Mysterious Time Traveler in Dwapara Yuga

Chapter 8: In the Shadows: The Stolen Lives

2013

Today was Bhoomi's birthday, April 22. Now fourteen years old, her workload was increasing alongside her age. As the mask designer for 'The Shadows,' she now needed to design the tally. Everyone in the group was satisfied with the mask, and with the help of the old man, their organization was growing steadily. Other forces dismissed them as insignificant, which made Eli angry and dumbfounded. Adil said, "Ignorance is bliss," to which Adam responded, "Even if I wanted to act ignorant, I couldn't." Bhoomi and Rosy exchanged glances, and Rosy said, "Don't lie, Adam. You always act ignorant, even now!" The group burst into laughter.

Adam, in mock drama, placed a hand near his heart and pretended to cry. "How can you say that?" he asked theatrically. Bhoomi rolled her eyes, pulled out a fifty-rupee note, and gestured it to him. Adil snatched the note and ran, with Adam chasing him, claiming the reward for his "hard work." Eli and Rosy rolled on the floor with laughter while Bhoomi looked unsurprised.

The birthday party was in full swing, with many industrialists attending to expand their social circles. Bhoomi's father and elder brother were talking to company partners, while her second brother chatted with friends. Her mother was busy with family members. Amidst the celebration, the old man arrived, presenting Bhoomi with a book that could easily be mistaken for an encyclopedia. It contained detailed information about diseases, how to differentiate them, and how to eliminate them. It also covered ancient Ayurveda, including plant identification, growth locations, and efficient extraction methods. The book seemed old but well-cared-for, making Bhoomi wonder about its origins.

After wishing Bhoomi a happy birthday and giving her some work, the old man decided to leave but stopped to tell her, "You will be giving your practical in one week. Be ready." Hearing this, her friends exclaimed in unison, "Practical?" Luckily, the party's noise masked their outburst. The old man winced at their loudness and asked, "Are you planning to make her a doctor without any fieldwork? Before I announce her as my successor, I want her to take everything seriously because my reputation is on the line." With that, he left.

A couple of hours later, the party ended. Since Bhoomi lived in a manor with plenty of rooms, her friends requested to stay over. No one objected, as their families were like one big family, always helping each other. Everyone retired to their rooms, except Bhoomi's friends, who gathered in her room. Eli hugged a plush toy while the others sat near Bhoomi's work table.

Adam asked about the practical. Bhoomi explained, "The old man is teaching me medicine, and I need practical experience. Starting next week, I will be applying my theoretical knowledge on cadavers, performing procedures like appendectomies and stone removals. He wants me to be strong and not faint." Adil joked, "It will be hilarious if you faint. I'll tell my children about it!" The others laughed, while Bhoomi deadpanned, "The old man loves me, so he gave me a week to prepare. But what about you guys? Who knows when you'll have to give your practical?" Her friends stopped laughing, realizing the gravity of her words.

Their lives became hectic, but they didn't complain, knowing that "life is not a bed of roses." Despite their busy schedules, they continued their playful banter. Bhoomi took a liking to the book the old man gave her, often reading it after finishing her work. When asked by her family, she said it contained valuable information about medicinal plants. She wondered how humans could be so shortsighted to let such plants go extinct.

Today is the day of her practical. Bhoomi steadied her mind and heart for whatever was coming. Her friends helped her by sending gruesome ghost movies, saying no cadaver was more horrible than a ghost, so she watched all of them. Her parents never allowed her to see any type of violence, saying a child's innocence must be protected at all costs. If only they knew what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Now, in five minutes, she was going to enter her practical, whatever challenge the old man had placed to stump her. It had become one of his hobbies to ask questions to see if she could answer them, but until now, it had all been theory. Now it was practical.

"No, no, Bhoomi, you have to calm down. Breathe in, breathe out. If you want to save lives, you will face worse. You will be the one to console others, not the other way around," Bhoomi tried to motivate herself. To some extent, it worked, as her heart calmed down.

As the old man asked her to enter, she walked into the room where the cadaver was present. He told her to perform a post-mortem. She turned to see the cadaver and mentally thanked her friends. The ghost movies had prepared her for what she was currently seeing. The cadaver seemed to be a woman, maybe around 33 years old, dead for a maximum of a day. The cause of death looked like a road accident, with one side visible and the other crushed badly. She prayed to God to give peace to the soul and paid her respects. She began the job given by the old man, finishing the procedures and writing down her findings, including measuring the depths of the cuts. She handed her final report to the old man, who had been observing her work. Bhoomi was thankful for his presence, as she wasn't ready to be alone with the cadaver despite the ghost movies. She passed the practical with flying colors, though she vowed never to eat meat again. She was okay with that.

After completing their mission, the group felt elated. To stay ahead of other forces, they decided to implement mass surveillance in the underworld, using spies to uncover and slowly eradicate evil deeds. This was the perfect time to act, as other forces underestimated them as small fry. For mass surveillance, they needed more funds, so Bhoomi decided to become a singer under the alias "Angel."

When her song was released, it caused a stir. People were curious about Angel, wondering who she was and how her first song, written by Kalki, became so popular. Rumors swirled about a possible relationship between Angel and Kalki. The song quickly landed on the list of most viewed and trending songs. People were impressed by her voice, with some saying, "I understand now why Kalki chose this person," while others declared, "Angel has purified the music industry." The boys had fun reading these comments, and the girls rolled on the floor laughing.

From the surveillance information they collected, they discovered that most criminal activity stemmed from drug trafficking. They decided to disrupt the flow of money in the underworld by providing information to the government or directly placing drug-laden trucks before the court. This disrupted the gangs' operations. Through this hectic process, Bhoomi discovered her talent for racing. Although illegal, they needed substantial funds, and racing provided a lucrative opportunity. She found interest in both car racing and horse riding.

After completing their mission, the group felt elated. To stay ahead of other forces, they decided to implement mass surveillance in the underworld, using spies to uncover and slowly eradicate evil deeds. This was the perfect time to act, as other forces underestimated them as small fry. For mass surveillance, they needed more funds, so Bhoomi decided to become a singer under the alias "Angel."

When her song was released, it caused a stir. People were curious about Angel, wondering who she was and how her first song, written by Kalki, became so popular. Rumors swirled about a possible relationship between Angel and Kalki. The song quickly landed on the list of most viewed and trending songs. People were impressed by her voice, with some saying, "I understand now why Kalki chose this person," while others declared, "Angel has purified the music industry." The boys had fun reading these comments, and the girls rolled on the floor laughing.

From the surveillance information they collected, they discovered that most criminal activity stemmed from drug trafficking. They decided to disrupt the flow of money in the underworld by providing information to the government or directly placing drug-laden trucks before the court. This disrupted the gangs' operations. Through this hectic process, Bhoomi discovered her talent for racing. Although illegal, they needed substantial funds, and racing provided a lucrative opportunity. She found interest in both car racing and horse riding. {This story is purely fictional and does not endorse or encourage any form of illegal activity.}