A wanderer named Rahul, a male of age 146, was wandering atop some hilly region. The man was taller than usual, muscular, dark-skinned, a potent face without the wrinkles of time. He wore a battered shirt, baggy pants and was covered by a cloak of some cloth, dark in aspect. The dark bearded figure took long strides along the foggy road, as the sound from his patched boots echoed across the fern filled road sides. He always held a long stick on his right hand, as old men do need walking stick, but for Rahul, the stick was only as good as claws for a cow. The long stick with such ancient inscriptions was never used to help him walk; as he paced on through the lonely roads.

It was a bit eerie, for even Rahul himself. The road felt more like a tunnel, with thick forest vegetation and giant fern trees curving within on to the middle of the road. Maybe, it is such that the boot sounds were ineffectual for they couldn’t penetrate the thick forest ,and so they echoed. Learning the cause, Rahul laughed in a shrewd manner with a grim grin.

Only a mile went upon the foggy mist, he spots a tea stall. Rahul took a halt,“Finally”, as he with proper observation was trying to make a quick calculation of its size, strength and materialistic properties as all practical mathematicians tend to do. The tea master whose house was just behind the stall, a little above the bevel, into the forest. There were a couple of benches parallel to each other, infront of the stall, a local vendor sat on the second bench infront of Rahul. It is always easy to find tea stalls here and there on an hilly region, for the working class always depended on it.

With good greetings, the trio went with their small talks. Rahul tried to take a note of their face’s, but it was too dark with the fog. Regardless of the fact, that their face’s looked just hollow and dark, Rahul kept on with his talks. They were into how phantasmic the scenario was! Talking about such things of apparition, Rahul started narrating a tale he heard somewhere. And so he began,” A Brother’s Requital”.

(This is just a short story and will not reflect back upon the main chapters, you can skip this story if you want and head downwards directly)

A Brother’s Requital

Day 1

11:00 AM

It was a dark cloudy day, calm was felt, a calm so soothing yet dark. The roads were almost empty with the monsoon thrashing. Ragu and Vritika left the hospital, with happiness swirling on both their face; they were heading home on their motorbike. They got quite afar from the hospital, as they kept talking and flirting with each other in a childish manner.

Day 1

11:14 AM

The first few drops of rain hit the ground, what a fine petrichor, as they both gazed upon the dark sky with unknown felicity. Everything went black. A hard thump and a crashing sound was heard. For the roads were still empty, when Ragu and Vritika bashed the ground. Vritika went blank immediately, but Ragu saw a man, a shadow like semblance, a phantasma as he fell unconscious. The tragedy left the place. As their blood drenched the ground, when the tears of rain showered upon them and their misery.

Day 1

11:34 AM

The locals came to help. The happy pair got admitted to the same hospital they left earlier. The news spread, as Ragu’s P.A hurried to the hospital. In front of the surgical room, he spoke with the doctors and promised all payments necessary. A surgery was to be made. The Hospital had three corridors which led to the different labs, wards and sections, such as they are totally interconnected. The left corridor from the front gate, is where the pair lies part dead. As Ragu’s P.A looks upon their condition as they were shifted to the Surgical Room, he paced through the corridor, where he turns left to the reception for billing details; he slows a little to take a look back at the Surgical Room in the long corridor. He saw what he saw earlier, he saw what he expected to see, and went on still. For when he made the payments clear, the Surgery began at 12:00 AM after all necessary medical precautions and preparations were made.

Day 1

03:00 PM

The surgery was over, both of the admitted; lived another day. They were kept in the Intensive Care Unit for further monitoring, for further medical procedures to be paid for. It was really a rough, non-productive day for Ragu. Not just this day, but the week itself. With the investigation going on, a lot has changed around him and his life. And now that he is bedridden!

Day 1

10:00 AM

Ragu and Vritika reached the hospital, to collect the Medical Report on the Cause of Death of Raju, Ragu’s Twin.

Day 1

9:00 AM

The working day at the hospital begun, many of the workers there have supposedly being talking about some apparition they saw yesterday. The Hospital Management could do nothing about it, and kept everyone’s mouth shut. The staffs too were affright.

Day 2

7:00 AM

A good deep rest after the surgery, the pair saw the bright light of the dawning sun; oh, pardon the narrator. Only Ragu saw the bright light of the dawning sun. As they both called upon each other with love. Ragu couldn’t walk to her, as poor Vritika couldn’t see his misery. The tragedy cost both of them dear. Weeping’s were heard.

Day 2

10:00 AM

Ragu’s senses of premonitions deepened. He decides that the hospital premises weren’t safe for them anymore. With a little talk and money, he made the management to discharge them right away. A nurse was appointed by the management to visit the pair at their home at certain hours of the day. Mobility aids were provided to them, for Ragu only had a leg, while Vritika was set blind. The day ended with their sudden blight of sorrow. The nurse and Ragu’s P.A halted for the night at Ragu’s home. Ragu and Vritika were full of thoughts of worry of the past and that of their future for their present lay empty, devoid of emotions and happiness. But, Ragu, Ragu was sure about what he saw.

