CHAPTER - 3

They continuously travelled for three days. They ate fruits and drank water of bore wells on the way. When they reached near a hillock to cross, they were almost exhausted. Somehow, they clambered to reach the top of the hillock where they found a green pasture there. It was almost dark now. So, they decided to take rest and fell asleep. With a kick on their back, they woke up and found, in front of them, a person of gigantic appearance, Lucifer. They realized that the place where they rested was falling under the control of the gigantic person and it was known as Devil’s Land. Both Mind and Godlover pleaded to Lucifer to release them. The more they requested, the more Lucifer went stubborn. Then, he lifted both Mind and Godlover in his arms and put them in a dungeon and locked them in it. The dungeon was so dark that they were unable to see anything. They sat on the floor. Suddenly, Mind realized that some strange insect came and sat on his arm; he got bit scared. Godlover, who used to deal with different types of insects in his farm in his abode at city of Pride, recognized that it was a bat. He consoled Mind. Both then started praying to God and could not sleep the whole night mostly out of fear. Next day morning, Lucifer came to the dungeon and started thrashing them. The beating was so merciless that they fell down on the earth and went dumb and unconscious for some time. Though it was daytime, there was complete darkness there. When they came conscious, they felt severe pain in their body.

“In the beginning of the journey, if this is the condition met to us, how to complete the same as to reach Celestial City,” Godlover inquired.

“The proverb is very true – you have to repay the dues of your bad or good deeds in this life only. Some say that if you do evil deeds, you will bear the consequences in your next life. I feel, we must have done wrong doings, hurt our friends, well wishers and family members and so the consequences of the same are now faced by us. But, my friend, don’t worry. This is a temporary and passing phase in our lives. God must be taking our examination and testing our will power. Otherwise, after this type of beating, how we are surviving,” Mind encouraged Godlover.

“May be you are correct.”

He gave some fruits to Godlover which fortunately he saved from Lucifer’s eyes. Godlover ate them.

“What about you. I feel sorry for you. Like selfish I eat the total.”

“Not to be perturbed. If you are feeling alright, I will get some moral courage. Moreover, I am a devotee Brahmin and have the practice to stay in fasting for a couple of days.”

“Tell me one thing, why Lucifer is beating us so severely?”

“See, this world is full of treacherous, jealous, pride and evil people. Their percentage is nowadays very high and this period is known as a black period. Don’t you see every day there are rape, robbery, accidents, bickering, divorces, fighting between communities & families? Lucifer belongs to the same class. It is true that we have not done wrong things. We have not committed any crime. We have simply slept in his area. For this trifling cause, he punishes us so much. This is known as a demon’s thirst,” Mind calmly explained

“For the past two days sitting in this dungeon, I am hearing a huge sound of trumpets and clangors. There must be something odd at this place,” Godlover enquired.

“What you are hearing is the sound of devil enjoyment of Lucifer and his so called friends and vivid followers. These friends only know how to pamper their boss so as to get good food, drinks and women. These people enjoy their lives during night time. In the day time, they simply sleep. Their goons collect weekly bribe from businessmen, traders and builders. If anyone protests to their wishes, they simply kill them without any fear of law because they invite these high officials in their lavish parties. These officials who protect law and regulations are mostly in their clutch. Precisely, that is the reason they perform all misdeed but still move freely in the society,” Mind explained.

Next day morning, Lucifer opened the iron gate of the dungeon in intoxicated condition and mostly was not in a position to walk.

“You people are still alive even after yesterday’s merciless beating,” the monstrous evil laughed sarcastically.

Then he became suddenly enraged and again started beating, but most of the time he could not hit them. And in this process, he fell down. Despite the opportunity to flee away, Mind and Godlover simply stayed there out of tremendous fear. After sometimes, Lucifer stood up and spitted on their faces and then closed the gate of the dungeon.

Lucifer was relaxing with his wife in the night time on that day.

“These people are very stubborn. I have been beating them for the last two days. They are starving. I have not given them any food and water. To my surprise, they are still surviving. They must be some bishop or monks,” He told her wife Sibyl.

“She laughed and slowly punched on her husband’s head. Your body is big but brain is small. You have beaten them but it does not produce any desired effect. So, you take them to the top of the mountain and show them the heaps of the dead bodies lying in the ditch. Tell them that their fate will be the same very soon.”

“Big people by body like you must marry short heighted women with full of acumen like me, my darling.”

