Chapter 23

Vidhan's body was immersed in a large tank filled with a water-like liquid. Within moments, he began shivering. The doctors poured a thick, greenish liquid from a pitcher into the tank, intensifying his tremors. Once his convulsions peaked, his body was taken out and laid on the ground. Head Doctor Angira began discussing the situation with the other doctors.

Standing in the corner of the medical room, Sattu had been silently observing everything for the past two days. This massive medical center, located in a secluded place, housed a team of about twenty doctors under Doctor Angira's leadership. They had performed numerous experiments on Vidhan. At times, they applied various chemicals to his body and used fire for fomentation. Other times, they tied ropes around different parts of his body, administering extracts orally, then releasing one rope while giving him another dose. Dozens of such experiments had been conducted so far, with most involving immersion in the tank.

Sattu found Doctor Angira's personality both impressive and peculiar. His left eye was damaged, resembling a white transparent stone, and his broad-shouldered body was as strong as a warrior's. Under different circumstances, Sattu would have eagerly explored the vast medical center, gathering information about its people—especially Angira. But Vidhan's pitiful condition weighed heavily on his heart.

Apart from the doctors, only Sattu and the dwarf Anuj were present in the medical room. Angira had finished his discussion with the other doctors, and from a distance, Sattu could see deep worry etched on their exhausted faces. On Angira's orders, one of the doctors left and soon returned with Mahavira. After a brief exchange between Angira and Mahavira, silence filled the room. Then, Mahavira spoke solemnly:

"You are free to make the final decision, doctor!"

Final decision? What did that mean? Sattu, listening from afar, was stunned. He stepped closer.

Angira placed a firm hand on Sattu's shoulder and spoke gravely. "Son, the situation is dire. We have tried every known remedy, but there has been no improvement. The method we are about to use is not yet fully developed. If it succeeds, his condition may improve. But if it fails... it will bring great suffering to him."

Sattu stared at Doctor, speechless. On Angira's orders, the doctors immediately resumed their work. Everyone else was ordered to leave. Sattu pleaded to stay, but Doctor denied his request, fearing his emotions might cause disruption. With a heavy heart, Sattu stepped outside and sat beneath a nearby tree, leaning against its trunk.

Inside, all the doors and windows were sealed. The only light came from a high skylight, just enough to reveal the objects in the room. Vidhan's entire body was wrapped in a garland of black, semi-transparent round stones. Various chemicals were added to the tank, some releasing green smoke upon contact with the liquid.

A total of eight doctors, including the Head Doctor Angira, were present. They coated their entire bodies with a foul-smelling special oil, then wrapped themselves in cloth and bandages, leaving only their eyes exposed. The room filled with thick smoke from burning wood dipped in a special chemical. Once all the preparations were complete, the treatment began.

Head Doctor Angira and three other doctors carefully lowered Vidhan's body into the tank. As soon as he entered the liquid, his body began trembling violently, just as before.

Head Doctor Angira roared, "Again!"—a signal for the doctor standing nearby to pour more chemicals into the tank. As soon as the brown-colored chemical was added, Vidhan's convulsions grew more intense. The head Doctor and the three doctors gripped his arms and legs tightly, using all their strength to restrain him.

Head Doctor roared again, "once more!" More chemicals were added. The tremors became so violent that even the doctors holding him began shaking, and the liquid in the tank started surging wildly.

Another roar. More chemicals.

Vidhan's convulsions escalated to the point where the doctors could no longer keep their grip on him. The great doctor roared once more. Startled, the attending doctor poured the entire contents of the pitcher into the tank.

Vidhan's body convulsed uncontrollably.

Then, suddenly, light began emanating from the semi-transparent stones wrapped around his body. The entire tank glowed, its brightness intensifying. The tremors reached such a peak that one of the doctors nearly lost his right leg in the chaos.

The great doctor shouted, "Just a few more moments!"

The light continued to intensify. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, a powerful explosion erupted from the tank. The garland of stones around Vidhan's body shattered and scattered across the room. Half of the liquid in the tank was thrown out in the blast.

Head Doctor Angira and the other doctors, who had been holding onto Vidhan, were hurled across the room.

Outside, Sattu and the others were shaken by the explosion. He instinctively rushed toward the door, desperate to enter, but was stopped.

Inside, Head Doctor Angira slowly rose to his feet. With a silent gesture, he ordered the doors to be opened. The moment they swung wide, a team of waiting doctors rushed in, carefully removing the shattered garland of stones from Vidhan's body and applying medicinal paste to his wounds.

As Angira stepped out of the room, Sattu anxiously scanned his face. The expression he wore gave Sattu a small sense of relief.

The experiment was successful.