Tat Tvam Asi (#SacredGames)

Tat Tvam Asi

There was nobody in the city that could be trusted, besides Dilbagh Singh.

Although Sartaj had never heard this himself, he sensed Gaitonde would have said so. Why else would he have chosen him?

The ticking of the timer clocked him back. 1:47 minutes and one last attempt. Was it worth risking?

If he got it right, the catastrophe would be averted. And if he didn't...

But did Mumbai deserved to be saved? He already knew the world wasn't perfect but the past 25 days had exposed the dirt he'd willed to ignore.

The answer was clear: It didn't.

He took a look back at Gaitonde who sat confidently on his throne. He was ready to admit defeat when Gaitonde calmly said 'Aham Brahmasi'.

Oddly Sartaj found himself echoing the same. He could no longer feel the power though. He wasn't God. And now he was going to watch the world turn to dust. He flipped to his father's page in the Book of Time, gently pressing his palm against the print.

He could hear his father console him, "It's okay son, you tried your best."

That's when the gears shifted in him. Behind the soothing voice he heard the defeat. They knew he hadn't tried his best. And just like Gaitonde, he had only one hope left.

With stable fingers he traced his father's code onto the screen and less than 5 seconds to the ultimatum, Sartaj knew there was no turning back. He watched the clock stop. And in a flash the words "Processing Deactivation" lit up.

He'd done it. He stopped the inevitable. He looked back up at Gaitonde, "Tat tvam asi," he said. 

You are That. That who overthrew the plan.

But just as he relaxed, new words took form on the screen.

"Authentication Required! Who are you?"

Despair crushed Sartaj. He looked at the timer. He had a minute. He thought of the possible options.

Brahma? 

He looked back at where Gaitonde sat for a clue. In place of him now stood Batya in her white robes, a linger of a smile on her face as she repeated Gaitonde's words.

"Tat tvam asi."

Unlike he who said it with pride, her voice was sad. He was That. The sacrifice she gave - her pawn to this game. 

Doomed, he braced himself for the impact when he heard a whisper, "You aren't the sacrifice, paaji. Remember, I am Ashwathama. Guruji chose me... And I chose you."

Was that it? Was it Ashwathama? He noticed Batya's nod from the corner of his eye, almost as if she agreed.

'Ashwathama', he typed impatiently. He wanted an ending to these sacred games. 

And when the monitor let out an ominous beep, he knew his fate.

But before he perished, Sartaj needed answers. He turned to look at Batya.

"Why Mumbai?"

She gave him a side-look and replied, "From Bombay to Mumbai and Need to Greed, like you, it needs a cleanse. This is not the end Sartaj, it's a new beginning."