Both started laughing and embraced each other before fell asleep.

Mind and Godlover were sleeping soundly out of their tiredness and they could not hear when the iron gate was again opened. Lucifer dragged them to the top of the hillock. They were very much exhausted because of not having food and even water for the past three days. Lucifer showed them the vicious scenes of skeletons, of dead bodies, lying in heaps from the top of the hillock. They were damn afraid. They almost took it granted that Lucifer would kill them and throw them in the ditch. Contrarily, Lucifer brought them back to the dungeon and again started beating. Godlover could not tolerate beating any further and became unconscious. Mind because of tremendous will power tolerated and tried to save his face with his hands from the devil’s blows. Lucifer got tired, left them and by mistake went without locking the iron gate. Mind got up and searched for water. He could manage to get an broken earthen ware with a little bit of water which he sprinkled on the face of Godlover so that he could regain his consciousness. Somehow, he managed to sit on the floor with the help of Mind.

“I don’t know whether I will be able to travel any more. This fellow is beating us in a way a washerman washes clothes by striking repeatedly on the riverbank. The cloths have no pulse but we human beings have the same and it is really difficult to digest and that too in empty stomach. He again stretches himself on the floor and cries occasionally because of severe body and muscles pain,” Godlover started at him with a pale face.

“Don’t worry my bosom. I really care for you. I have also faced the same music like you, but somehow I have acquired a tolerance power and able to digest. If you are not able to walk, you can give your weightage on my shoulder and I will carry you,” Mind assured.

“You are a true friend who is in need and also in deed.”

“We are undergoing this journey with a common mission of achieving the grace of Almighty. Whatever may be the consequences, we should not lose our heart so that we can conquer the hardship.”

“You are really encouraging me by thought provoking words. Yes, I will travel with you ignoring my pains in the name of God. He will only guide and rescue us from all dangers.”

“Are they afraid?” Sibyl enquired.

“They are. In all probabilities, they will commit suicide jumping from the hillock. Knowingly I have kept the dungeon gate open,” Lucifer assured his wife.

“You are a class one fool. They will not do so, I bet”

“Why?”

“So far my knowledge goes, the tall fellow, I think Mind has some divine power by which he is able to sustain the beating. The other fellow may collapse. However, be careful. Don’t wait much. Kill them tomorrow itself and throw their bodies in the ditch.”

Mind prayed to God continuously and chanted mantras to have some extra courage to overcome the persecution. He advocated Godlover to follow the same religious path because God alone could save them in this distress.

Mind opened the iron gate and reached the main gate which was locked through different types of locks. Out of frustration, they came back to be dungeon.

“What to do now? Tomorrow, this Lucifer will definitely throw us into the ditch making our mission incomplete,” Godlover said.

“Don’t worry, have faith in God. Take it as a passing phase,” Mind smilingly replied.

It was almost dawn. Godlover suddenly informed him to open the parchment and see what is inside. Mind opened and saw the inscription of a statue of God. Both again went to the main door and touched all the locks with the parchment. To his surprise, Mind was then able to open the lock one by one. When the big lock was about to be opened, there was a bit of sound while opening the main door. Somehow they were able to flee through the small opening of this door. Suddenly, Godlover fell down. Mind smehow dragged him and almost reached out of Lucifer’s territory. They saw him running behind them, but by the time he was about to catch them, they were on the other side of the hillock.

Godlover sat on the green pasture. Mind brought some raspberries and grapes. He had some but were feeling very weak and pleaded to Mind to wait. Seeing the condition of his health, Mind decided to energize by uttering religious discourse. Tell me Godlover, “Is there anyone who does not wish to be happy? For the past five days, we face inhuman torture for no fault for ours. May be this is our destiny. This is a phase for us to sorrow. Happiness and sorrow do not drop from the skies. Our mind is afflicted to the thoughts that only cause sorrow and happiness. If you visualize the whole tragedy of ours in devil’s land, out of thoughts of fear only cause our pain more as compared to the beatings. Since we are not accustomed to this sudden attack, it looks little odd, otherwise the beating was not that serious except the thoughts. The sad thoughts which hovers around our mind, make us unhappy and weak.”

“You are correct. Your wisdom is invigorating me, but I really feel exhausted,” Godlover informed submissively.

“Now, if you want to forget this incidence and be cheerful, you have to follow the mantra; even this shall pass. You imbibe this in your heart and then only you will be able to overcome all your pain caused due to the beating.”

