all I remember of her is that she wore a necklace with pearls cut in the form of a crescent moon. I brought the child to this land after flying for two days. But there was no way this child would survive among eagles. So I moved towards Saarah with a hope that someone might adopt you and I was right—a wise lady took you from me.’

  While Nasteya was trying hard to grasp what he heard, Garud continued, ‘I know it isn’t enough to satisfy the questions that you have inside your head but this is all you can get from me. This is all I know. You must believe me.’

  ‘There is nothing else I can do except believe... Can you take me to your grandfather?’ Nasteya asked in a very low voice.

  ‘Grandfather, after that odd night, never returned. Nor did there come any word of him,’ Garud replied in grief and then murmured almost to himself only, ‘But I believe wherever he is, he’s safe. Lord Kushya is invincible.’

  We were still locked in confusion, yet one thing was obvious: that island of Naksos was our next destination.

  ‘Where is this island of Naksos?’ Nasteya asked Garud, ‘Give us directions.’

  ‘I know the place, I can take you there,’ Garud answered.

  ‘But father,’ Sankara interrupted, ‘your absence will be a threat to us. Those dragons of the far east are waiting for an opportunity to strike!’

  ‘Do you have other enemies?’ Nasteya asked.

  ‘Nothing to be worried about,’ Garud replied. ‘Some dragons from the far east think that they can seize our land. However, they can never stand against eagles.’

  ‘If that is the situation, I can by no means take your help, Garud; I do not want to put anyone in trouble. You are needed here,’ Nasteya said humbly.

  When Garud insisted on accompanying them, Nasteya said: ‘Please! I have a never-ending relationship with trouble; so let me go there by myself. Just give me the directions. That would be enough of help.’

  ‘Then listen: Where the western land ends and the sea begins, keep sailing in the direction of the sunset until you reach the land beyond the Gulf of Aden. You must cross the land on foot until you reach water again. Then, sail towards the north-west. You will reach a cluster of islands. The one in the middle of that cluster is the island of Naksos. You have a long journey ahead of you. And remember one thing, not all the lands you enter will treat you well.’

  ‘And where is the sword?’ Baka asked. Garud called for the sword and two eagles arrived with a huge cubic block.

  ‘The sword rests inside this chest,’ Garud said. ‘It is locked and I have lost the key years ago, even before I brought Nasteya here.’

  ‘Then break it open!’ Baka said.

  ‘We cannot, nobody can,’ Garud said.

  ‘I will,’ Baka said and stepped forward as he picked a hammer that hung on the wall and swung it. Just before he was about to hit the block, Garud screamed, ‘Wait,’ but it was too late and the hammer struck at the surface of the block. The strike hardly made an impact but the aftereffect was quite a blow—the block backfired on Baka with double the force and threw him yards away. As he got up in pain, Garud said, ‘I told you, nobody can break it! This is what makes this block of the arch and not the whole arch, indestructible.’

  While Garud spoke, I examined its surface. Something I saw widened my eyes and made me say, ‘Wait, I think I have the key!’

  FOURTEEN

  THE KUSHYA’S SWORD

  Everyone in the room stared at me as if I was insane. It made me examine the block again and when I did, I could easily recognise that pattern. ‘Yes! I have it…’ I said.

  ‘Are you serious? Where and how did you get it?’ Nasteya walked towards me and asked in amazement.

  ‘Even you will understand everything. Trust me, I have the key,’ I replied, ‘but I must revisit the palace in Kanchana.’

  ‘What makes you so sure all of a sudden?’ Garud asked me and his question was valid.

  ‘What is more important is the key and I assure you that I have it. One of you has to take me to the palace,’ I said, excited at the prospect of opening the box.

  ‘Sankara, do what he says,’ Garud instructed Sankara.

  The next moment we were on our way to Kanchana. I was thrilled by this additional chance to fly with an eagle once again. But then suddenly I was filled with doubt… Had I been too hasty? Was it just my imagination? No, I was sure of what I had seen and what I had said.

  Yet I kept praying for it until we reached the outskirts of Kanchana.

  ‘You go ahead, I shall wait here,’ Sankara said.

  ‘I will be back soon,’ I replied and ran towards Kanchana. I raced into the palace where Ayaan was playing with Savaan in our room and upon seeing me, Savaan stopped at once and said, ‘Where were you? Where’s everybody? What is happening?’

