Beyond Times

Chapter 1 - Travel Through Time

'Pain and agony. That is all that's left for me. I hate my life. I have been suffering from my very childhood. I am alone. All alone, left with nothing.' Tiasha thought as she was wandering down the lonely streets of College Square. The street lamps standing on each side of the road did their best to light up the surroundings. Their age has taken a toll on them. No matter how much they tried, they could only vaguely illuminate a certain radius around them. 

The lights flickered from time to time as if they would go out any moment, just like her own life. A bittersweet smile appeared on the corner of her lips as she continued to walk.

She has nowhere to go. For now, the City hospital is the only place where she can find shelter. But it's impossible to spend week after week there. Though the authority is still supportive, but...

True, She is left with nothing. She wants to laugh at her fate. What a great fortune she has. She wants to leave this place, but where will she go?

She has lost everything. Her family, house, and bank accounts have been seized, leaving her with nothing. She has no friends to turn to and doesn't want to seek shelter or be dependent on anyone. Independence has always been important to her, and she's not willing to sacrifice that for anything.

As she was lost in her thoughts, she unintentionally walked by a cluster of intoxicated troublemakers idling around in the area. They teased,

"Ayy! Beauty, you seem lonely, what, is nobody with you tonight? Have some fun with us then."

The flickering of the lights increased.

Tiasha attempted to disregard the situation and continued walking. She was preoccupied with numerous thoughts. However, the group of individuals obstructed her path, and one of them forcefully grabbed her hand. The grip left a painful sensation on her wrist. The group then began to encircle her, laughing boisterously.

For a moment, all of her senses went numb. Memories from her past horrors began to resurface, and she felt a panic attack coming on. However,it was not the time to be vulnerable or let fear consume her. She knew she needed to be strong, run, and save herself.

Gathering all the strength left in her body, she snatched her hand, pushed one of them out of her way and started to run.

As she heard them running behind her and shouting, "Don't be afraid, it's just a game."

She continued to run and hid in a dark alleyway. Her right leg got sprained while she was running. Some bloody bruises formed all over her tan skin as a result of taking some falls during the chase. One big dark purple bruise arose on her left wrist where one of them gripped her.

She heard them saying, "You can run, but you cannot hide from us."

She peeked outside and saw them looking for her. The sound of a garbage can from the alleyway a few steps behind pulled their attention there. That was her chance to run and lose them, and she did.

When she saw all of them entering the other alleyway, she came out. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she dashed down the road, and reached a temple around the corner. She didn't see anyone around. To hide from those intoxicated men and to have a roof over her head for the night she entered the temple. It was a Krishna temple. A small white marbled temple where a Krishna murti carved from black stone stood in all its glory. The small reassuring smile on the murti's face and the avay mudra of the lord brought some relief to Tiasha. She just slid down and rested her head on a marble pillar.

For some unknown reason, she felt her eyelids getting heavier. The funny thing is that sleep has not been very generous to her for the past few weeks. She didn't understand the reason for this sudden generosity, then again at this time. Before losing her senses completely, through her heavy eyelids she saw a figure. She couldn't make out who it was. She got afraid for a moment. What if it's someone that is trying to take advantage of her? She is not even in a state to run, let alone defend herself.

She felt someone lifting her from the ground. She tried to move but a melodious male voice soothing her fear said, "No need to worry Sakhi, nobody can harm you anymore." a warm touch on her forehead took her further into the land of sleep.

Darkness engulfed her for a moment. The next instant the room erupted in a dazzling display of cascading energies.

The world around her warped and shifted, reality itself unravelling like a frayed tapestry. Colours blurred and swirled, forming a mesmerising vortex that seemed to suck her in. Her surroundings dissolved into a chaotic whirlwind of images, memories, and sensations as if she was hurtling through time itself.

She saw glimpses of the past and future, a mosaic of moments and epochs that flashed before her eyes.

Stars streaked past like celestial comets, and galaxies spun in cosmic ballets, all while she remained suspended in the void.

Time lost all meaning, and Tiasha felt herself both everywhere and nowhere, a mere observer in the grand tapestry of existence. The sensation was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying, like riding a roller coaster through the birth and death of the universe.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the tempest of time released its hold on her.

Darkness came back. She felt that someone had just lowered her down on soft grass. her head rested against something which felt like a rock, but surprisingly it was not uncomfortable. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't. The soft breeze, the sound of flowing water, and the smell of sandalwood and Kadamba enveloped her. She felt someone caressing her hair, the warm touch taking her into an abyss of peace. The senses were lost again. She fell into a deep sleep.

It seems that there is no one left to remember her, as even the smallest memory of her has vanished from the minds and hearts of the people in Kaliyuga. Perhaps on a dark, gloomy night, her best friend may have felt the distant pain of losing someone, but they were unable to recall who that person was.

The old struggling street lights of College Square completely went out. Her existence was wiped out from Kaliyuga but she became a prominent character in Dwapara Yuga, who changed the course of history and bent the flow of one certain Maharathi's life river.

- XX -

Hello everyone, my name is Woody, and I am excited to present to you the first chapter of Beyond Times. I want to make clear that this story is not intended to hurt anyone's sentiments or beliefs. It is purely a work of fiction meant to entertain you. Your valuable feedback is highly appreciated, and I will be updating the story every Friday to keep you enthralled. Thank you for taking the time to consider my work. Take care and see you soon my lovely readers.