Chapter 1: The Mysterious Shivling and the Forbidden Fruits
Mount Kailash, a spiritual place revered by millions, was special to him. Not just because it was a destination for religious pilgrimage but because it symbolized something more significant—an eternal connection to Lord Shiva, the embodiment of both destruction and creation. It was this pull that had brought Bhoumik here, away from his technological pursuits and into the serene and powerful realm of the divine.
Bhoumik Pal stood at the base of Mount Kailash, staring up at the towering, snow-covered peaks with a mixture of awe and reverence. At 22, he was a prodigy in the world of technology. An engineer with an almost unfathomable grasp of science, he'd created several advancements that left the world amazed. But despite his high-tech career, Bhoumik held a deep connection to the spiritual side of life. His mind had always been drawn to the wisdom of ancient scriptures—Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Bhagavad Gita. He had devoured these texts, not just for their moral lessons but for the deeper knowledge they held about the universe and existence itself.
As he trekked through the mountain, he couldn't shake the feeling that something unusual awaited him today. He had visited Kailash before, but this time, something was different. After hours of climbing, he found a narrow, unmarked path that led him to a secluded cave. The entrance was shrouded in shadows, almost hidden from the world.
"Strange... I've never seen this cave mentioned anywhere," Bhoumik muttered to himself. His curiosity got the better of him as he ventured deeper inside. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt almost inviting.
At the far end of the cave, a sight stopped him dead in his tracks—a Shivling stood there, illuminated by a soft, ethereal glow. It was unlike any Shivling he had ever seen. For one, it wasn't placed in the open or maintained like the usual ones pilgrims worshipped. This was raw, untouched, ancient.
"What is this? A hidden Shivling inside Mount Kailash? How has no one discovered this before?" Bhoumik whispered to himself, his eyes widening in disbelief. He stepped closer, the sense of mystery deepening with each step. Near the base of the Shivling, his eyes were drawn to something even stranger—there was a tree, barely 4-5 feet tall, growing at the base of the Shivling itself. The roots seemed to wrap gently around the stone, almost as if the Shivling and the tree were one.
The tree bore two fruits, unlike anything Bhoumik had ever seen. One fruit was black, its surface almost absorbing the light around it, while the other was a deep, dark purple, shimmering subtly. Both fruits exuded a fragrance that was incredibly sweet yet had an undertone of something powerful, something... divine.
Bhoumik knelt before the Shivling, offering a silent prayer of respect. "Mahadev... if this is truly a sign, then guide me." After a moment of contemplation, his scientific curiosity mingled with his spiritual reverence. The fruits seemed otherworldly, and every fiber of his being urged him to learn more.
His mind raced. "Should I...? They look... potent. But no one has mentioned a tree like this, let alone fruits like these. What could they do?" His logical mind was at war with his intuition. But Bhoumik wasn't someone who backed down from challenges or mysteries. "Perhaps this is a test... a challenge of sorts."
Bhoumik reached out and plucked both fruits from the tree. The moment they were in his hand, he felt a slight vibration run through his arm, but it was fleeting. The black fruit had a rich, intoxicating aroma, and without further hesitation, he took a bite. It was sweet beyond anything he had ever tasted, but also strangely bitter at the same time. He swallowed it down, waiting for something to happen.
Minutes passed, but nothing.
"Well, that's disappointing," he muttered under his breath before biting into the dark purple fruit. The taste of this one was much different—milder but infused with a sense of energy, like drinking pure sunlight. He finished the fruit and waited again.
But once again, nothing.
Shaking his head, Bhoumik decided to leave. "Maybe they were just regular fruits after all..." he mused. But deep down, he knew they were anything but ordinary. Something about the entire scene felt surreal, like a forgotten part of the universe had just opened itself to him.
As he exited the cave, a chill ran down his spine. He turned around one last time, expecting to see the Shivling and the tree, but they were gone. The cave was completely empty.
"What the...?" His heart skipped a beat. Bhoumik quickly made his way back to the temple grounds and sought out the local priests. The elderly Buddhist monks, draped in their saffron robes, listened to him calmly as he recounted his experience.
"You say there was a Shivling in one of the caves?" one of the priests asked, his voice soft but skeptical.
"Yes! I saw it with my own eyes! It was there, along with a tree and two strange fruits," Bhoumik said, frustration edging into his voice.
The priest gave him a kind smile. "Young man, Mount Kailash is a place of spiritual importance. Many come here with their devotion to Lord Shiva. Sometimes, deep devotion can play tricks on the mind. You must have imagined it. This mountain has a way of reflecting our innermost desires."
Bhoumik was taken aback. "No, that's not possible! I know what I saw!"
The monks exchanged glances and shook their heads gently. "It's understandable. Many come here and feel overwhelmed by the energy of this place. But what you speak of... no such thing exists."
As the monks walked away, Bhoumik stood rooted to the spot, his mind reeling. "It was real. I'm not crazy. I know what I saw... but how could it all vanish?"
Suddenly, a deep hum filled the air, cutting through his thoughts like a sharp blade. The ground beneath him trembled. Before Bhoumik could react, a dark, swirling vortex appeared right in front of him. It was as if the fabric of reality had been torn open, revealing a yawning void beyond.
"What the hell—?!" Bhoumik barely had time to utter a word before the vortex began pulling him in. It felt like gravity itself had turned against him, dragging him relentlessly toward the portal. He tried to resist, digging his heels into the ground, but it was futile. The force was too strong.
With a final, desperate cry, Bhoumik was sucked into the vortex.
Everything went dark.
For what felt like an eternity, he was suspended in this void—weightless, formless, lost. Then, in the blackness, a massive eye slowly opened. It was both divine and demonic, an eye that seemed to see beyond his soul, piercing through every layer of his existence. It radiated warmth but also an overwhelming sense of dread, as though it could crush him with a mere glance.
The eye blinked slowly, its vertical pupil contracting as it gazed upon him. Bhoumik's body trembled. He was powerless, like an insect caught in the gaze of a god.
"What... what is this?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
The eye didn't respond with words, but Bhoumik felt an energy radiating from it—an ancient, otherworldly energy that seeped into him, awakening something deep within. The fruits... the fruits he had eaten—they were the key to this. He could feel it now.
But what had he unlocked?
As the eye continued to gaze at him, he realized one terrifying truth: this was just the beginning.