Chapter 6 : Ancient Palace

Raj and the sword had decided to go to the address that the sage had given them. They thought that it might be their only chance to learn the secrets of siddhis, spirituality, yoga, mantra, mudra and herbs. They were curious and eager to see what awaited them at the gurukul.

But before they could leave, they had to go back to the restaurant where Raj had left without paying for his breakfast. The Rudra had dragged him out of there when it sensed the sage's aura, and the restaurant manager had chased them all the way to the jungle. Raj felt bad for what he had done, and he wanted to apologize and pay for his meal.

He entered the restaurant with the Rudra hidden in his backpack. He looked around and saw the restaurant manager sitting at a table, counting some money. He recognized Raj and his eyes widened. He jumped up from his seat and ran towards Raj, shouting:

"Hey! You! You're back! You owe me money!"

Raj raised his hands and said:

"Please, calm down. I'm sorry for what I did. I have your money right here."

He took out his wallet and showed him some bills. The restaurant manager snatched them from his hand and counted them. He saw that Raj had given him twice the amount of his breakfast.

"What's this? Why are you giving me extra?" he asked.

Raj smiled and said:

"It's a tip. For your trouble. And for your kindness."

The restaurant manager was surprised. He looked at Raj with a mix of suspicion and gratitude. He said:

"Kindness? What kindness?"

Raj said:

"You didn't report me to the police. You let me go. You showed me kindness."

The restaurant manager felt a pang of guilt. He remembered how he had cursed and yelled at Raj, how he had thought that he was a thief and a lunatic. He realized that he had judged him too harshly, without knowing his story.

He shook his head and said:

"No, no, no. I can't take this. You only owe me for your breakfast. Here, take your change."

He handed back some of the money to Raj. Raj tried to refuse, but the restaurant manager insisted.

"Please, take it. It's yours. And I'm sorry for how I treated you. You're a good man."

Raj smiled again and said:

"Thank you. And you're a good man too."

They hugged each other and exchanged apologies. The restaurant manager asked Raj if he wanted to have another breakfast, on the house.

Raj said:

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry right now. But maybe later."

The restaurant manager nodded and said:

"Okay, then. Come back anytime. You're always welcome here."

Raj thanked him again and left the restaurant with the sword.

They went back to the hotel where Raj was staying. He took a shower, packed his bags and checked out. He paid for his room and thanked the staff for their service.

He got into a taxi with the sword and gave the driver the address that the sage had given him.

He didn't know where it was or how long it would take to get there, but he trusted that it was part of his destiny.

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

He was ready for his next adventure.

---

Raj had arrived at the address that the sage had given him. He had taken a taxi from the hotel, and he had slept for most of the journey. He was woken up by the Rudra, who nudged him gently.

"Hey, Raj. We're here."

Raj opened his eyes and looked out of the window. He saw a beautiful lake in front of him, sparkling in the sunlight. He saw different kinds of fish swimming in the water, and birds flying in the sky. He saw two small boats floating on the surface, with people fishing and singing.

The driver turned to Raj and said:

"This is as far as I can take you. Your address is on the other side of the lake. You'll have to walk from here. There's no road for vehicles."

Raj nodded and paid the driver. He got out of the taxi with his backpack and the sword. He thanked the driver and started walking along the shore of the lake. He enjoyed the scenery and the fresh air. He felt a sense of wonder and anticipation.

He walked for about 20 minutes, until he reached his destination. He saw a large palace at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by a high wall. It was the only large building near the lake, while all the other houses were small and made of soil and wood. The palace looked very ancient, but also very majestic. It had a large garden in front of it, where different plants, flowers, birds and peacocks grew and lived. He also saw some children playing in the garden, laughing and running.

But along with these beautiful things, he also saw something that made him nervous. He saw nearly a hundred guards in black dresses, armed with swords. They all had extremely powerful appearances, such as being more than six feet tall, having six-pack abs, and having fierce expressions. Some of them were on horses, patrolling the wall. They looked like they would not hesitate to kill anyone who tried to enter without permission.

Raj checked his paper again and confirmed that he had come to the right address. He approached the entrance of the palace, where two guards were standing. They looked at him with suspicion and hostility.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" one of them asked.

Raj swallowed hard and said:

"Hello. My name is Raj. I'm here to see someone who lives here."

"Who?" the other guard asked.

"I don't know his name. But he's a teacher at gurukul."

"Gurukul? What gurukul?" the first guard asked.

"The gurukul where they teach siddhis, spirituality, yoga, mantra, mudra and herbs."

The guards looked at each other and laughed.

"You're joking, right? There's no such gurukul here. This is not a place for fools like you."

Raj felt confused and scared. Had he come to the wrong place? Had the sage lied to him? Had he wasted his time and money?

He said:

"But this is the address that I was given by Rishi Anirudha."

As soon as he said that name, the guards stopped laughing and became serious.

"Rishi Anirudha? You mean THE Rishi Anirudha?"

"Yes, yes. The sage who lives in the Himalayas. He sent me here."

The guards looked at each other again, but this time with respect and awe.

"Rishi Anirudha is one of the greatest sages in the world. He is a master of spirituality, yoga, mantra, mudra . He is also a friend of our lord."

"Who is your lord?" Raj asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." one of the guards said.

He turned to his partner and said:

"Go inside and inform our lord that we have a guest sent by Rishi Anirudha."

The other guard nodded and ran inside.

The first guard said to Raj:

"Wait here until he comes back. And don't try anything funny. We're watching you."

He pointed to his sword and glared at Raj.

Raj nodded and stood still near the entrance. He felt dozens of eyes on him from all directions. He felt like he was in danger, but also like he was close to something amazing.

He waited for a few minutes, until the second guard came back.

He said to his partner:

"Our lord has given permission to let him in."

He said to Raj:

"Follow me."

He opened the gate and let Raj into the palace through the garden.

Raj followed him with his backpack and Rudra.

He entered the palace, which was even more impressive from inside.

Raj wondered who this lord was, and what he wanted from him.

He hoped that he would find his answers at the gurukul.

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