Excerpt from the novel 'The Raavan Key (Drumatulya Trilogy Book 1)'
Excerpt from the novel 'The Raavan Key (Drumatulya Trilogy Book 1)'
“I am Raavan, the mightiest demon king…”
2019, Bareilly - A rich NRI businessman goes missing mysteriously. The detective found a clue in his diary and named it, The Raavan Key.
5135 BCE, Golden City of Lanka - Raavan, the mighty demon king, came to know of a chilling secret about his half-brother Kubera. Enraged by the revelation he fiercely attacked Drumatulya city.
1972, Thar Desert, Jaisalmer - An archaeology team was searching for the lost city of Drumatulya, which existed during the Ramayana era. They couldn't believe their eyes when weird events unfolded one after another.
2018, Antwerp, Europe - The overlord of Europe’s most dreaded crime syndicate received a phone call from a mysterious man.
What was the terrifying secret of Kubera that enraged Raavan? What connects the missing NRI businessman to the lost city of Drumatulya? What was the horrific mystery of Drumatulya city? Read on to witness the epic story of Love and Betrayal, Gods and Demons, Deceit and Violence.
PRAISE FOR DRUMATULYA TRILOGY
“The integration of
mythology and the present-day story is fantabulous.” - Nishtha Bajpai, Blogger
“A fast-paced thriller.” - Susan, Content Writer
“Phenomenal narration of
mythological fiction with a mix of mystery.”
- Sameeksha Manerkar, Graphic Designer
“Pravin Agarwal is a
master storyteller.” - Dailyhunt
“This novel has all of it
– mythology, legendary, thriller, mystery, suspense and love.” - Sharimila, Tech Writer
“A mind-blowing
combination of mythology, mystery, thriller and suspense.” - Hiba Khan, Author
INTRODUCTION
27th January 2019,
Bareilly
Kartik, a rich NRI businessman, arrived in
Bareilly, India from the USA along with his wife and children. He had come to
attend the wedding of his niece Indu, the daughter of his cousin, Harish
bhaisaab. Everything went fine for the first two days. On the day of the
wedding, he went to visit the Pashupati Nath temple in the morning but didn’t
return. He went missing mysteriously.
Harish bhaisaab hired detective Ajay – the
best detective in Bareilly – to solve the case, as Inspector Rana suspected the
involvement of the most dreaded crime syndicate of Europe in the disappearance.
Upon investigation, Ajay found Kartik’s diary. He knew that it was an important
clue, as Kartik was writing in it for a month just before he went missing under
strange circumstances.
As expected, Ajay found valuable
information in the diary. His sixth sense told him that the information could
prove to be the missing key to unlock the mystery behind Kartik’s sudden
disappearance. He named it, ‘The Raavan Key’, feeling thrilled to investigate
the case which had a connection to the Ramayana era of the Treta
Yuga.
11th August 1972, Thar
desert, Jaisalmer
A group of five students went on a
research trip along with Professor Saini. Four of them were archaeology
students at the Banaras Hindu University. The fifth one was Shivam, who was
studying engineering at the Government Engineering College of Banaras.
Professor Saini was the Head of the Archaeology Department. They visited many
historical places across India.
Their last stop was an old fort in the
outskirts of Jaisalmer city. Upon reaching the fort, Shivam had a strong
intuition that everything was not right that day. He could sense that someone
was following them ever since they had arrived in the Jaisalmer city, and was
keeping an eye on them. To add to his suspicion, Professor Saini had told them
about the lost city of Drumatulya, which existed during the Ramayana era.
Shivam was confident that Professor Saini
was hiding something crucial from them. While they were discussing the details
about the lost ancient city, a mysterious man appeared at the old fort. He was
tall and well-built. His piercing eyes were oozing a mystic vibe. He told them
that without his guidance, they will not be able to reach the lost ancient
city. He offered his help in reaching the city. Professor Saini readily agreed
to the mysterious man’s proposal. The rest of the team also got ready, despite
Shivam’s objection. Finally, Shivam gave up, too, and they all left in the
search of the lost city of Drumatulya.
PROLOGUE
22nd January 2019, On board Qatar Airways
flight 6E766 JFK–DEL
“How are you finding it?” A familiar voice asked
Shreya.
She looked up from the diary to find the owner of
the voice; it was Kartik. She had been so engrossed in reading that her mind
had failed to recognize the voice she had heard the most in her life.
“Hey, you woke up?” she asked. “It’s amazing, I
loved whatever I read until now.”
Kartik winked at Shreya in glee and smiled. “Thank
you! So glad that you liked it...”
Shreya smiled back at Kartik. “You’re most welcome, Patidev,”
she said, her voice exuberant.
“I have to pee. I’m going to the washroom,” Kartik
stated and left for the toilet. Shreya’s eyes followed him. Just as he went in,
she noticed an old lady at the far end of the aeroplane cabin staring at the
closed door of the men’s washroom. A few seconds passed, but the old lady was
still staring unblinkingly at the door. There was a weird expression of horror
on her face as if she had seen a ghost. An eerie feeling gripped Shreya’s
heart.
The old lady was looking at the door and mumbling
something as if she was talking to it. ‘Kartiiik...’ Shreya heard the name that
escaped the old lady’s lips from so many seats away, but she was not sure at
first. ‘Kartik,’ the old lady whispered again, this time more clearly. With a
mild jerk, she turned to look at Shreya and held Shreya’s gaze. The old lady
was wearing a modish blue saree with sophisticated pearl earrings and a
necklace. With her elegant attire, she looked like a senior bureaucratic
officer. There was a glint of intense fear in her eyes.
The old lady was terrified, as she had no doubt that
Kartik was moving towards a horrendous conspiracy that was about to unfold in
his life. She knew a ghastly secret that only a few people knew in the whole
world. She wondered why Shivam, Kartik's father, didn't divulge the chilling
details about the lost city of Drumatulya to him. She was worried for Kartik's
safety, but to Shreya, her eyes appeared eerie.
Shreya’s heart thumped, and she looked away in
panic. Her forehead was sweaty and had palpitations of fear. ‘What is taking
Kartik so much time?’ She wondered, feeling scared. Time passed slowly for
her.
“Hey?”
“Huh?”
“Where are you lost?” Kartik asked as he took his
seat. Shreya breathed easy to see he had returned. Both
Shreya and Kartik were oblivious to the deadly trap that was awaiting them in
India.
