Ravula: The Rise Of Lanka

The Shasrara Mani

Chapter 16

 

Vibhishan left for Chitrakoot and moved forward with a hope of  getting to his destination as soon as possible. His horse was carrying him faster than usual and he decided not to stop before he crosses half the way to his destination. It was a long journey but he remembered his promise with his mother to bring his brother back to Bisrakh.  

 Back in Lanka, kuber was heading towards his eastward passage. Agastya was seated in the floor and was lost in his meditation while Nal was restless and was unable to gather words for the loss that was done today.

What happened here Maniman?’,shouted Kuber.  ‘My king I really don’t have idea, I was not here when it happened,' Maniman was not daring to raise his head in front of kuber. As he knew what he was capable of.

Kuber turned towards Agastya and shouted,' My respect is not my weakness, you do not deserve it. Nal you are well aware what you have to do. Make him speak now.

Nal was waiting for the order and he thrashed Agastya to the corner of the room where Agastya’s head smashed in the stone wall and started bleeding. He cried in pain and started struggling on the ground while Nal dragged him to Kuber’s feet.

Where is my precious stone ?,' shouted Kuber

Agastya struggled with words,' I curse you to never achieve your aim and you would loose everything at the behest of your rival.’ Speaking these words, Agastya became unconscious and his body left it’s strength.

‘Bind his body, bring him back to senses,’ screamed kuber. Nal dragged his body to the corner  inside the cell and chained him. Now Kuber turned to Maniman, you served me all these years but now your inconsistencies had caused me a great loss. There was nail biting silence in the chamber. It  was finally broken by the voice that was calling Nal from distance. Nakshi came running, ‘we have spotted him, he had moved towards south of Bharat.’

Kuber now looked at Nakshi with anger in his eyes. Now he turned to Maniman, all these years you had served me but now I can only see you as the traitor who had ruined my dream. Filled with anger and distress,he closed his eyes and started murmuring some words. Maniman was stepping backward and suddenly he fell on the ground and his body twisted and his bones could be heard  breaking. He started screaming as his body was being sucked by an invisible power. After struggling for few minutes, finally Nal shouted, my king, please stop, if he dies today all the progress he had done would be wasted and we would again be struggling at the beginning. You would need him. Hearing Nal, Kuber realized that he was right and he stopped.

 Maniman was lying motionless on the floor and his eyes were stuck on Kuber , whom he had served all his life.

Nal looked horrified and checked his nerves,' would be back to senses within few hours.

Kuber now shouted,' I want it back at any cost Nal or else everyone in this kingdom would suffer my rath.

 Nal and Nakshi knew that he was a master of tantra vidya and he knew how to control the evil souls but they had never seen it but today to their horror, they faced it and were scared.

Maniman was unconscious but somewhere in his mind his thought were drifting towards his son whose original existence was only known to Agastya.

Nakshi went out without any word and ordered his soldiers to prepare a ship to sail to Bharat for he knew that it was just the beginning……..

Nal headed towards Agastya who was now tied in chains and was groaning with excruciating pain that filled his brain.

Back in Bisrakh, Aghula was recovering from his wounds. He was back to his senses when he realised that a women was heading towards him with a pitcher of water.