All India Literature Competition 2019-20
by The Creative Post
Winner – 12th Position
(Judges’ Choice)
—by Dinesh Kumar
–Reading Time – 15min Approx
The army of Devaprastha was getting ready for a battle against their fate from a prophecy that was about to become reality. An evil mage raised an army of mrithukas (a zombie like possessed humans controlled through magic) and marched against them. For Devaprastha seeing a magical danger of such scale was new and the morale of the army was down not because of the impending war but the fear of prophecy was playing with their minds. 
As Senanayak Prahasth was going over the battle plans, fate was pushing them in further chaos with the sighting of Dhruvadhriti near the borderlines. Dhruvdhrithi, the knight of justice and senior to Prahasth once but a traitor in hiding after he saved the evil mage and pushed the kingdom to its present threat. Prahasth himself went with his elite squad and made Dhruvadhrithi surrender and as they brought him chained to the camp a few soldiers started hurling stones at Dhruva. Prahasth being the commander-in-chief acted quickly subsiding the unrest and took Dhruva to his well-protected tent and called for nyaya samithi for Dhruva’s trial.
Dhruva tried to convince Prahasth saying, “This danger can be stopped, let me go to the other side and finish this once and for all. You know that nyaya samithi is a just council of politicians fending for their own image and we the knights of justice are the true hope to the people, and we need to act now”.
“Until, Mahaveer Dhruvadhriti commits treason. Now we are a joke to people, our hands are tied up by new laws and now we are just mere pawns to kings. Brotherhood of Knights of justice is bearing the consequences of your actions, so stop running around your plans and own up your actions”, Prahasth retorted expressing his anger.
“Don’t let the people’s treatment towards us stop you from doing your duty. Your actions now can revive the glory to the brotherhood….”, as Dhruva tried to convince him, Prahasth yelled out midway “Stop it! your judgement of situations and your rebellious actions are the reason that we are here now. Tell me why should I trust you? The kid you saved left you to an evil mage and even killed that mage to gain his powers by taking his stuff”.
“It is not about me and never was. I did what I had to uphold Dharma. That kid was a borderline case, the prophecy suggested he may be a threat to the country and the council decided to kill the boy who was just two days old. The threat to the country is unacceptable but killing a new-born for it is a dangerous scene which would affect the whole kingdom. Council took the easier way out so that they will be safer from the future troubles. I could not let a kid die for actions he has never committed yet. So, I took him away and if ever he posed a threat, I could kill him by myself”, Dhruva said expressing the pain that he has been going through all these years.
“Can you kill him? When he was a kid, he was a nobody to you and yet you became a traitor for him. Now you raised him and saw him turn evil” said Prahasth to test Dhruva’s will.
“After he left me all I did is to prepare to stop him, even if it meant killing him or dying in his hands. The council decided out of the fear of future then and I don’t want you to be passive due to consequences of my past. Think about present there is serious danger around us, and we have to act”, Dhruva pleaded.
Listening to Dhruva’s heartfelt plea, Prahasth decided to execute his plan.
*******
Dhruva faced the Mage in the middle of a sea of mrithukas.
“Kid, stop this now. There are a lot of innocent lives at stake. The consequences…..” as Dhruva was pleading, the mage interjected, “Spare me the sermon, we have been through this conversation many times and yet your stubbornness surprises me. These people are only innocent on their terms, when a borderline situation arrives, they will drop their innocence and chose their survival. They deserve this.”
“If you are going to do it, then fight me, like old days, whenever you wanted things your way”, Dhruva said unsheathing his sword. The mage took his sword out laughing and said, “I won’t go easy on you”.
The full moon came out of the clouds shedding light on the duel in the forest and the young mage was too much for Dhruva. Looking at Dhruva out of breath, the mage said, “Give up old man, I spared your life from my mentor back then, thinking you will understand that this world isn’t worth fighting for, but you never learn”.
Dhruva stood again saying, “You are the one who needs to learn”, and with all his strength fought the mage. Attack after attack Dhruva gained upper hand and unarmed the mage and beat him down to submission.
The beaten down mage cried out of frustration, “If you don’t learn then I will break your will through my magic and make you one of my zombies” and directed his hand to the side calling out his magical stuff.
As the stuff levitated towards his palm Prahasth and his soldiers disguised as zombies came out and caught the magical stuff to the dismay of Dhruva who cried out it was not the right time. The surprised mage laughed out at the futile plan and reached out his arm forward making the stuff to reach his palm with utmost force throwing away Prahasth and his soldiers in air. As he held the stuff a surge of power passed along the veins of the wooden stuff and all the mrithukas howled in excitement.
The mage mocked Dhruva letting out a surge power through the stuff throwing him away to a distance and turning towards the soldiers said, “You soldiers make a life out of killing , let me show you how death feels, when cell by cell you will be poisoned with excruciating pain and finally all your blood vessels burst out but life still clings on to you not leaving your battered body, then you will pray for my mercy.”
As the mage lifted the stuff uttering the curse all the veins of the wooden stuff glowed and when he was about to direct it towards the soldiers, a holy silver chain got hurled onto the stuff not letting its power to emit. “This was my plan”, Dhruva said holding out the chain and he pulled the Mage towards him with the stuff and cut his hand out with his dagger. Dhruva held the magical stuff above his head to break it but the contained power surge of curse started to flow within him.
Mage cried out, “Do not break the stuff you need it to reverse your curse”. But Dhruva gathered all his strength and with a huge cry he broke the stuff emitting its bound magic out as bright light blinding everyone for a while.
As Prahasth regained his vision he saw all the mrithukas turned into their human forms lying around the ground. He heard huge cry of mage and ran towards him and saw Dhruva lying on the ground with all his veins turning black due to the curse, writhing in pain.
“You don’t deserve this?”, mage started crying holding Dhruva’s hand. “This was always my fate kid. A soldier dreams of death serving his nation protecting people. This is my dharma, I held on to it protecting you in your childhood and I am holding on to it now protecting you with all the other innocent people. Life throws a lot of conflicting borderline cases, the day you differentiate yourself from others it becomes easy to hurt people, like the council’s decision towards you or your attack on people. When you see everyone around as yourself, you will love the world for what it is, and nothing can hurt you. I named you Pradeep so that people will get to enjoy your light. Shine brighter son”, said Dhruva gasping with his last amount energy as the blood vessels in his legs started to burst out.
Prahasth took his dagger out to relieve Dhruva of his excruciating pain. Dhruva moved his head sideways saying, “You know I don’t take the easy way, let me go through this. This is my consequence of terrifying people through my treason and let Pradeep see the consequence of his decision so that he never does such a thing again. This is my penance.”
His Skin darkened and his eyes started to bleed and with all the blood vessels burst out he died in a pool of blood with his integrity holding a smile on his face as he welcomed the angel of death.
—by Dinesh Kumar