Chapter 1
The Lost City of Drumatulya
Let
me start at the very beginning… even before I was born. My father was Sage Vishrava,
who was married to Ilavida, the granddaughter of Devguru Brihaspati. They both
had a son Kubera. My father then met my mother, Kaikesi and fell in love with
her. My mother was a demon princess, the daughter of the demon chieftain,
Sumali. Soon my father married my mother and I was born, followed by
Kumbhkarna, Vibhishana, and Surpanakha. My stepbrother, Kubera, inherited the
golden city of Lanka from my father, Sage Vishrava. My mother was enraged at
Kubera becoming the ruler of Lanka. She provoked me viciously to snatch away
the throne of Lanka from Kubera. My brothers and I did severe penance to Lord
Brahma and on receiving boons from him attacked Lanka fiercely. I defeated
Kubera and became the king of Lanka. I am Raavan, the mightiest demon king.
11th
August 1972, Thar desert, Jaisalmer
“I
love you,” Shivam said passionately and took Vedika in his strong arms.
She
didn’t flinch. Instead, she kept starring into his eyes lovingly.
He
felt completely arrested by her magnetic gaze and delightfully breathed in her
familiar scent. She was exquisitely beautiful, and to him, she looked no less
than a celestial nymph. He felt a rush of testosterone as her delicate curls
tickled his face. No doubt she looked every bit like an apsara. He felt as if
all the wires in his brain had messed up, resulting in short circuits and tiny
explosions of euphoria in every part of his brain. His lips were desperate to
experience the ecstasy and were only a few centimetres away from the ultimate
bliss.
“I
love you too, Shivam,” Vedika replied and lightly grazed her lips over his,
causing a little spark of static that travelled down his spine even as he
craved for the impassioned ritual to moved towards its gratifying
conclusion.
The
kiss was a lingering one and resulted in thousand chemical reactions in
Shivam’s body. ‘Even if we have done hundreds of chemical experiments in the
school chemistry lab, we actually learn the real meaning of chemical reaction
when we experience the heavenly moments like this,’ he thought.
Vedika
looked through the corner of her eyes to ensure that no one was watching them.
The secluded room in the ruined fort in the vast Thar desert was giving a scary
vibe rather than adding to the romantic moment. It was almost dark by then and
the temperature in the desert had dropped drastically. Her hair blew slightly
as a gust of cold air rushed inside through an open window of the room. She
felt the warmth of Shivam soothing. She could smell a faint scent of flowers
pervading in the air and was unsure if it was actually there or just her
imagination. The possibility of flowers blooming in the desert was remote.
“Shivam,
it’s not safe doing all these things here,” Vedika said and withdrew
hesitantly. “Anyone could see us like this.”
“Come
on, Vedika, there is no one in this ruined fort except our team,” Shivam
reasoned, staring at her beautiful eyes. “Professor Saini and the others are
busy doing arrangements for the bonfire and dinner.”
Vedika
smiled feebly. “And, instead of helping them, we are busy making out in this
scary room.”
“Scary?”
Shivam exclaimed and shook his head in disapproval. “Who says it is scary?
Imagine it in its past glory days! Surely it must be a palace of a King, where
he would have lived with his beautiful Queen. This room must be their private
chamber where they used to make love. Imagine it to be an opulent room,
decorated richly with fresh flowers… a delightful fragrance of lavender is
emerging from every corner. The royal musician is playing a melodious romantic
Raag on the sitar in the background. Imagine the King, who is completely
intoxicated by the celestial beauty of the Queen, just like I am completely
mesmerized by your divine allure.”
“Haha…”
Vedika laughed and ruffled Shivam’s hair. “Now don’t tell me to imagine that you
are Saleem and I am Anarkali… and today is our special night.”
“Exactly…
Pyaar kiya to darna kiya…” Shivam said, trying hard to suppress a smile.
“Let’s tell the world today that we love each other passionately. And why fear
anyone when we aren’t doing anything wrong? It’s quite normal… what else you
could expect from two lovers who are madly in love with each other? I love you…
you love me... let’s surrender to this magical moment and become one forever,”
he tried to coax her.
“Shut
up, Shivam! You and your imaginations are awesome… but your tricks will
definitely not work on me,” Vedika frowned. “Also, ever since the ‘Mughal E
Azam’ movie was released, every second guy thinks himself as Prince Salim
and his girlfriend as Anarkali.”
“Okay,
not Prince Salim! But then, there is a possibility that I am of some royal
descent. If you remember, the priest at the Shiva temple told me a few days ago
that I belong to a great lineage,” Shivam reminded her.
“Yeah,
I remember, but seriously… do you really believe in all this, Mr. Shivam
Kapoor?” Vedika asked in a dramatic voice and raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
“The saints, magic, palm reading, future prediction, and superstitions like
these…”
“Actually,
no,” Shivam lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “I don’t have faith in any of
these superstitions. I believe one should only trust his hard work and good
deeds.” He paused to take a deep breath and then continued. “But that saint was
different, there was a godlike shine in his sparkling eyes. I didn’t want to
trust him, but my instinct refused to obey. Somewhere deep inside my heart, I
could feel that there was truth in whatever he told me… it might be a
possibility that I belong to some great lineage.”
Vedika
chuckled and ran her fingers through Shivam’s hair, “Hey, you got serious! I
was just joking and didn’t mean anything by it at all. I am sure whatever the
saint told about you is true and that you definitely belong to a royal linage.
Even I had felt a touch of divinity in the saint’s eyes that day. There was
honesty in his voice. I knew from the start that there is something special in
you and that’s why I fell for you instantaneously when I first met you at the
inter-college cultural fest.”
Vedika
Joshi was an Archaeology student at Banaras Hindu University, while Shivam
Kapoor was a Mechanical Engineering student at a nearby Government Engineering
college. They had both met at an inter-college cultural fest and fallen for
each other instantaneously. Shivam was good-looking, charming, considerate, and
belonged to a wealthy Kapoor family from Bareilly. Although rich, Shivam
believed in simple living and high thinking. Vedika, on the other hand, was the
dazzling swan, the star of Banaras Hindu University. She was the winner of the
Miss Fresher title and looked like a fashion model straight out of Vogue. Many
eyebrows were raised, and countless hearts were broken when the Vedika-Shivam
affair became the talk of the town. People found it hard to believe that Vedika
Joshi, the most beautiful girl in Banaras Hindu University, had fallen head
over heels in love with a simple guy like Shivam.
