A New Beginning

ANANT

Why? Why is this happening to us? We never thought ill of anyone… then why?

I was running with my injured father. Thoughts of my mother was still running wild in my mind. My heart was beating so fast as if it would burst out any second. Right now—I didn’t know what to do but run.

Will we be able to escape from here alive? If we will, then what we would do? Where would we go? Where would we live? I couldn’t help but think about these things.

As I was having bad thoughts, suddenly someone jumped on me from behind making me fall to the ground. I gripped Khushi tightly with my arms around her making a cushion for her. Horrifying thoughts struck me at that moment.

W-wait, who is it? I thought but calmed down after seeing it was my father. But what happened? Why did he suddenly jump on me? I was going to ask him when I saw a spear stuck on the tree right beside us. My mind already calculated what happened.

Wait, someone threw a spear at us?

I quickly turned my head to the direction from where it came from and saw a bunch of soldiers coming right towards us after killing whoever innocent people they encountered in their path.

On our behind, two soldiers were already chasing us. Sweat started pouring throughout my body. There was no chance we were going to win against all of them.

What would happen now? Are we going to die?

Tears started coming out of my eyes. I had lost all hope, but my father stood up and grabbed the spear that was stuck on the tree.

Just then the two soldiers that were chasing us caught-up to us and attacked us from behind. Both used swords as their weapon.

The one on the left slashed with his sword but my father parried his attack with his long spear. At the same time the one on his right, seeing the right chance thrust at him. But with an upper kick with his right foot my father broke the soldier’s sword in half and while the broken part was in mid-air he grabbed it with his right hand, blood coming out of his fingers, and stabbed the head of the one to this left. He then pivoted towards his left with spear on his one hand and pierced the neck of the soldier holding the broken sword.

VISHVA

I am getting exhausted. I barely managed to kill them.

Just when I was taking a deep breath to prepare myself for the upcoming attacks an arrow was shot towards Anant. Wasting no time, I threw the broken blade I was holding to the moving arrow and changed its direction. Suddenly I felt an intense pain throughtout my body.

I was hit by two long arrows. Due to my focus being on Anant I didn’t see it coming. One pierced my left arm making a hole and the other struck my lower left abdomen.

Shit! I was too distracted.

Holding the spear with my injured hand, and the dead body of the soldier beside me with my other hand as a shield, I made my way to Anant. Influencing the wind around me, I threw the dead body to the remaining soldiers and after creating a small tornado as a distraction I grabbed Anant and ran as fast as I could. After seeing a large boulder nearby, I ran to it and took cover.

I was in a bad state. Blood coming out of my right hand from which I grabbed the blade. On my left arm there was a visible small hole, and it was not looking good. Arrow stuck on my left abdomen.In the heat of moment, I forgot there was an arrow still stuck on my left calf which was also bleeding continuously.

All and all I knew I don’t have much time left. Anant was standing in front of me holding his little sister in his arms. Seeing in which state I was in, he tried so hard to hold back his tears but failed to do so.

While breathing heavily I said, “Listen carefully Anant. After going deep into the forest, you will find a river. Follow the path of that river. It would lead you to a small nearby town. There, ask for help. I am sure there will be someone who would help you.”

Perplexed by my words he said, “Wa-wait, what are you saying? W-what about you? Why are you saying as if you are leaving me?

“Anant, I only have few minutes left. I can barely keep myself conscious. My time has come.”

Hearing my heavy words, he began to cry. Seeing him cry made me realise he was just a child. A child who has lost almost everything, and now he was going to lose his father. I couldn’t imagine the pain he must be feeling.

“W-why?” my weeping son said. “First mom and now you… Why do I live then? Why can’t I just die with you?”

His deep words struck me where nothing in this whole world ever could.

“No! Don’t say that! You have a whole future ahead of you. Think of the small life that you are holding in your arms.”

He looked his little sister which seemed to calm him down a bit.

“I… don’t know. I don’t know what to do. Without you and mother, I don’t know what I would do,” he said. I could feel the pain in his voice.

“Find your dharma.”

“Find my dharma?” my son asked confusingly.

“E-every being born in this world have their own d-dharma,”—my voice stuttering due to my injuries— “They h-have their own individual purpose, their own individual duty to fulfill.”

I halted to take a deep breath and then continued.

