The Holy Mountain

11 The Truth

Ivyanah

I stood there in utter shock, along with the two other men standing beside me. Shivesh looked at me and his mother, his eyes filled with confusion. "Who's Tara?" he asked

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "It is my mother's name," I finally replied, my voice barely above a whisper in the grand and lavish setting of the vintage-themed bungalow we were standing in.

If I were normal, I would have admired this house. The bungalow was stunning, with two sets of staircases that joined together in the middle before parting in opposite directions.

Shivesh's mother hugged me tightly, and tears streamed down her face. I had no idea what was happening.

She kept repeating the same words, "You're alive"

I was completely clueless about what to decipher in this situation.

"What?? No this can't be true." Arjun bhai interrupted. "No it can't be, she was in that mountain when Dev attacked, we tried finding her but couldn't find a trace of her".

What is happening? Can I not just end the night here already? Now who's Dev and what mountain are they talking about? And most importantly, "How do you know my mother's name?" I asked Shivesh's mother.

By the time I spoke, we were already sitting on a couch. I sat there trying to process the information that was being thrown at me.

"Oh my god dear, you have become so big and you have the exact same face as Tara. How can I forget that face," she kept weeping.

"Your father was an exquisite person smart and kind, but your mother, she was fearless. She fought like a hero, very bravely. They both loved you so much."

It seems I was keeping a very patient face and I was calm but from inside I was screaming. Who are these people and how do they know about my parents?

What is all this?

"Tell me how do you know about my parents", I said a little firmly this time.

She suddenly smiled as if remembering something and said, "Your parents, met my husband Neil in a cave. They saw an increase in cosmic radiation and were following that, while Neil was performing an age-old tradition of worshipping our gods once every decade. When your parents saw the mark of the Saraswat clan, they immediately recognised Neil. They wanted to help our people in the war, which is the story for another time."

The woman continued, "Above all they both were courageous and unfortunately died during that war beside Neil. We thought, we lost you as well, but look at you. You're all grown up and beautiful just like your mother."

"But how is this possible? Our team searched for her," Arjun bhai asked.

A deep voice emanated from the doorway. "Tara left her daughter with her brother before heading to the mountain, so that nobody could find her and she would remain hidden. However, being the stubborn lady that she was, she didn't heed our advice," said Rajat uncle. "As soon as I saw the child, I knew I had to pay a visit to her uncle, and my suspicions turned out to be correct."

My head was spinning, and I felt like I was in a dream. But the pain in my leg was a stark reminder that this was all too real.

I stared at the woman sitting across from me in disbelief. Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud, suffocating me with their weight.

they died during the war

your mother was fearless

they loved you soo much

No, this is not possible. Of all the possible reasons, I couldn't imagine this. My mother and father died during a war.

"No, this is not true. You're lying," I cried out, my voice rising in disbelief and anguish.

Tears streamed down my face as I tried to come to terms with what I had just heard. The woman's words echoed in my head, and my heart felt heavy with sorrow.

"I want to go home. Take me to my home," I pleaded with her.

"This is your home," she replied gently.

"No, please don't," I wept, my emotions overwhelming me. "Please take me home," I begged Shivesh, who was standing beside me.

"Okay, but first come with me. I will show you something," Shivesh's mother said.

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