Long Unpaid Debt

Nameless was striving hard to keep pace with Toshi, who was hobbling ahead down the narrow dirt path snaked through the jungle. Above in the sky, the moon a like big silver-saucer was stalking them quietly.

His white cotton dhoti was drenched in sweat, even the cold breeze of the spring night was no help. He was puzzled what was weighing on Toshi, it was not like that the boat would flee away and it was still midnight. Nameless looked up at the moon. It seemed eyeing at him. He looked around; an eerie feeling stirred up in his heart, as he found the woods was uncannily quiet. Though it was midnight, but still some nocturnal creatures were not uncommon in this part of the woods, not so near the Brahmani river. He hastened to catch up Toshi, keeping an eye on the spooky woods. He knew nothing could threaten him in Sagewick, more so when Toshi was with him. But the weird feeling was like a rolling stone that was gathering mass with each step, and he was unable to put it away. Something was really wrong; Toshi had told him he had to leave for Taxila next morning. Today at the dusk when Nameless was stewing something for dinner, he had come limping, sweating heavily, and told him to grab his drawstring bag while he had dashed into the hovel. Nameless was appalled, as he had never seen Toshi so tensed. Toshi was like gentle breeze, or clear blue sky of spring; always so serene, so peaceful. He was like the great Brahmani placid, and calm even in rainy season. Yet today he was behaving as if a volcano of Asharar were going to erupt. Thanks to great Atman, he had packed his things at noon, or else Toshi would have dragged him out leaving behind his satchel. They had been running for almost four hours and Toshi had been as quiet as rabbit gimping all the way. Nameless looked towards the figure, who was wrapped in spotless white dhoti, holding an ancient-looking wooden staff in his one withered hand and copper kamandal in other, his snowy white fluffy hair was shining in the moonshine. Nameless wondered how Toshi could walk so fast with his achy right leg, and more so wearing wooden sandals.

The dirt road widened into a sandbank and the calm stream of Brahmani river came into view, flowing noiselessly as if it was afraid of disturbing the moon that was staring at its own reflection. The cool breeze hushed up a little, as a fait sound oozed out from Toshi's parched lips. Nameless who was trailing behind Toshi stumbled, his eyes widened. As a dreadful conjecture emerged in his heart.

"Toshi, You can't…" He cried out. But the old sage ignored him, and with some other obscured sounds, the ever serene Brahmani like Toshi for the first time stirred up, shaking and distorting the image of the narcissistic moon. The air tensed up like the strings of veena. The moon hid itself behind the dark clouds. And the woods fell asleep as the gloomy darkness descended on the bank. Frightened Nameless stood-still like a statue, but his heart was thudding hard. Suddenly Toshi turned towards him, his copper kamandal had disappeared from his wrinkled hand. He was leaning on his wooden staff; his eyes were sparkling like blue moonstones of the tower of winds. In dim moon light that was seeping out through the dark clouds, His face seemed to wither a bit more. He looked straight into Nameless's horrified eyes, and in a grave tone, extremely foreign to Nameless, he said,' be calm, little lad, and etch my words in your memory, for I have very little time left'. He paused seemingly to take a deep breath; his legs were wavering. 'Brahmani owes me a favor so she's promised me to carry you out, but remember Mayawood is not a mere forest that tells tales but a large fish net that hooks emotions and desires. So, don't sympathize with its preys and hark not its fascinating tales.' He stopped and with a flick of his hand a golden medallion with black chain materialized in his hand. He looked at it the blueish glow in his eyes brightened up. His perched lips quivered a bit but all emotions which were lurking behind, got choked up, as Toshi looked back towards Nameless and put the medallion around his neck.

"Don't ask anything you will come to know everything if you embark on the unending journey, of course if you don't then… it doesn't matter, but Keep it away from mortals' eyes, or else you would wish for death but it wouldn't come" His voice lost his usual gentleness and Nameless who was standing appalled, felt chill running down his body from the medallion as it set on his bare chest. It seemed weirdly heavy. Nameless could feel Toshi hadn't meant to threaten him. It was a warning against the danger that was waiting for him on the other side of the forest. He had always fancied it like a fantasy world full of magic and a wide variety of wondrous things. Now it seemed to him fraught with perils.

"once you get Vihaan, find Omni and give him my letter, he would help you thence to Taxila. Go, little one We part our ways here. May the Almighty Atman show you path." Toshi's voice turned gentle as he rubbed Nameless head lightly, whose eyes had welled up. He had a belly full of questions, but he knew Toshi wouldn't utter a single word. He was like that. So, Nameless stood there silently listening to him while tears rolled down from his eyes. Suddenly, he heard a rustle of wind with the crashing sounds of trees. Horrified he turned back; a giant white snake was rushing towards them trampling over tall trees like he trodden on the grass. His limps lost all the strength as they started shuddering; his shriek got stifled in his throat. Horror had possessed his mind.