Boys
somehow digested the sad news considering Shivam's wealthy background. “Girls
are rarely left with any moral values or ethics these days. Like a whore they
only look for money. We are pure gold… good looking, intelligent... but who
cares, when wealthy guys like Shivam Kapoor are present in this world to blow
their wealth on them?” One frustrated boy told his equally frustrated
friends.
Every
lovestruck boy of Banaras Hindu University blamed their financial status for
not being able to woo Vedika Joshi. But they were completely unaware that there
was much more to Shivam and Vedika's love story than what met their eyes. There
was a terrible hidden secret, and no one knew anything about it.
Shivam
ran his hand through his hair, “It was love at the first sight for me as well.
I felt completely arrested by your allure the moment I saw you at the debate
competition. You were speaking like an expert debater; it was hard for me to
decide whether to admire your flawless beauty or to listen to your superb
speech.”
“Thank
you, Shivam!” Vedika smiled delicately, her cheeks turned pink as she blushed.
“But it’s not fair that instead of focussing on the debate competition you were
more interested in my beauty.”
“Hmm…
I admit that I should have focused on your debating skills rather than your
looks. But it's not completely my fault. You were looking so beautiful that
even your nerdy debate opponent paused for a few seconds to take in your
stunning, model-like looks.”
“Haha…
that’s cute! You even noticed my opponent,” Vedika said, laughing.
“Yes,
I was completely mesmerized by you. The way you defended the opponent with
seamless poise and logic was amazing. You performed superbly and won not only
the debate competition but my heart as well.”
“You
are so sweet, Shivam,” Vedika adored. “But really, I don’t think this place is
safe. I am not getting positive vibes here in this old fort. I am having a
strong feeling that someone is following us, and we are under constant watch.
We girls can easily know if someone is looking at us, even from behind. Our
sixth sense warns us immediately of any danger as we remain alert most of the
time.”
“I
think you are correct. Even I felt that way when we left for this old fort from
the Jaisalmer railway station. On the way, I had a feeling that someone is
following us. At that time, I didn't take it seriously, as I thought that I am
getting suspicious unnecessarily. But now when you are also having a similar
intuition, I am hundred percent sure that someone is following us ever since we
arrived in Jaisalmer,” Shivam nodded and looked around. There was no one except
an eerie silence in the room.
“Exactly,”
Vedika nodded in agreement. “I think it has something to do with the Jaisalmer
city or probably with this old fort. But what?”
“I
don’t know… I am even not sure why Professor Saini has brought our team to this
ruined fort as I don’t think this fort is having any historical significance.
It would have been much better if we had stayed in the Jaisalmer city itself.
From Jaisalmer fort to Patwon Ki Haveli, there are a lot of interesting places
to explore,” Shivam said and let out a sigh.
Vedika
narrowed her eyes at Shivam. “For your information, we are not on a holiday
trip around India. It's a crucial research tour. Till now our archaeology team
hasn’t found anything substantial to show in our final-semester project. All
our hopes now rest on this place, as it is the final destination of our trip,”
she said and raised her hand delicately to tuck a lock of her hair behind her
ear. There was a glint of mischief in her deep, dark eyes.
Shivam
felt like kissing Vedika but he controlled his urge. “Hmm… don’t worry, I am
sure that you people will definitely get something worthwhile in this place.
Professor Saini is an eminent Archaeologist and if he has brought us to this
old fort then it must be having significant historical importance.”
“Finger
crossed, let’s see if we will be able to find something here. I know you are
not much interested in exploring ancient places of historical importance as you
are not an Archaeology student like us. Many times, I felt that I was a little
selfish to ask you to join us on this research trip,” Vedika said, with a hint
of guilt in her voice.
“Of
course not,” Shivam shook his head and looked lovingly at Vedika’s eyes. “I
mean, it’s true, that not being an Archaeologist, I am not much interested in
exploring ancient places. But I joined this trip because I love you so much. We
met a couple of months back, but it feels like I know you since time
immemorial. I enjoyed every bit of this trip as you are with me. I look forward
to being a part of all your research trips and…”
“And?”
Vedika prompted, her voice thrilled.
“And
your life…” Shivam said and looked expectantly into Vedika's eyes. “I want to
marry you, Vedika. My engineering is almost complete, the final semester is in
progress. I have received a good job offer from a prestigious company,
Hindustan Lever Limited. Once I join the company, I will reveal to my parents
about us. Will you marry me?”
Tiny
tears appeared in Vedika’s eyes. “I am so happy, Shivam… glad that you are
serious about our relationship,” she said and paused when she heard a faint
sound of footsteps. “I think someone is coming towards our room, I can hear the
feeble sound of footsteps.”
“Yes,
even I can hear it,” Shivam nodded warily and looked through the corner of his
eyes towards the direction of the sound. His ears instantaneously came to the
alert mode to listen intently. The sound of footsteps was feeble initially, but
the intensity was increasing with every passing second.
“Ah…
so, the love birds are here! And I was searching for you people all over the
fort,” Ravi said as he entered the chamber. “Professor Saini is asking everyone
to gather in the ground. The arrangements for the dinner and the bonfire are
completed…”
Shivam
crossed his arms over his chest in disappointment. ‘Why do people make an entry
at the wrong moment?’ He thought, feeling irked. Somehow, he had mustered up
the courage and proposed Vedika for marriage, but before she could say yes,
Ravi had arrived and ruined everything.
Vedika
blushed with embarrassment. “We were just exploring this place, it’s pretty
cool,” she said and forced a smile on her lips. “Let’s move to the ground…”
Shivam
looked at Ravi in dismay. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said half-heartedly and let out
a silent sigh. They all left for the ground.
Ravi
was Vedika’s classmate and a self-proclaimed love guru. If any boy needed
information about any of the girls at the Banaras Hindu University, he was the
contact person. The irony of his life was that he was single himself and ready
to mingle. He had a secret crush on Richa, another Archaeology student and
Vedika’s best friend. Richa was the granddaughter of Pandit Jagannath, the
renowned Vedic astrologer in India. There were rumours that the prime minister
of India, Indira Gandhi, had also sought the consultation of Pandit Jagannath.
