Nasteya Read online

  ‘Mellow and divine… It soothes my heart and my mind though I can’t understand it,’ Nasteya said.

  ‘It is our morning prayer in our native tongue to worship Lord Eesh,’ said Baka, ‘And all are gathered outside the palace to sing it.’

  Soon, we reached open ground outside the palace. Hundreds of yetis were deep in prayer. Their heads were lifted up as they knelt with eyes closed. We imitated them... And then slowly the chorus ebbed. As they opened their eyes and saw us, the yetis near us were amazed and perplexed. So were all who saw us. A sudden wave of uneasy whispers rippled through the assembled yetis. The crowd started to encircle us. For an instant I thought we had been led into a trap. Then I remembered that we were accompanied by their prince. Two yetis dressed like guards came running towards us through the crowd of white fur.

  ‘Step back you fools,’ Baka roared as the guards confronted us. ‘Can you not see that they accompany me?’

  Now the whispers grew louder and more clearly audible: ‘What would have made Prince Baka bring these men to Kanchana?’ a voice said.

  ‘I do not know but it is queer,’ another voice replied.

  ‘Calm down, everyone,’ said a regal voice. With her silver cloak sweeping the ground behind her, the queen—she could have been no one else!—made for us. I wondered if she would grant her consent for our stay.

  ‘Baka, are these men with you?’ she asked Baka. Her stature was proud and there was a keen and commanding light in her wise eyes.

  ‘They are. I bring them as guests,’ Baka replied.

  ‘Never before have men visited Kanchana as guests,’ she said.

  ‘Never before have yetis owed a favour to the gentleness of men,’ Baka said. ‘They helped me survive a sudden attack of eagles.’

  And then Baka narrated everything. The cold was making my nose almost numb, but it wasn’t bothering me more than the wait for the queen’s reply. After a long pause she said, ‘Brave men of Saarah, Queen Bhamini welcomes you to Kanchana. You may stay for as long as you wish and your comfort will be taken care of with all the hospitality we can offer.’

  Nasteya bowed to the queen and said, ‘With all due respect, we thank you for your generosity.’

  I truly felt proud of our deeds which had earned us such honour. Then, escorted by the guards, we walked into the grand palace.

  The palace was like an imposing fortress looming from above the clouds over the world below, its pointed central turret soaring taller than the surrounding mountains… On the pediments, there were two huge statues of yetis and in the centre of the main hall, there was another huge statue of a crowned yeti, standing proud and tall. Carvings covered the walls, from roof to floor. The artwork of the yetis rivaled their architecture! Yet despite all this grandeur, my thoughts were focused on somewhat more basic things—a comfortable and warm bed and plenty of delicious food.

  ‘Until your room is prepared, you may rest here. I’ll send breakfast,’ Baka said as he directed us to a room in the left corner behind the main hall. By the time we finished our breakfast, our room was prepared. Our beds were of pine needles layered in the hollow shells of trees. I threw myself upon a bed and fell at once into a dreamless slumber.

  In the evening I woke up feeling refreshed.

  Nasteya was sitting still, deep in thought. The others were still asleep.

  ‘Did you sleep well?’ I asked him.

  ‘Yes, but sleep doesn’t stay with me long,’ he replied.

  ‘For how many days shall we break our journey here?’ I asked.

  ‘Till the day we meet Garud,’ Nasteya replied. ‘If these are the marks of his claw on my chest, then he might know more than what we’re searching for.’

  ‘Do you have a plan in mind?’ I asked.

  ‘Not yet,’ said Nasteya.

  Baka entered the room with some furry cloaks that seemed to be of our size, and a little one for Ayaan.

  ‘Put these cloaks on. We are going out,’ he said.

  Without questioning him, we put on the hooded fur cloaks and went out with Baka while Hira, Ayaan and Savaan slept.

  A beautiful chariot waited for us at the porch, strapped to a team of those yetis we had seen at the gate. We jumped inside the wagon and the tour started. This well-organised, beautiful city was a sight that delighted us after days of travelling through grasslands and hills and valleys and forests. Passing through the narrow lanes, I noticed that now when I looked at any yeti, I received a smile unlike those earlier glares. After many weeks, I felt my spirits lifting. It wasn’t the same with Nasteya though. He was still lost in his own thoughts.

