So far!
Meera and Kaveri entered the mysterious room, and Kaveri was pulled into hell through the book. To save her, Meera, with the help of Jennifer Ma'am, entered heaven through another book.
Now!
At the College!
The next morning, as soon as they arrived at the college, the first task Arunachalam Sir did was take Jennifer Mam to the Principal's office. There, seated grandly in a large swivel chair with a neat mustache, was a man of authority. The small nameplate on the desk read, "Principal of College MR. BRAMMAN."
Arunachalam Sir and Jennifer Ma'am, still tense from the events of yesterday, caught the attention of the Principal, who asked, "Come in! Why do you both look so stressed?"
Jennifer Mam nervously replied, "Sir, it's just that... another girl got pulled into that book yesterday, sir."
Startled, the Principal asked, "What?! Who?"
"Her name is Kaveri, sir," Arunachalam Sir explained.
"Which Kaveri? I mean, what year is she in?" the Principal asked, visibly shaken.
"Sir, she's a final-year history student, Kaveri," Arunachalam Sir clarified.
"What? That girl?! Why did she go there? Now what do we do? How do we save her? We haven't even been able to save the others who got trapped. And now this girl too, oh no!" the Principal said, his voice breaking in distress.
"Sir, there's one more thing…" Arunachalam Sir hesitated.
"What now?" the Principal asked anxiously.
"We've found someone who can save those trapped in the book," Arunachalam Sir said, surprising the Principal.
"What?! Who is it? Whoever it is, I'll plead with them to help, even if I have to fall at their feet," the Principal said tearfully.
"Sir, it's none other than Meera, our final-year history student," Jennifer Ma'am said.
"Meera? How can she save them?" the Principal asked, puzzled.
"Sir, Meera and Kaveri went to that room together. When Kaveri got pulled into hell through the mystical book, Meera, determined to save her, saw a rare book that only the chosen ones can see," Jennifer Mam explained.
"How is that even possible?" the Principal furrowed his brows in thought.
"But we can't send her in there. If we do, what will we tell her family?" the Principal asked.
"Sir, Meera has already gone inside the book," Jennifer replied, causing the Principal to jump in shock.
"How could you let her go without telling me? Are you out of your mind?" the Principal yelled in anger.
"Sir, I told her to leave the room, but when Kaveri started crying and refused to come back without Kaveri, I had no choice, sir…" Jennifer Mam explained hesitantly.
"And you just let her stay? Is this why you're employed here?" the Principal roared.
"Sir… I…" Jennifer tried to explain.
"Enough, Jennifer. Don't say anything else. Leave my office now," the Principal shouted, his eyes red with anger. With no other choice, both Jennifer and Arunachalam Sir left the office silently.
Outside!
As they walked, Arunachalam Sir noticed that Jennifer Ma'am was feeling down and said, "Ma'am, the Principal must have spoken in anger. Don't take it to heart."
"But sir, in a way, he's right. What will we say to Meera and Kaveri's families if they ask where they are?" Jennifer said, feeling guilty.
"Hmm… I've got a great idea, Jennifer. I spent all night thinking deeply about this," Arunachalam said.
"What's the idea, sir?" Jennifer asked, intrigued.
"We'll tell everyone that the entire final-year history department students are going on a research trip. If their families ask, we can say Meera and Kaveri went with the group," Arunachalam explained.
"That's a great idea, sir! But what if the students ask?" Jennifer questioned reasonably.
"Fair enough," Arunachalam said, thinking quickly. "We'll tell the students that Meera and Kaveri have already gone ahead, and this time, no one is allowed to take mobile phones on the trip."
"Brilliant idea, sir!" Jennifer said, but Arunachalam noticed her face was still filled with worry.
"Why are you still so sad, Jennifer? What's the matter?" he asked.
"I forgot to tell Meera that she only has one month. If she can't save them within that time, she won't be able to return either. She'll be trapped in heaven forever. I can't stop worrying, sir. What must she be doing right now?" Jennifer said, deeply concerned.
"Everything will turn out fine, Jennifer. Don't worry. Come on," Arunachalam Sir comforted her as they walked away.
Inside the Book!
Meera was floating in mid-air and suddenly fell onto a sandy ground with a thud. She slowly opened her eyes, holding her head in pain as she stood up. Her eyes widened in shock at what she saw. Surrounding her were clouds, beautiful flowers, rainbows, trees, the sound of flowing streams, and vast green lands. Deer were jumping around in the distance, and everything was stunningly beautiful.