Richa was studious, fun-loving, and an intellectual girl. Vedika and Richa were
not only best friends but also roommates in the hostel. There was nothing that
Vedika or Richa didn’t know about each other. Vedika knew that Richa likes
Pratham, who was another Archaeology student studying with them. Pratham was a
poet by heart. With a scruffy beard and uncombed hair, he looked more like a
philosopher than a student. Some girls found this breed of guys attractive as
they have an aura of confidence and exude a who-gives-a-damn attitude. Richa
was one of them.
As
Shivam, Vedika, and Ravi reached the open ground, they found Professor Saini,
Pratham, and Richa already settled around the bonfire and waiting for them to
join the dinner. Shivam, Vedika, and Ravi also sat down adjacent to them.
Professor
Saini was one of the most popular and mysterious personalities in the history
of Banaras Hindu University. He was six feet tall, lean, and had a muscular
frame. He had a strong jawline and a light brown complexion. He was tall, dark,
handsome and had a commanding presence. He looked more like an army officer
than a professor. It was no secret that most of the girls at Banaras Hindu
University had a secret crush on him. Professor Saini didn’t pay much attention
to his grooming, but his two-day stubble only seemed to enhance his sex appeal
to the starry-eyed young girls, who would hog the front rows at his lectures.
There were numerous stories surrounding him ever since he joined the University
one year back. Some girls believed that he was an ex-army officer, who had left
the army early after a nasty fight with a senior commander. Some others
believed that he was actually a RAW officer on a secret mission. Whereas some
other girls believed that he was an ex-supermodel from Pakistan. There were
many more interesting stories surrounding Professor Saini, but no one knew
which one was true. Professor Saini never cared to confirm any of the
mysterious stories surrounding him nor did he give any clue to anyone regarding
the same. Everyone at Banaras Hindu University knew very well that Professor
Saini was neither a person to take lightly nor someone with whom you could talk
casually. Once, a group of errant boys tried passing lewd comments at Vedika,
when he bashed them single-handedly. Ever since then, he became the hero in the
eyes of every girl at the Banaras Hindu University.
“A
very good evening to all,” Professor Saini addressed everyone in his
commendable voice. “It’s the last destination of our trip and I am sure that
every one of you must be eager to know why I have brought you to this old fort
located miles away from the actual city of Jaisalmer.”
“Yes,
sir! We are curious to know it, but we are confident that if you have chosen
this place then it must be having some remarkable historical significance,”
Ravi said. Pratham, Richa, and Vedika nodded and looked with rapt attention at
Professor Saini. Shivam ignored Professor Saini because he didn't like him
much. Most of the time he didn't pay heed to the professor either. Vedika's
soft corner for Professor Saini made Shivam insecure and jealous of him.
“Thank
you, Ravi,” Professor Saini said with a smile. “Yes, this place has great
historical importance. But before I share the complete details about it, let’s
have dinner first.”
“That’s
a good idea, sir!” Pratham said excitedly. He was feeling hungry and waiting
eagerly for the dinner to start. He felt a little embarrassed as everyone
looked at him. “I am sure everyone must be feeling hungry by now,” he continued
and smiled shyly.
A
smile formed on Professor Saini’s face as he got up and walked up to the raised
platform where the food was placed. Pratham, Ravi, and Richa had cooked the
food and arranged it there neatly sometime back. Everyone followed Professor
Saini. They picked up the plates, put rice, yellow daal, and cooked brinjal on
it, and returned to their respective places around the bonfire.
“Let’s
continue our discussion from where we had left it,” Professor Saini said as
everyone finished the dinner.
“Sure,
sir,” Vedika said cheerfully. “We are eager to know the historical importance
of this place.”
Professor
Saini glanced at everyone. “Well, this place takes us back in time as early as
Treta Yuga. During the Ramayana era, this place was not a desert. There existed
a small but highly affluent city known as Drumatulya,” he revealed.
Richa’s
eyebrows shot up in astonishment. “Drumatulya city, that existed during the
Ramayana era… that sounds interesting,” she said, her voice excited.
Professor
Saini nodded, “Yes, it’s indeed enthralling, as a lot of mysteries surround
this place. The city of Drumatulya was famous during the Ramayana era, and the
mighty demon king of Lanka, Raavan, had attacked it.”
Pratham’s
eyes widened. “Wow! It looks like we are in the most exciting phase of our
trip,” he exclaimed and then asked, “but if it’s true that the history of this
place is linked to the Ramayana era and that the mighty demon king Raavan
himself attacked it… then what’s the whole story?”
“Yes,
even I am eager to know the complete details, as I have never heard anything of
this sort before,” Richa said with a nod.
“It’s
a long story and most people know it in bits and pieces. But the whole story,
no one knows. Let’s start with the central character of the story first, if
anyone knows anything about Lord Kubera?” Professor Saini questioned and looked
at them all inquisitively.
“Yes
sir, Lord Kubera is the God of wealth, most of the people in India worship him
with Goddess Lakshmi for wealth and success, especially during the festival of
Diwali,” Pratham responded.
“Very
good, Pratham,” Professor Saini appreciated. “It’s correct that Kubera is the
God of wealth and people worship him to get wealth and success. But not many
know that he was the stepbrother of Lanka’s mighty demon King Raavan.”
“Yes,
I remember now! I had read somewhere that initially, Kubera was the ruler of
Lanka, but later Raavan became the king,” Richa said, rubbing her hands
together to keep herself warm.
“That’s
true!” Professor Saini confirmed. “The story had started with Sage Vishrava,
who was the father of both Raavan and Kubera. Sage Vishrava had two wives.
First, he had married Ilavida, the granddaughter of Devguru Brihaspati. Kubera
was the son of Vishrava and Ilavida. Then, he fell in love with the demon
princess, Kaikasi. She was the daughter of the demon chieftain Sumali. Soon
Sage Vishrava and Kaikasi got married. After some time Kaikasi gave birth to
Raavan, Kumbhkarna, Vibhishana, and Surpanakha. Kubera had inherited the Golden
city of Lanka from his father, Sage Vishrava, and he became the king of Lanka.
Kaikasi was not happy with Kubera becoming the king of Lanka and thus provoked
her son Raavan to attack Lanka. Raavan did severe penance to Lord Brahma and on
receiving boons from him, attacked Lanka fiercely. Kubera had already
anticipated it and was prepared for the adverse situation. When Raavan
overthrew him from the throne of the Golden city of Lanka, he fled to the
Drumatulya city in the Pushpaka Vimana, and settled down there.”