  ‘I don’t have time to explain! Have you recovered from your illness?’ I said distractedly, while I hastily searched for my bag amidst our luggage. When I found it, I dashed out of the room.

  ‘Yes, but wait, where do you go now?’ Savaan asked from behind, but I hardly noticed and sped towards the exit of palace.

  Sankara was waiting at the same spot where he had dropped me.

 
‘I have found it, let’s go!’ I said as I jumped on his back.

  ‘You were quick!’ he complimented.

  ‘It is now your turn to be quick,’ I replied and we took off.

  ‘How did you find the key?’ he asked inquisitively.

  ‘I didn’t find it on purpose. It was just luck or maybe fate,’ I replied.

  Sankara flew swiftly. His wings flapped faster and his flight was full of sharp turns. Soon, we were in the valley of the eagles and had landed at the same spot. We went in. Everyone eagerly awaited me. They all rose up at once. Baka, as usual, was asleep.

  ‘Have you brought the key?’ Nasteya asked. His voice woke Baka.

  ‘I have brought something. However, I will now confirm if it is actually the key or not,’ I replied and pointed towards the surface of that block. ‘Nasteya, look at that pattern carefully. What do you see?’

  ‘It is some creature engraved on the surface… something with wings…’ he murmured while he examined the block.

  ‘Does this remind you of something?’ I asked Nasteya as I pulled out the small sculpture of golden dragon I had found back in Godmother’s cottage in Saarah.

  ‘This is the one!’ Garud said in amazement as he gazed at the dragon. Nasteya immediately recognised the incredible correlation between that dragon figurine and the block.

  ‘There is a small difference between the pattern and this figure. In the pattern the wings are wide open while the golden dragon’s wings are folded,’ Nasteya said as he figured out the difference.

  ‘You have to hold it, Nasteya,’ said Garud wisely. Nasteya’s hand reached for the statue and I placed it on his palm. As if it came to life, the golden dragon unfolded its wings leisurely. The sight mesmerised us all but Garud, for he already knew how this key worked. Nasteya then placed the dragon smoothly over the pattern on the block’s surface. It fit perfectly.

  A creaking sound came from inside the block, as if something was beginning to move. We all watched in silent awe. The glowing dragon statue rotated and the upper portion of the block split into two halves which started to slide away from each other. In the hollow revealed by the separation of the upper halves lay the glorious sword. Everyone admired its glory in silence until Nasteya said, barely breathing, ‘It is extraordinary.’

  Slowly, his hand reached for the sword. He grasped the hilt and gently hefted it. It gleamed as if it was freshly forged. The intricate artwork gleamed on its grip and the razor-sharp edge of its double-sided blade seemed to glow with an ethereal radiance. Time seemed to have slowed down. We were transfixed in silent admiration, eager to touch it at least once… I kept thinking about the power it bore—what could be its unique that it had to be kept isolated, untouched and protected? I was eager to find out and see it with my own eyes.

  ‘No one else could have ever unlocked it,’ Garud spoke, his eyes locked on the grand sword.

  ‘I wonder what it’s capable of…’ Baka said, once again echoing my own thoughts.

  ‘Far more than you can imagine. You must not forget that it once led a man to conquer half the world,’ Garud said.

  ‘Why did your grandfather say that I would require this sword? How did he know? Had he foreseen something?’ Nasteya asked.

  ‘I have told you all I know; the rest is uncertain. All I can say is that this sword will be needed where it is bestowed,’ Garud replied.

  ‘What particular power does it have?’ Nasteya asked as he rotated the sword slowly in his hands.

  ‘When in danger, just raise this sword and it will meet your need. You will not have to learn to use it. It will show its power itself,’ Garud instructed Nasteya.

  While the others still admired the elegance of the sword, I wondered how the pieces of this puzzle had found each other, a puzzle that had started on the night of the apocalypse that fell upon Saarah and gone on till today—yet there were still many pieces left to fit. I then realised that a major part of our journey was completed and the next part, as yet unclear, was yet to begin. I was beginning to grow curious about it.

  With the sword in its master’s possession, we were about to leave for Kanchana when Garud called from behind: ‘Remember Nasteya—whatever you do, cannot always be correct. But if you always choose to do what seems right to you, you shall truly do what is right. A person is recognised, appreciated and worshipped as a legend not because of the powers he possesses but because of the way he uses his powers. Incredible powers beget sacrifices. You may sacrifice and get hurt and it may be for the good of others but when you recover, you will see that it was worth the pain. Our duty is to listen to the voice of conscience which reminds us that ‘we are the ones to choose our ways’. Be the best of what you can be and do not make people fear you, be someone who can turn even the worst enemies into allies. You have Kushya’s sword, the most powerful weapon of these times. Now use it in a way which will never make me repent my decision to hand it over to you. The less you use its powers, the wiser you will become. I know that none but you are good enough to be the best.’