Godlover stood up and they walked around half a kilometer and again he pleaded for rest. Mind obliged.

“I think you are exhausted because of the fearful incidence which is still haunting you,” Mind questioned with all politeness.

“May be.”

“My friend, pairs of opposites such as pleasures and pain, honour and insult, joy and sorrow are the sequential phases of one’s life which affects the body. They will come and they will go as long as your body exists. But you have to be courageous enough atleast mentally to overcome these phases. You have to be a firm believer that you are the absolute self with imperishable atman while pleasures and pains are fleeting. You have to always remember that these pains can not affect you. Then only you can beat these obstacles which is pervading your mind,” Mind preached. Godlover heard him with rapt attention and his tiredness was diminishing slowly.

Mind watched the changes and continued this type of religious discourses.

“There is no object that brings pain or pleasure. They are creations of your mind. Mind is the center of attraction of any feeling. Your thoughts are induced and give you sensation of tiredness, morose, pain, pleasure and joy. With the help of these thoughts be absorbed in your own eternal being, the truth absolute and so be always peaceful whatever may be the situation. Remember one thing, you are the supreme bliss. It is yourself that dwells in all. Whether, it is happiness or pain that appears in your life, is in fact just a glimpse of self-bliss or distress. It is your inner feeling, but because of your ignorance, you think it is obtained from objects of sense of pain or pleasures. Take the case of both our beatings by Lucifer. Similar amount of beatings have made you coward, tired whereas it has not affected me that much.”

“I am really energized by your teachings. Let me eat some fruits and you also eat. Then, we will again start our journey for Celestial City,” Godlover suggested.

“I am happy, you are recovering from your tiredness. My friend, as I told you everything is your thoughts and feelings which crowd your mind. Take the example of the sun’s reflection in water. Is it the real sun? No, it is merely an illusory appearance. So, the pain experience through your sense is not the real one, it is momentary and a passing phase. If you continue to think, you will be more distressed and will undergo more mental and physical affliction.”

Being influenced by the sermons and after eating different types of fruits available from a nearby farm, Godlover now prepared for the strenuous journey. At dusk, they reached a place with diversion. Initially, they were bit puzzled to decide which way to go. They stopped and looked here and there. They found a person who was crossing them.

Mind addressed him with folded hands,

“Would you be kind enough to guide us to the road to Celestial City?”

He stopped and enquired the reason of calling.

Mind explained that they are pilgrims and belong to city of pride. They left their place to abode in the Celestial City to obtain God’s grace and enjoy religious path for the balance period of their lives.

“Are you crazy people? I am a monk and travel almost the whole world. I know the places of seclusion where people live years together to enjoy severe, blissful and complete religious lives. But I have never heard about any place like Celestial City,” the monk retorted with little anger.

Mind also came to know that the monk is called as Mounibaba.

“Sir, I got the details of Celestial City from Margdarshak. As per his guidance, we somehow arrived at this place. Now, because of diversion, we are baffled and need your help,” Mind requested.

“It looks to me that you people are fools. However, if you like, you can follow me for some distance and I can show you the path which will take you to the place of a muse. You can enquire therein,” Mouni informed.

“This fellow looks to be arrogant and bit haughty,” Godlover slowly talked. Mind told him to keep quite. After walking throughout the night, they reached a green pasture at dawn which was full of rose gardens, variety of fruits like mangoes, jackfruits as well as grapes. They found a hut there in the midst of the garden. Mind knocked the door of the hut. A person in complete white dress appeared with a smiling face.

“What do you want my child?”

“We are pilgrims, bit tired and hungry. So we want to have some food and also like to take rest. By the way, do you have any idea, how to reach Celestial City from here?”

The person’s name was Grace. He laughed and advised them to eat some fruits first and then take rest. After having variety of fruits, both Mind and Godlover were bit relaxed and lied down on the mat. When the sun was almost on the mid horizon, Grace called them and advised them to take bath. When they completed their rituals, Grace offered them food consisting of rice, vegetables and curd. While they were eating their food, Grace informed that he was a shepherded and the custodian of this farm. He sold the fruits in the market to get his living and the rest of the time his only work is to serve God Mind looked to his face and was very satisfied to hear about his lifestyle. After lunch, Grace proposed for further rest which Mind and Godlover gleefully obliged.

To be contd....