“Sir,
I have one question!’ Ravi said, leaning forward. “As per what I know, the
Golden city of Lanka was given to Raavan by Lord Shiva?”
Professor
Saini’s face turned more thoughtful. “Hmm, there are many stories around it.
The most acceptable one is that the golden city of Lanka was created by
Vishwakarma for Lord Shiva when he got married to Goddess Parvati. But Lord
Shiva was reluctant to live in such an affluent place and thus he gave it to
Rishi Vishrava, the grandson of Lord Brahma. Later Kubera inherited Lanka from
his father,” he replied.
“But
what happened after that?” Vedika asked, adjusting her long hair that ended in
countless ringlets. “As far as I know, Raavan was the owner of the Pushpaka
Vimana in the story of the Ramayana…”
“Yes,
that’s a good question. The story doesn’t end there. A close friend of Kubera
betrayed him and revealed a terrible secret about him to Raavan. He also told
Raavan that Kubera had fled to the affluent city of the Drumatulya and settled
down there. On knowing the chilling secret of Kubera, Raavan became furious. He
attacked Drumatulya city and conquered it. Raavan also captured the Pushpaka
Vimana. Kubera was once again defeated by Raavan and had fled to Alkapuri, a
city in the valley of Mount Kailash. There he did severe penance to appease
Lord Shiva and as a boon from him, became the treasurer of the Devtas. Raavan
made his son Trishira the king of Drumatulya and returned to Lanka in Pushpaka
Vimana,” Professor Saini narrated the complete story; there was an esurient
shine in his eyes.
“Sir,
but what was the terrible secret of Kubera, knowing which Raavan became so
furious?” Vedika asked curiously and raised her chin. “And who was that close
friend of Kubera who had betrayed him?”
Professor
Saini inhaled deeply. “The answer to these questions… even I don’t know. There
is no mention of it in any of the ancient scriptures. The little details that I
shared with you are what I have collected after doing extensive research on
Kubera and the mysterious lost city of Drumatulya,” he replied.
“Sir,
I have one more question. Can I ask?” Vedika requested hesitantly and
delicately tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Yes,
please ask,” Professor Saini said, nodding his head.
“From
what I know, the vast Thar desert was created by Lord Ram when he had prayed to
the mighty ocean deity so that the ocean water subsides and paves way for him
and his army to march on towards Lanka. When the ocean deity didn't pay any
heed to Ram’s prayers, he summoned one of his divine weapons to dry up the
ocean. Frightened, the ocean deity immediately presented himself before Ram and
pleaded for mercy. He presented an idea to solve Ram’s problem and requested
Ram to release the divine weapon towards his north. Lord Ram accepted his
request and released the weapon. The powerful weapon hit this region, resulting
in the creation of the Thar Desert," Vedika narrated the incident from the
Sundar Kanda of Ramayana.
“Very
good, Vedika! Your knowledge of history is praiseworthy! I am impressed,”
Professor Saini appreciated and gave a thumbs up to Vedika. “What you mentioned
is perfectly correct. Ram had created this Thar desert. When the city of
Drumatulya had come under demon king Raavan's possession, it became the abode
of the demons. And thus, the ocean deity requested Lord Ram to release his
divine weapon here to get rid of the demons.”
Shivam
didn’t like it when Professor Saini praised Vedika. Moreover, he had a strong
intuition that everything was not right that day. He could easily sense that
someone was following them ever since they had arrived in Jaisalmer and was
keeping an eye on them. Further, the discussion of the lost city of Drumatulya,
which used to exist during the Ramayana era, added to his suspicion. He was
confident that Professor Saini was hiding something crucial from them.
“Thank
you, Sir,” Vedika said gleefully, her lips widening into a beautiful smile. It
was the breath-taking smile that every boy of Banaras Hindu University was mad
about.
Pratham
rubbed his forehead. “But sir, how you can say it so confidently that the
remains of the lost city of Drumatulya lay hidden in this vast Thar desert?
It’s hard to believe that the lost city of Drumatulya that used to exist
thousands of years back during Treta Yuga is buried here. Moreover, I have
never heard the story that you just narrated to us,” he reasoned.
“The
lost city of Drumatulya is buried in this area of the Thar desert and I am
fully confident about it. Many ancient scriptures confirm this point. The
incident related to the creation of the Thar desert is even mentioned in the
Sundar Kanda of Ramayana,” Professor Saini replied, his voice poised.
“It
might also be a possibility that this is just a tale of fiction and there never
existed any ancient city in this area! It might also be the case that we are
just wasting our time in this ruined fort situated far away from the actual
city,” Shivam said, scratching his nose. He loves playing the devil’s advocate.
He enjoyed irritating Professor Saini whenever he got a chance. Professor Saini
was the villain of his cute love story. Vedika's admiration towards Professor
Saini was the main reason behind Shivam's jealousy.
Professor
Saini lost his cool. “Because…” he began in an aggravated voice but realized
that in a fit of anger he was about to speak something that was not to be
revealed at any cost. He took a deep breath and continued in a calm voice,
“Because, in the year 1942, the Britishers had accidentally discovered the
remains of the lost city of Drumatulya when they were digging for the
construction of railway track in this area. Fortunately, the father of one of
my good friends was part of the Archaeology team which studied the remains
found in the digging. He secretly took away a brass container to his home as he
had a hobby of collecting antique artefacts. An ancient map lay sealed inside
that container, which even he was unaware of. Many years later, I visited my
friend’s house and my eyes fell on that antique brass container lying as a
showpiece in one of the glass almirahs in his house. I was instantly attracted
to it and knew that it’s not any ordinary artefact. I requested my friend’s
father if I could take it with me for a day or two. Initially, he was
reluctant, but finally, he gave it to me for a few days in exchange for a
bottle of imported Italian red wine. Back at home, I studied the ancient brass
container ardently. I found out the secret seal and broke it. There lay an
ancient map hidden inside. I took it out and sealed the container. I then
returned the container to my friend’s father. It took me many years to decode
the ancient map and finally, I realised that this was the map of the lost city
of Drumatulya.”
“But
Sir, I never heard of it and as far as I know, there is no mention of it
anywhere in the history books. It was a big discovery and if it had actually
happened, then there must be a mention of it at least somewhere,” Richa argued.
Professor
Saini’s forehead creased. “Yes, that’s true! The Britishers were shrewd. They
ruled India by spreading the fact that they are of Aryan origin and Indians
stood much lower to them as a race. If it had been revealed to the Indians that
they actually belong to the royal Aryan civilization, it could have challenged
their existence in India. And thus, they never let the news come out in public,
and destroyed all the evidence,” he answered.