  I realised that our path ahead was a thorny one, and Nasteya was rightly concerned. But this wasn’t the moment to add to his worries, so, I said, ‘You must brighten up for now. You shouldn’t forget that you have a life too and this is the time to live it.’ He nodded.

  The carriage stopping outside a house so I asked, ‘Are we going in?’

  ‘Yes we are. I want you to meet my friends,’ Baka said.

  There were three of them waiting for us—one was even taller than Baka! Of the other two, one was undoubtedly a female, a girl. Chairs were pulled for us to sit and after everyone settled down, a formal introduction began.

  ‘He’s Nasteya and he’s Vasu and these are my friends, Tejas, Enakshi and Tapan,’ Baka said.

  Enakshi had her gaze fixed on us, which made me feel awkward. Then, Baka said, ‘It is not their size you should consider, Enakshi. They are more valiant than many yetis.’

  I felt proud of Baka’s faith in us. Enakshi compelled Baka to narrate the whole incident. We joined in to add our own parts to the tale.

  ‘Well, your courage is laudable,’ Enakshi said. ‘I want to meet Ayaan. You should have brought him too.’ The other two nodded in agreement.

  ‘Anyhow, why are you here? You have strayed far from your home and there must be a reason,’ Tapan asked.

  His question silenced us for a while. Before we could say anything, Baka said, ‘These poor souls don’t have a home anymore. Some hooded barbarians seized all they ever had from them.’

  ‘It breaks my heart to hear this,’ said Enakshi. ‘What had happened exactly?’

  All this time I had tried my level best to act normal but then, when Seeya’s face flickered in front of my eyes, it made me aware of the fact that she was gone forever and that Saarah was no better than a graveyard and tears sprung to my eyes—I hated crying in front of others, so, I left the room while Nasteya and Baka narrated the story to them. After a long time, some old wounds had been re-opened. As I stood by the window, it was Seeya’s smiling face that flickered in front of me, her voice that echoed inside my head…

  ‘Now that I am present all around you, in this world, you must love it…’ she seemed to say. ‘It is the only way you can stay close to me. I will always be near you, Vasu!’

  And then her face faded away as the wind blew, and her voice was replaced by the voices of the others. Night had fallen. The stars were shining. The aroma of roasted meat filled the room.

  Dinner was ready when I returned to the group. Earlier, Baka had sent a chariot for Ayaan, Hira, and Savaan and upon their arrival, the feast began. It barely took any time for Ayaan to befriend the others. Our spirits once again rose high in the company of these beasts that we happened to befriend.

  Enakshi was narrating a hilarious event to Ayaan, about the time that Baka got scared of a rabbit, when Nasteya interrupted.

  ‘I need to meet Garud.’

  NINE

  AN UNSEEN ACQUAINTANCE

  Nobody uttered a word for a while. It was as if Nasteya had jammed a wooden stick inside a spinning wheel, stopping it at once. Enakshi broke the silence, asking in a bewildered voice: ‘Why Garud?’

  ‘There is something that links us. He knows about my origin,’ Nasteya replied.

  ‘We all know about your origin,’ Baka said.

  ‘All you know is that I am from Saarah. But you are not aware of the truth tha
t I wasn’t born there. Though I’ve spent all my life in Saarah, my origin is beyond it,’ Nasteya replied.

  Baka and all his friends listened to him with concern on their faces. ‘Do you not know where you were born?’ Tapan asked.

  ‘I do not know. But maybe Garud does,’ Nasteya said. ‘How would he know?’ Enakshi asked in her gentle voice, which was quite unlike that of the other yetis. ‘The mark of his claw has been on my chest since I was a child, the same mark Baka recognised,’ Nasteya said. ‘My mother had told me about how she took me from an eagle. I wonder if Garud is the same eagle she met…’ So saying, Nasteya shared his story while all the others listened to him anxiously.

  ‘How shall we get you to him?’ Tejas asked.

  ‘I’m afraid we cannot locate him and if we do somehow, it is hardly likely that he will talk to us or to you, now that he knows you are on our side,’ Baka said.

  ‘He will,’ said Nasteya with conviction. ‘Though it is just a hunch, I believe he will talk. Can you get me to him?’

  We had already faced countless tribulations by then and I was tired of them. The thought of facing more was depressing. But it was I who chose to walk with Nasteya and I knew that I could never leave him stranded. So I had to go with him, regardless of where we might go and what we might encounter.

