24. The Forbidden Prophecy
Rene made, via the internet, an appointment with the first available doctor and Billy put on Jack’s oversized T-shirt and shorts before they go to Billy’s house. Jack felt Billy’s place was not safe so he insisted that Billy pack a bag with everything he needed to stay at their house in the meantime. Billy also got his medical aid card that will cover his expenses. From there they went to the doctor where he got medical attention and they took photos of his wounds. Jack fetched medicine immediately from the internal Clicks chemist and made a follow-up appointment. From there they went straight to the Humewood police station where Alex took them through a list of photos on a computer.
They were highly excited when Billy identified all four men and their identities. Vipracitti, Aryan, Mohammed, and Arnav. Jack took photos with his smartphone of each of them so that he, Rene, Vyasa, and Michael will also be able to identify the devils if they ever encounter them.
Alex was extremely excited and satisfied and promised that his team would do everything in their power to catch the villains. They will not be able to depart through any customs because they will be apprehended immediately. He is very positive that it would not take long before they are caught and he sent the information to Nico. The identities of the villains were not going to be made public at first. For now, only his team and Nico’s men will have the privilege of the information but if it takes too long to trace them, their photos will be published in the media with substantial rewards.
Nico ordered Alex to stay away from Vyasa and Michael’s and also Billy and Kadin’s homes. He suspects that the villains could come and visit them and Alex’s team might just deter them. The plan is to follow them clandestinely to their den.
After they have concluded their visit to the police station Kadin asks Jack to please take them to Michael and Vyasa to at least warn them. Jack concurs after they all promised not to divulge any information about the secret task team or Nico. On their way, Jack stops at a copy shop and makes a few A4 copies of the four villains with their names underneath.
Again it is Michael who opens the door and he sees Jack who accompanies them. “Welcome, you beautiful people. Detective Alex phoned us and assured us you are safe. Are you Kadin’s father? Hare Krishna!”
Jack greets him with a firm handshake. “Thank you so much for calling the police’s help and protection so discretely to save the children. We are so grateful, Michael. Hare Krishna.”
“Come in, I will take you to the swami.”
The heavenly smell of roses and honey invites them into the room where the scents fill the whole room. Vyasa sits in the lotus position on a red cushion with a little, light blue figurine of Krishna next to him and with incense sticks also burning. He sits with his hand in a little purple bag. In there is a circle of 108 beads with a knot and a piece of ribbon. He is busy with his daily meditation. He repeats the mantra while he rubs the next bead and repeats this process 108 times in a day sometimes only in his thoughts like now and sometimes while he sings or pronounces the mantra aloud.
This meditation he performs with his eyes open or closed right through the day. He sees them coming and binds the ribbon in front of the next bead as to not lose his place.
He smiles happily to see them and stands up. “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare, Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare. We are so blessed that you are safe and come and visit us again.”
Michael introduces Jack: “Swami, please meet Jack, Kadin’s father.”
Jack gives him a firm handshake. “Thank you for doing the right thing by calling the police. The villains tortured Billy severely and for a long time he will suffer pain and discomfort but at least the children are safe now and I will take the responsibility. We have only come to warn you.”
Jack turns to Kadin: “Please explain why you think they might be in danger.”
Vyasa points to the soft sofas. “Please be seated and make yourself comfortable.”
Jack and Kadin sit down on the soft double sofa while Billy chooses an upright chair and sits straight up. Jack explains: “Billy’s back was treated but is still very sensitive thus he avoids any contact.”
Kadin enlightens them. “They tortured him extensively because he refused to work with them and put me and his mother in danger. His back is looking terrible!”
Billy smiles and adds: “Kadin is only talking about my ordeal but she leaves out her own bravery when she could have run away but decided she wanted to free me.”
Vyasa frowns. “Did they have to do it! Sorry, Billy. I hope you will soon be better.”
He smiles happily and looks at Kadin. “Yes, we know how brave Kadin is. You can be proud, Jack.”
“I’m very proud of both of them. I’m going to be their bodyguard until this thing is over. They will go nowhere except for school or our home without me. Kadin, please explain now why you think they are in danger.”
Kadin explains: “The wizard caught our eyes in the library and then we visited you both back in time. We think he knows the booklet is a fake and also where your homes are. His name is Vipracitti.”
Vyasa eyes widen and shocked he exclaims: “Did he call himself Vipracitti? How did he steal your eyes? We thought it would be impossible in the library!”