“Oh
okay, it was horrific,” Richa said and folded her arms.
“Sir,
can we see the map of the lost ancient city of Drumatulya that you had found at
your friend’s home?” Pratham requested, looking keenly at Professor Saini.
“Yeah,
sure,” Professor Saini said and took out an old map from the inner pocket of
his jacket. He handed it to Pratham, “This is the map of the lost city of
Drumatulya.”
Pratham
glanced at the map, but he didn't understand a single symbol in it. He then
handed the map to the rest of the team members, but they also failed to
recognize anything in it. Finally, the map returned to Professor Saini.
“Sir,
we didn’t understand a thing in the map,” Ravi said and adjusted the lapels of
his jacket. “What does it depict?”
“This
map belongs to the Ramayana era, and a normal person can’t understand it. It
took me almost five years to decode it completely. It describes the layout of
the lost ancient city and shows the location of the king’s palace, temples,
markets, and many more important places within the city,” Professor Saini
responded.
Ravi
edged forward, eyes unblinking. “But, sir, in that case, how we will know where
exactly the lost ancient city is buried in this vast desert? The Map you have
is of the city layout and not of the location of the lost ancient city!” he
asked inquisitively.
“Good
question, Ravi,” Professor Saini praised, his eyes glinting with ecstasy. “You
are correct. The map we have is of the city layout and not of the exact
location of the lost ancient city. But fortunately, I know a clue that tells
where exactly the lost ancient city lay buried in this vast Thar desert…”
“What’s
the clue?” Vedika looked at Professor Saini with an unrelenting stare.
“Eight
hundred years back, the king of Jaisalmer, Rawal Jaisal, came to know about the
lost city of Drumatulya that lay buried under the Thar desert. He decided to
unearth the city, but the Royal Priest of Jaisalmer strictly asked him not to
do that. During those times, the Royal Priest of the kingdom used to hold a
high position and even the king couldn’t go against their wish. The Royal
Priest further advised the king to construct a fort at the same location where
once existed the lost ancient city. He suggested that it will greatly enhance the
prosperity of the kingdom. King Rawal Jaisal did as requested and got a fort
constructed at the same place where once existed the lost city of Drumatulya.
The fort was named Suryagarh as Lord Ram had created the Thar desert and he
belongs to the Ikshvaku Clan, or the Solar Dynasty. It is unknown how king
Jaisal had found out the exact location of the lost ancient city. Later,
Alauddin Khilji attacked Jaisalmer in the 13th century and captured the main
Jaisalmer fort. He destroyed the remaining forts in the outskirts of the city
including the Suryagarh fort. At present, only crumbling fort walls exist in
the place of the Suryagarh fort, but it is sufficient to know the exact
location of the lost ancient city,” Professor Saini replied, stretching his
arms wide.
“Sir,
was the fort in which we are currently exploring was also destroyed by
Allauddin Khilji?” Richa asked and look around. By the ruined state of the
fort, it was clear that it was also brutally wrecked by the invaders.
Professor
Saini nodded in approval, “Yes, Allauddin Khilji had targeted this fort as
well.”
Ravi
narrowed his eyes. “Sir, I have one more doubt?” he said.
“Yes,
please ask,” Professor Saini said, stroking his chin.
“It's
almost twenty-five years now since India got its independence,” Ravi stated,
his tone becoming more serious, “but even then, why had no one discovered the
lost ancient city yet?”
“A
very good question,” Professor Saini appreciated. “I was expecting this. There
are many reasons for it. The first and foremost is that not many people know
about the existence of the lost ancient city, as there is not much mention of
it in the ancient scriptures. Further, the Britishers had deliberately
destroyed all the evidence that was found, accidentally, during the digging for
the railway track. They didn't stop there. They went one step ahead and
destroyed any other existing clue as well so that no one gets to know about the
existence of the lost ancient city. They systematically erased every detail
related to the ancient Aryan civilization to deprive us, the Indians, of our
rich linage. They misled us and termed them mythological stories rather than
our history. Even today, when almost twenty-five years have passed since India
gained independence from British rule, certain people don’t want the truth to
come out. They can go to any extent to keep the Indians deprived of their
heritage for their own personal and political agendas. They are hard bent on
not letting it happen…”
Professor
Saini told the story of the Britisher’s wickedness with so much conviction that
for a moment everyone present there felt overwhelmed by a strong feeling of
patriotism.
‘Inquilab
Zindabad! Angrezo Bharat Chhodo…’ Ravi felt an urge to shout out the slogan
but realized that Britishers had already left India in 1947.
Richa’s
blood boiled on hearing about Britisher’s atrocities as if she was the distant
relative of Jhansi ki Rani. “Sir, don’t worry! We will unearth the lost ancient
city and bring the truth of our rich history in front of everyone,” She roared
like a lioness. “But I have a query…”
Professor
Saini nodded his head. “Yes, please ask…”
“Do
you know the way to the Suryagarh fort where the lost city of Drumatulya lay
buried?” Richa enquired.
“No,”
Professor Saini said, shaking his head. “But I have brought a detailed map of
Jaisalmer city with me. The map has the details of the route from here to the
Suryagarh fort.”
“You
people will not be able to reach the Suryagarh fort with the help of a map
alone,” an unknown but confident voice came from some distance and captured the
attention of everyone. Startled, they all looked in the direction of the voice
to figure out its owner. A tall, well-built man appeared from behind a wall. His
piercing eyes were oozing a mystic vibe. Pratham looked at the mysterious man
with rapt attention and felt hypnotized for a second or two.
“Who
are you? And why the hell you were eavesdropping on our private conversation?”
Professor Saini asked, his forehead furrowed and eyes flamed with anger.
“I
am Balvanta. I am a local tourist guide. Ours is a small camel tribe, and we
provide camel rides to the tourists. We also provide other services like a city
tour. We even take the tourists to the places of historical importance that are
situated at some distance from the Jaisalmer city,” the mysterious man
introduced himself politely.
“Oh
okay… but you didn’t answer my second question,” Professor Saini said. His
voice was a little calmer this time. “Why were you eavesdropping on our private
conversation?” he repeated.
