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Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty One - Vikram's Secret Regiment
1st Century, 57 BCE: On a lesser frequented road, somewhere near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaIt was the fourteenth of the dark half of Bhadra according to lunar calender. An impenetrable veil of darkness seemed to have descended on the earth, where ever one might turn one's eyes. A dead silence prevailed everywhere, broken in between by wind whispering through the branches of trees and shrill calling of night birds . Suddenly sound of hoofs could be heard at a distance. Silhouettes of horses are found piercing the darkness forward. The horse riders' heads are ensconced in helmets with aventails covering lower halves of their faces, necks and shoulders; metal coats are draped around their robust torsos, spears held in hands, shields tied to their backs, swords dangle from their waist girdles. The army rode past leaving a trail of thick cloud of dust behind, which further reduced visibility. 'How far away have we travelled from Pataliputra?' One of the soldiers askedThe Amber fort
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Two - Vetaal's army is raised
1st Century, 57 BCE: Forest area near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaAs soon as Pataliputra's special regiment entered the forest a heavy storm broke-in. Soon water started pouring down through the canopy of branches and leaves of trees. Visibility got constrained to only occassional outbursts of lightening, with the raging of thunder. The army got scattered in no time. Suddenly the growl of a beast could be heard from a distance. In a matter of minutes the growl approached near, followed by splashing of water from puddles made into the clayey ground . The lightning showed tall grasses swaying in front of a soldier. The next moment something threw him down from the horse-seat and pulled him inside the bushes. A blood-curdling scream ran from one end of the forest to another. 'What was that? Hey can anyone hear me?' A soldier shouted.'Stay still wherever you are brother' .Someone shouted back from a distance.The animal was approaching them stealthily. Everyone took position with the
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Three - Combatting the Undead
1st Century, 57 BCE: Hilly terrain and Forest area near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaIn his mind, he still wasn't sure about whether the path he was treading was right. He was known and respected by the people for his righteousness. Then was it moral to love a brother's wife? This secret attack he had planned - it was all for the sake of Nandini. How dare someone seek her for his carnal pleasures? And what kind of a man his brother was? He wished he'd have killed him too. But he was Vikramaditya. He couldn't let his personal emotions come in between his path of dharma. He had even questioned himself several times, had tried to suppress his feelings for Nandini .. but those eyes .. those lotus shaped eyes had broken down all barricades of reason. There was a longing .. a yearning in them which Vikram could never ignore. He knew his brother wasn't loyal to her, despite her being caring and dutiful and treated her no more than the other courtesans he slept with. In fact Shankha didn't h
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Four - An Atrocious Ritual
1st Century, 57 BCE: Shankha's hidden chamber, somewhere in Malwa, West-Central IndiaAt the time Vikram was busy combatting the undead near the Udaipur fort Shankha was watching the scene through his magic ball. As the creatures slaughtered Vikram's men one by one, a sadistic smile crossed his lips. 'So there you are my dear brother, a gladiator prince .. fighting ghouls .. entertaining people. I see you have become a hero. But Shankha has other plans, what can you do? Whenever the country is in turmoil your kshatriya blood starts boiling. But you don't understand the simple fact that to ascend government ranks one has to be politically motivated. A prince should imitate the qualities of a fox and lion. Just by living an austere life and practicing idealism can't make you the king of Pataliputra, even if you have been predicted to become so. Astrologers and priests had predicted the lives of men from times immemorial, but wise men have always won over ill-fate. Even to carry his fat
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Five - The Invaders
1st Century, 57 BCE: Forest area near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaSuddenly, horse hoofs could be heard from within the forest. A man was found: head ensconced in helmet, red metal coat draped around his body, sword dangling from the waist. He was dressed differently from the other soldiers of the regiment. As the man neared them Vikram gestured the other soldiers to move away. The stranger got down from his horse and saluted the chief, then whispered something into his ear. Soon the regiment was following the man back into the forest. They found it hard to believe that they were negotiating the same trails, bends around trees which they had been doing a little ago. Every nook and corner of the forest appeared new. It seemed the forest had got transformed and it appeared to be enchanting now instead of being fearsome. After riding for sometime which appeared like eternity the soldier made a sign to halt before a cave which seemed to have suddenly sprung up. There was a large boulder
