5 Departure (2) - Goodbye(s)
[Users]
They were the miracles that represented the minuscule possibilities of the mortal peak. They were also called "Raavanaati" - The Descendants of Ravana because of their far-reaching and unfathomable powers that could topple the human system in a blink.
Although in the Year 2135, Users had started to emerge from many different Hunter parties, they were still not enough to make a significant difference in the war between the Union and the Bharat. However, what they were capable of was fighting one or two battalions of 500 soldiers singlehandedly.
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"Don't worry, I'll heal you", mother's hands were shaking.
As I looked at her frightened face I realized that she hadn't aged a single day in the last two years.
Just seconds ago when KT had taken the attack meant for me, Mark and Kala had jumped in and dragged us back into the barrier raised by my father. Now it was all up to my mother to save KT's life.
As she chanted the [Mantras] while holding her hand over the wound on KT's back, the blood started flowing back into the body. This was exactly the kind of miracle that made Users the new hot product, especially during war.
"Why isn't it healing?", mother panicked.
"Don't. You can't fall weak now.", KT shouted, his voice shaky and meek. He was holding onto his dear life with every last ounce of effort he could muster at the moment.
As for mother, it was simply impossible to reverse the big wound stretching from his back muscles to his spleen. Her Level 2 powers just weren't potent enough to reverse the causality of time that large.
It was 18 months back when she activated the Root Chakra and got her ability called 'The Maya Maitri', it was an ability whose literal translation was 'Mother Maya'.
None of us could really believe that it was happening for real. It was also the day she had stopped ageing altogether.
In ancient texts, Maya was described as being an illusion as well as the Goddess of Illusion who was responsible for weaving the reality known as the [Samsara]. According to legends, it was Maya (the illusion) that hid the reality of the Universe from us mortals, and it was not until that this veil of Maya would be lifted will the actual reality take shape and our timeline would be restored.
I used to not believe such stories which said that everything around us, the family, the animals, the trees, and the Earth; everything was just an illusion; but things had changed since my mother's awakening to Level 1 by activating her Root Chakra and becoming a User.
Her abilities were not clear to anyone until she had activated the second Chakra and got the powers to tinker with the flow of time. She was the strongest User amongst all of the Maiyatt team members at this point.
KT was back on his feet in seconds, but it wasn't the time to celebrate yet. Reversing a wound had already completely exhausted mother and that meant there was one less person to fight against 20 assassins surrounding us.
"Be careful, there are Users among them...", KT gave a rundown of the situation, "...That's why I got caught up in his attack."
"...He seems to be able to control fiction!", KT explained.
He was still coughing and grabbing his chest tightly. Even though the wound had reversed, his brain still needed time to recover from the pain of his flesh ripping apart.
[*slap*]
"Baba!", I said holding my right cheek, my eyes searching for the figure that was standing tall despite being exhausted from maintaining the barrier around us.
"Son there is a lot I want to tell you about the world! I thought we would have more time but...", father paused.
"Baba! What are you saying? We have time. We can still get away from here! and we will go to another base, and..."
[*shush*]
A thin finger, no larger than 5cm appeared on top of my mouth. I turned to look at the silhouette of the woman beside my father, it was mom. She looked haggard due to using her powers to reverse such a deep and deadly wound.
'Why does my chest hurt!?', I thought grabbing my packs.
The kind expression on her face was something I had prayed to God countless times but never got to see. She wasn't a woman to smile, she was always stern and rude, but why now?
'mom why do you look both kind and sad at the same time right now?'
'why are you looking at me like that?'
There was no point in asking such questions, but they just appeared in my head.
Her expression had melted all the anger I had been holding inside me for the past two years. I was angry every time I was given more homework and more tasks. I was angry when I was told that I couldn't go out of the base.
"Karn!...", her voice was full of hurt, "...Listen to your father carefully!"
"Honey, please hurry! the shield won't last more than 5 minutes."
"Karn! there is no time to explain. Prepare for the [Diksha]"
I was stupefied.
"Diksha!? Are you kidding me?", I protested. There were assassins surrounding us ready to blow us into pieces, what was all this nonsense?
Diksha was a signature ceremony for accepting a disciple.
In Ancient times, a Guru would bestow a Mantra to his student. It signified the acceptance of the student into Gurukul - Guru's family. In return, every student vows to uphold the 'Parampara' - The scholarly lineage by continuing the Guru's legacy.
"NOW!!", father shouted.
My doubts were probably clearly visible on my face. He knew what I was thinking. He knew that I was cursing him at that moment.