“Actually,
no one visits this old fort or comes near it as it is situated many miles away
from the actual city of Jaisalmer, in the middle of the Thar desert. I was
passing by this place when I heard voices. I felt suspicious and out of
curiosity, I eavesdropped to confirm if there is no illegal activity happening
at this place. The Jaisalmer police have requested all the local guides to
remain vigilant. They have asked us to alert them immediately in case we notice
any illegal activity happening in this area. Ever since the war between India
and Pakistan ended a year ago, there is a sudden increase in nefarious
activities in this area, as the India Pak border is only a hundred kilometres
away. Being a responsible citizen, it’s our duty to remain alert and help the
police in maintaining law and order,” Balvanta replied in a poised voice.
“I
agree, it’s everyone's responsibility to be vigilant of any criminal activity
in our surroundings. But no such activity happening here. We are an archaeology
team on a research tour,” Professor Saini clarified.
“Oh
okay,” Balvanta said and looked around to double-check that nothing felonious
was happening at that place. His eyes fall on Vedika, and he couldn’t believe
his eyes. His heart skips a beat; he had never seen such a beautiful girl in
his entire life. He kept staring at her for a second, spellbound.
“You
mentioned some time back that we can’t reach the old Suryagarh fort with the
help of the map alone,” Professor Saini said with his eyebrows raised
questioningly. “Why so?”
“The
Suryagarh fort lies around twelve kilometres from here, and the way is not
straight. One has to travel through the desert to reach the fort, and there are
no concrete roads or signboards on the way. To add to the woes of the tourists,
frequent sandstorms are occurring nowadays in this area, making it tougher to
navigate the path through the vast Thar desert,” Balvanta responded. He
stole a glance at Vedika, finding it tough to resist his temptation to adore
her divine allure.
Professor
Saini stood still for a moment. ‘He is absolutely correct. How can I overlook
such an important point on a critical mission like this? A single mistake can
ruin my whole plan on which I have been working diligently for the last five
years.’ He thought to himself and stared at Balvanta in silence. ‘Fortunately,
a guide has arrived by himself to help me on this crucial mission. Luck is in
my favour, now no one can stop me from fulfilling my most cherished dream!’
“Hmm,”
he exhaled loudly and scratched his stubble. His eyes bored into Balvanta. “If
you know the way to the Suryagarh fort, can you take us there?”
“Yes,
I can take you people there,” Balvanta agreed. “But I will charge fifty
rupees for it. Also, if you are planning to go there today itself, we must
leave immediately without any delay,”
“Okay,
we will pay you the money,” Professor Saini nodded readily. “We have to go
there today itself. We are ready to leave right now.”
“Sir,
he is a stranger to us. We can't trust him blindly…” Ravi began in a concerned
voice when Professor Saini cut him off.
“Guys,
until now, we haven't had any success on our research trip and the lost ancient
city is our last hope. I didn’t think of this point earlier, but now when
Balvanta brought it to our notice, I can see that we surely require a local
guide to reach the lost ancient city. If we went there by ourselves, then there
are fair chances that we may get lost in this vast desert. We are already
running short of time and can’t afford to take the risk at any cost,” he
insisted and threw up his hands in frustration.
“But,
sir, why the hurry? We can go there tomorrow as well?” Richa reasoned
hesitantly.
“Enough….”
Professor Saini shouted. His voice was loud enough to startle everyone present.
He immediately realized his mistake and calmed himself by counting backwards
from five to one in his mind silently.
“See,
we require a lot of time to unearth the lost ancient city and one day will not
be enough for us. We can’t waste today. Every minute is crucial for us,”
Professor Saini tried to cajole his team and looked at Vedika expectantly. He
knew that she was the easiest target, and once she agreed, the rest of the team
would also agree to his plan.
“I
agree with Saini Sir… I am in,” Vedika said and walked up to Professor Saini.
“I
am also ready for the last adventure of our trip. Let’s nail it this time,”
Pratham said, his voice excited. Ravi and Richa also nodded their heads like
obedient students.
Shivam
shook his head. “Guys, I think we shouldn’t go there. I am not having a good
feeling today,” he warned, taking a few steps back. “It’s better that we remain
safe in this old fort, rather than exploring something in this vast desert.
Moreover, we are not even sure of the existence of the lost city of
Drumatulya.”
“Stop
behaving childishly,” Professor Saini said furiously and pointed a finger at
Shivam. “I shouldn't have agreed to Vedika's request to allow you on this
research trip. It’s only because she requested so diligently to me that I gave
my permission. But that doesn’t mean that you also got the approval to spoil
our trip.”
He
took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, “Team,
we need to go! We can’t miss this golden opportunity. If we succeeded in
locating the lost ancient city, then it will skyrocket our career. It will give
a boost to our profession beyond our wildest imagination.”
“Yes,
he is correct,” Vedika nodded in Professor Saini’s support and looked
persuasively at Shivam. “Please, don’t worry, Shivam… even if someone is
following us, we don’t need to be afraid of anyone as our team is equally
strong. We have to go in search of the lost ancient city at any cost, as it is
our last hope.”
“Vedika,
believe me… my sixth sense is warning me that not everything is good ever since
we arrived at this place. I am not getting good vibes today. Trust me, going
out today in search of the lost ancient city will put everyone’s life in
danger,” Shivam blurted out in fear.
“C’mon,
I never thought you are such a scaredy-cat,” Vedika stamped her foot and threw
a vexed look at Shivam. “Have some courage! We are a team of six people and
still, you are so afraid.”
“I
am not scared… it's just that I have a strong intuition that not everything is
well today. Anyway, if you all have already decided to go, then I am also
ready,” Shivam gave up and folded his arms.
“Can
we leave for the Suryagarh fort fast?” Balvanta requested, having patiently
waited for the drama to get over. “The way to it is tricky and at a
considerable distance from here. The sooner we leave, the better.”
“Yes,
let’s leave for the Suryagarh fort without any further delay,” Professor Saini
said, maintaining a serious tone. In reality, his heart was dancing with
super-excitement. “We have a Jeep with us which could accommodate all of us.”
“Yes,
I had noticed the Jeep parked outside. By that only I came to know that someone
is here in this fort. Good that you people have hired a Jeep that is equipped
to run through the desert,” Balvanta appreciated and walked towards the exit
gate of the fort.
Professor
Saini had a smug smile on his face. “We already told you that we are on a
research trip, and have come with the full preparation for it,” he said, and
they all followed Balvanta.