Day 3

9:00 AM

The nurse and the P.A left after minor medications were provided, and the pair was left alone to make some important decisions. Practical people they were, they spent the day making productive decisions still trying to lean out of their misery. It was 10:30 AM the P.A made his entry, as Ragu was unable to work the entire week, so the P.A had to barge in so that Ragu can still keep a hold of his business. But Ragu being astute he dealt with them like a Master of the game. With his work done, the P.A left the house, the house, with some untold satisfaction.

Day 3

The Dark Eve

Now Vritika spends most of her time in the bed resting in patience, Ragu never wanted to distress her. The same way that Vritika saw Ragu. For they both kept a secret so dear to each other in love and hatred. A secret worth affecting their whole existence. Ragu felt bad, as he went to his room. Vritika half asleep was still worried about her future, as the vague sound of the cry of a man being strangled woke her up. She quickly hurries out of her room in panic. Adrift she was, an hand grabbed hers gently. The hand of a loving one. Relieved she cried “Ragu, What’s happening?” . Their motion caused the wooden floor to shrieked, they were in Ragu’s room. The motion stopped, the gentle hold became a tightening grasp. Vritika’s blind world stood still, as she saw herself in the mirror. She knew it was time. She clearly saw three things, one her eyesight which she didn’t expect, and the other two she never wanted to believe. Vritika’s mind slow streamed her memories of the past. Maybe, it’s only upon the ending times, that one would really want to look back on their past.

Three Months Before

Raju, a popular person, an egalitarian, a cynosure, a philanderer kept unseen behind the cordial mask. Raju was quite always seen with a woman. Every lady who knew him knew all about him. Yet, this Master of Words always had a way with women. On every weekend he dumps the girl he’s with, and finds a new one.

As usual, Raju left the park after dumping a girl. He took a deep breath, and came back to his natural. As he decided to search for his next victim. Vritika fell right in front of him. I mean literally, Vritika just fell. Raju as he helped her get up, started his game. Vritika an ingenuous, comely girl with her mellifluous voice and a caring heart. Vritika was the just the girl a man would seek and go after.

As love happened, as Raju grew closer and closer to her inch by inch he decided that this week of his is gonna last a life time. Last a life time. Raju brought Vritika to his home, with Ragu’s permission. As orphans, these three never bothered about the society and its pervious talks. Ragu was a bumptious one, guided by logic he was a success in all grounds that his feet touched.

Raju and Vritika became more of a family. Raju’s lust turned to love. The tides of life shifted. But, Vritika was just too gullible. As the greedy one wheedled, Vritika fell again for her wherewithal for life. As time flew, Vritika became estranged to the heart that loved her. But, Raju was just too blind to see that.

Day 0

Ulterior Motives

The plot came to its end. As they dined together, they mirrored upon their day’s thoughts. Raju was just too happy, was made to believe that he had all he wanted. Vritika got behind Raju, as she bends down on his shoulders, he bent his head upwards to look on her face. As he saw Vritika smile, the ceiling lamp just got dimmer and dimmer, a little pain and weakness in his neck caused his head to bend down. As soft hands, slit his throat. As time slowed, Raju saw Ragu’s last wicked smile as his head hit the table. Blood stained the kitchen floors crimson. Calls were made to the local police station and the hospital. Ragu bribed them all to not make his brother’s suicide a big issue. The new pair made many decisions on their sleep ridden night.

Day 3

The Dark Eve

Vritika came back to her senses, after her guilty flow of memory rush. The mirror didn’t lie. Vritika saw on the reflection, the brothers. Ragu was hanged to death, while Raju stood by her side. Vritika was left cold and thoughless. All thoughts and forms of emotions voided in. As the shadow hands tried to grab her once again, Vritika tried to break away in panic. The open door shut close, bashing her on the face as she fell. The reparations of karma were heavy. Cold blood painted the floors crimson. The mistakes made were answered by blood. As the creature of death claimed them all.

Revelations

Day 1

11:14 AM

Ragu saw the deformed semblance of Raju.

Ragu’s P.A saw Raju on the Corridor.

Day 1

9:00 AM

Ragu’s P.A saw Raju’s apparition, upon examining he learned that the shadows were swirling around Raju’s ring. The P.A steals the ring from Raju’s mortal remains in the Mortuary.

Day 2

Ragu’s P.A accidently drops the ring somewhere during the night.

Day 3

10:30 AM

The P.A came back to take the ring from Ragu’s house. But decided that it was justice to leave it there itself.

END

As he finished the story, he can partially see the other faces full of fear and gloom, with the vision blurring fog. Rahul gave a cheerful laughter to subdue their dismay. After their quite brief passing of time, Rahul took off.

