Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior (26 page)

‘I want to know more. I will be careful,’ Anita said and, before her grandmother could protest, she walked towards the balcony to join Tejaswi. ‘Would you like some more juice?’

‘No, thanks. Is your grandmother all right?’

‘Yes. She’s just old.’

‘Seems like a very sweet person.’

Anita nodded. ‘Yes, I love her very much.’

Tejaswi looked out over the banister. The city lights cast a reddish glow on her face, giving her an alien hue. ‘Tell me more about the Nine.’

Anita sensed the interest stemmed more from the spirit within her friend.

‘I’m not so sure about the Nine at this stage. I am looking into something that is just a possibility, may not be a fact. You know about the history of King Ashoka? How he converted to Buddhism after the war with the Kalingan army?’

‘Of course. Ashoka of the Magadha Empire was jealous of the vast wealth, military power and maritime activities of Kalinga.’

‘You seem to know your history,’ Anita said, noticing Tejaswi’s cheeks. They were turning red, as if she was angry.

‘Kalinga is mentioned in ancient scriptures as Kalinga, the land of the brave. In fact, in the third century BC, the Greek ambassador Megasthenes, during his tour of India, praised the military strength of the Kalingan army.’

‘You seem anti-Ashoka,’ Anita said light-heartedly.

‘Most definitely!’ Tejaswi hissed. ‘He killed a hundred thousand people and captured over a hundred thousand Kalingans. The Kalingans only wanted their freedom. They put up a stiff fight against the Mauryans. The warriors fought with valour. The Kalingans perished on the battlefield, fighting bravely for their land. Ashoka was a cruel king!’

‘What about his faith in Buddhism? This single instance of the Kalinga War brought about a complete change of heart in a stern ruler like Ashoka. The sight of the devastation and death overwhelmed him. That’s why he created the secret society of the Nine wise ones so that they would protect the knowledge in case it was used to bring about such devastation again.’

Tejaswi moved closer, she took Anita’s hands in hers. ‘It’s so nice to share this moment with you.’ Anita felt like she was underwater, her eyes were glued on Tejaswi. Anita was drawn to her. There was a hypnotic quality about her. Then, the crystal beads seemed to burn around her neck, distracting her from Tejaswi’s gaze, and Anita shifted away. But she wanted to know more about Tejaswi’s state, so she egged her on. ‘Actually, there’s something else that I wanted to tell you about my meeting with this possible member of the Nine. I took a picture of him.’

Tejaswi’s eyes glittered. ‘You must show it to me.’

‘I will, but let’s go inside first.’

‘What? Show me now!’ Tejaswi said firmly. Her eyes were pinpoints of red.

Anita felt oddly repelled and intimidated by the sensations she felt at that moment. ‘My phone is inside,’ she said.

Just then, Grandma called out, ‘Dinner is served.’

‘Let’s go,’ Anita said.

Grandma didn’t join them; instead, she hurried to her room and returned with some incense. She lit it and waved the stick around the house, murmuring, deliberately keeping a distance from Tejaswi. Anita noticed Tejaswi’s puzzled expression.

Tejaswi appeared uncomfortable. ‘I’m getting a headache.’

‘I’m so sorry, Tejaswi. Grandma is warding off evil spirits.’

‘I hope it’s not because of me.’ Tejaswi smiled.

It is because of you, she senses my presence …
the Kalingan warned.

‘So what about that photo of the man who is one of the Nine?’ Tejaswi asked.

‘Grandma, sit down, join us. You must be hungry,’ Anita said, giving her a meaningful look.

‘Yes, dear.’ She brought a glass of water and joined them.

Tejaswi waited.
She is stalling, try again … I need to see that picture …

‘Anita, put your phone away. You can talk to your friend later.’

Tejaswi smiled. ‘She’s going to show me a picture, that’s all.’

Anita glanced at her Grandma. ‘One minute …’ She pulled out her mobile phone from her bag. Tejaswi watched her every move, her heart pounding. Grandma had turned pale. A split-second glance and Grandma caught the look in Tejaswi’s eyes. She went silent. And before she could stop Anita, the image on the phone was there in front of Tejaswi.