Not only that, but there were people flying in the sky, children running and playing happily, and some people practicing for battle far away. Everywhere she looked, there was greenery, and a gentle breeze caressed her face.
As the wind touched her, Meera came to her senses and said, "Ah, what pain! Oh, God! I think I've broken my hip bone."
Just then, standing nearby, adorned in holy ash on his forehead and dressed in a tiger skin, was none other than Lord Shiva himself.
"My child! Did you call for me?" his voice thundered softly.
Startled, Meera turned and said, "When did I call you? And who are you?"
"You called for me, my daughter," the deity said calmly.
"I said 'Oh God!' but… who are you?" Meera asked in confusion.
"I am the one you called for," the Lord said kindly.
"What?! Are you a God? I can't believe it," Meera said, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Why? Do I not seem like a God to you?" he asked with a smile.
"I can't believe it at all, but I'm so happy! Did you really reveal yourself to me?" Meera asked, tears welling up in her eyes as she fell at his feet.
"Be blessed, my daughter. I know why you've come. You will surely find what you seek. These people will accompany you," the Lord said, blessing her with a smile and leaving her with five women.
"Thank you, Lord!" Meera said, bowing respectfully. The Lord blessed her and disappeared.
Seeing that he was gone, Meera called out, "Lord! Oh, God!" and looked around.
"Speak, what do you need?" came a voice as an elegant woman approached Meera, followed by four others.
"Who are you? Where's the Lord?" Meera asked, confused, looking at the five women.
"We welcome you to this beautiful heaven…" one of them said.
"Every time you call for him, do you expect the Lord to appear?" another said.
"So, for your safety and to assist you, the Lord has left us here," a third woman explained.
"Oh, is that so? All five of you look so beautiful!" Meera exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Thank you. So do you," one of them replied with a smile.
"Oh, don't just say that because I complimented you. Just tell the truth, that's enough. After all, they say those who speak the truth are equal to God," Meera said, laughing, making the others laugh too.
"You speak very well," one of them commented.
"Thank you. But please, no formalities with 'come' or 'go.' Just call me normally," Meera said, though the five women seemed puzzled by her manner of speaking.
"By the way, what language are you speaking?" one of them asked openly.
"Me? I'm speaking English. Don't you understand what I'm saying?" Meera asked, feeling bad.
"We do understand, but the way you speak is unusual," one of them explained.
"Yes, we've never heard anyone speak like this before," added another woman.
"Oh… but don't people in heaven remember the language they spoke on earth?" Meera asked, confused.
"No, they still speak the language they used on Earth. But this is the realm where highly skilled kings and their people live. No one here speaks the way you do," one of them clarified.
"What?!" Meera was taken aback.
"That's why the way you spoke surprised us," said another woman.
"What's happening here? They don't understand half of what I'm saying, and I don't fully understand them either. Do they even know why I'm here? How am I going to save Kaveri and the others?" Meera thought, worried.
Noticing her distress, one of the women said, "But don't worry. We know why you've come here."
"Yes. We'll stay by your side and help you. Come, let's go," said another, bringing a smile to Meera's face.
"Thank you so much, Jolly! Come on, let's walk and talk. How long are we going to stand in the same spot?" said Meera as she started walking, and the others joined her. "By the way... what are your names?" she asked, looking at them.
"My name is Vanathi," said a woman dressed in dark black with long, flowing hair, looking as beautiful as a princess in her light pink saree.
"My good name is Kannagi," said another woman with black, wavy hair and striking eyes, wearing a green outfit, her face beaming with a charming smile.
"My name is Rooba Nayagi," said the next woman with a beautiful smile, her hair neatly braided and brought forward, dressed in a golden saree.
"My elegant name is Chitraani," said the fourth, with a melodious voice, dressed in a perfectly draped red saree, and blessed with a stunning face.
"Finally, my lovely name is Shanthini," said the last woman, dressed in a marigold-colored saree. Though her hair wasn't as long as the others', it was of a decent length. She appeared to be highly intelligent, yet also very kind-hearted.
(Has Meera now arrived in a new world? How will she save Kaveri and the others? How much help will these five women be in this exciting, twist-filled adventure? Let's find out in the coming chapters, filled with humor and surprises! 🥰)
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(Don't forget to leave your reviews about this chapter and show your support, dear readers! 💖 See you again in the next chapter 😊 Goodbye 👋🏻)