  ‘When do you wish to meet Garud?’ Baka asked.

  ‘As quickly as you can get me to him,’ Nasteya replied.

  ‘What plan do you have, Baka?’ Enakshi asked. ‘Would the queen agree to this?’

  ‘Does she have to know about it?’ Savaan countered shrewdly.

  ‘It would be foolish and unwise to keep her in the dark,’ Enakshi responded, ‘You know our queen as well as I do.’

  ‘Mother will never agree to us deliberately messing with those eagles! We have to keep this a secret,’ Baka said to Enakshi. ‘Besides, to help someone, you don’t even require God’s permission. Am I correct Ayaan?’ Ayaan winked and nodded.

  ‘We will only proceed if there is a plan that brings no harm to you. My wish to meet Garud isn’t more important than your safety,’ Nasteya said.

  ‘This would be small repayment for what I owe you Nasteya… Furthermore, I don’t like to stay indebted, so, let me do this,’ Baka replied in his deep, solemn voice.

  ‘I reckon there is a plan,’ Tapan said thoughtfully after some time. We all turned to him expectantly. ‘What is the need to go searching for Garud if we can make him come to us? And the way to make Garud to come to us is to pretend to breach the arch. I am pretty sure one of his spies will break this news to him immediately. The fear that we might steal the sword will make him come to us as fast as his wings can carry him.’

  ‘Never has he come for such conflicts,’ said Baka. ‘I reckon he might send his son instead.’

  ‘Then we abduct him!’ said Tapan triumphantly. ‘Will he not come then?’

  ‘This plan may trigger off a war,’ murmured Enakshi in a hurried voice.

  ‘No, there will be no war,’ said Nasteya assuredly.

  How could he be so certain of something, I wondered? It was his habit that got the better of him, the habit to take decisions in haste without worrying about the consequences. However, he sounded quite sure and my faith in him was so strong that I erased this question from my mind at once. But Enakshi couldn’t let go of her worry: ‘But what if things go wrong?’ she asked.

  ‘How can we know unless we do it?’ Baka said.

  ‘But what if they bring more eagles?’ she asked.

  ‘You mustn’t conjecture, Enakshi,’ Baka said, ending her long chain of cynical questions.

  ‘Can we not come up with a plan that excludes your involvement?’ Nasteya asked.

  ‘Do not worry,’ said Baka drawing himself up proudly, ‘Any number of eagles is no match for a handful of yetis.’

  Tapan now wanted to know when the plan would be set into motion.

  ‘Tomorrow, after sunset,’ Tejas suggested and we all agreed.

  ‘Let us assign tasks then. Savaan, what do you think you can do best?’ asked Baka.

  ‘I… umm… I feel worn out after yesterday’s clash and a bit feverish too,’ Savaan said in a hesitant tone.

  I realised it was just an excuse to avoid the danger, as did Nasteya. But we played along, saying: ‘Then you must rest Savaan!’

  ‘Will I be charged with a task? Give me one!’ Ayaan demanded restlessly. Obviously, we didn’t want to put Ayaan in danger but how to do so without dampening his enthusiasm?

  It was Baka who had the bright idea: ‘There is a task, Ayaan, the most important of all, that none but you can ably do. You have to keep my mother busy while we go out and until we return. Will you do it?’

  ‘I will!’ Ayaan replied confidently.

  We returned to the palace when the stars were already fading in the sky. Right before I fell asleep, I plunged deeper into the realms of my thoughts. After a while, I crawled out of the deep trench of my endless thoughts and leaped into the valley of my dreams.

  Some hours later, I was woken by the soothing hum of morning prayer, which Ayaan and Nasteya seemed to have gone to attend. After the prayer, preparations for the evening began. Anxiety grew as the day passed. Nasteya’s eyes betrayed no fear, only the hope of finding answers.

  The sun set slowly and night finally arrived with its cloaking darkness.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Baka growled as he walked into our room.

  ‘Ready and prepared,’ Nasteya said as he polished his sword.

  Strange events were at hand, but I was now used to expecting the unexpected. After monstrous eagles, giant yetis and the marvellous city of Kanchana, I could only wonder what would come next.

  ‘Let us get ready for the ritual,’ said Baka.