“He bluffed us by telling us he wanted to reward us for the evil they brought upon us and he would explain everything by letting us look into the book of truth. He then brought forward a flat, biggish book out of his inside pocket, open it in front of us and told us to hold hands. The pages were empty but he rubbed his hand over it and it changed into mirrors and he caught us both and the next moment we floated through the air in darkness and he took us back in time to when we had visited you.”
Jack rises and takes out one of the A4 pages with the photos and gives it to Vyasa. “Here, keep this copy so that you will recognize these devils whenever you see them. Also, keep Alex’s number close so that you can contact him immediately. You looked shocked when you heard his name. Do you know Vipracitti?”
Vyasa eagerly takes the photo and holding it at the right distance to focus clearly. He studies Vipracitti’s face intensely while wrinkles on his forehead show his concentration. Suddenly it looks as if a light flickers and his thoughts become clear: “Is this the man who met you?”
Kadin answers avidly. “Yes, he told me our paths are going to cross numerous times in the future. Then I asked his name and he told me truthfully. It is the same as on his ID that we identified at the police station.”
Vyasa is frightened. “Goodness! Vipracitti here in Port Elizabeth in an expensive tailored suit! I can’t believe my eyes, but it is him definitely!”
Jack frowns. “Who is he and what is he doing here?”
Vyasa pales. “The forbidden prophecy! It was 25 years ago but I remember it as if it happened yesterday. I don’t want to believe it, but I have no choice. Everything indicates that he is busy to fulfill the prophecy!
“A traveler picked up a strange block in the mud. The glacier exposed earth there after about 30 000 years. In the material of this small block, a Sanskrit message was embedded. The block was made of an unknown, strange material and was apparently undamaged after all these years beneath the ice.
“The traveler then roamed through India and after he had learned that Sanskrit was embedded in the block, he visited the nearest temple. The Sanskrit message was read for the first time and it said that a real prophet would recover and fulfill the prophecy that is contained within the block. It really seemed as if the block was solid and couldn’t be opened and could not hide anything. There was no sign of a seam or something like a lock. It sounded hollow but if you shake it there was no sound coming from within the block so that the believers were highly fascinated by the thing.
“Holy men of all the Hindu religions were then invited to the temple to see if someone could open it. I was also invited and we all gathered in the temple but no one could open the block.
“Off course, everyone knew of the legendary Vipracitti who was known for his supernatural capabilities but we did not invite the Aghori community to join our gathering. I don’t know if you are familiar with their devilish habits. The ordinary believers reject and avoid the Aghori. Vipracitti lives tainted blue naked in a cemetery of his temple and is smeared with the white ashes of the youngest cremated corpses all over him. He takes drugs and practices taboo rituals that go against our principles.
“Just as we were leaving the temple, the uninvited Vipracitti blocked the entrance. He proclaimed that he was the prophet that was going to announce and eventually was going to fulfill the prophecy. After many arguments amongst us, we decided to allow him to come in and he picked up the block. He rubbed the block with his hand and it pops open. He took a strange material that looked like plastic film out of the block and sang the prophecy that had been embedded in the film in Sanskrit as if it was an old familiar song for him and it left us spell-bound and shivering.
“Later on this prophecy was framed and hung in the temple. We held several meetings thereafter to discuss this strange prophecy. We have never heard or seen anything of Vipracitti again and it was just as well because he gave everyone the jitters. I took a photo of the framed prophecy and read it many times so that I know it by heart although it was 25 years ago. Even the melody stayed with me as if it was sung yesterday.
“A year later there was a riot and the prophecy in the temple was burnt and declared forbidden. Everyone was ordered to destroy any photos of it or references thereof in the literature. It was forbidden to refer to or talk about it. The believers had to say that it never happened and that the story was untrue and that it was a lie that spread and became a legend. It was called The Forbidden Prophecy, but it is still imprinted in my thoughts. I will never forget the mysterious melody and the words when Vipracitti sang there in the temple in front of us all.”
The next moment Vyasa sings in Sanskrit and then explains it like a poem as he translates it.
“The Law of Harmony
The Prince of Darkness came
Man, you are poisoning our Mother
Her Heart bleeds in her Womb
Swim in her blood you devil
Inhales your Monsters deeply Man
In Her blood your Monsters flourish
You Devour your own flesh and Drink your own blood
Searcher from the valley of the Chosen Ones
Carry the light forth from your deepest Darkness
Bring now the Harmony the Milky Way calls
Vipracitti explained the prophecy for us right there in the temple and utterly stunned we listened to him!”