Third Person POV
The swirling vortex that opened before the group felt as though the very fabric of existence was shrinking and shifting in a way that defied human biology. It was not like walking through a door; it was like being inhaled by the universe itself.
Rudra's POV
As Nandi Ji, Ruchika, and I stepped into the shimmering threshold, my equilibrium shattered for a brief moment.
My inner ear screamed as gravity seemed to rotate ninety degrees, but once I regained my balance, I was stunned into absolute silence. I looked around and realised I was standing within a tunnel structure that appeared to be made of solidified dreams.
Its ceiling was adorned with a beautiful aurora of pulsating green and sky blue light, flowing gently across the surface like silk caught in a celestial breeze. The sides and the floor beneath my sneakers did not feel like wood or stone; they felt as though they were made of space itself.
Beneath the translucent surface, I could see distant stars, swirling nebulae, and the cold, silent vacuum of the cosmos. It was as if we were walking on a bridge made of night sky.
"This is the path to the abode of our Devi," Ruchika said calmly, their bark-like skin glowing faintly in the astral light.
"It is only a few steps more. Follow me closely, for the path reacts to the intent of the traveller."
I tried hard to suppress the mountain of curiosity rising in my chest, but it proved impossible. My mind was racing. I was a student of science, a reader of novels, and a devotee, and all three parts of me were screaming for information. I finally spoke, my voice echoing strangely in the star-filled tunnel.
"Ms Spirit," I asked hesitantly,
"Could you tell me more about the Devi I am about to meet? I do not wish to arrive without understanding and make a fool of myself. I want to know more about the Devi of this magnificent and mystical forest. Who are they truly?"
It was as if Ruchika had been waiting for that exact question. They stopped walking for a moment, turning to look at me with eyes that held the wisdom of a thousand autumns. They began to speak with a level of reverence and fervour that made the very walls of the tunnel vibrate.
"Yes, of course, let me tell you about my Goddess," Ruchika began, their voice taking on a melodic quality.
"How do I even start to describe the Source?... Hmm... You could say they are known to be responsible for every bountiful harvest this forest has ever seen. Every grain of food consumed by the millions of residents here comes directly from their grace. They ensure that no being within their domain, from the smallest ant to the largest eleven-tailed fox, remains without shelter or an empty stomach."
Ruchika continued as we resumed our walk, the stars beneath us swirling faster.
"They are never seen by the physical eye, only heard by the heart. Their voice is like the collective whisper of nature itself, mingled with the morning songs of birds and the rustle of the ancient cedars. They are also a beautiful dancer. It is said by the elders of this realm that the wind flowing through the trees moves only to the rhythm of their dance. The atmosphere is their stage."
They spoke on, their voice steady and respectful, painting a picture of a deity that was one with the ecosystem.
"When storms rage through the forest, and the sky turns black, it is because they are dancing in a divine anger. When spring arrives and the first blossoms open, it is because they are lost in a trance of joy, dancing to a melody so sweet it lingers in the air long after the music fades. The rains that quench the earth and the floods that reshape the banks are born from their sorrow, carried by the sad, haunting music of their bells and anklets. Even the droughts come when the forest mourns, expressing the agonising pain of their temporary absence."
Ruchika gestured gently toward the aurora ceiling above us.
"It is the sound of their bells and anklets that gives the forest its beauty. It is their blessing that makes the soil fertile and the water sweet. They are the Devi of all forests and all animals. They are called Devi Aranyani."
Hearing this introduction, I was astonished to my very core. I searched my memory, scouring every religious text and story I had ever heard in my village or read in college. I could not recall ever hearing the name of this Devi before.
I had never worshipped Them, and that sudden realisation troubled me deeply. How could a Devi, who fed and protected an entire mystical dimension and forest of Earth, have been forgotten, or was it just me?
The forest itself was vast beyond my imagination, and its inhabitants were surely countless, and maybe tribal people who live in those forests still worship her up to date. And it's just city developers who have forgotten about her grace.
Lost in these swirling thoughts, I did not realise how quickly we were nearing the end of the spatial passage. The stars beneath my feet began to brighten, turning from a deep midnight blue to a brilliant, blinding gold.
As the exit of the tunnel came into view, a cold, sharp whisper brushed against my right ear. It did not sound like Ruchika or Nandi Ji. It sounded like a voice from a dream I had forgotten.
"So, this was our first meeting you spoke of, hmm... I see now where it all begins. Just as you said, sometime in the past... or should I say the future. Beginning is merely a matter of perception. What one sees as a beginning may be something entirely different to another."
The words were fragmented, paradoxical, and deeply confusing.
They felt like a riddle wrapped in a memory that had not happened yet. My blood turned to ice.
Did the voice just say, "first meeting"? Did it imply that I had already spoken to them? But no, they talked about the first meeting? So this is definitely our first meeting, but how could I tell them about our first meeting when this is surely our first meeting? Sigh, what am I even thinking... Am I out of my mind? I shook my head to clear these jumbled thoughts. Maybe I just heard it wrong, or maybe there wasn't anything to hear at all.
To check if I was hallucinating,
I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I turned toward Nandi Ji and Ruchika, my eyes wide, trying to find any sign of a reaction on their faces. I expected them to be on guard, or at least to have heard the strange, prophetic voice.
There was none.
Nandi Ji continued walking with their steady, rhythmic pace, the golden bell on their ankle chiming normally. Ruchika was still looking ahead toward the light of the exit. It was as if they had heard nothing at all. The silence of the tunnel was absolute, save for the sound of our own footsteps.
Unease crept into my thoughts, thick and suffocating. Perhaps I had finally snapped. Perhaps the spatial collapse had damaged my mind, and I was starting to imagine voices. Perhaps it was only in my head, a side effect of all that has happened to me, or maybe it's the divine energy of Kailash interacting with my mortal brain.
And yet, a lingering doubt remained, sharp as a needle. The voice had felt real. It had felt external. Was it a message? Or was the Forest of the Forgotten already starting to play with my sense of time?
Before I could spiral further into panic, the light at the end of the tunnel expanded, swallowing us whole.
After the light dims somewhat, I found myself looking at the massive door covered with carvings of forest and wild animals and birds.
The handles of the door were as if dragons coiled.
The doorknob was as if a ring in the mouth of a lion.
The air here was different. It tasted of ancient honey and ozone.
There was no gold on it, no marble, and no jewels. Yet, the power radiating from that simple door was so immense that I felt the urge to prostrate myself before I even saw what was inside.
Nandi Ji stepped forward, their massive chest heaving with a deep, respectful breath.
"We have arrived," Nandi Ji said, their voice hushed.
"They are waiting for you, child. Do not let your fear speak for you. Speak from the soul that Mahadev has seen."
I looked at the door, the mysterious whisper still echoing in the back of my mind.
I realised then that beyond this door lies the abode of the supreme deity. I was excited as well as somewhat anxious to meet them. Who were they? Were they the same person whose voice I just heard in my head just now?
Ruchika moved to the side. "Let's go," They whispered. "Let's not keep Devi Aranyani waiting, when it was then who asked for our presence."
I took a trembling step forward, took a deep breath and prepared myself for the meeting, my hand reaching for the vine-covered door. My life as a student was gone. My life as a witness was beginning.
Rudra doesn't know that the one he is going to make will be the one who will set the foundation for his incoming journey.