“F-find your dharma. Find your purpose. Why you have been born in this world. What is your duty. Find them.”

“Have you… found your dharma?” he asked.

“Up until now, I was still finding my purpose in life but I think I have finally found it.”

“What is it?”

“It is to protect you two. My purpose is to sacrifice myself to make sure you two escape from here alive. To make sure you two live.”

He became silent after hearing my words.

I patted my crying daughter. It was a pity that I wouldn’t be able to spend time with her. I wanted to teach her so many things but now…

“Anant, I promised your mother that I would look after both of you but now… I won’t be able to keep it,” hearing my words he knew the time has come.

“I am handing over my responsibility to you. Promise me you would take care of yourself and your sister,” my words again made his eyes flow.

“Y-yes! I promise I would look after both of us and would make sure Khushi grows up to be a kind-hearted girl,” said my crying son.

With a smile I patted his head and said, "You are my pride. I am glad that you were born as my son."

"And I am blessed to have parents like you," he said.

“It is now time. When I scream your name run at once and don’t come back for me, okay?”

He nodded hesitantly.

Before going, I pressed my forehead against his gently and said, “Life is unfair Anant. There will be many times when you will face hardships, when you will be tempted to go down the wrong path but no matter the unfairness how you react matters. Life’s challenges don’t permit the wrong path. This is why anchor your dharma to your yourself. Always walk on the path of righteousness and virtue. Remember these words whenever you fell going astray.”

“Yes dad! I will always remember these words and what you have taught me,” he replied with his teary eyes.

I slowly stood up with the help of my spear and calmed my mind one last time. I closed my eyes to sense the coming soldiers.

One archer on my left… second on my right… and two soldiers in the middle.

“Okay— HERE I COME!”

With as much energy as possible, using wind I dashed forward to the archer on my left. Before he could even shoot me, I threw my spear at him piercing his skull wide open.

At the same time the other archer shot two arrows at me. Due to my injuries, I became sloppy. Barely having the time to react properly, I side-stepped to my left and dodged the first arrow but couldn’t dodge the second one. It struck at my left shoulder joint and at that moment I felt severe pain.

Shit! It dislocated my shoulder.

Enduring the pain, I quickly grabbed the bow of the archer that I just killed and shot at the other archer with all my might. The arrow hit his heart and the man was down.

The remaining two soldiers simultaneously dashed towards me. The one on my front attacked me with his sword and I blocked it with the bow that I was holding but the bow couldn’t withstand his strike and snapped in half. His sword came slicing down and missed me by an inch. At that moment the other one came thrusting his sword on my left. Barely having the time to react, I leaned backwards narrowly missing the sword’s pointy edge that almost stabbed my neck.

After leaning backwards, I grabbed the spear from the ground and parried the next attack on my front. While blocking the attack, without giving the other soldier any chance to attack me again, I conjured a gust of wind at his legs that made him fall to the ground.

At this perfect moment, I pushed back the soldier whom I was blocking few meters away with the help of wind and quickly pierced the head of the fallen one. But before dying he stabbed my right arm. I pulled the sword out of my right arm and threw it at the last remaining soldier. It hit him on the chest instantly killing him.

As soon as the fight ended, I immediately screamed from the top of my lungs, “ANANT RUN!”

Hearing my scream, my son ran as fast as he could. Seeing him run, I realised how tall he has become. Before disappearing from my sight, he looked back one last time with his teary eyes.

I smiled him back and said softly, “I know you can do it this time.”

Just like that he safely left the battlefield.

I didn’t even have the energy to stand and fell to my knees. I looked up at the sky and the sun was beginning to rise.

I closed my eyes and with a smile said to my myself, “It is over. I did it. I have fulfilled my duty. Now… I can go with peace.”

ANANT

I ran as fast as possible, tears not wanting to stop. For the last time I looked back and saw my father smiling at me. He said something which I didn’t understand and just like that he disappeared from my vision. What did he say? Just thinking about it made me cry more.

I cried as loud as my throat would allow me to.

“AAAHHHHH!”

This war—it is because of this war that thousands of families have been killed. It is because of this war that thousands of children like us are now suffering.

This must end. Someone must step up to end this. I recalled all the time that I spent till now. I knew from now on my life will be changed forever. I stopped and looked my sister who was crying, but she stopped when my tears fell on her.