Chapter 24

He was regaining consciousness. The chirping of birds rang in his ears. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling above him. Turning his neck with effort, he noticed Sattu dozing on a chair at a distance. As Sattu's head drooped dangerously close to the ground, his body jolted awake, and he sat up with a start.

Their eyes met. A wide smile spread across Sattu's face, reaching all the way to his ears—like he had drowned in an ocean of happiness in a single moment. He shouted, "Anuy!" and rushed to grasp his elder brother's hand.

Hearing the commotion, an assistant standing outside the door hurried in. Seeing Vidhan's open eyes, he immediately ran to call the doctors.

Sattu, overwhelmed with emotion, buried his head in Vidhan's chest, stretching out the word "Bhaiya" as if he never wanted to let go. Vidhan had always enjoyed Sattu's affectionate nature. He tried to smile softly and playfully slapped his brother's cheek.

A moment later, a whole group of physicians arrived, accompanied by Anuj, Mahavira, Rupak, and Head Doctor Angira. The physicians wasted no time—they poured various essences into Vidhan's mouth, applied a paste of strange, glistening chemicals to his stomach, and painted his entire body with a yellow substance. Once the treatment was complete, they led him outside to sit in the garden under the open sky, basking in the sun's warmth.

Vidhan remained silent for a long time. Sattu sat beside him on the right, while under the shade of a banyan tree on his left, Anuj, Mahavira, and Rupak sat deep in thought.

Nature had unveiled its beauty before Vidhan's eyes. The neatly trimmed green grass was adorned with flowers and plants arranged in various patterns—many of which he had never seen before. In the golden sunlight, butterflies flitted through the air as if someone had scattered them like living confetti. Some landed on his body, still painted in yellow, only to flutter away moments later, as if realizing their mistake.

Pink-nosed rabbits hopped around playfully. In the distance, beneath white clouds of ever-changing shapes, a lake shimmered. Deer and elk of different sizes drank from its waters, while peacocks plucked insects from the grass nearby.

Nature was doing its best to enchant him with its beauty, yet his mind remained restless.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Sattu. His younger brother was watching parrots soar through the sky, absentmindedly caressing his stomach with one hand. His face radiated pure joy—his entire being seemed to exude happiness. It was as if the very energy of his bliss was spilling over, touching the world around him.

Under the influence of that same energy, a smile finally found its way onto Vidhan's face. He remembered how, when their father was alive, he too had been like Sattu—carefree, weightless, immersed in nature's embrace. Laughter and playful mischief had been his life's priorities. Back then, his body brimmed with so much energy that if his family hadn't pulled him away, he would have played with his friends endlessly.

Of all the people Vidhan had known, Sattu lived in the purest state of mind. He never dwelled on the past, fully embraced the present, and imagined only beauty in the future.

But then Vidhan's mind darkened. He recalled the terror in his heart when he saw Sattu's life in danger in the forest. For a moment, he had felt the same dread he had experienced when he lost his father… and his Guru. A shadow of self-reproach settled over him.

Others come to me seeking protection, believing in my strength… yet I cannot even protect my own family.

A storm of emotions churned within him—fear, anger, sorrow, and despair. Unable to sit still, he slowly rose and walked toward the lake, stopping at its edge.

His presence startled the creatures around him. The deer drinking from the water scattered. The peacocks, plucking at the grass, hurriedly took flight.

And there he stood, staring at his reflection in the shimmering waters, lost in thought.

Vidhan closed his eyes. Amidst the turmoil in his mind, he asked himself questions and answered them on his own. He stood there for a long time, speechless. Various expressions flickered across his face—at times, he clenched his fists; at others, he loosened them.

Fighting with his own thoughts, he finally steadied himself. His face grew firm, his jaw tightened, and he took a deep breath, as if trying to fill his lungs with the freshness of the atmosphere. A bright sense of stability settled on his forehead. He knelt and looked at his reflection in the water. Then, he washed his face—not once, but many times—as if he were cleansing not just his skin, but the burdens of his mind.

Standing up, he spread his arms, lifted his gaze to the sky, and smiled. He saw the smiling image of his Guru there. He remained standing, his smile unwavering, until the image dissolved into the air.

But it was not an illusion.

When he returned from the pond to the garden, a light of unwavering determination shone in his eyes. He had given himself a new life. This was his rise.

He approached slowly and took Sattu into his arms. Sattu's eyes grew moist, and a soft sound escaped his lips.

"Brother…"

He, too, embraced his elder brother.

Their long embrace was finally broken when Rupak spoke.

"Vidhan, you should go to the rest room."

The rest room was airy, with a pile of straw spread across the floor.

Vidhan lay on the bed, while only Sattu remained beside him.

"Finally, we have reached Arthala," Vidhan said with a smile.

"Not yet."

"Not yet? What do you mean?"

"This is Bhasmakhand," Sattu replied.

"Bhasmakhand!" Vidhan murmured. "The cursed place where wars are fought?"

"Yes! That one," Sattu said, pushing aside his pain as he moved closer.

"I thought we were in Arthala…" Vidhan said.

Sattu felt a quiet happiness in his heart. Vidhan had no objection to going to Arthala anymore—he wasn't even interested in questioning why.

"See that tree?" Sattu asked, pointing behind him.

Vidhan followed his gesture.

"The banyan tree with the white-painted trunk?" he asked, stretching his neck to see.

"Yes, that one. Anuj says that beyond a four-miles stretch of forest from that tree, the boundary of Arthala begins. You needed emergency medical treatment, and the nearest hospital was here. So, you were brought to Bhasmakhand," Sattu explained.

"But Bhasmakhand is considered a deserted place. How did such a massive medical center get established here?" Vidhan asked, his tone filled with curiosity.

"This center was established by Amarkhand to treat the wounded from the war. There are a total of thirty-two rooms, five gardens, and three reservoirs, all situated near the forest on the left side. I haven't explored the right side yet. A total of fifty-two Doctors, including Head Doctor Angira, oversee this place. This medical center does not fall under any state's jurisdiction, so anyone can come here for treatment—

Unless they're eaten by wild animals while crossing the miles of forest that surround it."

Vidhan smiled. "And here I thought you had some special secret information about this place."

"I didn't get the chance to gather any. My heart was too worried about you. Otherwise, the entire history of this place would have been at your feet by now..."

Both of them burst into laughter.

Sattu then started explaining the medical experiments that had been conducted on Vidhan. He was still speaking when, suddenly, Vidhan felt a jolt from within. His body trembled two or three times, then another shock coursed through him.

Sattu panicked. He immediately jumped up and ran to call for help. By the time he returned with Angira, Anuy, Rupak, and the others, Vidhan had stabilized.

Angira spoke in a calm and reassuring tone. "There is no need to worry, son. This is normal. These internal vibrations will continue for a few days, but in time, everything will return to normal."

The doctors gave Vidhan a special essence to drink before leaving him to rest. Everyone else stepped out of the room.

Angira took Mahavira aside and said, "An imbalance has developed in the energy nodes of the bender. Time is the only cure for this. During this period, using bending could be fatal. Therefore, a restriction is necessary—bending must not be used for several months after its activation."

With that, Angira shared a few more instructions with Mahavira before heading back toward his building.