Tejaswi’s eyes widened. She looked at Anita, then at the image. ‘Is this the man you met in London?’

There was a surge of energy. Tejaswi stood up. ‘That’s absolutely fantastic!’

That’s him, that’s one of them … We have to get to him NOW!

‘Tejaswi, what do you mean?’

She was clenching her fists tight. Her eyes were molten lava. ‘I … mean … I think I am feeling a little—’

There was a sudden burst—the glasses on the table had trembled and shattered as if hit by a hammer. Grandma jumped back, scared.

Anita shouted. ‘What’s going on? Are you doing this?’

Grandma shook her head. ‘It’s too late. She’s got this spirit inside her. It’s angry. It wants to kill the Nine.’

‘Where is that man?’ Tejaswi’s voice was a roar.

Anita pulled Grandma up from the table, away from the violent woman.

You follow what I say … It’s time for me to do what needs to be done … You are wasting time with your sweet talk …

Tejaswi felt the power of his rage fill her being. ‘This man will be dead by tomorrow!’ she shouted out loud.

Anita yelled at her. ‘Why? Tejaswi, what’s going on? How do you know this man?’

‘He is one of the Nine. He was responsible for destroying me the last time. Now I have this woman and she will make sure he is dead,’ Tejaswi said in a gritty voice.

Tejaswi pointed her finger at the framed pictures on the side table. They cracked. Next, she targeted the kitchen. Grandma and Anita cowered in a corner of the living room. ‘Where is he?’

‘I already told you, he’s in London!’ Anita shouted.

Tejaswi pointed a finger at her. ‘Where in London?’

‘I don’t know!’ Anita said. She and her grandmother were both on the floor, kneeling, arms over their heads.

‘If you don’t tell me how to contact him, I am going to kill your Grandma.’

Tense silence. The air swirled with the dust of destruction.

Anita stood up, grabbed a small stool and threw it at her. ‘Fuck you, Tejaswi! Get out of my house or I will call the police.’

Suddenly, Tejaswi grabbed a knife from the kitchen. ‘Tell me where this man is. Or else …’ She had the knife aimed at her grandmother.

‘Like hell I’m going to tell you. Get out, Tejaswi!’ she said, shielding her grandmother.

Tejaswi was only a few feet away, waving the knife in the air. She aimed it at the jug of juice and it burst, sending glass shards flying. A shard hit Anita’s grandmother, cutting her on the arm; blood spilled.

‘You will tell me everything you know, bitch!’ Tejaswi hissed.

Anita stared at the woman. ‘Who are you?’

‘I am the Kalingan warrior. I have come to finish my work, to destroy the Mauryan legacy. You stand in my way and I will kill you too.’

‘That is madness. Tejaswi, you need medical help.’

‘No! There was no one else to help me. I asked for the spirit, he is the only one who helped me in my time of need. He destroyed Karl and now I will destroy his enemy.’ She gave a broad grin. ‘I have so much power, Anita. I have never felt this alive in my whole life. If you help me, there is so much more we can do together. You can have anything you want—money, a better home, luxury, anything you want. I can get it for you. The Kalingan can bring it all into your life, he has the power.’

Anita shook her head, staring at this stranger in her house. ‘I will not help you.’

‘Anita, you should hate the Nine and what they did to your grandfather. We can make sure they don’t ruin other lives. We can destroy them together.’

Anita was stunned, words failed her.

Grandma pulled her back. ‘She is beyond your control. She is possessed,’ she said sharply. ‘Don’t get conned.’ Then, she pulled out a small red packet from her pocket. In a second, she poured some ash out of it into her hand and threw it at Tejaswi.

Tejaswi screamed. ‘Why did you have to do that?’

‘Do it again, Grandma!’ Anita shouted.

‘All these rituals will not work with me. I am too powerful for that,’ Tejaswi cried. She headed for the door and pointed at the large purple crystal next to it. It crumbled. ‘I’m sending my men over to get it out of you.’ Tejaswi slammed the door shut. An eerie silence filled the house as they surveyed the wreck. It was as if a hurricane had torn apart their house and their lives.