  ‘Your trust in me will be justified, regardless of whatever situation that may rise. Even if I have to die to protect the faith that you have in me, I will,’ Nasteya replied with a gentle smile. ‘I owe you a lot… I shall not find it easy to repay you.’

  ‘The sword was always yours,’ Garud replied wisely.

  As we left, Baka turned to the eagles and said: ‘And don’t forget to join us at the grand feast tonight. All of you are invited.’

  ‘There’s no reason why we wouldn’t,’ Garud replied, inclining his head.

  Off into the high skies we flew again and reached Kanchana in no time. The eagles dropped us and went away. It was then that I realised that we would now resume our journey. We had been through so many highs and lows and I wondered how high the forthcoming highs would be and how deep the lows. No matter that we had lost a lot more than we could afford to lose, we had found some things too—new friendships, and that too with beasts and birds instead of men.

  That night, our last night in Kanchana, Queen Bhamini had organised a grand feast for us. Celebrations began and the best thing about it was that the eagles were a part of it. They shared the table with the yetis for the first time in generations. The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but it had been set aside for the present. Health and hope grew strong in us, and we were content with each passing moment as it came, taking pleasure in every dish we ate, and in every word and song. But there was a fear of celebrations somewhere in my mind, for it had been a day of celebration when our cradle had turned into a graveyard. Thinking of that made me feel low and while everyone else enjoyed themselves, sang and danced, I felt silence enveloping me; even the splashing of wine in my glass seemed like the roaring waves of the ocean. Consumed wholly by this silence, I started to walk towards the exit of the hall. And then at the far end of the hall, I saw ‘Seeya’.

  FIFTEEN

  IT’S ALWAYS HARD TO SAY GOODBYE

  Everything was beginning to fade out. All the sounds grew fainter. The music and singing round me seemed to falter and a silence fell. One by one, everyone began to disappear as my gazed remained fixed on her. She stood there, motionless. As I rose, she gestured to me to come closer. The distance that separated us slowly diminished. Her white silk gown sparkled. Her hair shone like wet charcoal. Her cerise lips now smiled, though tears glittered in her eyes.

  ‘In you, around you and with you, I am always there,’ she whispered gently.

  Then her image faded away as the wind blew. I wanted to hold on to her, but I was helpless. And the next moment, the world started to spin.

  ‘Apologies! I didn’t see you,’ a yeti’s voice entered my ears and pulled me out from that waking dream. Everything and everyone had returned. The silence was overridden by voices once again. I was flat on the floor. The yeti helped me stand up. I stared towards the end of the hall, but Seeya was no longer there. Tears of realisation—that this had been a momentary trick of my senses—trickled down
my face. Nasteya came to me, wiped my tears and said, ‘I share your pain; all that troubles you troubles me too. But it is necessary to bury the dead past, for now. Keep only the sweet memories. You must feel content to have lived in that time. But time keeps going on. For now, Saarah stays in our memories. Cherish these moments right now, or you may regret it later for it is uncertain when we will meet these good friends again. Who knows, we might never get to meet them again.’

  ‘Please, do not say that! It hurts my heart,’ said Ayaan as he came to us, ‘We will meet them again. Rather, we mustn’t go anywhere. Everything is now sorted out and we can stay here.’

  It was obvious that Ayaan now considered Kanchana home. Why would he not wish to stay? There was no lack of care and affection for him.

  ‘I wish we could, Ayaan, but we have to leave,’ said Nasteya and Ayaan’s face fell.

  Hira, who had been listening to everything, came and said, ‘Ayaan, do you not remember what those devils did to our Saarah?’ Ayaan nodded. ‘They killed innocent people. Have I not taught you that to kill someone without valid reason is brutality? For such sins, God punishes the sinner, doesn’t he?’ Ayaan again nodded and Hira continued, ‘And if God happens to be too busy to punish himself, he assigns this task to someone else. In the case of Saarah, the task of punishing those devils has been allotted to us. But those devils are huge and many while we are just a handful. Nasteya needs us all. Do you not wish to help him?’