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Six - Shakaditya's Fall
1st Century, 57 BCE: Shakaditya's secret chamber, Ujjain fort, Madhya Pradesh, India The first time Shakaditya set his eyes on Nandini he had been smitten by her beauty. Having heard about the wife of the governor of Malwa - once a territory of Shaka rule, Shakaditya died to catch a glimpse of her. Shakaditya had heard that Shankha despised her over his other wives, but even if it wasn't the case, he knew Shankha wouldn't object - so very ambitious he was of becoming a king and so worthless he was as a governor in his present role. A meeting was arranged through him. But as Indian women were not allowed to come outdoors and meet a male guest, except through a curtain placed between them - which offered restricted visibility, a new scheme was planned. It was decided that the visitor would be allowed to have a peek of the lady through the reflection in mirror, during the time she'd be taking her shower. A special location would be fixed for him in the royal mansion from where he'd have
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Seven - Vikram Samvat Era Begins
1st Century, 57 BCE: Shankha's hidden chamber, somewhere in Malwa, West-Central IndiaSuddenly the door of Shankha's secret chamber opened and he found himself staring at a figure shrouded in darkness. As the figure tiptoed into the room, the layers of darkness peeled off from it's body one by one and Shankha's eyes went wide recognising him.'You? But how could you?''You didn't expect to see me brother, did you? Hold on there's another shock in store for you. You took so much trouble to find out Nandini's secret lover, isn't it? Lo .. here he is standing right before you. I'm so sorry but your witchcraft failed to even make a scratch on my skin' 'So it is you? Unbelievable! How couldn't I guess! The one I had been searching everywhere except my home was the one who has been engaged in adultery right under my nose. O why didn't I pay heed to the murmurings behind my back? Why couldn't I read it on their faces .. why did I think my men were ashamed of their inability to carry out my
Don't Fall Asleep Episode Twenty Eight - The Train Encounter
Present Day: On a train from Kolkata bound for Goa, somewhere near Balasore, Orissa.There was blood, only blood around him. It seemed he had fallen inside a whirlpool of blood and was being sucked inside. The more he flailed his arms to raise himself, the more he got dragged inside. He remembered last time Shivangi to have gone through the same ordeal at her sister's flat. These hallucinatory experiences had started after he met Shivangi. Was he connected to her in her previous life too? The taste of metal and salt made him feel like retching. He could hear voices in his head .. war cries rising to the sound of clarions and drums .. silenced by the slash of metallic weapons. The sound of horses' hooves, running of feet, clash of swords continued unabated. Elephants roared, horses neighed, vultures swooped down on the dead, jackals and hyenas waited for their turn to claim their share of flesh. The river Shipra turned red with blood in no time. .A horse rider was storming through the
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Episode Thirty Eight - Creatures, Creatures!
Arunava shouted his lungs out. But his cries got lost amidst the incantations and noise. Tears rolled down his eyes. He remembered the police station he served. He found himself sitting at his desk with coffee. He saw the white board crammed with charts based more of his imagination than clues or crime scene evidences - which appeared like jigsaw puzzles to others in the Department, a child's meaningless scribblings to his boss who wondered how Arunava had passed the IPS interview. But it was an exercise which always led to the truth in the end, much to the discomfort of his peers eyeing the promotion ladder. He always knew he was made for the job. Images of his village, his home, his parents flitted by. Since when did he last paid them a visit? It's been ages he had food cooked by his mother. Would his parents be able to cope up with the pain of their eldest son's death? After he was gone, who would pay for his brother's education? He was a good painter too and had ambitions of holdi
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Episode Thirty Seven - The Atonement
Now pronounced disability stood around him like the leafless trees smeared in darkness. Nobody was walking. Nobody was standing properly either. Nothing was moving anywhere. A subtle consciousness of mixed emotions - astonishment, sorrow and loneliness formed lumps inside the throat but wasn't able to manifest itself fully in the end. The divine revelation continued his speech above their heads. 'Those of you who have made it till here - the time for your final verdict has appeared. From here the path will divide into two. One goes towards heaven, the other towards hell. A sky-scraping wall separates the two. Positioned on the wall are my dedicated messengers since time immemorial. Judging the karma of your human births they will decide who chooses which path. The door of heaven would never open for those who've insulted me, been rude to others. But those who've never lost trust in me, have been honest throughout their lives, always cared for others shall always find place in heaven.