Anita stared at her grandmother. ‘What just happened?’

The Senior Six

‘The true colours of the Kalingan have emerged. Now there is no turning back. From here on, it is all about fighting the spirit. Ashoka left behind a legacy to protect the world, but he didn’t advise us on fighting warriors from the spirit world. It was a lesson to be gained from life.

‘While Ashoka preached peace and compassion, we have to fight to achieve those goals. And even though one may follow the Buddhist tenets of non-violence in theory, in practical terms it will not work.

‘We must always be ready to change our beliefs when facts that contradict them are presented to us. A person who does this is certainly wise and is sure to eventually arrive at true understanding. The path of just believing what you are told is easy. The path to self-discovery requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.

‘The Kalingan has, in fact, taught the Nine the path of truth.’

33

Akash

It was dusk. The sun sank beyond the horizon in a few minutes and Akash wished he could use his powers to hold it up. As a child, he always felt a certain sense of loss when the sun set, it was as if the world ended each time. Yet the scene itself was so powerful, symbolic of just how much was beyond our control. And the fact that the world moved and would continue to move at its own pace.

He sat on the terrace of the sixty-storey Imperial Tower, chewing on the last few bites of his burger. The city below was a jigsaw puzzle, with pieces that didn’t fit right. The streets looked like overflowing strips with humans, cars and animals, as tiny as ants. The illuminated areas of the city highlighted the dank dreariness of the grey forms of humans and the luxurious glimmer of cars and fancy homes. It was a sight to behold. Akash felt the strain of being where he was and the pressure of his responsibilities. His time-travel ability required a high degree of control. He just had to think of a time frame and he would be there. If he wasn’t careful, he could end up on the Kurukshetra battlefield or worse, the Kalinga War, where he would be skewered to death with arrows or trampled by elephants. He shuddered.

The martial-arts training was an intense six-hours-a-day exercise. After that, they were taught how to use their new-found powers. The training provided mental acuity and focus. Akash needed the time alone. Senior Councillor Ali was a trained martial arts expert. He was so gifted that all three of them were in awe of his abilities. He taught them to control their minds and use their gifts. It was an eye-opening experience. And although Akash was as materialistic as they come, he found himself turning inwards. He found himself reflecting on life and the purpose of humanity. And he liked the comfort of being alone under the starry sky. He would never admit this change to Tara.

Akash looked at his watch and realized how long he had been sitting there, mulling over his life and the changes that had taken place over the past year. He needed to stop thinking and get going now. Zubin and Tara would get antsy if he didn’t get back and Raakin would probably end up with a heart attack. He jumped off the building. Neat and straight, feet pointing downwards, arms stretched out wide. He was weightless. He focused and controlled the speed; his body was like that of a butterfly, a bird swooping. Ever so slowly, he let go of the pressure and gravity pulled with brutal strength. He felt the concrete reach up to him in seconds. It was a heart-pounding near-death experience. Ever since he became one of the Nine, he had nursed a chilling doubt that he would end up as roadkill. Now he was in control of his mind and his fears. It took him all of three seconds to get to Raakin’s hotel, where ordinarily, it would have taken two hours by road. Akash sauntered into his room.

The room-service trolley was packed with dishes still covered, uneaten. Akash picked up a couple of dish covers and peeked at the food. ‘Mmm, food! I don’t know why, but I’m starving. What about you guys? All that training works up a serious appetite.’ He picked up a plate, piled rice on it and spooned some curry on top. The bowl of salad was for Tara, clearly. There was also a bowl of soup.

‘The journalist, Anita, who met you in London lives in Mumbai,’ Raakin said.

Akash turned to look at Tara and Zubin accusingly.

‘We didn’t tell him. He knows everything about us,’ Tara said.

‘So what does that mean?’ Akash asked.

‘It means we have to be extra careful,’ Zubin stated the obvious. He brought the bowl of soup and placed it on the table. It had gone cold.