  A prayer was sung and a ritual was performed. I had always been under the impression that yetis were cruel beasts who killed randomly and without reason— but that misconception was rewritten after I visited Kanchana. These beasts were more civilised than many tribes of men. There was nothing remotely ‘beastly’ about the food they ate, the rituals they performed or the way they lived. What set them apart from men was their size and shape rather than their hearts; they bore no different feelings than us.

  Outside the palace, Tejas, Tapan and Enakshi stood geared up with a carriage. We stole quietly out of the palace.

  The carriage took us towards the exit of the city, to the same gate we had entered from. The chill wind blew wilder than ever before. Thick mist blanketed the earth. I shivered.

  ‘Here, drink this,’ Enakshi said as she pulled out a bottle from her pack.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked.

  ‘Have a sip of it, all of you,’ she said and we drank it. When Hira passed it to Baka, he said. ‘It is for you men, not us yetis.’

  ‘It tastes odd, what is it?’ Hira asked.

  In the next few moments, our faces were beaded with sweat. Our cloaks suddenly felt too warm and we removed them as the yetis watched us and smiled.

  ‘It is made with the juices of special herbs, it is meant to keep you warm,’ Enakshi said.

  I felt like I was standing close to a big hearth and I wanted to fall flat on the snow and cool my burning face and limbs. But then gradually, the warmth faded to a bearable level that comforted us as we left the chariot at the gates and continued on foot. Baka led us on and on for two cold hours, along narrow pathways skirting the steep slopes of high mountains. The valleys on the other side were dark and deep. Soon, we reached an open space between mountains. Baka stopped and looked towards the sky.

  ‘Is something troubling you?’ Nasteya asked.

  ‘Clouds shroud the pole star,’ Baka replied worriedly. ‘Without it we might stray in the wrong direction.’

  ‘Have you not been to the gateway before?’ I asked.

  ‘I have, several times, but always in daylight. During daytime, your sight can travel for miles but on such a dark night as this, your eyes can deceive you as the snow builds new mo
unds and covers old pathways. Even the arch is not visible due to the clouds,’ Baka said.

  ‘Do we have an alternative?’ Hira asked.

  ‘Dhruvanag,’ Tejas said. ‘We must find the Dhruvanag.’

  This was another unfamiliar word for us. ‘What is it?’ I asked. ‘And how is it an alternative?’

  ‘It is…’ and before Enakshi could complete her sentence, Tapan interrupted, saying, ‘Don’t tell them! Let it be a surprise!’ Tapan, like Tejas, was always jovial and fun-loving. As we were told to wait, we stood there with Enakshi and Tejas while Tapan and Baka went off in some direction, possibly in search of this ‘dhruvanag’.

  ‘Have you been to the Gateway of Eesh before?’ I asked Enakshi.

  ‘Many times,’ she replied.

  ‘What lies beyond? Do you have an idea?’ I asked.

  ‘Nobody knows what lies beyond the gateway,’ she said. ‘Some say it is the land of some saints who sit inert and unmoving in deep meditation for hundreds of years. Some say it is the land of dragons far beyond the gateway. The truth is that even yetis aren’t able to survive the weather of the world beyond the gateway. Some who have tried to go beyond the gateway has never returned.’

  In the meantime, Baka and Tapan returned with something in the sack, something that wriggled and made the walls of the bag bulge. Then, they emptied the sack on the snow.

  TEN

  THE PARADOX

  A snake emerged from the bag and began to crawl away but Baka picked it up expertly. It was a snake, but not like any I had ever seen. From its mouth to its tail, this four-foot-long snake was masked with white luminescent fur.

  ‘This is Dhruvanag,’ Baka said as he lifted the snake by its tail. ‘What help can it be to us that you went in its search?’ Nasteya asked. ‘The purpose it serves is no different than that of a pole star,’ Baka answered. ‘You mean it will direct us towards the north?’ I asked. ‘Correct!’ Enakshi said, as Baka tied a strip of cloth around Dhruvanag’s eyes. ‘But you have curtained its view. How will it direct us if it can’t see?’ Nasteya asked. ‘When its eyes don’t work, its senses do,’ said Baka. ‘And these senses direct it towards the north when its eyes are covered. We don’t know why but it doesn’t stop moving north until it can see again.’