Balvanta
occupied the driver’s seat while Professor Saini settled down on the seat
adjacent to him. The rest of the team quickly got seated on the remaining empty
seats of the Jeep. Soon they were moving through the Thar desert towards the
ruined Suryagarh fort, beneath which lay buried the lost city of Drumatulya. It
was a full moon night, and thus the desert was suitably lit by the
moonlight.
An
hour had passed since they had left for the Suryagarh fort and still there was
no trace of it in the vast desert.
“How
far is the Suryagarh fort now?” Professor Saini asked impatiently to
Balvanta.
“We
have almost reached our destination! In a few minutes we will be there,”
Balvanta replied.
“Hey,
look there! I can see the city some distance from us,” Richa said ecstatically
and pointed to an old fort that was faintly visible at some distance from
them.
“Wow,
so this is the place where once existed the lost city of Drumatulya,” Ravi
exclaimed and looked at the old fort in awe.
“Yippee!
It’s hard to believe that we are witnessing an ancient structure built in the
Ramayana era,” Vedika said, her voice turning breathless with excitement.
“For
your information, what we are seeing is the ruined old Suryagarh fort that was
built eight hundred years ago by the king Rawal Jaisal. We can't see the lost
ancient city that existed during the Ramayana times, as it lays buried in the
desert,” Pratham clarified.
Vedika
giggled, “Whatever it is, I am excited to unearth the lost ancient city…”
“Yes,
finally, we reached our destination!” Professor Saini said elatedly, finding it
hard to hide his exhilaration. His long-cherished dream was about to come
true.
Suddenly,
the wind started blowing fiercely in the desert and the visibility reduced
considerably due to the sand particles in the air.
“Ohh…
the wind has started blowing wildly,” Shivam said worriedly.
“I
can sense that a terrible sandstorm is about to erupt here, we need to return
before it gets late. If we do not leave this place immediately, we will also
get buried in this vast desert, like the lost ancient city,” Balvanta warned in
a panicked voice. His face had the nakedness of fear. It seemed that fate was
not in favour of Professor Saini that day.
Professor
Saini’s face grew dark. “No, we can’t return when we have almost reached our
destination. Keep driving towards the Suryagarh fort. We need to reach there,
at any cost,” he raised his voice, glaring at Balvanta. He was determined to
not let his hard work of five years get wasted in front of his eyes.
Balvanta
kept driving towards the old fort as instructed by Professor Saini. The winds
started blowing more ferociously. And, in some time, it was sand all
around.
“I am Raavan, the mightiest demon king…”
2019, Bareilly
- A rich NRI businessman goes missing mysteriously. The detective found a clue
in his diary and named it, The Raavan Key.
5135 BCE, Golden City of Lanka
- Raavan, the mighty demon king, came to know of a chilling secret about his
half-brother Kubera. Enraged by the revelation he fiercely attacked Drumatulya
city.
1972, Thar Desert, Jaisalmer
- An archaeology team was searching for the lost city of Drumatulya, which
existed during the Ramayana era. They couldn't believe their eyes when weird
events unfolded one after another.
2018, Antwerp, Europe
- The overlord of Europe’s most dreaded crime syndicate received a phone call
from a mysterious man.
What was the terrifying secret of Kubera
that enraged Raavan? What connects the missing NRI businessman to the lost city
of Drumatulya? What was the horrific
mystery of Drumatulya city? Read on to witness the epic story of Love and
Betrayal, Gods and Demons, Deceit and Violence.
“Pravin is in the league of Ashwin
Sanghi and Christopher C. Doyle.”
- Bijetri Roy, Author
“Pravin Agarwal is a master storyteller.”
- Dailyhunt
“With compelling narrative style, Pravin is the next literary phenomenon.”
- PunjabMetro
The Raavan Returns (Drumatulya Trilogy Book 2)
Archaeology trip,
Forty-Six Years, One Haunting Secret…
2019, Delhi -
The detective in search of the missing NRI businessman meets the old lady. She
reveals the blood-curdling story of deceit, betrayal, and violence.
5135 BCE, Panchavati - Raavan, the mighty demon king, abducts Sita.
2018, Bareilly -
A newly-engaged couple visits Bankhandi Nath temple on a cold winter evening.
The girl dies under mysterious circumstances.
1300 AD, Jaisalmer - Alauddin Khilji, the barbaric sultan of Delhi, hatches a vicious
plan to capture the Suryagarh fort.
2019, Ancient City of Drumatulya - The demonic crime lord fails in his
sinister plan and finds that nothing is what it seems. Unknown to him, a master
puppeteer is playing a grand game.
What happens to the missing NRI businessman? What was the haunting
mystery of the archaeology trip? What is the spine-chilling secret behind the
mysterious death of the newly-engaged girl? Read on to witness the epic war
between light and darkness, good and evil, Gods and demons.
To order click the links below:
#Amazon - https://amzn.eu/d/2isNqUF
BUNK OF TREASURE
ReplyDeleteWhen 2nd phase Drumatulya Trilogy will be revealed?? Kindly please acknowledge.
Second part of Drumatulya Trilogy will be released soon in 2022.
DeleteKubera
ReplyDeleteNoted!
DeleteHalf brother or step brother of Raavan was Kubera who inherited the golden city of Lanka. Looking forward to read the next chapters.
ReplyDeleteNoted! Thank you!
DeleteKubera was the half brother of Ravana. Have read the review in a group... Would love to read the book🥰
ReplyDeleteThank you Nupur! Noted!
DeleteKubera was the stepbrother of Ravana, who ruled Lanka before Ravana.
ReplyDeleteNoted!
DeleteKubera
ReplyDeleteIt was kuber
ReplyDeleteKubera
ReplyDeleteKubera was the half brother/stepbrother of Ravana.
ReplyDeleteKubera was the half brother .....of Ravana. This book seems quite interesting ❤️ loved it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mahi! Noted!
DeleteKuber. (Instagram Id :awonderfulexperience)
ReplyDeleteNoted!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKubera.
ReplyDeleteThe plot seems quite mysterious and it will be fun to unravel it. I love the seamless flow of the story. All in all, I loved it. Best wishes to the author!!!!
Insta Id: akankshya_awishfulsoul
DeleteThank you so much Akankshya! Noted.
DeleteWow, great plot. 😍 Kuber is the answer of course. Can't wait to read full. Instagram id: dave.krutarth
ReplyDeleteThank you Krutarth! Noted.
Delete