As he took few steps, he realized that how is it possible for humans to live like this now, as turned back to look at them. The tainted figues of shadow blurred to nothingness in the fog. The whole fog started swirling around Rahul, hiding everything in his vision. The heavy speed made Rahul to close his eyes, but Rahul out of his sheer will kept them open. As it’s power increased, Rahul narrowed his already acute vision. A bump to the face, as Rahul falls down balancing himself in a way so that he’s not hurt. Slimped on the ground, Rahul opens his already opened eyes, and realized ” Ahh, it’s just a dream”. ” Atleast i’m safe and sound now” as Rahul stood in a magnific manner of astute.

It was the year 4020, after the great battle of humanity ended. Earth was set almost devoid of beings. With mother nature taking back it’s claim. With the lands were bounteous of resources of life.

Upon the barren lands, he seeks...

Upon the golden gleam of the setting sun, Rahul saw with his acute vision his village far beyond the barren lands. The  Village of Azroul. The only village, the only abode still lively and uncorrupted. He still being on the foggy hills , realizes the fine line between the dense forest he fell asleep and the barren lands in front of him. The setting sun made him remember his past, how he and his brother ended as rats in a science experiment and how the nuclear war plagued his entire world. A moment of pity he had for himself.

The sun was almost down. Rahul decided that it’s time to leave. He wandered around the edge trying to find a way down the hill, but only at the last sight of the crimson sun he realized that it was a cliff he was standing upon. “Ah,…” as he grinned a smile.

In the dark, he took his staff and held it high, unknown tongue he whispered. The staff with an amethyst crystal at the top with utmost purity, emitted violet radiant orbs. Like lost souls, the orbs floated away in a chaotic uneven manner. With enough orbs radiated, the wizard tapped the ground once with the staff. A flushing, shrieking sound was heard, when all the orbs started swirling in circle breaking the very aspect of the planar nature of the materialistic plane. Tearing away the dimensional space, opening a portal to the village of Azroul with the slight cost of his life force. But what he gave, HE WILL TAKE.

The Village of Azroul

A beautiful, lush green forest clothed over the ruins of Azroul. With fresh breeze from the seashore and an endless supply of radioactive sea food, Azroul was quite phenomenal. A village abandoned centuries before.  Well, the Nuclear winter was a big threat then. Nuclear winter, nuclear war, nuclear plague, they called it many names. Like one catastrophe after another, humans could do nothing but suffer. They lived as tribes to survive, foraging for anything and everything to help them live another day. There weren’t any modern delicacy. Earth was devoid of the human creations, the plague set upon the earth was destroyed. Countries were crushed to villages here and there as the land allowed. Earth was getting into balance again, just when the nuclear power was re-emphasized. There was nothing much left to do. Humans and animals had to starve to death or adapt to survive. Living, surviving was the only option people had. It was all that mattered then, to live.

The Night of Rejoice

Rahul made his way to Azroul from the cliff. But, by mistake he made the portal a bit smaller than him. “Great, now I have to push myself through somehow” as Rahul squeezed himself in, to get out to the other side. “Phew”. It has been years since Rahul was back here, and no one knows what vicious things may have happened on these lands. As his patched boots kissed the damped ground, two predators moved swiftly on to his front. An hydra, Ular and a white barn owl, Veirun. The pets face hugged him with euphoria, “Good to be back”. “Ular”. “Veirun”  “Hmm (with joy in his face), can u two fetch me some firewood please”. It was true, that Rahul’s telepathy was awed upon, to command even the predators. Rahul went on to gather some forest berries, just some radiation affected forest berries alongside the edge of the barren lands. The myth goes as on the center of these barren lands actually had a Headquarters of the CPC, which supposedly contained a mini re-emphasized nuclear plant. Due to its destruction only, that the grassy plains got devastated into the barren lands now. Maybe that is why, Rahul preferred to eat the affected berries, leaving the good ones on the seashore side for the unaffected humans. It is that he could actually feel the radiation, as he too had his fair share with the nuclear energy. Rahul was so immersed in his thoughts, as he was foraging for wild berries. It was a nasty thing. Not only are the wild animals that got mutated, but even the surviving forests too had to suffer the same fate. By the time Rahul got back, it got completely dark. When the pets arrived with firewood they gathered, the campfire was set. Fire wasn’t a problem with our wizard.

The night went on as these three almost sleepy heads gazed upon the infinite stars. There were too many stars. Maybe, mother earth claimed her first child, the wind back. The air was unpolluted with any solid particles. It was like the sky was too bright, but the lands still dark. The three kept talking all night, got the rest they needed. Love. As Rahul spoke, the other two growled and hooted in return, the gauntly night with the howling winds went on.

“Return soon, brother. There’s a lot to be done”, he whispered.