However, there was no time for arguments. I bowed down and sat in the cross-legged position as a student should in front of his teacher.
"You were always a smart kid Karn! aren't you?", he smiled gently.
"Baba, I .."
"Although you can't fathom your parent's choices, you've never once complained. I'm proud of you."
"Please don't say something I don't want to hear!", he knew what I meant.
"You were always curious for more, and I'm sure you would stumble upon the truth which we had kept you away from all this time. However, it is this foolish father's last request that when you do reach a point where you have to make a choice, please choose not to walk the path of vengeance."
His words were like prophecies. Addressing everything I would be if he hadn't asked me to refrain from vengeance.
"... Get ready to receive Diksha."
After Dad finished bestowing me the core Mantra of the Purohit family, Mark followed suit. Everything that happened within those couple of minutes, made me a sole heir to 4 different legacies.
Mother was the last to come forward. The shield that was shaped like a dome around the whole Maiyatt team was already showing signs of tear.
"Karn, my son, I'm sorry that I couldn't spend more time with you!", she made a face that I hadn't seen before, a face of vulnerability and defeat.
(*drip*)
Tears, that I thought didn't exist inside of her were flowing from her eyes as if she was crying years worth of pain.
She hadn't cried like that when dad was shot. She didn't cry when she fainted due to all the stress keeping the Maiyatt team alive.
'Why are you crying now dammit!?'
'You are the strongest amongst all of us, aren't you!!!!!!!??'
My inner thoughts remained inside my head. My anxiety was rising with every second.
"...Maa please tell me what is going on... WHY ARE YOU ALL ACTING LIKE LUNATICS!??? JUST WHY??!"
"WE NEED TO RUN!?? RIGHT NOW!!! RUN DAMMIT!!"
I was rude, but none of them who had bestowed me their legacies complained even a bit. They didn't frown at my disrespect, they didn't lash out at my crass language.
'Why!? Don't look like that!'
...
"Karn, you can't say that..", she explained in a soft compassionate voice, "...you are now the 'Antim Yogi' of four schools and will soon also carry my legacy... Although a lot of what has happened is due to my own incompetence..."
"Maa, I didn't mean to... but let's just go from here..."
The moniker of 'Antim Yogi' was just a fancy way of saying that I was the last and only remaining student of a Parampara (Scholarly lineage).
"...But even if you do blame me for ruining your life. I just hope that you'll be able to remember all of my teachings...", she paused, "..just don't forget me, Okay!?!"
I was furious.
I was sad.
- 'Are you screwing with me?'
- 'Remember your teachings? What for? I don't want those teachings!!!'
- 'Let's just get out of here.'
- 'We have to find a way out of this mess first!!'
A series of thoughts came and went.
A Number of unexplainable emotions were talking inside my head.
[ Maa is Maya. Maya is its Mamta. ]
It was her voice again. I opened my eyes.
She was whispering the Mantra.
'Is it my Diksha? It sounds like a [log] verse?'
[ Mamta births the Men. Men are Maya. ]
Her voice although faint was still the loudest thing I could hear in the midst of countless raining bullets.
"Maa I don't understand."
"Just remember it. You'll need it one day."
[ Just as Prana is the blood of the Universe. Maya is the skin. When you are lost just follow the veins to find the core. ]
"Maa, what is all this? Why tell me all this right now? I am a failure as a User. I can't even feel Prana or my Chakras"
"Karn, just listen to your mother.", father looked at me and then towards my mother.
"Mom, What happened!?"
Her skin had suddenly become pale, and it looked as if she had been sick for years. It was as if her infinite frozen youth had suddenly disappeared.
"Dear, It is time now. We must say good bye.", dad took hold of her, supporting her weight on his shoulders.
- 'Good bye! What !?'
I was completely lost and didn't understand a single thing that happened next.
(*creak*)
Another large crack appeared on the yellowish shield around us.
"Good bye karn. Please take care of yourself in the future", mom said.
"What do you mea..."
Mom: "Don't forget to eat thrice a day."
Dad: "Marry a good women just like your mother, Okay! Bye son."
Dad: "Live a happy and long life, my son."
KT: "Goodbye kiddo! I have shared my secret bug recipe, do give it a try!"
Mark: "Always remember to focus on the enemies movement when in a fight."
Kala: "You must find my secret stash if you want to become a true assassin."
"Do not lose faith in yourself and our teachings."
"NOOOOO!!!!!"
Mother. Mark. KT. Kalaa. Father. I heard each of their voices becoming progressively fainter as the vision turned completely black until I couldn't see anything anymore.