"So, you've come." Toshi murmured as he picked up Nameless by his arm and flung him away into the raging stream, without looking back "Take care of him, Divine lady. I will see how powerful Riga the guardian of Sagewick is." A strange kind of zeal was hidden in his voice. His back straightened up and his eyes started to glow brightly as he stroked his staff on the ground. A loud scream came out of Nameless' parched mouth, who was aghast at the sudden flight and horrifying sight. Strangely he found himself floating in the air like a feather. Two cold and wet hands gently caught him, frightened he turned his head, it was translucent silhouette entirely made of water, standing in the surging waves of the stream. Nameless' frightened heart began to calm down at once. He saw a peculiar gentleness, absolutely unknown to him, in its icy blue eyes, which bewitched him and for a while he forgot the nearing peril. When he came to his sense, he was standing in a small copper boat staring agape at the water lady. Everything that was happening about him was like his dreadful nightmares that were hunting him since childhood. He turned to the shout of Toshi, who was know was face to face with the giant creature. He looked like an annoying fly before the white monster. The huge ablaze red eyes of fiend glared at him, as the creature open his gigantic mouth to gulp down the Toshi, who appeared to be petrified with fear to Nameless. With an involuntary screech doused with terror, Nameless tried to jumped into the stream to save Toshi, but the water lady who was gliding beside held him back. He tried to wriggle free from her tight clutches, shouting and crying. Yet It was no avail. 'His fate has been sealed; nothing can change it. Sagewick is a land of no magic, and even Mahant cannot escape from the curse.' A voice as gentle as the whisper of morning breeze echoed in his mind. Nameless stopped his fruitless struggle. The codes of tower were not secreting to him. They were etched in golden words on the giant black stone wall stood at the main gate of the ancient village. He had read them countless times during his nine- year stay in Sagewick. He felt bottomless despair as the frightening realization struck him. His soul seemed to leave his body. Paled with gloom and fright he sat down on the floor, for he found no strength in his legs.

The giant mouth came down squashing the air and smashed into the sandy bank; Dark green venom dyed the ground. But Toshi, who was standing stupefied, vanished from his position into thin air. The enraged viper hissed as its body twisted. Toshi appeared in the air all of sudden, he stepped on the serpent neck as if climbing down the invisible stairs. He struck hard his wooden staff while murmuring mantras. The serpent wiggled under his feet as if its neck had got nailed onto the ground. Its big red eyes started glowing like the blood-moon of the devil-night, and the deathly venom shot like green arrow in all directions, as the reptile struggled to free itself. Yet Toshi's grip was grim-reaper's sickle, it did not budge. Suddenly, the wagging tail of reptile froze in the air, for it turned into white marble stone. Toshi, who had squatted down leaning on his staff, kept moving his lips under his snowy beard. And soon the behemoth turned into a marble statue with two red giant rubies as its eyes. But the magic didn't stop there. The withered feet of Toshi with the wooden- sandals was rapidly turning into marble. Toshi halted chanting and looked towards Nameless. His eyes were now clear like spring sky the bluish glow had gone now. His eternal gentleness had retuned, but his face was deathly pale and the wrinkle had darkened. "Lad, go. Sagewick is not a place for a kiddo like you. Go search your destination. And don't feel guilty because of me. It was my long unpaid debt that I'm repaying. You've nothing to do with it. Live well as in each moment a jewel is hidden. Don't let my death sadden you. There are more heart-wrenching losses than my puny life. Go, don't looked down on me giving such pathetic look. In Sagewick, death is still not the full stop. So, rejoice for me that I'm lucky to be hear at the bank of Divine river." He chuckled loudly and surprisingly there was no bitterness hidden in his laughter. His whole body up to neck had frozen, and the fatal curse creeping pore by pore to wards his face. Nameless was unexpectedly calm, his face was still pale and wet with tears, but he had stood up joining his hand in greeting. His blueish red lips were murmuring the prayer of death, the last and ancient prayer of sages to bid farewell to the departed soul. and after a while the there was a giant marble statue of old man squatted on the gigantic snake while holding a staff with both hands, where a few minutes ago the great guardian Riga and the former Mahant of Sages Toshi were battling. The frightened moon peaked down through the dark clouds and finding that the war had been over, it revealed its ashen face. The stifled air set off again as if someone had released its choked neck. But the forest was still in a deep slumber.

Nameless stopped his prayer and bent his head to pay his last greetings. He stared at the grand white sculpture that was bathing in moonshine. He recalled the last words of Toshi" Death is still not the full stop in Sagewick". He didn't know what Toshi had meant by these words except this Toshi would reincarnate. As it was what he learnt in Sagewick. His head was spinning and started to ache. He knew his old illness was coming back. He turned towards the divine lady, who was standing motionlessly staring at the statue." Maa …" had listened many tales of the Brahmani river in Sagewick and how all the sage revered the holy river. They all used to addressed her 'Maa'. But it was the first time when Nameless had seen the corporal body. "Maa…" he muttered again. He had no desire to talk, but he knew If they did set off soon, they would never able to leave Sagewick. The commotion must have waked up the whole village and Sages would be rushing towards them. He didn't want to waste the opportunity traded for Toshi's life. The divine river glanced at him. "You sit well, child, and worry not. I'll carry you out" a voice whispered in his head.

Nameless glanced at the wonderous but heart-breaking stone figure for the last time. He took a deep breath, muttered mind calming mantra, and sat down in the copper boat closing its eyes. His small string bag was hanging behind him. The water figure dive into the stream and the boat set off, leaving behind the serene bank as if nothing extraordinary had happened here. But the marvelous white marble sculpture was the testimony that would tell the story of the grand battle of Riga and Toshi for ages.