Simba: The Secret Identity

The Fortune-Teller's Prediction

Legend has it that Greece's summers are usually extremely hot and dry. Turns out that legend isn't wrong. When Simba stepped out from the everlasting plane journey, he was met with a huge wave of heat. It was as if the Simba had inched towards the sun. All the other students also felt the same. As they were all irritated from having their phones confiscated at the start of the plane journey, the boiling weathers of Greece didn't help brighten their mood. AJ and Reyna, on the other hand, were just debating whether short plane flights should have TV screens or not.  So all in all, everything was pretty normal.

When Simba was introduced to the hotel the school children were going to be residing in, he was immensely delighted. No wonder why the school took such an enormous amount of money for this trip. The hotel was a 5-Star skyscraper. It was massive. The walls were a nice golden hue and plenty of trees had been planted around the entrance of the hotel. A smile crept on Simba's face. Simba's room was to be shared with AJ. So he could do whatever they wanted and didn't have to be bossed around! This was going to be an exciting trip

Simba and AJ's room was pretty average sized. It didn't have any characteristics that you would expect of a natural 5-Star Hotel as it had nothing special- just beds with a bathroom. However, there was also a bookshelf with a huge hole in the middle which had a button. When you pressed on this button, a completely new section of the room would open with a kitchen and many more treasures. This whole room was simply mesmerizing. Simba and AJ both looked at each other and high-fived. It was a childish thing to do but both the boys didn't care. They were impressed with the room.

The next day, the school group were to roam the local bustling market in Athens. It was crowded and there were food stalls, stalls for toys and even for second-hand clothes! It was a sight to be remembered! The school were broken down into two groups- young kids and the big kids. Simba was thankfully part of the big kids. He just couldn't tolerate the undeveloped brains of freakish children talking about completely random stuff on his holiday. He loved children but sometimes they could be VERY annoying. Simba's team- which consisted of him AJ, and two other kids- were allowed to roam freely, but had to return to the great big oak tree in the centre by 3 p.m. It was already 2:15 so AJ and Simba split up with the two other boys and went to find Reyna instead. She was standing in front of a big tent and talking to some of her friends. Simba waved towards and she came striding towards them." Hey guys! How was your first day?" She asked.
AJ yawned and replied, " It was hot." Reyna looked towards Simba for an answer but he just a shrugged. "What's that great tent in the middle by the way? Is it like some magicians marquee?" Reyna laughed.
"Simba, you're always so down to earth that you sometimes forget to look at what's above. Look!" Reyna points to a sign above that says Otana's Fortune Telling. AJ laughed. "This stuff is just a bunch of baloney. They just ask for money and tell you something good so that you're pleased." Reyna eyed him. "Well, that's the catch isn't it, Einstein? This stuff is for free. Simba felt intrigued. If someone was willing to predict his future for free, then it was worth a search. So the trio headed in the tent and were greeted by a middle-aged man wearing several beads around his neck. He had a turban on his head and was dressed in vermillion red. "Greetings, foreigners. It seems you have come to seek thy fate. Please, be seated on these cushions. The man led them to some purple cushions on the floor. "Right, now I would like to start with this young lad" He proclaimed, pointing at Simba. "I sense a strong aura around you." Simba was confused. Did this mean that there were going to be exciting things in his future? He uneasily let the man take his right hand and let it hover above a mystical orb. Simba was bewildered. How could his hand just stay in the air? The man closed his eyes and put both of his hands on his head. After 1 or 2 minutes, he opened his eyes and looked gravely at Simba. "Your future is split between two crossroads. If you are you to take the wrong path, then someone special in your life will cease to exist. If you take the right path, they will be saved." He sternly explained.

Simba's mind was spinning. After placing his hand above the orb, he had started feeling dizzy. But he couldn't ignore what the man had predicted. He looked at him and nodded slowly. "Do you mean my father?"
"That much I cannot foresee." He apologetically exclaimed. Simba nodded and let AJ take his place. The man did everything the same as he did for Simba but opened his eyes in just 15 seconds. "Young lad! Please! Kindly do not do that! You know what mean!" AJ looked disturbed. He clearly did not know what the man meant or was hiding it superbly. Next was Reyna who told both AJ and Simba to go out. "But why?" Simba questioned?
"Well, because it's private. AJ can stay here if he wants to. But you must go." She asserted. Simba shrugged and headed out.

Reyna came outside after 15 minutes. She was panting rapidly.
"Reyna, you okay?" Simba asked.
"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah yeah. " She answered back.
Simba looked at AJ for the answer but he clearly wouldn't tell what happened inside. It was nearly 3 so the group headed towards the great big oak tree, their school's meeting place. Once they arrived, Simba sat down on a bench near the tree. He heard footsteps behind him and saw Nigel Cook coming towards him. Simba groaned. "You look a bit exhausted today Simba. Do you want to go to the hotel for some icky wicky sleep?" He asked, snickering.
"I'm fine, Nigel. Just go away." Simba replied. Nigel decided to change the topic. 
"Oh yeah, did you see that fortune-telling man's house in the market? What a bunch of nonsense that was. The man said I was going to be infected with an upcoming worldwide epidemic and would suffer greatly from it" Nigel laughed. "Why would there even be an epidemic?"
"He might be telling the truth you know," Simba responded.
"Nah, he just wants fame and attention, that's it. I bet he told your future like your dad's going to come back from the dead and haunt you till-" Nigel was unable to finish his sentence. Rage ran through Simba's whole body. He clenched his fist and smacked it at Nigel. Blood was pouring from all around him. Simba held Nigel's collar and said, "Never - say- anything - about - my - father - in - front - of - me." And with that, he started walking away.
"Just because you saved a plane from some hijackers doesn't mean your boss," Nigel said, his hand covering his blood-soaked nose. Simba smiled to himself. That was the first time he had hit someone so hard. He looked above at the azure sky and said, "All for you dad. I don't know where you are or how you're being treated, but I know I'll find you and save you."

Thousands of miles away, Kabir Patel raised his sweaty forehead and wiped it. A smile grew on his face as he looked at the distant desert ruins. "Hey! You! Do your work!" Came a sound from behind Kabir, but he completely ignored it. A jolt of pain surged through Kabir's body as he was whipped, but he didn't care. He knew his son was coming. To free him from all this agony and misery.