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Episode Thirty Six - Sara
Scaring the shits out of him a young lady stormed inside. He recognised her immediately to be Sara - his neighbour. They stayed in the same barrack quarters. Despite their age difference of ten years they were quite friends. She was physical instructor Mr. Snehashish Dutta's only daughter. This was the man who had cured him of acrophobia. 'What's up? Won't let me in? Whom did you expect at this hour? A hooligan? A fugitive? Well he must be lion-hearted then .. a gem of a criminal .. to have hoodwinked the security. Did you expect an old rival?' When Sara spoke her words flew copiously like a mountain spring without giving the listener any chance to reply. Then eying the bottle and half-filled glass on his table she asked. 'Partying alone?' There was a twinkle in Sara's eyes. 'Just stressed out a bit', he shrugged. 'Well .. lemme guess .. you must've had a fight with your boss .. no .. you have that every other day. Then any particular case you're worried about?' The words were cascad
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Episode Thirty Five - The Gateway to Hell
Slowly the living souls came down on the muddy road. They started their journey again. She was walking beside him. Her eyes held that same innocence. But a question was aimed at him this time. And it seemed to pierce his heart. He increased his pace. He wanted to walk away from her. From others. But an individual's wishes were not considered here. One had to go with the tide.Suddenly a voice boomed in the sky above. 'I don't like torturers. Severe punishments await them. But if anyone is repentent and makes best efforts to rectify themselves I may forgive them. Those of you who have played roles in destruction in your lives - I won't spare you. Those who have been cruel to the orphans, the destitute and homeless would have to burn in fire to cleanse your souls of the evil. I hate those who have misused funds. Those who were busy maligning others and spreading hatred will be punished. Those who have wrongly accused innocent women would be dealt with severly. Those who are proud, arrog
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Episode Thirty Four - Lost
There was darkness all around. He strained his eyes but could hardly make out anything. Then slowly shapes of wild bushes and creepers appeared. He discovered himself lying on his back with no sky above his head. How long had he been lying there? He had no idea. He rose up and sat down on the ground with legs straightened before him. He turned his head around in the hope of finding a way around. He didn't feel any fatigue. As if a long period of sleep had rejuvenated his energy. But how strange the shrubs were here. There was no smell in them. He tried to touch them but couldn't. The branches were withered and dry without leaves. Is it winter here? How did he come to such a place? He tried to remember but in vain. Nobody was speaking around him. But there had been people even a little while ago, he could bet. He had felt their presence. Were they too sleeping like him ? Where are they now? He couldn't remember anything before or after that incident. He was feeling very lighter now. H
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Episode Thirty Three - Wait for me in your dreams
She heard Dad calling her mother. It was too cold outside. Dad had been calling her name since long. Why wasn't Mom getting up? Like previous times Dad had returned late from work. Even in her sleep she could feel his presence. He had knelt down before her bed and parted the strands of hair on her forehead. Then he had bent down and kissed her cheeks. The next morning when she had woken up Dad was gone again. How tired he must've been and to keep him waiting at such an hour of the night in the nail-biting cold was a crime. And then she realised that Mom had fallen asleep after a hard day's work. She hurried down from the bed and ran towards the main door. She knew immediately after getting in Dad would curse at Mom with 'Were you dead?'. Then he'd rush upstairs into his study and lock himself up. Despite knowing eavesdropping was wrong she had tiptoed up to her Dad's closed door many times. Anirban would be having a row with someone over phone. She could recall a few words like 'Tende
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Episode Thirty Two - Dad's Not The Same
It was a December night at Kolkata before Christmas. The cold had just started to show it's teeth and nails. A time when people hid themselves inside the trusting sheathe of blankets and quilts.However, barely a month more would the residents of the city be lucky enough to get a taste of winter. For the rest of the year the tiresome humidity and untimely rainfall awaited them. Perhaps I should've said a number of people and not all when I said people slept peacefully inside the cosy comforts of blankets and quilts. For many weren't lucky enough to procure them or to even have a roof above their heads for that matter. These hapless people who were generally beggars or ragpickers lighted little fires with twigs and dry leaves of trees. Often stray dogs joined them in their struggle to somehow pass away the night and long for the mercy of sun god when his seven horses would spread radiance and heat into the earth and rescue them from their state of helplessness. And this hope and wait c
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Episode Thirty One - The Chase
A man was walking leisurely down the road. When Arunava asked where the nearest bus stop was he measured him with a mixed expression of surprise and irritation. 'No buses ply in this road. You seem to be a newcomer to this area. What happened? Your car broke down? Hmmm .. there's a mechanic who lives three kilometres down here. I can give you his number. But I need ..'Arunava knew what he needed. At other times he would've slapped him twice. Once for seeking bribe from a police officer and twice for talking too much without listening; but now in a remote place several kilometres away from Kolkata, in a devastated condition; he needed help desperately. He had tried to reach railway enquiry on mobile but could not. The internet had also stopped working. The man seemed to be a local from his accent. His torn clothes, sewed at places and a large jute bag on his shoulders told him that he was a vagabond, probably a ragpicker.. 'I want to reach the nearest railway station quickly. How far i
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Episode Thirty - Vishnu's Sword
Suddenly he felt a hand pull him away and close a door behind. There was a flicker of light and it appeared someone had lit a candle. Then everything went black around him again. When he regained consciousness he found himself lying on a cot with a pillow tucked under his head. It was day and the sunlight was streaming through the openings in the white coloured walls around him. The fragrance of agarbattis filled the room. A fair, benign, saintly man in his mind sixties was caressing his forehead. The man had long, curly hairs, a tilak drawn on his forehead and a soothing smile. In his other hand he held a rudraksha garland. 'Where am I?' Arunava asked and tried to get up. But the man gently laid him down saying 'Not now, now, you are still weak, my son' Then looking at the inquisitive expression on his face took him into confidence. 'You are in safe hands now. Don't worry. Take some more rest. Come, have this glass of milk first. Then some breakfast. I'm sure you haven't had anythin
