Mysterious Time Traveler in Dwapara Yuga

Chapter 5: Time keepers

Like the saying goes, "time waits for no one," and the year-end came quickly. Because of their adventures, the friends felt they needed more time to get their work done. "At a time like this, I badly want a Time-Turner like in the Harry Potter movies," said Eli dreamily, imagining herself holding the Time-Turner. The boys broke out in laughter, knowing that the girls in their group were Potter head's. But after a glare from the girls, they quieted down, aware that it wouldn't end well for them.

It was New Year's Eve, 2012. Celebrations were in full swing in the auditorium of Vishnu Dina Group of Industries, and the workers had been given two months' bonus. Happiness bloomed in the hearts of the people, and they hoped for a great year ahead. After the celebration, Bhoomi and her family returned home tiredly. Her parents retired to their bedroom, and Bhoomi tried to head to her room as well but her brothers had other plans. "You always spend more time with your friends, so now it's brothers' time!" they said in chorus. Bhoomi felt bad because what they were saying was true, so she decided to spend time with them.

They decided to play Truth or Dare. Sitting around a table, they placed an empty bottle in the middle to spin. By some twist of fate, the bottle pointed to Bhoomi, with the other end to Yasshva, who looked like he had won some prestigious award while Manoj rolled his eyes. "Choose: Truth or Dare," Yasshva said, rubbing his hands together. Bhoomi raised her eyebrow and said, "Dare."

Yasshva grinned. "Your dare is to finish my biology record note by tomorrow." Hearing this, Manoj smacked Yasshva's head harshly, and he pouted. Bhoomi laughed heartily and said, "I'll do it. There's no need for games; I would have done it if you'd asked me." Manoj interjected, "No, you wouldn't, Bhoomi. He always says he wants to manage our whole hospital department, and he needs to do lots of work for that he need to manage his time well now."

Yasshva argued, "We have a lot of workers; they'll do the work while I supervise." Manoj rubbed his forehead and said, "How do you know the workers didn't forge it?" Yasshva angrily replied, "Our workers are good; they won't do that." Manoj retorted, "When times change, people change. Blind trust will one day cause our downfall. When people in top positions think nothing happens without them knowing, they don't realize time and money have the power to change people's willpower."

They heard clapping and turned to see their father leaning against the railing of the stairs, proud and smiling. He said, "Your elder brother is right. Everyone says reaching the top is difficult, but they forget that maintaining the top position is even harder because new talents will always emerge. You need to update yourself constantly to avoid being left behind. If you want to reach the top, you must work hard and understand the workings of every department. Blind trust in workers can lead to being used without knowing. To remain at the top, you need to work twice as hard as you did to get there because we live in a society where only the fittest survive. Understand this and work efficiently. Now, go to your rooms; staying awake this late is bad for your health."

Bhoomi approached her dad, smiled, and said, "We know, Dad. You've told us this since we were young." "Good night, Dad," she said, kissing his cheek. She and her brothers went to their rooms. As Bhoomi lay in bed, she thought about what name to choose for the secret organization, one that would be mysterious and inflict fear. Fear was essential for obedience. They also needed masks so no one would know their identities and tokens or tallies to indicate their rankings. This way, they could easily identify their immediate superior, ensuring faster communication and greater efficiency. They needed to work fast or risk losing more than they gained.

Days turned into months, and now it was the middle of the year. After finishing school, Bhoomi, her brothers, and friends were walking towards the store, chatting about the recent IPL match. They were heading to buy supplies for a project because the store had a wide range of collections useful for their creative works. As they entered the store, Bhoomi collected the things she needed. Their group had finalized the name for their organization: "The Shadows." They chose this name because they had to work in the shadows, unseen by others, while their work would play a major role in the economy of various countries. It was akin to traditional shadow play, where the storyteller sits behind a screen, and the puppets perform the actions.