Puru looked at the man who was lamenting about his hut being demolished by an earthquake. He was kowtowing to Goddess Dimuka, who sat on the platform in her guise of Asura Yaman, her eyes filled with doubt and uncertainty. She let the man snivel and cry as she threw a slew of cold stares at Puru.
"My lord, we have nowhere else to go. We come here to seek refuge." Tears streamed down the man's bony face. A family of five stood behind him, everyone's hands joined in prayer to Asura Yaman.
"Nandi, find a place for the man and his family in the temple. They will live here until they have a new shelter."
"As you wish, my lord." Nandi bowed and escorted the man and his family away from the visitation room.
That day, there were more appeals than offerings in the visitation room. More than a few came with the news of unexplained deaths of their loved ones, while others sought shelter for a hut that was wrecked into dust by tremors. The doubt and suspicion in the eyes of the devotees grew, even though Goddess Dimuka met each complaint with soft and compassionate words.
One more man came with a complaint that his horse died after drinking water from a certain pond.
"My disciples will go with you and barricade the pond." Goddess Dimuka announced.
"You have my gratitude, my lord, only…" the man hesitated.
"Yes?"
"Today, it is just one pond. Tomorrow, it could be the river, my lord. Children are dying mysteriously, and my brothers are losing their homes. Something must be done, my lord."
Goddess Dimuka studied the man for a moment and then averted her worried eyes. "Do you have any suspicion?"
"Yes, my lord, only…."
"…."
"Sometimes, some beings do not belong on earth, my lord. Lord Shesha has saved us, my lord, but perhaps his place is not among us."
"How dare you?! What are you implying?!" Lord Gajanan retorted. He was in his human form, but his nasal voice added to the growing tension in the room.
"My lord, pardon my insolence," the man continued to appeal to Asura Yaman, ignoring Lord Gajanan, "but my brothers here must agree, Lord Shesha must return to the nether land. We… we will make offerings to him every month, my lord, but we cannot live in fear."
The crowd murmured its agreement to which Goddess Dimuka scoffed her derision.
"There was never a greater sage than Lord Shesha. He meditated and offered a penance more austere than any other being, god, demon, or human. He has lived longer than time itself, and today, he is asked to be banished by humans."
"I agree. These accusations against Lord Shesha are disgraceful. You must be ashamed." Lord Gajanan spoke up again, only to be met with Dimuka's cold eyes.
"However, I assure you if Lord Shesha was here, he would cut off his own thousand heads before these vile accusations even leave your mouths." Goddess Dimuka raised her demon voice, and the crowd fell silent. "But now that you have already questioned his devotion and loyalty, I will personally see to it that he is not allowed back in this land. I banish him to nether land where he will stay for the rest of eternity." Goddess Dimuka said in a commanding voice as her dark, demonic eyes swept over the faces of the devotees and landed on Puru. Puru averted his gaze.
"Praise be to Lord Yaman," a devotee yelled. Few others followed, and soon enough, the entire hall filled with cheers and accolades, many bowing and kowtowing to Goddess Dimuka, sitting on the high platform in her guise as Yaman.
"But, my lord…" The nasal voice cut through the hubbub, loud enough to draw attention. "But my lord, Lord Shesha is a primal being. He has a divine soul. If we send him to nether land, will it not be a slight to his divinity?"
A sudden silence swooped in, followed by a palpable tension. Devotees glanced at each other, no one daring to move their tongue.
Goddess Dimuka gazed far into the distance as if her heart was anywhere but there. "The moment Lord Shesha became my follower, he became a being of the nether land, which I have accepted as my eternal dwelling place. I have affronted him enough by charging him guilty without a trial. I would not insult his honor by refusing him the place where he belongs."
Lord Gajanan would not let the goddess have the last word. "Lord Yaman, I feel the biggest insult a divine being can have is when they are denied residence in the place where all divine creatures belong, the heaven. I appeal to you to kindly allow Lord Shesha be escorted to the heaven. Lord Arya will care for him like he cares for all other divine beings who reside there."
A devotee scoffed. "Lord Arya caring for beings? How do you know that, insolent man? Do not bring up Lord Arya's name in the court of Lord Yaman." The devotee glared at Lord Gajanan.
Lord Gajanan slowly stood up and walked up to the man, who was standing in the center of the hall. "I know because he sent me here before to protect you all from the flood." As the words fell out of his tongue, Lord Gajanan changed his human form to the god form, his human head replaced by that of an elephant. The revelation made the attendees gasp in unison. "And now, I am here to guard you against any misfortune that Lord Shesha may cause, knowingly or not."
The murmurs followed soon, as well as suspicious gazes were thrown around. Suddenly, a loud thump of a fist hitting the arm of a chair rang across the hall, followed by Lord Yaman's angry roar. "You have no say in my land, and neither does your king. Lord Shesha is my follower, and I will send him back home. I will see that your king can never lay a hand on him."
If it was not clear why the world should be afraid of Lord Yaman, it was clear now. Fear moved in Lord Gajanan's eyes, even though he was fully aware of the true identity of the agni asura in front of him.
"Lord Yaman," Puru waited for the Goddess to glance at him. "You may not remember me, but I am your descendant, Puru." Puru changed his form to agni asura, and presented himself in front of the goddess, bowing to her.
"No one has inspired a greater awe in me than you have. I grew up hearing your feats from Lord Arya, how you saved the people of the east, liberated them, and carved your own path. You amassed followers that no other asura could. Not even many gods can claim what you claimed." Puru continued to speak as he watched the rage in Goddess Dimuka's eyes slowly turn to suspicion. He turned towards the devotees. "Even after two hundred years of your leave, the people of east have not forgotten their master, Lord Yaman, the Agni Asura of the East. I admit, even I envy that. You reappeared, and they followed you without question. Where were you for last two hundred years? Why did you remain silent? What was your reason for return? None of these futile doubts in their minds, only endless worship and devotion in their hearts."
Suddenly, Goddess Dimuka's eyes filled with a restrained fear.
Puru looked at the goddess again, his gaze still full of regard and admiration. "If such questions come up or someone spreads any rumors about you, I assure you Lord Arya would be the first to quash them. He knows you all too well and knows you always chose your people before everything else. I visited Lord Shesha not too long ago, in the nether land. He regards it as his home but I regarded it as my home too, before finding shelter in heaven. Now, when I close my eyes and picture a home, it is the place in the clouds, where there is eternal light, and the Kalpavriksha offers its welcome shade. And I assure you, Lord Yaman, when Lord Shesha ascends to the heaven, he will find the same affection and hospitality that I found."
The more Puru spoke, the more Dimuka shrunk into her seat. Her tall and fearless demeanor was gone. She stared at Puru for several moments and then blinked at last. "Lord Puru, you said you are my descendant. If you give me your words, then I will trust you. I will command Lord Shesha to accompany your companion to the heaven."
Puru exchanged a quick glance with Lord Gajanan.
"But in return, you must keep my word too. As my descendant, I declare you my successor since I have no other family, and neither do you. Stay here, stay with my people, your people and help me rebuild my temple, my place of worship."
Puru did not know if it was the mute appeal in Goddess Dimuka's eyes or his long forgotten desire for a family, but even before Goddess Dimuka had finished her request, he knew what his answer would be. "I give you my word. I will remain here as your ward and help rebuild the temple."